Ch.91Hundred Days Battle (5)

“We must help the Holy Maiden!”

“Establish the encirclement! We will charge the moment his strength wanes.”

“Lay down the magic circles first! Prepare for any unexpected variables!”

The Dark Order’s forces swarmed in droves. Everyone rushed eagerly for the glorious moment of potentially killing a demon. However, none dared to approach too closely.

The scars left by the sword wind were far more massive than expected. Anyone unlucky enough to get caught in it would be reduced to pulp.

So only the voices of the high priests remained. They planned to rush in the moment the Holy Maiden finished the demon off, dividing the military achievements among themselves.

The troops clustered around the battlefield made for quite a ridiculous sight. They resembled spectators gathered to watch gladiatorial combat in a colosseum.

Some expressed their unease about the situation.

“Can we really face those beings?”

“I fear we’re leading our army in name only.”

“We must keep an eye on the Crusaders. Our forces are too concentrated right now.”

Nearly fifteen thousand troops out of the expedition force of twenty thousand had gathered. They had established a formation to blockade the entire combat area, but it was loose. Rather than being tactically deployed, they had gathered to prove their devotion, creating discord.

“We need to withdraw our forces and reorganize the troops. Why are we acting so foolishly when the Crusaders could arrive at any moment?”

They offered their sincere advice, but it was ignored.

The cardinal-level commanders snorted dismissively and responded with irritation.

“Does their army even exceed ten thousand? Last I saw, they had suffered greatly at the demon’s hands. Don’t worry about those who barely managed to gather their forces at the southern continent’s border.”

“But the angels…”

“I think you’re simply too afraid. The Holy Maiden will defeat the demon and then bring down the remaining angels. Why do you keep speaking such blasphemous words?”

“Your Eminence, you must consider the bigger picture!”

“Then you should reconsider your faith!”

Finally, a rebuke came. The Order’s knight bit his lip. He couldn’t argue back, knowing they would brand him a heretic and kill him if he pushed too far.

When had they begun to deify the Holy Maiden like this?

They had gathered to oppose the heavens, not to worship a single woman. Yet here they were in this sorry state. While reverence for absolute power was natural, it should never have evolved into blind faith.

At some point, the Order began to revolve solely around the Holy Maiden. Those who once held diverse opinions and resisted blind faith now mirrored the very Papal See they opposed. They were adopting the hateful form of the very enemy they had sworn vengeance against.

“Our army will support the Holy Maiden here. That’s how we repay our faith.”

The cardinal didn’t look back. It was a clear dismissal.

The firmly closed door of the command headquarters remained shut.

“What should we do? Honestly, I’m worried not just about the Crusaders but also about how the demons might act.”

“That’s my concern too. They stopped moving as soon as the battle began. They must be targeting something…”

The knight pondered.

A force of a thousand wasn’t large, but they were facing mythical beings who once punished humans with death. Even if five thousand attacked, fear might prevent them from resisting properly, so any response needed to be decisive.

“At least the Order’s elite forces haven’t joined the encirclement, so that’s good.”

“If you mean the Black Brothers, yes. They’re clearing the surrounding villages before coming this way.”

Even for those armed with faith, securing supplies and stabilizing the rear was essential. There was a need to first root out potential Crusader spies or those enthralled by demons.

Originally, the cardinals’ army should have handled this, but blinded by faith, they had made a spectacle of themselves, so the more level-headed ones had to take care of the aftermath.

“We’ll join them to speed up the process.”

“Then I’ll keep an eye on the Crusaders.”

“Send a signal if needed. Whatever it is, we’ll join you immediately.”

The knights moved separately from the foolish ones.

The cardinals raged about insubordination, but they could do nothing. Since these knights were responsible for the Order’s actual military power, they had to let them go.

“Th-th-those blasphemers.”

“We should hold a trial after the war. Their faith in the Holy Maiden seems lacking.”

Of course, even this was just for show.

Inwardly, they rejoiced, thinking they might catch the Holy Maiden’s eye.

#

Dark war horses with red eyes galloped across the fields.

With Verdia at the vanguard, the southern army made a wide detour around the battlefield toward their objective. Many villages lay in their path.

“Demons!!”

“They’ve come to take our lives!”

“Oh God!!”

The powerless villagers startled and ran to the small church. Some village militia raised their spears in resistance, but their eyes lacked focus. They trembled, consumed by overwhelming fear.

“Aaaaargh!”

They screamed as the demons approached. Thinking those wicked blades would sever their necks, they nearly wet themselves.

“……”

Why is it so quiet?

With the sound of hooves echoing all around, they cautiously opened their eyes. There was nothing in front of them. Looking around, they saw the demon cavalry disappearing in the distance.

“Huh?”

All they could utter was a dumbfounded sound.

The demons passed by similar reactions. They had no need to waste energy on trivial slaughter. Their target was the Dark Order, specifically those powerful knights. Though less satisfying than angels, they at least resembled them enough to be worth crossing swords with.

“Over there!”

After riding for quite some time, they spotted a small military force in the distance.

It was the black knights they had faced before. Humans burning with fierce vengeance against the heavens. Their intense resentment, stronger than faith, made them more appetizing.

“Kill them all!”

This time, they wouldn’t ignore them. Verdia turned his banner and aimed his spear at the enemy.

They seemed to have just finished raiding a village, as their horses were laden with various items. They appeared flustered at the sudden appearance of the demonic force.

They quickly tried to form a battle formation, but the timing was poor. By the time they barely managed to arrange themselves, the demon cavalry had already charged right up to them.

“Aaaagh!”

A man at the front who could only scream was impaled by a spear. He fell with his horse, tumbling and getting crushed on the ground. Dozens of corpses appeared in an instant.

“F-fight!”

“Resist!”

The battle immediately devolved into chaos. The black knights resisted with swords and maces instead of spears. They showed their determination not to die easily at the hands of demons.

“Those who can survive, flee the battlefield! We must spread the word! The demons have begun their hunt!”

The commander shouted at the top of his lungs. Knowing it was already too late, he hurriedly sent messengers to save his other brothers.

CRACK!!

Even that was too late.

The middle-aged knight who had been shouting in all directions had his head smashed. In front of him stood another human holding a mace.

Though dressed in tattered clothes, a youthful face was visible beneath the hood. The knights looked at him in shock.

“A-a demon follower?”

“I’m conducting purification.”

He shouldered his mace again. Looking around, he saw the black-clad men who had infected human society surrounding him.

“Following demons has its lucky moments, I suppose.”

He recalled memories from long ago.

Before losing everything in the demon realm, the enemies he had faced most often as humanity’s protector: the Dark Order who had forsaken God and the heretics obsessed with slaughter.

One always recognizes a worthy opponent.

A black knight answered with a trembling voice.

“H-Hero?”

Those were his last words. His wide-open eyes were crushed.

A life was taken. Beyond the splashing blood, a frozen expression surveyed the surroundings.

“Just this once, I’ll help you, demon.”

Following behind Verdia, the former hero swung his mace relentlessly. Five knights lost their lives in an instant. Amid shock and terror, the battle situation was completely decided.

“What is this…?”

The war had escaped the bounds of common sense.

And so, one knightly order was erased from the battlefield.

#

The war initiated by the Holy Maiden descended into chaos.

To put it bluntly, it was a mess. The battle against the great demon, which was supposed to be an epic saga, dragged on, while unleashed demons hunted the Order’s knights from all directions.

To counter them, the Holy Maiden’s direct troops needed to deploy. Using divine power to erase demonic energy and kill the relatively weakened demons was the only path to victory.

The problem was that their movements were restricted.

The Holy Maiden, the core, was locked in endless combat with Durin, while the main force had established a clumsy encirclement and found themselves in an awkward position. They should have sent troops to respond to the demons, but the knights were dying so rapidly that they dared not move carelessly.

Fear spread through the army like a plague.

Those who had forgotten vengeance and placed their faith in a new power began to doubt. As the belief that they couldn’t win became prevalent, they refused to move properly despite the cardinals’ urgings.

“Become martyrs! If you die as martyrs, you will be heroes!”

It was like an empty echo.

Using the power of a forgotten god, they couldn’t properly explain its source, and the Holy Maiden had become the object of faith. Yet the Holy Maiden couldn’t settle the score with the great demon.

They couldn’t guarantee victory in a situation where the Order’s important resources were being torn apart by the demon’s subordinates. This led to a rapid decline in morale. And to put a period on this gloomy situation, another variable appeared.

“It’s the Hero! Heaven has sent the Hero!”

“They sent him with the demons to punish us unbelievers!”

“How did he return from death! How did he overcome death!”

The hero who appeared with the black cavalry was fiercely charging toward the heart of the Order. No one could stop him. Every time he swung the mace slung over his shoulder, only news of defeat was heard.

The nightmare from when they were at war with the Papal See was being reenacted.

“W-what is this?”

Just one month.

That was how long it took for the evil seed that appeared during their occupation of the southern continent and their great war with the Papal Crusaders to sprout.

Now the entire continent was engulfed in flames.

Fear and despair were rampant. No one could speak of salvation.

Because dark clouds still hung in the sky.

“To whom should we pray?”

There was no light for those who had opposed the heavens.