「Are you serious? How many enemies do you think there are?」
Accepting the fact that there was a hand that he could play against Serius but Hasim couldn't help but question Merea after hearing the latter half.
「I'm serious. However, I'll say it as many times as required but it's only for ten minutes. Not to mention, after that I'll be worse than useless」
Merea answered simply.
At that time, at a point that was slightly further away from that spot, the〈Emperor of Violence〉Marisa had her shoulders stiffen as she stared intently at Merea but that was something that no one noticed.
「Which is why, if you feel that you've reached a point impossible to move forward, send me a signal」
Merea sent a sharp glance over to Hasim as he spoke.
In response to that, Hasim couldn't help but groan a little and reply.
「――Got it. I'll let you know when that happens」
He meekly nodded.
「Alrighty. ――Well then, seems like they'll move soon」
Merea finally faced the other side.
「Ahh, felt like a wave of bloodthirst washed over us」
Hasim copied him and looked over there as well, seeing the mass of Mūzeg's cavalry wriggling around.
In the next instant,
「Your Majesty! Mūzeg has started to move!」
A roar could be heard from Mūzeg's side which had so far only been in a wall like formation.
Merea and Hasim showed their conviction at the same time, they both moved simultaneously as well.
「They've finally started moving huh. ――Don't forget what I said earlier! It's not only a disadvantage to have smaller numbers! Don't miss any of my instructions! I'll definitely lead you to victory!」
Hasim swung his hands to the side and gave Lemuse's soldiers strong encouragement.
During that time, Merea walked past the other people and took up the position in the middle of the frontlines.
His field of view spread further.
With the curtains of a battle about to fall, Merea unconsciously leaked a sigh.
「If you're in heaven then please watch over us」
Merea looked at the sky once and very softly whispered.
Then――
◆◆◆
That day, at that place――
A war took place.
The opening of the act was rather abrupt.
The deep emotions that they felt facing a battle seemed to have disappeared and only the rough air could be felt stroking their faces.
They could do nothing but let their bodies be carried by the flow.
◆◆◆
The first movement that Mūzeg's army showed was a rather conventional method used by the side with larger numbers――moving to partly surround the enemy and attack them from multiple directions.
It's a method where they would have the advantage of attacking the flank of the enemy no matter whether they are alone or in a group.
The confrontation gradually made evident the difference in numbers.
Even while spreading to both sides, the density of Mūzeg's army did not change at all, that alone could be said to be rather amazing.
Hasim, who had been watching the movements of Mūzeg's army without blinking even once, noticed a certain point.
「――They're increasing huh」
Although they had hidden it well but moving around had caused that fact to be exposed.
The number of Mūzeg's cavalrymen were increasing.
「They called over their allies who had been spreading their net in other places huh」
He finally understood why Mūzeg took that much time for their strategy formation as well as their command formation.
They had hidden the arrival of their reinforcements with the wall they had made earlier.
「No, I already knew that we would lose in pure numbers. It doesn't really go beyond my expectations. Don't go getting flustered right now」
While saying that to himself, Hasim looked over at his subordinates who were on both sides.
Hasim had already predicted that Mūzeg's army would use the partial encirclement method.
Due to that, he had already separated his subordinates into two on both sides.
「Go! Definitely don't let them through!」
He planned on having them clash with the squad that came attacking from Mūzeg's encirclement.
He had used a majority of his forces to resist the encirclement.
Since Hasim clearly understood that having their flank exposed would be fatal.
However, the more they had both sides clash with the encirclement, Lemuse which has lower numbers would have its central defences become weaker.
The more that Lemuse's white armoured cavalrymen went forward for attacks, the more it became clear that the central portion around Hasim became all the more vulnerable.
「Don't mind it! Concentrate on both sides!」
Even then, Hasim gave out his orders.
His subordinates scattered to both sides gradually.
Then,
「――It's finally here huh」
Hasim saw that Mūzeg had sent forces towards the center which had become vulnerable. Even though they had used a considerable number of forces for the encirclement, they still had forces left over to attack the center.
When it was looked at objectively, the difference in numbers between the cavalry guarding the center and Mūzeg made it quite clear as to which side had an absolute advantage in power.
There is nothing to block visibility between the two forces. It was a decent view.
It was probably already known that he was the commander.
Hasim had no doubt that the central part of Mūzeg's army was a 〈a href―」https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_column」〉flying column〈/a〉 meant solely for taking Hasim's head.
Taking the commander's head was also another one of the conventional methods of war.
Even then, Hasim didn't care about that.
In the center,
「I'll count on you」
There were 『comrades』 they had formed an alliance with.
◆◆◆
Merea was standing in front of Hasim with a majestic aura wrapped around him. He was in the forefront of the central area.
He rolled his shoulders and then he went about loosening up the rest of his body then he finally turned a sharp gaze towards the soldiers of Mūzeg who were running towards them with their spears at the ready.
「――It seems that, even though there are practitioners, they're not elites like the ones on the sacred mountain」
「So basically the main force is just cavalry huh. Well, if they're going to be stretching out search nets all over then this selection of members might be appropriate」
「It's already helpful if that ginormous light technique doesn't attack us. If it's aa technique of that level then I can't use a reversal technique without looking at a majority of that technique. Although I'm confident that I'll make it in time but it's still quite frightening」
Elma was standing next to Merea. Unlike Merea, she was straddling a horse.
Aiz was also seated right behind Elma but she seemed to be trying to be an observer in their conversation.
「At any rate, being the main culprit for this situation, I can't help but feel a sense of debt towards you guys for pushing the difficult battle onto you all…」
With a depressed expression on her refined features, Elma spoke haltingly.
Merea looked up at such an Elma with an extremely gentle smile on his face.
That smile didn't have any of the fragility that was present earlier and in fact the gentleness seemed to be from the bottom of his heart and gave a strange feeling that he could be depended on.
「Elma, you yourself have been given quite the difficult problem by Hasim so you really don't need to worry about such things」
From behind Merea, the other demon lords also nodded at his words.
With that kind of a reaction, Elma finally raised her head.
「…Got it. ――Hm, we went off on a strange tangent again. We're on the battlefield right now, I need to get my mind in order」
She slapped her face from both sides and changed her expression to a manly one.
There was no longer any trace of the depressed beauty anymore.
「I'll fight back against Mūzeg in my own way. If I succeed then there's a chance that it might make it much easier on the frontlines」
「Right right. That's why, I leave that side to you」
「Yeah」
After answering Merea strongly, she fell back.
She seemed to be waiting for 『that time』 while next to Hasim.
「――Well then」
After seeing Elma off, Merea finally turned his attention in front of him.
It seemed that Mūzeg had finally finished organising the attack force for the center.
Seeing that, Merea took a deep breath and loudly clapped his hands together.
「〈Six Wings of the Wind God (Van Ester〉」
Six wings formed on his back while rolling the soil on the ground high up.
The six wings that he had used on the sacred mountain had wrapped the snow up in it, making it seem white but, in this wilderness the soil was wrapped up instead and shone with a red light. Compared to the wings created on the sacred mountain, those red wings gave a harsh feeling.
Over and above that,
「〈Three Tails of the Earth God (Kria Lilith)〉」
Right below the pelvis, around the tailbone, huge serpent like tails grew in an instant.
To be precise, it did not grow from Merea's body but instead it was floating in midair like a huge column but, the way it wrapped around the tailbone made it seem like that pure black mass was actually a living being.
It's size was roughly five times Merea's height with a strange girth, toughness and it shone with a black light as if it were made of obsidian.
The ones most affected by those three huge black tails suddenly appearing on Merea's body were the the demon lords who were waiting behind him. They couldn't help but freeze up.
Although they knew that it was something that Merea's technique had created but they instinctively felt that it was 『something they should never touch』.
Of course, Mūzeg's army noticed as well and especially the ones who were heading towards Merea to attack felt their faces cramp.
However,
――Not yet.
Merea thought with dissatisfaction.
Though the cavalrymen of Mūzeg had loosened their speed a little after seeing Merea's strange technique but they still hadn't stopped completely. The ones at the forefront had a cramped expression but they were immediately encouraged by the ones behind them and they forcefully moved their feet forward.
――More.
While keeping Mūzeg's cavalry in sight, Merea load more magic power into his techniques.
His six wings wrapped up more of the reddish brown soil and became even bigger.
The wings, that were very reminiscent of the wings of a sky dragon (Teishia), considerably bigger than his body, it seemed like, if they were unfurled they would overwhelm any bystander.
The three tails had some more strange ores stick to them and steadily swelled up. It reached a point where just calling it a huge snake wasn't enough and it became more like a black monster.
One of the black tails went around to Merea's front and hit the ground hard, caving it in.
The other two tails, as if to strike at the sky, stood tall and waved around frighteningly.
While showing off that just moving a little caused the ground to cave in, the scene of the tails moving around in mid air was much worse than a simple nightmare.
The body that was controlling those tails and wings. When compared to the size of those two, the body was quite small.
However, the red eyes, that could be seen peeking out of the gaps between his white hair, turned a frighteningly sharp gaze towards them and the closer they got to him the more they could feel fear gripping their hearts.
He was like a monster.
They couldn't see him as a human.
He even looked like the very incarnation of power.
That was――a 『demon god』.
As if seeing through the thoughts in their mind, Merea's gaze was steadily fixed on the cavalrymen. At first it was concentrated on the faces of the cavalrymen but now it had moved onto the ones under them――the horses.
Several of the horses that were being ridden by the cavalrymen seemed to be shaking their heads from side to side in a strange movement.
He confirmed that the horses were neighing with obvious fright and didn't seem to want to keep moving forward and their speed considerably fell.
――One more step.
Seeing that scene, as if to deal the finishing blow, Merea clapped his hands once more.
「〈White Lightning of the Lightning God (Celesta Barca〉」
Three equips.
At that point, Merea was certain that the enemies wouldn't shoot any techniques at him.
If they still haven't used it even though they got this close to him would mean that they don't have any attack techniques.
The moment he was sure of that, he used the processing power that he had saved for the reversal technique and used it for one of the heroic spirit's techniques.
Lightning fell.
There was an explosion in mid air and the sky lit up.
In an instant, the lightning that had lit up the sky fell onto Merea's body.
Mūzeg's cavalrymen watched that scene with their mouths agape, unable to move.
The monster was wrapped in white lightning
That much too strange a scene was the finishing blow to reap any remaining fighting spirit that the man or the horse had.
The cavalrymen at the front completely stopped moving.
They resisted any pressure applied to them from their comrades behind them to their utmost capability and forced their center of gravity backwards.
Their fear was steadily disseminated to the rear.
The monster had been waiting for that moment.
The moment that they would give in to the coercion.
Finally Merea himself moved forward.
The monster with six wings and three tails, with its body wrapped in white lightning――bared its fangs.
◆◆◆
It was overwhelming.
There was also a reason that Mūzeg had divided its forces to both sides for the encirclement. However, the ones who had moved towards breaking through the front were still quite considerable in numbers.
Even so, the ones flying through the sky were Mūzeg's cavalry.
「――!!」
With the sounds of people's screams and blows being rained down. Followed by the sounds of armour shattering.
The huge snake like black mass would send people flying with a single blow.
「――!!」
The translucent violent wings wrapped in red would, with a single flap, send horses flying.
「――!!」
The white lightning would strike people and cause a cloud of blood to dance through the air.
A monster that had adapted to the battlefield was, without a doubt, the strongest.
In fact, even his comrades felt fear.
That was a monster that came from a different world than their own.
「D, don't come near me!!!」
A rather loud scream resounded throughout the battlefield. ――It was one of the cavalrymen of Mūzeg.
In the next moment, in front of the cavalryman who screamed, the white haired monster appeared in front of him.
With the sounds of explosion from the white lightning that was wrapped around his body, the monster approached, at a speed that even left sound far behind him.
The moment that the screaming cavalryman saw the face of the monster in front of him, a violent gale struck his face and the muscles in his entire body reflexively stiffened seeing the majesty unfurl in front of him.
Right next to him, he heard the sound of the ground being smashed in and unconsciously turned his gaze there for a moment and what he saw was, a ginormous obsidian-like object undulating in mid air.
At that point, that man had already lost most of his fighting spirit since he clearly understood that it was an enemy that he couldn't do anything about, no matter what he tried.
「――!」
Be that as it may, the training that had been beaten into his body was unexpectedly sincere so, as if it were his final struggle, his body moved on its own and on its own it raised his spear. His body was that of a warrior.
「――」
However, just a simple warrior would never be able to match that monster.
From a single chop from that monster, the spear was cleaved in half.
What the hell is that hand even made of.
The moment that the cavalryman thought of that,
「Ka――」
This time, the black undulation struck his left flank.
There was a queer feeling of something being expelled from his lungs and then, in the next moment, the cavalryman felt his consciousness slip away.
◆◆◆
Merea felt rather sick at the fact that he, himself had taken so many people's lives. However, he decided to clear those thoughts away with an intense .
There will be no more mercy.
There will be no more hesitation.
Even then――he still felt the weight of the lives he took in his hands.
The smell of death clung to the tip of his nose and wouldn't let go.
The screams reverberated in his ears.
While accepting all that, Merea raised a roar in the battlefield.
He only thought of moving forward.
It wasn't about his physical location.
Regarding his life, he was trying to move forward.
For the sake of his own life and the lives of his comrades, he just earnestly continued forward.
He decided that, anyone that tried to block the brilliance of those lives――he would remove them with his own hands.