episode_0311

“Yuri…? Yuri…?”

“What are you…?!”

“…Unni!”

She slowly opened her eyes. Her surroundings were quite chaotic. Amidst the people murmuring in confusion, only Yuri was looking directly at her.

“What… really?”

“You’ve awakened, Your Highness…!”

Nix and Lulu then approached. She exchanged glances with them once each before slowly rising.

Just a few seconds before she opened her eyes, Yuri had raised the Muyeong Sword and plunged it into her chest. It seemed the flow of time differed slightly between the spirit world and the real world.

Therefore, she only had one question.

“How… long was I unconscious?”

“Th-that…”

Everyone’s expressions darkened rapidly. Only then did the surrounding scenery begin to register in her mind.

Burning trees, swirling sandstorms. The smell of blood was faint, only a musty smell of oil and burning filled her nostrils.

This was hell. From beneath her feet to the horizon, a field of corpses stretched endlessly. No matter which way she turned her head, death was everywhere she looked.

“About three hours… have passed.”

Yuri also looked at the battlefield and calmly explained. Her profile was quite mournful. Her ash-covered cheeks clearly showed the ravages of war, and the flames reflected in her clear, bright eyes seemed to project an unyielding will.

“Three hours… how far have they broken through?”

“Soon… the front lines will reach Baron Filbrog’s territory.”

That wasn’t surprising. Three hours wasn’t a very long time, but when the enemy was Moriarty and Emperor Termina, it was a different story.

Crack-

She extended her ether-made arm and picked up a piece of debris nearby. It was a broken metal plate; judging by its thickness and hardness, it was an aluminum alloy.

“Nix, do you know what this is?”

“Um… iron? What kind of metal is it…”

“What kind of explosives do you think were in this?”

“Uuuuh… I don’t know much about this-”

This was the biggest problem. The difference in technological capabilities between the Kingdom and the Empire. If she were to analyze the causes one by one, it would lead to culture and customs, so she stopped.

However, one thing was certain: the influence of the Demon God. The contract that the Demon God Tenebris made with Duke Darius was a kind of ‘future sight’. If Duke Darius offered blood and sacrifices to help the Demon God descend into the mortal world, in return, he would receive all kinds of information.

The identity of the Demon God, as she now knows, is the black star that occupies most of the universe. Since they have the same goals, they can be considered a single colony, like a group of administrators.

Information exchange would be free between them. Therefore, it’s not strange that information from modern Earth somehow leaked to Moriarty.

Of course, for Tenebris, transmitting that information was merely a form of amusement. Whether a mere human helped with his descent or not, ultimately, the fate of this planet rested in the Demon God’s hands.

But because of that amusement, a huge wall arose between the Kingdom and the Empire. The disparity in technology across time led to an insurmountable difference in military power. If a nuclear bomb were to fall after passing through multiple layers of magical barriers… how many people in the Kingdom could stop it?

“Aspi?”

“Right now… she’s defending the front lines with the commanders of the Kingdom’s various units. She seems to be retreating repeatedly while putting up a decent fight.”

“It’s like she’s just waiting for me.”

“…That’s right. As soon as she saw you fall, she gritted her teeth and led the soldiers.”

Every time she received such excessive loyalty, her heart ached slightly. She was grateful and also sorry.

Therefore, she had to repay that trust.

“Nix, go tell her. I can’t go.”

“…To tell the statue waiting only for you, that?”

“There are guys who are more reliable than me against shadow soldiers. And…”

Ash mixed with the wind and flew. The ash wasn’t important. It was the east wind brushing against her skin.

She remembered. Her first day of school in this life. Protecting this country wasn’t just the soldiers’ responsibility.

* * *

Aspi was anxious. Anxious, but she didn’t show it at all.

She was the Knight Commander who stood at the forefront of everyone. If the Knight Commander showed signs of anxiety, greater anxiety would spread among the soldiers who followed her. Because she knew that, she gritted her teeth even more.

“Commander… no more…!!”

“No, we can hold out one more time.”

“The Court Mage Corps is exhausted… there’s no way to stop the Empire’s bombardment anymore—”

Peeeeeeeeew—

A sharp roar struck down before her words ended. Aspi turned her head and looked at the sky. Scarlet fireballs were falling like rain.

Whoosh-

Aspi leaped up without even taking a preparatory stance. The wind was already ready to carry her. Reaching the sky above the battlefield following the updraft, she raised her sword and began to cut the wind.

Swish- Slash- Whoosh—

Dark green sword energy collided with the barrage of shells. The clash of the two powerful forces created a considerable shockwave.

At a glance, it looked like she was just swinging her sword with all her might. However, each shell was cut in half by a single sword energy. In a situation where she needed to conserve and endure, Aspi used the minimum amount of mana to block the shells.

Whoosh-

She leaped into the forefront of the Kingdom army’s formation.

“Naifrantz, rise—!!!”

Her resounding voice sliced through the thick flames and smoke. The soldiers were jolted as if cold water had been poured over them.

“From here, retreat is not permitted. If Baron Filbrog’s territory is breached, the path to the royal capital will be completely open. If we lose the capital, Naifrantz, we will be completely defeated.”

For a moment, they were shaken by the grim reality of the situation. What would it feel like to hear the words “last line of defense” from a defensive position? Death might feel like the best choice.

“If you give up, it’s not only you who will die. Your parents, your wives and children, your friends, your neighbors… everyone will live a life worse than death… is that what you want—?!!”

“Krrrrrk…!!!”

Wailing cries erupted from here and there. They also knew. If they ran away from here, a future worse than death awaited them. The best option was right before their eyes.

“Give your lives for Naifrantz—!!”

Aspi clutched her aching chest and issued her final order. Soon, the bombardment would engulf the Kingdom army. Even knowing this, she had no choice but to drive them into death.

Boom-

A heavy aura descended upon the heart of the battlefield. Aspi looked up sharply. Was it an enemy?

“Hmm… it’s been a long time since I’ve smelled blood.”

“Khahaha, who would have thought I’d be on the battlefield again before I die-!!”

A powerful surge of magical energy swept away the dust. Aspi confirmed the presence of two men and a woman.

Natalya Freyd, Headmistress of the Naifrantz Academy. Leonardo Price, the current Tower Master of the Naifrantz Magic Tower.

Masters of the magical world held up the backs of the collapsing Kingdom army.

“You are…!!”

“How long are you going to keep pretending to be strong, young one.”

“You’re too old to underestimate… the situation doesn’t look very good! Khahaha—”

Leonardo raised a dazzlingly colorful staff. Numerous magic circles enveloped his body, and then a huge fireball engulfed the imperial forces.

Kaboom—!!

Shells flew from beyond the flames. No matter how high-level the magic was, one attack couldn’t break the Empire’s momentum.

Then Natalya raised both hands. A huge force field spread out from her. The moment it touched the shimmering surface, the incoming projectiles shrank slightly.

Bang- Thump—!!

The explosions enveloped the sky above the battlefield, not the Kingdom forces. Only a slight shockwave occurred; there was virtually no damage.

The two veterans approached Aspi.

“If you only saw us as those who must protect you… it’s just disappointing.”

“Naifrantz still has many young shoots growing!”

Then, ominous presences descended in various parts of the battlefield. Compared to the two, they were infinitely smaller and weaker, but their sheer number was overwhelming.

Aspi looked behind her. The instructors of Naifrantz, and the upperclassmen. Officially, they were students, so they weren’t conscripted as soldiers… but they were all skilled veterans who had seen battle.

Among them was a welcome sight.

“You’re… 1-A!”

“We can’t be of much help… but we’ll lend a hand!!”

With the improved magic skills they had gained under Aspi’s personal guidance, each one created a small spark.

Aspi felt it. The sparks became flames, the flames became a fire, and before long, Naifrantz was engulfed in a passionate fervor that knew no fear.

The surprises for Aspi weren’t over yet. Dozens of beams of intense golden light plunged from the heavens.

“Mother, the merciful Luminé, who embraces us with warm rays of light even today…”

“In your name, we earnestly pray that you will pity these wounded, and embrace them with your light.”

“Sanctuary—!!”

Thousands of knights. Hundreds of priests. Dozens of high priests and four cardinals. All of them were led by a woman with a voluptuous figure.

“On behalf of the Lumious Holy Kingdom, we declare from this position. The followers of the Goddess of Light, Luminé, will consider the Empire’s dark shadow, Moriarty, as a divine enemy from this moment onwards.”

“May warm light fill this world.”

“Remove the darkness that has fallen upon the Empire, and grant them a peaceful end.”

The children of God who came from the Holy Kingdom recited the verses of the scriptures in unison. When all their voices became one, a miracle descended upon the battlefield.

“Divine Grace.”

The light embraced everyone. It gave rest to the dead, and to those who had not yet died, it instilled strength and courage to rise again.

The Empire’s darkness, which had surged like a million-strong army, no longer frightened Aspi, even though the god she served was absent.