Ch.121War’s Wind (2)

Durin raced through the dark forest.

No obstacles stood in the Regent’s path. The densely packed trees parted, revealing a clear road that welcomed him. The forest, which had blocked the holy knights’ intrusions for nearly a thousand years, willingly made way for the demon.

“Follow the Regent! The great warrior leads the way!”

“You’ve obtained the sacred relic! You’ve reclaimed the god that the demon realm lost!”

The legion cheered. The hope of the demon realm that appeared during their long defensive battle ignited their spirits. It raised the morale of soldiers who had endured with nothing but sheer willpower. As the Regent’s warhorse advanced, the remaining cavalry that had been waiting in the forest followed suit.

“Everyone, follow me!”

“Ch-Chief?”

The elves were with them too. Just as the Dark Order knights cheered, the elven forces joined alongside them. Though they rode gentle-colored deer instead of armored warhorses, their momentum was fiercer than any knight order. The vigor of young warriors united by the single determination to protect the forest allowed them to overtake all other soldiers and take the lead.

“We want to join too!”

“But we must think rationally. If the entire legion heads to the border, who will protect the forest?”

“The… elves?”

“They’ve all rushed out too! Some are still crouching in hiding, but they’re the ones under threat of betrayal. At the very least, we need people to keep watch.”

While Durin’s direct unit had followed him since evening, his staff, including the shaman, remained behind for a meeting. Their instincts were stirring, but they had to restrain themselves to maintain the balance between offense and defense. If they all gave in to momentum as they had in the wars of the demon realm, they could fall victim to a counterattack from the celestial forces.

The human realm was not a land they could freely dominate, and their forces were clearly outnumbered.

“The forces the Regent brought total three thousand. If we add all the elves, we could muster about ten thousand warriors, but…”

“The holy army blockading the border numbers fifteen thousand. The reserve forces behind them are thirty thousand. They’ve mobilized nearly fifty thousand troops. Despite committing such large forces, the pressure on the southern front hasn’t lessened at all—that’s the problem.”

Their concerns grew. Though they believed in Durin’s power, now strengthened by two sacred relics, the legion’s command had to consider all possibilities. They constantly worried that the celestial forces would thrust their swords into any gaps created by instinct-driven military leadership.

“Then we should just kill them all.”

Yoannina, who had been delegated full command authority in Durin’s absence, answered simply.

“Kill all the forces at the border and clash with the reserves. When they send distress signals, it will naturally draw troops from the holy army on the southern front.”

“It won’t be that easy. If there’s a problem with our front line deployment and a gap appears, the holy army won’t hesitate. The initial crack could open a path straight to the forest—that’s why we’re concerned.”

“Shamans always overthink things. Those who probe the future are always anxious. But now is not the time to worry about the invisible night sky.”

A smile appeared on the Monster Queen’s face. She delighted in the approaching flames of battle. She had always preferred environments full of variables rather than static battlefields.

“Don’t you realize the power Durin now possesses with two sacred relics?”

“Scripture and reality differ. We shamans always prepare for the worst when dealing with unverified records.”

“That caution was the strength that helped the demon realm endure the harsh storms during its decline. But in our resurgence, we need warriors who are more bold and can command the troops below.”

Yoannina rose to her feet. The staff, including the shaman, sensed they couldn’t stop her.

“So I’ll lead the entire monster corps to provide support. I’m counting on the remaining defense forces.”

“We will do our best.”

“Durin once said he would ensure the legion doesn’t become dependent on the strong.”

The Monster Queen’s gaze swept around the room.

“The day has finally come for you to prove the Regent’s wish with your own strength.”

Durin could rush forward trusting in them. A single aspiration rising from all manner of worries and concerns stirred the staff. The shaman’s eyes changed. Instead of trying to see the future with hazy pupils, he looked at the present.

“We will prevail. This level of trial is nothing. Even if the holy army targets our weaknesses, we will stand firm and hold our position.”

“Good. Your determination seems sufficient, so I’ll leave the rest to you. Let’s face head-on the test that fate has given us.”

The legion stirred. All those with concerns had vanished.

They would endure. They would hold their ground. They would persevere until news of victory arrived and finally taste glory.

The soldiers advanced in the direction Durin desired. It didn’t matter if their steps were slow. Even if waves of fate that ordinary beings couldn’t handle crashed upon them, he was personally shielding them so they could grow on their own. The legion gripped their swords with trust as their foundation.

“We march!”

“Sound the horns!”

Bwooooooo—

At last, a fierce storm swept through the quiet landscape.

#

“This doesn’t look good.”

The angel camp also sensed the demons’ change.

On the eastern front where the holy army detachment had gathered. The commander who had been launching daily offensives against the monster legion defending along the forest had noticed the changed atmosphere.

“The knight order that used to charge out every day has disappeared.”

“Perhaps they no longer have the strength to do so.”

“Nonsense. Even the order during the time of the human Pope, without demons backing them, didn’t retreat so easily. They resisted to the last man, making the papal territory suffer.”

“Then it must mean they’re preparing for a major offensive.”

An offensive. Those with absolutely inferior numbers were thrusting their spears. To those with the world’s strongest shields, it looked like a fragile needle, but the angel commander never let his guard down.

“Durin. The demon realm Regent who hasn’t shown himself could suddenly launch an offensive from the east.”

He was an asymmetric force. Even the angels would barely hold out if they brought in the War Commander, so they couldn’t help but be extremely tense.

“Secretary Rupiel has placed numerous guard troops among the rear reserves just in case…”

It was merely to buy time. The force of fifty thousand was enough to swallow and scorch an entire continent, but before Durin, they were barely an obstacle. With the risk of being broken through at the cost of thousands of casualties, they needed to use their lives to stop his advance as much as possible.

“Send a messenger right now. Request the War Commander from Lord Rupiel.”

“What? He hasn’t shown himself yet. I fear being reprimanded for unnecessary waste.”

“War must always assume the worst. They have many high-ranking officials including Secretary Rupiel, so they can manage. We are the vulnerable ones.”

If Durin charged with greater force than expected, there would be no way to stop him. He had always been a general who led wars to victory through battlefield variables.

Bwooooooo—

As if on cue, a resounding horn blared from the forest.

All angels jumped in surprise and rushed out of their tents. They quickly gathered all kinds of weapons and headed to the front line. Having heard this ominous sound so many times during the current war, their movements were swift.

“Build barricades. Set up anti-cavalry obstacles to prevent the demon cavalry from approaching.”

“Priests must prepare the holy songs immediately! Hymns! Only hymns can save us!”

“Holy Knight Order! Prepare to deploy!”

The camp instantly became chaotic. The messenger hurried away on horseback as soon as the horn sounded. The angel commander watched the disappearing figure of the soldier before refocusing his gaze. The opponent they were about to face was no mere heretic knight order.

The powerful demonic energy felt from afar made his body tingle.

“It’s him.”

The Regent had finally revealed himself. After creating a stalemate on the southern front where the angels could no longer break through, he had chosen this moment to begin his offensive. The demon’s sharp spearhead pierced through the coolness of the night sky and swept over the angels.

Tension made his body rigid. He trembled. The faint sound of hoofbeats made his heart race.

“We must hold him back until reinforcements arrive.”

Bwooooooo—

“Raise your spears! Did you descend to this land just to be swept away by mere demons? You must survive and prove yourselves.”

Screeeech! Screeeech—!

“Hold them back! Offer them all to God!”

The angel commander shouted. It was a desperate attempt to overcome fear. Having witnessed countless wars where they failed to occupy the demon realm because they couldn’t stop Durin alone, they couldn’t properly hold onto hope.

“General! It’s him!”

A soldier on the watchtower shouted. The angel commander spread his wings and flew up. Against the backdrop of the dark forest hidden in the blue dawn light, a single warhorse was charging toward them. The demonic energy swirling around it drained all vitality. With each step he took, the area ahead became desolate.

[O Lord! Look upon us!]

The choir’s hymn blocked the way. Divine power surged like a wave and collided with the demonic energy. A shockwave that shook heaven and earth spread in all directions.

“Ugh!”

Even the commander, at a distance, could barely maintain his balance. He almost fell from the watchtower. When he regained his balance with the help of a soldier and looked back at the battlefield.

Kwaaaaa—

He faced a desperate sight. Red battle energy combined with something else sticky and burned away all the divine power. Like a flame ignited on dry straw, it erased the power of light from the world. As a result, half of the choir collapsed, coughing blood. They had failed to stop the demon’s charge with their praise to God.

“Damn it…”

The defensive formation was also damaged by the shockwave. The holy army with their shields and long spears should have been holding firm, but all the commander could see were injured soldiers rolling on the ground. They couldn’t stand against the cavalry.

“Sir! More of them are coming!”

The soldier on the watchtower screamed as he saw the following forces. Even at a glance, thousands of troops had simultaneously emerged from the forest. Not only demons were present.

At the forefront, giant reptilian monsters charged with fierce momentum, followed by demon legion soldiers wielding sharp spears. Human knights positioned on the flanks spurred their warhorses and advanced ahead of the monsters. The holy army, vulnerable not just at the collapsed front but on all sides, was in peril.

The order’s knights, who had fought against the papal territory for hundreds of years, clearly knew their weaknesses.

“The choir! Protect the choir and priests! Fire divine power!”

The commander shouted urgently. But there were too many areas needing attention. When divine power was fired against the order’s knights, the humans cunningly and quickly changed direction. The wave of divine power disappeared without causing significant damage. It was completely wasted when they should have been focusing on the monsters at the front.

“Ah, aah…”

He could no longer issue orders. There was no way to stop the monsters that had already charged within reach. Despite commanding tens of thousands of troops, the exposed holy army couldn’t resist them.

A wave of demons crashed upon the despairing angels. The vanguard monster charge unit completely crushed the angelic heavy infantry. The sound of collision was barely audible. Literally, bodies were reduced to pulp, making the ground slick.

Durin and the demon cavalry following behind broke through the defensive line drawn by the holy army.

“Hahaha!”

“Kill them all!”

All angels had the same thought.

This is the beginning of defeat. Some devout warriors drew their swords, but it was useless. They couldn’t stop the demons who had already gained momentum and begun swinging their swords. Throughout generations of battles, they had never managed to withstand an offensive once the demons gained the upper hand.

Not during the past when they failed to conquer the demon realm in its period of decline, nor now when they failed to respond to the invasion of the human realm and allowed a counterattack.

It was their turn to face Durin.