Chapter 771
It's very common to taunt the enemy on the battlefield to break their morale.
Evangeline considered that weight jibe to be that kind of attack as well. So she tried to brush it off without much impact.
'I'll beat the crap out of all of you, you monsters… '
Her fighting spirit was burning even more fiercely.
However, this scale play by the black knight commander was not a simple taunt.
Right after the giant scale 'judged' that Evangeline was heavier.
Clank…!
With a heavy sound like chains being dragged, Evangeline suddenly staggered.
"Ugh…?!"
Her whole body feels as heavy as cotton soaked in water.
Stumbling and grabbing the castle wall, Evangeline gritted her teeth.
'What is this, my body…?!'
Then the black knight put a new subject on the scale and said:
"A day's wages for a person is sufficient with one quart of wheat and three quarts of barley, a little olive oil and wine."
"…?!"
"Sins that exceed this become piled upon the soul, acting as a weight that drags that soul to hell."
Two subjects were placed on the scale.
One was Evangeline, and on the other side was a calf.
Clank!
Evangeline was heavier.
The pressure of weight on Evangeline's entire body also increased. Unable to withstand the suffocating pressure, Evangeline fell to one knee on the ground.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
In succession, the weight of Evangeline's sins was compared to numerous other beasts. And Evangeline's sins were heavier than any of those beasts.
"You have committed numerous killings. Your sins are far heavier than any beast."
The black knight commander slowly extended his hand, pointing at Evangeline.
"I shall take away your life accordingly."
The scales spun around in circles, with the water-formed image of the young knight positioned in the center.
An ancient powerful curse was loaded.
Now when the black knight waves his hand, it will tear away as much life from Evangeline's body as judged.
"Sins, you say…?"
At that moment, overcoming the pressure of the curse, Evangeline opened her mouth.
"Who are you to play judge of my life…?"
Crack!
Instead of dispelling the curse with magic, Evangeline endured it with brute force.
Against the curse pressing down on her from all directions, she tightened her abdomen and managed to raise her body. Then she roared.
"I am Evangeline Cross! Daughter of Charles and Elaine, eldest daughter of the Cross family, and heir to the Margrave of the Everblack Empire!"
Thud!
Evangeline, gripping her spear and shield, stared straight at the enemy commander.
"I killed enemies to protect my people. Since I swore to defend this land, I have not been ashamed of my actions for a single moment."
"…"
"Don't judge my life by your standards, monster!"
The black knight commander silently completed the curse.
Clank-!
Countless execution devices made of iron chains appeared in the air around Evangeline and fell towards her.
Evangeline raised her shield with all her might to block all those curses.
Clang! Claaang-!
Evangeline's shield glowed brilliantly white, recognizing the incoming curses as 'enemy attacks' and absorbing them all.
"And above all… don't you dare comment on my body weight!"
After completely absorbing the black knight's curse with her endless [Damage Save] capacity, Evangeline transferred that curse to the tip of her spear.
"My motto is 'eat a lot, work a lot'! As long as I eat well and stay healthy, that's all that matters!"
And she shot the gathered curse forward with all her might.
"I'm not going on a diet, you bastards-!"
Kuwaaaaang-!
The curse returned in reverse through [Damage Payback] and exploded among the black knights. The black knights hit by the attack fell like autumn leaves.
"Haa, haa…"
She perfectly nullified the enemy's first curse attack.
The pressure that had been weighing down her entire body disappeared. Evangeline lightly bounced in place with her lightened body.
"Whew, I'm already hungry after doing this once."
An extreme hunger assailed her, perhaps as an aftereffect of withstanding the curse.
As she quickly stuffed the supply snacks tucked inside her shield into her mouth, Verdandi, standing next to her, carefully called out to Evangeline.
"President."
"Yes? What is it, Sister Verdandi?"
Then Verdandi nodded with a serious face.
"I think it's cuter to have a little belly fat."
"…"
"Really. Especially for our race, since we have a constitution that doesn't gain weight easily, the chubbier ones are considered more aesthetically beautiful."
"…"
"You look really good right now, President. If anything, I'd like you to gain a little more weight and restore those round cheeks from three years ago…"
"…"
"Anyway, let's keep it like this!"
Then she flashed a bright smile and gave a thumbs up.
"…"
After looking incredulously at this Elven king who seemed unlikely to worry about dieting, Evangeline shook her head. And she muttered.
"I'll have to ask that old man later which he prefers…"
Well, whatever that man's preferences are doesn't matter.
After all, she'll live as she just declared.
Eat as much as she wants, and work hard at her duties.
There's no way such a process of life could be sinful.
"Now, come on in!"
The entire black knight unit raised their scales to place a curse on the entire Second Forward Base.
Granting the [Final Fortress] effect to everyone in the forward base, Evangeline shouted.
"I'm going to crush all of you and eat until I burst for dinner tonight-!"
* * *
Whiiing-
A desolate wind blew in front of the First Forward Base.
"Huu, huu, huu…"
"…"
Torkel, roughly catching his breath, and the giant burning centaur standing before him.
The match between the red knight commander and Torkel was not easily decided. Both were brave warriors with incredible innate toughness.
Every time the red knight commander stomped the ground with his hooves, flames erupted, and gales of heat and fire poured from the greatsword he wielded, but.
Torkel was a man who had even withstood the Night Bringer's breath attack with his body before. He could laugh off attacks of this level.
Of course, he didn't just defend. Torkel swung his mace in between to attempt strikes on the red knight commander.
While he didn't possess extraordinary attack techniques, Torkel's brute strength was not to be underestimated.
The mace Torkel wielded carried enough power to easily crumple steel plates.
But the red knight commander's martial prowess was impressive. Even when Torkel thrust out his mace like an ambush, he would easily deflect it with a swing of his greatsword.
It was a repetition of the red knight commander unleashing fierce attacks, Torkel firmly defending and sharply counterattacking, and the red knight commander perfectly receiving those attacks.
After dozens of exchanges, realizing that the match wouldn't be decided this way, the red knight commander changed his pattern.
Whoosh!
The raised greatsword was engulfed in fierce flames, and soon a fire tornado shot up with enough force to pierce the sky.
The red knight commander then brought down this flaming greatsword.
"…!"
Torkel knew he should dodge, but the forward base was right behind him.
If he couldn't defend against that terrifying attack, the forward base would be destroyed.
"Hnngh-!"
Without hesitation, Torkel activated [Man is not Made for Defeat].
He even threw away his shield and received the red knight commander's flame sword with his body.
Kuwaaaang-!
It was a sword strike powerful enough to easily split and burn down any ordinary fortress, but Torkel had withstood even greater attacks several times before.
Torkel, who charged head-on while splitting the flames with his whole body, gripped his mace with both hands.
The red knight commander couldn't move as he was using all his strength on this flame greatsword. Victory flashed in Torkel's eyes.
'Got you!'
Zheeeok-!
The mace was swung fiercely, aiming for the red knight commander's head.
But the mace didn't crush the red knight commander's head. Instead, it sliced through the air and smashed the ground below.
"…!"
This was because another red knight who had intruded on the battlefield grabbed his commander and quickly pulled him back.
Flames flowed like blood from the head of the commander who narrowly avoided the mace.
Pushing their commander back, the rest of the red knights surrounded Torkel in a circle.
"Interfering in a duel between commanders…"
Torkel clicked his tongue.
"Friends who don't know honor."
The red knights didn't respond.
They just raised their greatswords, preparing to charge at Torkel all at once.
Torkel slowly looked around and gripped his mace again. True to their cavalry nature, the encirclement was swift and perfect. There was no gap to escape through.
'I'm not taking damage now, but soon… '
Once the effect of [Man is not Made for Defeat] ends, the enemies will rush in at once. How long will he be able to hold out then?
As he thought this and adjusted his grip on the mace…
Thwack-!
With a refreshing impact sound, a part of the encirclement collapsed.
A man who had flown in from the castle wall delivered a descending kick from midair, crushing the back of a red knight's head and sliding down like a sled.
"Hey there, Torkel."
The muscular man with flowing red hair tied back was Kuilan.
"You didn't come here as a mere warrior, but as a commander, right?"
On either side of the grinning Kuilan, Crossroad's melee combat unit poured out through the now-open forward base gates.
"Then trust your comrades a bit more. I'm saying to use us in the right place at the right time."
Thud! Thwack! Boom-!
Kuilan's penal unit swung their weapons in an instant, pushing back the red knights.
Kuilan, in particular, overwhelmed the red knights in the area with his tremendous breakthrough power, unleashing brutal fist techniques.
Realizing it was difficult to maintain the encirclement, the red knights broke the formation and retreated to one side. Kuilan and the warriors who had come to rescue Torkel gathered behind him.
"…Well, this is embarrassing."
Torkel smiled awkwardly.
"Since it's my first time leading so many people in this position, I made such a mistake."
"It's alright. You were cool. You stalled for time well. And most importantly…"
Kuilan grinned and nodded towards the red knight commander regaining his stance on the other side.
"You won."
"Haha…"
"They're the ones who lost the one-on-one fight ungracefully and sent out their subordinates first."
Kuilan picked up Torkel's shield that had fallen to the ground and handed it to him.
"Our commander-in-chief appointed you as the commander here for good reason. Live up to those expectations."
"…"
Torkel silently received the shield and equipped it on his left arm.
"Now then! Commander Torkel of the First Temporary Forward Base!"
Kuilan clashed his two fists in front of his chest with a thud! and asked.
"Give us your orders! How shall we crush those bastards?"
Torkel quickly grasped the situation of his allies across the battlefield with his equipped helmet, the Nightmare Slayer [Original Sin].
And he nodded.
"There was a way to fight honorably, like warriors. But since they broke the excitement of the duel first…"
Torkel slowly turned his body to look towards the forward base.
"Let's go for the dirty approach too."
There stood Junior, holding her staff.
Inside the opened forward base, mages could be seen spreading out a joint magic circle and gathering mana together.
During that time, the mages had been gathering mana and transferring it to Junior, and now that process was complete.
"A duel between commanders has its romance, but…"
Junior smiled bitterly as she raised her staff.
"This is what 'modern warfare' looks like."
Flash-!
A dazzling light gathered on Junior's staff [Rod of Crimson], then shot towards the sky above the red knight unit.
And the next moment, an incredible amount of dark clouds gathered at that point and…
The counter to the red knights' 'fire' attribute.
And Junior's innate attribute of 'water'—
Poured down furiously.
Rumble!
Fierce lightning and overwhelming gusts accompanied by torrential rain mercilessly struck the red knight unit.
Chapter 772
Temporary Magic Fortress Forward Base.
"Kuuuh...!"
The white knight commander kept retreating, spewing toxic fluid from his entire body.
His face had no eyes, nose, or mouth, only writhing malice that was rotting black, but.
I could read the emotions they were emitting as they looked at me.
Bewilderment.
And fear.
"What's wrong?"
I was approaching them without stopping, equipped with the King of Flies armor [Lord of the High Tower].
"Is this your first time facing an opponent completely immune to your attacks?"
While my auto-turrets in the magic fortress poured out long-range bombardment.
I personally sortied to physically block the white knights from approaching any further.
They poured all their pollution on me as I got close, but…
I am immune to all poisons. Even that plague master Raven couldn't contaminate me with a frontal approach.
'As if your poison would work on me.'
Bang! Kuwaaaang!
Another barrage from my auto-turrets in the fortress swept across the area.
Of course, I was caught in the range too, but I easily withstood it with the overwhelming defense of [Lord of the High Tower].
On the other hand, the white knights caught in the range couldn't withstand it and collapsed, spewing toxic fluid.
"Kuuuuh...!"
The white knight commander trembled along with his few remaining subordinates.
I nullified their plague, and they had no other means to take me down.
If they tried to bypass, Kellibey would pour [Step Crusher] again onto the already devastated terrain.
And the auto-turrets would unleash a precise barrage.
The white knight commander belatedly realized that this magic fortress forward base was essentially impregnable…
Tat-!
He kicked the ground with his hooves and leaped back significantly.
Then he began to flee in an instant, leading his surviving subordinates.
"Whoa, what the! They're running away, Ash!"
Kellibey, startled, kept firing [Step Crusher] from atop the wall.
A few more white knights fell, caught in the collapsing ground and bombardment, but the white knight commander and about a dozen of his subordinates managed to successfully escape.
"It's okay, Kellibey. No need to chase recklessly."
Watching the enemies quickly disappear as if flying, I nodded.
The original reason for deploying the forward base was to blunt their spearhead, not to annihilate them.
Pursuing and completely annihilating them is the job of another unit.
"For now, we've reduced the white knights' numbers enough…"
I jumped up onto the magic fortress and nodded.
"Let's go support the other forward bases. Everyone must be struggling."
"Alright! But, are we dismantling this magic fortress before we go?"
Kellibey licked his lips as he looked at the hundred auto-defense turrets.
"It's a bit of a shame. These turret friends will disappear too…"
I grinned at Kellibey's words.
"Who says they're going to disappear?"
"Huh?"
"We poured 100 magic cores into making this. It'd be too wasteful to use it once and throw it away."
I planted the flag firmly on top of the magic fortress wall.
Then the magic walls assembled in fortress form began to disassemble in sequence, then reassembled themselves, clumping together…
And eventually transformed into the shape of a massive train. With auto-defense turrets still attached all over.
"Oh, good golly…"
Kellibey clung to the train, his eyes sparkling like a child with a huge toy. The other dwarves likewise drooled as they quickly boarded the empty spaces on the train.
"Even that Night Bringer bastard could transform between train and fortress, I can't lose out."
If I think outside the box, there are endless ways to apply my abilities.
After grasping the principle and form of how the mobile wall [Night Bringer] moves, I applied it to my magic fortress, and it worked out quite impressively.
I grinned as I sat on the roof of the train's lead car.
"Come on, let's go quickly! Everyone aboard! We're going to rescue the other forward bases-!"
Rumble!
We began to move towards the direction of the First Forward Base on our turret train.
* * *
The battle at the First Forward Base was almost over.
Most of the red knights had been rendered incapacitated by the combined magic bombardment of Junior and the mages, and while the red knight commander was still resisting with his few remaining subordinates…
"Honk honk! You bastard!"
Boom-!
Ratatatatat!
My magic train that suddenly appeared from behind rammed right into them, and the auto-defense turrets attached to this train poured fire at point-blank range, overwhelming them.
"Kraaah-!"
At the red knight commander's short roar, the surviving red knights began to flee quickly, just as the white knights had done earlier.
"Enough, let them go! Now's not the time to chase those guys!"
After stopping Torkel, Kuilan, Junior, and others who were urgently trying to pursue them.
I pointed towards the direction of the Second Forward Base.
"Personnel who can immediately participate in battle, board here! We're going to rescue the Second Forward Base! The remaining personnel, clean up the forward base, transform the walls into train form, and return to Crossroad! Execute!"
"Yes sir-!"
The subordinates moved immediately according to my orders without a single word of objection.
The on-site personnel Torkel, Kuilan, Junior, and other heroes, soldiers, and mages joined additionally, and we began moving towards the Second Forward Base.
"Everyone did well. Let's hang in there a bit more."
After encouraging the subordinates on the train, I nodded to Torkel.
"So, Torkel. How is it? Is the role of commander manageable?"
Torkel smiled bitterly in response.
"…At most, I've handled five or ten subordinates before, but this scale is certainly difficult. I'm very lacking."
Kuilan chuckled and slapped Torkel's shoulder.
"So modest, you were doing great!"
Junior added.
"It wasn't bad, right? However…"
"However?"
When I asked curiously, Junior shrugged.
"I thought it was a bit dangerous to enter enemy lines alone without a word or engage in one-on-one duels with enemy commanders. I wonder who he learned that from…"
Ouch.
As everyone silently looked at me with meaningful gazes as if they had made an agreement, I cleared my throat and turned my eyes towards the train's course.
"Alright, alright, we'll finish the battle evaluation later! Let's finish dealing with this!"
The Second Forward Base came into close view.
Here, an intense battle was taking place with black knights clinging close to the walls, but reinforcements deployed ahead of us were crushing the black knights' heads.
Flap! Flap!
A beast with a lion's body and giant eagle wings — a griffin.
And the Sky Knights riding those griffins.
Our Crossroad's aerial cavalry led by Mikhail had sortied from La Mancha and launched a surprise dive attack on the black knights.
"Kiiiek...!"
The black knights kept raising their scales, trying to curse the Sky Knights, but,
"Evade-!"
Each time, Mikhail gave instructions with uncanny timing, and the Sky Knights moved as one to avoid the curses.
"Reformat formation-!"
Leading the Sky Knights at the forefront, Mikhail wore a crown-shaped helmet that he had equipped for the first time in this battle.
This helmet, with impressively rising horns like a reindeer's, was the new Nightmare Slayer — [The buck stops here].
It's equipment manufactured with the magic core from defeating Cromwell.
Its effect is 'consciousness resonance with blood-related kin'.
Through this ability, Mikhail became able to share thoughts not only with Sky Knight members but also with griffins that share the same blood flowing in his heart.
All griffins and riders literally began to move with one heart and mind.
Swooooosh-!
The scene of griffin riders in the air simultaneously performing aerobatics and ravaging the enemies without a second's gap was beautiful.
Into this place where the tide of battle had already turned, my magic turret train barged in once again.
"Sweep them all away-!"
As I roared, the auto-turrets spewed fire, and the heroes who jumped off the train all at once swung their weapons.
With the Second Forward Base holding out strongly, the Sky Knights' air raids, and our rear surprise attack following, even the black knight unit could no longer endure.
They began to flee quickly through the empty defensive lines.
"Senior! And everyone!"
As I waved back to Evangeline jumping up and down on the Third Forward Base wall, Mikhail and the Sky Knight members landed beside me one by one.
"Ash. You came at the right time."
"Mikhail!"
"This Second Forward Base fell into the most precarious situation first, so I came to rescue it first."
I nodded towards the young king's new equipment as he spoke reliably.
"How's the new helmet?"
To my question, Mikhail smiled with satisfaction and tapped his helmet, [The buck stops here].
"It's very good. I can fight as if I'm one body with everyone. It's both fascinating and efficient."
By the way, Mikhail had driven out and purified the darkness embedded in this Nightmare Slayer within a day of receiving it.
It wasn't equipment with a kill count option… but still, is this even possible?
Just how much stronger has his mental fortitude become? He used to be the epitome of a fragile mentality.
When I subtly asked about his secret, Mikhail turned his gaze with a slightly saddened face and murmured.
"Hehe, marrying five people inevitably strengthens your mentality…"
"Ah."
Then I saw five queens approaching Mikhail's surroundings with fierce glares.
"Mikhail?"
"We're currently in consciousness resonance with that helmet's magic…"
"How dare you think such thoughts openly!"
"You're in for it now!"
"Uwaaaaah! I'm sorry! I was wrong! Aaaaah!"
I quickly turned around, leaving behind Mikhail's screams as he was being mauled. Well, as long as he looks happy, it's okay…
I gathered the personnel who could depart for the next battlefield immediately from the Second Forward Base.
"We must go rescue the Third Forward Base! It's where the strongest enemy in this battle is lurking, so only those with enough strength left should follow!"
The one in charge of commanding the Third Forward Base is my right-hand man, Lucas.
I think he's holding out well, but we should still go to his aid as soon as possible.
As I was thinking this and encouraging the subordinates tired from the previous battles…
Bang! Boom...!
An explosion sounded from afar.
Everyone looked that way in surprise. I hurriedly turned my head too.
And we could see a pirate ship-shaped airship falling with explosions in the not-so-distant sky.
Our Crossroad's new airship that was stationed at the Third Forward Base for retreat purposes.
"Blue Pearl…?!"
The Rompeller pirate crew's flagship was falling helplessly to the ground.
"Urgent report-!"
Following that, a single cavalryman came rushing from the direction of the Third Forward Base.
That cavalryman, his whole body frozen, nevertheless desperately rode up to us, then dismounted as if almost falling off his horse and knelt before me.
Opening his frozen, trembling lips, he reported.
"Re, reporting, Your Majesty!"
"What happened!"
"The Third Forward Base has fallen!"
The blood drained from everyone's faces.
"We were holding out well, but suddenly the enemy commander exerted some unknown immense power… When casualties occurred, they suddenly became stronger. Then the tide of battle turned sharply…"
"Oh no…!"
"Commander Lucas urgently retreated the remaining survivors, and then…"
The soldier paused his report, taking a breath. Unable to wait, I urged him on.
"After retreating them, what about Lucas?"
Then the soldier, with a deeply contorted face, barely answered.
"Saying he would buy time, he remained at the forward base…!"
Chapter 773
『When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"
I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.
They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.』
* * *
Third Forward Base.
In this half-frozen, collapsed ruin, Lucas was barely standing, covered in blood.
"Haaah…"
As he exhaled a long breath, the white mist that extended froze instantly.
This wasn't a phenomenon occurring due to low winter temperatures.
It was because an evil so cold and powerful that it could freeze even the soul was lurking before him.
"…"
The fourth and strongest unit of the Apocalypse Knights.
The blue knights of Death.
These centaurs, with their blue capes fluttering, were clad in armor made entirely of blue ice.
Especially the one at the front had ice proliferated and amplified all over his body, looking almost like a giant ice statue.
The icicles spreading in all directions looked like a monster's horns.
His face too was covered in massive ice, as if wearing an upside-down crown made of ice.
Around the monster were the corpses of Crossroad soldiers who had frozen to death just moments ago, with cold still being extracted from those corpses in real-time.
Saaaah…
Wrapping himself in the cold extracted from death, a faint laugh flowed from the ice-covered face of the blue knight.
"Knight, why did you remain alone instead of fleeing?"
"…"
Lucas didn't bother to answer and gripped the two swords in his hands.
Originally, the Third Forward Base had been holding out firmly against the blue knights, but.
When the enemy commander broke through a part of the frontline and the first casualty occurred, it collapsed rapidly.
The blue knights absorbed the cold from the first death, and strengthened by that absorbed cold, they unleashed fierce attacks causing more casualties…
In this way, the collapse of the frontline happened too suddenly and explosively.
Originally, there was a prepared method to systematically retreat troops when the frontline was pushed back, but in this situation, a safe retreat became impossible.
In the end, Lucas chose to stay behind alone to face the blue knights and buy time while evacuating all the remaining survivors.
It was an action born from confidence that with his combat ability and mobility, he could sufficiently buy time and then retreat, but.
'Kuk… '
Lucas looked down at his legs.
They were frozen.
No, not just his feet. The entire area of ground was completely frozen white.
Even the great Lucas couldn't exert his usual mobility in this place where the entire ground was frozen and trembling with cold.
He succeeded in evacuating all the surviving allies, but Lucas himself was in a dilemma, tightly surrounded by blue knights.
"Prepared for your own death to save your comrades… That spirit is admirable."
Sring-
The blue knight commander approached, spinning his giant scythe.
"But you must pay the price."
At that, Lucas's frozen lips curled up with a sneer.
"What? Prepared for death?"
The blue knight commander showed a puzzled expression at the clear mockery.
Between Lucas's white-frozen golden hair, which he had briefly lowered, blue eyes colder than the snow and ice surrounding the area were revealed.
"Don't make me laugh, monster."
"What?"
"I'm going to live."
Gooooh…!
Golden currents began to swirl behind Lucas's back.
"I sent my comrades away because their survival increases the chances of winning this war. And to win this war…"
A faint warmth suddenly brushed across Lucas's blue eyes, which had been swirling with cold hostility.
"…a world where my precious people can live happily will come, and I want to live to see that."
"…"
"That's all there is to it. I never prepared for death."
Lucas's gaze had long since left the dark cave.
He too was envisioning the peaceful scenery beyond the flag led by his lord…
The blue spring sky that would unfold beyond.
"And there's something else you're mistaken about."
Lucas slowly overlapped the two swords in his hands.
And he activated the new gimmick he had requested Kellibey to add to the two swords.
Click-!
[Bestowed Sword] is a special sword with only a hilt and no blade. It's special equipment where a blade of light erupts from the guard position, and when the light blade isn't activated, it's just a guard and hilt.
This sword with only a hilt attached to the lower part of [Excalibur]'s hilt with magical sparks flying.
At the same time, the separated guard parts also moved up along [Excalibur]'s hilt with magical sparks flying, attaching to [Excalibur]'s guard.
Now [Excalibur] had a hilt twice as long as before, and a guard twice as long.
And…
Whoosh-!
Along the white and blue blade of the holy sword, golden light currents surged.
Enveloping [Excalibur]'s blade, [Bestowed Sword]'s blade of light erupted massively, swirling around.
After combining the two longswords into one greatsword, Lucas pointed the tip of that greatsword towards the enemy commander.
"I'm not running away. I'll take all of you down right here."
A special transformation combination gimmick that was possible because both swords are holy (聖) and light (光) attribute weapons.
This weapon, where two SSR-grade legendary weapons synergize, too powerful for mere humans to wield, is named — [Ad Astra].
It was an EX-grade weapon that could only be used for a limited time that the two longswords and Lucas himself could withstand.
"This power is so strong that it's hard to use when allies are around."
While deploying [Ad Astra], Lucas also activated his ultimate skill [Divine Descent] simultaneously.
Saaaah…
The ice around Lucas, enveloped in swirling light, began to melt.
Surrounded by dazzling light, Lucas readjusted his grip on the giant sword of light.
Both the weapon and its user had undoubtedly touched divine might, but.
Lucas's deep blue eyes still hadn't lost their human warmth.
And that gaze, no longer containing any beastliness, darkness, or regret — stared straight at the enemy commander.
Meeting that gaze, the blue knight commander muttered in a chilling voice.
"…For a human in this twilight age where everything decays, you're quite something."
Dark blue ice crackled and clung to the blue knight commander's scythe, expanding the already long blade to an even more massive size.
"Yet all that resistance is futile. In the end, destruction will come soon, and everything in this world will turn to dust and disappear beyond time."
"What a tired story."
Lucas smirked and slowly pulled back his greatsword.
"I've already realized the preciousness of all those moments that have passed."
The process of the past 3 years flashed through his mind.
All those days of pain, sorrow, regret, and forgiveness.
Looking back, there wasn't a single moment in this long journey that wasn't precious. Even if they had flowed away and turned to dust, they were all beautiful.
And now the end of this journey is right before us.
"The days to come will eventually pass by in vain and turn to dust in memory. But I'll cherish those too."
So, he will live.
He will definitely live to see it.
The end of the grand battle his lord has led.
And…
"I will see the day when the child born after my lord marries Lady Serenade calls me Uncle Lucas…!"
"…?"
The confused blue knight commander paused for a moment. What did he say?
But Lucas, ignoring this, quietly murmured his next wish.
"…And, my own happiness too."
His own happiness as Lucas, which he had disregarded until now.
He will obtain it.
Lucas gripped the greatsword with determination.
"Well then, here I go."
"…!"
The next moment.
Flash-!
Lucas swung the sword of light fiercely, and all the blue knights who charged towards Lucas simultaneously plunged their ice scythes.
Dazzling light and bone-chilling cold erupted simultaneously from the Third Forward Base.
* * *
The moment we arrived at the Third Forward Base, an immense light and cold burst out simultaneously from inside the forward base.
"Whoa!"
"Everyone hold on tight!"
Evangeline, who had jumped to the front of the train, raised her shield to protect the magic train.
Kuwaaaang!
As we charged into the forward base interior, what we saw was… the scene of all the blue knights surrounding and charging at Lucas being cut in half by Lucas's slash of light.
The sight of ancient ice knights being completely torn apart amidst the swirling light particles, and all the ice covering the area melting away, was truly mythical. Everyone's jaws dropped.
But I knew. Now is not the time to let our guard down!
"Lucas!"
I shouted with all my might.
"Get out of there-!"
"…?!"
Lucas seemed convinced that he had taken down all enemies with this one strike, but at my words, his eyes widened, and he hurriedly moved away.
And my instruction was accurate.
"Aaaaah-!"
The commander of the blue knights.
This centaur, whose entire body was covered in ice like an ice lord, has the ability to extract cold from death.
In other words,
He can extract cold even from the deaths of his own subordinates…!
Crack! Crackle!
The blue knight commander, his entire body covered in white ice, swung his now almost house-sized scythe, but Lucas had already moved away after hearing my instruction.
Zheeeok!
Winter bloomed where the scythe struck. A terrifying cold shook the area.
"Finish it!"
Lucas, who had retreated far, tried to charge at the enemy commander again, but.
"Okay, that's enough!"
Tat!
Driving the magic train to Lucas's side, I snatched Lucas onto the train, then turned north.
"Let's retreat! To Crossroad's main castle!"
"What?!"
"You've taken down all of his subordinates, that's enough! Now let's defeat their final phase with the method we prepared at the main castle!"
Lucas tried to voice a different opinion, but,
"Ugh…"
Perhaps due to the aftermath of unleashing that terrifyingly powerful light attack just now, his ultimate skill [Divine Descent] was forcibly canceled, and the two combined longswords also separated as if bouncing apart.
"Aaaaah-!"
The blue knight commander, transformed into a giant ice monster, tried to chase us, but he was slow due to the excessive ice clinging to his entire body.
We were able to safely leave the Third Forward Base behind him and head north.
I patted Lucas's back as he caught his breath roughly.
"Well done."
"…We lost soldiers."
"That's my responsibility as the commander-in-chief. You did your best as the on-site commander. Thanks to you buying time, the rest of the personnel were able to retreat safely."
The deaths of allies are heartbreaking, but there's enough time to dwell on the sorrow after the defense battle is over.
In the end, all four forward bases succeeded in blunting the enemy's spearhead. This defensive battle is being carried out according to plan.
As I was thinking about the enemy's remaining course of action and how to deal with it, Lucas suddenly said.
"…My lord."
"Yes?"
"When this war is all over."
"Yes."
"You must be happy."
I blinked.
What's with this sudden nonsense?
Lucas showed an inexplicable smile.
"Because I'll be happy too."
Then Lucas glanced at Evangeline beside him.
Evangeline, who had been brushing off the frost powder stuck to Lucas's armor, blushed in embarrassment and said one thing.
"Old man! I have something to ask too!"
"What is it?"
"Do you prefer having a belly or not having one?!"
"It's fine either way."
"That's the right answer-!"
Evangeline rejoiced and pounded Lucas's armor even harder. Lucas left Evangeline alone with a bitter smile.
"…"
Listening to the two knights' incomprehensible conversation, I just gaped blankly.
I really can't follow the kids' conversations lately.
Is this a generation gap…?
Chapter 774
We retreated and regrouped with the soldiers who had withdrawn earlier at the main castle of Crossroad.
Of the three mobile walls we had deployed as forward bases, only two returned. We positioned those two in front of Crossroad and formed a new defensive line.
"The Apocalypse Knights are composed of four units. They advance separately, each collecting their 'materials'," I calmly explained.
"They extract the essence of plague, war, famine, and death from the humans they've defeated. And based on these collected essences, when they regroup…"
I couldn't help but sigh during the explanation.
"They combine again."
It was the last phase combination gimmick that was starting to get tiresome. Take it easy, you monster bastards!
"When there's one knight from each unit, they combine into a single Knight of Doom. An entity that successfully combines like this becomes a complete being that can handle plague, war, famine, and death all by itself. When this happens, they become ridiculously strong."
So theoretically, if they don't lose a single knight during their advance, it's possible for 444 Apocalypse Knights to combine into 111 complete beings.
If this happens, their combined abilities and numbers create a synergy that makes them insanely powerful. These 111 units of Apocalypse Knights would be comparable in specs to even that black dragon.
Well, this is just in theory.
"But we've already blunted their spearhead. Their numbers have been greatly reduced."
The captains of each unit survived, but their subordinates were almost completely wiped out.
The subordinates who didn't fall at the forward base are still being shot down by Damien's aerial sniping.
"The ones who survive until the end, probably the captains of each unit with high probability, will tenaciously advance in some way and try to reach the walls of Crossroad."
The combat situation during their advance isn't really their main concern.
Their goal is for all four units to regroup in front of the main castle where the real war will take place, regardless of how they detour. That's why they fought moderately and then retreated.
It's also the reason they didn't care much whether their subordinates lived or died.
Their main objective is to create one Knight of Doom by combining the four captain-level knights who have collected essences from the battlefield.
"We need to show them that this judgment itself was wrong."
As per our strategy, we've blunted their spearhead.
Especially thanks to Lucas's efforts, the fourth unit, the Blue Knight unit, is completely wiped out except for the captain.
Now, if we can just prevent the captain-level knights from combining, it's essentially game over. We have several means prepared to prevent that.
I shouted towards the heroes and soldiers who were getting into defensive positions.
"Alright, we can see the end of this defensive battle! Let's all do our best!"
* * *
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The centaurs are charging.
The four units of Apocalypse Knights, split into four directions, each collected the necessary essences from their respective battlefields.
Now they were heading towards the southern plains spread out in front of Crossroad.
"…"
"…"
The captains of each unit, confirming each other's presence from afar, nodded.
Although their numbers were greatly reduced, the captains of each unit were safe.
That's enough. The essences of the fallen subordinates are attributed to each captain, so if only the captain-level knights survive and can combine into a Knight of Doom, the siege is still possible.
It's still possible to end this world…!
Ta-at!
The four units that broke through valleys and forests via different routes simultaneously entered the southern plains.
And slowly, they adjusted their course towards the center of the plains to set a rendezvous point. That point was exactly in front of the walls of Crossroad.
"Assemble!"
The Blue Knight captain roared, raising his giant ice scythe.
He intended to absorb the other three unit captains as soon as they all converged in front of the walls, becoming a single entity.
"Bring doom to this world! The iron hammer of repentance!"
The speed of the cavalry and centaur units on the plains was truly incredible. In no time, the walls of Crossroad came within reach.
Saaaaaah!
As they entered within a certain distance of each other, white, red, black, and blue auras burst forth from the bodies of the four knights and connected.
The Blue Knight captain shouted fiercely.
"Come!"
The bodies of the White Knight, Red Knight, and Black Knight captains began to dissolve and scatter into acid, fire, and water in an instant.
As he tried to absorb them through the connected magical pathways, the Blue Knight captain commanded:
"With sword and famine and death and beasts of the earth, kill the whole wor-"
And the next moment.
Click-!
An unknown activation sound rang out from atop the walls of Crossroad,
Whoosh…!
A strange sensation of time and space being compressed enveloped the Blue Knight captain's entire body.
"…?!"
With a dizzying flash, he felt as if his whole body was being thrown to the other side of the world, and the next moment.
The Blue Knight captain found himself teleported alone to the edge of the southern plains.
"What…?"
The stunned Blue Knight captain frantically looked around.
He was definitely right in front of the walls of the human world just moments ago, but suddenly he was forcibly moved to a place far away… to the edge of the plains far south from the walls of the human world.
This was the effect of [Start Over!], the highest-grade defensive artifact of the human side, but.
The Blue Knight captain had no way of knowing its true nature.
And the effect caused by this simple, if simple, artifact returned with massive repercussions.
In front of the Crossroad walls where the Blue Knight captain had temporarily disappeared.
The White Knight, Red Knight, and Black Knight captains, who had entered a standby state for combination, lost their target for power transfer and fell into a momentarily defenseless state…
"Aim."
The commander of the human side was not one to miss such an opening.
"Fire-!"
Bang! Bububububoom-!
The cross-fire that rained down tore the three knight captains to shreds.
If they were at full strength, they could have easily withstood this level of bombardment and even launched a counterattack.
But they were all in the process of gathering their power to transfer to their comrade. Naturally, they were not in a state to fight properly.
"Aaaagh…!"
"Kuaaa!"
"How could this…"
The three knights fell miserably, spraying acid, fire, and water.
Their subordinates were no exception. Not many had survived to begin with, but even those who remained all fell helplessly under Crossroad's bombardment.
* * *
"As expected."
I smirked as I looked down at the annihilated enemy lines.
"It's the golden rule to attack the enemy while they're combining…!"
It might sound like I'm taking the villain's stance, but who cares!
The best strategy against combining enemies is always to beat them up during the combination.
"Well done, Lilly! And the alchemist team!"
As I gave a thumbs up in praise, Lilly and the alchemists who had brilliantly deployed [Start Over!] smiled sheepishly.
"Now, that's that! Lilly, we need to prepare for the next step, right?"
"Yes, yes. Please work me to the bone…"
Lilly sighed and wheeled her wheelchair forward.
Then she joined Dearmudin, who was preparing a joint aerial magic circle on the other side.
"Hnnnngh…!"
Dearmudin was preparing his magic while sweating profusely.
Lilly also took a deep breath before starting to cast her magic.
After confirming that the magic circle was being prepared, I looked south again.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
In the distance, at the edge of the southern plains, the Blue Knight captain who had been forcibly teleported could be seen charging alone.
Although his subordinates and comrades had already been annihilated, he still seemed to be overflowing with fighting spirit.
He still maintains the form of a giant ice knight. In fact, he's incredibly strong even in that state alone.
However.
"If you show your attribute so obviously, it's the golden rule to counter with its weakness attribute, right?"
After all, if it's ice attribute.
Then all we have to do is beat him with its counter — fire attribute!
"I'll go first!"
Junior used [Elemental Disassembly] that she had memorized in advance on [Lord of Crimson] against the Blue Knight captain.
Zing-!
[Elemental Disassembly] hit accurately, cutting the Blue Knight captain's magic defense in half.
"Casting complete!"
Following that, Lilly, who had been gathering magical power, opened her eyes wide.
Various magic support artifacts connected to Lilly, and Junior and Bodybag assisted Lilly's magic.
"Here we go-!"
Lilly is not fundamentally a combatant.
It's been quite some time since she retired from field work. Her main job is artifact management.
But she consistently helped in battles in various ways, and she was trained on the battlefield while managing artifacts.
And at the end of all those battle experiences, she finally succeeded in awakening.
She learned her ultimate skill.
And today is the debut of that ultimate skill!
Whoosh!
A wall of flames appeared in front of the charging Blue Knight captain.
Crash-!
The Blue Knight captain easily broke through that wall.
And then.
"…!"
He discovered a new wall spread out behind it.
Crash! Crash! Crash-!
He broke through three walls in succession, but
"…?!"
Beyond that, the walls of flame stretched endlessly.
Because Lilly is generating them in real-time right now!
The name of this ultimate skill, which reduces the power and size of the [Fire Wall] Lilly used to use and then fires dozens of them in succession, is [Fire Wave].
It's a simple magic that just deploys walls of flame in succession, but.
What is the virtue of a flame mage in the first place?
Simple structure, and therefore powerful effect. This is it.
Sizzle…!
The ice armor on the Blue Knight captain's body, which seemed like it would never melt, began to slowly melt from the edges.
Whether it's ice formed with spiritual cold or whatever, there's nothing it can do against the walls of fire that keep crashing in succession.
The Blue Knight captain looked around as if trying to find a detour belatedly, but already the procession of flame walls adjusted by Lilly was closing in, surrounding the Blue Knight captain.
In the end, he had no choice but to charge.
Crash! Crash! Crash…!
After breaking through dozens of flame walls in succession.
The Blue Knight captain was still intact, but his ice armor had gradually melted, reducing his massive size somewhat.
"Excellent, Lilly!"
The one who praised Lilly's ultimate skill was Dearmudin.
At the fingertips of Dearmudin, who had received the magical power of dozens of people through the joint aerial magic circle, a giant flame spear was nestled.
"Let this old man add a handful to your military exploit!"
And Dearmudin flew up into the sky magnificently using his robe [Old Phoenix], then used that ascending power to execute a powerful spear throw.
Zwoooong-!
A giant streak of flame spear shot out like a beam of light, and the next moment it hit the center of the Blue Knight captain's body.
Crack…
The sound of something breaking and splitting rang out.
Crack, crack, craaaack!
It was the sound of the ice armor worn by the Blue Knight captain breaking apart.
Boooom!
The flame spear that had properly pierced exploded.
The next moment, cracks spread all over the ice armor, then it shattered and melted simultaneously.
"Aaaaah…!"
Though in agony, the Blue Knight captain was still holding back from swinging the scythe in his hand until the end.
The failure of the Apocalypse Knights was already a foregone conclusion.
If so, his intention must be to deliver a final blow to our defense line with that scythe imbued with ice and death.
The Blue Knight captain, who finally reached right in front of the Crossroad walls, pulled back his ice scythe with all his might.
"The flame mages have set the stage for us."
Watching this scene, I raised my hand and drew a circle.
"Let's end this!"
Then Damien, still mounted on La Mancha, who had been waiting for my signal, fired a sniper shot from the sky.
Thud-!
The falling magic bullet accurately lodged into the Blue Knight captain's scythe.
"…?!"
With this alone, the final blow the Blue Knight captain was preparing was thrown off course, and its power was greatly reduced.
And in front of such an enemy commander-
"Hup-!"
Evangeline, who had deployed her armor [Snow White] and jumped down from the wall as if flying, stood blocking with her shield raised.
Evangeline's shield [Shield of House Cross] now houses three ice spirits each after repairs and enhancements.
Those spirits whirled around, covering the shield with ice,
Craaack!
It easily absorbed the Blue Knight captain's ice scythe attack with the same attribute.
Ice shards and snow powder whirled violently in all directions. But Evangeline succeeded in fully receiving the enemy commander's blow without being pushed back.
"Lucas, this is the opponent you were dealing with… I'll leave the finishing blow to you."
"Yes, my lord."
Lucas, who had been waiting for my order, lightly kicked off the edge of the wall, flew in at a speed invisible to the eye, and landed in front of the enemy commander.
Drawing his two swords, he spun as if dancing.
Slash! Slash! Slaaash!
After delivering dozens of sword strikes while grazing past the Blue Knight captain, he stopped spinning and sheathed his two swords again.
Click.
And at the same moment the two swords entered their sheaths,
"…Ah."
Boom-!
The Blue Knight captain's entire body burst outward with a flash as if exploding from the inside.
This was the end of the forty-eighth defensive battle.
Chapter 775
The battle had ended.
While damage elsewhere was minor, the forces that fought against the Blue Knight unit at the 3rd forward base suffered considerable losses. This was due to being caught in the enemy's attack before they could retreat when the front line collapsed.
I personally came with soldiers and workers to recover the 3rd forward base.
Corpses frozen to death by the Blue Knight's cold attacks were everywhere.
"…May you rest in peace."
An unnamed soldier had died frozen in the very pose of charging at the enemy with his sword raised.
I recovered his body and closed his eyes.
Fortunately, amid the misfortune, Blue Pearl, which had fallen during the battle at the 3rd forward base, succeeded in an emergency landing, completed repairs on its own, and rejoined us.
The two Pirate Kings driving Blue Pearl, the Rompeller siblings, stuck out their tongues.
"Wow… I'd heard a lot about the monster front, but I didn't expect this."
"You're saying this is considered minor damage? They looked like they were about to end the world! And this is considered a relatively easy defense?"
We all smiled bitterly as we loaded the fallen soldiers' bodies into the prepared hearse.
The two Pirate Kings, who had briefly squeezed their eyes shut, also participated in recovering the fallen.
Blue Pearl, having completed emergency repairs, flew off carrying all the recovered bodies of the fallen.
Following that, the airship La Mancha flew in, picked up the three damaged mobile walls from the 3rd forward base, and returned to Crossroad.
"…"
Sitting on the bridge of the returning La Mancha, I leaned my forehead against the window and caught my breath.
Crossroad soon came into view.
The city was busy, wrapping up the forty-eighth defensive battle while simultaneously beginning preparations for the forty-ninth.
As I surveyed the cityscape that now moved on its own without my specific instructions, I thought:
'The next defensive battle, Stage 49, is essentially the final stage we need to clear.'
In the game, Stage 49 is the last defensive battle Crossroad can withstand.
The final defensive battle that follows, Stage 50, is in the realm of 'impossible to clear'.
When Stage 50 begins, the final boss 'The Sleepless Lake Princess' pours out of the Black Lake, leading an infinite number of monsters.
There is no possibility of victory against an infinite enemy army led by the strongest monster.
So the method proposed in the game is for a suicide squad to enter the dungeon before Stage 50 begins and defeat 'The Sleepless Lake Princess'.
To kill Nameless, who has become a monster, her who has become the embodiment of nightmares, with our own hands.
If we succeed in this, we'll see that ending we encountered in the game.
That final scene where Lucas stands alone on a field of enemy and ally corpses…
…But now I know.
Going towards that ending isn't the proper strategy.
'The ending I desire, and the strategy I've devised… lies elsewhere.'
The 'true ending' that Aider and I sought to reach together cannot be attained by following the existing route.
If we want to break free from being actors manipulated on stage and truly become masters of our own fate.
We must change our perspective on the world.
We must break the rules from outside them, dominate them, and establish new ones.
The puzzle pieces for this have all gathered in my hands, and I've decided to move forward on a new path never attempted before in this endlessly repeated apocalyptic game.
But to be truly honest.
'I'm afraid.'
It would be a lie to say I'm not anxious.
Is the path I've chosen, the strategy I've found, really correct?
If we go this way, will we really reach the true ending we desire?
What if, due to my mistake, my wrong judgment, everyone following my flag meets a painful end…
'…How amusing.'
I pushed aside my complicated thoughts and wiped my forehead with my hand.
Looking back, my battles have always been like walking a tightrope. They've always been last stands. They've always been life-or-death struggles, always the final showdown.
This anxiety creeping up on me now must be because the true end is near.
'Let's focus on the imminent defensive battle.'
To head towards the final battle, Stage 50, we must clear Stage 49.
And in this Stage 49, there's a high probability that the current acting Demon King — Crown will make some move.
He's praying for salvation for his sister Nameless, but currently, perhaps due to the curse placed on him by the Demon King, he's clearly turned into an enemy commander.
And as an enemy commander, he must have been trying to find ways to attack us while going through Stages 46, 47, and 48.
Whether he's really found our weakness, or if he'll try something else without clear results, is unknown at this point.
One thing is certain though — Stage 49 will be incomparably more difficult than the previous three stages.
'Let's continue reconnaissance… and prepare thoroughly.'
I examined the magic cores stored in my inventory, recovered from the previous three stages.
5 magic cores recovered from the Great Rat God. 3 magic cores recovered from Tamjinchi. 4 magic cores recovered from the Apocalypse Knights.
'The Great Rat God's magic cores are quite unstable. Let's use these to make relatively simple missiles. The Tamjinchi and Apocalypse 4 Knights' magic cores are too high-grade materials… Even if the schedule is tight, it's better to make equipment with these.'
And we also need to open the boxes that have accumulated, speed up the process of modifying La Mancha into a dimension-shifting ship, and urgently repair the 3 damaged mobile walls…
As I was mentally organizing the busy schedule between battles, as hectic as the consecutive battles themselves, the airship landed.
I was about to hurriedly give instructions to my subordinates as we disembarked, but the atmosphere around the people was a bit strange.
"Huh?"
Everyone was gathered around a space in front of the hangar, with shocked faces, covering their mouths, pulling their hair, widening their eyes, and some even shedding tears.
"Kyaaaa!"
"Oh my, oh my, how could this…!"
"I-I can't stop trembling…"
"To think such a day would come… Aaaaah!"
The atmosphere was unusual.
I quickly pushed through the people on the outskirts and entered that space.
"What's going on? Why is everyone…"
I had to shut my mouth mid-sentence.
As I pushed inside, it finally came into view.
…He was walking.
Step. Step.
Sid.
Towards his mother, Lilly, who had just returned from the battlefield pulling her wheelchair… he had left his nanny's arms and was toddling on his two legs!
It was truly a historic moment — Sid's first steps.
"Oh my God."
The scene of the small, fair baby shaking his fluffy red hair, his large brown and green eyes sparkling, toddling towards his mother was transcendentally cute, and also… somehow majestic.
I too, like the shocked people around, covered my mouth with my hand and trembled all over.
'Come to think of it, he's already a year old!'
Unfortunately, on his first birthday, we couldn't properly celebrate because it was the day of a defensive battle. I heard they had a quiet birthday party, and I sent a gift too.
Anyway, Sid is already one year old. It means he's now old enough to start walking…!
I thought he would crawl forever! I thought he would only babble forever! I thought he would be our front line's representative baby forever!
'…Wait a minute.'
Being able to walk means.
Could it be, now…
"Aw…"
Towards Lilly, who was stretching out her arms with a surprised and joyful face, saying 'That's right! That's right! Slowly!'
Sid, who was toddling towards her with his arms stretched out too, suddenly smiled brightly, and then.
"Mama!"
…He did it.
The people surrounding Lilly and Sid watching this scene all screamed and fell backwards. Sighs, exclamations, and joyful screams filled the surroundings.
Along with taking his first steps, he spoke his first word too!
"…"
Tears welled up in Lilly's eyes as she silently bit her lips.
Hurriedly wiping her reddened eyes with the back of her hand, Lilly smiled brightly back and opened her arms wide.
"Yes, that's right! I'm Mama! Come here, my baby…!"
Sid, excited, hurriedly took steps forward…
Wobble!
He fell forward.
Lilly, startled, was about to throw herself forward from her wheelchair, but there was no need.
"Heave-ho!"
"Aja-ja-jat!"
The two Pirate Kings standing behind me quickly stretched out their hands with strange shouts, creating a water cushion on the floor to catch Sid.
Everyone in the place who collectively sighed in relief gave thumbs up to the two Pirate Kings. The Rompeller siblings sheepishly scratched the back of their heads.
Sid, who had fallen face-down on the fluffy water cushion, seemed to find the sensation fun and giggled.
Then he got up again by himself on the cushion and…
"Mama!"
He toddled towards Lilly again.
Lilly gently embraced her son who had finally taken these short but great steps.
"Well done, my son. You did so well…"
Lilly held Sid and wept.
She had been worried that Sid wasn't starting to walk perhaps because she couldn't show him walking herself.
That he couldn't speak because she couldn't always be by his side, busy with work on the front lines.
Or if it was because he was mixed-race, or an aftereffect of the difficult birth…
I heard she had been consulting the temple often due to her many worries, but this was the moment when all those concerns were resolved.
"Thank you for growing up so well…"
In Lilly's arms, Sid smiled innocently.
The people watching this scene could no longer hold back and all rushed in.
"Me, call me too! Say Uncle Lucas!"
"Sid! It's Sister Evangeline! Sister!"
"Me too! Say Sister Verdandi! Hurry!"
"No, if you have a conscience, say Auntie…"
"It's Uncle Kellibey, baby! Come on! Say uncle!"
"Uncle? More like grandfather!"
I too shouted, squeezing in between the people acting childishly.
"G-Godfather!"
The baby's clear gaze turned towards me.
I smiled brightly back and shouted.
"Call me Godfather, Sid!"
Before Stage 49 began.
It was a peaceful and miraculous moment that came to our front line.
And…
* * *
…
* * *
…And what happened after that?
* * *
My consciousness…
As if filled with noise, it's not clear.
* * *
…I.
* * *
I am…?
* * *
"Godfather."
Suddenly breaking through my hazy thoughts, a young and blunt voice was heard from beside me.
"Godfather. Pull yourself together."
"Huh…?"
My clouded consciousness gradually awakens.
From a dream of the distant past, of happier times, I return to reality.
I came to my senses in a cold that felt like it could cut through flesh.
This place is the entrance of a cave in some mountain.
I was crouched at the cave entrance, wearing an old and dirty winter coat covered in matted fur, having just woken up from a light sleep.
Outside the cave, snow is endlessly falling from the sky.
No, no — this is not snow.
This is ash.
In the distance, the white frozen earth is visible, burning black and splitting, surging up into the sky as if in a whirlwind. This earth that has surged up into the sky falls back down as ash.
A black storm burning the completely frozen earth.
And a rain of falling ash.
"…"
For a moment, I blankly stared at the ruined world.
Yes, after losing the final battle against the Demon King…
The human world was completely destroyed.
It's been 15 years since then.
"Godfather."
At the voice calling again, I turned my head towards the inside of the cave.
There stood a young boy.
With red hair like his mother's fluttering in the cold wind, eyes mixed green and brown like his father's, gazing straight ahead…
The last great mage of humanity.
Sid, with a clear gaze just like 15 years ago, looked at me and said bluntly.
"Just now, Mom died."