Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Chapter: 674

In short, the disaster started from complacency.

The dungeon, where subordinates of the Evil God lurked, was supposed to be a source of fear for the people.

Just their appearance should be enough to level several cities, cause countless sacrifices, lead numerous champions to their deaths, and endanger the nation.

Even if one were to prepare in advance, the area should be filled with the thick stench of blood. Those living in the Age of Myth all knew this.

No one doubted that the emergence of a dungeon near their home meant death.

However, hundreds of years later, the land was only sprinkled with the Joy of Victory, and because of this complacency, the deaths that should have occurred were naturally blocked by the Apostle of God. Hence, people began to think this way.

“Wait, aren’t the subordinates of the Evil God overhyped?”

“Even if the terrifying records of the past are true, aren’t they weakened after all these years?”

“That little kid over there is easily tackling a dungeon; there’s no way we can’t do it too!”

Many didn’t realize how extraordinary Lucy was.

They couldn’t understand how bizarre her method of dungeon tackling was.

Even those who had heard her speak felt the same.

The dungeon Lucy described was incredibly simple.

She just ran to the Boss Room, toyed with the boss who knew the strategy, and killed it.

Lucy Allen only let them know this and tackled dungeons in such a way.

Just a few years ago, the noble young lady, known for her bad reputation, who had only learned to fight properly for less than two years but carried the bloodline of heroes, didn’t even bring a hero along. Instead, she took other kids her age and smashed the past nightmares one by one.

At least that’s what many thought. The knights of Parma, where the disaster occurred, thought the same.

“If they can do it, can’t we?”

“We know everything about that dungeon, so why should we wait for that little girl?”

“When others are oppressed by the authority of the Lord, why not be the first to tackle the dungeon?”

“If we do this, not only will we owe a debt to the Jushin Church, but we can also leverage it against other nations.”

“When everything is over in the future, this is what we have to do so that our faith gets a higher status.”

The people of Parma agreed with this opinion and made up their minds to enter the dungeon and eliminate the culprit instead of blocking the monsters pouring out from it as soon as the dungeon appeared.

This was a presumptuous judgment, but not entirely wrong. Few recognized the peculiarities possessed by Lucy, despite the high authority of the name Apostle of God.

If one were to question their mistakes, it would be that they didn’t consider the possibility of failure.

They didn’t think about what would come after their failure.

They could only imagine their victorious selves standing amidst glory after finishing the dungeon.

That’s why when the first button was misaligned, they couldn’t correct it.

When monsters took the shape of knights and emerged from beyond the dungeon’s door, they easily accepted their own deaths.

Chaos began.

As the commander who stood at the front to praise those coming out lost his head, others died amidst the chaos that ensued.

It was only after that, one by one, they drew their weapons, but by then it was already too late.

In a situation where they couldn’t distinguish between enemies and allies, their main force, the knights, crumbled without resistance.

People were dying. The enemies increased. The number of monsters emerging from the dungeon grew exponentially.

The frontline was pushed back.

Again, people were dying. While the monsters increased, the number of soldiers kept dwindling.

Stepping over corpses, the soldiers retreated once more.

People were dying.

People died.

They were dying.

At some point, everyone on the frontline understood that they would die.

They realized that no matter how hard they struggled, they had no choice but to die.

Unless a miracle occurred, this city was doomed.

Realizing they would be swept away by that wave of monsters, many chose to flee, while others quietly accepted their deaths. Yet some gritted their teeth and stood on the frontline.

They didn’t think they could survive.

They didn’t believe a miracle would happen either.

They simply wished for those standing behind them to die just a second later than themselves.

By dying first, they wished for even the slightest, tiniest chance to emerge.

Even if the moment came when all life in the world ended, they hoped for others to continue living a bit longer.

“…Haa.”

The soldier, trying to pull out a cigarette from his pocket, belatedly realized that his right arm was gone and let out a heh.

Moving his awkward left arm, he pulled out the cigarette and held it in his mouth while rummaging through his pocket.

Then he realized. He had nothing to light it.

“If I’d known, I should have learned some magic or something.”

He regretted refusing what the wizard offered while mercenary-ing.

Crunching the cigarette tip while lamenting, the soldier closed his eyes, feeling dazed.

Beside him, his comrade was yelling something, and further away, screams and the roars of monsters echoed, but the soldier could not open his eyes.

There was too much blood spilled.

Too long a time without sleep.

What he had done until now felt overwhelming.

He just wanted to rest. Just wanted to sleep for a moment and get up.

With one hand holding his weapon, he decided to charge forward.

Even if it meant dying instead of his comrade, he would move ahead.

Yeah. Just for a moment. Just a moment of sleep and all.

It was then. A strange warmth embraced him.

The warmth he felt lying with his eyes closed in a spring meadow made the soldier feel at ease.

His fading consciousness surfaced, the pain that enveloped him dulled, and strength returned to his body, which he thought he would never be able to stand up again.

The moment the soldier was aware of this, he slowly opened his eyes and saw an angel standing on the city wall.

On the gray-stained ground, the angel shone alone while praying to the heavens with closed eyes.

As he hungrily gazed at the sight, the soldier suddenly turned his head around.

The sounds of battle had vanished.

No screams. No shouts. No anger. No cries. Nothing.

There was nothing left on the battlefield, only the awe directed toward the angel standing on the city wall.

The monsters. Where are the monsters?

Trying to rise while leaning on his right arm, the soldier stumbled but managed to get up.

That’s when he realized the reason all sounds had dissipated. The monsters were retreating.

They were moving back, unable to intrude upon the warmth created by the angel. Back again.

Watching this scene, the soldier remembered a hero’s story he had heard.

The tale of a Holy Knight who pushed back all monsters with only his light.

“O great Lord Jushin.”

The moment someone expressed reverence, those standing on the battlefield began to clasp their hands together one by one.

Then they raised their prayers to the sky. O great Lord Jushin, please protect those who stand upon this land.

Let your will descend upon the earth, banishing evil and spreading goodness far and wide.

“For the great Lord Jushin.”

“For the Apostle who acts in accordance with the Lord’s will.”

“For the goodness that must exist in this land.”

As the soldiers voiced the thoughts swelling within them, they faced down the monsters glaring at them, weapon in hand.

They expressed their hatred toward those who hated the Apostle of God.

“For the people we must protect!”

At the moment when humans clashed with monsters again, it was the monsters that were pushed back.

*

The sword of the warrior favored by the God of Martial Arts sliced through the air, and countless monster heads soared.

As the God of Darkness, the great wizard’s apprentice cast his magic, lightning fell from the sky and tore through the monster army.

The prince of a nation moved everywhere on the frontline, upholding everyone with magic and sword.

The Saintess, the very face of the Jushin Church, even revived those who should have died, sustaining the frontline.

And, as if it were the most natural thing, the Apostle of God, even covered in the blood of monsters, continued to press forward.

The Pope watched all these sights from a distance.

“Isn’t it more beautiful than ever? Look at how they fight with their mouths shut for those they depend on.”

“Indeed, Your Holiness.”

At the Pope’s command, the Holy Knights acting in the city nodded several times in agreement with the Pope’s words.

“However, it’s a pity. Just a little confusion, and those who doubted the words and sinned have survived intact.”

“That’s true. Originally, this city should have been annihilated.”

The Apostle’s coming was deemed predestined, but no one anticipated that the miracle caused by that being would block all the monsters.

I’ve underestimated that being once again.

“But there’s no need to be overly anxious. Having remaining sinners will make the Apostolate’s tale even more dramatic.”

Earlier, the Pope who had suffered great damage when heading toward Lady Allen’s Territory shifted his direction.

Deciding to burden the Apostle with trials through those he wished to protect.

Even though the Apostle of God, who had suffered enough at the hands of humanity, wouldn’t give up on humans for just a few complaints.

However, if many deaths were piled on their shoulders, surely despair would set in, and that hardship would become a story, a trial that would complete that being.

For that reason, this city had to fall. But ha ha, this isn’t so bad either.

Now they could test those around the Apostle, and the world would come to know the power the Apostle possessed.

After this, there would surely be a few statues erected in their hometown.

Honestly, I was quite disappointed in the past.

“Let’s take our leave now. We’re about to pinpoint this location.”

“Understood, Your Holiness.”

The day isn’t far off. Apostle of God.

The day you shall bestow trials upon me is drawing near.

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