Chapter 408: All-Out War

Writing this part…… made me realize once again that Touka is not a "classic protagonist" at all.

Socio snaps back to attention once more.

Around him are subordinates connected to the Eucalion family.

They were all watching his flustered state.

A surge of heat spreads across his face.

Socio grits his teeth.

How——— How unsightly……!

[Guh———— what are you doing, Sacraments!? Against our forces, that level of resistance is nothing! Crush them! If that flame is a power granted by the Goddess’s blessing, then eventually his mental power will run dry! It’s not infinite! Use our numerical advantage, exhaust him———– overwhelm him with sheer numbers!]

Sweat beads on his skin as he lets out a short breath and forces a confident smile.

He runs his fingers through his damp bangs, slicking them back with a practiced elegance.

[Do you all know? The so-called Hero of Black Flames achieved nothing in the battle at Anti-Demon White Fortress. In fact, he panicked and fled the battlefield in terror. Unlike the other Heroes, there hasn't been a single remarkable achievement from him since. Ah, I saw him once myself…… Hmph, at best, he looked like a dimwitted fool. That’s right! The Hero of Black Flames is nothing special! Listen well! He’s not even among the highest-ranked! He is neither that Human-Faced killer Ayaka Sogou, nor Hijiri Takao, who defied the goddess and was sentenced to death! He’s not even Takuto Kirihara————, ……….]

[…………Brother? Is something the matter……?]

[———————-]

□

At that moment, a certain thought was born in Socio Eucalion's mind.

This thought would cause the Sacrament Army on the front lines to significantly slow their movements for a while.

I kept moving, incinerating my targets as I went.

I carved a path forward with my flames.

Even if only a little, I had to burn away the obstacles to lessen the burden on those behind me.

I raised my arm toward the giant Sacrament.

A giant——– no other word fits it.

But black flames coiled around the giant’s feet, surging up its body, engulfing it.

A face with only eyes and a mouth.

Letting out a roar-like cry, the burning giant sank into the ground.

(I want to deal with as many of these giant Sacraments as possible, even the ones not carrying baskets……)

I turned around on horseback.

[Rinji-san! Are the people behind us okay!?]

[Yeah! They’re keeping up! Man——— Magnar cavalry really are something! Especially those White Rabbit Knights!]

In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of the White Rabbit Knights' leader, Sicily.

With an axe in each hand, she beheaded two Sacraments simultaneously.

The White Wolf King cut down Sacraments one after another with his sword.

Meanwhile, Lili and the Drunken Sword Party were at the very rear, so I couldn't tell their situation.

Before long———— a horn sounded, the signal for the ambush troops to begin their retreat.

If we pushed too deep into enemy lines, we'd be completely surrounded, making escape nearly impossible.

The timing of the retreat had been entrusted to the White Wolf King's judgment.

All the catapults within sight had been destroyed.

This was the moment to pull back———— And then, it happened.

[————————]

Amid the shifting landscape crowded with Sacraments———–

My eyes locked onto a human figure.

A man on horseback, blending in among the Sacraments.

He was adorned in extravagant clothing.

Probably a noble of high status.

He was close.

His eyes were wide open.

A face that screamed "he's caught off guard".

Or perhaps———–

"He’s been found."

Lily, who had once commanded Sacraments herself, had told me this:

"Sacraments can be controlled with human commands, allowing for more precise deployment."

Their presence is like the difference between an army with a leader and one without.

Then———-

If I could take out the humans giving the commands……

Wouldn’t that also reduce the casualties on our side?

———-However.

I had never, not in my original world, nor since arriving in this one———

Killed a single human.

I had slain Golden-eyed monsters and Sacraments.

No…… Was there even any real difference?

Monsters.

Sacraments.

Humans.

Killing was still "killing", wasn’t it?

No———- surely, this was different.

A human killing another human.

A person taking another’s life.

Could I do it?

Could I———-

Kill another person?

————, ……Ugh.

These heavy thoughts weighing my mind, I questioned myself.

Monsters. Sacraments.

No matter what the being is, it's all the same "killing", isn't it?

Then why———-

Why does this act———- feel so heavy?

……Kill?

I will?

Doing that to another person?

For what purpose?

—————————-To protect.

All of that inner turmoil lasted only a moment.

Flames extended from my hand.

By the time I realized it————– The man on horseback I had passed by was already burning.

The instant he caught fire, a scream rang out.

I heard it clearly.

Gradually, the screams faded…… swallowed by the surrounding noise, until it disappeared completely.

[………….., —————]

What was this?

This suffocating weight in my chest?

Like a mixture of tension and unease, pressed down by something even heavier———–

[Half.]

A strong voice broke through my thoughts.

Rinji.

He spoke as if he had sensed something.

Before , he had guided his horse closer to mine.

[……Rinji-san.]

[I’m not telling you to pretend it didn’t happen. But half of it———– half of this burden is on us adults.]

[Ah———–]

[What just happened, it wasn’t only on you. It happened because we relied on your power. And you did it for our allies, didn’t you? So——— there’s no reason for you to carry this alone.]

[……I———-]

[Well, maybe you need to face it in your own way, Tomohiro. But that doesn’t mean you have to bear it by yourself. The weight you’re feeling———– we can share it. That much, at least, I can do. Hey, Tomohiro———– before we’re adults……]

Rinji said——–

[We're also your comrades.]

[—————]

[So don’t worry. I’ll carry it too. No…… I have to.]

Then, with a slight grin, Rinji added———-

[Besides, that pain you’re feeling? It’s proof you’re still normal. Not feeling anything at all———– that would be the real problem. So…… there’s nothing to be ashamed of.]

Oru, who had been listening, suddenly chimed in.

[D*mn, as expected of Rinji-san.]

[You’re carrying this with us too, Oru.]

Perhaps trying to lighten the mood, Rinji spoke a little more playfully.

Catching on, Oru responded just as lightly.

[Yeah, yeah, I got it!]

I turned back to face forward.

[…………Thank you very much.]

I fought to keep my voice steady.

And———- once more, in my heart, I repeated my gratitude.

Thank you very much.

□

The ambush force that had struck out from the eastern gate of Azziz successfully completed its objective and managed to return within the city walls.

The damage was minimal, far less than expected.

Much of the credit went to Yasu Tomohiro’s black flames and the fierce efforts of the Sword Tiger Corps at the rear.

However———– more than anything, the sluggish movements of the Sacraments played a decisive role.

They seemed to hesitate in their attacks.

That hesitation had the greatest impact on the outcome.

Meanwhile, the Mira army, which had acted as a decoy by advancing from the southern gate, struggled.

An unexpectedly large number of Sacraments forces surged toward the south.

This was before the Sacraments’ movements had begun to slow.

At that time, their attacks were still sharp.

"At this rate, they may not be able to return through the southern gate."

If they reopened the gate for retreat, the Sacraments would flood inside.

Their numbers and momentum made it a serious concern.

At that moment, they appeared————

Faraway Country's army, which had been marching toward Azziz, had arrived.

After that, the battle took a dramatic turn.

The Sacraments forces at the southern gate found themselves caught in a pincer attack by both the Mira army and Faraway Country's army.

The most remarkable aspect was the extreme confusion among the enemy commanders.

In truth, Faraway Country's army was not particularly large in number.

Their main force had headed toward the Mira army, where the Mad Emperor was.

As a fighting force, they were rather lacking.

However, the Sacraments commanders had no way of knowing the scale of this reinforcement.

"A surprise attack from behind."

"They’ve been surrounded."

These facts only deepened their confusion.

Furthermore, the entire Sacraments’ movements visibly slowed as the battle progressed.

Recognizing the opportunity, Wright Mira quickly issued a retreat order with a horn signal.

The Mira army withdrew into the Royal Capital alongside their reinforcements.

As a result, even the decoy Mira forces suffered relatively little damage.

Thus————- under the leadership of the Immortal King Zect, Faraway Country's army successfully joined the defense of the Sacred Eye.

[Socio-dono!]

One of the generals commanding the Sacraments army protecting the catapults rode up on horseback.

[Why did you order the entire army to stand by!? The enemy had already advanced that deep into our ranks! If we had surrounded them and crushed them with sheer numbers, we could have inflicted far more damage! No, we might have even taken down the Hero along with them!]

[……Shut.]

[ ? ]

[Shut up.]

[Wha……!?]

[You…… understand nothing……]

I covered my mouth with my hand and spoke no more.

(……Vysis…… You clearly said…… that the Black Flame Hero was "dead"……!)

□

What I feared most was the survival of the other High-ranked Heroes.

Or rather———–

The possibility that they had defected to the enemy.

I was particularly wary of this.

Information had already spread regarding the survival of Ayaka Sogou.

After going missing, she reappeared on the battlefield———— fighting as an enemy.

Her survival had been confirmed, and her whereabouts were known.

However———-

Shougo Oyamada.

Hijiri Takao.

Takuto Kirihara.

No one had confirmed their corpses.

At least, not to my knowledge.

The Black Flame Hero, whom the Goddess herself had declared "dead", was still alive.

And he had sided with the enemy.

This meant that Vysis’s information could no longer be trusted.

If that was the case, then I had to consider the possibility that other Heroes might also appear.

For example———— Takuto Kirihara.

My younger brother, Kuja, had been present during Vysis and Kirihara’s meeting.

Kirihara had been leading an army of Golden-eyed monsters.

If…… If that was the case.

If Kirihara could even command the Human-Faceds……?

If he had stationed his forces somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to launch a surprise attack?

Anyone living on this continent knew all too well the horror of the Human-Faceds.

The mere thought of an army of Golden-eyed monsters attacking was terrifying.

No——— that was not the only concern.

I had also heard of Kirihara and Hijiri’s feats during the Grand Invasion.

The two of them had supposedly fought against the majority of the Eastern Invasion Force.

And this information did not come from Vysis alone.

Many soldiers who had participated in the Eastern War spoke of it.

This was credible information.

I considered the possibility.

If those two, whose fates remained uncertain, were still alive…… and present on this battlefield?

Not only him, what if Oyamada and even Hijiri’s sister might also be here.

If that were even possible———– then I had to consider retreat as an option.

When the time came, I would use the Sacraments as shields to buy myself time.

The most precious thing in this world was my own life.

That much was obvious.

Yes……

This fear I harbored———- this strategic foresight……

——–was valid.

The Black Flame Hero, who was supposed to be dead, had been alive.

Then wouldn’t the same apply to the other so-called "dead" Heroes?

Considering the "worst-case scenario", however uncertain they may be———-

I chose self-preservation.

As a result, the movement of the Sacrament army slowed.

And so, the golden opportunity for an offensive———— had been lost.

▽

I glared intently at the empty skies.

(I can't move.)

I couldn't afford to make a wrong move.

……In the first place, the one at fault here was Vysis.

She was the one who fed us unreliable information.

Vysis was to blame.

Could it be that the Goddess was just making things up as she went?

I can't trust them anymore.

Any information that Goddess gave me.

That's why I……

I did nothing wrong.

[………………..]

[Socio-dono, your orders!]

[…………, ………….Right…… For now, let’s observe the situation for half a day and……, ———-Hm?]

…………OoooOOOOOOOooooooOOO…………

The Sacraments……

Opened their mouths and began to howl.

My brows furrowed.

[What……? The Sacraments are……]

———-Shlkk!———-

[……Eh?]

I turned to look.

A spearhead was protruding from my younger brother Kuja’s left chest.

From behind———- He had been impaled with a spear.

[Bro…… Brother…… ——Ghuk.]

Kuja coughed up blood and died on horseback.

His body swayed before toppling to the ground.

I bellowed in rage.

[Who——— Who did this!? Who gave that order———–, ………….!?]

But then——— my words caught in my throat.

Seeing this scene before my eyes, my eyes widened.

[GYAAAAAAHHH!?]

[W- What are you doing!?]

[STOPPPP!!!]

One after another, my subordinates———– the humans were slaughtered by the Sacraments.

Before I even realized it, my own legs, still on horseback, were seized by the hands of the Sacraments.

[Wha!? You insolent trash! Unhand me! S- Stand down…… Stand down! Oi——– Gah!?

I was dragged down from my horse by several Sacraments, tumbling onto the ground.

[Ugh, they…… won't obey orders? Why……, ——-!]

As I laid fallen on the ground, the Sacraments surrounded me, weapons in hand, looking down upon me.

One of them readied its spear.

Pointing it at me.

[! W- Wait…… Stop this at once! I said stand down! S- Stand…… ———STOPPPP!! GYAAAAH———-]

———-Pfsh———- Shlk———- Slash———-

Blades pierced into Socio Eucalion's body one after another.

He struggled for a brief moment, but———–

[This…… un…… sightly……, ————-]

It was a futile resistance.

And just like that———-

Not a single human of the Azziz invasion force was spared from the hands of the Sacraments.@@novelbin@@

"Humans are a hindrance to the conquest of Azziz."

Was it truly Vysis' will that had influenced the Sacraments?

At that moment, they had strayed from their original function.

Like the revenants of folklore that haunted the deepest forests, the Sacraments howled.

Their eerie cries echoed even within the walls of Azziz.

The Sacraments began to march.

And soon———– the march turned into a thunderous charge.

Were they acting in unison, or was it chaos?

By appearance alone, they seemed to move with coordination.

Yet, their human commanders were gone.

If anything remained to command them, it was perhaps "Vysis' will"".

They advanced.

Like a writhing horde of insects.

The Sacraments swarmed the walls of Azziz.

At that moment, a voice rang out from atop the walls.

[DRAW YOUR BOWS!]

The Sacraments charged forward.

And then———–

[FIRE————!]

A rain of arrows poured down.

Followed by attack spells descending upon the Sacraments from above.

And yet————-

The horde did not stop.

Dashing through the arrow storm, the Sacraments crashed into the walls.

But even after crashing, they did not halt.

The ones behind them used the fallen as footholds, climbing ever higher.

More and more Sacraments made use of their own as steps to ascend the walls.

The outer perimeter————- was soon overflowing with Sacraments.

The Defensive Battle of the Sacred Eye.

Another decisive battle unfolds in the land of Azziz———–and from here, the conflict is only growing fiercer.

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