Chapter 173: Nightmare (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: Nightmare (9)
If there was one existence that was particularly troublesome for the demons, it was the clerics.
Just when the demons managed to injure them, the clerics would heal with holy power. And if the demons tried to interfere with the healing, that same holy power would push back their evil energy. They were nothing short of a pain in the ass.
And so, the demons made a decision.
They would wipe out the clerics completely.
The Holy Land, Atlia.
A blessed land loved by the main god, Meria, and the other deities.
That was why they had surrounded the place, home to the main temples of various faiths, with an army of ten thousand.
Atlia was a place that consistently produced high-quality clerics.
Their judgment was that if they destroyed it, the number of clerics would plummet. That judgment was not wrong, and the human side reacted swiftly to the movements of the Demon King's army.
They hastily dispatched the Hero and began to form a relief force.
However...
“Fuck, why are there so many of them?”
An army of ten thousand, clad in high-quality gear.
There was also a considerable number of high-level monsters mixed in, like ogres, drakes, and wyverns.
Even for Han Jisu, the Hero, it was an overwhelming number.
Such an army was marching toward the gates of Atlia.
Han Jisu’s hand, resting on the rampart, clenched tightly.
The number of soldiers that could be mobilized in the Holy Land of Atlia was currently three thousand.
While not a small number by any means, it was paltry compared to ten thousand.
Furthermore, while the enemy consisted of elite soldiers, half of their own forces were conscripted citizens. Outmatched even in the quality of their soldiers, it wouldn't even be a fight.
“Sir Hero, what should we do?” the High Priest asked, watching the approaching demon army.
“What do you mean? We hold the gates and endure until reinforcements arrive. Prepare for a siege.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The High Priest left to give orders to the other soldiers.
Han Jisu stared outside and ground his teeth.
Dammit.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't see a future where they successfully defended the city. In contrast, the scene of the gates being breached and the soldiers and citizens being slaughtered was easy to imagine.
That image grew clearer as the Demon King's army drew closer.
...I won't let them all die.
The clerics...
If it came to it, he had to at least save the Pope and the High Priests. Even if it meant the soldiers, the citizens, and even his companions had to die. They were the only ones who could produce new clerics.
Companions...
The thought that his companions might die made Han Jisu's chest tighten. He slapped his cheek to snap out of the heavy feeling that threatened to drag him down.
I knew it would come to this someday.
He admitted they were strong. He even admitted they were heroes of the century. But being strong didn't guarantee survival in a war.
The battlefield was a place where your head could fly off in the blink of an eye.
Just as he managed to calm himself and was about to join the siege preparations, his eyes caught sight of someone leaping from the wall.
“Ash?!”
That someone was Ash. Her silken blond hair fluttering, she landed and drew her sword, facing the Demon King's army.
“Hey, Ash! What the hell are you doing? Get back up here, now!”
“I cannot.”
“What?”
“Lady Meria has spoken to me. She told me not to hide behind a wall, but to step forward and fight evil with courage. Therefore, I cannot go back up!”
“What kind of bullshit is that!?”
The Goddess Meria spoke to her?
Even the Pope couldn't hear the goddess's voice, so how could a mere commander of the holy knights hear it?
And even if it were true, what could she possibly do alone against that massive army?
Han Jisu looked up and stared at the demon army. They were still getting closer with every passing moment.
“Ash, you stupid bitch! Stop this nonsense and get back up here!”
Normally, she would have obeyed him, but not this time. She stood before the gate, unmoving, as if she truly intended to act as the goddess's proxy.
“That girl, really...!”
What should I do? Should I drag her back up by force?
He considered it, then shook his head.
He knew Ash's stubbornness better than anyone. Even if he managed to drag her up, it was obvious she'd just jump down again the first chance she got.
Since it's come to this, should I just go down with Asgarth and Felix to defend the gate?
With their backs to the gate and support from Jeral and Elipheed, they might be able to hold out.
Just as he was considering this tactic...
-Groooaaar!
An eerie cry rang out. Han Jisu turned his head, searching for the source of the sound.
The rear guard of the demon army.
Three dragons with tattered flesh hanging from their bones shrieked with torn vocal cords as they soared into the sky.
Zombie dragons.
The moment he saw them, the thread of reason he had been desperately holding onto snapped.
“Zombie dragons... These bastards really came prepared...”
How they managed to turn dragons, the highest tier of monsters, into zombies didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that those dragons' breath would melt the walls or the gate.
Was that all?
Humans melted by the breath would become undead, tearing apart any living thing in sight.
A situation where your former comrades not only die but are resurrected as undead to attack you.
It would be a scene straight out of hell.
It's over.
Their only advantage, the wall, was now gone. We will lose this war. Atlia will be ravaged by them.
We're surrounded, so we can't even escape.
Everyone is going to die.
Han Jisu slowly closed his eyes.
For a moment, he felt a sense of relief that his difficult life was finally coming to an end.
But then his fists began to tremble.
What filled his chest was not relief, but indignation.
I wanted to win.
Since things had turned out this way, he wanted to win the war. He wanted to personally snap the Demon King's neck and unleash all the anger he'd suppressed.
I wish I could have protected them.
The people who trusted and relied on a lacking Hero like him. He wanted to protect them. He worked tirelessly to do so.
But all that effort had come to nothing.
He was powerless, without the strength to stop that massive army.
Just as Han Jisu was grinding his teeth in frustration...
“What are you doing with your eyes closed? Don't tell me you're sleeping.”
A rough hand patted his back. He turned to see Asgarth looking down at him with a puzzled expression.
“What the? You're not sleeping. Why were your eyes closed?”
“...None of your business.”
Han Jisu bluntly slapped Asgarth's hand away. He looked at his companions, who had gathered around him at some point, and spoke.
“As soon as the battle starts, escape to the west. With your skills, you should be able to break through the encirclement. It won't be easy, though.”
“Escape...”
Asgarth stroked his chin, a displeased look on his face.
“What about you?”
“I have to stay.”
Felix narrowed his eyes.
“What are you saying? You, Sir Hero, are the one who must evacuate.”
“Impossible. If I run, those bastards will drop everything and come after me.”
“Then isn't that all the more reason to run? If you escape, the army will split up to chase you. Doesn't that increase Atlia's chances of survival?” Elipheed said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
“Do you really think this city can hold out without me?”
“...That's a good point.”
“If you understand, then go. I'll buy you about two days.”
Han Jisu drew his sword. But despite his words, his companions didn't move. Instead, they began to arm themselves, drawing a staff, a bow, and swords.
“I told you to go. What are you doing?”
“Return without the Hero? You want us to get beheaded in the public square?” Jeral said, nocking an arrow.
“Tell them I ordered it. The Emperor knows my personality; he'll understand.”
“He'll understand, sure. Then he'll put a dog collar on us. And work us like dogs.”
“...He wouldn't go that far.”
“He would. That's the kind of man the Emperor is.”
“Do not insult His Majesty the Emperor! His will, as vast as the sea—”
Elipheed shut Felix's mouth with a silence spell.
“This guy is defending the Emperor even in a situation like this. I'll give the Emperor one thing, he's good at training his dogs.”
“..!!!”
“What was that? I can't hear you. Why don't you try speaking up?”
Elipheed taunted him, cupping a hand to her ear, while Felix trembled with rage.
Watching the farce, Han Jisu sighed.
“You're all crazy eager to die. Do whatever you want.”
He turned back toward the demon army. Clad uniformly in black armor, their advance looked like an approaching wave of death. Han Jisu infused his sword with mana.
“Well then, I'll see you all after we're dead.”
It'll be my treat then.
Han Jisu let out a small laugh. Just as he was about to leap from the wall...
Swoooosh—
A brilliant flash of light filled his vision.
The source of the flash was Ash's sword.
The golden light emanating from the sword was exquisitely radiant.
The light grew.
Larger.
And larger still.
Until it was too vast to take in with his eyes.
-KRA-KOOOM!!
The breath unleashed by the zombie dragons shot toward her. The greenish, decaying breath evaporated as it touched the golden light. In the end, it never even came close to her.
-Thud-thud-thud.
Armored cavalry, their horses also clad in armor, charged toward her. It was a scene like a wave of death about to crash over her, but strangely, he didn't feel worried.
Ash swung her sword downward.
The golden light engulfed the wave of death.
The zombie dragons loitering at the front.
The cavalry charging toward her.
And all the monsters and demon soldiers following behind them.
The cloudy sky cleared, and the golden light vanished.
Under the beaming sunlight.
Within 500 meters in front of Ash, not a single demon was left breathing.
“...What the hell was that?”
Han Jisu couldn't comprehend the situation. Of course he couldn't. A situation a mortal can understand is not called a miracle.
Thud.
Ash staggered and collapsed.
Stunned by the miracle that had unfolded before his eyes, Han Jisu snapped back to his senses. He leaped from the wall and rushed toward Ash.
“Are you okay?!”
Worried that something might be wrong with her, he turned over her collapsed form.
It was a needless worry.
“Hehe, Sir Hero. Did you see? I told you, didn't I? Lady Meria spoke to me!”
Seeing Ash grinning foolishly, Han Jisu made a sour face.
Is the problem not with her body, but with her head?
As he was thinking that, he once again heard the thud-thud-thud of footsteps. It was the sound of the demon army's rear guard charging.
Perhaps because their vanguard, the main force, had been annihilated, they looked incomparably pathetic.
Thump!
Asgarth landed in front of Han Jisu and Ash. Jeral, Felix, and Elipheed followed, descending to the ground.
“We'll take care of the rest. Hero, you take the girl and go back.”
“What are you talking about? I can still fight... Ouch!”
Ash, who had just been flicked on the forehead by Han Jisu, looked up at him with a 'why did you do that' expression.
“You look like you can barely stand. What do you mean, 'still fight'?”
He slipped one arm under Ash's knees and the other around her shoulders, lifting her into his arms. He stood up and looked back at Elipheed.
“I'll take her to the temple and be right back.”
“Take your time. We can really handle this much on our own.”
With that, Han Jisu started walking toward the city wall.
“Ash, what was that just now...”
He was about to ask about the miracle, but then he saw her sparkling eyes and narrowed his own.
What's with her now?
“What's with that look on your face?”
“A princess carry. I'm being held in a princess carry by you, Sir Hero?”
“..What?”
“It's an honor! I will be sure to write about today's events in my diary and preserve it for posterity!”
She's lost her mind. I'm sure of it.
Han Jisu let out a deep sigh.
He glanced at Ash, who was giggling about how she would boast to the other clerics when they returned to the main temple, and cleared his throat with a hem!
Ash tilted her head, looking at him.
Han Jisu averted his gaze and muttered.
“That... uh... you did well. I don't know how you did it, but you saved us.”
“...”
“...Hey, when someone talks to you, you should answer...”
When she didn't reply, he was about to scold her as usual, but stopped when he saw her expression.
“It was nothing.”
A pure, unadorned smile.
Thump—!
It was a simple, beautiful smile, but it was more than enough to make Han Jisu's heart pound.
“Oh? Sir Hero. Why is your face so red?”
“Shut up.”
“Eek.”
In the end, the Hero gave them the affection he had tried so hard to withhold.
It couldn't be helped.
For he, too, was only human.
He was not so cold-hearted as to push away those who had followed him to the brink of death.
Having grown attached to them, he thought:
That he just needed to try harder.
That he just needed to try much harder than before and become strong enough to protect them all.
But, as always, his life did not go as he had planned.
It began with the recovery of the Holy Sword.