Joining the Battle (3)
The elite soldiers of the Seventh Legion of the Army of Hell guarded the entrance to the imperial city Aganos.
"Kill her."
Gando, already gravely wounded, lay against the battlement and glared at them.
"Kill her?"
Balkan pushed through the demonkin and walked forward.
"Do you think you deserve such an honor?"
Though the throne had been inherited, no one in Kashan actually regarded Gando as emperor.
We keep her alive until we catch Uorin.
"Damn it..."
Realizing the miserable truth, Gando leaned her back to the wall and looked up at the sky.
Mother.
Even with death so near, she felt no bitterness—an odd thing.
That is what an emperor is.
Born like anyone else, yet enjoying things others cannot and taking it for granted.
I'll never be like that.
Did Uorin get away safely?
Sumodo went after him. Chasing him was only a matter of time.
Pungjang and Kido followed, but the demon Amon had a temperament unlike other legion commanders.
He's not just strong. There's something off...
Before Gando could finish the thought, a monstrous sound rolled in from the outer gate.
Kraaaang!
The echo shook the sky and the elite demon soldiers involuntarily shuddered.
"What is that?"
Balkan turned.
It wasn't yet visible, but the rapidly shifting collective will made the danger clear.
"Damn it. What the hell is that?"
The collective will is a vast current that reads and unifies the wills of everyone on the battlefield.
What Balkan saw now took on a shape one normally only sees at a natural disaster.
Has a volcano erupted?
Even so, the demonkin's collective will shouldn't be this terrified.
It's not a disaster. It's emotion.
Rage.
A colossal emotion was approaching, swallowing the demons' fighting spirit like wildfire.
"Leave only the guards and send everyone else in. Whatever that is, do not let it reach here."
A superb call.
Being able to read the battlefield's flow was an immense advantage.
But moments later Balkan corrected himself.
It had transcended mere emotion.
As he shaped the collective will into an image, Balkan's eyes rose toward the sky.
Is that all? No—it's bigger.
The monstrous form could not be contained even against the heavens.
Even more unyielding.
It was armed with a will so firm nothing could break it.
"Commander! Over there!"
An aide shouted.
When Balkan hurriedly dropped his gaze, the massive reality of a mirage came into view.
A slayer with 〈Lawslay〉 as its engine was rushing forward with Shirone on its back.
Black thorns jutted like spears, and demons burst apart on impact.
Can we stop it?
Looking back later, Balkan would be embarrassed by how naive the question was.
"Damn it!"
If it could have been stopped, that abnormal collective will would never have appeared.
Shirone shouted toward the fortress.
"Havitz—!"
When a multi-rage was cast with the spirit of Elysion, curtains of light overlapped from all directions.
Kreek! Kreek!
The demons' bones twisted and their bodies collapsed like sheets of crumpled paper.
We can't stop that.
Balkan vaulted onto a demonic mount and shouted.
"I'm going to His Majesty! Guide me!"
Winged demons set off in search of Havitz, and Balkan kicked his mount in the flank.
"Run! There's no time!"
His stomach churned.
Calm down. Havitz won't die. No matter how many dice are cast, no matter how many arrows fall, no matter how powerful the enemy—his death simply does not happen.
Then what was that terrible collective will chasing Balkan?
Kraaaang!
When he turned toward the beast, a needle-sharp darkness began eating away the surroundings.
The Law.
Balkan's eyes narrowed.
The Law is changing.
Without Buddha, is Yahweh useless too?
It swallowed Buddha and entered! What a damned mess...!
This is dangerous.
So it's enraged? It doesn't like what we're doing, then.
The world's Law and Havitz's chaos had begun struggling over a single future.
I can't promise anything. I can't guarantee this.
The demon mount bearing Balkan increased its pace.
"Kido!"
Amon's blow slammed Kido into the wall with a heavy impact.
Hoo...
He forced himself up, but the shock had gone through him; his legs trembled.
I'm fine. I can still hold on.
It was a lie.
He's really strong. I can't do this alone. Unless all the Pungjang charge in...
The remaining eighty Pungjang were currently scouring the capital for escape routes.
We need to buy time.
Strange.
Amon slung his sword over his shoulder and said,
"I've killed things that looked like you countless times. Goblins, were they? They had more guts than humans." He sneered. "But you'd hate humans, right? Or were they food? Then why are you protecting humans?"
Why?
He'd come to Kashan at Uorin's suggestion, but there was no reason to be aboard a sinking ship.
Why am I fighting for this woman?
To a goblin, humans are food.
No matter how they dress or ornament themselves, they're just wrappings around meat.
The height of hypocrisy.
To Kido, whose life was eating and breeding, Uorin's life was ridiculously extravagant and dazzling—
Who does she think she is? I know you eat and shit too! What's the difference between you and any other animal?
She was unbearably beautiful.
How dare she slip a dog collar onto the goblin king.
When she was bored, Uorin would loop a rope around Kido's neck and tease him.
"Kido, bark—woof."
He didn't hate it entirely.
"Humans are only worth that much. It was ridiculous, so I kept quiet. What was so funny about it..." Kido smiled bitterly at the memory of Uorin rolling on the floor laughing.
Damn it.
I guess I'm going to die here.
"Kiii!"
Kido rolled and activated his avatar art; a mirage of the earth turning into swamp spread out.
"Bind him with an earthbound spirit...!"
With Amon's legs stuck to the ground, Kido thrust his spear straight forward.
Pierce the heart!
Amon seized the blade; sparks flew as metal rang against his gauntlet.
"Still have strength? Give up. You cannot overcome me with your skill."
Kido's mouth twitched.
"Is that so?"
Avatar Art — Dominion of Origin.
The blade Amon had gripped began to advance, ignoring brute force.
What is this??????
Nothing touches him.
The blade's atoms passed between Amon's atoms and finally reached his solar plexus.
Ugh!
Amon's face contorted in stupefaction.
Got you.
Just as Kido was certain and the spear pierced even Amon's armor, a cold sensation washed over him.
What is that?
An indescribably warped demonic aura transmitted through the spear.
Kraaa!
Breaking the earthbound spirit, Amon leapt and drove his sword into Kido's belly.
Gah!
As the sword was pulled free, Kido rocked and collapsed to his knees, clutching his gut.
"Not bad. You even wounded my demonic aura directly. You could easily surpass a division commander."
Face pressed to the earth, Kido clawed the ground with his nails in agonizing pain.
Damn it!
When even Kido fell, the color drained from Uorin's face.
Is it over now?
Havitz walked forward without care.
"First time since the crusade? You once did me a favor. You almost had me at your throat—what a shame."
Havitz knew the mastermind who'd tried to kill him with 〈Lawslay〉 was Uorin.
And as a result, he had sacrificed the one he loved most and become a demon.
Havitz. Malice. Chaos.
Feeling the demonic energy radiating from Havitz, Uorin's shoulders trembled.
It felt like being swallowed in the jaws of a giant serpent.
"What do you think I'm going to do to you? Think about it. What shall I do to you?"
Anything he could.
But the truly terrifying thing was that whatever she imagined, he would surpass it.
I cannot die like this.
From the dawn of human history until now, she had endured life only to meet Shirone.
Having steeled herself, Uorin's determined eyes met Havitz's as he reached into his chest.
"But what use is that now?" he murmured.
Uorin's face registered bewilderment.
"Then let's make meaning of it. Let's see which of us is stronger—you or me."
Havitz produced two six-sided dice and tossed them at Uorin's feet.
They showed 2 and 1, totaling 3.
"Roll them. If you get a higher number than me, I die. If lower, you die."
The odds favored Uorin heavily, but her face went white as she looked at the dice.
If they'd been 1 and 1, totaling 2, she would have surely rolled.
It's over.
No matter what humiliation she endured, as long as she lived she could meet Shirone—but—
Human pleasures no longer mattered. They would not satisfy her anymore.
What Havitz wanted from Uorin was not mere physical pain.
I can't win.
Even without rolling, he had already pierced which number would come through future sight.
"Roll them. Roll them before I kill you."
As despair settled on Uorin's face, Kido gritted his teeth and rose.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Kido?..."
"I can still hold on. Just stall until the Pungjang arrive... ugh!"
A mouthful of blood poured from Kido.
Seeing only someone waiting to die, Havitz drew his sword.
"This is your last chance."
Uorin slowly bent at the waist and reached for the dice.
The moment I roll these dice... I die.
No will can change chaos that lies outside the Law.
The only way... is to follow the will of chaos.
Uorin's motion stopped. She dropped to her knees.
"Please spare me."
Kido's eyes widened at the unexpected sight.
"You—"
"I was wrong. Forgive my arrogance until now."
Kido's face twisted.
What are you doing? Why beg that bastard for your life? Weren't you the noblest woman in the world?
Havitz asked, "Why?"
Uorin lifted her head.
"I have someone I love. I want to meet that person. Please have mercy..."
"Stand up!"
Kido shouted, coughing up blood.
"I said stand up! I will not let you die! I said I'd protect you somehow!"
"Giving up your pride is admirable, but it won't change anything. No matter how you beg..." Sumodo said.
Havitz cut him off.
"Love?"
"Your Majesty."
Uorin looked up into Havitz's eyes.
Cold, terrifying eyes of chaos.
If translated into human emotion, absolute loneliness was lodged in his pupils.