episode_0181

The final general offensive.

As I watched the assault wagons bursting through the castle gates, I clenched my fists without realizing it.

The moment and timing of my death in the second episode were different, but the scenery was exactly the same.

Surrounded.

When I saw them taking over Jeriha, I honestly felt dizzy.

It’s gotten better now, but the sight of him kicking down the door of the Demon King’s Castle and running out is reminiscent of the past.

“Ian? Why are you doing that?”

Mercy gently closed her fist.

A warm feeling spread over my hands.

“… just. Because I was distraught.”

“Ugh, it’ll be okay… .”

It wasn’t strange to say that.

The atmosphere in the command room actually disturbed me.

It is definitely good news that the Shinigami was safely defeated.

However, the power and techniques they used were clearly familiar.

‘The first warrior party. Just like those four.’

The size and density of the force were much stronger, but other than that, everything else was completely identical.

Even if you think they are the same person, there is nothing to say.

Because of that, the command room was in chaos.

Who on earth is the Shinigami, and what is their relationship with the first hero party?

It’s a bit confusing.

Anyway, the first hero party fought the enemy with a fighting spirit.

Everyone saw their sacrificial spirit clearly enough to be suspicious.

Compared to what I thought, the command center is quiet.

‘He’s completely different from the Shinigami I know.’

I was convinced after seeing the battle.

This is not the Shinigami that I briefly saw in the past.

Even though I only saw the two at the time, I can’t be sure that they are completely different.

But, at least it wasn’t like that.

‘It’s also unnatural for enemies to come out of the Demon Castle only after the Shinigami is killed. Why bother? If we had all fought together, we would have had a better chance of winning.’

What is it… .

I took out a sugar bar, bit into it, and stared at the screen.

It reflects various aspects of the battlefield from various angles.

The size and quality of the enemy that came out from within is formidable.

The first warrior party was exhausted and injured.

My warriors also suffered injuries that were not fatal but could not be ignored.

Helena’s sun may have healed her, but just because the wound heals doesn’t mean the pain goes away immediately.

The exhaustion will be worse than that of the first warrior party.

He did his best to defeat a powerful enemy and cleaned up his surroundings even before fighting the Shinigami.

The flaws were revealed little by little.

The number of monsters pouring out of the castle gate like a waterfall gradually increased.

The commander-in-chief made a decision.

“I will send additional troops.”

All worthy warriors of Class A or above were sent there.

However, that does not mean that there are no troops here.

Lazuli, the Holy Knights under the direct control of the Church of Seonghwa.

The Seonghwa Church is not the only one who also serves as a heresy inquisitor.

There are also regular paladins who fight against demons and protect people.

If you gather only the elite among them, it becomes quite a useful force.

And the Aegis and the military police belonging to the imperial family.

Lastly, there are special human resources that have been made available as troops thanks to me.

“To the south, the elite Holy Knights. To the north, it would be better to go to Lazuri. And to the east… .”

“Let’s recruit suitable personnel from Aegis and the military police.”

“Yes. Finally to the west… .”

The commander-in-chief looked at me.

I nodded and answered.

“I will check with the parties involved.”

Through the video mirror, I sent a message to Rhamnus, who was probably standing guard somewhere.

***

Sylvia was appalled by the pouring monsters.

It’s almost like a reenactment of Jerry Ha.

I think that the number of monsters that were unleashed throughout the entire country of Jericha at the time is coming out in droves.

There are some things better than Jeriha.

The entrance and exit road is narrow, so there are a lot of enemies, and Vivian is there.

An A-level monster was eliminated with just one glance from Vivian.

A small meteor shower poured from the sky and slaughtered monsters at random.

All Sylvia was doing was sniping at monsters that she occasionally missed.

The troops waiting in the rear also formed a camp like a wall to trap the enemy.

I was surprised at first, but subduing it seemed easy.

Even describing Vivian’s magic as a disaster would be an understatement.

No amount of nicknames would be enough to describe her.

Without realizing it, I was relieved by that reassurance.

“… Huh?”

Vivian made a sound of confusion.

Some time had passed since the general offensive began.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hehe, hehe. Well, it looks like I used up too much natural mana.”

“… Huh?”

“The amount of natural mana I consume accumulates, but the consumption rate is faster… .”

That means, again, there isn’t a lot of mana around for Vivian to perform large-scale magic.

That’s not the only problem.

Just because natural mana is used does not mean that there is no burden on the human body.

Naturally, in the process of connecting and consuming, we get tired.

Vivian didn’t show it, but fatigue gradually built up in her body.

“First of all, I can fight with the mana in my body and then use the natural mana!”

Vivian spoke confidently, but the outlook was not bright.

Little by little, the survival rate of monsters increased.

Cracks began to appear in the once perfect defense.

The same was true in the other direction.

West, Kati and Beatrice.

Cati was out of luck.

Her strength and skills were not suitable for dealing with large numbers of enemies.

In the end, the pattern of transferring mana to Beatrice and then moving between enemies was repeated.

North, Helena and Arya.

The situation was quite better here.

Helena deployed protection in the form of surrounding the entrance, and reinforcements stopped the pouring enemy.

Aria, who had recovered her energy, also used the scorching heat to help.

But here too, it was just a matter of time.

Due to lack of rest, there is a limit to what Helena can endure.

The east was chaos.

Kylie’s power was so violent that it was difficult to overuse it while receiving support.

At least Lucia was doing well with various weapons taken from Mugu’s tomb, but it was only a matter of time before this side also collapsed.

“Ah, we usually fight well, but it doesn’t help at times like this, really!”

“What, what!”

“Pretend you didn’t hear!”

It’s so strong that it can’t be used in a melee with its allies.

It was so absurd that Lucia couldn’t bear it and screamed.

Kylie huffed, but had no logic to retort.

So, little by little, in an ambiguous balance where I was wondering if I would be pushed or not.

-Buuu… .

Horns rang out all at once in the east, west, north, south, and places where the warriors were holding out.

A flag soared above the hill they had turned against.

With just the flag, each warrior recognized the identity of the reinforcements.

South, elite Holy Knights.

East, Military Police and Aegis.

North, Rajri.

And west.

Since it was the only unknown flag, their identity was unknown, but Kati recognized them when she saw the flag bearer.

Rhamnus.

Resentiment and the prisoner have arrived.

The standard-bearers of each faction shouted as they looked at the warrior who had blocked the Demon King’s castle.

“Protect the hero-!”

The reinforcements ran down the hill, shouting.

Vivian recognized the paladin girl who was at the forefront of the reinforcements that came to her.

“… Emma?”

The child who fought for her at the orphanage and later awakened as a superhuman was leading the way.

“… … .”

Emma didn’t look this way.

The gaze fixed on the enemy glowed with a desire for victory and protection.

Vivian suppressed her rising emotions by biting her lip.

Now is not the time to be sentimental.

While hesitating for a moment, all the mana around him gathered.

However, you cannot use big techniques like before.

The monsters spread out widely, and the number of allies also increased.

There should be no way for allies to get caught up.

Vivian had no choice but to go through that gap herself.

“Let’s go.”

Sylvia, who understood the intention, went first.

“I’m on the right, you’re on the left.”

“Yes. I understand.”

The two wizards spread out on the ice road that splits left and right.

*

After reinforcements arrived, humanity quickly regained victory.

The monsters that escaped outside the door were eliminated, and those sticking their heads inside were immediately killed.

Including SS-level monsters and even elite corps commanders.

There were some unusually strong monsters, but humanity distributed its power well and dealt with them.

If a strong enemy appeared, the first party or the fruit warriors would deal with it, while other troops would take care of the mediocre enemies.

Finally, no more monsters came out of the breached castle gate.

“I’m dying… .”

Beatrice fell to the floor.

Because I was sniping here and there with the mana I received from Katy, my physical condition was not good.

Kati wiped away her sweat and stared inside the gate.

There is only darkness.

The sun is still strong in the north and shining inside, but I can’t see anything.

What kind of space is this?

“Kathi.”

Rhamnus approached.

“Rhamnus.”

“I’m glad it’s not too late. Are you okay?”

“Yes. … How did you come here?”

Even though the perception of prisoners has improved compared to before, it would not have been easy for them to come to the forefront like this.

Many questions were left out.

Rhamnus just grinned.

“Ian asked for a favor. No, it was more of a suggestion than a request. There’s no reason to refuse.”

“That’s right.”

Kati nodded calmly, stroking Ian noisily in her mind.

I wanted to go back right away and bite, suck, and roll around with my lovely owner who only did pretty things.

“Anyway, inside… It’s ominous.”

Rhamnus broke the delusion that had reached a dangerous level.

Like Katy, he also glared at the inside of the Demon Castle.

“Is there no such thing as light? Won indeed. It looks like they will first clear the access road, rest, and then re-establish their strategy. You are resting.”

“Yes.”

Kati sat next to Beatrice.

Beatrice, who was lying down and looking blankly at the sky, was startled.

You probably don’t want to be close to yourself.

Beatrice, who hesitated, said.

“… Good job. And, thank you for coming to help.”

“Yes.”

Kati briefly affirmed.

Meanwhile, Helena in the north found herself in an awkward situation.

“Uh, uhuh… . If you do this, you’ll be in trouble… .”

When the situation was over, Lazri’s troops came to Helena and knelt in front of her.

“You are the saint who personally showed the advent of the sun.”

“Oh, no, I-I’m not like that… .”

Helena felt very embarrassed and guilty.

The symbol that came to mind in her mind to bring down the sun was not the God of Seonghwagyo.

However, they are being worshiped as a group by a faithful heresy inquisitor of the Seonghwa Church.

Aria smiled brightly at that sight.

It’s a pretty funny sight.

“, please wake up… !”

As if that was an order, Lazuli all jumped up to their feet.

Even that reaction was burdensome.

“We need to serve you more seriously, but please understand due to the circumstances.”

“It’s already more than enough… .”

“Clearing access roads and treating injured people. And, we will wait for the main troops to recover.”

Healing wounds and recovering exhausted mana were two different problems.

Even if mana is restored, relieving battle fatigue is another matter.

“That sun… . It’s truly amazing.”

“The nature has now been changed to focus only on healing.”

The Lazuli members bowed deeply toward the sun and quickly dispersed to do their work.

Helena and Arya, the protagonists of the battle, were ordered to rest.

Even though Helena was resting, she felt anxious for some reason.

I think I should step forward and take charge of the healing, but my priority right now is to restore my body’s energy.

Even that sun can’t last long.

This is a skill that consumes a tremendous amount of mana just by maintaining it.

‘Are the others okay? Ian… You must be watching, right? Are you watching well? hmm.’

Helena belatedly touched her bangs and tried to straighten them out.

If Ian is watching, wouldn’t it be better to get a better view… .

“Helena.”

“Yes, yes!”

While I was adjusting my outfit, I was surprised when Aria suddenly called me.

“Thank you for protecting me.”

“Ah… .”

Aria grinned.

It was my second time laughing like that.

It resembles the smile I saw last time when I was praying for the death of Sisyphus.

It’s a laugh that somehow makes me feel relieved.

What is Ian to Aria?

To Helena’s question, Arya answered that it was original sin.

Does Aria consider this situation to be repayment for her sins?

… It was something I didn’t know, and something I couldn’t help with.

Atonement is the responsibility of the individual.

Helena didn’t answer, just smiled.

On the eastern hill, Lucia rested astride her shield.

“It’s hard… .”

My head is pounding.

I operated the weapon much longer than I was used to.

It wasn’t physically hard, but it took a toll on my mental strength.

“Rest in peace. It’s time to completely rest until the next strategy is established.”

Wolfgang said as he passed by.

Lucia really decided to rest in peace.

I was too tired to even lift a finger.

Military police captain, Wolfgang.

And even Leon, the leader of Aegis, came here to help them.

‘It’s reassuring.’

They are all people who have a direct or indirect relationship with Ian.

It was very satisfying to have the support of my future husband.

‘… Wait a minute, what did you just imagine?’

I guess my head felt weird because I was tired.

Kylie quietly approached her as she shook her head.

“… Hey.”

“Why.”

“… … .”

Lucia looked away from clearing the driveway.

Kylie, who came next to me, frowned uncharacteristically.

Even his face was slightly red.

An uncomfortable and incongruous feeling of disparity, like ink being sprinkled on a famous painting, tormented Lucia.

“Thank you… Say.”

“… … .”

“Thank you for your help!”

“Ah, yes… .”

“Why is the reaction like that? Are you dissatisfied? Thank you!”

yes.

While trying to answer, Lucia shook her head.

“Does it look like it exists to anyone? Why, what are you dissatisfied with? !”

“Oh, I have no complaints.”

“Is it because I was less helpful? ?”

“Were you paying attention?”

“… … .”

I looked at Kylie with a smirk to tease her.

It was quite nice to see an expression of shame and clenching one’s teeth at the same time.

“Don’t worry. That happens sometimes. Since I helped that team once, let’s count it as a draw. Don’t take it to heart.”

“… … .”

Kylie looked like she was going to say something, but just plopped down next to Lucia.

The two knights stared inside the Demon King’s Castle without conversation.

As soon as the situation was resolved, Vivian in the south rushed towards a paladin.

The Paladin also found Vivian.

Our eyes met.

“Emma-!”

“Sister Vivian!”

The two ran opposite each other and met in the middle.

We hugged each other tightly and cried loudly.

Although she was young, Emma, who had to endure hardships because she was the oldest and most capable of the children, had grown up a lot.

He became such a trustworthy paladin and came to protect me.

Emma also had new feelings.

I heard well that Vivian became famous as a warrior.

I became so famous that it felt like I had become an unreachable star.

However, Vivian, who was sobbing at the sight of herself, was the same as she knew.

“Emma, you’ve grown a lot… . Now my sister can come to help too.”

“I tried very, very hard… .”

Emma, who became a paladin, had one purpose.

Someday, I wanted to become someone who could help Vivian.

Even if she is far away and far away, something like that could happen.

I ran for just that, and finally achieved it.

“You worked hard. It was really hard… . You helped me.”

“Yes… . Sister, I’m so glad you’re safe… .”

I couldn’t hold it for long.

Unlike Vivian, who needed to rest, Emma had a lot to do.

“Sister is resting. The next operation will take place after complete reorganization. The operation may not have been established yet.”

“Yes, okay. I’ll be resting.”

Emma rushed to heal the injured person.

“You really… You are a good person.”

Sylvia came closer and spoke with admiration.

“Neeh? Well, it’s not like that… . Hehe.”

Sylvia smiled bitterly as she looked at Vivian, who was smiling awkwardly.

Unless he was a good person, could something like what just happened have happened?

He is kind, compassionate, and capable.

“Thank you. Same goes for today. In many ways, I owe you a lot.”

“Yes? Oh, no. But that’s not the case… .”

If you think about it, there was no such thing as debt.

The help was part of the operation.

If you didn’t help, that would be a bigger problem.

Still, why?

What I want to say is thank you.

“… How is Ian?”

I briefly heard that my younger body was recovering.

But I don’t know the details.

I didn’t check it myself.

I want to see you, but… You don’t deserve it.

The ice man, who was always busy, became quiet after a few days.

Right now, I’m staring at the gates of the Demon King’s Castle from the side.

Why are you looking at me so persistently?

“Yes. I recovered safely and am now back to my old self. Injuries are also… .”

Sylvia couldn’t even hear Vivian’s words until the middle.

Because inside that gate, darkness unaffected by light stirred.

Vivian didn’t see it because her back was to the gate.

However, some reinforcements who were clearing the entrance felt the darkness inside the gate and became alert.

‘Something… .’

There was no time to think.

Sylvia quickly grabbed Vivian by the collar and pulled her down.

“Huh?!”

The moment Sylvia covers it.

-bang!

The Demon King Castle exploded.

The explosion that shattered the large castle struck Sylvia on the back, sending castle debris raining down in all directions.

***

The final general offensive ended around dawn.

Even though I breathed a sigh of relief, I couldn’t shake off my anxiety.

Inside the command room, it was decided to put aside any doubts regarding the relationship between the first party and the Shinigami.

The goal right now is to enter the Demon King’s Castle and end the war.

First, you must heal the injured and wait until the eight elites’ strength is fully recovered.

Until then, we will be stationed near the Demon King’s Castle and monitor the internal situation.

‘… what. This unknown anxiety.’

The identity of the Shinigami and the Demon King.

Clues revealed by three journals… .

While I was going through complicated thoughts here and there.

-Beep… .

A sharp ringing sound pierced my ears.

A pain as if my brain was being torn apart came over me.

I clenched my teeth and endured the pain, but I couldn’t help but frown.

“Ian? What’s going on? Why all of a sudden… .”

I couldn’t answer.

The moment you try to say it’s okay.

-bang!

Several video mirrors reflecting the scene shook violently at the same time.

A sharp explosion was also heard.

After that, the entire gate shook as if there had been a small earthquake.

“Earthquake?”

no.

I knew right away.

An unidentified explosion that occurred at that site spread here.

‘How big of an explosion is that?’

The dusty cloudy landscape slowly cleared.

The place where the Demon King Castle was disappeared.

By the time I sensed it.

-bang!

A part of the castle wall flew from somewhere and fell in front of the gate.

“What, what!”

Someone urgently shouted and looked outside.

Huge fragments of the castle flew in.

A few of them hit the gate, but they could not destroy the place.

“Devil Castle? Isn’t this the devil’s castle wall?”

“The Demon King’s Castle is not visible on the screen… .”

I watched the screen amid the commotion.

Slowly, the cloud of dust on the screen cleared.

A large crater formed where the Demon King Castle was.

A pit the size of that huge fortress was concave downward.

‘Are the people around you safe? Judging by the fact that the sun remains, it seems that at least Helena is safe. ‘What about other people?’

[master. it’s okay.]

Even though I didn’t send any telepathy, Kati informed me.

‘Are you sure?’

[…] I don’t know what it is, but it’s hard to move my body because I’m being pushed by a strong force… . At least it’s not life-threatening. It looks like he was crushed by some heavy brick, but he can get out.]

I had to answer what Katy said, but I couldn’t.

A huge pit visible on the screen.

In the center, there was someone sitting dressed in gray armor.

The chair I sat on was huge and grand, like a throne, but that was it.

It wasn’t flashy.

The throne was made of rough stone and was rough.

The subject, clad in faded armor, was as proud as a king, but seemed powerless.

It has to be that way.

There were countless red tentacles on his back, and it seemed as if the tentacles were absorbing physical strength.

The thin and small tentacles are countless.

It was as if each blood vessel had been ripped out and pulled out.

The tentacles were connected to the floor.

“… … .”

Everyone looked at him in silence.

The gray figure rose slowly and heavily.

The tentacle that was attached to his back fell off with a thud.

The tentacles that were scattered helplessly were soon absorbed into the floor and disappeared.

When he got up and came down from the throne, the throne also crumbled into dust.

Jerk, jerk.

Empty steps fill a large basin.

He stood completely in the center and saw this place.

Stare straight at the screen as if looking directly at me.

I can’t see their faces because of the helmets, but it seems like their eyes have met.

There is no black energy emanating from the entire body, and there are no vicious horns.

He just looked like an ordinary mercenary, knight, or warrior.

Even with that appearance, everyone, including me, could instinctively know.

A pit that formed where the Demon King’s Castle was.

There, a figure sitting on a throne.

‘Devil… .’

The Demon King said.

[Ian.]

It is a voice that touches the brain.

It is clear, yet resounds like an echo.

[I know what I’m seeing.]

I’m not the only one who heard this.

Everyone inside the command center was startled and looked at me.

[come. If you don’t come, I will kill everyone here and then leave.]

The devil himself pointed me out.