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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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At this late hour, while most of the troops had fallen asleep except for the guards, I was sitting in the barracks, trying to stay awake through the night. Fortunately, since becoming a warrior, not sleeping for a day or two hadn’t become a significant issue.
However, that didn’t mean I could completely ignore the sensation of fatigue. If I could, I would want to lie down right now; that thought was endlessly circling in my mind at this moment.
Yet, despite this, I found myself in a position where I absolutely could not go to bed. I had intended to quietly blend in among the army and perhaps enjoy some rest, but somehow, I had ended up becoming the vanguard leader.
This unexpected turn of events forced me into a situation where I had to stay awake involuntarily through the night like this.
‘Fxck… how did I end up in this miserable situation…’
If I were to take the lead as the vanguard alone, I wouldn’t have to worry like this.
My combat power as a warrior capable of defeating even the Demon King was definitely not just for show, and now, with my equipment fully prepared, I felt confident.
I could easily disregard incoming magical bombardments and arrows, and it was also possible for me to leap over the castle walls and slaughter enemies.
In other words, I was in a situation where I could jump right into the enemy’s midst and achieve a rampage.
However, separate from this personal strength, there was a pressing issue I faced. That was…
Behind me, there would inevitably be 100 demon soldiers assigned to me as my direct subordinates. While not a large number, it was too significant to be considered small.
If they were to be wiped out or suffer significant damage, no matter how many enemies I killed as a human warrior, my reputation would take a massive hit due to the reckless sacrifice of my own kind.
‘To be honest, I just want to lock them away in the barracks… But if I don’t use the troops I’ve been given, that would also be a problem…’
Regardless of the circumstances, since these troops were graciously provided, simply letting them sit idle could lead to accusations of disregarding their goodwill.
Thus, the 100 demon soldiers had become a truly ambiguous presence—something that could neither be easily utilized nor left alone.
In this awkward situation where I couldn’t decide either way, the only conclusion I could reach was one thing:
‘I have no choice but to endure with my body…’
While a typical warrior might not understand, given my current status as one of the strongest beings in this world, it was entirely possible for me to engage in battle while protecting my allied demons.
Moreover, the abilities I possessed as a warrior were not limited to just myself.
Right now, I possessed several so-called “buff” skills that are often mentioned in games, some of which could be used not only on myself but also on my surrounding allies.
Of course, this didn’t mean that the combat power of the buffed demon soldiers would increase exponentially, but at least it would prevent them from dying to stray arrows.
However, this would require me to calculate the timing of my skills to minimize damage to my allies, directly blocking any attacks that couldn’t be adequately covered, and simultaneously intercepting enemies at the right moments.
It was very likely that the battle would be chaotic and extremely busy to the point of being overwhelming. Additionally, thorough preparation like this was absolutely necessary.
Despite these difficulties, I was not stopping my efforts to devise a nearly perfect plan by any means.
This was for my personal gain and survival… and even more than that.
To fulfill my rightful duty regarding the fact that the lives of others depend on me.
‘If I make a wrong judgment, dozens of lives could be lost. To prevent such a situation from occurring, I must…’
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A clear blue sky stretched above on that morning, devoid of any clouds. Beneath it, nearly 30,000 lives—both enemies and allies—were lined up, weapons in hand, ready to kill each other.
Outside the castle, 20,000 demon soldiers were preparing to advance. Inside the castle, 7,000 soldiers of the Allied Races were doing everything they could to stop them.
In this atmosphere, thick with tension as both armies anticipated the impending bloodbath, the mood began to escalate.
And then…
“Advance, all troops! Sweep away those weak humans!”
The one who decisively broke the tense atmosphere was Samson, the commander of the demon army.
“Uwaaaah!!!”
“Advance!”
“Recapture Antioch!”
“Death to the Allied Races dogs!”
Following Samson’s orders, the demon soldiers began to march forward without hesitation.
Meanwhile, observing the approaching wave of soldiers from atop the Antioch walls, Parisecht watched the battlefield with a cold gaze.
“Who is leading the enemy’s vanguard? Can you recognize them?”
“I’m sorry, but honestly, I can’t tell.”
Parisecht asked this question to one of the soldiers who had particularly sharp eyesight.
In response to his question, the soldier made a perplexed expression and answered, prompting Parisecht to feel a slight sense of doubt and ask him,
“Why is that? How can you not recognize the vanguard from this distance? This has never happened before, has it?”
“Yes, that’s correct. But… I truly don’t know. I’ve never seen a commander like that in such armor and wielding such weapons.”
The soldier described a warrior clad in black armor, holding a great sword.
Behind him were about 100 demon soldiers who appeared to be his direct subordinates, yet even with this information, the soldier failed to identify the enemy’s vanguard.
Given the circumstances, it seemed that the enemy’s vanguard was a newcomer whom they had never encountered before.
As Parisecht prepared for a difficult battle, a slight sense of relief began to show on his face.
‘Thank goodness it’s not a well-known general like Samson. The fact that such brutes aren’t leading the vanguard might just be the key to turning the tide in our favor.’
If we could easily deal with the enemy’s vanguard, we could also easily break their momentum.
In that regard, the fact that the enemy’s vanguard was a newcomer whose origins were unknown was very positive for Parisecht.
‘If they’re inexperienced in war, it’s only natural for them to panic. If that happens, the enemy will collapse on their own.’
With this judgment made, Parisecht immediately issued orders to the soldiers as the overall commander.
“Commence the attack! Send those filthy demons to hell!”
Finally, Parisecht’s command was given. The soldiers immediately began launching their prepared attacks at the approaching demon soldiers.
“Fire!”
The target was, of course, the enemy vanguard charging at the front. Countless arrows shot from the castle walls began to fly almost accurately toward them.
Like a downpour reminiscent of rain, the deadly rain of arrows began to fall. The sharp arrows, made of steel and imbued with magical power, would strike the enemy’s vanguard and inflict severe damage.
However…
“Hmm?”
“What is that?”
In an instant, the Antioch soldiers began to notice something. Despite the considerable distance, they could clearly see the dark aura emanating from the great sword held by the enemy’s vanguard.
Even from this far away, an inexplicable sense of intimidation was palpable. As this ominous presence radiated, the vanguard swung his great sword toward the incoming rain of arrows.
Then…
– Pah!
With a sharp sound, a momentary flash of black light erupted. The strike, powerful enough to seem like it would split the sky, struck the rain of arrows pouring down on the demons.
“What… what is happening?”
“How… how can this be…?”
In an instant, the deadly barrage of arrows was erased by that single blow.
The shocking scene caused the Antioch soldiers—and their commander, Parisecht—to feel as if their entire bodies had frozen.
The attack they had assumed would succeed had vanished into nothingness, leaving behind a heavy sense of fear in their hearts. This fear began to paralyze their rationality, hindering their ability to respond quickly.
However…
“Ugh! Everyone, calm down! If the arrows aren’t effective, prepare magic! We will bombard them as soon as they enter range!”
“Ah… y-yes!”
“Understood, General!”
The soldiers, barely regaining their composure after Parisecht’s shout, prepared to attack again.
The magical battalion, composed mainly of mages and priests, had not fully recovered from the shock of the earlier scene, yet they forced themselves to move and began preparing their spells.
Colorful magic circles were drawn in front of them, forming orbs of fire, ice, wind, and holy power.
Although their range was shorter than that of arrows, the immense firepower contained within them was incomparable.
“Fire!”
With Parisecht’s command, a torrent of magic surged forward toward the front lines.
Although it wasn’t explicitly mentioned, the target of this countless magical attacks was none other than the vanguard, who had just effortlessly deflected the arrows.
This concentrated assault was driven by a primal fear to eliminate that one individual as quickly as possible.
The instinctual dread compelled them to unleash an attack capable of annihilating dozens, if not over a hundred, onto a single target.
However…
“!!”
“What… what is that?”
The vanguard leaped into the air, charging toward the magic flying toward him. This incomprehensible action left the soldiers in Antioch bewildered, their faces filled with confusion and an unexplainable sense of intimidation.
Instead of dodging the incoming magical bombardment, the vanguard charged straight toward it—an action that anyone would deem insane.
However…
In an instant, a single word flashed through their minds:
‘No way…’
The shock from the earlier scene triggered this thought. And then…
In response to their apprehension, the vanguard swung his sword at the magic flying toward him.
Then…
– Kwahwaaaang!!!
A loud explosion echoed in an instant. Immediately afterward, the soldiers saw the figure of the black-armored monster landing back on the ground without a single scratch, continuing to advance toward them with its terrifying strides.
The scene, which could not even be compared to the black flash that had just deflected the arrows, pierced the hearts of the soldiers like a cold dagger.
Seeing one person nullify a bombardment capable of inflicting effective hits on an entire army, the soldiers felt their hearts clench momentarily.
Automatically, they began to recall a certain fact.
“Is that…?”
“No… it can’t be. Although the color of the armor is different… that is definitely…”
In their minds, which had fought countless wars, there was a scene that would never fade away. The only being capable of displaying such power merely by swinging a sword…
They all knew just one name.
“Is it… the Demon King?”
