Chapter 154: Participation of the Devil ③ (1/2)

Chapter 154: Participation of the Devil ③

The sudden march of the demon race to the Kingdom’s capital.

While the Kingdom’s hero, Otonashi Hibiki, held strong agitation and uneasiness, she still conducted herself.

Against the march of the demon race, Hibiki suggested for the Limia capital to change their functions to another place because their forces were in a disadvantageous position.

But there was strong opposition from the nobles, the history in it being one of the reasons. The suggestion was not heard, and in the end, they ended up facing this day.

At the Stella Fort capture operation, the capital was close to receiving the flames of war, and yet, they still acted this way.

Their lack of contemplation irritated her.

(We are doing war, you know? If we lose, this town, this castle will be brought down. The historical value itself would lose all meaning) (Hibiki)

Talking about the knowledge of Hibiki in war, she doesn’t hold that much experience.

She was just summoned from the peaceful Japan as a hero. And in terms of war experience, the soldiers and nobles of this world have more than her.

But after being forced these many close battles, their tendency of looking at the demon race as lower beings still persists.

Especially the nobles of higher power and the upper stratum department of the country; they were looking at the threat of the demon race in a somewhat positive manner.

There’s no basis. It’s just an optimism stemming from their view of the demons as an inferior race.

That irritated Hibiki.

The King and a part of the nobles have begun criticizing this optimistic view of the demon race threat, but it is hasn’t reached the point where it can change the country.

No matter how much the country’s thoughts change to a favorable direction for Hibiki, it will be pointless if it doesn’t change in time.

“Hibiki! The castle gates have been grappled! Those guys, with these numbers, they are seriously trying to bring down the castle!” (Bredda)

The words of her party companion, the knight Bredda, pointed out at the deteriorating situation.

Right now, the King who can give absolute orders, was not in the capital.

Because he was participating in the event of Academy Town, Rotsgard.

The school festival that comes once a year.

In this time when they are planning on attacking Stella Fort again in the frontlines, this wasn’t something that would normally merit the King himself to participate.

In the past years, the King rarely participated.

However, there was information that this year the person who has the most influential power over the Empire’s hero, Princess Lily, would be participating in the school festival.

Being allied countries that are fighting together against the demon race in the frontlines, at the same time, both the Kingdom and the Empire are rivals as well.

Unable to understand the reason why the other party has taken an action they didn’t take in the past years, the King ended up heading there himself.

It would have been fine to have Hibiki do that, but she is also a direct fighting potential in the attack to Stella, so it was judged that there was no need for her to head there herself.

Also, they are the ones attacking the Stella Fortress.

The hyumans will be attacking the fortress that the demon race is protecting heavily, with their objective being recapture.

The timing of the attack was decided by the hyumans, in other words, it was thought that it would be decided by the Kingdom and the Empire.

That’s why it was decided that it would be fine to just attack after the school festival was over.

(And this is the result. A march from the demon race. I didn’t expect it either, but the sequence of events was the total worst. This happened because the hyumans showed an opening by pulling their legs mutually after all) (Hibiki)

Just what kind of method did the demon race utilize to get pass the Limia Kingdom’s army that were posted at the frontlines and were able to suddenly appear at the vicinity of Seiko?

What a ridiculous thing.

Seiko is in a place not that far from the capital. It’s the lake that was recently created by the mysterious being called Devil.

It was an incident that mercilessly dragged a great amount of troops from the hyumans and the demons, but because of this, they were able to prevent the surprise attack to the capital.

It is also an existence that reminds them of a harsh lesson.

Depending on the speed of the march, from Seiko to the capital, it would take around several hours.

If it’s mostly composed of foot soldiers, it would take even more. In normal circumstances, the defense unit would deal with it immediately.

However, it is close.

It’s fine to even call it point blank range.

This kind of surprise attack was not done towards a town close to the regional borders, but at the capital, which left Hibiki in shock.

At least, it was unthinkable that this was brought upon by the looseness of the current Kingdom’s army.

They were ready to attack Stella Fort within these few days, in other words, they were close to a battle-ready state.

They should have been putting force in their alertness as well.

And yet, they easily let their forces invade.

In the past, they were surprised by their advanced technique in thought transmission, but with this time’s events, Hibiki was thinking that maybe the techniques of the demon race greatly surpassed that of the hyumans.

And in truth, there have been orders to improve the thought transmission, but there has been no real progress in sight.

(Even if we surpass them in numbers and individual talent, if there’s this much difference in technique…) (Hibiki)

“The adventurer unit is securing the retreat path. Hibiki-sama, Bredda-dono, and Chiya, please head there with haste”

When the thoughts of Hibiki were heading to the harsh state of the war, the voice of a male other than Bredda reaches the ears of Hibiki.

Wudi.

A royal court magician and, among the magicians of Limia, there’s no one with more ability than him.

In ability and knowledge, and also as a researcher, he is an existence whose name is known around the world.

“Escape? We are going to escape… in this situation?” (Hibiki)

“Hibiki-sama, please understand. The movement of the enemy is way too fast. We should retreat from the capital, and after gathering the troops that are around the towns in the vicinity and in Stella, we can siege the capital again. I think that this is the ideal move in order recover” (Wudi)

“… Heh~. Wudi, are you saying that we should let the demon race have the history-filled capital, even if temporarily?” (Hibiki)

“… Hibiki-sama, please stop the sarcasm. Right now the King is not here, and the idiots that cry about history and tradition have already ran away. We are currently the ones who hold the highest authority in this castle. At this occasion, I think it would be good to show them results and have them shut up. Doing a defensive battle in this place is already reckless” (Wudi)

“That’s why I told them to move at least the functions of the capital to a place around the Hopelace household. There’s leg pulling even between the high nobles. How unbearable” (Hibiki)

“Ilumgand-dono was quite in favor of this proposal though” (Wudi)

“Ilum huh. Something is happening at the Academy Town he is in as well. It seems like this situation has been relayed to the King-sama already, but the information relay is so slow it is displeasing. In this kind of times, I really can feel the inconvenience of thought transmission. Cell-phones were pretty impressive huh” (Hibiki)

“Portable phones, was it? Our technology has not developed as far as Hibiki-sama’s country, so something like that is just… We have no choice but to pray for their safety” (Bredda)

The information sharing between Academy Town and the Kingdom can be considered quite deficient.

‘If there were cellphones’, is what Hibiki complained about. Based on her own customs, it couldn’t be helped.

Hearing the words of the magician, Hibiki falls into thought.

The person himself is probably still in the thought that it hasn’t been revealed yet, but Hibiki is already aware that Bredda is the prince of this country.

It is originally something that can’t be hidden anyways, so it is obvious.

But she didn’t really make any allusions to it.

Bredda is a competent companion, and more importantly, because he is accompanying them, the discretion towards them increases.

She easily judged that there was no merit in pursuing the subject.

“Right, sorry. And then, Wudi, what are the chances of success?” (Hibiki)

“Plenty enough. Don’t know if it’s because it’s a surprise attack, or because they have already reached the limit amount of troops they could conceal; they don’t have the actual numbers to bring down the capital. Adding to that, the capital is our garden. We are familiar with the hidden passages and the methods of infiltration. I think we can definitely wipe them out” (Wudi)

“That’s true. It looks like they are plunging onto the castle as if they were impatient. Evading and surrounding them would have less casualties huh. To go through the trouble of playing along would be stupid” (Bredda)

“That’s how it is, Bredda-dono. Those guys shouldn’t be able to keep that same speed against the castle. In this situation, it’s actually convenient that the King was absent. Now, if we and Hibiki-sama manage to escape—” (Wudi)

“Hey, hey~”

In the conversation between Bredda and Wudi, the youngest girl among the group intrudes into the conversation with reserve.

Lorel Union’s Priestess, Chiya.

Adoring Hibiki, she is accompanying her.

Her travelling together with the hero party is causing diplomatic problems between Limia and the Lorel Union, but her abilities as a priestess are high.

The healing and support she provides, and depending on the situation she also cooperates in adding firepower; she has already become an existence that is indispensable in their group.

“Chiya-chan, what happened?” (Hibiki)

Hibiki prompts Chiya to continue.

“Yeah. If we run, what will happen to the people here?” (Chiya)

“…”

“…”

“…”

There was no one who could immediately answer Chiya’s question.

No, they couldn’t say it, is more accurate.

What would happen?

The fate of the people that couldn’t escape in time… there was no need to think about it.

“Chiya-chan, listen well” (Hibiki)

“Y-Yeah” (Chiya)

“This town, and this country, I will definitely not let the demon race have it. For that sake, there have been many lives lost in the process. We have to shoulder the feelings of those people, and we can’t escape from it” (Hibiki)

“…”

“We will win this war. We will stop the march of the demon race and obtain peace. We will survive. We have to accomplish this. No matter how painful it is, we have to endure” (Hibiki)

“… Are you talking about Naval-oneechan?” (Chiya)

“… Yeah, that’s also… part of it. That’s why…” (Hibiki)

“Hibiki, are you still here?! So you were! Great!”

While Hibiki was persuading Chiya, a new voice calls her.

The leader of the adventurer group that decided to fight alongside her against the demon race and went with her to Limia in the time she stayed at Tsige in summer.

“Sorry, Wudi-san. Securing the escape path might have turned a bit bad. The contact with the people that headed there has ceased. And that’s why I am here, but I am glad you are fine”

“… The evacuation of the citizens that I asked of you, how far has it progressed?” (Wudi)

Wudi asks him about the progress of the job he asked of them.

He just told them the request from Hibiki, but Wudi was also worried about it.

It is also because his family is also in the people that are evacuating.

It seems he had self-control to not ask directly about his wife and child.

“It’s difficult. At best, I would say around 30%. There’s fires happening here and there, and it is causing a panic state. It is taking us our all. We do have several people guiding the citizens, but it will probably not reach the 50%. If it reaches that number it would be great, is how it would be. The sole relief is the distribution of demons”

“The demons’ distribution is a relief?” (Hibiki)

Hibiki felt like those words were contradictory and asks the man that is explaining.

“… In the group that is attacking this place, there’s orcs and goblins as well”

The names Orc and Goblin come out from the man’s mouth, and in that tone, there’s scorn mixed in.

It is a matter of course.

At times, they have been employed to defeat high-ranking mamonos and demi-humans with special abilities. But the Orcs and Goblins are loyal to their instincts and their conduct is ugly.

Even in the people that have opposition to killing mamonos, Orcs and Goblins are existences that are hated enough to kill.

“Yeah, that’s obvious” (Hibiki)

Hibiki has already seen with her eyes their loyalty towards their own greed, and she has cut down an innumerable amount of them.

“But in this capital, the places that have been plundered and the women that have been violated, from what I have seen… there’s none”

“None?!”

“That’s right. Even those guys are being precisely commanded, and aside from the defense unit and targeted citizens, they don’t waste time in other things. They are aiming for the castle and charging at it”

“…”

“I was honestly surprised. For our side that is working at evacuating, it makes it easier, but as an army to fight against, I think they are several times more troublesome”

“Then, the citizens are somewhat safe, right?”

“No. They don’t steal or violate, but the people that catch their eyes will be thoroughly killed by them. If the people hide it is easier to be saved, but if they find you, it would be a lot harder to escape from than how it would usually be”

‘’…’

“Anyways, to break down this situation, I think that encirclement is the only method. We should leave to the outsides of the capital”

“But the escape route…”

“That’s why I came to ask Wudi-san. Hey, instead of going from the capital to the outside, isn’t there a path that we can use to stealthily escape from the castle to the town? In this occasion, it would be easier to use the chaos to run through the town in one breath. And so, that’s how I want you guys to escape”

“… I see. The method that has the less insecure factor huh. Certainly, if it’s to run through in one breath, me and Chiya are here, so it is more advantageous for us than the bunch rampaging at the capital” (Wudi)

Wudi answers the man that turns the conversation to him.

Communication ceasing doesn’t equal to emergency situation.

But they have experience in a previous battle.

If they consider the possibility of the thought transmission being jammed, it would be better to think that some kind of problem occurred in the escape path they were trying to secure.

“Yeah. When I leave the capital, I will send thought transmissions to the defensive units that are around the area and will deploy them at once. I would like to hurry as much as possible”

“Understood. I will guide you. Also, it is okay to have the units currently fighting to steadily fall back. I will contact the other units myself. It is okay to fall back until this audience room. This place won’t be destroyed by anything normal, and there’s also a strong support barrier. They should be able to endure for a while” (Wudi)

“That would be helpful. I will tell them immediately”

The man and Wudi begin their thought transmissions.

Hibiki was thinking about the high-leveled forces that were charging at the castle without looking aside, while she places a hand on the shoulder of the slightly nervous Chiya and waits for the moment to escape.

“… What? Hibiki, be careful. I feel some kind of vibration” (Bredda)

Bredda takes a battle stance and prepared for the abnormality he felt.

The small vibration that resounded from the floor, steadily got stronger.

Hibiki unsheathes her sword as if covering Chiya and prepared herself by facing a different direction from Bredda.

“Could it be… no way” (Wudi)

Wudi finishes the thought transmission and it seems he has noticed the abnormality as well.

He probably had something in mind. He looked at the King’s throne, around the area where the stairs are.

And then…

Exactly in the place where he was looking at, a thunderous sound reverberated along with an explosion.

Several fragments reached where Hibiki and the others were and it was all intercepted.

The shadow that was slowly shaping at the rising smoke, Hibiki knew it.

She could feel her body stiffening.

“If you secured the escape route from the beginning, the people being chased would normally rely on that place. In this case, it would be better to consider that, from the very beginning, you were planning on intercepting us here, is that right, hero Hibiki?”

“Io… so you left Stella empty and came here?” (Hibiki)

With a face as if hearing a bad joke, Hibiki responds to the familiar voice.

A large builded body of 4 arms appeared, and it instilled tension to the people that confirmed this.

“The attack and defence is in constant fluctuation. Even if we are the side that is protecting the fortress, it isn’t like we promised not to attack, right?” (Io)

“If we were to attack the fortress right now, you would lose that location. Is that really okay? (Hibiki)

“Is that supposed to be a bluff? Because it seems that your side has already begun moving to return here though” (Io)

The overwhelming difference in the knowledge of the current state of the war.

Hibiki bites her lips.

She can’t even use the units that are stationed far away as bluff, so it is obvious why she had a bitter expression.

“… And? What reason you had to come out from that place like a mole?” (Hibiki)

“Hibiki-sama, that place is the escape route we were planning on using” (Wudi)

“!!”

The hesitant words of Wudi.

“It seems that way. I waited for a while and you guys showed no signs of coming you see. So I came here instead” (Io)

“… Our soldiers should have been there though” (Hibiki)

“Yeah, they were” (Io)

“Where are they?” (Hibiki)

“Do you even need to ask?” (Io)

The demon general asks as if amazed.

“Io, again… my comrades…” (Hibiki)

“That’s a difference in inclination, hero. Those people were originally adventurers from Tsige, weren’t they? The one who dragged them to this fight was no other than you. The man over there as well, if I remember correctly, he is also an adventurer from Tsige, right? Our side didn’t pay much mind to your exploration at the borders” (Io)

Io’s words were correct.

If Hibiki didn’t bring them here, the adventurers of Tsige wouldn’t have died.

It is also true that this isn’t something the killer himself should be saying though.

“Hoh~ For a demon general, you are quite generous towards the Tsige adventurers”

Being glanced by Io, the man responds with an exaggerated gesture while sweating from his forehead.

The moment he matched Io’s eyes to confront him, he understood the difference in powers.

It’s the class of enemy that he would have to escape with all his might when sighted from afar.

If he were to move as an adventurer, there’s no other option aside from running away.

The demon general Io is that level of existence.

“… The adventurers of Tsige are the people that traverse the harsh wastelands. Our Lord respects you adventurers who put your base at those lands. He has ordered us to not lay our hands on you guys unless you point your sword at us” (Io)

“That’s… thanks?”

“There’s demons and demi-humans in that place, and there’s also people who don’t hold prejudice towards mamonos. From our view, that is something worth of respect. If you didn’t come to Limia, you guys wouldn’t have died. How regrettable” (Io)

“At the place you came from, there were some pretty strong guys though?”

“They were strong. What stood out was their fighting style that used coordination as their core. In the middle of winter, the things I have to teach my subordinates has increased. I can’t mourn for them in this time of battle, but I am grateful” (Io)

This is out of his reach.

That was the conclusion the man arrived to.