Ch.35Chapter 35. Death Flag

It would be a lie to say I felt no guilt.

What I just shouted to the remaining group was essentially suggesting we use them as bait to shake off the monsters.

“Don’t stop, keep running!! The monster horde has already spotted us!!”

But this world is a dark fantasy.

Even a moment’s mistake demands a heavy price, a merciless world that forces you to abandon your humanity at every turn.

Though my mind knows it’s wrong, even feeling angry about making inhuman choices is an excessive luxury.

-KYAAAAK!

So don’t worry about them now.

What matters is how to shake off the few monsters that didn’t take the bait and are still pursuing us.

If we stop the carriage to face them, we risk being caught by those following behind or additional monsters joining from the forest after hearing the commotion.

“Damn! These annoying bastards!”

When beast-shaped monsters ambushed us from between the trees.

Ranged attackers tried to repel them with magic and arrows, but the monsters just chewed through the pain with howls, burning with hunger as they came for us.

Unless we could negate their mobility or inflict fatal wounds, they would eventually climb onto the carriages to attack us or gnaw away at the vehicles.

“Merilyn! Duck!!”

-SLASH!

I swung my spear to cut down a monster lunging at Merilyn.

More came after that, but asking for help from other carriages wasn’t feasible.

The number of pursuing monsters kept growing, and everyone needed to focus on protecting their own carriages.

“At this rate, they’ll catch up! Can’t we go any faster!?”

“Sorry, but this is top speed!”

“Damn, it’s because we’re carrying too much! If we dump some cargo…”

“I understand how you feel, but that’s not an option! These supplies are for the outpost we’re heading to! Until we know the situation there, we need to conserve supplies for future safety!”

I agree.

Though escaping immediate danger is important, knowing future dangers await means sacrificing cargo should be a last resort.

“…Fuck, but we’ll all die trying to deliver this stuff.”

The adventurers were growing desperate as monsters kept coming, despite understanding the reasoning.

Though there were no casualties yet, minor injuries were depleting stamina and morale, and it was only a matter of time before our defensive line broke.

“……”

Merilyn tightly gripped her lute, feeling helpless in this situation.

Her abilities would certainly boost morale, but the problem was that sound would affect the monsters too.

Humans with increased morale versus monsters with increased frenzy—anyone could guess which side would be stronger.

“…Don’t blame yourself for not being able to help.”

I encouraged Merilyn while rummaging through the cargo in our carriage.

“This kind of battle just doesn’t suit your role.”

“Hyoseong? What are you…”

“Guild Master! If we don’t have to throw away all supplies, would it be okay to use just a little!?”

As I held up some items asking for permission,

the guild master leading the caravan from the front shouted back while pulling the reins harder.

“If you can shake them off with minimal resources!”

Good, permission granted.

I immediately threw one of the items at an approaching monster.

A beast-shaped creature that was still charging despite bleeding from arrow wounds.

-CRASH!

The glass bottle hit the monster, spreading its contents everywhere.

The monster that absorbed the liquid staggered, then opened its mouth wide before collapsing.

“KYEEEAAAAK!!”

It fell with a horrific scream, tripping over its own momentum.

Merilyn looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“W-what did you just throw?”

“A potion.”

The same thing that had terrified the adventurers when I used it to treat wounds before.

The basic healing principle of potions in this world is similar to iodine—treating inflammation through induced burns.

It burns away the wound and contaminated areas, then healing ingredients in the medicine quickly regenerate new flesh in the burned areas.

In other words, while it helps recovery, the process involves “extreme pain.”

“KYAAAAK!”

Fortunately, the monsters pursuing us, unlike the rock monsters we faced earlier, were creatures with actual flesh and bones.

They might withstand an arrow, but they couldn’t endure having their living flesh burned.

“Everyone see that!? When ranged attackers wound them, throw a potion! If we amplify their pain, we can shake them off!”

“That’s a great idea!”

“But potions are expensive, can we really use them like this!?”

“The guild master approved it, so just do it! If those things get to us, we’ll need the potions anyway!”

CRASH, KYEEEK!!!

As monsters fell one by one thanks to my improvisation,

some still pushed through, but hope was evident in the guild master’s voice.

“We made it! Once we cross that ravine, we’ll be in the garrison area!”

Yes, we’re almost at our destination.

I don’t know what will happen after, but at least we can safely escort the remaining personnel and supplies to our target location.

“Great! We’re going to survive!”

But can we really relax now?

Ironically, as we overcame the immediate crisis, I felt my anxiety growing stronger than before.

If I were to die during this mission, that moment would come closer with each crisis we overcome.

“…Damn, when else would I check if not now?”

Well, if something more serious happens later, that would truly mean I’m one step from death.

Unable to contain my impatience, I took out the note I had kept and checked its contents.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long to read everything.

The content was compressed to fit on a single note.

“…What is this?”

But because of that, without proper context, the story seemed too abrupt…

No, Irie had already proven her abilities to me.

So I decided to believe what was written on the note as truth. My gaze then shifted toward the top of the ravine we were about to pass.

-BOOM!!!

Yes, just as the note described, something flew in from a distance and crashed into the top of the cliff.

Noticing this, I quickly embraced Merilyn and moved toward a passing carriage.

“H-Hyoseong? Why…”

“I’m sorry, there’s no time to explain…!”

There’s no time to explain the situation.

According to the note, to save “as many people as possible” including myself, she needed to get away from here.

“Please, stay alive until we meet again!”

“No, wait! Hyoseong…!!”

Before she could answer, I threw Merilyn onto another carriage with a whoosh!

Then using the recoil from throwing her, I quickly jumped off the moving carriage.

“Everyone jump off!!”

I shouted to save as many people as possible who were in the rockfall zone and hadn’t yet realized the situation.

-CRASH!

The cliff debris smashed several carriages and mercilessly crushed the passengers beneath.

Fortunately, the lead carriage and Merilyn’s carriage managed to escape to the opposite side just in time.

But immediately after they passed, the fallen debris lost balance and began to collapse completely.

RUMBLE, BOOM!

The front group was completely cut off from the rear.

Thanks to my warning, some people in the middle managed to jump off their carriages and survive, but the problem was that we were now trapped in this ravine.

With something far more dangerous than the monsters that had been pursuing us.

The Demon Tribe forces of the Demon Lord’s army, who had caused this cliff collapse, were expected to arrive soon.

“…We’re completely isolated.”

Fear spread among the dozens of trapped adventurers.

It’s understandable. Trapped at the bottom of a cliff too high to climb, with no hope of escape…

“…Hey, friend.”

But even in such a situation, a few people didn’t just tremble in fear.

Soon, some of them began to approach where I was standing.

“Earlier you threw your companion onto another carriage—did you notice this was going to happen, and that’s why you acted that way?”

So that’s what it was—they were curious about my actions.

Well, in a world where saving yourself is hard enough, self-sacrifice would naturally draw attention.

“…I have something I believe in.”

I quietly gripped my spear shaft as I answered, and those who approached me exchanged glances before raising their weapons.

“Haha, then sticking with you means a higher chance of survival, right?”

“…You’re disgustingly optimistic.”

I hadn’t even mentioned the prophecy, and I had no intention of doing so to minimize variables.

“The situation is what it is—we have to do something.”

Nevertheless, they seemed to have made up their minds, standing beside me and positioning themselves at the front of the frightened group.

“Yeah, let’s not think negatively. As adventurers, we fight the Demon Lord’s army all the time, right?”

“Let’s just say we’re meeting them a bit earlier than expected. If we die, that’s it, and if we survive, that’s our destiny.”

Is it courage, or have they given up?

No, perhaps they live with the same mindset as me.

I know it well too.

In the end, we’re living because we can’t die, so while we’re alive, let’s do our best to survive in any situation.

“Still, I’d like to make it out alive. My wife is about to give birth to our second child.”

But why start saying such anxiety-inducing things in this situation?

“Haha, I didn’t take you for a father! Well, formula is quite expensive these days.”

“Don’t talk like it’s someone else’s story. You look older than me—don’t you have a wife?”

“Well, I’ve been focused on earning money for my mother’s medicine, so I haven’t had time for marriage. Fortunately, if I can manage the fee from this job, I might be able to get her professional treatment at the temple…”

Normally I wouldn’t pay attention to such talk, but with my potential death looming, I couldn’t just ignore these words.

With each person speaking up, I couldn’t help but feel anxiety growing in my heart.

No matter how different reality is from fiction, what they were saying matched what’s commonly called “death flags.”

“Haha, this situation gives me courage. Alright, I’ve decided. If I survive this battle, I’ll confess to her!”

“Come to think of it, my childhood friend said she had something to tell me when I return, so I can’t die before hearing that.”

“Young man over there, if we make it out of here, could you deliver this? It’s a gift for my daughter…”

Oh come on, be honest with me. You’re all doing this on purpose, right?

Since there’s no hope anyway, you’re all just self-destructing like this, aren’t you?

“Everyone, it’s good to see you all trying to stay positive even in such a desperate situation.”

As they continued sharing their circumstances, a man boldly stepped to the front of the group.

Covered in a hood, he was a martial artist with bandages wrapped around his entire body, including his face.

Probably the strongest and therefore most aggressive person in this group.

“If you all are showing such courage, I can’t do nothing. Everyone follow me! I’ll take the front and absorb the enemy attacks!”

“W-wait! If you charge in right now…!!”

Oh damn it.

According to the prophecy, we shouldn’t charge in but wait for them to come to us.

“Come at me, Demon Tribe!! I’ll show you the power of martial arts I’ve honed all my life in the mountains before becoming an adventurer!”

But he was already too far ahead to stop.

Soon he charged toward the Demon Lord’s army forces just entering the ravine, swinging his fists.

And BOOM!!!!

Despite his attack, with a tremendous sound, his body was pushed back by a shadow’s attack and floated into the air…

“…W-what.”

“What just… happened?”

No, he didn’t float—he scattered.

Not just propelled upward by impact, but a being who was a person until just now dispersed into the air like dust.

A human body.

Could it really explode like that from mere physical impact? It was so horrific that it was hard to believe even seeing it with my own eyes.

-Patter!

Even such thoughts faded as flesh and blood rained down for several seconds.

As tension gripped the scene, shadows began approaching us, trampling the defiled ground.

“Kuhaha! Look over there, Captain! There are humans!”

“Scouts of the human army… No, reinforcements perhaps?”

“Whatever they are, they’ll be fun to torment. Kehehehaha!”

Each had a different appearance, but most had hideous forms with four limbs—intelligent beings.

They were the race called “Demon Tribe,” evolved forms of desires that had torn through the dimensional wall to appear in this world.

“Whether they’re scouts or reinforcements doesn’t matter. I have only one question…”

The leader of these demons.

Standing at the front of the group, he began to speak, facing the adventurers including myself.

“Humans. Since we’ve met like this, let me ask you one question.”

The voice that came from his mouth felt familiar…

Yes, I knew him.

I had seen him before, when he overwhelmingly defeated and brutally knocked down a Hero I was serving.

“…Damn. I had a bad feeling from the moment those death flags started.”

Demon Lord Army Executive—Hellcry.

Despite being born an orc, he was a monster among monsters with abilities that earned him an executive position in the Demon Lord’s army.

The moment I recognized him, I immediately understood how my death, which Irie had foreseen, would come about.

“Is there a warrior among you humans who will engage in an honorable duel with me?”

Even considering him alone, without his subordinates.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the survival rate of the adventurers here had dropped to 0%.