episode_0068

The plaza was already teeming with large and small trees, bushes, and monsters I’d often seen while fighting in forests during my regression. Even more were appearing.

Demonic energy capable of turning a city into a forest… incredibly vast demonic energy was violently erupting from the ground I stood on and from the little demon.

“……”

A bit overwhelmed by the sight, the raid party members were merely holding their battle-ready stances, taking quiet breaths, as if they were scouting each other.

There were a total of 10 people in the raid party.

Led by Rosalie-nim, there was me, Marisa, Leon, Skada, Garett, and Rudis Grant, a Swordsmanship Professor, along with Fermia Alberona, who specialized in Advanced Magical Combat Studies. Then, two of Rudis and Fermia’s teaching assistants.

Originally, there were more people, but Rosalie-nim strongly asserted that since she was in the raid party, there was no need to bring many people, so the party was downsized.

Thus, most of the faculty were assigned to academy defense, while the repelled teaching assistants were divided and deployed to control Delfi City and rescue personnel in the Maugen-dorf Forest area, respectively.

Silence, calm, tension.

Except for Skada and Leon, who showed no tension at all, perhaps because they were descendants of the Conqueror Emperor, everyone, including me, was sizing up the little demon, their nerves on edge.

That’s how it is with high-ranking demons.

No matter how pathetic they might look on the outside, they are top-tier predators in the ecosystem, putting even formidable magic beasts to shame.

But cowering in fear before the enemy is what amateurs do.

The distance to the little demon was roughly 15 to 20 meters.

I gauged the distance and tried to grasp what kind of magic she was using.

And then, buying time.

“Hey, are you planning to create a vast forest or something? Are you an elf? Or a monster tamer? Are you a forest guardian who loves animals and plants? Why would a demon even be nature-friendly?”

When an opponent is casting magic, you should typically bombard them with distracting questions like this to disrupt their concentration.

“Wouldn’t a forest where cute monsters frolic be much better than the primitive regurgitations despicable humans call ‘civilization’?”

Sure enough, as I spoke, she answered fluently as if delighted, and at the same time, the speed at which the forest grew subtly slowed.

Is she the type to create an easy-to-fight field and then gain the upper hand based on that? It’s clear she’s controlling monsters.

What are those monsters? Are they created by her demonic energy, or is summoning magic her primary specialty…? Several possibilities quickly arose and vanished in my mind.

I quickly surveyed the forest, and it looked quite similar to Maugen-dorf Forest.

However, parts of the expansive forest emitted a slightly unusual transparent glow.

I thought to myself that creatures who create fields to fight usually hide traps in such places, so I needed to be careful.

“Did you come alone?”

Rosalie-nim’s gaze was focused on the little demon, and I didn’t sense any additional, horrid demonic energy from her in my spiritual perception.

“Yep. Still single. But… why does our unlucky-feeling handsome man keep talking to me? Could it be… that you’re interested in me, someone too beautiful for her own good?”

Seeing the child giggle as if she had made some grand joke, I felt a little annoyed.

Of course not.

There’s a limit to how young someone can look. Why would I be interested in a kid who looks even younger than Mirha?

She was very beautiful, as expected of a demon, but to me, she was just a pretty-faced kid.

And a thief, at that, trying to brazenly take one of my most precious treasures from my home.

“You clearly came specifically looking for our Teacher-nim. Why would a demon be looking for Teacher-nim? It’s not to collect a debt, is it?”

I said threateningly to the giggling thief, and simultaneously sent a mental message to Rosalie-nim.

[Teacher-nim, this is Ras. This guy is playing tricks by creating a field. He seems to be decomposing organic matter with his demonic energy and simultaneously converting it back into his own demonic energy. Please just prevent the field… the forest from expanding. The sacred power of a Heavenly God is good for interfering with and blocking the flow of demonic energy.]

Rosalie-nim’s eyes widened like a surprised rabbit at my mental message.

Why are you so cute in this desperate situation…?

“Debt? I don’t know about that… I just received an order to bring that woman. Orders are absolute for us… The rest of you are useless, so you’ll have to die. Oh… as for our ‘little one’, if he begs to be spared, I’ll take him as a plaything. His looks are kind of my type.”

Orders. As expected, she has a higher-up, and it’s probably Cadmos who sent her.

In short, Cadmos’s hound… Well, having lived the life of a hound myself, I understand that sorrow.

I, too, killed things joyfully and to the point of nausea according to Semere’s commands.

However, seeing a kid who looked about Mirha’s age try to flirt with me like that, an unexpected surge of irritation was unavoidable.

She was dozens of times prettier than Emma, but the annoying feeling was somewhat similar, which made me even more agitated.

[Ras… you can use telepathy? Or a mental message..? Anyway, you’re more versatile than Teacher-nim thought. Understood. Since you’re asking for support, I’ll do as you say. Will you be the vanguard?]

Rosalie-nim’s beautiful voice rapidly plunged into my mind. As expected, Rosalie-nim also seemed capable of mental messages.

I had learned this art while traversing battlefields, and I tried it, thinking that Rosalie-nim, who had been through even harsher battlefields than me, couldn’t possibly be unable to do it. And indeed.

[Yes. I’ll charge in with an off-beat rhythm. Since I don’t really know what kind of guy he is, I think I’ll have to confront him directly to formulate any strategy.]

I would only know what kind of strategy this forest-keeper-like demon used by confronting her directly.

Because in battles against demons, someone who looks like a mage or a monster tamer might actually be a maiden with monstrous strength, wielding an axe or a mace.

So, any improvised strategy we came up with would likely not have much meaning.

After all, the leading professors and their four teaching assistants probably had a certain cohesion they had built up in their everyday lives, so it was better to let them fight in an improvised style they were accustomed to.

Skada and Garett would also have some cohesion… Leon and Marisa wouldn’t have cohesion, but they were both intelligent.

The important thing was the leader who would open the floodgates of attack and lead the direction.

And that vanguard role, as in every battlefield before my regression, would eventually fall to me.

After all, that demon is very strong, so whether it’s Skada, Leon, or the professors hastily pulled in to fill out the ranks… it’s impossible to defeat her easily.

The ones who can create variables are Rosalie-nim and I.

I wonder if Rosalie-nim, at the time of 998, still possesses as much power as she did after becoming the ‘Saintess’?

Regardless, that’s not what’s important to me.

My heart, of course, doesn’t want Rosalie-nim to fight covered in blood in this battle, so I just want to close the situation myself.

Ultimately, to win, I’ll have to be prepared to put my life on the line to properly deal with it… For now, shall I warm up a bit?

It would be extremely unpleasant to show Leon my Mindscape or the Nine Heavens Annihilation Art in their entirety, so I decided to fight just for show until he collapsed.

In a flash, I accelerated my thoughts to the extreme, set the attack route, and then said bluntly to the tiny demon making creepy sounds…

“You’re not my type. I don’t see kids as women!”

I said, and charged forward.

“…Such an idiotic hothead…! Without thinking…!!”

From behind, Fermia’s nervous voice was heard, but just by hearing her voice, I knew.

That old lady, clearly a spellcaster who was coasting comfortably in the rear, was chanting caution but didn’t have much combat experience.

If the vanguard charges, the rear should do their job instead of stupid complaints.

Just like our Mama Rosalie.

“Holy Barrier, Formation of Suppression – Divine Oppression, The Great Light of Heaven Blesses the Valiant Warrior. Blessing.”

Rosalie-nim cast a sacred power barrier, pushing back and suppressing the slowly expanding forest, and at the same time, she buffed me with sacred power as I charged.

Sacred buffs, which stably pump up strength and mana without side effects, are an excellent match for a vanguard like me.

“Marisa and Fermia, protect Ras from the rear. Leon, Skada, Professor Rudis, charge to the front lines. The rest, cover Marisa and Professor Fermia.”

Rosalie-nim’s orders, unlike the useless old lady’s complaints, were clear and swift, as expected of the consistently kind healer.

Skada’s boisterous laughter followed me, along with Professor Rudis, who grumbled a little but seemed excited, and even Leon, who snickered annoyingly but followed.

Watching us charge, the little demon clapped her hands – *clap* – and chirped cheerfully.

“Welcome to the Ghost Forest.”

And then, the monsters guarding her, or things in the shape of monsters, growled and charged at us all at once.

At the same time, she slid back like a ghost, putting distance between us.

I figured I’d have to break through the monster barrier before I could go and strike that thing.

The first to encounter me were Hellhound packs, hellhounds that live everywhere in Azuldar Forest.

They breathe fire, have quite sturdy and muscular bodies, and are good at close-quarters combat using their poisonous fangs. They are the demons’ personal hunting dogs.

However.

*Rip!*

“…!!!!”

I am Queen Kashmir’s hunting dog, standing at the peak of this world’s hunting dog food chain.

Unknown mongrels controlled by some high-ranking demon or whatever can just have their jaws grabbed and torn apart.

*Crunch!*

“Squeal-!”

Or, like this, I could punch out a fist and smash their skulls instantly.

By the way, you should know that Hellhounds die with a ‘squeal-!’ sound when hit in the head.

They’re not even real… why is the realism so high?

As I killed them, I realized that these surprisingly monster-like creatures had a peculiar composition.

They were composed of demonic energy, and the concept of ‘death’ existed, but… they could probably be controlled alive until the caster’s demonic energy ran out.

Unlike monsters shaped by ordinary demonic energy, which turn to dust and vanish without leaving a corpse when defeated, these creatures leave corpses.

They were so similar to real monsters, like genuinely summoned monsters, that the vanguards other than me didn’t seem to feel any particular sense of strangeness.

Even the dying screams the monsters made were realistically reproduced, to the point where even I found them to be real.

I carefully glanced at the tiny demon, and she was leisurely smiling.

‘That cunning bastard.’

Even now, Skada and Leon were enthusiastically slaughtering monsters with elegant and robust swordsmanship imbued with the imperial family’s characteristic tyrannical mana.

Professor Rudis, like a seasoned old man, was performing a sword dance with skilled and efficient, yet sharp swordsmanship, minimizing his consumption.

Marisa, who was behind, was covering the front lines by simultaneously handling dozens of magic missiles with greatly increased penetration instead of flashy elemental magic.

I don’t know what that chattering old lady professor Fermia was doing. Is she in a panic or what?

Anyway, at first glance, the monsters, pathetically wailing and easily ‘dying’ from punches, swords, and magic, might seem like a mob of weaklings.

But no.

That was likely calculated sloppiness, with carefully hidden tricks within it.

Just now, an Evil Wolf, a wolf-shaped magic beast, was decapitated by Skada and died with its eyes open.

And… this moment, when the flow has been established to some extent by the scent of blood and violence, is dangerous.

At this point, as the scent of demonic energy was subtly changing, I sent a mental message to Rosalie-nim.

[Teacher-nim, Area Shield..!]

“Villain Appears, *BAM*!!”

With the playful demon’s voice, the severed head of the Evil Wolf intensely exploded.

It was almost twice as fast as typical mages’ casting and magic manifestation, and that speed was enough to even surprise the relaxed Skada.

“Whoa…!”

However, from my perspective, who was watching, I kicked the severed head of the Evil Wolf one step faster, sending it flying into the air.

*Boom*…!!!!

But simultaneously, monster corpses scattered everywhere on the ground caught fire like matches and then exploded.

A roaring sound, blazing heat… and then, demonic energy storm blades rained down like a furious storm.

After the thick smoke cleared, the battlefield was desolate, and the condition of our vanguards was not good.

Except for me.

The others avoided fatal injuries thanks to Rosalie-nim’s shield, but they had allowed a large attack in an instant and were in a terrible state.

In particular, seeing Leon, who always maintained his annoying composure, gasp for air irritably was secretly a good sight.

Did it wake you up? You thought you were the best in the world, huh, kid?

“Wow~ you guys are really sturdy. Impressive, huh? But… surely this isn’t the end, is it?”

The demon laughed heartily and flexibly waved her hand once, revealing a short wand in her hand.

A silver line of demonic energy swirled and spread from the wand.

“Now it’s time for the real game. Come out, my darlings!”

The silver demonic energy began to squirm as if possessing something.

“Alright, my cute uninvited guests. To meet the master of the forest, you must first break through their subordinates.”

The squirming silver demonic energy slowly began to take shape.

“Ghost Forest, first stage, ‘Eliminate the Monster Wave’ – you cleared it well. But… what about the next stage? You’ll have to defeat my loyal subordinates.”

A headless knight, a pale woman in a long dress, a fierce werewolf, a giant monster resembling a salamander.

“Second stage, ‘Defeat the Four Heavenly Kings of Antikrea, Master of the Forest’… Start!”

“Ugh. Four Heavenly Kings, my ass.”

What era is this that she’s so proudly proclaiming ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ or whatever?

This is why I hate spellcasters.