Chapter 319: Chapter 319

[Our northern borders have been breached! A large number of monsters have invaded, and it is difficult to ensure safety within the Empire! Please provide assistance immediately……!]

[Five High Demons have appeared in Rania! The shelter has collapsed! The Imperial Knight Order must quickly…….]

“……What? Rania?”

Cadel’s expression hardened as he focused on [Ullo]’s jumbled voice. In this brief moment of confrontation the two demons, the Empire’s northern border and capital had fallen. Moreover, there were no magic circles within the capital.

“They must have dug a tunnel. That noisy demon must have dug his way up, too, because the seals have been broken and the demons are free to move.”

Garuel looked at [Ullo] with a grave expression on his face. If the borders were breached, and the central capital fell. The Empire would be besieged from the inside and outside. If the Empire was attacked from within, the damage would be irreparable.

“What are you going to do, Knight Commander?”

The presence of the demon called Sol was too much for the Knight Order to handle immediately. It would take at least half an hour to exterminate her, and that would be enough time for the demons to take over the Empire.

‘Even if we make it to Rania, as long as there’s a mix of civilians and demons, there is a limit to the types of AoE attacks that can be used.

However, the request for support could not be ignored.

「Demon Realm Summoning Progression : 25%」

「Human Realm Invasion Progression : 76%」

If the Empire fell from the start, it would be impossible to keep up the progression. He must stop them at all costs.

“……It can’t be helped.”

As he rounded up his combatants, he called out to Yozen, who stood by his side.

“Garuel and I are traveling to Rania now, so I’ll leave this place in your hands, and you can find me as soon as you’re done.”

“Okay.”

After patting Yozen on the shoulder in faith and encouragement, Cadel snatched [Ullo] out of the air.

“This is the Scarlet Scales Knight Order. We’re sending reinforcements to Rania. Please do move the wounded away from their posts, and prioritize the evacuation of the residents.”

* * *

A ‘traveling gateway’ that connected the country, its allies, and neighboring countries. These gateways, which fused cutting-edge technology and magic, were placed at key locations in each country, infusing an amount of mana proportional to the distance between them to facilitate travel.

“It’s been such a long time since we had a date like this, just the two of us? I feel like my heart will explode. Would you like to touch it?”

“Do you really want to be punched in the face?”

“Umm, dirty talk.”

“……You seem to be too nervous. Come to your senses.”

Cadel and Garuel activated a traveling gateway near the garrison and quickly reached the entrance to the Imperial capital of Rania. As they rushed inward, they saw countless people fleeing in confusion, soldiers evacuating them, and the wounded being carried away.

In [Ullo], reports of the growing damage were mounting, and the Knight Orders, barely able to cover their own territory, were screaming for more troops even as they were forced to pull away.

The closer they got to the source of this mess, the more unnerving the atmosphere became. Garuel tethered his horse behind a suitable building and stepped onto the ground first. Reaching out and safely dismounting Cadel, he looked around at the magi that had spread like a fog around them.

“I don’t think any of the demons have gotten out this far yet. The soldiers inside seem to be keeping them in check……. We can use this as a starting point.”

“Right, so let’s go ahead and move up.”

Cadel gauged the height of the building next to them and drew a small magic circle into the ground. As he breathed mana into it, an air updraft was created, lifting them both into the air.

Cadel adjusted the amount of mana he used to gain altitude to the roof of the building, and as soon as he was sure it was safe, Garuel grabbed Cadel by the waist and landed on the roof. Fixing his slightly crooked mask, he craned his neck lightly to catch his breath.

“What should I do, Knight Commander? I guess I’m really nervous. I need a word of encouragement.”

Garuel drew his sword without even looking in Cadel’s direction to offer words of encouragement. His eyes were hard as he stared off into the distance as if he wasn’t joking when he said he was nervous.

As he stared at Garuel, Cadel reached out and tugged at his shoulder blade, and then planted a quick peck on the cheek of the unresisting Garuel.

“Knight Commander……?”

“It’s a physical contact you like better than words of encouragement, and if you succeed, I’ll give you one more.”

In an instant, his tense gaze relaxed to meet Cadel’s stoic face, and he broke into a hearty laugh.

“You’ve grown too much, my Knight Commander. It seems like just yesterday you were shivering at the mere blow of the wind in your ears.”

“If you don’t like it.”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t like it. If I return home with unconditional success, I will brag to everyone.”

「Kight ‘Garuel Monzasi’ ’s favorability has increased by 3.」

「Current favorability: 84/100」

Cadel smirked as he reviewed Garuel’s favorability rating window, which had risen dramatically over the year.

“Let’s start.”

Taking a deep breath, Garuel braced himself with his sword on the roof. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and soon a stream of demonic energy covered the left half of his body. A dark-colored demonic energy that curled strangely like black flames. Up to this point, it was no different from the Garuel of before. But right after the demonic energy was released.

‘Anyway, that sure is exaggerated.’

A dazzling ball of light enveloped his right half. Pure white light, in stark contrast to the demonic energy, enveloped him like a holy knight’s armor.

“Oh, no, I’m in trouble……. I can’t help but laugh at the thought of my comrades’ jealousy. Laughter in the midst of this horrific battlefield is too devilish.”

He unleashed his perfectly distributed power and raised his sword with a leisurely smile.

[Pendulum of Balance].

This buff was created by simultaneously activating demonic energy and light mana and was similar to Van’s [Blood Flow Sword]. Once Garuel entered the [Pendulum of Balance] state, he could use a variety of techniques depending on the ratio of the two powers.

“I’ll focus on healing for now, and I’ll leave the High Demons to you, Knight Commander.”

As Garuel finished speaking, a giant balance scale floated up behind him. The balance scale was formed of demonic energy on one plate and light mana on the other. It began to tilt toward demonic energy at Garuel’s will.

As the slope of the balance scale steepened, the energy enveloping Garuel’s sword increased in proportion to the demonic energy. The sword resonated low as it was drenched in the demonic energy, which curled strangely as if it had been quenched in the fires of hell.

In time with the resonance, the demonic energy that colored Garuel’s half-body was absorbed into the sword and condensed into a ball at the tip of the sword pointed forward. And the moment the balance scale stopped moving.

[Dark Demon Raging Waves].

Condensed demonic energy exploded, a massive surge of energy belligerently sweeping across the ground like a tidal wave, with minute amounts of light mana spreading out like leafy veins between them.

At first glance, it looked similar to Van’s technique, the [River of the Dead], but Garuel and Van’s techniques were inherently different.

“What, what is that?”

“Is that demonic energy……? Then that flashing light is……. Damn it, just run!”

“There are too many injured! They’re all gathered nearby!”

The knights were confused by the ominous energy that suddenly enveloped the city. A turbulence of energy, greedy and all-consuming. The attack could not possibly have come from their allies.

They desperately tried to carry the wounded out of range, but the speed of the oncoming demonic energy was too much. Demons in front of them, an unidentified attack behind them. Just as they were beginning to feel hopeless.

[This is the capital city of Rania. No one moves. We’re deploying wide-area healing techniques.]

Cadel’s calm voice echoed from their [Ullo], and a surge of demonic energy engulfed the capital.

“Healing technique? What the hell is this healing…… Argh!”

“Get into the building! Take the injured and evacuate……!”

Screams of horror filled the city. The knights braced themselves for the next impact, and the wounded who remained conscious closed their eyes tightly, expecting death.

But they were not to die.

“……?”

“My, my body……. The wounds are……!”

Garuel’s demonic energy never harmed humans. His energy followed the same will as its master’s oath, protecting and healing humans.

From small nibbles to catastrophic injuries. Once touched by demonic energy, a wound healed incredibly quickly, returning to its original form. It was as efficient as a dozen competent healers pouring mana into it.

One by one, the wounded began to wake up, even those who had been unconscious from the terrible pain. The humans finally stirred from their crouches. The scent of death that had engulfed Rania was pushed aside by the turbulence of demonic energy.

But his demonic energy did not heal all of Rania.

“……Demonic energy.”

“It doesn’t belong to our own people.”

“Kehehe! Who the hell uses demonic energy like this?”

Five High Demons had cornered Rania. Gathered in the square, they grew uncomfortable as they sensed the familiar power that resurrected all the humans they had slain.

The regenerative power of demonic energy was reserved for demons alone, and to use such great power against an inferior race, a race that had stolen their freedom, was in itself an unpardonable sin.

“And what’s with that light, it’s very unpleasant.”

The demons’ gazes shifted at their click-tongued comrade’s remark. Presently, a slender beam of light circled around the square, encircling the ground they stood on.

It seemed to be either a way to isolate the demons from the humans or a harbinger of some unusual technique. Instead of moving, they decided to watch the column of light, which proved to be a poor decision.

In this case, Garuel’s light mana was solely for ‘position marking’ purposes.

“……There’s a whole bunch of them.”

Cadel’s eyes lit up as he spotted the dazzling pillar of light in the distance. With Garuel’s AoE healing replenishing his allies’ power, all that remained was to exterminate the unwanted guests.