Chapter 11 A Sense Of Devastation, Bloodless And Lifeless
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the city district of the castle, the soldiers were sweating profusely like a waterfall. Although it was already becoming chilly, the clothing under their armor had changed color due to sweat.
The soldiers were desperately working on clearing the land to set up their camp. The remnants of houses crushed by the tower were scattered in a mountain of rubble, making it impossible to engage in any combat. However, despite some structures being blown away by the impact, there were still houses standing within fifty steps from the tower that had withstood the shock.
Therefore, the soldiers had to simultaneously clean up the debris caused by the tower and the new rubble created by demolishing houses.
They were working while wearing heavy armor. Their depleting stamina was evident, as they had no idea when the battle would start. Even the elite warriors who never made a sound on the harshest of battlefields couldn’t claim to be in a good mental state.
”General!”
”What’s wrong!?”
”The residents are refusing to evacuate and sitting down.”
”Then tie them up and force them to evacuate!”
Kassandros, who was taking command at the front line, shouted with such force that he kicked the soldier’s buttocks. Kassandros, in an effort to make progress with the work, had been continuously picking up debris and throwing it onto the cart… but.
Thump, the tower pulsated as if it had a heartbeat,
”What was that!?”
Was it the cry of the world’s enemy, or the trumpet announcing the arrival of the world’s savior… Kassandros, who turned around instinctively, saw a scene where a black torrent flowed out from the giant gate that had opened unnoticed.
It was a horde of monsters wearing armor. Leading the charge, a knight on a horse that was probably twice the size of Kassandros’ familiar warhorse swung his sword, causing more than ten soldiers to literally fly through the air, and like a breached river converging towards the point where the knight had torn through, the black horde surged in.
No, it wasn’t just a swarm of monsters. It was an organized army of monsters clad in unified armor, the enemies of the world, moving systematically according to orders.
The soldiers, who were sweating from their construction work, engulfed in an instant. It wasn’t a battle, but a trampling. No matter how elite the soldiers were, all they could do against the rising flood was stack sandbags, and in the face of the surging muddy stream, they could only accept death. And this situation was no different. Like the dust kicked up by the hooves of horses, the soldiers’ bodies soared high into the air.
But Kassandros did not give up. Facing the soldiers who trembled in fear at the hellish torrent surging from the tower, he drew his sword from his waist and raised his voice,
”Hurry and form a defensive formation. Build a simple formation with those around you────!!”
However, that command was interrupted as the bull-headed monster rushed into view. No matter how cornered, no matter how rushed, there was no way not to realize that the rapidly growing black mass was charging at him.
As Kassandros turned around in an instant, a shadow spread across his field of vision. It was the shadow created by the gigantic double-handed axe swung down by Gyuma (Ox-demon). With a heavy thud, just like a large boulder falling to the ground, the impact not metaphorically but literally caused the ground to tremble. In the moment when Kassandros slid his sword to intercept Ox-demon’s strike, the dull impact traveled all the way to the heels of his feet, grinding his bones.
His clenched teeth exerted pressure beyond what his gums could tolerate, causing blood to seep out. Agony unlike anything he had ever experienced, not even when an enemy spear had pierced his liver on the battlefield, was squeezed out from his throat.
”Hou…”
Ox-demon let out a slight exclamation, his crimson eyes opening just a little as he released a sigh of admiration. Although no words were spoken, Kassandros could tell from the expression on the inhuman beast’s face that he seemed to be saying, “Will you withstand my blow?” And at the same time, Kassandros realized his own impending death.
Ox-demon, like a farmer swinging a hoe, raised his double-handed axe vigorously. With such an exposed and vulnerable movement, the unguarded abdomen of Ox-demon was revealed right in front of Kassandros. If an enemy general were to make such a move on the battlefield, Kassandros would have shouted, “How naive!” and thrust the tip of his spear into their exposed tail.
However, Kassandros’s body did not move a single finger. No, he didn’t even try to move from the beginning. Perhaps it was because of a single shock, he became convinced of the insurmountable despairing difference in power between himself and the Ox-demon. Or perhaps he knew at the moment he received the Ox-demon’s first blow that his body would perish with a dying scream.
Still, he didn’t turn his back. Even though he knew he couldn’t win, even though he realized he couldn’t even inflict a scratch, even though he knew his own insignificance, Kassandros never averted his gaze from the Ox-demon.
Although not sewn in place, he remained completely motionless. Just after feeling the expansion of the Ox-demon’s muscles from the two legs that had turned into planted trees on the ground, the Ox-demon’s swing aimed at Kassandros mercilessly took his life without even showing a flash of his life before his eyes.
* * *
When the monsters overflowed from the tower, Elaine had already returned from the castle to the vicinity of the tower. She ran her horse to deliver the message to Kassandros that Lucia would immediately arrive at the scene and that only Alfred would be sent to the imperial capital for escape. Just as she caught sight of him, she caught the pulsation of the tower head-on.
At first, she didn’t know what was happening and had no confirmation that the tower had moved. But in the next moment, she saw a huge gate, like that of a giant’s house, swing open. Elaine forcefully pulled on the reins of her horse.
She needed only ten seconds to have the mission of reporting the attack to Lucia come to mind. Despite almost being thrown off when the startled horse raised its front legs suddenly after the reins were pulled abruptly, she managed to stay on by patting its neck reassuringly. Then, she directed the horse towards the castle with the reins and kicked its belly to make it run. Just as they started running, she felt a heavy impact on her back, as if she had been struck with a club, and the world turned upside down.
The horse, impaled on a spear, let out a blood-curdling scream as it flew through the air, spraying blood. With the momentum, Elaine’s body spun and crashed onto the ground. Despite the pain in her twisted ankle, she quickly got up, only to be met with the sight of a horse impaled on a spear twice the height of a human, from its rear to its chest.
The shocking scene left Elaine speechless… but she couldn’t afford to be stunned.
The sound of scraping earth, as if something was sliding, filled the air…
Elaine realized that her body was being covered by a massive shadow. She looked up and saw a tall, red-skinned warrior standing about ten steps away, staring intensely at the hill where the castle stood. Elaine immediately knew that this was an enemy monster. It was only natural, given the warrior’s scorching red skin, and especially because it had six muscular arms.
Just facing it sent chills down her spine. It felt as if a freezing coldness, as if from the depths of hell, was seeping into every pore of her body, freezing her to the core. Her teeth chattered, even though she wasn’t actually freezing. But Elaine drew her sword from its sheath, cutting through the fear welling up inside her, and pointed the blade at the six-armed monster.
”Oh, so you’re going to stand up against me.”
That’s when Elaine first saw the six-armed monster. With burning eyes that matched the color of its skin, she felt a sense of intimidation, but Elaine was already feeling a fear that had exceeded its limit.
Immediately after, the six-armed monster kicked the ground. The distance that should have been ten steps away instantly shortened without a blink, and the curved sword held in his upper right arm swung with a resounding roar.
Elaine reflexively understood that she couldn’t catch or avoid it, so she threw herself to the ground and rolled backward to create distance. Just as Elaine’s shoulder touched the ground, a flash of sweeping attack passed through the place where her head had been a split second ago, and the sound of the air being cut resonated. Then, a belated gust of wind disturbed Elaine’s neatly tied hair.
At the same time, without realizing it, the spectators who had formed a circular ring cheered. Of course, those spectators were the monster soldiers. Witnessing that scene, Elaine was once again reminded that she was in a situation where death was certain after passing the point of no return, and she felt a surge of power, as if her final strength was ironically overflowing.
”Good job, girl!!”
”Blast that giant bastard!!”
”Hey, you six-armed insect bastard!!”
The soldiers also join in with jeers and create an atmosphere similar to an underground fighting arena where gambling matches take place.
”Hey, you damn idiots!!”
The six-armed monster snarls fiercely, baring its fangs. The scene of booing from all sides in response to such an attitude seems like a heel’s performance. However, no one here, including Elaine, believes she will win.
The six-armed monster is full of openings. Despite carrying six long curved swords like peacock feathers, it has only drawn one held by its upper right arm. Even now, the six-armed monster doesn’t even look at Elaine, with its back turned to the surrounding soldiers.
But Elaine couldn’t move. Because she has walked the path of martial arts to some extent, she understands. Despite showing the back of his head, the monster in front of him doesn’t reveal any openings. Like being told to break a rock mountain with a single twig, Elaine doesn’t have the answer for it.
Would he respond to the jeering and shouting for about a minute? For the six-armed monster, there was no point in spending time with Elaine in the first place. As his interest waned, the six-armed monster faced Elaine again, this time without moving from the spot, bending his knees while raising his sword. It was clearly a preparatory movement for an attack. So, Elaine also readied her sword, gazing at the monster, not in desperation, but to inspire herself, she let out a fierce roar from her throat, as if to stir up her fighting spirit.
Immediately after, the six-armed monster approached Elaine. With just a slight step forward, the polished curved blade of the sinking sun’s light brushed against it.
Elaine could see the movement of the six-armed monster. The raised curved sword was supposed to trace a straight trajectory, but as Elaine imagined, the suddenly changed direction of the curved blade, as if reflecting off the wall, traced a zigzag trajectory. She realized she had been deceived, but by the time she noticed the change in trajectory and attempted to guard with her sword, it was already too late.
There was a sound like glass shattering from her side. and her body, which had lost consciousness, danced high in the air, and then rolled to a stop like a twig blown by the wind.
* * *
”Quite an interesting b*tch. She even crossed her swords in her final moments.”
Blackback said, sheathing his curved sword and casting a satisfied smile at the fallen Elaine.
”What are you doing against mere foot soldiers in the first place?”
However, a voice of disbelief interrupted Blackback’s lingering satisfaction. Of course, the owner of that voice was not a foot soldier, but a squadron leader named Dolgio, wearing a cloak with a gold cord on the back of his armor.
The First Army’s organizational unit consists of five battalions, each with 10.000 soldiers. Since the unit includes the main force directly commanded by Raffanie, it has 4 battalion leaders instead of 5. Within each battalion, there are 5 squadrons of 2.000 soldiers each, and within each squadron, there are 4 platoons of 500 soldiers each… and they are generally organized with an equal number of soldiers. In other words, the squadron leader Dolgio of the First Army commands 2.000 soldiers.
Needless to say, not all of the soldiers led by him were surrounded. If they forget about the siege and waste time with the whole army, Raffanie will behead them.
Only about 500 soldiers from the unit commanded by Dolgio remained. The remaining 1.500 were entrusted to the other squadron leader who was accompanying them, and were heading towards the siege as originally planned.
”This one shouldn’t be mere foot soldiers. She should be skilled in her own way.”
”Even so…”
”Shut up. You’re not Felshiol mother-in-law… This battlefield is not a place for excitement, it’s a place where blood doesn’t boil and flesh doesn’t dance. So there’s no reason to complain if I find some enjoyment!!”
Blackback is a wild card, unlike other serious battalion commanders of the First Army. He is the only one with a rough personality, but that also serves as a catalyst for the army. He brings some disturbance to the tactical approach that tends to be focused on established principles, influenced by the serious nature of the battalion commanders.
”Regarding that, I enjoyed the one-on-one fight just now. There is a difference of over 100 levels, and I didn’t really go all out, but it was still interesting.”
”Do you mean you want to r*pe her because you like her?”
”Me? This guy? Don’t talk nonsense. I don’t have a preference for someone like this branch-looking person. It’s an absolute requirement for me to have a taller height than myself to get an er***ion.”
Blackback is about 2 meters tall. Among the monster-like creatures, he is on the smaller side, so he doesn’t have much trouble finding a partner who meets his requirements. However, it’s tough when it comes to dealing with humans. Of course, Elaine, who is around 160 centimeters, is out of the question.
”And my preference is for a big woman like an [Ogre]… with strong muscles… and I would pin her down from behind and…”
Dolgio’s gaze, as he watched Blackback draw a butt in the empty air and start thrusting his hips, was incredibly cold. It was a gaze of emptiness, as if looking at trash, devoid of any emotions.
”Well, I haven’t heard about the battalion commanders’s fetishes… Basically, you’re into women like that character, Catherina, the meat shrine maiden, right?”
”Yeah, you got it. Can’t resist that body like a iron ball.”
The 98th layer of Babellion is an entire pleasure city. This layer, where the cycle of day and night does not exist and the night always falls, is a night city with bars, gambling dens, and brothels that cater to various desires.
The main street, lined with popular establishments, features a brothel called “Shrine Maiden” on the edge. It is common knowledge in the First Army that they employ a prostitute named Catherina, who is like a heavily armed tank with muscles packed like barrels and limbs attached.
Blackback, unable to stop talking about his fetishes, finally lets out a sigh. It is then that Blackback notices Dolgio’s nonchalant attitude for the first time and says,
”Why are you giving me that look? Oh, I see, you’re angry because you want to have s*x with that woman, huh?”
As Blackback raised his head to meet the gaze, Dolgio asked,
”Me?”
Dolgio, a troll standing over 3 meters tall with a dusky greenish-blue skin, larger than Blackback by about two sizes, snorted at his superior’s jest.
”So, what’s the plan now? Shall we join the troops heading to the castle?”
Even though it would likely have already fallen, Dolgio looked down at the mound where the castle once stood from his elevated vantage point.
”No, for now, we’ll tie up that female and transport her.”
The question of why almost escaped his lips, but Dolgio quickly recalled the reason. It was Raffanie’s order issued before the march – to capture a few soldiers as prisoners.
”Upon closer inspection, judging from the armor, she seems to be a soldier of some standing, suitable as a gift for His Majesty the Great Highness, right?”
”Well, certainly… now that you mention it, it does seem rather lavish. It appears to be of better make compared to the other soldiers, and well, considering the display of skill earlier…”
”Hey, someone tie up this woman and take her to Anego.”
Blackback points to a soldier with a nod, checking to see if Elaine, lying motionless on the ground, is still breathing.
”What’s the point in taking prisoners?”
Dolgio’s question slipped out unexpectedly. It wasn’t so much seeking a clear answer as it was a muttered soliloquy.
”She ain’t no ordinary prisoner. She might being used as a test subject for resurrection, brainwashing, or made to fight monsters as a soldier to measure this world’s power… Well, she ain’t in for a good time.”
Blackback continues speaking as Elaine, bound and carried away, comes into view.
”Well, if she landed a blow, I’d mercifully killed her out of her misery.”
He adds with a laugh that dissolves into the setting sunlit sky.
* * *
Amidst the throne room where the veil of silence had descended,
”Your Majesty, it appears that the occupation of the old capital has come to an end.”
Charles, who was seated on the throne awaiting reports, was approached by Felshiol, who knelt down and conveyed the outcome of their first battle in this world.
”Good work.”
Felshiol must have felt a sense of relief as well when Charles let out a sigh. However, without trying to conceal it, he raised the fallen strands of hair and smiled.
”It was sooner than expected.”
”It seems that the difference in levels was indeed significant.”
”Instruct Raffanie to submit a report summarizing her experience in battling the enemy forces. I will review it later.”
”As you command.”
Having neither led the vanguard nor observed the invaders through the monitoring system, Charles could only wonder about the details from his throne. Whether they were weak, to what extent, if they used skills, and if their weapons were related to APOCALYPSE SAGA… There were countless things he wanted to know.
”Receiving reports of capturing multiple soldiers as live prisoners. Raffanie said that they might be useful for something.”
”Indeed, quite astute. Still managing to hit the nail on the head.”
Although it was said that Charles hadn’t changed, back when it was just a game, he simply followed orders faithfully. However, now that it has become reality, he understands what Charles expects and is able to deliver with a performance of 200 points. Once again, he confirms the trustworthiness of the First Army in this world and chuckles inwardly.
”Retrieve and store all enemy corpses. I want to use them for experiments or see if they can be reused as undead soldiers.”
”Understood.”
Unless Charles uses magic items, he cannot create undead soldiers, but many of his subordinates possess such skills. The most notable is Sarikir, the commander of the Skull Army (Screamer), one of the three special forces divisions, belonging to Twelve Pillars of the Saint Tower. As a level 200 [Shinigami King (No Life King)], Sarikir is capable of creating various types of undead soldiers on his own.
”We also have confined the Crown Prince and the Princess, along with other prisoners. They have been held in ‘Prison (Dite).’ If you wish, I will lead you with a rope.”
Charles reacted slightly to that word.
’Dite’ is the name of a huge labyrinthine prison that spans three layers from the 86th to the 88th. Charles reacted not only to the word ‘Dite,’ but also because the face of the Chief Prison Warden Azuriela, who governs the facility, came to mind.
”No… there’s no need for that. I’m feeling exhausted as expected. I will rest for the day.”
Azuriela is a pleasure-seeking hedonist who loves chaos and indulgence, but she is not a fool. On the contrary, she is quite sharp. However, a slight unease remains, unable to be wiped away.
”Make sure to tell Azuriela not to play too much with her toys.”
”…Understood.”
Charles realized that he would never go there himself during that time. Felshiol and Azuriela, water and oil, dogs and monkeys, they are set to have a bad relationship in any case.
”The occupying forces should inform those who have worked hard to take plenty of rest. The real challenge lies ahead.”
”Thank you for your consideration.”
Charles slowly stood up from his throne. Feeling the unique coldness as the blood returned to his buttocks, which had been sitting for a while, he left the throne room with Satsuki.
The first battle, which had worn him out as if he had been at war for a year, ended in less than half a day since the teleport, contrary to his physical exhaustion.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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