Kill the Princess, and the Demon... King... (1)
Kill the Princess, and the Demon... King... (1)
My eyelids fluttered.
[Wait what]
Information flooded in through Observation. An entire army was pouring onto the plain near the Rocky Mountain.
The scale was on another level entirely. Not just the sheer number of cadets, but undead, spirits, monsters they'd somehow tamed and brought along—the force was immense.
And that wasn't all. The main combatants from each faction had joined in droves.
Not only were there upperclassmen who had feasted on the Blessing of Growth and honed their skills for years, but first- and second-years already flaunting talent beyond their years were countless.
In other words, a significant chunk of the forces meant to defend their bases had merged with that army.
'What the hell?'
Why are the troops meant to defend their bases attacking me here?
I'd expected they'd come for me.
But I never imagined they'd commit this much force.
Because there's no trust between them. Sure, they could paint me as a common enemy, but an alliance carries no real binding obligation.
If you overcommit your forces here, someone can snatch your base from behind and momentum swings against you.
So I figured everyone would half-ass it... leave the bulk of their strength at home and attack cautiously.
'Why is everyone here...?'
But they came in overwhelming numbers.
At the army's vanguard was Hong Yeon-hwa. She fixed a frosty glare on the Rocky Mountain, spitting words cold enough to freeze—the hostage could be killed for all she cared.
Near her stood Baek A-rin and Lee Ji-yeon. Both were defensive specialists who benefit from environmental corrections.
Yet here they were, at the vanguard. Both looked somewhere between uncomfortable and outright sullen, glaring at the Rocky Mountain.
This is bad. The defensive fortifications I set up can't withstand that force unscathed. They might stall for a little while, but they won't stop them.
"What's going on?"
Ellia, who hadn't seen the situation outside, tilted her head and asked. Her warm touch, which had been kneading my chest, paused and settled over the back of my hand.
"Ah, well..."
I stammered and explained the situation outside.
"To be fair, before you brought me here, they did hold a meeting about forming a temporary alliance to assault this place."
"I know that, but..."
"Wait. How do you know?"
Ellia blinked, then rose from the rocking chair with me still in her arms.
She approached the wall. I caught on and opened a window in the wall, but the Barrier Wall blocked the view, so we couldn't see the foot of the mountain.
"Hmm... Ha-yul, how many came?"
"A... a lot. Around fifteen hundred?"
"Wow, aren't there only a little over two thousand cadets total? They really mean business."
Ellia sighed heavily as if troubled. I was just as troubled.
We both sighed at the same moment, and our breath mingled halfway.
'What do I do...'
My reason for setting up the defenses wasn't anything special.
I needed to show the world my anti-army combat skills to earn trust.
I also needed a chance to practice in an environment close to real combat.
Also, since I had no clue what the event match would throw at us, I'd laid down the fortifications as a precaution.
...Judging by that army's momentum, my defenses won't hold.
The assault began.
The fortifications kicked back into action. Defensive functions activated, and magic poured down on the army.
It wasn't as effective as before.
The army's overall skill had shot up; just spraying moderate suppressive magic wouldn't thin their numbers easily.
At the vanguard... those three still hadn't moved. They'd dragged their full might here, but apparently had no intention of crashing straight in from the start.
Maybe they're gauging the momentum first?
'Tch...'
My head was a mess.
"Haa... and it was such a good opportunity, too."
- Squeeze...
"Eep."
In that instant, the hand stroking my back slid down and gently gripped my butt. A jolt shot through me, and my head tilted back on its own.
- Peck.
As if answering an expectation I'd secretly held, a kiss landed on my lips. The sensation, no matter how many times, was so blissful it made my body tremble.
The bright yellow eyes filling my vision crinkled into a smile.
"Who taught you this..."
Ellia murmured something to herself, then snorted, patting my butt.
"Ha-yul, do you need to move right away?"
"Uh-uh... no..."
I shook my head at her question.
If I personally threw myself at them? To be honest, there's nothing I couldn't stop, but that wouldn't improve my anti-army combat skills.
Honestly, this is a good opportunity. I can use this to foster growth in my magic skills and the spirits.
I do need to prepare for when the defenses collapse, but I've already handled most of that. For the rest, I just need to quietly fiddle with mana.
"That's a relief. If you do need to move soon, I'd have to step out, so you'd have to tell me, okay?"
With a bright smile, Ellia seated me on a normal chair, then lightly climbed on top of me.
"Pfft."
In an instant, her breasts closed in and buried my face. My breath caught. When I hurriedly inhaled, the world's richest scent of milk flooded my nasal passages.
[Milk]
[Happy]
[I like it]
When I relaxed my body, a gentle touch settled on my head. Buoyed by the hand softly stroking my hair, I let myself bask in the scent.
The body scent was so sweet it washed the headache from my head clean away.
I rubbed my face between her breasts for a moment, savoring the texture and the fragrance, then peeked out.
"Hm?"
Ellia, who'd been playing with my hair and tidying it with her fingers, tilted her head. I rolled my eyes, then quietly pursed my lips.
"Hmm?"
Ellia tilted her head again. She understood perfectly well what I meant, and she was playing coy.
I puffed out my cheeks, and Ellia giggled, stroking my puffed-up cheeks.
"When does our little one kiss?"
I tilted my head at the sudden question. When do I kiss?
"When I want to..."
"Hmm, true, but that's a little different."
"Different...?"
As I questioned her, the memory from a moment ago suddenly surfaced. Ellia had touched my butt, and in response, I'd tilted my head back and felt expectation.
I blinked, then stealthily moved my hands.
Sliding down her slender waist, my hands brushed a soft sensation.
A memory buried in a corner resurfaced.
The feeling of gripping my teacher's backside tightly, laced with mischief.
Wondering if this was right, I glanced up at Ellia. Her benevolent eyes sparkled as if they'd permit anything.
Thus, my hands moved.
- Squeeze...
"Hnuh..."
"Whoa..."
My mouth fell open. The texture of the flesh filling my hands was a bit different from her breasts.
Her breasts were something you sank deep into, soft and pillowy... this was, how to put it, a bit stickier, more elastic.
Even when I dug my fingers in, it felt like they'd be pushed right back out. There was more weight than her breasts, a generous fullness pressing firmly into my palms.
The sensation through her clothes was surprisingly rich. I squirmed my hands, squeezing the flesh.
After trembling for a moment, Ellia lowered her head. Peck—a blissful sensation spread over my lips.
- Squeeze.
"Yeah, hnn... peck."
When I reflexively squeezed the generous flesh hard again, she met my lips from above.
The moment I grasped the cause and effect and my eyes sparkled, Ellia, her eyes trembling at the corners, let out a laugh.
"That's right, good boy... you learn so, ah... fast too..."
As if praising a good child, she gently brushed down my hair. With a soft grin, Ellia wiggled her hips slightly. It was an unmistakable confirmation that erased any room for doubt.
"Ngh, ah... ahnn..."
While I still had leeway, I kept receiving kisses from Ellia, who was seated above me.
* * *
"Oh, for fuck's sake."
"What? Why are you suddenly cursing?"
"My mood just turned to shit out of nowhere."
At Hong Yeon-hwa's sudden outburst, Shin Seo-yul blinked, then whispered quietly to the friends beside her.
"She's been quiet lately and now she's pulling this crap again."
"Hey, hey, keep it down. She's so blinded by jealousy right now she's thrown her whole cutesy act out the window."
"She's already going on about killing the hostage, so..."
Ignoring the sidelong glances that looked at her like she was a crazy bitch, Hong Yeon-hwa's face crumpled.
She wasn't making excuses. A hunch? Instinct, maybe. But her mood really had turned to absolute shit out of nowhere.
Fwoosh! Calamity Flame flared up just above her shoulder. Letting out a hot breath, Hong Yeon-hwa dismounted from her horse.
"A-rin, Ji-yeon."
At Hong Yeon-hwa's call, Baek A-rin and Lee Ji-yeon, who'd been staring at the Barrier Wall layered around the Rocky Mountain, turned their heads.
Neither looked happy.
Baek A-rin was restlessly twisting the ends of her hair with her fingers as if discontent, and Lee Ji-yeon similarly had her arms crossed.
Hong Yeon-hwa nodded her head, tapping her shoulder—where the Calamity Flame still flared—with her sword.
"Let's go right now. Waiting for more intel here is just wasting time."
"Right now? Still, don't you think we should wait a bit longer?"
"Wait for what? Looks like everything worth showing is already out. Let's push in together, like old times."
"Hmm... What do you think, Ji-yeon?"
Baek A-rin turned her gaze to Lee Ji-yeon. Lee Ji-yeon, arms still crossed, wiggled her fingers in thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah, let's go in now. We don't have all the time in the world, do we?"
"Exactly. What if the official match ends and the event starts while we're still here messing around?"
The opinion was unified. Once they roughly informed the nearby commanders of the decision, the formation shifted.
Those who had been at the front, hammering the Barrier Wall and the defending troops, gradually fell back.
Hong Yeon-hwa stepped forward.
A massive Barrier Wall wrapped around the Rocky Mountain like a citadel. Countless spell formulas shimmered across its surface as it continuously fired volleys of magic.
'Is it like the Demon Realm?'
Before entering Siyoram, she'd visited the frontline of the African Demon Realm with the elders of her family. That place had looked similar to this.
The way monsters, people, golems, and spirits clashed endlessly beneath the Barrier Wall was similar too.
With a deep exhale, Hong Yeon-hwa lowered her sword. A spark flared at the sword's tip, searing the ground, and Baek A-rin stepped out ahead of her.
"Hm."
Walking lightly forward, Baek A-rin raised her spear toward the Barrier Wall. She drew up mana and expanded the innate core within her.
Teamwork they hadn't done since childhood. She hadn't tried it in recent years, but she hadn't forgotten how.
Azure Sea Expansion Ability.
Tidal Wave.
As if a hole had burst in a dam, a massive flood of water surged from the narrow tip of her spear. A unique ability designed for environmental dominance. Baek A-rin heightened her focus and flicked her spear tip.
- Crash!
The Tidal Wave, which had been about to surge in all directions, shifted course. The currents converged into one point and surged toward the Barrier Wall.
The Tidal Wave slammed into the Barrier Wall. Boom! The barrier's shield rippled under the massive weight of the wave.
This time, Baek A-rin twisted her spear as if turning a key in a lock. Frost formed on the spear tip that was still gushing water.
Azure Sea Expansion Ability.
Ice Sea.
- Crackle!
Frost formed at the edges of the Tidal Wave, and razor-sharp shards of ice churned within the current. Undead caught in the wave were shredded like they'd gone through a blender by the ice fragments.
Crash, crack, crunch! Countless frozen blades mercilessly tore into the barrier's shield.
"Huu..."
Around that time, Lee Ji-yeon, who had been standing by, extended her leg.
The earth was moist and soaked from the Azure Sea's water. Her foot stamped down upon it.
Taesan Expansion Ability.
Blossoming from a Withered Tree.
A sprout shot up at Lee Ji-yeon's feet. The churned-up, blasted mounds of dirt left by repeated battles turned green.
Using the water the earth had drunk deeply as a foundation, she summoned Vitality Energy.
Soil brimming with vitality is easy to manipulate and has countless uses.
- Rumble!
The ground's surface heaved. The earth shook, centered on Lee Ji-yeon. The Dominance of Taesan encroached upon the land.
Lee Ji-yeon narrowed her eyes. She sensed foreign objects buried in the earth—artificial mana flows connected by pure magic.
She'd rip them all out.
- Riiip!
The Barrier Wall, which had been enduring the crashing wave, shook violently. Thick tree roots surged up from beneath it and bored into the wall.
Crack! A huge fissure shot across the once-impregnable Barrier Wall.
"Yap."
With an Ice Spear formed in her empty hand, Baek A-rin flung her arm. The Ice Spear, buried in the Tidal Wave, surrendered itself to the current and shot toward the Barrier Wall.
Tearing through the wave, the Ice Spear drew in the surrounding water and ice, swelling its mass.
Before long, the Ice Spear—now larger than a modest building—pierced the barrier's shield and lodged itself dead center in the Wall.
Crack! Frost spread over the Barrier Wall where the massive Ice Spear had lodged. The current that had wormed into the cracks froze solid, forcing the fissures wider.
- Craaack! Rumble...!
Soon, the Barrier Wall, once seemingly impregnable, crumbled apart. Cadets who'd been burned to nothing and revived by magic countless times let out reflexive cheers.
But those who'd brought it down were not satisfied. Many more layers of walls still remained inside.
The Tidal Wave that had hammered the wall pushed inward, and Lee Ji-yeon shook the earth even harder, rattling the walls' foundation and interior.
"Tch..."
Hong Yeon-hwa, who'd been concentrating on controlling her Calamity Flame, finally moved. Maintaining the flame condensed at her sword's tip, she raised her blade toward the sky.
The Vitality Energy, which had drunk the surrounding water and sprouted new growth, rushed into the Calamity Flame at her sword tip.
- Fwoooosh!
The Calamity Flame, having burned the vitality as fuel, swelled massively. A straight pillar of fire shot up into the sky. The area was dyed red and melted under the intense heat.
Gritting her teeth, Hong Yeon-hwa fed the flames even larger.
Calamity Flame Expansion Ability.
Flame Bloom.
The flames billowed again. Ice and water bubbled and boiled, seeping into the ground. Even the earth itself melted and flowed like lava.
She drew her sword behind her head. The Calamity Flame in her grip held immense output—something she couldn't control before, but now she could handle it with ease.
She brought the sword down. The pillar of fire that had shot into the sky crashed down onto the earth. Its trajectory carved straight like a slash.
The Tidal Wave layered over that trajectory split violently to the left and right. Thanks to that, the Calamity Flame reached the second layer of the Barrier Wall completely unobstructed and intact.
The barrier's shield melted in an instant, and the sturdy wall collapsed.
The Calamity Flame did not stop and lashed into the third layer of the Barrier Wall.
- Booom!
The wall melted, and the flame struck again. The largely melted wall shook.
The third layer did not collapse. But before she could even confirm that, Lee Ji-yeon had already kicked off the ground.
Above the Tidal Wave. Nimbly hopping from floating glacier to glacier, Lee Ji-yeon advanced inward. Facing the shaking Barrier Wall, she pulled her arm back.
She expended the Vitality Energy and mana stored in her body. She drew in the surrounding Water Energy and converted it alongside.
Crunch! A crushing sound rang from her clenched fist. The intangible pressure made the surroundings tremble. Lee Ji-yeon gritted her teeth and threw the punch.
Taesan Expansion Ability.
Mountain-Breaking.
Craaash! The shaking third layer of the Barrier Wall exploded.
...
"H-heuk!"
"Ah, Ha-yul?"
Lee Ha-yul, who had been on the receiving end of kisses the whole time, shot up from his seat in alarm at the unimaginable speed of events.