Episode 218: Countless pig demons
The strength of the monster called Pig Demon is its physical ability and toughness. They rarely possess special magic, and it is rare for them to evolve into powerful species. Instead, they tend to form flocks, and once they form a colony, they multiply rapidly. The amount of food needed will increase accordingly, so it will be stopped to a certain extent, but if a ``king'' is in charge, then the story will be different.
(When I actually fought it, it was still too much... far more than I expected!)
Sink almost clicked his tongue while fighting.
Although it exceeded expectations, it is still within expectations. I knew it was going to be a struggle, and I was determined to stage a retreat by intentionally struggling.
"Drop the front line! Prioritize the injured. Don't get surrounded!"
The human side is about 600, while the pig demon army is in the thousands. Also, it's only as far as you can see, and if you sense it, you'll know that there are tens of thousands of pig demons waiting behind you.
With such a difference in numbers, it would be easy to get surrounded. If that happens, there will be no point in retreating, and the strategy will collapse.
Cerua supported this.
"Don't enter the area of effect of the holy light! Your magical power will be depleted!"
That's what I'm advising.
The power of Serua, also known as the "Saint", is a magical collapse. It causes a magic power collapse phenomenon over a wide area and never keeps monsters away. This is because the bodies of monsters exposed to light will disappear without exception. However, this power also affects magical equipment and magic, making it impossible to use those powers. Also, if Serua gets serious, she can penetrate the shell of her body and destroy even her magical power.
The current Serua is truly the strongest holy knight who can evaporate even a soul if she wants to.
She continues to activate her magical equipment at the rear of the unit, restricting the monster's movements. The holy light that unfolds like a wall blocks the monster's progress. Thanks to that, a small number of humans were able to hold back the hordes of monsters.
"Oh, oh, oh! Huke, Kaehamourouda!"
“Okitre, gaa… ennaesuu.”
On the other hand, frustration is growing among the pig demons. Only some of them can proceed properly because of the holy light. The people in the back are always stuck, and there's a lot of arguing. What is surprising, however, is that all that happened was an argument.
As common sense, monsters are like beasts. With the exception of some monsters, monsters have almost no intelligence. This is because the magic circle of souls that control the spirits of monsters is immature. The more magical power you can take in, the easier it will be to develop, but on the other hand, if you're at the level of a middle-class pig-demon orc, your intelligence won't be that big of a deal. When trouble occurs, it is not uncommon for friends to fight among themselves.
(As expected, the monsters being controlled are different.)
Thinking about this, Sink swung his sword sideways. At the same time, the holy blade was sent flying, and the blade of dense magical power was hunting down the pig demon in a straight line.
Sink's magic weapon even exceeds Selua in terms of light concentration. The slash he sent has enough power to cut through monsters in one blow.
"Hey, Ninu! Snow Yusari!"
“You’re in the way!”
The Orc King, the Pig Demon King, raises his great sword, and Sink cuts it. The sacred blade attached to the Orichalcum sword cut through the soul. Even the Pig Demon King Orc King, who is said to be on the Disaster level, can't survive having his soul slashed.
It will decay in no time.
It was an instant kill.
Sink can kill a soul with one blow if you can land the attack. It doesn't matter if it's Disaster Class, Ruin Ruin Class, or Dyspear Despair Class. Unfortunately, it doesn't work against the "King" who handles magic, so it's not enough to fight the Gluttony King.
“Sink-sama, please step back now!”
"No, it's still okay. What about the others?"
"Already almost retreating. It is possible to retreat to the front line! So..."
"Alright, let's go down to the third line!"
"Ha!"
The sink also descends with the holy knight, and Serua's holy light also retreats along with it. Along with this, the elites who had been at the forefront also began to decline.
However, there was one person who chose to advance rather than retreat.
"Kuhahahahahaha! Isn't it good to fight like this!"
Naraku, also known as the ``Rage Dragon'', is the only one who bravely attacks the large army of pig demons. This man has honed his physical abilities to the limit, far surpassing monsters with just his physical abilities. It shreds with its strength, crushes it with blows, and repels all attacks.
It's rare to find such a simple yet powerful magic user.
As modernization progresses, guns have become mainstream instead of old weapons like swords and spears. In such a situation, he is a rare person who fights with magic equipment that purely strengthens his body. Naturally, it stands out. In many ways.
“You idiot!”
Sink couldn't help but curse.
The retreat here is a strategy, and we need to attract as many pig demons as possible. In particular, he must attract the ``King'' of the pig demons, known as the King of Gluttony.
The holy knight next to him also asked with a bitter expression.
"What do you want me to do? If you give me the order, I will do it."
"No, it's fine. Please continue to lead the withdrawal. We also need to rebuild a new front line. Also, there are more injured people than expected. Prioritize rebuilding."
"Ha! Immediately!"
"I'll bring that man back."
Rumors about a man named Naraku had even reached Sink.
Rumor had it that he was a large, rough man with scars all over his body, so one of the priests suspected that he was some kind of criminal and investigated him. However, Naraku was recommended by a legitimate company and there was nothing suspicious about him. Even a simple investigation by a priest would not be able to detect ``Hawk Eye'''s information manipulation.
There is a record that it was investigated even once.
Of course, Sink, who was entrusted with this operation, also knew.
(His behavior isn't bad, but he suddenly changes when it comes to battle...Is that as per the information?)
Sink approaches Naraku while destroying the approaching pig demons. The rampaging big man is fighting with his bare hands, tearing the pig demon into pieces and throwing it into pieces. I can't get close to it easily. However, although he doesn't like Sink himself, he is a man called the ``Sword Saint''. With that skill, it would be easy for him to come to Naraku's side.
He then creates a small holy blade in his hand and thrusts it towards Naraku. Just a small, needle-like attack. It wasn't enough to stop Naraku's magical equipment, but it was enough to bring him back to his senses.
“Ah!?”
"Hurry up! This is a strategy!"
"Tch...that's it."
This man, who is usually called the ``Ryuu'', is wild, but he is not stupid either. He's a man who does his job properly. Therefore, as long as he remembers the strategy, he will listen to what you say.
"Back off for now."
Therefore, Naraku followed Sink's words.
◆◆◆
The fort built between the rivers was almost completed. Even though it is completed, only the minimum necessary items have been installed, and there are still improvements to be made. However, it functions as a fort.
A large number of priests, holy knights, and of course S-rank holy knights had gathered in the room that was set up as a command post.
“Then Aroma-dono has finished preparing as well?”
"Yes, that's right. I also set the trap as before. The effective area is as shown on this map."
Holy Knight Aroma of the Sea of Trees points at the display.
The southern part of this fort, across the river, was surrounded by a red circular area. That is the trap set by her.
“The question is whether or not Sink-dono and Serua-dono will be able to successfully lure Gluttony King...”
While saying that, Lazard looked at the map on the other display. It shows allies displayed in blue and monsters displayed in red. It is transmitting and displaying the local observation magic.
"The numbers are overwhelming. However, judging from the movement of this monster, Serua-dono's holy light is probably working."
"That's a scary ability."
“I think that kind of Floria is also a violation.They can snipe you from anywhere on the continent.”
If someone were to ask who the strongest holy knight is today, everyone would say ``Saint.'' Or sometimes the name of ``Sword Saint'' is mentioned.
The reason is that he once destroyed the Scarlet King and the Immortal King. The fact that they were able to subjugate the King, something no one else had been able to accomplish, is a tailwind. To tell the truth, it was not true, but the world believed that these two holy knights had subjugated the 『King』.
Also, considering his actual abilities, there is no doubt that he is the strongest. The holy knights of the ``Sea of Trees'' who produce seeds that grow by consuming magical power are also strong, but the holy light that directly destroys them is too strong. No one can imitate a wide-range decomposition attack exclusively for monsters released by an Awakened Magician who possesses overwhelming magical power. Depending on the output adjustment, it can also be used against humans. You can freely remove just the magic power or evaporate the entire soul. That's how strong the phenomenon of magical power collapse is.
Compared to Selua's magic armor, the ``Celestial Eye'', ``Puncture'', and the Holy Knight of the ``Thousand Arms'' are like roadside stones. The ``Celestial Eye'' still had the role of reconnaissance, but it became unnecessary due to the map app World Map sold by the Hades Group.
"Saint" Serua, a user of light who destroys demons. And the ``Sword Saint'' Sink protects her.
There was no doubt that these two were well-received by the public.
However, the highest rank holy knights who have been in that position for a long time are not weak either. They also have experiences commensurate with their time in life.
“Lazard, how is the support from the cathedral going?”
"We have received additional medicines. We are also organizing them, so there will be no problem."
"He's an excellent junior."
"I'm just giving instructions; it's my subordinates who are actually doing the work."
"Humility. Well, that's fine, Floria... what about the north? You've been looking into it a while ago, haven't you?"
For the time being, there is a machine for observation magic installed in this fort. Therefore, a real-time map of the surrounding area is always shown on the display.
However, what Aroma asked about here was further north than the map.
Naturally, Floria also understood, so she answered while nodding.
"I found several Ushioni Taurus. I think they're probably scouts or something."
"Well, suddenly a fort like this was built, so it's only natural."
The purpose of this fort, which was forcibly created using magic, is to suppress the Ushioni monsters coming from the north. Even a large army of pig demons will have a hard time. If you get caught in a pincer attack, it's over.
In that case, it would be normal to think that we should attack Obrad Village from the south, but the southern part of the Dibro continent is covered in forests, making it difficult to deploy an army. Another problem is that there is no escape route in case something happens.
In that case, it would not be strange to choose the northern plains as a battlefield where it would be easier to fight, and also build a fort as a place to retreat. The fort also eliminates the problematic pincer attack between the Pig Demon and the Ushi Demon.
“What about the defenses on the north side?”
"Priority is given to the south side, so it's not perfect. However, we have deployed many people who can use long-range attacks. There's a river on both sides, so if it's only a few hundred people, it shouldn't be a problem. If they send us 10,000, we should just come.”
“Well, yeah.”
The aroma also makes sense.
Lazard, who was also in charge of this fort's equipment, was relieved that his arrangements were correct. He too was worried about whether he was making good use of his limited time and resources. The priests and holy knights who were working under him also let out a sigh of relief.
“This strategy is unstable anyway.”
"Yes, but I can't help it. My home country has decided to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the sacred calendar."
The reason why this has become such an unstable and crude force-pushing strategy is due to the selfishness of the upper management. It's certainly a good appeal to the public, but the people who actually act are the holy knights and priests. I don't mean to criticize, but I do feel like complaining.
However, we were able to carry it out as planned so far.
Success is also within sight.
"First of all, we have to see if Sink and Serua's troops can successfully lure them in. The real battle will start tomorrow morning..."
Judging from the map on the display, that's definitely true.
Everyone in this place was nervous in front of the fact that the biggest battle was approaching.
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