The Thirteenth Experiment - Godslayer (2)
The Ancestral Holy Mountain was a battlefield that carried the dual attributes of Desert and Mountain. Both traits favored the defending side.
Moreover, the special effect known as Holy Ground activates here. It inflicts powerful debuffs on impure creatures such as the undead or demons.
Yet Balor’s Archdemon Presence completely nullified the Holy Ground’s effect. Even so, the orcs received Ancestors’ Protection upon the holy mountain and remained untouched by the archdemon’s aura.
“Wh-what the hell is that…?”
“We’re all going to die!”
The kingdom’s first line, however, could not endure. The moment they witnessed the thirty-meter-tall flaming giant Balor and the devil legions moving with mechanical precision, their will to fight shattered completely.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
The Duke of the Iron Mace tried to rally their morale, but—
“We are the men of Essil! No matter what enemy we face, we never show our backs! If you want to whine like little girls, get the hell out of here right now!”
…his attempt produced the opposite effect. The macho knights who had trained in martial arts their entire lives nodded fiercely and renewed their resolve, but the ordinary soldiers who had lived normal lives began to retreat.
“I-I’ll just be a little girl, then…”
“The demons are something only the knight-nims can handle!”
“Isn’t that why we brought the nobles here in the first place?!”
At the moment the army threatened to collapse before the battle had even truly begun, Archbishop Tomori finished his prayer and rose to his feet. A single shaft of sunlight pierced the devils’ ashen clouds and bathed the archbishop in radiant light.
“O-ohhh!”
“Soldiers! The Sun God who dwells in the heavens stands with you! This battle is a holy war! Those who fall in a holy war shall be welcomed into paradise! Do not cling to your worthless mortal lives!”
At the archbishop’s shout, the kingdom army swiftly regained its fighting spirit. The almighty Sun God was clearly watching over them!
“Glory and victory to our savior!”
“Eternal life awaits the martyrs!”
The kingdom troops emerged from Despair and entered the Fighting Spirit state. Once morale recovered, the other statistics rose dramatically as well.
What a ridiculous spectacle.
Balor looked down upon the battlefield and snorted. The forces of the Hellfire Expeditionary Force he commanded were divided into six groups.
The exceptionally ferocious elites of the Hell Knight Order.
The Hell Infantry Corps that prided itself on iron-blooded discipline.
The Hell Beast Corps that commanded the demonic beasts of the underworld.
The Hell Mage Division that summoned the flames of hell.
“Master! Troop deployment is complete!”
“Destruction upon the enemy! Death!”
“Grrrrrrrr…”
“The mortals’ army is truly primitive.”
And the Four Heavenly Kings, composed of high-ranking devils above level 50.
The time is not yet ripe.
And finally, the Archdemon of Destruction himself.
If our mighty army sweeps away the mortal herd in a single stroke, those spell-slingers from the Sage Council will scramble to show themselves.
Clench!
When Balor tightened his fist, terrifying flames erupted. The archdemon’s malevolent fighting spirit spread throughout the army, stimulating every soldier.
That is when your time will come, my lieutenants.
The Four Heavenly Kings bowed their heads in obedience. Absolute hierarchy was their creed.
“Begin the battle!”
“Blood and slaughter!”
“Destruction and death!”
War horns blared as the Hell Knight Order charged toward the kingdom army’s encampment. They were fearsome warriors mounted on hellish war-steeds.
“Crossbowmen! Fire!”
“Sappers! Raise the barricades!”
The kingdom troops poured out bolts and erected wooden barriers. It was the ideal tactic for infantry facing cavalry—under normal circumstances.
“Hiiiiiiigh!”
The hellish war-steeds charged straight through, smashing the barricades to pieces. The Hell Knights immediately plunged into the kingdom formation, swinging down flaming swords wreathed in fire.
“Spearmen! What are the spearmen doing!”
“Our weapons don’t work on them!”
“You idiots! When fighting knights, you first drag them off their—AAAAAAAARGH!”
The flames spewing from the hellish steeds roasted the spearmen alive. Every time a Hell Knight drew an arc with his blade, human soldiers fell like harvested wheat.
“Knights of Essil!”
The Duke of the Iron Mace led the kingdom’s knight order into the fray. Their warhorses could not withstand the demonic energy, so they fought on foot.
“The time has come to spread our family’s renown to future generations!”
“We shall protect the world from evil!”
A ferocious battle erupted between the two knight orders. Individually the Hell Knights held overwhelming power, but the kingdom knights outnumbered them three to one.
“Where is the enemy commander!”
“So you are Rodrick, the Duke of the Iron Mace!”
In the heart of the melee, the Hell Knight Commander and the Duke of the Iron Mace clashed in single combat. In terms of level alone, the Hell Knight Commander was twice as high. But Rodrick possessed Tellorian’s magic armor and his siege mace.
“Die, spawn of hell!”
“Relying on armor—how cowardly!”
“Better than relying on magic! Hup!”
The blade wreathed in hellfire and the mace imbued with lightning collided, creating a perfect stalemate. It was possible only because the Duke of the Iron Mace had compensated for humanity’s inferior physique and skill with his steel armor.
“O Sun God! Grant strength to your champion!”
"Third Circle, Lore of Divinity."
"Sacred Weapon."
The archbishop bestowed the Sun God’s blessing upon Rodrick’s siege mace. The Hell Knight Commander’s sword shattered into fragments, and the commander hastily wheeled his mount and fled toward the main camp.
“The enemy commander is running!”
“!”
All at once the hellish knights turned their horses. The kingdom knights, who had been at a disadvantage, avoided annihilation, but their losses were already devastating.
“Count Alançon! Are you all right?!”
“Father-in-law… please give my regards to Belladia…”
“Stop the nonsense and get up! You must survive and carry on the Alançon family!”
The hellish knights were far stronger than anticipated. For every ten kingdom knights that fell, perhaps one Hell Knight would follow.
“Damn it…”
Even the powerful figures like the Duke of the Iron Mace and the archbishop—who would have served as pillars on any ordinary battlefield—were now fully occupied with preserving their own lives. The demons were simply too strong. In body, equipment, and skill, they surpassed humanity in every aspect.
“The Hell Knights are returning!”
“This time they’re accompanied by the Hell Infantry!”
As the main devil forces advanced, the humans’ faces turned deathly pale. They had now personally experienced just how powerful these demons truly were.
“Run! Run for your lives!”
“This is a battle we cannot win!”
“What does this fight have to do with us anyway!”
The kingdom’s infantry—composed of commoners—collapsed instantly. They possessed neither family honor worth dying for nor the fervent faith that the knights held.
“You spineless bastards! You might as well become eunuchs!”
“…”
“Archbishop! Let us prepare for our final battle!”
Though defeat seemed certain, retreat was impossible. Retreat would be a disgrace that insulted their ancestors and an irresponsible act that would block his daughter’s path. It was far more knightly to fight to the bitter end and perish in glory.
“My brother-in-law ordered us to hold for at least half a day. Yet the time we have bought so far is less than half of that… it seems we must offer our lives.”
Grind.
The Duke of the Iron Mace bared his teeth and lifted his siege mace.
“Hmm…”
But the archbishop raised his hand.
“There is no need for you to die as well, Protector of the Realm.”
“Are you telling me to become a coward?”
“The kingdom still needs responsible adults.”
The archbishop spoke in a grave voice.
“Both Her Majesty the Queen and the Grey Sage are intelligent and spirited young people. Yet they lack a sense of responsibility.”
…
“If we leave the kingdom entirely in their hands, it will abandon ordinary citizens and degenerate into nothing more than a tool to realize their ideal world.”
…Even Rodrick inwardly agreed completely. His daughter possessed zero sense of responsibility toward the people, and his brother-in-law sometimes held frighteningly radical ideas.
“They would not listen to the nagging of an old priest, but they will respond differently to your counsel.”
The white-haired priest gazed indifferently at the advancing hellish legions. He had lived long enough, and the good deeds he had accumulated were more than sufficient to enter heaven.
In other words,
it was the perfect time to go meet his god.
“All paladins under thirty shall henceforth follow the command of Protector Rodrick. You are still too young to meet the Sun God, so strive to survive with all your might.”
Archbishop Tomori drew the holy sign and prepared for the final charge alongside the middle-aged paladins. Rodrick, mounted on his warhorse, looked at the archbishop with sorrowful eyes.
“Archbishop. We were never on good terms, were we?”
“Indeed.”
“But today, I shall pay you my respects. I also swear that until my final day I will not abandon my faith in the Sun God.”
It did not mean he would abandon the kingdom’s policies or his family’s interests for the sake of faith, but it was sufficient as respect paid by the Duke of the Iron Mace to his political rival.
“Protector of the Realm.”
“Speak.”
“You are a tyrant, but a good father.”
“…”
“I was a saint, yet a terrible father.”
Tomori gave a bitter smile and raised his sacred sword. A holy barrier enveloped the battle priests, healing their wounds and surging with power.
“Let us have no regrets over our respective choices.”
“We must uphold our convictions until the very end.”
The archbishop charged toward the demonic legions while singing a battle hymn, with the paladins following behind. They paid no heed to pain; even when their hearts were pierced, they did not fall. With single-minded determination to eradicate evil, they simply continued swinging their weapons without end.
“Have you ever seen such insane bastards!”
“Filthy cockroach spawn!”
Thanks to the paladins’ heroic spirit, the devil army’s advance was halted. Consequently, the time it took for the devil forces to break through the first defensive line was far longer than Balor had anticipated.
These insane fanatics! They’ve lost their minds!
They fought even though defeat was obvious—a concept the devils could not comprehend. From their perspective, battle was an act performed only to achieve victory.
But it was merely buying time! Hell Expeditionary Force! Hurry and reorganize, then advance on the next defensive line!
The Hell Knights had achieved an overwhelming victory against the humans, yet they too had suffered heavy losses while felling the paladins. As they healed their wounds and reformed their ranks…
“Kill every last invader!”
“The time has come to prove our valor! Charge—!”
“““Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa——!”””
A battle cry that seemed to pierce the heavens erupted as orcs poured down from the mountain ridge. The scattered Hell Infantry were instantly swallowed by a green wave. Unlike humans, orc warriors did not fear death, allowing them to fully utilize their numerical superiority.
“Uraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa——!”
“Ancestors! Watch over our bravery!”
“I’m going to take a devil’s skull and propose with it!”
“Don’t say such ominous things!”
Presented the Green Tide to the Demons!
Experience +20
Legacy Points +2
30/100 until Level 34
Legacy Points: 5
Balor calmly observed his hellish legions struggling. The current chaotic battle was the chain reaction caused by those detestable paladins.
“There are more orcs than expected.”
“It appears all the nearby tribal warriors have joined the defense. I heard the spell-slinger called the Grey Sage promised to enchant their weapons if they brought him demon skulls.”
What an impudent bastard.
I’ll have to deal with him properly after the battle.
“But that information is unnecessary for the moment.”
“My apologies.”
“The Grey Sage must be that spell-slinger who was recently promoted to Magister. What could a fool who researches trolls possibly do against our hellish forces? At best he’ll remain a mere servant of the Sages.”
Deceived the Archdemon of Destruction!
Experience +20
Legacy Points +2
50/100 until Level 34
Legacy Points: 7
“Hell Tamer Devron!”
“Speak, O Archdemon of Destruction!”
Hell Tamer Devron.
A level-55 high-ranking demon.
An infamous raid boss.
“I shall release the beasts, so clear those green lumps from my sight. You have one hour.”
With that order, the hellish beasts raised by Hell Tamer Devron were unleashed upon the battlefield—monsters far more powerful and filled with far deadlier malice than any surface-world beast.
And at the same moment—
Advance onto the battlefield and prove it!
Prove that you are worthy of being treated as sentient beings!