Chapter 78 -Extinction, The Coming (8)

“Hah, so you want me to believe you?”

The Lehel of the past was irritable, and for good reason. After barely recovering from the chaos the demons had wreaked in the capital, she was being dragged back to the battlefield. Her annoyance was justified.

But I was confident she would understand the current situation.

Lehel was already familiar with the Reincarnation Duke’s unique magic.
She herself had endured countless reincarnations.
And she wasn’t foolish enough to ignore the evidence presented before her.

“I’m not asking for much. Just protect the people at the canal.”

“So, you’re basically asking me to fight demons? Seriously? Do you think I’m going to buy your nonsense about this world being fake or you being able to defeat Carbius?”

Her cold glare pierced me.

“Even if everything you’re saying is true, why should I listen to you?”

Getting cocky, huh? Then again, she hadn’t been “convinced” of my authority yet in this timeline. If I had more time or resources, I would’ve gone straight to Phecda Tower, grabbed the young Grand Canyon horned beast, and proved it to her.

But I didn’t have that luxury.

“There is a reason.”

I decided to play my last card. There was no point in hesitation—we wouldn’t meet again after this anyway.

“Because I’m your lover.”

“Pfft—! Wait, what? What did you just say!?”

Lehel spat out her tea magnificently. But I didn’t have time to care. The demon army was beginning to emerge in the distance.

“Think about it. I’m carrying your medal, and I came all the way here looking for you. Isn’t that reason enough?”

“…You could’ve won it in a gamble.”

Same old suspicion.

“We agreed to stop gambling, remember? This is for real.”

“Ridiculous… Me?”

She lifted her robe to check her wrist as if she thought it had been cut. I had hoped that would convince her, but Lehel—whether young or old—was far too sharp to be easily fooled.

“I don’t believe you. Besides, I’ve never taken a partner in my life.”

“Really?”

“Of course. How could I bear being left alone in the next life? Your claim is complete nonsense.”

Admittedly, in the original timeline, Lehel had expressed guilt about her long lifespan. But I remembered something she had whispered to me on our way back from Sandalphonia—a secret meant only for me.

“The Sacrare Dragon’s Nest.”

“W-what…?!”

Her face betrayed her shock. Lehel clutched her head, muttering to herself, “Really? Me, with someone like him?” over and over.

Finally—

“Hah… Hey, you.”

“Say it.”

“Listen carefully.”

She stepped forward, grabbing the front of my robe.

“You know the price of my unique magic, don’t you?”

“Your lifespan.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m investing what remains of my current life in you.”

The fire in her eyes was a stark contrast to the bored expression she usually wore.

“If you betray me, you’re dead.”

“…Understood.”

“Ugh. I was planning to gamble like crazy after the war…”

Muttering about the preparations she’d now have to make for the dragon’s nest, Lehel stormed out of the room. Outside, the horns announcing the enemy’s arrival blared.

I glanced up at the dim sky, clutching the returned medal as I rose to my feet.

“Well then…”

The medallion was a symbol of fixed space-time. It reminded me of the Moirai sisters’ words:

The statue of the demon god is the mechanism to bring Carbius into this reality.

If things went as they had in history, the canal would be destroyed, and the consequences could ripple unpredictably.

In the worst case, Carbius could descend upon the Batudis region.

“I should get moving.”

It was time to end this wretched illusion.

***

When the sun dipped below the western horizon, the demonic dusk descended from the underworld, spreading its roots across the land. The sky was dark, shifting ominously, as if heralding an incoming storm. The torches scattered along the riverbank flickered uneasily in the ever-changing wind.

With the enemy targeting the canal, those positioned at the base of the mountains couldn’t even use the terrain to their advantage. The forest trees obscuring the view only heightened the fear.

A trembling boy gripped his spear with shaking hands. His toes felt an odd tingling sensation, and as he shifted his feet against the ground, the realization hit him: the earth itself was quaking.

The ground-shaking footsteps reverberated through the soil. Between the dark sky and shadowed earth, ominous figures began to emerge.

Demons. Humanity’s mortal enemy.

Carrying the black mana that animated rotting corpses, they were the harbingers of destruction sent from hell to annihilate mankind at their lord’s command.

The battlefield was tense. At the mountain’s edge, those who remained stood watch over the encroaching enemy.

“What will you do? Are you really going to abandon them?”

Valery asked the other leaders of the twelve institutions. Though he spoke first, even he seemed reluctant.

The decision of whether the alliance’s 108 knights and mages at the rear would join the battle rested in their hands.

Matheus, unsurprisingly, cast his vote immediately.

“Even with The Reincarnation Duke, we can’t defeat Carbius. The Goliaths are pulling out.”

Watching him, Kundra casually raised his hand.

“We won’t fight a losing battle either. We barely have any forces left as it is.”

The 2nd and 4th institutions declared their withdrawal. Adalbert scowled at them in disdain before turning to the blonde archer beside him.

“What about the archery unit, Mirve?”

“We can offer some support from the rear. We can squeeze out what mana remains to deploy a few magic arrows on the battlefield.”

“I’m in favor. Abandoning the wounded to flee doesn’t align with the principles Hela’s followers should hold.”

The 5th and 6th institutions voted in favor of the battle. The rest of the representatives weighed in, leaving the decision split roughly in half. Unexpectedly, The Reincarnation Duke had declared support, sparking a glimmer of hope among the others.

Lehel Darad. The Grand Duke who had saved Thessalon and turned the tide when the first Lavierre defensive line fell.

“What’s your decision, Adalbert?”

All eyes turned to the commander of Hookslaw at Valery’s question. If he chose to fight, many would follow.

Adalbert was the kingdom’s greatest swordsman, the mentor of the White Knight Wiblet, and the commander who had held Pennheim’s front line since the Great War began.

“Choose wisely. You’re an old man with one foot in the grave, but your decision carries the weight of tens of thousands of lives.”

“…”

Adalbert’s gaze swept around the room, lingering on Valery. The tension between the old swordsman and the mage was palpable, as it always was. Their mutual animosity made the others uneasy.

After a moment of heavy silence, Adalbert finally acted.

Shrrk.

He unsheathed his sword, prompting Valery to rise as well.

“Hookslaw! Prepare for battle!”

“GELLERHAAAAART!”

Before his words even finished echoing, those in the meeting room bolted outside, spreading word of the reversal to the retreating troops. The blaring of horns reverberated as lowered banners were once again raised.

A young boy, dashing into the room after hearing the commotion, was handed a communication crystal by Valery.

“Deliver this to the battle mage division! They’re to synchronize with The Reincarnation Duke’s magic!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“And you!”

“Y-yes?!”

“Once the war is over, report to Blue Moon. I’ll speak to the Tower Lord of Alkaid on your behalf.”

“M-me?!”

“Yes! Being here has given you a chance few will ever get. You owe it to yourself to seize it!”

“A chance…?”

“Don’t be an idiot!”

Grabbing the boy’s collar, Valery roughly turned him toward the window. Outside, at the base of the mountain, stood a lone white-haired mage.

“A chance to witness the Grand Duke’s magic firsthand.”

The fire in Valery’s gaze matched the intensity with which he regarded her.

***

“Ay, ay, I’m dying here. What is this nonsense at the end of my life?”

Lehel groaned, stretching her stiff body in front of the horde of demons. Wearing a rusty medal and a filthy robe, she looked more like a beggar or a suicidal fool than a Grand Duke.

“Love, huh? Me, in love… Should I laugh or cry? It’s not even my problem.”

Despite the countless enemies before her, she casually unwound the rosary from her hand and muttered:

“Guess this is just my fate. Hah, damn it. If I had to pick someone, couldn’t I have chosen a decent man instead of a loser like him… Ugh, whatever.”

Chiii—!

One by one, beads made of dragon bone ascended into the sky, glowing with light.

The canvas for her spell, Prium Mobile, was critical. The stars reflected within, recognized as luminous points called Luminaries, signified the magnitude of the magic to be cast.

“Alright.”

Embedding dozens of stars into the celestial sphere above her, Lehel declared coldly to the charging demons:

“It’s time to end this life.”

<Unique Magic: Lehel Darad’s Reincarnation Gate>

From the heavens, massive meteors began to rain down.

<No Devil Lived On This Land ⌜No devil lived on⌟>

***

It was as if the universe itself had opened. Tremendous vibrations and heat descended from the night sky, shaking the mountains. The meteors struck the advancing demons with barely a moment to spare.

Boom! Crash! Bang—!

The dust clouds and thunderous noise were so overwhelming that even the screams of those nearby were drowned out. When I looked up, the open field where the enemy had charged was now filled with massive craters.

Yet the demons continued to march. Necromancers in the rear chanted spells, and crack, crack! pale hands clawed their way out of the ground.

Is this all we can do?

A sliver of disappointment crept into my heart, but then the earth began to rumble again. Nearby mages gasped in disbelief.

Rrrrrrumble—!

“This can’t be…”

“To think I’d live to see this…”

At the center of the craters, sand and rocks swirled together to form massive spheres. The spheres grew hotter and shot into the sky, shrinking until they became mere points of light.

BOOOM!

Moments later, those points of light turned into meteors and came crashing down once more.

Boom! Crash! Boom, boom—!

Over and over. Dozens of meteors rose and fell in a relentless bombardment, like a celestial curtain of heat, light, and stone descending from the heavens.

Amid the fiery veil, I could sense a black presence approaching. Taking a deep breath, I clenched my fists and turned my head. There stood Liv, her expression uneasy.

“Boss…”

She must have figured it out by now—where I had been, and why I had said her father’s death was my fault.

“Louis, I entrust Baroness Rev to you.”

Paris, without the aid of such powerful magic, fought valiantly. His poised arrow made him resemble an elven archer from a fantasy movie.

Of course, there are no elves in this world.

“Paris.”

“What is it?”

And as of today, there will be no more dragons either.

“I need a sword.”