Episode 53: Pandemonium
The enemy ambush had begun.
The knights and soldiers retreated, raising their shields. The mages simultaneously lifted their hands, and Blue magic circles unfurled at their fingertips.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
Most of the attacks were blocked by the magical barrier, but some arrows pierced through, embedding themselves in the ground and exploding into sharp fragments.
Scorching heat lashed against their skin.
The mages’ response was quick, but it wasn’t without losses.
“Urgh…!”
“Damn it…”
Knights and soldiers groaned as arrows they couldn’t evade struck them.
“They’re coming!”
The soldiers of Sanburk let out sharp cries as they brandished their spears and swords. Their footsteps thundered against the earth, and their bloodshot eyes glimmered with the madness of those prepared to die.
“We need to regroup with the other medics!”
Francia shouted urgently. Thanks to the Eternal Flow Technique’s barrier that Yohan constantly maintained, she hadn’t suffered any injuries.
“Yes, let’s move that way immediately.”
Yohan pulled Francia close and poured his mana into the Eternal Flow Technique’s barrier, activating it to its utmost to guard against potential snipers.
He didn’t know why the enemy suddenly ambushed the rearmost troops, but one thing was certain.
‘Sanburk is trying to end this war with this assault.’
The enemy numbers far exceeded the report from the First Commander fighting on the frontlines, and their level of armament was entirely different.
They knew as well. No matter what they did, victory in this war was out of their grasp.
Even so, the hardliners of Sanburk must have launched this war as a final act of defiance against the Empire’s dominance.
Their reason for targeting the rear must have been to ensure they left some wounds behind, even as they fell.
“…The situation isn’t looking good.”
Francia spoke as she glanced around while hurrying forward. Her shoulders were visibly tense from the heightened stress.
But she didn’t fall into panic.
“We’ll regroup with the medics and establish a defensive line. Go quickly.”
“What about you, Yohan?”
“I’ll assess the situation a bit longer before joining you.”
“…You must come.”
“I understand.”
It was just as Yohan barely managed to send the anxious Francia on her way.
“Demonic Beasts are here!”
“Those bastards brought demonic beasts with them!”
“It’s a Special-Grade demonic beast!!”
A soldier screamed in terror.
‘They brought Demonic beast?’
Yohan urgently turned his gaze. The rugged mountain path had turned into a chaotic battleground, a scene of pandemonium. Screams and shouts intermingled. Flesh was torn apart, and crimson blood spattered the air.
It was a three-way battle between the Imperial Army, Sanburk’s forces, and the demonic beasts.
“What is this…”
“Special-Class Mage Harsen…!”
A military officer approached, panting heavily. Without even catching his breath, he urgently began to speak.
“The First Commander is hurrying to assist, but it will take time! The enemy has blocked the path!”
Had this all been part of their plan from the start? Yohan’s expression turned icy. The damage could end up being significant.
“And…”
“What else is there?”
“A demonic lair has appeared.”
“A demonic lair? In this situation?”
When Yohan questioned him, the officer clutched his forehead in frustration and replied.
“I don’t know the details, but a demonic lair has manifested in the middle of the battlefield…!”
An ambush, an unexpected battle, and now a demonic lair appearing… It was hard to see this as mere coincidence.
Though the exact mechanism was unclear, it was likely tied to those accursed dark mages. They were always involved in such incidents.
“…Understood. I’ll join the front.”
Yohan’s duty was to protect the medics, but the current situation required flexible judgment.
Besides, Sanburk wasn’t immune to the beasts’ attacks either. It didn’t seem likely that the enemy would reach the medics.
Rather than staying here helplessly, it was better to join the battlefield and relieve the burden on their forces.
“Understood. May victory be with you!”
Yohan quickly prepared himself. His preparations consisted only of taking a dagger and a few potions, but one could never predict what might happen.
“Special-Class Mage Harsen! We’ll accompany you!”
A few knights followed him. While Yohan could have gone alone, this battlefield teeming with demonic beasts made their presence reassuring. Taking them along wouldn’t hurt.
“Yohan…!”
Francia, who had retreated to the rear where the medical team was gathered, came running in a rush. Her expression was filled with anxiety.
“Where are you going?”
“It seems I need to join the battle.”
“…What?”
Francia’s face stiffened, her pupils trembling slightly. No matter how exceptional a mage Yohan was, anything could happen on the battlefield. Strength aside, death was always a possibility.
“It’s too dangerous!”
Her voice quivered.
“Your mission is to protect the medical team. Staying with us would be…”
“Francia.”
Yohan gently caressed her cheek, attempting to ease her anxiety, and offered her a soft smile.
“The first Division officers will come to assist soon. Until then, please stay here quietly. I’ll be back soon.”
“Yohan!”
Despite her calling out to him, he didn’t look back. Mounted on his horse, Yohan gripped the reins tightly.
The heart of the battlefield, now turned into a living hell.
Amidst the sharp wind, the stench of blood mixed with the air. The winter sunlight gleamed against the contours of the metal.
The clashing of soldiers and knights resounded as sharp weapon strikes echoed. The roars of demonic beasts and the cries of the wounded filled the space.
Fireballs flew from atop a hill, exploding on impact. The shattered debris from the explosion scattered in all directions.
“Hold the line!”
“Stop the mages first!”
The voices of commanders spread like wildfire. The knights and soldiers quickly reorganized themselves, attempting to maintain their formation, but enemies and demonic beasts kept pouring in relentlessly.
The mountain paths were wrecked by the chaos of battle. The ground beneath their feet became slippery with blood, and a thick dust cloud obscured their vision.
The scent of human flesh lured the creatures, eager for blood and carnage. Their aura was unlike any beast emerging from ordinary demon lairs.
“Kieeeek!!”
With a roar that shook the battlefield, demonic beasts descended upon the soldiers.
Their hook-like claws shattered shields and tore through flesh.
Razor-sharp fangs sank into necks, spraying blood like a fountain.
The screams of soldiers and the sounds of metal being ripped apart melded with the cacophony of the battlefield.
“Fall back!”
Even the commands of the officers were drowned out by the sounds of carnage.
Boom!
A fireball tore through the blood-soaked air, exploding atop the hill. The flames crept along the ground as if crawling, spreading rapidly.
Thick dust rose in the air, and the ground was drenched in blood, turning it into a mire.
Soldiers slipped, screaming, and the beasts took advantage of the chaos, lunging forward.
“You bastard!”
“Damn it!”
“Arghh!”
“Kieeeek!”
The battle was ferocious. The pervasive stench of death brushed against their skin. In this environment, even a single mistake meant death.
“……”
Yohan’s face grew cold. To say he wasn’t afraid or disturbed would be a lie, but showing such emotions was a luxury he couldn’t afford.
“There it is!”
A knight pointed in a direction. There, a swirling black mist emanated from a crack-a demonic lair.
‘The space is distorted.’
An ominous energy made his skin tingle. It was undoubtedly the most dangerous demonic lair he had ever encountered.
“…The demonic beasts are still pouring out.”
Slash!
A knight mercilessly severed the neck of a beast that had slipped through.
Demonic beasts continued to emerge, letting out strange cries as they surged forth.
The grotesque creatures, radiating malice and hostility, snapped their teeth in a never-ending wave.
The demonic beasts, pouring out from the crack, lusted for blood as they charged at the soldiers.
Hook-like claws tore through armor, and fangs sank into the necks of screaming soldiers.
“Kieeeek!!”
The roars, a mixture of the ecstasy of slaughter, echoed across the battlefield.
It was an outright outbreak.
Unlike the Sanburk army, which had its limits, the beasts seemed endless. Waiting for stability wasn’t an option. Something had to disrupt their momentum.
‘I wish I could use the Book of Calamity…
But those spells were too dangerous. Not only were there too many eyes watching, but the range was so vast that even allies could be caught in it.
Moreover… he had no way to stop it once it began. If unleashed, it would be impossible to control. Using the Book of Calamity here was out of the question.
“…Guess I’ll go with one big shot instead.”
As Yohan extended his fingers, the surrounding air froze in an instant.
Wooong!
Two orbs, one pitch black and the other white, began to form and rotate around each other.
Absorption and release.
The two energies intertwined, creating a spiraling vortex. The intense rotation distorted the surrounding air, and powerful gusts of wind surged outward.
“He’s doing something!”
“Kill him first!”
“Graaaah!!”
As the flow of mana intensified, the forces of the Sanburk army and the beasts turned their attention to Yohan, sensing something unusual.
“Cover me!”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights spread out around Yohan, forming a protective line.
Clang, clatter, slash!
The sounds of steel meeting flesh and clashing weapons echoed immediately.
Yohan extended his hand once more toward the rift, focusing his magic.
The orbs expanded, shaking the ground. The spiraling orbs of absorption and release accelerated explosively.
High-tier magic: Spiral Heaven Breaker.
Boom-boom-boom!
The vortex exploded, sweeping across the ground. The demonic beasts pouring out of the rift didn’t even have time to scream as they were sucked into the core.
Their bodies were torn apart by the intense pressure, scattering into crimson fragments that sprayed into the air.
Even the Sanburk soldiers weren’t spared. Those fighting nearby couldn’t escape the Spiral Heaven Breaker’s pull.
“Gaaah!!”
“Kiieek!”
“Arghhh!”
BOOM!!
The Spiral Heaven Breaker collided with the rift, triggering a massive magical explosion. The earth trembled violently, and a blinding flash swept across the battlefield.
A colossal storm surged, shattering everything in its path. The ground split open, and rocks were pulverized into dust. Thick clouds of dirt and debris filled the air, plunging the sky into darkness.
The blood of both demonic beasts and Humans mixed, raining down in Crimson droplets.
Drip, drip.
Red droplets splattered onto the ground, leaving stains that soaked into the earth.
Screams, torn apart by the storm, faded into a deep, resonant silence, mingling with the rain as it fell.
“What kind of power is this…?”
“It’s like dozens of bombs went off at once.”
“So this is a Special-Class Mage…”
The battlefield fell into stunned silence, shaken by the deafening explosions and the ground-quaking tremors. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the site of the magic’s impact, regardless of their allegiance.
As the thick cloud of dirt began to settle, the rift came into view once more. But something about it seemed… different. Strange magical waves emanated from it, and its edges quivered unnaturally.
“There’s something wrong with the rift!”
“Is it getting bigger?!”
A wave of unease rippled through the forces. If the rift expanded, even more dangerous beasts could pour out.
“……”
Yohan narrowed his eyes. He had thought this method would work since he had done it before, but it seemed otherwise. If the rift grew larger now, things would spiral out of control.
“Wait…”
“Look!”
“The rift is closing!”
With someone’s cry, all eyes turned toward the rift. Its edges, which had been writhing chaotically, were now dimming, as if losing vitality.
The black mist dissipated, crumbling away like fragments in the air. Slowly but surely, the rift began to seal, its jagged edges knitting together until it vanished completely into thin air.
“…The rift is closing?”
Yohan’s face froze in disbelief. He couldn’t trust his own eyes. Demonic Lair, once opened, were known to be impossible to close. At best, they could be contained or stabilized-but to close completely?
It was unprecedented. Areas where demonic lair’s emerged were always designated as danger zones and managed directly by the authorities for this very reason.
“The Demonic lair is gone!”
“Special-Class Mage Harsen has closed the rift!!”
“My God… He actually closed a Demonic Lair?!”
“Woooah!!”
Before Yohan could fully process the situation, shouts of shock and celebration erupted across the battlefield.
Some soldiers, still gripping their swords, stared blankly at the spot where the rift had been, While the mages, awestruck, remained speechless, as if they had just witnessed a miracle.
For the first time in the empire’s long history, the impossible had happened.