Chapter 160: United Kingdom (4)
Chapter 160: United Kingdom (4)
"Aaagh!"
"Argh!"
Screams erupted from every direction.
Awakeners from large clans scattered across other regions of the UK had led their elites to join the fray. The fact that London was under attack was a monumental event, enough to completely dissolve the friction and competition that had previously existed between these major clans.
The clans arriving from various regions saw the Black Spire being erected, and the realization that they could not simply stand by was etched into everyone's minds. They couldn't afford to wait; after a swift tactical briefing, they decided to launch an offensive immediately.
While the Moon Shadow Party—the group that had fought most effectively against the demons thus far—was en route to the UK, simply waiting for them felt wrong.
Since the British Awakeners had to engage in urban warfare, they believed it would be most efficient for the large clans to move in coordination. They split into three attack routes, maintaining enough distance to support one another as they entered the territory now claimed by the Demonic Humans.
The sight of London citizens, already dead and turned into zombies, wandering the streets met their eyes. It was a scene the Awakeners had never witnessed before, and it left them psychologically shaken.
They had encountered undead monsters in dungeons before. There were skeletons and zombies, and they had combat experience against them. However, those zombies were typically rotting husks that screamed "monster." Seeing recently deceased corpses turned into zombies—still retaining the features they had while alive—provoked a deep sense of psychological revulsion.
Of course, not every Awakener felt this way, but a significant number felt a lingering hesitation at the thought of cutting down those who had been citizens of London only moments ago.
Compounding the situation was the fact that these zombies were stronger and faster than the ones they had encountered previously, making the battle a grueling struggle for the British Awakeners. Normally, no matter how strong a zombie was, they only appeared in D-Rank dungeons and posed no threat to large clans.
However, due to the circumstances, they couldn't simply slash their way forward recklessly, and their pace of advancement naturally slowed.
This gave the Demonic Humans from France an opening. They unleashed a one-sided barrage of attacks.
Demonic Humans hiding inside buildings fired arrows, and spheres infused with black energy—clearly cast through dark magic—flew toward the Awakeners. This was the reason screams echoed everywhere and the number of dead and wounded continued to mount.
Warriors carrying massive shields tried to advance while providing as much cover as possible, but the swarms of zombies acted as literal walls of flesh, obstructing their path.
Bertrand Clark, the leader of the large British clan 'Hope,' was furious and anxious at their stagnant progress. A muscular warrior with a receding hairline and an impressive, bushy beard, his hot-tempered nature was evident in his appearance.
With veins bulging in his neck, he roared, "Dammit! What are you doing? Move forward!"
He shouted until his voice was hoarse, but it did nothing to change the situation. Instead, arrows and magic flew toward him, forcing him to hastily raise his shield in defense.
Perhaps because the number of zombies was so vast—reflecting the scale of the sacrificed London citizens—they swarmed the streets in a relentless, suffocating tide.
The goal was to advance along three separate routes while maintaining coordination. The problem was that, far from helping each other, they were struggling just to ensure their own safety. They hadn't even managed to advance 50 meters, let alone 100.
Boom!!
A sphere of blue, scorching fire flew into one of the buildings occupied by the Demonic Humans. With a tremendous explosion, the building was instantly engulfed in flames.
While the large British clans did have exceptional, high-ranking Awakeners, they were in a position where they couldn't use their power indiscriminately. Although they couldn't accurately estimate the total number of Demonic Humans, they had learned through the French government and the Association that eight large French clans had defected.
From this, they could deduce that at least 8,000 Awakeners had invaded London.
Under these circumstances, it was difficult for the top-tier Awakeners to fight blindly. Their instinct was to charge to the front and sweep away the zombies, but there were simply too many to waste energy on; their efforts were only meaningful if they could thin the ranks of the Demonic Humans.
Thus, they used magic to counterattack, targeting the Demonic Humans who had taken up advantageous positions in buildings to snipe at the Awakeners. Only after clearing out the Demonic Humans to some extent could they move forward by efficiently disposing of the zombies.
At the command center, where the overall war situation was being monitored through drones and real-time reports, sighs of frustration broke out as the battle failed to progress as planned.
"Damn it... at this rate, we're too slow."
With the ominous Black Spire nearing completion, it was obvious that demons would soon come pouring out, just as they had in Japan. Everyone knew that if demons emerged while they couldn't even handle the 8,000-plus defected French Awakeners, a catastrophe far worse than the current tragedy would unfold.
The problem was that there were no more reinforcements to send. They had urgently requested aid from other countries, but it would take time for them to physically reach London.
It was, quite literally, a grueling war of attrition. The British Awakeners were moving forward bit by bit, but it wasn't fast enough... and the number of casualties grew accordingly.
Their objective was Big Ben, which had been transformed into the Black Spire... but to the British Awakeners fighting this desperate battle, it felt impossibly far away. In reality, the distance was indeed vast.
The battle had raged for nearly five hours. They had given their all, yet they hadn't even reached the vicinity of the River Thames.
As the British Awakeners pushed deeper, they faced a critical problem. Zombies began to fill the areas they had already passed through, threatening to cut off their retreat and supply lines.
The Demonic Humans waiting on the flanks began to slowly pull back as the British Awakeners broke through, luring them further in with the intention of surrounding and annihilating them. Some of the British Awakeners, even as they stabbed, burned, and cut through the swarming zombies, realized this fact.
But they had to keep moving. Two hours ago, they had seen black demonic energy erupt from the Black Spire and shoot into the sky. Having seen that, they couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Now, the Demonic Humans made their move in earnest. Having successfully completed the encirclement, they began to tighten the noose.
Black spheres, arrows, spears, and bolts infused with dark mana flew in from all directions.
Bang! Pop! Boom!
"Gah!"
"Aaaargh!"
Explosions rang out everywhere. Buildings and roads were shattered, sending debris flying... and among the rubble were the remains of Awakeners who had been blown apart by direct hits from dark magic.
"Kill them all!"
"You Anglo bastards! You always looked down on us, now die!"
France and the UK, being neighbors with a long history of conflict, were highly conscious of one another. Especially in the early days of the Portals, there had been direct clashes between Awakeners from both nations, leaving many with bitter feelings.
Since becoming a Demonic Human amplifies one's most wicked instincts and cruelty, these negative emotions were further magnified. The French Demonic Humans poured extreme loathing and hatred into their fierce assault on the British Awakeners.
Warriors with large shields held the front, and priests used as much defense magic as possible, but they were merely slowing and slightly reducing the damage. They weren't making a dent in the overall tide of battle; the only future in sight was total annihilation.
Knowing that no further reinforcements could be expected, morale plummeted, and a sense of despair washed over everyone. It was a situation where anyone could see that a miracle was needed.
And then, that miracle happened.
K-BOOOOM!!
A silver knight plummeted from the heavens.
In his hand was a warhammer forged of silver metal. He crashed directly into the center of a dense cluster of Demonic Humans and zombies, and as he slammed the warhammer down, a massive explosion and shockwave erupted.
"It's a Knight!"
"Reinforcements are here!"
The British Awakeners were also well aware of the 'Knights' who had come from another world to aid Earth. They were beings who had performed brilliantly in defeating demons—naturally top-tier compared to Earth's Awakeners, and often evaluated as being even beyond that.
The sight of a knight in silver full body armor defeating demons—a scene straight out of a legend—had garnered particular attention in the UK, a country with a deep fascination for knighthood.
Some hadn't believed it because they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, while others regretted missing the chance to witness it.
But now, it was different.
The Awakeners present on the battlefield witnessed it clearly: a single streak of silver light falling from the sky like a meteor, slamming down to pulverize the Demonic Humans and zombies alike.