Chapter 159
—Northwest City Argyle—
Argyle, the northwestern city of Magnar Kingdom .
This is also the fortress city which holds the front line with the western continent behind its back .
After the Knight Wall’s fall, the next city that’s about to fall was Argyle .
Argyle was now being engulfed in blazing flames and black smoke .
At first, you could feel the humans’ fighting spirit from their fervor-filled voice .
However, that fervor has now completely disappeared .
It has now been replaced by wails of despair and they covered all of the tragic city .
The citizens of Argyle who were late to escape were trampled down .
There are still indescribable scenes going on in the city……
[Guruguuaaagiiiiiieeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!]
[Oguruuoooeeeeehhh! Guruuuu! Gueeeaaaaahhhh!]
[Gugiiieeeehhhh! Geeeiiiieeeehhhh! Ahiigeeeeaaaahhhh!]
[Higegeggeeeehhh! Higeegeeeehhhh♪ Higiieeeehhhh♪ ]
The watchtower on the castle walls that overlooks this gruesome sight .
A lone Ogre Soldier had climbed onto its roof .
Dangling from its hand is the severed head of the garrison captain .
The Ogre Soldier looked at the cloud of dust rising from a distance .
That cloud of dust began drifting away from the city……
The Ogre Soldier squinted its eyes .
An emotion that slightly resembles irritation gushed forth from within the Ogre Soldier .
The prey escaped .
Let’s play some more .
As if it’s releasing its emotions, the Ogre Soldier let out a roar towards the sky .
[Kisshyyuuuoooeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh———-!]
[The evacuation of the citizens of Argyle is abandoned at this point! All units gather! Fall back! For the time being, we’ll retreat towards Sinbapa in the south!]
(T/N: シンバパ/Shinbapa… Tried googling it, and now I regret it . )
The Great Demon Emperor’s Western Invasion Force .
The first place to receive their attack was the fortress city Argyle .
The speed of the enemy’s advance was much faster than originally expected .
As a result, the evacuation of the citizens of Argyle was belatedly delayed .
Naturally, there are lots of people who were left behind .
More than half of Argyle’s garrison force, the cornerstone of this city’s defense, had also been killed in action .
▽
The horse’s hooves sound like an incoming avalanche as they struck past the sandy ground .
I, an old Knight named Marg Nogg turned my head behind me as I rode behind my horse .
Reflecting in my eyes is the black smoke rising above the fortress city .
[Kuh…… May the G.o.ddess d.a.m.n all of you, filthy ogreeeesssss……]
The enemy’s main force is their Ogre Soldiers .
It is also said that these Ogre Soldiers aren’t afraid of death .
Also, the amount of monsters a.s.saulting them were unusual .
(I’ve already heard about it, but I never thought that it’s to this extent……)
[Marg-dono!]
The garrison force’s deputy captain lined his horse alongside me .
[Ohhh!? You managed to survive huh!? Good work surviving out of that h.e.l.lhole!]
[No, it’s the soldiers’ nature to shield my body from harm!]
[What about Oviss!?]
It’s the name of the garrison force’s captain .
The deputy captain had a bitter expression on his face upon hearing my question .
[I don’t know…… However, we found the company he’s been with……]
I grinded his teeth .
[Guh…… If we weren’t weakened by these Tyrant’s Miasma……]
The a.s.saulting monsters were releasing these Tyrant’s Miasma as they charged .
The specters endowed to them by their leader, the Great Demon Emperor .
Being in the range of where these specters drift to takes its toll on human beings .
First of all, the body’s movements become slightly sluggish .
Even refining magic energy just for a single spell exhausts us more than usual .
There were also other effects that made our bodies weaker .
Therefore, we can’t exhibit our full strength against them .
Even if we could win with our original combat strength, we’ll still lose due to the influence of the Tyrant’s Miasma .
With wishfulness in his voice, the deputy captain raised his voice .
[However, if it’s the White Wolf Knights…… If it’s the continent’s sole Divine Magic Swordsman Sigurd Sigmus, we won’t lose, don’t you think!? Marg-dono!?]
[That’s what I want to think too, but even that Sigurd won’t be able to escape from the burden of the Tyrant’s Miasma…… However……]
There’s hope .
[If only we can defeat the Great Demon Emperor, it would have been different . ]
That’s right… If the Great Demon Emperor were to be defeated, the Tyrant’s Miasma he released towards the Golden-Eyed monster will disappear .
To be precise, their “connection” with the Great Demon Emperor will be broken .
The Tyrant’s Miasma seems to supplement that “connection” .
That’s why…
[That’s why…… If only a Hero from Another World, the ones that were unaffected by the Tyrant’s Miasma, could defeat the Great Demon Emperor……!]
We could just wipe out the remaining Golden-Eyed monsters with our original power .
The density of the Tyrant’s Miasma varies from individual to individual .
According to past information, the more powerful the monster is, the more dense the Tyrant’s Miasma tends to be .
When it comes to the amount of Tyrant’s Miasma that the Great Demon Emperor releases around himself, this amount was already unimaginable for us .
(It is said that even the Alion’s G.o.ddess is unable to stand up against the Tyrant’s Miasma that emanates from the Root of All Evil… . . Could it be that we could only rely on those Heroes from Another World……? Or perhaps……)
If it’s that Civit Gartland, could he perhaps defeat them?
(Now that I think about it…… I heard that there’s a group of sorcerers called Ashinto, who are said to have killed the “Humanity’s Strongest”…… If those people were to join our ranks in this war, I think they’ll become a tremendous a.s.set for us……)
Then…
[Hmm?]
I could see a cloud of sand ahead our path .
It looks like something’s coming our way .
I let the troops slow down a bit .
He also instructed them to prepare for combat .
The deputy captain squinted his eyes .
[They look like a horse-pulled cart but……, ———-!?]
The deputy captain’s expression changed and he began throwing out his commands .
[Archers forward! It’s a pack of Ghoul Horses! Shooottt!]
The Ghoul Horses were dragging a cart behind them as they rushed towards us .
They had quite the frightening speed .
(I can’t see any enemy troops loaded in their carts……)
There’s only the carts and the Ghoul Horses pulling it that appeared .
My keen eyes sharpened, I gazed forward .
[However, that’s quite a large cart…… it would be difficult to stabilize those carts with that size especially with the speed those Ghoul Horses are running……]
The road it’s pa.s.sing through isn’t that bad, but it’s not that good either .
In fact, the way those carts move looks quite suspicious .
I need to find out what the enemy’s intentions are .
[……They may have set some kind of trap on those carts . Be on the lookout . ]
[Hah! Get the Anti-Armor Squadron ready to move forward! Also, get the cavalry ready to charge!]
(T/N: Originally Anti-Tank Squadron . I thought there wouldn’t be any tanks in that place so…)
At that time……
Thud!
The Ghoul Horse leading the group tumbled down .
And then, in the next moment—–
I found everyone stopped moving and gasped .
[No… way—-]
Its large cart flung out and what came out from it was—-
[T- That is…… the citizens of Argyle who evacuated before……!?]
It turned into a pile of corpses .
The deputy captain turned pale .
[D- Did they antic.i.p.ate that they would evacuate……?]
[However, they did that before we even knew it……, ———-!?]
As if something snapped, I glared at the other carts following the leading cart .
[Don’t tell me… . . Even the other carts were—-]
One of the Ghoul Horses was shot between its eyebrows and tumbled down on the ground .
The fallen Ghoul Horse slid on the ground and scattered the sand on its path .
And the cart it’s pulling tumbled down and turned sideways together with it .
[Guuuhhh!?]
As I thought, it’s another pile of corpses .
Among them were the faces of some members of the garrison force who had followed them as guards .
[Marg-dono, t- that is……]
Bringing something to my attention, I gazed further across the row of Ghoul Horses .
There’s a cloud of dust fluttering about in the distance .
I could hear something ringing from the shadow beyond the curtain of sand .
Along with the cloud of sand, the flock of shadows were approaching us .
They don’t look like they’re reinforcements from Sinbapa .
[……They’re enemies . ]
They’re Ogre Soldiers riding behind Ghoul Horses .
They were approaching us in an ordered line .
Then, the deputy captain seems to have noticed something .
[Hmm? There’s something on the end of the Ogre Soldiers’ spears……, ———-!?]
The deputy captain became speechless .
Even I, myself became pale as he learned what that is .
The spears in the hands of the horse-riding Ogre Soldiers……
There’s a human head pierced on its tip .
There were a number of those spears with severed heads hoisted on them .
The leading Ogre Soldier lets out a war cry .
[Shhiiigigogiogooeeeaaahhhhhhh—————-!]
It’s a mixed chorus filled with joy and killing intent .
Clench……
The deputy captain tightly gripped on the reins in his hands .
[T- These b.a.s.t.a.r.ds…… What do they see humans as……? What the heck do they think humans are——–!!!?]
At that moment, my ears picked up some kind of sound .
“Gaaooonnn!”
That’s how it sounds .
After that, I suddenly felt—- uncomfortable .
[……?]
(A shadow?)
Reflexively, I look up above my head .
In the next moment…
Thuuudddd!
The earth trembled .
Looking behind my back, my eyes opened wide .
[That’s impossible…… A G- Golden-Eyed monster… came from the sky……!?]
There didn’t exist any Golden-Eyed monster who had control over the skies .
It’s because Jonato’s prided “Sacred Eyes” had shot down all of them before .
Therefore, the Root of All Evil’s forces can only invade by walking through the ground .
Yes…
They’re not supposed to have existed anymore .
Moreover…
[——-Hearken, humans——-]
The 6-raetared (6 meters) monster who stood behind us spoke .
(T/N: ラータル / rātaru…… Almost sounded like r.e.t.a.r.d . )
A monster who could use the human language .
(Is this guy a Demon……?)
[By my name, I pledge my allegiance to the Great Demon Emperor and the third oath for the Demon Emperor—– I’m Dreikuva . ]
(T/N: ドライクーヴァ / Doraikuva)
A goat’s head .
Fur that looks like purple flames .
Intimidatingly unfurled bluish-purple wings .
Walking on its two legs .
And… Golden eyes .
Everyone became stupefied .
Forgetting about the Ogre Soldiers in front of them, everyone’s gaze were nailed at the wicked appearance of the monster that appeared behind our backs .
My body feels heavy .
This was probably due to the influence of the Tyrant’s Miasma that was released by this Black Goat Demon .
Just by the influence of the Tyrant’s Miasma, everyone became unable to move and lost their ability to fight .
(T- To be affected this much…… An enemy that releases such an amount of Tyrant’s Miasma that we couldn’t move……?)
In that case……
(How powerful…… could the Great Demon Emperor be……?)
[Humans, ye must not give up thy life this easily . Have a strong will and seize survival by thine own power . You need not worry . If you do so, thine lives……)
Saying so with its solemn hollow voice, the Black Goat Demon brandished a large bowl with its large claws .
[—-we will truly, mercilessly trample them down . ]
□
The news of the fall of Argyle, followed by Sinbapa reached the White Wolf King’s ears .
It is said that the amount of survivors were only to fit in one carriage .
Just like Argyle, it is said that a ma.s.sacre was conducted in Sinbapa until all of the remaining people in that place died .
Three days after the fall of Sinbapa .
After preparing for the war, the Heroes from Another World headed to the main battlefield Magnar, led by the G.o.ddess, and departed from Alion’s Royal Castle .