Ch.135Chapter 135: The Fierce Battle at Year’s End (10)

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All the memories in my head related to Adorator were from my time as the Demon God’s agent before my regression.

If I were to categorize those memories, most… no, all of them were related to fighting.

During that time when I unwillingly lived as the Demon God’s agent.

Rather than Desire, who forcibly woke me from the swamp of death and made me an agent when I was quietly accepting death.

Adorator, who was nominally my equal but refused to acknowledge it and constantly opposed me, was belligerent and an exceptionally cruel quasi-deity.

She never avoided a fight if one broke out.

She would only stop fighting when one of us collapsed.

And trying to stop her—a severe battle maniac who would immediately search for the next battlefield—was what I did most until I, as an agent, purged her.

Would you understand if I said that the biggest reason for our conflict during my time as an agent before regression was the trouble caused by me forcibly stopping her when she refused to back down when she should have?

That’s why.

[Wow. Nice dodge, very nice. When did someone who’s never properly retreated before learn to do that?]

I could understand Paphnir’s admiring reaction echoing in my head.

You know how it is.

When someone who doesn’t seem the type suddenly does something unexpected, they look completely different.

That’s how Adorator appeared to Paphnir and me now, skillfully luring three Behemoths away from the frontline.

How did she so easily bait those massive creatures when my sister, who had intended to hunt the three remaining Behemoths for their magic stones to help maintain the fortress, was glaring with fierce eyes?

I’m about to explain that now.

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At the crossroads between advance and retreat, Adorator’s choice to withdraw was executed with swift and reasonable actions.

The first thing she did was none other than.

Wheeeet-!!

Making a whistle sound that could be heard clearly even in this vast winter wasteland.

I’m not sure how that translates into a command in the Behemoths’ minds.

But judging by the reaction of the three Behemoths who heard the whistle, it was undoubtedly an order.

Not the roars revealing bloodthirst, nor the groans they made when intimidated by my sister’s overwhelming martial prowess.

-Guuuu!!

-Uuuuk!!

-Ooooh!!

They turned their bodies around while letting out their own orderly acknowledgment of following commands.

Of course, though it might be inappropriate to call it an engagement.

Turning your back and retreating while facing an enemy head-on is an extremely difficult thing to do.

My sister, who had intended to hunt these three Behemoths overwhelmed by her martial display and collect their magic stones, wasn’t about to let this slide.

“You damage the precious fortress walls and then run away without even apologizing?”

My sister also took action, harshly shouting loud enough for the retreating Behemoths and Adorator who had directed them to hear.

She took her first step toward hunting the fleeing Behemoths while increasing the concentration of fighting spirit wrapped around the formless sword in her right hand.

Judging by her momentum, she was clearly intending to create a vacuum blade like the one she had used to dispatch one of the Behemoths earlier as soon as she took her first step.

But my sister couldn’t take a proper first step toward hunting the Behemoths.

Just as she was about to fix her right leg as an axis and extend her left leg forward.

Snap-!!

“…Hmm!”

My sister’s pursuit was halted by the clear sound of Adorator snapping her fingers, audible even from a distance.

It might be hard to understand why my sister stopped at just the snap of fingers from Adorator, who had lost her combat capability due to the flames from my armor.

But what appeared behind Adorator as that sound of two fingers meeting spread out was what made my otherwise unstoppable sister halt her steps.

What appeared, you ask?

[Oh… she’s gathered quite a number.]

“…How did she manage to hide and bring all that in?”

This was enough to draw such muttered comments between Paphnir and me…

Thud-! Thud-! Thud-!

A large-scale mixed army of monsters and undead, making noisy but well-ordered footsteps, was what had stopped my sister in her tracks.

-Wooooo-!!

-Krooaaaaa-!!

The monsters howling with seething battle intent like beasts, and.

-Maintain formation and prepare to move according to Lady Adorator’s command immediately!!

The sound of high-ranking demon commanders with high intelligence controlling these monsters with a single command blended together.

The area near the fortress outer wall was filled with the noise of many beings, making it hard to believe that there hadn’t been so many people here just moments ago.

Though fewer in number than when Sanguin had brought his undead legion as a courtesy on the first day of the subjugation festival.

It was enough to make my sister hesitate in her movement to change the counting unit of the three fleeing Behemoths from individual creatures to carcasses.

Individually, they were like fragments that could never reach my sister in terms of skill.

But gathered in such numbers, I could confirm once again in this life that they could block the movement of a master swordswoman who would otherwise cut through monsters like a raging torrent.

Perhaps, my sister from the time I remember… when she was stronger than now, would have forged her own path without much concern for this parade of monsters.

But the current sister hadn’t yet developed that level of skill.

“Even more than what was mobilized last year. I didn’t expect her to have hidden this.”

My sister, who had been about to swing her formless sword to slice the Behemoths into pieces, withdrew her sword.

Sigh…

With a light sigh, she turned her head toward me and Excel Siege behind her, and said:

“Be careful. We don’t know what those creatures might do.”

She increased the concentration of fighting spirit in her formless sword while warning me and Siege Excel, who were watching this scene from behind her.

Though the will in her formless sword was less intense than when she had intended to turn the Behemoths into magic stones.

It still carried enough power to repel all monsters that might try to attack the fortress behind us with a single command.

Well, while the number of revealed troops looked quite threatening.

It was clear that these creatures would struggle to even overcome my sister, who was now infusing her formless sword with fighting spirit, let alone engage in a melee inside the fortress.

Rather, with the appearance of the legion and the Behemoths retreating to the rear where they couldn’t affect the fortress, the real danger my spiritual sense detected wasn’t here in this wasteland.

[There’s an uninvited guest who entered the fortress first. Judging by the scent like blood, it’s Sanguin.]

As Paphnir’s voice echoing in my head indicated.

It was inside the fortress where Fail Sanguin had successfully infiltrated and a melee was occurring.

The current weather, with darkness so thick it was hard to believe it was daytime, was very favorable for Sanguin’s activities.

If needed, he could draw out the shadows dwelling in his body to force a war of attrition causing massive damage to numerically superior enemies.

Or he could let those shadows dwell within him to enhance his physical abilities.

Combined with blood magic, the esoteric art of vampires refined to the extreme, he could display a formidable prowess in one-on-one combat that few could match, potentially throwing the fortress interior into chaos.

But, as if to immediately dispel such worries.

I sensed something through my spiritual perception.

Sanguin’s dark fighting spirit, revealing a presence so clear it was chilling.

Was struggling against a massive aura of light that had appeared before him.

There was no need to even think about who was blocking him—it was a bright and enormous energy.

[That Sanguin. Even though he’s specialized in one-on-one combat, he’s being pushed back. Judging by the temperament of his opponent, it seems to be that aged knight who ground up the undead legion trying to storm this fortress with just one greatsword a few days ago.]

‘That would be Lord Nighthart.’

[Even after a thousand years have passed, there are still those who prove themselves heroes without inheriting heroic bloodlines. This is why humans…]

Paphnir fell silent, swallowing the rest of his words while showing a strange wistfulness.

I was about to wonder why he swallowed his words like that.

But it seemed he didn’t feel the need to explain further through his mouth, so I didn’t press the matter.

Well, anyway, it was quite reassuring that the situation inside the fortress wasn’t as serious as I had thought.

So I kept my eyes on the front where the situation seemed to be gradually coming to an end, preparing for what might come next.

Moreover, just seeing these monsters maintaining their positions and formations without engaging in fortress assault unless specifically ordered to do so.

It was clear that this mixed army, which appeared at Adorator’s gesture, wasn’t deployed for tactical purposes like a counterattack after retreat.

[They’re not trying to attack the fortress, but probably…]

‘Creating a show of force hastily gathered.’

[Right, to give the Behemoths time to escape.]

‘Since her plan to break through the defensive facilities and enter the fortress based on her own power and the overwhelming power of the Behemoths has collapsed, it wouldn’t make sense to meaninglessly sacrifice the deployed troops.’

[Sound reasoning.]

‘There’s more.’

[…There’s something else that needs to be taken care of?]

‘She also needs to retrieve Sanguin, who’s currently in the middle of a survival game against Lord Nighthart inside the fortress.’

[Ah.]

While Paphnir and I were continuously exchanging brief thoughts about Adorator’s purpose in suddenly revealing the monster legion.

Thud thud

Adorator, who had stepped forward a few steps making clear footsteps that weren’t drowned out despite the noisy monster legion.

Swoosh

As she raised her right hand high into the sky.

-….

No sound came from the monster legion that had been making noise befitting its size until just now.

Seeing her control those monsters, whose egos were stronger than most, with just a gesture.

It seemed that despite losing her combat capability, Adorator’s unique charisma for commanding monsters was still intact.

By the way, Adorator stepping forward again after hesitating due to treating the wounds caused by the flames from the Dragon Scale Armor.

…She retreated from the Behemoths simply because she couldn’t continue fighting.

Was she reversing her decision to retreat and trying to successfully complete the fortress assault with this elite army that had just revealed itself?

For a moment, an ominous thought raised its head in my mind.

[Hu…huhahahahaha.]

Suddenly, Paphnir’s refreshing laughter echoing in my head prevented my anxiety from continuing.

‘…Why are you suddenly laughing?’

[Hu…huhu, ah sorry. It’s just that the crazy woman who fought me almost daily is clearly showing on her face that she’s in pain but enduring it.]

‘…Enduring pain?’

[Young one, I don’t know if your eyes can see it, but right now she’s biting her lower lip hard with her upper teeth.]

…Deciding to trust him, I observed Adorator’s face with my sight enhanced by body strengthening techniques as she stood proudly in front of the monster legion.

As Paphnir said, while Adorator was maintaining her composure in her expression, including her brow.

I could confirm that she was indeed biting her lower lip with her upper teeth, something only noticeable if observed very closely.

…Why is this real?

Still, isn’t it too much of a stretch to think she’s forcibly enduring pain just because of that…

“Ugh…damn, this hurts. You there! Human woman! What’s your name?”

…My thought was interrupted as I saw Adorator pointing at my sister and asking for her name while forcibly enduring pain that had humiliated her.

Just as I was about to tremble at the might of this armor that spewed flames capable of burning and causing pain to the indestructible flesh of a quasi-deity impervious even to holy swords.

“You there! Suspicious-looking person in armor! Take your hands off that Cradle student participating in the subjugation festival!”

I heard a voice burning with fighting spirit directed at me—the owner of the presence I had faintly detected through my spiritual sense, overshadowed by the clash between Sanguin and Lord Nighthart.

Since it was a voice I’d been hearing often lately, I turned my head toward it.

I saw Lord Löwenhart standing there in his distinctive sword-drawing stance, looking fierce as if about to cut me down.

“…Siege.”

“Yes?”

“Could you help me take off my helmet?”

…I need to remove my helmet and show my face to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.