Chapter 25: Before the Cruel Wave (2)

A wave crashing down after a month-long respite.

Adjusting to the enemy’s characteristics and regaining their senses required time, but hesitation was only momentary.

The Extermination Unit leaped in precisely when needed, reinforcing the overheated defensive lines, and with their support, the defenders quickly reformed their ranks.

With each passing moment, the Crusaders stood firmer against the relentless tide.

“Haa…”

It had been nearly two hours since the battle began.

Avelin wiped the sweat drenching her face, taking a brief breath after cutting down yet another wave of demons that had broken through the defenses.

“You’re working hard.”

“Hard work? This is just what the Extermination Unit does. Compared to that, you seem surprisingly fine.”

“Well, isn’t this what the Defense Unit is supposed to do? Conserve as much strength as possible and endure. Once the summoning ends, I’ll be jumping in too.”

The rift to the Otherworld would continue pouring out demons for exactly two hours.

At a glance, it might sound like a short period, but…

“We’re taking heavy casualties again today.”

“Yes. More than last time.”

The number of Crusaders pulled back for treatment was not small.

Bodies that couldn’t be retrieved in time, corpses so mangled by the demon hounds’ fangs that they were beyond recognition.

“Ha… I can’t feel my lower body. There’s so much blood…”

“I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die! If we just survive this wave, we can go home!”

And then, there were those who were still dying.

“If I had jumped in a little sooner…”

“Avelin, don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. The real problem is those damn demons returning stronger every time.”

“No. The true evil lies elsewhere.”

Avelin shook her head, clenching her teeth.

“The rulers who refuse to properly support the Crusaders. Those people are more wicked than the demons.”

“…I can’t argue with that. Like you said, we’re weak.”

The Crusaders were trained under harsher conditions than any other force in the world.

But that was precisely because they were weak.

Tasked with protecting the world from annihilation, yet not given elite status—what a contradiction.

The rulers of each nation were passive when it came to supporting the Crusaders.

They hoarded their strongest forces under their command and merely disposed of expendable personnel, sending criminals and volunteers alike to the frontlines.

If even one or two divisions of properly trained and equipped regular troops had been deployed to assist, the situation would have been drastically different.

“I keep wondering, Kayron.”

“What are you wondering about?”

“There.”

Avelin hesitated to point, instead motioning with a slight nod.

High above the battlefield, far from the defensive formation, Commander Balthazar sat, observing.

“The Commander no longer fights alongside us. He says it’s ‘just in case.’ Especially…”

This time, Avelin’s gaze flickered toward me.

“Ever since you arrived.”

“Yeah. I remember. In the beginning, the Commander personally led one of the Extermination Units. Now that you mention it…”

Even from just a glance, certain things stood out.

The elite guards stationed around Commander Balthazar were equipped with far superior gear compared to us.

And…

“Look at us. We’ve been training in this godforsaken place for so long that our faces are a mess. But the Commander’s guards? Not a scratch on them. Which means…”

“They haven’t suffered.”

Ironically enough, Commander Balthazar’s guards were extravagantly privileged.

Royalty and nobility from across the world.

The sons of the powerful.

The Crusaders were nothing more than a tool—used to grant practical combat experience to the elite, a convenient stepping stone to bestow the honor of “having fought for the world.”

“I know our Crusaders are maintained by the financial support of various nations. But even so, it still doesn’t sit right with me.”

“I agree. If this is how things are going to be, they could at least increase the funding. If I weren’t in this situation…”

“In what situation?”

“Ah…!”

Avelin suddenly clamped her mouth shut, as if she had said too much.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Alright, alright. If you don’t want to talk about your past, I won’t pry.”

No matter what happened before, no matter who they had been—

The core rule of the Crusaders was that they had to stand as one against the waves.

But complaining wouldn’t change anything. Not immediately, at least.

And right now…

The time had come.

“Let’s finish this wave first.”

As the crimson glow from the rift to the Otherworld finally dimmed, the demon hounds stopped pouring out.

Doom- Doom- Doom- Doom-

A rapid drumbeat, struck with all its might.

The signal for the counterattack—no more holding back.

Until now, they had focused solely on maintaining formation and conserving their strength. But now, that was no longer necessary.

It was time to deliver judgment upon the demons who had wounded and killed their comrades.

“It’s time. Deploy the Black Iron Shieldwall!”

“Yes, sir! Black Iron Shieldwall!”

“Raise it!!”

The Black Iron Brigade, who had endured without faltering even once, immediately shifted formation upon my command.

As if moving as a single body, they clustered together, shields rising in unison to form an impenetrable wall.

The demon hounds, now trapped, threw themselves desperately at the shieldwall, trying to break through. But the Black Iron Brigade stood their ground without so much as a tremor.

“Now then…”

I tightened my grip around my sword.

As I infused it with mana, the massive greatsword absorbed the energy, glowing brilliantly.

“Let’s begin the real extermination.”

I leaped forward.

To lighten the burden of my soldiers, who had held the line for so long—

I swung my sword with all my might.

Claang—!

A colossal blade of energy surged forward, roaring across the battlefield.

Upon striking the ground, it detonated, wiping out the demon hounds besieging the Black Iron Brigade in an instant.

The force of the blast caused the shieldwall to waver slightly, but with most of the demon hounds incinerated, reforming their formation was no problem.

“Hah… That was satisfying, you bastards!”

“As expected from our Captain!”

Now that they had a brief moment to breathe, my soldiers cheered in my direction.

“It’s all thanks to you. Now, push in deeper!”

“Yes, sir! We’ll trust you, Captain!”

“……Seriously.”

When I turned my head, I saw Avelin staring at me, her mouth slightly agape.

“What? Seriously, what?”

“You’re ridiculously reckless.”

“What? Reckless?! I targeted only the demons! That was an incredibly precise strike!”

“Why are you getting mad? It was a compliment.”

“Who in their right mind uses ‘reckless’ as a compliment…?”

Avelin exchanged a few playful words with me before flashing a grin and adding:

“Keep doing what you’re doing. If you do,”

Then, with renewed determination in her eyes, she turned to her subordinates, who had regained their strength during the brief respite.

“The rift is closed. But we still need to clean up the remaining demons. Silver Guard, follow me!”

“Yes, Avelin-nim! We will follow you!”

“Let’s go! Make sure we don’t fall behind those brute Black Iron Brigade and Kayron! We need to claim our own glory!”

“Hey, Avelin! Come on, enough with the ‘brute’ thing already—!”

Before I could finish, Avelin had already launched herself toward the demons.

Yet, as she passed by me, just for an instant—

She turned her head slightly and gave me a fleeting, mischievous smile.

****

As the demon summoning finally came to an end, I, Avelin, and the other unit captains no longer held back.

The countless demon hounds that once filled our vision dwindled rapidly.

Watching this unfold with an eerily calm expression, Commander Balthazar turned to his adjutant and asked:

“How does it look, adjutant?”

“Everything is proceeding smoothly. Given that these demon hounds were larger and stronger than last time, our casualties are surprisingly low.”

“…Smoothly, you say.”

A grim expression settled on Balthazar’s face.

“That means… ‘they’ are not entertained.”

“…Yes, sir.”

“This won’t do. Displeasing them would not be wise.”

As Balthazar bit his lip, his adjutant’s face darkened as well.

“Then… what must we do to satisfy them?”

“…A variable.”

Murmuring the word variable, Balthazar gave a slow nod.

“Send out a messenger pigeon.”

“Yes, sir. Where should it go? What should the message say?”

“There’s no need for anything specific.”

Balthazar added cryptically:

“Just release it. That will be enough.”

“…Pardon? Y-yes, sir!”

Though the adjutant did not understand the meaning behind the order, he obeyed.

He took a pigeon from the cage and set it free—without any message attached to its body.

The bird soared into the sky, gliding freely—

Thud—

Only to have its neck snatched mid-air by the talons of a passing raven.

The predator, now clutching its prey, locked eyes with Balthazar for a long, knowing moment.

Then—

Its eyes shimmered with an eerie violet light.

Having sent his signal, Balthazar turned his gaze toward the battlefield, where Kayron was single-handedly carving through the demon hounds.

“Let’s put you to the test, Kayron. Let’s see what kind of blessing you possess…”

***

“Huh? W-what’s happening?”

The Otherworld Rift, once quiet after nearly all the demons had been cleared—

Ziiing—

Suddenly, it began glowing red again.

“T-this shouldn’t be happening! Commander!”

“What’s going on?”

“The rift—it’s glowing again!”

At the panicked cry of a soldier, one of the unit commanders rushed over to inspect the Otherworld Rift.

“This is… not good.”

“W-what should we do?”

“For now—fall back!”

Sensing something ominous, the commander spun around and shouted:

“Reform ranks and stay alert! We have no idea what’s about to—”

Chomp—

He never finished his sentence.

A massive maw snapped shut around him, swallowing him whole—crushing his body between razor-sharp fangs.

Grrr…

“W-what the hell is that?!”

A new demon emerged, standing just in front of the Otherworld Rift.

It was a monstrous beast—

A three-headed demon hound.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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