Never War Again! (3)
Through the hazy mist, a flag emblazoned with a golden cross came into view.
Behind it surged hundreds of heavy cavalry, their white cloaks billowing like a steel wave crashing forward.
The soldiers' breaths grew ragged. With every thunderous tremor of the earth, crumbs of the trench's earthen wall trickled down.
"Not yet. Hold."
The enemy vanguard accelerated. Their cocksure laughter of assured victory seemed to carry all the way here.
I glanced at Grody, hunkered down in the trench.
He swallowed dryly, tense as hell, waiting only for my signal.
"Say hi to God for me."
My hand slashed down through the air.
"Open fire!"
The instant I gave the word—
BRRRRT—!!!
The hellish roar shredded the quiet morning.
Bullets poured from the hill, boring into the knight order's plate armor. Tang!Bang!Tat-tat-tang!
Synced to the machine gun's barrage, the infantry unleashed their volley.
Acrid gunpowder stench hung heavy, mixed with the rhythmic clack-clack of bolts cycling.
"Crush them! In the name of God!"
"Deus Vult—!!!"
The inquisitor screamed in rapture.
Before his eyes: a pack of heretics cowering like cowards in the mud pits.
Blasphemous scum fiddling with devil's toys.
Just imagining trampling that filthy ditch under hooves, smashing their skulls with his mace—it sent shivers down his spine.
'Pathetic fools. Think they can stop us with mere iron clubs?'
High priests had blessed them with shields beforehand.
Arrows? Magic? Pebbles? Nothing could pierce this sacred veil of light. They were invincible.
That was when it hit.
A bizarre roar he'd never heard in his life.
BRRRRT—!
'What the—? What is that sound...'
No time to think.
"Guhk?!"
His adjutant's upper body exploded right beside him. Blood sprayed.
Warm, sticky crimson soaked the inquisitor's pristine white cloak.
"...?!"
He couldn't believe his eyes.
They had shields. So what? When?
Clang!Shatter!
Followed by horrific ruptures. The sacred barrier he'd trusted like iron shattered like glass.
Invisible whips lashed the knight order.
"Aaaagh! My arm! My arm!" "The shields are piercing through! Can't block it!"
Steel plate tore like paper.
Something unseen punched through a knight's armor, exiting the other side to skewer the comrade beside him.
The line-abreast formation turned poison.
A single projectile skewered two or three knights like kebabs, unfolding a hellscape.
"Scatter! Break formation!"
He screamed, but terror-struck horses ignored the reins.
"Mages! What the fuck are you doing? Blow that devil pit to hell!"
At his bellow, two dozen battle mages in ornate robes at the rear raised their staves.
Vrrr—!
The air hummed, red mana swirling into a vortex.
Dozens of massive fireballs arced toward the trench line like mortar rounds.
"Everyone down! Incoming!"
With my shout, the fireballs slammed into the ground ahead of the trench.
"Gaaah!" "Fire! It's fire!"
Dirt erupted, scorching heat blanketing the trench.
One direct hit collapsed a section, burying three or four soldiers in screams.
"Shit! Mages behind 'em!"
Boris yelled, his face caked in mud.
The firing rhythm faltered.
Of course—they hadn't brought just cavalry.
"Don't panic! Grody!"
I pointed at the robed cluster beyond the knights, staves aglow.
"Machine gun, switch targets! Take out those mage fuckers first! They can't shield while chanting!"
"Got it! Those pyromaniac bastards first!"
Grody swung the gun around.
The death-dealer's muzzle swept over the knights' heads, zeroing on the rear mages.
BRRRRT—!
The chainsaw wail howled again.
No ricochets off plate this time.
Thwuck! Thud!
"Kehk?!" "The chant... breaking...!"
Mages mid-incantation, defenseless—their bodies jerked like puppets.
Heavy rounds shredded fragile robes and flesh without mercy.
Glorious spell effects turned to blood mist in a blink.
"Now! Mages down! Fire at will!"
At my urging, soldiers gripped rifles anew.
"Die, heretics!"
Seizing the gap, vanguard knights lunged for the trench—
"...Huh?"
Crash!
"Hiiing!"
Full-gallop horses plunged into a three-meter-wide pit.
Knights in hundreds of kilos of armor couldn't fight momentum, piling onto the front riders.
Snapping bones, neighing horses, dying screams—all mingled.
Trailing knights yanked reins to halt, but slick mud sent them diving in too.
In seconds, the pit became a blood-choked heap of horse and man.
"Wh-what the... "
The inquisitor stared, dumbfounded.
Holy knight order? God's army?
Just slaughterhouse meat now.
As the field cleared somewhat, I raised a hand for cease-fire.
"Cease fire!"
Grody released the trigger; the mad gunfire cut off.
Soldiers halted, scanning the carnage.
Hiss...
White steam boiled from the machine gun's water jacket.
Brass casings piled mountain-high on the ground.
An eerie silence blanketed the field.
Only moans from the pit and whinnies of riderless horses remained.
Five minutes.
Time it took for the papacy's invincible knights to become former knights.
Survivors? Barely dozens.
Crawling, dazed, standing blank.
Among them, one in ornate helm clutched his sword with trembling hands.
Staring up at me—at our muzzles—in disbelief.
"God ain't helping you this time, inquisitor."
My voice echoed dryly over the corpse mound.
"Or maybe your prayers fell short?"
His face twisted in humiliation.
"Y-you bastard...! Hiding in the dirt like a coward...! Is this knightly honor?!"
"Honor?"
I scoffed, stepping out of the trench.
Mud squelched under my boots.
"War ain't a sport. It's kill or be killed."
I nodded at Boris, who gawked at the field.
"Boris, finish 'em."
"Yes sir!"
Soldiers leveled rifles in unison.
Normal men would've begged or collapsed in terror.
But these weren't normal.
"Ooooh... Almighty Lord...!"
A dozen survivors staggered up.
Arms severed, guts spilling from gut shots—fatal wounds.
Yet they glared with boiling eyes, ignoring pain like fanatics.
"You filthy devil spawn...!" "Even in death, we curse you!"
Faint light emanated from their bodies.
Martyr's zeal, burning final life for mana.
'Tenacious bastards.'
Chill ran down my spine.
We'd mulched them with the MG and traps to get here. Open field, blades clashing?
My head would've rolled a hundred times over.
Continent's top knight order, alright. Even rotten, still fierce in death throes.
The inquisitor spat blood, raising his sword.
"My flesh may shatter! But faith endures eternal! Charge!! Take that devil's head!"
"Deus Vult—!!!"
He kicked off with explosive force, mud erupting.
Unbelievable speed from that ragged body.
Half-dead knights zombie-rushed behind.
"Wh-what?!" "Stay back! Stay back!"
Soldiers recoiled from the eerie resolve.
Terror threatening to spread again—
"Don't pussy out! They're just dying animals!"
I roared, drawing my revolver.
"Shoot!"
Bang! Tat-tat-bang!
Gunfire cracked anew.
Thwack-thud!
Charging knights danced in midair.
Heads burst, limbs shredded into the mud.
But the inquisitor didn't stop.
Body riddled with holes, armor in tatters—he charged me alone, single-minded.
'Crazy fucker.'
As he loomed, blood-slick sword plunging—
Bang!
First revolver shot pierced his gut. He reeled but held.
One wasn't enough. I gritted teeth, hammering the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang!
The pistol bucked wildly in my grip. Muzzle flashed up with each shot, wrist throbbing like it'd snap.
Point-blank lead tore him from belly up.
Still he staggered forward, half-step, mad obsession.
Bang! Final round through the brow.
At last, the inquisitor's body snapped back.
His sword clattered at my feet.
Empire's elite knight. Kneeling before me in the end.
His eyes stayed open in death, glaring empty sky with resentment.
"Gotta admit—your tankiness lives up to God's army."
Perfect victory on the surface. But I holstered quick, lest my shaking hands show.
'Heart damn near stopped, fuck.'
Back slick with cold sweat. Folks here weren't human. No guns?
I'd be isekai'd dead a hundred times over.