The Battleground, Part 2
"This is madness... We can't break through."
"Damn it... Even after coordinating with those trash from the Holy Kingdom..."
"What? How dare those barbarians...!"
The temporary alliance was fracturing.
With their combined assault failing to leave a scratch, they began turning on one another.
Yet, the savage battle that had raged before their arrival was nowhere to be seen.
I can't even focus on fighting with them there...
Show even a single opening, and you're dead. That's the level of skill we're dealing with.
The reason was Roan's party, standing dead center.
They stood completely unscathed amidst a torrential downpour of slashes, arrows, and magic.
Well... technically, only the guy with the shield blocked everything. Not that it makes a difference.
In the end, the result was the same: nothing could get through.
They could only watch the mage and the priest, who seemed to be preparing something unknown.
But there are always exceptions.
—"Uwooooah!"
Some distance away from the center.
Amidst the carnage where ordinary soldiers clashed, a thunderous roar and the heavy stomping of boots reverberated.
"What is that...!"
"Ugh... Intruders?!"
"Of course! They wouldn't have come alone! They must have brought reinforcements!"
While everyone suspected Roan's party and braced themselves,
...They're definitely not our reinforcements.
Roan was also making his own deductions about the newcomers.
He had resolved to seize The Battleground with just a party of four.
Though he had prepared for contingencies, there was no reason for his backers to make a move first.
Roan's confusion was quickly resolved.
"Hold them! Push forward! In place of the Kingdom's defense, we shall seize The Battleground!"
The advancing soldiers loudly proclaimed their allegiance to the Kingdom.
Clank! Clank!
Slash!
Spurt!
The synchronized march of iron-clad boots shook the earth, and their perfectly coordinated slashes pierced the hearts of several warriors.
"Forward! The Empire has lost its strength with the fall of the Emperor, and the Holy Kingdom is focused solely on defending its own borders! Now is the time for our Kingdom to claim the center of the continent!"
The shout came from a knight who appeared to be the leader of the host.
His gaze locked onto a specific spot.
Right where Roan stood.
"And! The traitor who dared tarnish the Kingdom's honor stands right there! Advance and show them our might!"
As if their fear had been surgically excised, the soldiers let out spirited battle cries and charged toward Roan.
"U-Ugh...! Lord Roan! They are... they are closing in from all directions, sir...!"
"So it seems," Roan replied calmly.
A brief response born of the troublesome situation.
In that split second, Roan scanned his surroundings.
No matter where he looked, there was nothing but a tide of iron-clad soldiers charging at them.
Even on the gentle slope behind them, archers and mages had already taken their positions.
"It's fine."
He answered anyway.
Even if it was a stretch, it was better to reassure his comrades.
Roan quickly adjusted his gear and lightly bounced on his feet to loosen up.
I'll clear the front first. The left has Charbun, so I can leave that to him... Then I'll clear the right, opposite to Charbun, and finally—
Just as he was about to finalize his tactical assessment—
Whoosh...
"Wh-What?!"
"We're... we're being pushed back!!"
A mesmerizing, almost physical wave of light was steadily pushing the horde of armored soldiers backward.
Roan turned his head.
He saw Belgard, unleashing dark matter from one hand and holy power from the other, repelling the enemy.
"...Belgard!"
Inhale, exhale.
Taking a deep breath, Belgard looked at him with an expression that asked, How's this?
"With this... surely you can cry even more to make up for the tears you held back last time?"
It was proof of growth.
The mark of a dependable comrade.
How could he not shed tears at such a sight?
"Of course!"
However,
"I'll cry a hundred more times once this is over! Now is not the time to let our guard down!"
For now, they had to focus on the task at hand.
Belgard's desire was to avoid harming too many people.
Though the soldiers were being pushed back by his will, there was no telling when they would break free.
Roan had to use this brief window to devise a plan for absolute protection.
"Damn it! Hurry! Push through somehow!"
"We can't push them back, Captain! Our swords won't cut it... and even our full weight does nothing!"
Clang! Boom! Crash!
An invincible barrier that blocked every single attack.
But naturally, maintaining a barrier that covered all four sides was highly draining and couldn't last long.
"...I can't hold it much longer...!"
"It's enough."
Having finished his calculations, Roan signaled Belgard that he could release it.
Crack, shatter.
The barrier fractured, and a torrent of battle cries erupted.
But Roan, having formulated his plan, moved without hesitation.
Thwack!
"Agh?!"
Boom!
"Ugh! Damn it! Re-form the vanguard!"
Stomping and repelling.
He narrowed their defensive perimeter, making the barrier even denser and more impenetrable.
"Charbun! Can I trust you with that side?"
"...Y-Yes, sir! I shall... I shall do my absolute best, Lord Roan!"
Thud! Slash!
Sounds of piercing and tearing flesh.
Yet, his voice remained unwavering.
Carrying a quiet apology for the pain his comrade had to endure, along with deep gratitude for his resilience, Roan covered all other angles and deflected the incoming onslaught.
He was a human shield that absolutely could not be breached.
The momentum of the soldiers throwing themselves against this fortress of iron began to wither.
"Why are you stopping?! Keep going! They are humans, not monsters! Overwhelm them with numbers! If we drag this out, victory is ours!"
"B-But... everything is being blocked..."
"It's impossible..."
A wave of mere flesh and blood could not breach a colossal fortress wall.
The soldiers' morale plummeted rapidly.
Subduing the enemy without launching a single counterattack.
Next came Belgard's condensation of the blood mist.
He floated it into the sky, and Jane's brilliant magic manifested in the air, completely vaporizing it.
Light and heat radiated outward. The overwhelmed soldiers retreated. Sighs of relief were breathed, and words of appreciation were exchanged.
And thus, the usurpation of The Battleground.
...It would have been wonderful if it had ended there without further incident, but reality was never so kind.
Crash! Thud!
"Cough?!"
A body rolled violently across the dirt, carving a trench in the ground, before skidding to a halt at Roan's feet.
It was Charbun, his eyes wide with shock.
"K-Kgh... I am terribly sorry, Lord Roan...! I will... I will get right back up—"
Stumble.
"Huh...?"
He couldn't stand properly. He had taken a devastating blow.
Behind Charbun, a figure emerged.
A handsome, blonde young man.
The sight of him wielding twin spears instead of a shield felt like a direct affront to Roan's core beliefs.
"You were struggling against mere rabble like this? Pathetic."
The beautiful youth spoke with utter contempt for everyone present.
Yet, no one could utter a word of protest.
Because he was right.
And because he possessed the sheer strength to back up his arrogance.
"I didn't expect much in the first place. What could I possibly ask of people brought along just to fill the ranks?"
He waved his hand dismissively, shooing them away.
At his gesture, the entire army began to withdraw.
It was clear to anyone that the situation had taken a perilous turn.
While even Jane and Belgard faltered in their concentration, Roan alone stared him down, adjusting his grip on his sword.
Eldin Soldreck.
"I suppose I should introduce myself first. Hello. I am Eldin Soldreck."
The Captain of the Royal Guard.
"I serve as... well, the Captain of the Royal Guard, more or less."
Belligerent and deeply arrogant.
"I've received orders to tear you all to pieces. If possible, I'd prefer to handle this alone without anyone else interfering."
Precise information.
There was only one reason Roan possessed such detailed knowledge about him.
A calamity-class powerhouse.
Naturally, in his past life, Roan's party hadn't been the only ones fighting to avert the apocalypse.
There were countless individuals and factions operating independently.
And this man was one of them.
A titan of a warrior, a legendary star said to have soared through the heavens to pierce a dragon's throat.
That very man had now stepped onto the battlefield.
This must be another consequence of the altered future. We never crossed swords in my past life.
In his previous life, he had never even become entangled with the Kingdom.
Dwelling on the past life was pointless now...
No, it's still useful. I remember how he fights.
"I don't care for that calm look on your face. Since I was ordered to go wild anyway, I might as well put on a proper show."
With a casual tone, the dual-spear knight loosened his shoulders and lunged at Roan.
He didn't spare a single glance for the two behind Roan, nor the fallen Charbun.
Vanishing at a speed that left no trace of his trajectory, he appeared instantly in front of Roan.
Kiiing!
Boom!
The spear thrust forward, followed a split second later by a deafening sonic boom.
But Roan remained calm.
"Oh? You seem to know my moves. Have we met somewhere?"
"We have. Though it was entirely one-sided."
Their conversation was brief, but their clash was long.
An exchange of blows where neither side yielded an inch.
Clang! Clank!
The shockwaves radiating from the violent impacts threatened to throw everyone off balance like a receding tide.
But.
Screeech! Clang!
He was being pushed back. Roan was losing ground.
Sensing that Roan was focusing entirely on defense, his opponent pressed the advantage with relentless momentum.
Left. Followed by a thrust to the solar plexus.
Clash! Screeech!
Unlike the defender, the attacker didn't need to overthink.
And that relentless rhythm was beginning to wear down Roan's focus.
This might get dangerous.
The thought crossed his mind.
Overwhelming strength and technique.
Relying solely on defense was proving to be a difficult proposition.
If I used my sword, things would be different.
The thought kept nagging at him.
Just swing it once. What's the harm?
You did it in your past life anyway.
Wielding a shield is just your own stubborn greed.
What happened with the Emperor? It turned out fine. This is no different. Just show a fraction of your swordplay and get it over with.
A whispering voice of temptation.
It felt as though the sword in his hand was speaking to him.
He felt gazes on his back.
A mixture of confusion over whether they should break their focus to help him, and the helplessness of knowing they would inevitably be pushed back when a true powerhouse appeared.
All of those emotions were tangled in their eyes.
Even so.
Their actions did not waver in the slightest.
Both Jane and Belgard maintained their focus, keeping their eyes fixed on Roan.
Charbun, who had been staggering and losing his balance, pushed himself up from the ground once more.
Every single one of their actions was an act of faith in Roan's choice.
They're telling me they'll support whatever choice I make.
In that case, the sword—
What a pointless struggle.
Roan gripped his sword tightly.
And then,
Clang! Screeech...
He threw it away.
Far away, to a place where it couldn't even be seen.
Roan had discarded his final safety net with his own hands.
Yet, his expression was far brighter and more refreshed than before.
As if he had finally cast off the very last shackle binding him.