Chapter 207 : You Want to Kill Us, Right? (6)
You Want to Kill Us, Right? (6)
The soldiers were putting up a good fight against the monsters of the demon realm, but no matter how many they cut down, stronger monsters always awaited behind.
They could subjugate lower-rank monsters with the soldiers' aura without much issue, and the magic corps turned the area where the monsters stood into a wasteland by pouring out magic bullets.
The real problem came next.
Mid-rank monsters, who appeared trampling over the halved corpses of lower-rank monsters, boasted monstrous strength.
Ordinary soldiers could no longer stand against them.
As soldiers fell, only the seasoned knights who had reached the Expert level could put up a fight against the mid-rank monsters.
Fueled only by the resolve to protect His Majesty and the Imperial Court, these people set foot in this hell of their own free will.
In terms of will, they surpassed the strength of the monsters.
Thanks to that unwavering will, they barely managed to break through the waves of mid-rank monsters—but the next problem awaited.
Advanced-rank monsters.
Until then, words like "threatening" or "monstrous" had lost all meaning.
In the face of the advanced-rank monsters, to whom the label "walking disaster" was attached, everything was equal.
The slashes unleashed by the knights and the magic bullets fired by the magic corps—everything vanished at a mere gesture from the advanced-rank monsters.
Of course, even the soldiers' bodies were simultaneously destroyed.
It was the instant when the will they had built up until now collapsed all at once.
Of course, before going into battle, they had memorized information about the advanced-rank monsters.
They had entered the fight fully aware that their bodies could be shattered with a mere gesture from those things.
Despite so confidently joining the fight, why had their bodies become frozen in place?
"P—please... save me..."
Even though they had braved the Great Devil without fear.
"R—run... get away..."
Why did they display such disgrace now, at the last moment?
Those soldiers could not understand themselves.
It was because more than ten embodiments of fear itself were walking toward them.
With such simple expressions—just wanting to fill their bellies.
Ku-gwaaang!!—
At that moment, as the advanced-rank monsters embodying the concept of fear strode forward, something fell in front of them.
Like a meteor, this thing created a giant crater on impact and sent a gust swirling out.
In this demon realm, no disaster would be surprising—poisonous tornadoes can arise at any time, so a meteor falling from the sky was nothing unexpected.
Most such calamities are caused by advanced-rank monsters, and the new calamity was almost certainly the work of another.
It was just as the soldiers' morale was about to break completely.
"I knew it! I shouldn't have gotten on the young master's back after all."
Suddenly, from within that crater, a voice tinged with annoyance rang out.
Was it the voice of an advanced-rank monster?
Since some monsters possessed intelligence, it wasn't impossible for one to speak human language.
But—that voice sounded so much like a real human.
"Hey, young master! I told you to drive properly!!"
No—it was definitely a person.
This time, it was unmistakably a girl's voice.
But did a person really create that shockwave?
"Pram. Did you just call me 'hey'?"
This time, it was a voice that sounded mixed between human and monster.
Human or monster—just which side was it?
As the soldiers hoped desperately it was the former, the dust cleared, and silhouettes began to emerge.
When they saw the silhouette of something giant, the soldiers despaired.
That form was unmistakably not human, but that of a monster.
"Did I say anything wrong? I told you to drive properly!"
But it wasn't the only silhouette.
Beneath the giant outline, the shapes of several people became visible.
Were humans and monsters together?
Should they feel safe or tremble with fear? The soldiers didn't know what to wish for.
"If Pram hadn't set up the safety device again, we would've had broken bones."
"Still, thanks to the young master, we sure realized how dangerous inertia and friction can be."
"Even though I had a safety device, why am I so sore...?"
This time, it was the voices of three men.
Beneath the giant dragon-shaped outline, six human figures began to walk forward.
Among them, the one who looked like an adult woman spoke up.
"Sure enough, we should never let Louis drive again."
"Right? Squad leader, now you get how we felt?"
"I almost got sick. Next time we fly, we're switching drivers."
As they walked and bantered in voices out of place for the situation, the dragon-shaped monster suddenly yelled.
"Damn it, I'm the only one here who can fly—what's there to switch?!"
The monster's curse was so vividly human that the soldiers were taken aback.
Anyone could tell it was the manner of a person speaking.
Kiiiieeeek!!—
At that moment, more than ten advanced-rank monsters, having sighted new prey, charged at them.
"I'm frustrated too because I can't get a good sense of it yet!"
The monster swung its arm irritably.
At that instant, two charging monsters were decapitated, and the shock wave swept away the dust.
"I'm getting fatter by the day and it's killing me."
Dragging his giant body from the crater, Louis immediately scanned his surroundings.
Even as a human, his senses were freakishly sharp—now, as a dragon, they were even more acute.
He could hear distant humans breathing and instantly evaluate their condition.
"Fortunately, we're not too late."
Louis looked toward His Majesty and Paulo, lying in the detected direction, and spoke.
Seeing they were still alive, the accompanying special task force members were relieved.
"How... did you get here...?"
The Emperor was greatly surprised at the approach of the special task force.
"This was supposed to be a problem we had to solve on our own..."
The special task force had saved the Imperial Court several times.
From blocking the stampede when they were 7th Legion soldiers, to thwarting the Crown Prince's scheme, eradicating the Great Devil Palmon, preventing the catastrophe at the academy, and even uncovering secrets of the neighboring Holy Nation.
Any one of those deeds would have made them heroes, celebrated by the people.
But the reason they didn't receive such treatment was that they wielded power that should never have existed.
A power that in this world should never exist, and which must not be allowed anything except death.
Because of this, the special task force remained unknown to the world.
The Emperor, who could do nothing for the special task force, always felt responsible.
And so, now that they had stepped back from the battlefield, he could not burden them with more risk.
"You're quite injured, Your Majesty."
Approaching, Louis took just one look to assess the Emperor's condition.
"I don't think you'll live long at this rate, you know?"
Unable to express it in words, Louis let out a sigh of regret.
"I told you back then—this wasn't your fight. So..."
"Is that what happened when you tried to handle it alone and led your troops out like that?"
Though badly hurt, the Emperor smiled as if proud.
"Do you think I didn't foresee this happening? It was inevitable. How could I order people who have lost their authority to fight?"
It would not be right for a good Emperor to make such shameless remarks.
The special task force had done all that was needed—they deserved a reward, not more hardship.
"But if we hadn't come, everyone here would've been wiped out. You didn't see that coming?"
"Yes... I did. But I still had to act! The people of the Imperial Court always depend on the Imperial Family!"
While the special task force was an option, they were now an exception.
"Until yesterday, didn't you agree with my position and refrain from intervening?"
"..."
The Emperor had declared in front of the nobles that the special task force would no longer act.
Those same nobles who, upon hearing that the demon realm was rampaging, tried to rely on the special task force—even though they once sought to kill them for being dangerous.
If the special task force were truly evil, their power should never be used.
That was what the Emperor was trying to uphold—and Louis, at first, chose to stay uninvolved.
"You've saved the Imperial Court countless times. But what you got for it was not thanks, but jeers—it's only natural that you'd feel betrayed. Did you truly act for them with all your heart?"
Louis shook his head in answer.
"You know what I mean. And yet, you still chose to help—doesn't that make you a fool? ... So why did you come?"
A fool? Louis agreed inwardly—it wasn't entirely wrong.
Condemning them as dangerous yet turning to them only in emergencies—it was absurd.
"Yes, yes. I'm a fool. By stepping foot on this battlefield, I've become someone who saves these idiots. But does Your Majesty have any more right to talk?"
"What...?"
"Estelle would just love to see you like this."
At the mention of his daughter's name, the Emperor's expression froze.
But Louis' tone was dead serious.
If Estelle found out about the Emperor's condition now, it would break her heart.
"I know I'm late to the fight, but why not think about yourself for once? I think the best Emperor is one who, even at the expense of a little pride, strives for the best outcome—rather than risking his own life just to look good."
Up until now, they'd depended on the special task force.
What the task force had bestowed as favor could now be mistaken for entitlement.
"When kindness grows large, people start to mistake it for their right."
He thought it would be good if at least he could hold onto dignity.
He saw the nobles who abandoned this as contemptible, and considered himself different.
That's why he set foot on a battlefield where even having multiple lives would not suffice.
He preserved his dignity as Emperor this way, with a different sense of privilege.
"Then let me ask—did you really come just to save me?"
The Emperor knew well that the special task force was not an altruistic group.
Especially with that boy, Louis, at the center, their identity would always remain so.
"I can't say no. But that's just a bonus..."
"A bonus...?"
"The first reason is because these guys begged me to save the legion commander."
Next to him, Paulo was now being supported by Victor, Simon, and Rozen.
Of all the special task force, these three had spent the most time at the 7th Legion command.
They had learned much from Paulo and considered him a mentor.
With news the 7th Legion command was breached, Paulo—as their mentor—being in danger, the three pleaded with Louis to help.
"I see..."
If it was anyone else, maybe not—but Louis was someone who truly listened to his own team members.
"Is that really all?"
Still finding it unsatisfactory, the Emperor pressed. Louis turned his gaze to Hartmon, who was now focused on controlling the monsters.
"Actually, I ran into Headmaster Ferus and heard some good news."
"Good news?"
"If we can remake that artifact, there's a chance I can get my body back to normal."
Artifact—as in the one used by heroes to fight the Chaos Dragon?
If so, it should be impossible to make anymore...
"That artifact's blueprint is in the hands of that Great Devil over there."
"So that means..."
"Yes."
Louis looked at Hartmon with a predatory gleam—the same look the monsters had when they spotted food.
"Hey, buddy!"
At Louis' words, Hartmon flinched in surprise.
"Hand over only the item I'm about to request, and I'll let you go after hitting you just once."
"And what if I die from that one hit?"
Hartmon asked, tense. Louis replied,
"How should I know?"
So far past shameless, it sounded downright vicious—the Emperor wore a helpless expression.