Legion of Darkness (9)

“Is this enough?”

After a brief information exchange, Bibs asked the porter’s group. Ashuria nodded with a satisfied expression, and the porter also smiled and said:

“Yes. This should be enough. It seems we can work together to try and stop this war.”

“That’s a relief.”

The information Bibs shared was very important. The operating principle and power source of the machine Greta wore. And how to stop this mechanical device. Bibs agreed that to end this war, they first needed to stop Greta’s charge, and he didn’t hesitate to help shatter the armor his father wore.

Watching Bibs, who didn’t show even a hint of hesitation, the porter wondered if he was obsessed with his ideals or if he hated his father. Of course, this question that couldn’t be asked out loud only made the porter leave his seat with a subtle expression and twisted lips. The moment he stood up, Bibs looked at the porter with round eyes.

“You’re… from the Empire.”

The porter froze in his standing position and looked at Bibs. Perhaps because his gaze suddenly turned sharp, Bibs awkwardly showed his palms.

“C-calm down.”

“I’m not angry. I’m just surprised you recognized I’m from the Empire so quickly.”

The porter’s tone was calm, but Lena and Ashuria were also tense. Bibs said:

“That belt. Isn’t it from the Empire’s knightly order? I’ve seen it in books.”

The porter looked over his own belt. The leather, worn rough from hardship, faintly showed a unique pattern. Lena and Ashuria also threw interested glances at the porter at the mention of the Empire’s knightly order.

“Old man, you were from the knightly order?”

“…Indeed, I hadn’t paid attention to it until now, but there is a pattern.”

As Ashuria spoke, Bibs nodded and opened his mouth.

“Right? My eyes weren’t mistaken after all. It’s a belt used in the knight’s ceremonial dress, and there’s another one used to fasten armor straps from the inside when wearing armor. So…”

“You seem to like reading books.”

The porter cut off Bibs’s words. Bibs looked puzzled at the porter’s sharp reaction, then relaxed his expression again and nodded.

“I’ve liked reading books since I was young.”

Childhood memories are distorted and twisted to create desires.

Bibs had liked observing others and reading books since he was young. Nobles who knew his weak nature grumbled that Greta had failed in raising his child. He refused to hold a sword and believed he could conquer and stand above others through knowledge and culture.

He thought he could establish another system of rule through persuasion and harmony.

“Books tell us many things. That violence is bad. That what we need is harmony. Humans. I dream of a beautiful world where the Kingdom and our demon country live together. I’ll become the governor ruling the Kingdom, introduce you to the culture of the demon world, and you’ll share your culture with the demons.”

“Then, what happens to the current His Majesty and religion?”

At Ashuria’s question, Bibs nodded and said:

“Aren’t they great cultural heritages? I’ll keep them as tourist attractions and research assets. And we’ll gradually develop further while sharing cultures. It’s not right to annihilate the other side through barbaric and violent means.”

Everyone inhaled. Lena, Ashuria, and the porter, without anyone going first, had to roll their eyes and take deep breaths. Lena then nodded and smiled, and Ashuria clicked her tongue inaudibly and turned her head. The porter pulled his hood down again and said:

“It’s truly a wonderful plan.”

“I’m just glad you understand.”

A smile spread across Bibs’s face.

---

The smell of blood spread from all directions. The corpses of demon soldiers were strewn around the hero, and the bloodstains of mashed soldiers were soaking Greta’s body. The hero hated himself for becoming numb to this cruel sight, and he hated Greta for constantly causing such scenes.

Greta’s arm stretched out, aiming for the hero. The hero raised his sword diagonally to deflect Greta’s attack to the side. Sparks flew as scales and blade collided. The hero gritted his teeth and turned his body amidst the flames spurting in all directions and the ear-splitting explosive sound.

Suddenly, the hero’s body rotated, causing Greta’s body to lurch forward, and the hero twisted his body and swung his sword, aiming for Greta’s chest. Greta blocked the strike with his opposite hand as he faced the sword strike with golden sword aura rising.

Bang!

Red blood splattered in all directions, and Greta’s body stepped back. A demon aiming for the hero’s rear collapsed as its head burst from Mille’s arrow.

Dust was rising all around, and Greta alternately looked at the wound on his hand and the hero, snorting. The hero regained his posture and said:

“You must have a family you love too, so why are you doing this?”

“It’s a contract.”

Greta said so. The hero couldn’t understand those words. What on earth did he mean by contract? Greta didn’t wait for the hero to ask again. Instead, he gathered his thick arms in front of him and tensed his body. Black liquid fiercely swirled throughout his body, and smoke gushed out.

“Die, hero!”

He lowered his stance and confirmed the hero’s position. The ground was crumbling, unable to withstand Greta’s power, and the sound of a motor running came from his body. The hero gritted his teeth, emitted sword aura from his sword, and shouted while lowering his stance in the same way:

“What do you mean by contract?”

Come to think of it, Kerberos had also mentioned something similar. That they didn’t just come here for no reason. That they came with some purpose.

Greta didn’t answer the hero’s question. This was because he was a demon who preferred to communicate with his body rather than his mouth. He put his armor forward and rushed ahead with all his might to crush and kill the hero.

The moment he took his first step, the dust scattered around gathered around his body, and the next moment, with a sound like a bomb exploding, Greta’s body elongated.

No, that was just an afterimage.

Due to the excessively fast movement, the soldiers’ dynamic vision couldn’t keep up with Greta’s movements. By the time they realized the fading afterimage and turned their heads, Greta and the hero were already clashing their full powers, creating sparks.

As if describing the Milky Way in the night sky, sparks spread in all directions, and both soldiers and demons lowered their weapons and blankly watched the power struggle between the two giants.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

“Wooooooooooh!”

The hero gritted his teeth, and blood seeped from his lips. Veins popped up to his face, and his eyes turned bright red. Greta opened his mouth wide and shouted:

“Just die already! Hero!”

The hero’s body was being pushed back. Dust rose, and the armor he was wearing was breaking from the impact of colliding with Greta. Greta’s nails sharpened, and his yellow eyes glowed as if about to shoot beams.

The arrows shot by archers were caught in the air currents emitted by Greta’s body and bounced off in all directions. Arrows bouncing off weakly,

The hero’s hands trembled violently, and his body felt like it was about to break. Even as he desperately pulled himself together and looked at Greta, it seemed impossible to win.

“Hero! Duck!”

And then, Mille’s voice reached the hero’s ears. The hero ducked without even thinking, and at the same time, Greta raised his head. A huge steel arrow was flying straight towards his yellow eyes.

Mille dropped her bow while gripping her arm, and

A steel arrow twice as large as a normal arrow,

Accurately pierced Greta’s eye, who couldn’t even move his hands freely.

“Kuwaaaaaaaah!”

As Greta screamed, the hero realized that the pressure from his opponent had dulled.

Now.

The hero’s fighting spirit blazed as he realized this was his chance. The hero’s sword drew a golden trajectory and deflected Greta’s power.

Bang!

“Ugh!”

As his arms spread apart, Greta’s chest area was exposed, and the hero lowered his stance.

“Die!”

A massive light.

A fierce light that Greta had never seen before was rushing to devour him.

Greta had no choice. All he could do was raise his arms and leave it to fate.

Both demon soldiers and humans were watching the end of the fierce battle with their mouths open. White light spread in all directions, and Greta overturned the already torn ground over an even wider area. A roar drowned out Greta’s mechanical sounds, and in the gradually fading heat, demons fell like moths throwing themselves into fire, meeting their deaths.

The hero, having finished his all-out attack, fell to his knees on the ground and vomited bile while retching.

“Ugh…!”

The hot heat soaked the ground, creating red spots everywhere. Acrid smoke rose, and soldiers slowly backed away.

And.

Greta.

“Ha… Hahahaha…!”

Although his entire body was blackened and he had lost an eye, he was perfectly alive.

The hero’s expression turned to despair.

“No way…”

Greta shouted.

“Victory is mine! Hero!”