Crossroads (5)

"...Let's talk after this is all over."

Rosemary smiled. It was the first time I had seen a smile so chilling.

The inquisitors subtly turned their heads away. They redirected their steps from me and advanced back into the battlefield.

"If I act like I know him now, I'm pretty sure I'll die."

"Pretend you don't know him. Don't make eye contact."

"Uh, wait, isn't that Inquisitor Zahard...?"

"Get a clue!"

These bastards.

I let out a sigh. Even if getting chewed out later was already guaranteed, I still had to do what needed to be done properly.

"Radatok. How's the situation going?"

"It's a mess, Brother. The enemy numbers are too great. The Judge noticed the enemy's intent and sent half of the Fifth Inquisition Office here, but the numerical difference is too severe."

"Not all of them seemed to be paladins."

"Correct. Some are only at the level of trained soldiers. But their tenacity is vicious, so they cannot be ignored."

"We're killing them all, right?"

"Those who kill innocent civilians are not followers of Ra."

Radatok wiped the blood from his face. His eyes gleamed fiercely.

"They are all simply heretics."

"That's excellent."

Let's see, then. Shall I keep rampaging a bit more?

I rested my greatsword against my shoulder with a thunk.

"Even if the enemy has numbers, and even if this is Dwayne's scheme... there's no way we lose. Right?"

"Of course."

I moved forward. I pushed through the countless inquisitors and stood at the front.

I could see them. Countless corrupted paladins. Swords watching for an opening were burning with green flames.

"Th... aaaah..."

"Dwayne... Cardinal... His Eminence..."

"Sacrifice... where it is... needed... the lives that are... needed..."

Grotesquely twisted voices. The state of them was so foul that I clicked my tongue without realizing it.

Dwayne, this bastard has really crossed the line, and then some.

I glanced back. Among the Group 1 inquisitors, Group 2 inquisitors were mixed in as well.

"B-Boss?!"

Austin was there too...

"Are you all right?!"

Nord was mixed in as well. No Isabel. So she didn't come.

But these bastards... now they show up and act like they know me.

It pissed me off, so I smacked each of them on the back of the head.

"Gah!"

"Ack!"

"Don't be dramatic. This is everyone here, right?"

"That's right, Brother."

Radatok stood beside me. Rosemary, who had been growling, joined us too.

"I'll slaughter them all for you."

The axe looked like it was searching for someone to take its anger out on. I cracked my neck.

The corrupted paladins locked onto me as their target. Countless swords lunged at me, at the very front. The corrupted followers thrust crude weapons at me, drool streaming down.

I lightly extended my foot.

"In the name of Ra."

Fire ignited on my greatsword.

"I'll beat every last one of them like dogs!"

-Isn't that just venting your anger?

Ra said, sounding unimpressed. I casually ignored her.

Venting my anger? What venting?

I am absolutely not angry because of these bastards! I did not think that if it weren't for these bastards, I wouldn't have gotten an earful from Rosemary!

Not even this much! Not even a handful of a thought like that!

"I'll wreck them!"

Flames erupted.

. . .

Director Veronica, who had arrived late to the city of Filamon, caught her breath. Her exhausted horse collapsed to the ground.

Too late. Far, far too late.

Director Veronica gritted her teeth and looked back. She looked at the guards who were already panting just from having cast a blessing on the horses.

"...This is insane."

Of course, she herself had been negligent too. She had not done her job properly. She had left most of the work to a warden and wasted her days on drink and gambling.

But even so, she had kept up the fundamentals. She had built up her martial skills in her spare time, and she had constantly trained so that her abilities as a paladin would not rust.

So what the hell were these bastards?

Bastards who stood on active duty far more than she did... and they were panting just from maintaining Holy Arts for a few hours?

"Get up, you bastards. Did you come here to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠play?"

Veronica moved briskly. Before entering the city of Filamon, she beat the collapsed guards awake and forced them to their feet.

"If you lie down here, innocent civilians die. Asking you to move when it's time to move shouldn't be such a big request."

"B-But, Director... my body won't listen..."

"I-It's hard... I feel like I'm dying..."

"...Should I just kill every last one of you..."

What is the duty of a paladin?

Even when you feel like collapsing from exhaustion, you must rise when necessary. You must protect innocent lives with your sword, and you must know how to offer your back to the oppressed.

But these stupid bastards couldn't even uphold that basic principle!

The only ones standing properly were a few of the wardens. But even their condition was a wreck. As if their Sacred Power had dropped to rock bottom, there wasn't a trace of color in their faces.

One of the wardens muttered.

"D-Director Veronica... w-wouldn't it be right for us to stand by here?"

"...What?"

"B-But look at the situation!"

The city of Filamon was burning. Green flames were covering the buildings.

Explosions echoed from all over. The screams of people reverberated all the way to this hill.

"Th-The situation is already a mess! We're only a small force! Weren't we originally just supposed to manage prisoners?"

"......"

"There's nothing we can do even if we go! Even from here, the number of invaders looks to be well over several hundred..."

Veronica strode forward. She grabbed the chattering guard by the collar.

Her fist split the air. The guard, struck in the face, collapsed to the ground.

"Wh-Why..."

"Why, my ass. Hey. What's your name?"

"A-Adin... sir..."

"Adin... huh? Right. Adin."

Veronica crouched in front of him. She tapped his forehead.

"I know what kind of trash I am. I guzzle booze even during work hours... and whenever I get the chance, I throw my entire paycheck into gambling. The fact that I'm human garbage is something I know better than anyone."

"......"

"But still. Even someone like me doesn't think like that. Because that kind of thinking, damn it, is only for the lowest scum of the earth."

Veronica put a cigarette in her mouth. She lit it.

Smoke scattered into the air.

"Adin. And the rest of you. Before you became guards, you definitely finished apprentice paladin training, didn't you? Right?"

"Y-Yes, we did."

"What did they teach you back then? What did they say the duty of a paladin was? What did you swear so that you could become swords of Ra?"

Adin lowered his head. His hands trembled.

"...B-But this is... no matter what..."

"You've been lazing around all this time, haven't you? Right? I know some of you followed me around to the gambling dens. I also know that most of you took bribes from prisoners and helped smuggle goods in."

Veronica flicked the ash.

"If you've played enough, then when it's time to work, you work. The situation is right in front of your faces, so what's the point of running away?"

"......"

"We didn't pick up swords just to laze around and eat."

Veronica rose to her feet. She looked around at the guards.

"Even if you're afraid, you stake your life. Even if you don't know what's ahead, you pick up your sword. That is a paladin. Remember that, you guard bastards. Innocent civilians are dying down there. In an autonomous district managed by our church, no less."

"......"

"I'm not asking you to stake your lives. But at the very least... shouldn't you at least pretend to fight? Huh? You shit-for-brains bastards."

Veronica inhaled the smoke deeply. She tossed away the burnt-out cigarette.

"From now on, I won't use words. All of you shut up and follow me. Before I personally rip out your hearts."

The guards of the Punishment Office moved their heavy feet. Veronica, who had moved the troops through coercion bordering on threats, took the lead.

It was the first green flame she had ever seen. Where on earth had it come from? Veronica cautiously reached out toward the green flame clinging to the side of a building.

"...Hm."

She faintly sensed Sacred Power, but it was completely different from Ra's. It was as if the Sacred Power itself had been twisted. Veronica frowned.

She immediately took command of the guards. She split the unit into two and charged inside.

One group for rescue, one group to buy time. The guards, forced to fight on the front lines, trembled. Their legs shook as if they might collapse at any moment.

"C-Can't we just run now..."

"You haven't even seen the enemy yet, you bastard... shut up."

Ah. I want to get out of here.

This is exactly why I was trying to leave the Punishment Office.

Veronica lifted a chunk of building debris. She cleared the blocked path and stepped into the battlefield.

Corpses filled the street densely. Blood flowed down, covering the ground like a river. Burning chunks of flesh rolled around nearby. A living hell.

Some of the guards vomited. Some collapsed as their legs gave out.

...Are they really this ragtag?

Veronica rubbed her face. At this rate, it would be better to just act alone...

"...Hm?"

Something surged up from the building wreckage. A man covered in dust, yet not coughing once, cracked his neck.

His right arm looked dislocated. Even as it dangled with his movements, he showed no sign of pain. He didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠scream, and as if nothing was wrong, he instead took a step forward.

"Ah... uugh..."

Green flames clung to various parts of his body. His muttering was impossible to make out.

His only armament was a crude-looking rusty sword in his hand.

Veronica narrowed her eyes. He didn't look strong...

But something felt wrong. The guards must have sensed it too, because they hastily drew their weapons.

"Wh-Who are you! State your affiliation!"

The man's gaze snapped toward them. Half of his flame-covered head whipped around.

And the next moment.

As if moving like a beast, his arms and legs kicked off the ground simultaneously.

CRUNCH!

"Aaaagh?!"

Even as half his neck was sliced away by a sword, the man forced his rusty blade into the guard's throat. Even as blood poured down, he did not stop churning the guard's insides.

Their different bloods mixed into the ground. Even after both of them went still, everyone remained frozen in silence.

Veronica spat out a curse.

"What kind of dogshit situation is this?"

Signs of movement came from all over the buildings. Human shadows flickered in the ruined streets.

Countless humans advanced, stepping over corpses. Green flames clung to their bodies in various places, just like the man from before.

"Th... aah..."

"D... death... afraid..."

"I... I am..."

It was safe to say there were almost no unharmed people among them. Every one of them bore some wound, large or small.

But even so, they kept walking steadily. Their eyes flashed as if stalking prey.

Veronica tossed aside her scabbard. She quietly muttered to the frozen guards.

"Form a defensive line."

The end of the cigarette in her mouth was bitten down with a crunch.

"They're coming."

. . .

I raised my head. While busily enjoying the slaughter, I suddenly heard screams erupt from the other side of the city.

In the direction of the sound, some of Ra's flames were mixed in. If it was enough to burst through a building and leak ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out, then the amount of Sacred Power was considerable...

The sun that had risen early in the morning was already setting. Evening, just before nightfall. The sun hung awkwardly at the edge of the city, and because of that, the whole city was growing dark.

Quite a bit of time had passed since I arrived here. Which meant that the Punishment Office group that had been following behind me had also entered the city.

"...Hm. Let's see."

I posed questions to myself. I summarized the situation.

1. Were the Punishment Office guards highly capable?

No. They weren't capable at all. They were unbearable to watch.

2. Then had many of them come out on this expedition?

No. There were incredibly few. So absurdly few that counting them was meaningless.

3. Then if the fanatics swarmed them, could Veronica hold them off alone?

Impossible. Veronica wasn't a giant or anything... She might survive on her own, but fighting while protecting the guards would clearly be extremely difficult.

Good. Decision made.

I stopped walking. I glanced at Radatok.

"Radatok. I'll leave this place to you."

"Do you have something else to do?"

"I think there are some people who need a bit of help."

I moved my feet casually. I passed by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the mountain of corpses piled beside the road for traffic control.

"I'll go on ahead."