They'll Never Listen to Me
Right after I split Pharisect's skull open, a sharp tingling sensation flooded my right hand, forcing me to frown.
As expected, that attack puts quite a burden on the body...
It was a single strike that drew on every last drop of mana I could muster in one instant. Just like the time I had tested it once before, its power was enough to annihilate two hundred soldiers in a single blow. As an added bonus, it had also taken out a portion of the inner wall right in front of me—an absurdly destructive result.
Even with the Hero's body and sturdy armor, unleashing a strike like that still demanded I accept a fair amount of stamina drain and a sharp jolt of pain. If I had to compare it to anything, it felt like maxing out on the heaviest barbell at the gym, lifting it, then slamming it back down. A short rest would let me recover, but it wasn't the kind of technique I could fire off repeatedly.
Well, honestly, I doubt I'll ever need to go that far anyway... In any case, this means the occupation of Antioch is complete.
Antioch had served its purpose perfectly as bait to lure the enemy in. Now that its role was over, holding onto this place any longer would only bring the worst possible outcome for our side. The moment I spotted the enemy forces swarming over the horizon, I wiped out every last one of Pharisect's troops who had been defending the castle to the bitter end.
And right after that—
“.....Gulp.”
Seeing the look on my face, Rebekah stood frozen in utter shock. I immediately barked an order at her.
“Hey, stop standing there like an idiot and go raise the flag. Now.”
“Y-yes? Ah… Yes! I-I understand!”
Rebekah jumped as if she'd been struck by lightning, then scrambled into action. Once my subordinates had raised the banner to announce that we had truly taken the fortress, I kept my guard up and began watching the approaching enemy forces with narrowed eyes.
I prayed desperately that there wasn't some completely insane bastard among them.
“Th-this can’t be…”
“Are we too late…?”
The scene before their eyes left the commanders of the racial alliance army—who had run without rest the entire way—shrouded in dark shadows. The sight of the Demon King’s flag now flying over Antioch’s inner walls was enough to drain the blood from their faces.
“Damn it! To think General Pharisect would fail so miserably…”
“We came as fast as we could, yet the fortress still fell before we could reach it…”
The flag fluttering from the highest spire in the center of the inner walls was the clearest proof that Pharisect, who had resisted until the very last moment, had ultimately been defeated. Though he had fought desperately enough to wound the Demon King, both he and the defenders of Antioch had fallen in the end.
The generals who had rushed here from afar offered perfunctory words of condolence on the surface. In truth, their minds were filled not with grief for their fallen comrade, but with cold calculations about what would come next.
Pharisect is dead… Strategically it’s a loss, but from another perspective, this is actually good news. It means one less powerful rival aiming for the Demon King’s head.
It’s unfortunate that Antioch has fallen, but the battle isn’t over yet. Our numbers are still nearly double theirs. If we reorganize and begin a proper siege, we have more than enough chance of victory.
Our original plan was to join forces with Antioch’s troops and wipe out the demons in one swift stroke… The plan has changed slightly, but it can’t be helped. Even if we take some losses, our primary objective must remain killing the Demon King…
Setting aside the fall of Antioch, the commanders of the racial alliance army quickly decided to focus on the one thing that had brought them here: the Demon King’s head. They swiftly set up camp, reorganized their ranks, and began preparing in earnest for a full-scale siege.
Truthfully, they burned with the desire to attack the exhausted enemy while they still held the fortress. However, having run a great distance without rest, launching a siege rather than a field battle was already pushing their limits. Most of their forces were cavalry who had ridden hard to get here; they would need time for the infantry units still marching behind them to catch up.
Since Antioch had already fallen and there was no longer any need to rush, the racial alliance army took a moment to catch their breath and prepare for the real battle ahead. They did so for multiple reasons: to fight under more advantageous conditions, and to more reliably claim the Demon King’s head.
Whew… That was way too close.
Watching the racial alliance army halt their immediate advance upon seeing the Demon King’s flag over Antioch and begin setting up camp instead, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. The dangerous moment had passed.
Thank goodness. I was worried they might go completely crazy and charge right in… But it looks like even they aren’t reckless enough to attack the moment Antioch falls.
Aside from the fact that we had managed to raise the flag before the enemy came into view, the demon troops had just finished capturing Antioch and were exhausted to the bone. Our formation was in shambles after the siege, and our equipment desperately needed inspection. If the enemy had launched an immediate attack and forced a chaotic melee, there was no telling how the battle might have gone.
In the worst case, we might have had to abandon the hard-won Antioch and suffer a miserable retreat. But I had believed the enemy wouldn’t be that reckless, and reality had unfolded exactly as I predicted.
Any commander with common sense would choose to reorganize their troops after a long forced march before committing to a siege. Still, since there were plenty of lunatics in the world, I couldn’t help feeling anxious. Seeing them take the time to catch their breath allowed me to finally exhale in deep relief.
Alright. The dangerous hurdle is behind us. Now all that’s left is deciding how to clean up those bastards…
Both our side and the enemy were exhausted to the limit, making battle difficult. Even my direct subordinates, while not dead, had men collapsing and foaming at the mouth. Even so, I had my own methods for situations like this, and the preparations were more or less complete.
But then—
“Hero, sir.”
“Hm?”
The sudden sound of Rebekah’s voice made me turn. There stood the adjutant I had seen once before—the one who had delivered the previous message. If my memory was correct, it was definitely…
“They’re holding a strategy meeting?”
“Yes, that is correct, Hero.”
“I see. I’ll head over right away.”
It was a sense of déjà vu from the previous situation. At the same time, it filled me with unease. I had a bad feeling they were about to shove some suicidal vanguard duty onto me again. With great reluctance, I headed toward the conference room that had been set up in one corner of the castle.
Well, if by some miracle those guys actually decide to listen to me, this might resolve surprisingly easily… But that’s never going to happen.
They were ignorant, prideful bastards who hated me enough to use me as an arrow magnet at the very front. There was no chance they would listen to anything I said. Without holding any vain expectations, I made my way to the meeting room.
Demon Army Legion Commander Samson and the other generals were feeling extremely awkward at this moment.
“The enemy numbers that many?” Samson demanded.
“Yes. From what we’ve confirmed, there are at least twenty thousand, and when you include the additional forces still approaching, the total appears to be close to forty thousand.”
“Kuh…”
“Damn it, how did it come to this…”
They had succeeded in capturing Antioch by the skin of their teeth. Yet before they could even savor the joy of victory, an enemy force far larger than anticipated had appeared before them.
Even these simple-minded demons had known reinforcements would come to save Antioch, but the current situation far exceeded their predictions. If things continued like this, they might lose the precious fortress they had just gained and be forced into a humiliating retreat.
“Stop groaning and give me some useful opinions! What should we do in this situation?”
“Hmm…”
“…”
Samson’s urgent words hung in the air. Of course, even he understood that a reckless frontal assault right now would be nothing more than charging straight into the grave. The enemy outnumbered them, and their own troops were exhausted. Even attempting a siege wasn’t ideal; Antioch’s defenses weren’t in any condition to offer much help. Neither attacking nor defending felt like a good option.
The demons could only glance at each other nervously. None of them could offer a decent alternative. It was only natural. Every general present, Samson included, was famously known as a “muscle-brain.”
There was a saying that three heads were better than one, but that only applied when the heads in question actually had brains. At that moment, Samson’s gaze fell on the one person who had remained completely silent since entering the conference room.
It was the Hero—the only person here whose head was known to work properly, and who had achieved remarkable feats in this very battle.
…Hmm… Yes, perhaps that would be better after all… One cunning Hero might be more useful than ten ignorant fools like us.