Ch.130The Battle of Barzella (5)

“Night raid!”

“Can you confirm visually?”

“Impossible. It’s a new moon, making it difficult to secure the perimeter.”

“Tell the priests immediately to spread a holy barrier. We’ll quickly detect any demons using dark magic.”

Arrows rained down from the dark night sky. They tore through tents, startling both horses and angels.

Feeling their lives threatened, the counterattack came swiftly. Priests who had been offering evening prayers rushed out and raised hymns to the heavens, illuminating the surroundings. A golden light draped like a curtain. All darkness that had fallen on the road retreated. As the sleeping landscape was forcibly awakened, they could quickly identify the disturbance.

“It’s the Dark Knight Order.”

“Those church bastards have dared to provoke us.”

“Not surprising after our major victory in the first battle. Let’s go, brothers! Break their spears!”

The moment the priests helped pinpoint the enemy’s location, the knights didn’t hesitate. They mounted their horses and charged straight toward the enemy. Arrows continued to rain down, striking their armor but causing no significant damage. Occasionally, they hit helmets, creating noise and obstructing vision, but nothing more.

“Die! Heretics!”

“We’ll avenge our brothers!”

Angry battle cries erupted. The warriors who drew their swords against the angel knights with white wings were all human. Being ambushed in this manner by inferior enemies wounded their pride.

The deaths of their brothers was a secondary concern. As they charged forward, their hands began to tremble, unable to contain the rage boiling within them.

CRASH!!

“Urgh!”

“Gah!”

Several knights fell at the first collision. All were from the church side. The angel knights demonstrated overwhelming superiority against humans rather than demon legions. Both sides thrust their spears with all their might, but the humans couldn’t penetrate the angels’ robust bodies.

The battle race created directly by God slaughtered the lesser beings.

Discarding broken spear shafts, the angels raised their swords and struck down heretics as they passed. Blades imbued with holy power cleanly cut through thick gauntlets. Without proper protection from dark magic, the humans were either maimed or driven to death.

This battle was different from the previous one.

“Answer with the sword to those foolish enough to mistake the Regent’s strength for their own!”

“Praise God! Even when night imprisons us, united under God’s grace, we shall not fall!”

“Oh! Great is the Light! Drive out the heretics!”

The true power of the Holy Army was revealed. Led by the destructive Holy Knight Order, they massacred the attackers and broke through their formation. Just as Durin had done against the Holy Army, the angels shattered the Dark Order.

“Supporting now!”

Holy power pouring from the sky finished the job. The area was completely devastated before they could exchange more than a few blows. Of the hundred Dark Knights who had launched the night raid, half were knocked down.

“Retreat!”

“Fall back! We must seek protection from the Regent!”

The enemies fled in panic. The Holy Army, having suffered in the first battle, finally achieved victory. The holy knights raised their swords in joy.

“Chase them! Kill them all!”

“Let’s go!!”

The holy knights who had been finishing off fallen enemies turned to pursue those fleeing with their tails between their legs. They intended to ride this momentum to eliminate the remaining forces.

Piiiiiiiii-

But a horn sound from the camp stopped them. It was a clear retreat signal. The knights who had just gotten a taste for battle shouted in confusion.

“What is this? Retreating when we’re winning?”

Bewilderment spread through the knight order. They had already formed ranks for the charge—what were they supposed to do now?

The answer was cold.

Piiiiiiiii-

“We’re going back.”

They felt no elation despite their achievements. But orders had to be followed. Since the Archangel wished it, they had no choice but to retreat.

#

Rupiel quietly watched the returning knights. One holy knight, seemingly restless, immediately knelt and pleaded.

“Secretary, please allow us troops to pursue them. We can eliminate all the demons targeting our Holy Army.”

“Do you not remember the previous order? Unnecessary engagements are forbidden.”

“This engagement is necessary. If we spend the night after suffering such a one-sided ambush without counterattacking, it will surely break the morale of our knights.”

“Fear ambushes. Judging by their small-scale attack, they must be hiding their main force. Durin himself might be waiting in that darkness.”

Rupiel remained firm. Though his desire for revenge was greater than anyone’s, the unexpectedly heavy losses among the Holy Army’s elite forced him to maintain a defensive stance.

“I want our army to reach Barcella Fortress intact. If we suffer any more casualties, the situation could become uncontrollably dangerous. You know this well.”

The holy knight couldn’t immediately respond. Normally, he would have pressed his opinion, but the intense holy power silenced him. The authority emanating from the Secretary prevented them from answering.

“Let me emphasize once more: the Priest Order is our core. You must do your utmost to protect this force.”

“……”

“We will begin our march when morning dawns. Show those demons that our army remains unshaken by tonight’s attack and can still capture Barcella Fortress.”

Dismissed!

Having said all he wanted to say, the Secretary returned to his tent. Silence fell over the camp. Despite having no casualties from the arrow attack, a gloomy atmosphere hung among them.

“The Holy Knight Order is the core. We who have guarded the human realm and traversed battlefields for a thousand years.”

An old knight’s lament echoed softly. It was an incomprehensible treatment yet an understandable fear.

“They think we cannot stop that mighty Demon Regent, so they treat us like common soldiers.”

“Two thousand troops did die at the Regent’s hands.”

“The attack by those reckless ones now constrains those who survived. We came to this battlefield to prove our faith, yet we only reflect our increasingly fading image.”

The bitterness intensified. This wasn’t pain that would disappear after a night’s sleep. The price of defeat was harsh.

The death of rash comrades wasn’t enough payment. As the Archangel’s distrust and fear began to interfere with judgment, he started losing faith in the Holy Knight Order. In times of crisis, brothers in faith always showed trust by standing shoulder to shoulder with their comrades. Even if death separated them, they inspired courage to continue carrying out God’s great will.

“They no longer favor the knights. The Secretary fears Durin. He’s already imagining the moment this Holy Army falls to the Regent.”

They were already assuming defeat. Despite having overwhelming power, their behavior was too cautious. While acknowledging Durin as a formidable general, it wounded their pride as knights.

Having lost in terms of military power, they felt self-loathing as celestial knights.

“How miserable.”

The rift within the Holy Army deepened further. It festered rather than healing. Though an ominous wind blew before battle, no one spoke up. They ignored the pain.

#

“We sacrificed fifty knights and successfully disrupted their camp.”

A promised defeat.

Durin had asked the Holy Army: how would they respond to a night raid?

The answer was simple and clear. They would respond, but even if an opportunity for annihilation arose, they wouldn’t cross the line.

They would use their knights only within the limits permitted by the priests.

“Should we order the elves to return?”

“That won’t be necessary. They will continue to harass their march, moving through the forests. If their arrows target the priests, they’ll become even more cautious.”

To buy time for the eastern forces approaching from behind to join them, they would stall. The Archangel’s authority could crush the holy knights’ dissatisfaction.

“We’ve reduced their numbers through anger and limited their movement through night raids. Our range of action has expanded.”

It was laughable to the demon that they had cut their own range of motion despite leading three thousand elite knights. Now it was time to exhaust them by shaking them back and forth with mobility.

“Tomorrow, we’ll offer them an even bigger bait.”

“You’re finally moving directly, sir.”

All eyes turned to him.

Final battle.

The same word echoed in everyone’s mind. At last, the battlefield where they could achieve glory was approaching. Durin answered the legion soldiers whose expectations had risen.

“I will select a hundred for a suicide squad.”

The commander had finally drawn his sword.

“Their knights are being wasted as they focus on holy artillery barrages. Considerable dissatisfaction must be building—those who have always distinguished themselves in wars against demons will feel thirsty from their diminished treatment.”

Durin’s centuries of experience fighting angels gave him confidence. His red eyes remained steady.

The gaze of one who aimed to rebuild the crumbling demon realm and reach for a new millennium. The soldiers gave their trust unreservedly. No one doubted. If the commander said so, they would simply carry it out with their lives.

“We will give them what they crave. Who here is willing to shed blood?”

A calmly posed question. The chance to fight alongside Durin. Desires more intense than the angels’ thirst that the Regent had mentioned erupted from all directions.

“I will go.”

“Please select me. I will carve my name in the demon scriptures.”

“Give me the chance to fulfill my duty!”

There was no passionate speech. He merely spoke of sacrificing lives for the mission, but that was enough for the legion.

Death was not an unknown world.

It was the embrace of the Mother who would return to this land, the cradle of warriors.

The flame of struggle, weary from survival, would now shine with true glory.