The Nightmare Demon (3)
A bug had suddenly stunned the emperor, leaving him unable to collect himself — so I used one of the skills I'd been saving.
Composed Mind!
Harmful status ailments on the target are dispelled. Grants immunity to harmful status effects for a set duration.
Only after I used the skill did the doubt hit me.
The stun was caused by a bug. Can a skill even clear that?
If the stun's source was a bug, the skill might fail entirely — or the stun might just keep reapplying. Of course I only thought of that after I'd already cast it. I winced, but my finger had already pressed the button, and the skill effect was blooming over the emperor.
Biro-rong—
With a cheesy little jingle, two angels appeared, sprinkled gold dust over the emperor's head, and vanished.
Fortunately, it worked. The emperor snapped free of the stun.
Getting him unstunned was a relief… but please don't let another bug pop.
"For the Empire!"
Clear-headed again, the emperor raised his scepter and cast a wide-area buff. And with that, the boss raid began in earnest.
I watched the fight with my heart in my throat.
Friga with her axe and Kenis with her greatsword charged forward, while Iscal stepped up to block the clay monster's rain of attacks.
"You shall not pass!"
— Ding!
Iscal's Taunt!
The Nightmare Demon attacks Iscal!
The monster's attacks locked onto Iscal. Kenis and Friga seized the opening and poured on the damage.
Iscal was more than earning the shield I'd given the male character. Without thinking, I clenched my fist.
— KRA-KOOM!
— KWA-BANG!!
Whenever an attack swung toward Friga or Kenis, I interrupted it with Lightning Strike. Bolts kept slamming down, leaving the clay monster reeling.
"Eat this!"
Friga's booming battle cry blasted through my earphones. Everyone else's voice volume was fine — why was only Friga this loud? I scrambled to turn the sound down.
Even so, Kenis and Friga kept stacking damage, steady and methodical. The faceless villagers with weapons were holding their own against the boss as well.
— Gkeehieeeeeek!!!
The clay monster let out a blood-curdling scream. Its health bar had already taken a solid chunk. Watching that HP tick down — slow, but reliable — I found myself thinking:
"…This is doable."
Easier than the Stage 1 boss, even.
"Wh-what is that?"
Friga stared up at the pillars of light descending from the sky. Two brilliant yellow columns — no. Not columns at all.
The soldiers looking skyward began to stir.
"Look at the sky! What in the world is that?"
"Those are birds!"
"No — magical beasts!"
"No, those are— those are—!"
Pure white wings beat the air, trailing long tails of golden dust behind them. They soared freely, descending slowly toward the earth.
The messengers of the gods — symbols of the Mythic Age, known only through ancient records.
Angels had revealed themselves.
"An… angel?"
Ruel murmured, staring blankly upward. She had never even seen an angel in the Holy Land, and now one had appeared so suddenly that her brain seemed to have short-circuited.
Drawing every gaze on the battlefield, the angels circled above the emperor's head, their wings glowing with a soft, moonlit radiance.
"Upon thee, a blessing."
"A great spirit that yields neither to adversity nor hardship."
The angels recited a brief prayer as they blessed the emperor. Light scattered from their pure white hands and settled upon his head.
The sight was so sacred that every soul on the battlefield bowed and prayed.
Behold that vision.
The gods themselves had blessed the emperor!
Truly, the fortune of a thousand-year empire!
"Glory be."
Having blessed the emperor, the angels beat their white wings and rose into the sky. With only a few strokes they climbed to the heavens' edge, and not a single person lifted their head until the angels were gone from sight.
"Y-Your Majesty…"
Demonic, standing right beside Caesar, called to him in a trembling voice.
"…My mind is perfectly clear. As if a fog has simply lifted. Yes — He has illuminated the path I must take."
Caesar gripped his scepter. The mission and blessing the gods had bestowed upon him. His own vow to embrace and protect all things.
Now was the time to prove it.
"Warriors of the Empire!"
Dazzling light began to gather in the sunstone of the raised scepter.
"The Six Gods have sent angels to light our way — we need only advance! Do not waver! Do not doubt!"
A radiant golden haze spread from the scepter and washed over the battlefield. A soft golden sheen settled upon the soldiers' weapons. In eyes that had been faltering, fighting spirit began to kindle once more.
"This is the great thousand-year Empire!! A future promised in light awaits you! You need only fight! Level your blades, raise your shields! Do you hear the screams of those who groan in the thrall of that vile demon? If you truly care for them — fight and protect them! For the gods shield us with Their light!"
The soldiers' morale boiled over. No more confusion. No more doubt or hesitation. Only great warriors fighting a demon for their families remained.
"Where are we?!"
"The Empire!!"
"The Empire of a thousand years of glorious history!! For the Empire — for your families — fight!!"
Soldiers hammered their shields and stamped the earth. Hundreds, thousands of feet striking together — it was like an earthquake. Shields beaten in unison — like thunder rolling across the sky.
Eyes blazing fit to burst fixed on the demon. The gods had promised them through Their angels — so they would fight.
For their families. For the Empire!
— Kkihihieeeeeek!!
As if offended by those defiant stares, the demon tore thick tentacles from its body and smashed them into the ground. Each tentacle was thicker than a grown man's torso, whipping through the air with a howl.
But no one fell back. To protect what was precious, they had to fight.
"I'll take the lead!"
"Where do you think you're going alone?!"
Kenis raced forward like the wind, her holy sword blazing with divine power. Friga charged right behind her, refusing to be outdone.
The demon swung a thick cluster of tentacles at the two who had broken ranks. Kenis shouted back over her shoulder.
"Lord Iscal! The rear is yours!"
"W-wha—!!"
Iscal, who had been holding his shield in the back, came sprinting out. His eyes were full of panic.
I-I came out, but—!
Kenis had called him, so he'd rushed forward on pure reflex — but could he actually stop that? The tentacles tore through the air like flying logs.
Whether Kenis and Friga trusted him to block it or simply weren't paying attention, they didn't spare the incoming tentacles a single glance.
Iscal swallowed hard.
Fine then…!
A man only dies once — not twice. He locked power into his arms, raised the thick shield before him, and dropped his stance low.
— KWAANG!
"Grrh—!"
At the last instant he tilted the shield slightly and bled off the impact. No one had taught him — he simply, instinctively, deflected the strike point and channeled the force down into the earth.
A truly remarkable gift for the shield.
"Hah… haah—"
He'd been shoved back a little, but he was unharmed. A whole fistful of thick tentacles had slammed into his shield, and all he felt was a mild sting in his arms.
Confidence bloomed in Iscal. He replayed the angle he'd instinctively tilted the shield to when the tentacles struck. He felt like he could find an even better angle now.
— Kkiheeeeeek!!!
Furious that a tiny human had blocked its attack, the demon shrieked. Then it stretched out a thick arm and swung at Iscal — ignoring Friga and Kenis, who were carving into its body, fixated on him as if possessed.
Iscal watched the demon's attacks pour down to crush him. The moment he gripped the shield, everything became clear.
Where it was aiming. How to deflect it. How to stop it. It all rose into his mind.
— KWANG!! KWAANG!!
Iron met flesh, yet the sound that rang out was iron on iron.
Tilt. Rotate. Bleed it off.
In a state of pure no-mind, Iscal weathered the rain of tentacles with a single shield.
And then—
"Ha… haha!!"
He had deflected every attack, blocked them, turned them aside.
With this shield, he could stop anything. The confidence settled deep in his bones.
This was the weapon the gods had given him.
"You foul monster—!"
Iscal hammered his shield. He could feel the eyes of countless people behind him.
This moment — this was his fated hour.
"You shall not pass!!"
This was his destiny.
"All forces—!!"
Caesar's command thundered from the rear. Having witnessed Iscal's astonishing divine prowess, the soldiers' morale soared to the heavens.
"Advance—!! For your families — fight!!"
A wall of golden-shining shields surged forward as one.
For their families. For the land their fathers' fathers had defended.
"Raise your spears and grip your shields!! You fight for the victory the gods have ordained!!"
Caesar swept his scepter and poured out his passion. As if answering him, thunder rolled across a clear sky.
— KRA-KOOM!!
— Kkihihieeeeeek!!!!
A blinding bolt tore the heavens and slammed into the demon. It writhed, screaming in agony. The soldiers advanced without a tremor.
"Forward!!"
The battle against the nightmare was a march toward a victory already promised.