The Onset of Ruin
“Hmm…”
“Is something the matter, Lady Fenrir?”
Plutos Zik, who had accompanied her as adjutant for this battle, voiced his concern at the sight of Fenrir pondering so seriously before the fight. Though they had not known each other long, Zik’s sharp instincts—honed even in life—had already given him a rough grasp of what kind of person this demon was. A simple, reckless, headstrong assault commander. She occasionally showed a serious side, yet fundamentally she was not the type to rely on clever thinking.
Just as he was wondering why someone like her would be deep in thought, Fenrir spoke to him in a grave tone.
“Listen. Wouldn’t it be better to use our heads when attacking the enemy?”
“Pardon? …Well, of course it would be, but why ask that all of a sudden?”
“No, I’ve been thinking about it lately. Charging in without thinking just doesn’t seem wise anymore. We’ve already suffered enough in Sagunto, and last time I nearly ruined the Demon King’s plan by rushing off to save Hela without thinking.”
“So I’ve heard. But in the end, everything worked out, didn’t it? Sagunto fell, and the Demon King’s plan is proceeding smoothly.”
While he could not confirm the exact details, the lukewarm reactions from both Kerks and the central forces until things reached this point made it clear the Demon King’s scheme was working.
“Mm, true. But we can’t keep leaving everything to luck forever. Since we’ve finally seized this opportunity, I figured I should try using my head a little too.”
“Uh… what do you mean?”
Watching someone who never used her head suddenly declare she would start doing so, Zik felt an inexplicable sense of unease—despite being an undead. Yet before he could voice it, Fenrir spread out a map and spoke with visible excitement.
“First, the place we need to attack is right here—Canna Castle. And right in front of it, the enemy has already formed up to meet us.”
“Yes, that is correct. Canna Castle’s layout makes it highly unsuitable for a siege.”
The castle had been shoddily built after its former lord embezzled the construction funds, resulting in a miracle of a fortress where the defenders were actually at a disadvantage. Surrounded by hills, its walls were low, and worst of all, its water source flowed outside the walls—so cutting off the supply from outside would leave the garrison to wither and die. Because of this, the defenders had no choice but to abandon the walls and reluctantly build a separate encampment outside.
“That being the case, all we have to do is crush the enemy camp right here. But as I said, if we just charge in blindly, we might get caught up in some strange situation again. So…”
“Hmm…”
When Fenrir finished explaining her “scheme,” Zik had not expected much at first. Yet the plan itself did not seem bad—aside from one fatal flaw that betrayed Fenrir’s characteristic recklessness.
“If it succeeds… it does seem like an excellent plan, but…”
“Right? Then we’ll proceed exactly as planned. Prepare to move the undead tonight.”
“Um… Lady Fenrir? The plan itself seems sound, but are you certain this is wise? If we carry it out as is, you could be in considerable danger.”
“Haha, don’t worry! I am Fenrir, after all. I’ve done far more dangerous things countless times—what’s one more?”
Fenrir spoke with obvious excitement. Watching her, Zik felt an uncomfortable premonition, yet he had no choice but to proceed. After all, this was Fenrir. Surely nothing serious would happen.
*
The human encampment spread out before her eyes. Wooden barricades had been erected, and soldiers stood guard at the entrance. A deep smile curved Fenrir’s lips as she gazed at it.
‘Good. Let’s get started.’
The plan was simple. In the dead of night, the overwhelmingly powerful Fenrir would infiltrate the human camp alone and launch a surprise attack. She would unleash fire magic in every direction, drawing all attention to herself. While the enemy focused on her, the waiting undead would encircle them from outside, seal the exits, and annihilate every last human inside. If successful, it was a method that minimized allied casualties while wiping out the enemy completely.
Smiling at a plan she herself considered brilliant, Fenrir immediately sprang into action.
“W-who’s there?!”
The moment she approached, the humans raised their weapons and showed clear wariness. Fenrir casually lifted a hand and smiled brightly.
“Hello. I’ve come to play.”
“! Y-you’re…”
“Damn it! It’s a demon! A demon has—grrk?!”
“It’s quite late, you know. You should be quiet at night so others can sleep.”
In an instant, Fenrir slaughtered the sentries. She then slipped deeper into the enemy camp as quietly as possible. The interior was deathly silent, as though everyone had already fallen asleep. She could have attacked immediately and wiped them out, but Fenrir held back her impatience and advanced all the way to the center.
‘If I’m going to do this, I might as well do it properly. Starting from the middle will draw far more attention than the outskirts.’
With that thought, she finally reached the heart of the camp. The next moment, she released her mana in full and cloaked her entire body in roaring flames.
“Now then… shall we begin?”
—Kwaaaang!!!
Fenrir lightly flicked her blazing hand. The surrounding tents erupted in massive explosions and were instantly swallowed by fire. She wielded flames hot enough to melt steel with complete freedom. With enemies on all sides and nothing left to hold back, she unleashed her power without restraint.
“Ahahaha! Come on, then! Filthy humans! Fenrir has come to deliver hell to you all!”
She taunted the enemy with a mad laugh. Yet…
“…Huh?”
The next instant, Fenrir—who had turned the area into a sea of fire—sensed something was wrong. By now, she should have heard screams of agony or frantic battle cries. Instead, the only sound reaching her ears was the roar of burning flames. There were no human voices at all.
“W-what is this? What’s going on?”
A sudden, ominous feeling crept over her. Fenrir frantically scanned her surroundings for the enemy, but found nothing. No matter how far she looked, she could neither see nor hear any humans. It was as if the camp had been empty from the very beginning.
“D-don’t tell me…?”
Her face stiffened the moment the realization hit. Then—
—Krrrrrrrumble!!!
“!!”
A deafening roar shook the earth. Fenrir’s gaze snapped toward the sound. Even in darkness, her eyes could see as clearly as day. What she saw made her blood run cold.
“W-what? W-water?”
An enormous torrent of water mixed with mud was surging straight toward her, threatening to engulf the entire area. Only then did Fenrir understand the situation she had walked into.
“These filthy human bastards!!!”
Even she could not escape a flood of this scale. Swept away by the raging water and debris, Fenrir lost consciousness.
*
“I-impossible…”
Zik and the undead had been preparing to charge. Yet the sight before them left Zik in utter shock. Mere minutes after Fenrir’s flames had erupted, the enemy camp had been completely swept away. The humans had read their movements in advance and sprung a trap. Zik felt as though he had been struck from behind.
“Damn it! We’re retreating for now! Then we search for Lady Fenrir!”
Fortunately, the incident had occurred before the undead could advance, so they had suffered no casualties. However, losing Fenrir—their commander and strongest force—was a devastating blow. Since Zik’s orders were to protect her, finding and rescuing Fenrir took absolute priority.
‘Even so, she wouldn’t die from something like this… but to think she would be caught off guard by mere humans…’