Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: How to Destroy a Fortress (3)
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Rumble rumble rumble...
The fortress gate crumbled to the ground.
...
The white knight stared blankly at the utterly demolished gate.
The key I'd prepared hadn't just opened the gate—it had left it wide open for good. He seemed utterly dumbfounded.
I couldn't help but smirk at the sight.
Now the knight gets it.
Bombs make excellent keys.
Of course, they're one-time use only.
That said, how long is this knight going to stand there dazed?
Is knocking down the gate without siege weapons really that shocking?
"Knight, snap out of it."
...Ah.
I clapped him on the shoulder and called out. He shook himself back to reality, letting out a murmur as he turned to me.
...In-credible...!
He started to say something, excitement bubbling over.
But...
"Enough."
I raised a hand to silence him.
I knew what he wanted to say.
"Knight, we're still in the middle of a battle."
...!
We'd only taken down the gate. It wasn't time for praise—the fight wasn't over yet.
So what the knight should be doing now wasn't gushing admiration.
"All troops, prepare to charge."
He needed to get ready to storm the fortress.
...All troops—! Prepare to charge—!
Realizing his mistake, the knight spun toward the soldiers and bellowed my order.
Thud! Thud!
The soldiers thrust their spear tips forward, bracing to charge.
I checked the knight and soldiers' conditions.
'Enough to fight.'
Thanks to all the time I'd bought them—enough to earn me the title of "Disaster" in the black camp—their nearly broken bodies had recovered enough for battle.
...Now that I look, we don't have many troops.
A rough headcount put us at company strength.
The retreating black forces earlier had been company-sized too, so adding the fortress garrison made them battalion-level.
With that in mind, I scanned the surroundings.
Countless fragments littered the plain.
Most were white, so it didn't seem like the numbers had been uneven from the start.
That meant they'd been outmatched in quality.
'Well, the black camp's enhanced by demonic energy right now.'
Superhumans who couldn't use mana versus those who could.
If their tiers were different, that'd be one thing—but at the same level, having mana versus not was a massive gap.
Put simply: both sides wield the same sword, but the white camp swings a plain blade while the black camp wields a masterwork.
The black camp held every advantage in numbers and power.
But that had nothing to do with me.
Numbers didn't matter. Demonic energy auras didn't matter.
I had countless bombs and cheats.
So the white camp just needed to trust in me.
"All troops, charge."
All troops—! Charge—!
The moment I gave the order, the knight raised his sword high and bolted forward.
Not to be outdone, the soldiers roared and followed tight on his heels.
I brought up the rear, dashing toward the fortress while unleashing a barrage at the enemy spears now flying our way.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—!
Gunfire echoed fiercely.
Bullets arced from the muzzle, swarming toward the incoming spears.
Bam-bam-bam-bam—!
Spears struck by bullets spun away with harsh impacts.
Just like the golems earlier, the rifle's knockback effect proved its worth again.
After weathering a few volleys and interceptions, we closed in on the fortress.
Just as I reached the shattered gate, I ordered everyone to halt.
All troops, halt!
Despite the sudden command, the knight and soldiers stopped in unison.
I pushed past them and strode to the fortress entrance.
Then, facing the glaring black camp forces, I shouted.
"I'm giving you two choices."
A black knight stepped forward from their ranks.
His ornate armor marked him as their captain.
You think we'll heed the words of a Disaster?!
His looks screamed leader, but his actions didn't match.
So I graciously decided to replace their captain.
BOOM!
Foolishly stepping into my skill's range, I teleported a grenade onto his body.
Fragments of what had been the black captain rained across the ground.
One of the black knights ahead shifted form, just like the one I'd destroyed before.
With the captain gone, one knight had become the new leader.
Clank.
The new captain advanced.
...Speak, Disaster.
He'd seen the old captain obliterated without resistance.
The new one decided to hear me out, at least.
Good.
I'd been ready to destroy another.
"You have two choices."
First: Surrender and join the white camp.
Second: Get completely destroyed.
...
The simple ultimatum left the black captain staring blankly at me.
Then he reached for the sword at his waist.
"Touch that hilt, and I'll blow this whole place sky-high."
I'd said it, but I was hoping he'd pick the first option.
People somewhere out there were in dire peril from the demonic energy and black forces.
Hell, they might be dying already.
So please, just surrender.
That way, we could use these troops to rescue them fast.
Y-You monster...
Under my fierce threat (bluff), the black captain trembled, hand frozen short of his hilt.
If I hadn't shown overwhelming dominance alone.
If I hadn't demolished the gate in one shot.
He would've drawn his sword ages ago, threats be damned.
But those two spectacles had him convinced I could really level the place.
(I could, but I needed this fortress and these troops, so no plans to.)
Still, if they attacked... well, no choice.
Urgh... uuurgh...
The black captain groaned in agony.
He was torn, deep in inner conflict.
Maybe I should help him decide.
Th-That’s...?
He quavered as he spotted what I pulled from my inventory.
"This? You saw it earlier."
Even if he hadn't, someone had.
The thing that destroyed the gate...
Luckily, the captain had seen the grenade crate.
Made things easier.
"You've got ten seconds. If you don't choose by then, you'll all be destroyed with this fortress."
I said it and pulled out a crate every second.
One second.
One crate.
Two seconds.
Two crates.
Three seconds.
Three crates.
Four seconds.
Four crates.
Five seconds..., five crates...
Stop, stop! I get it! I yield! Just stop pulling those out!
Only five crates, and he surrendered already.
Maybe still knight mentality. Not very captain-like.
Suits me fine, though.
"Alright? So which is it?"
His tone had changed, so probably first choice.
But to confirm, I pulled one more while asking.
Surrender! We surrender! Please, stop with those!
"Is that just you, or everyone?"
I've been chosen captain of this camp, so I speak for all. Accept our surrender...
The black captain knelt on one knee.
The black troops behind him followed suit, kneeling and bowing their heads.
I nodded at the sight.
"Very well, I accept your surrender."
The moment I spoke, the black captain—and all the black troops—began turning white.
And soon enough...
Thank you for accepting our surrender, hero.
The black camp had become white.
"Welcome to the white camp."
I said it while drawing my grenade launcher.
"First order."
Get far from that sub-core.
The troops who'd bowed scrambled away from the sub-core spewing demonic energy.
The instant they cleared the blast radius, I fired the launcher.
BOOM!
The sub-core filling the fortress with demonic energy shattered in the grenade's explosion.
At the same time, the demonic energy filling the fortress vanished rapidly.
Watching that, I pulled a flare from my inventory.
Place was safe now. Time to signal anyone nearby.
Bang!
I fired the flare skyward.
Under the red sky, it trailed green smoke as it soared up.
Good thing I'd grabbed it just in case.
Didn't expect to use it so soon...
"Not sure if that's good or bad."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Murmur murmur.
Right now, my fortress was packed with people.
Those who'd followed the flares I fired every five minutes.
Those my scattered subordinates had rounded up on my orders.
And the heroes who'd come to rescue people.
With so many gathered, the fortress buzzed with noise.
But the clamor died down as one hero climbed the walls to take charge.
"I know you're all confused and scared, but please wait here just a bit longer! We'll get everyone out soon!"
The murmurs eased at his words.
Not a bad way to calm things.
I nodded and peered beyond the walls.
Sure enough, the hero's "soon" seemed spot-on for reassuring folks.
Rooooaaar...!
In the distance, massive demonic energy erupted into view.
Only the main core could be that visible.
"Not much hassle this time."
Taken the fortress.
Added a white camp to my forces.
Destroyed one sub-core.
But compared to yesterday... wait, that was just yesterday.
Anyway, versus what I'd been through in that other world, this was nothing.
The Hero Association heroes would handle the main core, so I could relax.
Leaning against the wall with that thought...
"...What? Total annihilation...?"
An ominous phrase slipped from a hero's lips.