Chapter 148: The End of The War (4)

The members of the Red Flames group were scattering in every direction, pressuring Krund.

I, too, was leading the Head Hunter unit in a sprint.

The battle had been raging for quite some time now.

Though casualties had not yet mounted significantly, I could see each member growing weary.

We had successfully pinned Krund in place.

Soldiers poured out from Barta to support us.

However, it was uncertain how much longer we could keep this up.

“Fall back!”

At my command, the fighting members swiftly retreated.

Overcoming the corpses of fallen monsters, a new horde approached.

The sticky scent of blood and the innards of monsters familiarly assaulted our noses.

The monsters screamed, but the members maintained their composure and moved as planned.

All the while, I continuously surveyed the battlefield.

I kept track of the positions of our main members, Krian, and Theodore, moving naturally.

I also looked for Adam Hyung and Gale, who were nearby.

As planned, Adam Hyung was giving orders from behind.

I could see everyone was engaged in their own battles.

“Ha... Ha... Vice-captain!”

Then, Baran approached me urgently.

Even without his words, I had already witnessed what had happened.

Krund was charging, attacking the members of the Red Flames group.

The sight of members screaming and dying was vividly captured in my eyes.

The speed and strength of Krund were beyond words.

It was becoming clear why this demon was called the right hand of the Demon King.

“Captain! Vice-captain...! Aaargh! Please... save us!!”

Dying members screamed from afar.

I couldn’t count how many had fallen to Krund in this short battle.

This might have been the highest number of casualties since the founding of the Red Flames group.

Instinctively, I knew I had to throw myself into the fray.

Yet, the promises I made to my wives momentarily circled through my mind.

The promise that I would return.

“...”

But my hesitation didn’t last long.

I was the vice-captain of the Red Flames, the leader of the Head Hunter unit, and the captain of the assault team.

In the fiercest battles, I could not retreat.

“Let’s go!”

Not a single member of the Head Hunter unit raised objections to my command.

Even knowing we were heading into the greatest danger, no one backed down.

We started to pierce through the monster horde like a spear.

Accordingly, Theodore and Krian adjusted their strategies to match ours.

Seeing me, Adam Hyung shouted from a distance.

“Berg!”

I understood his concern, but I couldn’t hesitate.

Swinging my familiar sword side to side, we advanced.

It didn’t take us long to close in on Krund, attacking him by surprise from the flank.

A purple body. A humanoid form. Sharp teeth. Agile legs. Horns like those of the dragonian.

Krund, with his arm drenched in blood, prepared to pierce through another member standing in front of him.

- Whoosh!

I threw the spear handed to me by Baran at Krund.

Krund hastily dodged the incoming spear, retreating from the member.

Then, he turned to face me.

“...”

“...”

Locking eyes with a demon was truly a peculiar sensation.

Though I’ve killed countless normal monsters and boss monsters... This was the first time one met my gaze like this.

“...So, you’re Berg.”

Krund spoke with a voice full of metallic sounds.

The presence of an intelligent demon became real to me.

“...These dying vermin mentioned your name often.”

He provocatively taunted, his intentions clear.

Yet, knowing it was a provocation, it wasn’t easy to remain unshaken.

Krund, observing my expression, took a deep breath and said,

“...You’ve killed many of our leaders as well, haven’t you?”

Ignoring Krund’s murmuring, I told my members,

“....Step back.”

Baran showed anger at those words.

“Vice-captain...! Are you planning to fight alone again-”

“-It’s an order. Step back.”

This wasn’t a reaction to the provocation.

If I can’t do it, no one in the Red Flames group can.

I couldn’t bear to watch more members die at Krund’s hands.

Going back to Stockpin, facing the families with nothing to say.

If I don’t try, I can’t face them with dignity.

I had to throw myself into the fray, if only to have the excuse that I tried.

I dismounted my horse.

From what I observed at a distance, the horse would only be a hindrance in facing Krund.

I looked at the members lying dead at Krund’s feet.

Faces all too familiar.

“...”

Clenching my teeth, I controlled my emotions and commanded Baran.

“...Baran, I’ll take care of this one. You lead the Head Hunter unit.”

If it weren’t for Krund, the Red Flames group would have been dispatching the hordes of monsters effectively as always.

It was a matter of dealing with this Krund character.

After exchanging glances with Baran a couple of times, he too decided to act on his resolve.

“Scatter! We’ll protect the Vice-Captain’s back!”

Krund, shaking the blood off his arm, asked me.

“Do you think you stand a chance?”

I couldn’t help but smirk at his question.

As the battle progressed, I had come to realize something about Krund’s capabilities.

He seemed stronger than any opponent I had ever faced.

Even Gale would find it difficult to stand against Krund.

...But that didn’t mean I could back down.

The fallen members had fought Krund for their comrades, knowing well they might die.

I owed it to them to show at least as much spirit.

I gripped my sword tighter as I looked at Krund.

And then, simultaneously, we charged at each other.

****

The battle lasted half a day.

Arcan, bleeding, shouted.

“Just hold on a little longer!!”

His body was covered in wounds inflicted by the monsters.

He had lost so much blood it was a wonder he hadn’t collapsed yet.

Even his complexion had turned pale.

He stumbled repeatedly, but each time, he shook his head, trying to maintain his focus.

His arms were so drenched in blood that it had begun to coagulate, and the spear he held had its tip broken off, barely functioning as a weapon anymore.

Yet, his gaze continually sought out Felix.

As if hoping for something.

Sylphrien sat down, trembling hands stretching out as she recited her spells.

Having reached her limit, she was squeezing out all her strength.

Above her, several birds she had summoned were circling.

Their erratic behavior seemed to sense Sylphrien’s imminent end.

But Sylphrien’s eyes were filled with determination.

Her will to fight had not faded.

Her gaze, too, was locked on Felix.

The king continued to issue commands despite the numerous wounds on his face.

Even though the Demon King had been ambushed, his resistance was giving everyone a hard time.

Sien was watching all of this, pouring out her holy power.

Even on the verge of fainting, the thought that this could be the end, and the fact that Berg’s life was at stake, gave her the strength to push through.

How wonderful it would have been if there was a happy future with him beyond this.

Though it was too much to hope for... Sien’s power was continuously healing everyone.

...But now, her power was starting to wane.

-Clang! Clang!

Up ahead, the hero continued his fight against the Demon King.

Even up to this point, it could be considered a success.

The Demon King, who had brought pain to the entire kingdom, was now cornered.

Though it was uncertain who could win, the mere fact that a battle was underway signaled an end in sight.

Sien hoped that her comrade, Felix, would bring it to a close.

Everyone was truly at their limit.

The hastily gathered forces were few in number, but various monsters were converging from all directions to support the Demon King.

It was a relief that Krund was not here.

With that thought, Sien also wondered about Berg.

What condition might he be in?

Was he holding his own against Krund... or had something gone wrong?

Regardless, the priority remained unchanged: the Demon King had to be eliminated first.

“Argh...Aaaargh!”

Just then, a scream erupted from Arcan’s direction.

Looking over, Arcan was falling.

Several monsters that had climbed on his back were bringing him down.

Sien and Sylphrien, shocked, moved to support that direction, but Sylphrien too was knocked down by the charging monsters she hadn’t seen.

“Ah!”

Sien exclaimed at the sight.

“Please help Sylphrien-nim...!”

Sien commanded the knights around her, and several of them rushed to aid her.

But reaching Sylphrien was not as easy as said.

With two heroes down, the situation was increasingly grim.

The knights managed to rescue Sylphrien in time, but she seemed to lack the strength to stand.

A monster had bitten her leg, rendering her unable to walk.

Even as Sien healed her wounds, it seemed she still lacked the strength.

Nevertheless, Sylphrien strained to look around, scanning her surroundings.

As the encirclement tightened, she seemed to recall the events from Jackson’s time.

The agonized Sylphrien finally turned to look at the hero.

She shouted with a voice full of hope.

“Felix!!!”

Arcan, too, engulfed by a swarm of monsters, cried out.

“Felix!!!”

At his call, all the soldiers also cried out for the hero.

“Hero!!”

“Please win!!”

The cries of hundreds converged into one.

-Boom!!

And at that moment, a bright light accompanied by a massive explosion burst forth.

-Whoosh...!

Something flew and landed beside Sien.

-Thud.

“...Huh?”

Turning her head, she saw... an arm had fallen.

There was no need to say whose arm it was.

...It was Felix’s right arm.

“It’s over.”

The Demon King’s low voice echoed across the now silent battlefield, following the explosion.

“...Yes, I agree.”

Felix’s voice resounded in kind.

The holy sword, which had soared into the sky with Felix’s right arm, seemed to find its way into Felix’s left hand as if seeking its master.

-Thud!!

With one arm, the hero faced the Demon King and thrust the holy sword into his body.

The holy sword, blossoming like a flower through the Demon King’s torso, gushed dark red blood.

Felix screamed, exerting all his strength.

The Demon King’s arm, which had been poised to strike the hero, froze in mid-air and stopped.

Sien watched the scene from afar, blinking in disbelief.

It was hard to believe.

Yet, it was the unfolding reality.

Seven years of suffering... were coming to an end.

Everything seemed to slow down, capturing slowly in her vision.

The Demon King began to spit blood from his mouth, and Felix, with a shout, pulled the holy sword from the Demon King’s side.

The Demon King slowly knelt down, and suddenly, the hero, raising the sword above his head, swung it down vertically.

An eternity-like moment.

Sien recalled all the pain she had endured over the years.

For this moment... how much had been sacrificed?

The moment she left Berg, causing him pain.

The moments she longed for him.

The moments she needed his warmth.

The moments she had to stand alone without Berg.

The anniversaries she had to spend alone without him, and so on...

And then, the recent sight of Berg getting wives.

How many tears had she shed, how much had she hurt, and how much had she longed for him?

It was the point where all obligations ended.

It was also the time when the moment she had dearly wished for was realized.

-Thud.

The Demon King’s head fell to the ground.

Felix, gasping for breath, held the severed part of his now missing right arm.

Silence fell over the battlefield as the Demon King’s cleanly severed neck lay still.

Starting with Felix, a faint light began to emanate from his body.

The same was true for Arcan.

And Sylphrien.

And naturally, Sien... light started leaking from her body as well.

This light made the surrounding monsters take a step back.

None of the remaining soldiers could find the words to speak.

They could only stare blankly at the heroes who had slain the Demon King.

****

-Peeeeeee...! Peeeeeee...!

The hawk that had been circling overhead let out a loud cry once more.

At that sound, Gale looked up at the sky in disbelief.

Soon, with a trembling voice, he shouted to Adam.

“...It’s over...!”

Adam and his soldiers looked at Gale upon hearing this.

With numerous casualties, the Red Flames group was reaching its limit.

It was only because Berg had been holding off Krund that they had managed to hold on this long.

At this good news, Adam swallowed hard.

Gale, with tears welling up in his eyes, blinked and confirmed to Adam.

His blood-stained face told of the hardships he had endured.

“It’s over, Adam...! The hero party has slain the Demon King...!”

The moment Adam’s surrounding members clenched their fists and burst into cheers, Adam quickly issued an order.

“Order a retreat.”

Upon his command, Theodore, standing by Adam’s side, shot a fire arrow into the sky.

The cry of the hawk and the fire arrow piercing the evening sky made everyone understand the command.

One by one, they started to prepare to withdraw from the battlefield.

The injured and the members leading them began to move, preparing to flee.

...The only ones not moving were a few individuals.

Berg, continuing the battle with Krund, and the Head Hunter unit members supporting him.

Surrounded by monsters, they were unable to step away from the battlefield.

The fact that Berg had trapped Krund in one place meant, conversely, that Krund had also trapped Berg in the same space.

Adam watched Berg from a distance.

Berg was in too deep.

Moreover, Berg was losing ground in the fight against Krund.

He was holding on, but his wounds were steadily increasing.

Adam, uncharacteristically, felt his mind go blank as he watched Berg.

The usual Adam would always make the most correct decision.

Berg would be surprised to hear... but sometimes, even at the expense of sacrificing his members, Adam had led the war to victory.

Adam wasn’t known for being particularly emotional.

After all, a leader was supposed to know about making sacrifices for the greater good.

...Of course, the reason Adam could make such sacrifices wasn’t because he was a born leader.

He simply had a dream.

Adam surveyed his surroundings.

His Red Flames group members were endlessly bleeding out.

Not a single one was in a condition to be called normal... realistically.

Realistically, it was impossible to go rescue Berg.

A sacrifice for the greater good.

Instinctively, Adam knew that Berg had to be that sacrifice.

“.............”

Adam stood still, gazing at Berg continuing the fight.

He momentarily recalled the reason behind starting all this.

Just as Berg’s pain had fertilized his journey to this position.

Adam too had pain that fueled his journey to this point.

For that dream, Adam could do anything.

That had never changed.

The promise made through tears of blood to his dying siblings was not a light one.

“...Adam...! I will follow your choice alone...!”

Gale, having calmed his heart, shouted from his side.

Adam was still looking at Berg.

Berg, fighting desperately and shedding blood.

When they first met 7 years ago, he was merely a tool to be used and discarded.

...When had he started to feel like a younger brother?

Adam had been promised a title of nobility.

It was a position more promising than any dream, allowing him to move forward like never before.

Adam had lived chasing this dream for nearly a decade.

So, in his mind, he already knew what he should do.

Just close his eyes once, leaving behind the now unreachable Berg was the right choice.

............But his heart was telling him a different story.

“...Theodore. Lead the injured and manage the retreat.”

Adam found himself whispering. These weren’t words thought through with his head.

He just found himself saying them as he came to his senses.

“...Captain?”

Gale nodded, moving to stand by Adam’s side.

Adam was reminded of the sight of his siblings dying.

Even though there was no direct correlation to the current situation, something overlapped.

...A scene he never wanted to see again.

Thus, Adam drew his sword and told his members.

“I will... go and get Berg.”

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

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