LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 31
Over the past year, this was the first time I had witnessed such a massive battle.
It was, literally, a “war,” supported by hundreds of people.
I wasn’t from the military or a knightly order, but I knew that casualties were inevitable in war.
So, when I realized that the Western Gate of Alpareth was under attack, a certain scene flashed through my mind.
A smaller force compared to other gates.
The countless civilian casualties that would ensue.
······And our colleague who would be severely injured if they were on the scene.
But… that didn’t happen.
[I heard the Mage placed a spell on the walls of the Western Gate.]
[Thanks to that, there has been no significant damage from the attack by that dark fortress.]
It was clearly an ambush, yet there were no casualties.
But the one who cast that spell didn’t change her expression.
The beginning was smooth.
But the war was only just starting.
Thousands of magical creatures pouring out from the fortress were beyond what our party could handle, and eventually, adventurers, mercenaries, and the district guards fought together.
I didn’t mean to underestimate them, but their skills were slightly inferior to those of powerful magical creatures.
So the party tried hard to minimize casualties, but nonetheless, we couldn’t prevent holes from appearing.
[Multiscale-Enchanting.]
Then she filled the gaps by enchanting the equipment of the fighters.
In an instant, those who had become stronger were capable of fighting the magical creatures on their own, allowing our party some breathing room.
When evening came, no more magical creatures emerged.
And surprisingly, there were injuries, but not a single death.
We had broken the formula that stated casualties must occur in times of war.
It was as if she could see the future.
She seemed a step ahead of us, and in reality, acted in ways that drastically enhanced the combat potential of our party.
Before the next wave of attacks arrived, our party devised a plan to eliminate the fortress and prepared to enter.
Then she handed us bracelets.
[This is a bracelet that can track the location and condition of a person.]
The question of why she gave us that artifact now was quickly resolved.
As our party spread out momentarily upon entering the fortress, if we couldn’t find each other, we could have faced a dangerous situation of being picked off individually.
But thanks to her distributing the bracelets to everyone, we were able to regroup in a very short time.
As a result, we stood before a door to face the master of the fortress.
In a state that had neither casualties nor injuries, the most perfect state possible.
*
What we found at the location she guided us to was a massive door.
It was lavishly decorated, indicating its importance, and the size of the room was gigantic.
“There’s no magic on the door.”
Upon hearing her words, I slowly began to open it.
Grraaaak…
“Watch out!”
Bang!!
An attack came flying the moment the door opened. Thanks to my quick reflexes, I raised my sword to deflect it, avoiding any damage.
“Wow, so this is what it means to be a Hero, huh.”
From a distance, I heard an old man’s sigh.
The moment our eyes met, my whole body trembled.
‘…It’s real.’
Crackle, crackle.
The demon race trying to kill her seemed strong as well.
But even they would fall short before that old man.
The magical energy and determination radiating from him were overwhelming.
“Ugh, these guys from the fortress are all utterly useless. I shouldn’t have brought them along.”
The old man leaned on his cane with his arms crossed, pacing near a black chair.
There were no other demons around.
After relaying that to my colleagues, I cautiously stepped into the room.
“What a cautious one. What’s your name?”
“······.”
“Hah, so rude. You don’t even know the meaning of respect, you wretched fool.”
Grraaaak…
With every word the old man spoke, the fortress vibrated.
There was no longer any doubt: he was the master of this fortress.
“Prepare for battle!”
At my command, everyone quickly resumed their stances.
Our opponent was one, but being in the enemy camp meant we had to be wary of support and ambushes.
“Well then, there’s no choice. I have no option but to introduce myself for the thoughtless Hero.”
Clang!
I drew the holy sword from its sheath and charged toward the old man.
Thanks to the gloves, boots, and bracelet she gave me, I reached the old man in an instant.
“Vaal Pelgrino. I am here to kill you and take over this land.”
In that moment, Vaal’s eyes turned black, and his mouth stretched wide.
He hastily twisted his body, but he couldn’t avoid the blood-red tentacle that erupted from him.
Bang!!
“Gah!”
“Aswel!!”
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”
The protective barrier that burst from the bracelet lessened some of the impact.
‘Even so, to think it would be that strong.’
I had to retreat several steps despite the magical resistance from my holy sword and divine armor.
The threat level regarding Vaal rose in my mind.
“Hero.”
“…Rui.”
Serelin and Rie began to face Vaal while Ariya supported them.
She approached me and started writing golden characters with a pen.
The characters danced in mid-air before melding into my gloves, boots, and bracelet.
“I added defensive spells. And… be careful, those tentacles are not infused with magic.”
“Not infused with magic?”
“Yeah. So what I’m saying is, don’t just believe in your holy sword and armor and rush in recklessly.”
“…Thanks.”
After receiving her additional advice, I moved to stand beside Serelin.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, thanks for holding on.”
“If I’m standing next to you, I have to put up with this much.”
Bang!!
“Where are you going!”
“What an annoying bastard.”
Another tentacle shot at me, but Rie’s arrow intercepted it.
Vaal retracted the tentacle to pull the arrow out.
“Serelin, left!”
“I’ll hit you!”
But we couldn’t just sit back and watch.
Serelin and I charged toward Vaal, cutting through the dozens of tentacles extending from him.
“Divine Resonance!”
With Ariya’s shout from afar, white light glimmered on Serelin’s sword.
Even without divine power, Serelin should be able to handle the tentacles with ease now.
“Ariya, step back a bit. You’re out of the range of the tentacles. Rapirie, target the uppermost tentacle on the right.”
With her commands and magical support based on her overall assessment of the situation…
“Hoo. So it wasn’t just for show, huh!”
Vaal grinned, revealing his fangs.
Then he took a step back, barely dodging Serelin’s sword just in time.
A fierce exchange ensued between the dozens of tentacles, swords, and arrows.
Vaal manipulated the tentacles and continued to unleash magic, while she and Ariya protected the three of us from the onslaught.
“Hmm, is this the power that those inferior beings feared so much? They are truly weak.”
‘Only one of them?’
Is this the power of the ‘first bloodline’ she mentioned?
If I had entered here without any information… I shuddered at the thought of what could have happened.
‘But time is on our side.’
We needed time for the strategy she devised.
That’s why we maintained a stalemate in the battle from the beginning.
“Astraea.”
Light radiated from the holy sword, engulfing the surroundings in clouds of light.
Tentacles that had been charging toward Serelin and me were repelled and fell away.
It felt like the time was approaching.
“Rui!”
“Now!”
The moment her words ended, Serelin and I stepped back.
Then we moved to join Rie and Ariya by her side.
“Running away all of a sudden? Is this truly what it means to be a Hero?”
“Master Key. Synchronization. Catalyst Activation.”
Her plan was as follows.
There exists a ‘room’ where a magical circle keeping the fortress in this world is installed.
If we can give a bit of time, we can destroy it from a distance.
[If you can use the meteorite fragments acquired from the village you protected, triggering an explosion is possible.]
If so, Vaal connected to the fortress would lose some of his power, and other vampires would be either obliterated or severely damaged in the explosion of the fortress.
It seemed like a gamble, but we all agreed.
Because until now, her actions and words gave us every reason to trust her.
No one doubted her.
Finally, her last words escaped her lips.
“Explosion.”
Boom…
With a brief explosion, the surrounding area was engulfed in a flash of light.
And then.
“Restore the barrier. Set recovery to maximum.”
With her command, a tremendous explosion erupted from the fortress.
*
When I opened my eyes, dawn was breaking.
And since I could see the sun, it meant we had emerged from the fortress.
That indicated that her plan had indeed succeeded.
Cough cough!
“Phew… Is everyone okay?”
“Uh… I guess?”
“What do you mean, ‘guess’?”
I quickly rose and surveyed the area.
People looked on in confusion. Behind us, the partially destroyed fortress was being sucked into the darkness.
“Gaaah!!”
“Help…!”
Some vampires were seen dead or seriously wounded beneath the debris of the fortress.
Vaal was… nowhere to be found. I thought perhaps he got caught in the collapsing fortress and was obliterated.
‘It would be nice if that’s true.’
“Rui, are you alright?”
“Yes, I am. So, let’s stop worrying about it now…”
I chuckled lightly at Rie, who was anxiously checking on her condition.
‘Indeed, after setting up all the plans, Rui said this.’
[There’s no need to confront them head-on. If there’s an easier way, it’s best to take that route.]
As a result, we succeeded in eliminating both the fortress and the vampires with minimal injuries.
This would surely be a significant blow to the Demon King, which would likely lead to peace in Alpareth for a while…
“Wahaha! Is that so!! Were you waiting for this!!”
At the sound of the maniacal laughter, I quickly leveled the holy sword.
From the remains of the fortress emerged a pool of blood.
Coming forth was none other than Vaal.
“Wuhaha, wuhahahaha!!”
“Everyone, it’s not over yet.”
Despite being heavily injured, perhaps due to the fortress’s explosion, Vaal still emitted an overwhelming magical pressure.
“Ahh… Interesting. Fascinating. Hero, do you know what astonished me?”
“…What?”
“Oh? This time you’re answering. Then I must respond. The fact that both the Hero party and I were thinking the same thing!”
The same thought?
If it’s the same thought… a delaying tactic?
“Don’t tell me.”
I heard her voice from behind me.
“Randellion! Has he perished!?”
“No, my lord.”
At Vaal’s call, a woman appeared beside him who bore a power comparable to his.
“The second bloodline…”
“Yes, you should be prepared. You’ve kept me entertained for so long!”
“What do you mean? Are there really fifty more ‘fortresses’?”
What?
Fifty more ‘fortresses’?
Are you saying that this massive fortress has fifty more?
And that they will manifest right now here?
I looked back.
In Alpareth, thousands of citizens existed.
If the fortresses were summoned, they would all be slaughtered.
Not only that, but the magical creatures emanating from the fifty fortresses would disperse throughout the Empire, leading to countless casualties.
We must stop it.
“Ha, so you really wanted to get serious.”
With a mocking laughter as if he’d read my thoughts, Vaal continued.
“But it’s too late. You really don’t think I would be unprepared?”
With his declaration, the ground began to tremble.
Grraaaak…
It felt just like the vibrations that appeared just before the fortresses launched their attacks.
And in the distance, new towers began to rise from the ruins of the fortress.
Towers numbering at least in the hundreds.
Simultaneously, I sensed the presence of thousands of vampires rising from beneath the ground.
‘I have to stop this.’
If we don’t, many will die.
I didn’t want to see that happen.
But how?
Could I possibly eliminate so many demons and fortresses with the holy sword in hand?
Would no one die or be injured until then?
That would be impossible…
‘Even if it’s impossible, I have to try!’
I tightened my grip on the holy sword and took my stance.
After all, everything originated from those two vampires.
If I could kill them, perhaps we would have a fighting chance.
First, I would need to take out that female vampire…
“Hero.”
“…Huh?”
“Please hold me for a moment.”
“What… are you talking about?”
“What I mean is, please shield me from those people’s view. And one more thing, promise me.”
What on earth was she saying?
Suddenly, I noticed a shining star in the sky stretching out behind her.
No… was it really a star?
It was far too bright and moving too rapidly.
“From now on, what happens will not be my doing; it will be your doing, Hero. If anyone asks, make sure to explain it that way.”
“What does that even mean…?”
“And… don’t worry if I can’t wake up for a while.”
Her steps were light enough for me to stop her with a gentle hand.
But I couldn’t stop her, and ultimately, she entered my embrace.
Leaning against me, she raised a pure white staff to the sky and shouted.
“Master Key, Synchronization. Celestial Alignment. Orbit Secured.”
The star in the sky was now directly overhead, and with every word she uttered, it blinked with light.
“Connecting to all mana reserves. Setting coordinates. Target: the western region of Alpareth.”
Light intensified and grew larger.
It was like something that had been concentrated was on the verge of exploding.
“Orbital Bombardment. Ultimate Star-spear.”
The next moment, a beam of light descended from the sky.
And then…
“Enjoy the purest mana of the star.”
The rising fortresses and the two demons vanished.
Completely.