The Demon of the Holy Kingdom (3)
Singmulgur's eastern border. The walls are under ironclad guard, with lines of soldiers armed with spears and shields standing rigidly atop them. They face the fierce desert winds blowing from the east without a flicker of movement—true iron sentinels. The white, elongated walls are so thick and sturdy that no monster could possibly breach them. And with these relentless guards holding the line perfectly? It's an impregnable fortress.
And then. Right at the base of that fortress, next to the massive gate, stands a large checkpoint. It's where they inspect travelers coming and going. This is also the guard captain's quarters, where meticulous checks manage entry and exit. But lately, the eastern gate has been completely sealed—no one is allowed out. Entry is restricted, but exit is absolutely forbidden.
The 2-meter-tall guard captain, gripping a lance meant for mounted combat, bellows up toward the walls.
"Announcement from the administration office!"
"Today is Wednesday! Time to dispose of non-burnable trash!"
"Let's all sort our recycling properly and keep things running smoothly!"
"Burnables go out on Friday—no mistakes!"
"We apologize for any inconvenience!"
The eastern gate's guard captain is so thorough he even personally oversees the soldiers' trash disposal. No wonder he won't let anything slip out the main gate.
At that moment.
"Hm!?"
Something catches the guard captain's eye.
"I'm just a regular booze merchant. I want to head east."
A merchant pulls up with his cart and asks. The guard captain narrows his eyes.
"No can do. The gates stay shut until the Saintess returns."
"Aw, come on, it's just booze inside."
The guard captain strides right up and climbs onto the cart.
"H-Hey? What're you doing?"
The merchant panics, but the captain says,
"You selling this booze?"
"...Yes."
"Then I'll buy it all."
He declares firmly to the merchant, then bang—starts smashing every barrel on the cart with his boot. Crack! After shattering over a dozen,
"Urk!?"
A man hidden in the last barrel reveals himself. He had a straw in his mouth to breathe.
"Coming in was your business. Going out? Not on my watch."
At the captain's icy words, the guards rush over and drag the two men away. Straight to the underground dungeon, no questions asked.
Right then.
"Huh?"
The captain's eyes narrow again. These two were just bait. Flutter—something soars into the sky overhead. A man dangling from a massive kite. While the cart guys drew attention below, this one tried escaping via air.
But Singmulgur's eastern walls are far too high and thick. The kite grazes the top and snags.
"Seize him."
On the captain's order, the kite rider is captured on the spot. No Saintess among the three, but still a solid catch.
"Um..."
As the captain smirks in satisfaction, a rookie guard beside him speaks up cautiously.
"Captain."
"What?"
"What about ones tunneling underground?"
The captain bursts out laughing. Hahaha!
"These walls go dozens of meters deep underground. Can't cross without punching through."
The rookie tilts his head.
"What if they do punch through?"
This time, not just the captain—every nearby soldier cracks up. Even the three prisoners being hauled to jail chuckle.
The captain reins in his laughter, explaining patiently like the rookie's just too cute.
"Listen up. This eastern wall? Total length 2,000 kilometers, height 120 meters, thickness 15 meters. No human hands could build it—it's a natural canyon carved and reinforced over ages."
"Th-That works?"
"With the Saintess's heals and buffs? Nothing's impossible. That's why she's essential to this nation..."
But.
The captain's words don't finish. BOOM! A thunderous roar shakes heaven and earth. The iron wall is breached.
Singmulgur's pride, the eastern iron wall. The only path to the central continent for trade with other nations, so this border boasts continental-grade fortifications.
Yet? A massive hole gapes in it now. Thirty meters wide. The hole's depth easily exceeds ten meters.
Standing before this colossal breach, pink-haired boy Cliche grins.
"Let's go."
He raises his fist; stone dust trickles from it.
"Y-You... What are you?"
Diablo stares at Cliche in disbelief. Punching a hole through this wall? Unbelievable, even seeing it.
"Not coming?"
Cliche asks, and
"Hah!?"
Diablo snaps to.
"Uh... over there..."
For some reason, she hesitates despite the open path.
Then.
"Seize them!"
A thunderous shout echoes from somewhere. Cliche turns; guards swarm in.
"Guess we can't dodge a fight. I'm slow on my feet."
Cliche scratches his head, and Roin says,
"Out first, quick!"
Everyone agrees. AlphaGo scoops Diablo under her arm and leaps through.
"Tho,,se guys... I'll han'le~~"
"Ho ho ho. Sir Cliche really is slow on the run. I'll swat these bugs for you."
Hotse and Unicef block the hole. Those two alone could hold off a human army.
But? Whoosh-crack! A crimson slash flies at Hotse! She parries with her kukri—but the shockwave forces her back half a step.
"Wha,,t?"
"Oh? Some strong humans after all?"
Unicef's eyes widen. Then, a man steps forward. White hair, black eyes, tall and lean with a cold face. His white armor and massive sword dwarf his frame.
Hadent. Leader of Singmulgur's vigilante knights. A man at the pinnacle of power.
"Here to kidnap the Saintess? Which nation?"
Hadent glares at Hotse and Unicef with a curt voice.
"Hmm?"
Unicef sizes him up.
"Weird, huh? Just a plain human body... how's he this strong?"
Hadent narrows his eyes.
"Our Holy Knights have stacked the Saintess's buffs thousands, tens of thousands of times. We've ascended to superhuman ranks."
Hotse nods like it clicks.
"Tha,,t's it~~ dope,, fiends~~ ri'?"
"Ho ho ho. Pisses me off when juiced-up guys later brag about 'pure effort' gains. Honest ones like you are fine, though. Just don't open a gym later."
As they banter, veins bulge on Hadent and his men's foreheads.
"Why would I open a gym? I'm a national leader."
"Ag'ya~~ power's nothin',,, health's,, wha' matters~~"
"No reasoning with you. Summary execution for all. Lucky I was on patrol."
Hadent shakes his head.
"Bring,, it."
Hotse grins, wagging her finger.
"No evil!"
The Holy Knights charge. Unicef tilts her head watching.
"But aren't Saintess buffs temporary? How do they keep 'em up? Diablo's already over there."
"Pfft,, fire?,, no' my prob~~?"
Soon, Hotse and Unicef ready for battle. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! Crimson slashes and fiery torrents rain down.
"Arghhh!"
Holy Knights shatter like tofu smashed by a hammer.
"D-Damn! What monsters are these!?"
Hadent yanks his horse back and yells to the wall soldiers.
"Avoid close quarters! Arrows! Hurl anything you can!"
Soldiers unleash hell from above: longbows, crossbows, rocks, all sorts of arrows. Even non-burnables rain down—Wednesday, after all; no burnables today.
Thwack! Thud-thud!
Hotse swings her blade, batting away everything. But each arrow packs inhuman force—no way she blocks forever.
"Slo~~w... booz calories... makin' me... heavy~~"
"Loli? Reported."
Unicef steps up. Whoosh—she thrusts her hand, incinerating the arrows. Non-burnables catch fire too.
The guard captain roars in fury.
"Hey! It's Wednesday! Non-burnables day! Burnables are Friday!"
"Oh!?"
Unicef realizes her mistake and douses the flames.
"What now!? Non-burnables mixed with arrows—I can't use fire! Should've escaped Friday!"
"Mo,,ve... too stuffy... I'll jump!"
Hotse takes over, slashing the arrow storm while retreating. Unicef follows, tearing up over the trash sin.
They vanish in seconds. Behind, pulverized Holy Knights groan amid the wreckage. Arrows and rocks depleted. Only Wednesday non-burnables litter the ground.
Hadent gapes in absurdity.
"Knights from what nation? How can they be so valiant... so terrifying?"
Meanwhile. A distant plain far from Singmulgur's eastern border.
"Yo, you made it?"
Cliche waves to Hotse and Unicef in the distance. He's waiting with Roin, AlphaGo, and Diablo.
"Fir,,st... Saintess... one li'l thin'... such a pain~~"
Hotse grumbles, glaring at Diablo.
"..."
Diablo stays silent, hood up, head down—nabbed by AlphaGo's grip on her nape.
"Ho ho ho. But thanks to you, we suffered. Least say thanks?"
Unicef steps up and yanks off Diablo's hood.
That instant.
"Huh?"
Cliche's eyes bulge. Under the hood? A crudely made mannequin.
Flutter—a note slips from its "face."
Please don't look for me.
"Beep? Swap for real? When? Midway escape, battery died—sun-charged quick?"
AlphaGo scratches her antenna, excusing herself. Crunch—pink veins pop on Cliche's forehead.
"What a hassle all around."