Why Bother Asking When You're About to Die Anyway?
Crunch! A horrific sound ripped through the battlefield as Laterion's arm snapped.
Thankfully, he'd shielded part of his body with divine power in the nick of time. Otherwise, his bones would have been pulverized, and he might never have swung a sword with that arm again.
"D-Division Commander, are you alright?"
A knight spoke up, his voice thick with worry.
Laterion whipped his sword around with his good arm and bellowed,
"Don't worry about me! Kill the monsters! We have to thin their numbers even a little to make this fight winnable!"
With that, the other knights tore their eyes from Laterion and plunged back into the fray.
That's a battlefield for you. No time to tend to the wounded. Hesitate for even a second, and countless comrades get carved up.
"Fuck..."
Laterion pressed forward, slaying the endless monster hordes one by one. He'd slice through their torsos with his blade; if they dodged, he'd hack their ankles; if they evaded that, he'd kick or shoulder-check them.
It might've looked undignified for a knight captain, but no one saw Laterion that way.
"Division Commander..."
His dogged ferocity fired up the other knights' morale even higher.
Truth be told, they should've been surrounded and skewered from front and back by now—a sure death sentence. But by relentlessly punching through, a sliver of hope glimmered on the horizon.
Whoosh!
In an instant, the monsters recoiled en masse.
"Uwaaaah!!!!"
The knights roared in triumph, convinced they'd won.
"Hold your ground! Swords up—stay vigilant!"
Over a hundred knights locked into position, faces twisted in lethal glares aimed at the monsters.
Laterion scanned them.
'At least dozens down...'
In this lopsided hell, "dozens" was a damn good tally—hell, you could call it miraculous. But Laterion flogged himself for his own inadequacy, for failing to save more.
"D-Division Commander, what the hell are they after? This feels wrong."
"You're right. Something's off. What's their game?"
The beasts that had charged like rabid animals moments ago now stared silently from across the field.
If this standoff dragged on, they could stall until the hero's reinforcements arrived—ideal. But the inscrutable motive gnawed at them, breeding unease.
"Kraaak... Kraaak..."
Suddenly, one monster clawed at its head, writhing in agony.
"Kraaaaaak...."
Splat!
Blood ballooned in its face before its head detonated in a gory burst.
"Wh-what the...?"
They whipped around at the deafening blast. There stood a freakish abomination—a wolf's head fused to an orc's hulking frame.
"Hmph... You worthless shits. Struggling this hard against one knight order, and you're not even elite troops? Tsk tsk tsk."
The monster spat in contempt, and the others bowed their heads low.
Laterion waved his men back, buying time to size up the sudden powerhouse.
"Hey, who the hell are you?"
He gripped his mangled arm and demanded. The monster cackled mockingly.
"Hey~ Who the hell are you~? Strutting like some big-shot commander."
"..."
"You know, I hate humans like you. Scum who strut around like they matter just 'cause they've got a scrap of power."
Irritated, it pulverized a comrade's skull.
Crunch!
As the head sailed off, it murmured softly,
"Weakness is this pitiful, this wretched. What's the point of a life that ends with a flick of the wrist?"
It stomped forward.
"You asked my name? Ring any bells—Lustran, Seventh Corps Commander of the Demon King's army?"
'Fuck... what the shit...'
To be precise, Laterion had no clue who this thing was. But "Demon King's army" alone turned the situation apocalyptic. Its minions were already overwhelming; now a far deadlier beast had joined. The scales tipped hard against them.
"Hmph... Looking scared stiff."
Lustran chuckled, closing in with glee.
"You must be the knight captain. Seen enough battlefields to know—the power gap here's crushing. Ours, obviously. Your boss-man's got one arm fucked, while I'm pristine, yeah?"
He flicked his hand dismissively.
"Not saying you'd stand a chance even healthy. Just that you're extra screwed now. Total despair for you lot~"
"So here's the deal: surrender. I'll slaughter half, spare half. More fun that way. You? I let live. Whaddya say?"
Laterion clenched his sword and roared,
"Don't fucking mock me! I'll swing till my last breath!"
Lustran shook his head pityingly.
"Dumbass prick. Like your pride changes shit. Fine, new terms."
He beckoned the knights behind Laterion.
"Yo, you lot—gang up, kill this fucker, and I'll spare you special. Deal?"
Tempting as hell. Standing pat meant death when the fight dragged. Laterion was wounded. Offing one captain beat tangling with the full corps.
Betrayal wasn't impossible.
Yet Laterion neither glanced back nor tensed. No worry of a knife in the ribs. His eyes bored into Lustran alone—like he couldn't give less of a fuck what his men did.
"Division Commander..."
They got it. His stance screamed trust. Any twitch, any backward glance, any hint of doubt—and fear, betrayal, the dread of an untrusted leader would've pushed them wrong.
But he stood rock-solid, front and center, silent.
Suddenly, a knight bellowed,
"We!"
"Don't compromise with evil!"
Laterion smirked despite himself.
'Hopeless idiots...'
'Damn proud, though.'
He glared at Lustran.
"Hear that? Tried stirring shit, but we're not falling for that weak ploy."
He bellowed.
Lustran snarled irritably,
"Fucking morons, yapping above your station. Wanna die? All y'all die."
He gestured—and the monsters surged.
Clang! Clang!
"Fuck you bastards!!"
Laterion held the line one-armed, ferocious. Soon knights rallied beside him, battle raging fierce.
Thud!
Each clash dropped comrades or monsters.
But Lustran was the nightmare. His razor claws shredded knights like paper.
"Kraaagh..."
Sweeps of his hand left knights screaming, crumpling.
As he lunged for more—
Screeeeech...
Claws met sword in a grinding shriek.
Laterion—body hurled to block the corps commander.
"Fall back. This one's mine."
Insane. Full strength? Still doomed. Wounded? Laughable odds.
But he had to. Fall, and his men died in seconds.
Slash!
Lustran's claw raked his thigh.
"Hngh.... Bring... it.."
Enraged by the stubbornness, Lustran went berserk, hacking him apart.
Squelch! Squelch!
His path slick with Laterion's blood.
Mangled head to toe, but Laterion's eyes burned fearless.
"Pathetic worm. Resist all you want—who gives a shit? Think stalling lets those idiots beat me? Or even my monsters?"
"Bring it......"
"Brainless fuck. Guarding others without power? Arrogant bullshit. Can't save your own ass."
"Bring it..."
Laterion teetered on unconsciousness—blood loss, trauma. Still muttering defiance.
"Wanna end you now, but breaking that spirit? Priceless."
Lustran grinned savagely, tenderizing him like meat.
When he stopped, Laterion's face was an unrecognizable pulp.
He lifted his head—body useless—and rasped,
"Still... got fight left.."
Lustran grimaced in disgust.
"Freaky bastard. How long you gonna drag this?"
"Till... I drop.."
"Death wish granted. Die regretting your weakness."
His face twisted feral; claw plunged for the head.
Or tried.
Schwick!
"Fuck!"
Lustran vaulted back. Someone had bisected his vaunted claw like butter.
"Wh-who the fuck are you!"
From the shadows, a man strode forth, voice thunderous with rage.
"Why bother asking when you're going to die soon anyway?"