Chapter 68 – Demon Castle (2)

The moment the King’s elite troops revealed themselves, the castle gates slammed shut. It was as if a beast stalking its prey had ominously smirked and closed its maw. Even the air and the faint moonlight leaking from outside vanished, leaving only flickering orange lights and glaring crimson eyes. Steel armors boasting a sleek polish caught the light, tracing red outlines.

“The welcome ceremony is grand. Looks like we’re fucked.”

Velloc drew his sword and looked all around. Countless people were pouring out from the massive staircase in front of them, several wide-open corridors, and balconies.

Their attire varied, from knights in plate armor, lightly armed soldiers, mages in robes, servants in shirts, to strange figures draped in mere cloth. Their sole commonality was that they all spewed smoldering flames from their eyes. The knight who had appeared first threw his head back. Soon, he let out a screech.

Kkk-eeeeeek

The bizarre screech mumbled inside the iron helmet, becoming even more horrific. Within it, all kinds of negative emotions flowed thickly. The knight’s gaze grew more ferocious. Soon, as if something trapped had been liberated, his body cracked and swelled up. He spoke,

[His… Kahk!]

Velloc did not wait. He simply leaped up and swung his sword down. Along with a blurry trajectory, the carpeted floor shattered with a thud. The knight, who was turning into a monster over three meters tall, split clean in half. Black blood poured out, and his armor, engraved with the Archdemon’s crest, clattered to the ground. Velloc frowned slightly at the recoil he felt in his hands. As expected, it was not at the human level. He said,

“Thousands of such monsters. This is not good.”

His companions quickly approached behind him. Cara, holding her staff and keeping watch on the surroundings, said,

“It has begun.”

The same screech was heard. This time, it vibrated through the hall. The group raised their weapons, standing back-to-back. The transformed elite soldiers of the Demon King rushed in from all directions. Every single one of them wore black-stained armor with thorns sticking out of it. Their size also seemed doubled. Their tactics were simple. The soldiers carrying spears, shields, and swords charged through the passages or staircases. The crossbowmen or mages looked down at the expedition from the balconies, firing arrows or casting spells. Duke Georg shouted,

“Shield bearers to the front! Hold the line! The order of knights will handle the archers and mages first!”

The surviving Dawn Knights drew out the power of their relics, and the soldiers gripping their shields rushed forward. Behind them stood soldiers carrying long pikes. Throughout the ranks, holy knights from the church or free knights positioned themselves, giving orders or filling the gaps.

The expedition party secured their rear, using the closed castle gates as a wall. Centered around this, they created a barrier in a semi-circle. It was a defense formation designed to block enemies attacking from all sides, like a hedgehog raising its quills against a natural enemy.

“Repent! You apostates!”

“Creatures of darkness! In the name of the Goddess, we shall judge you!”

The priests serving God bestowed blessings. They also sprinkled holy water on the bodies of the surrounding soldiers. The fear that had risen to their heads subsided bit by bit. Their wildly pounding hearts also beat much more comfortably. With the prayers of the church, the sound of mages chanting spells, the curses of mercenaries, and the laments of a recruit calling for his mother, the two groups collided.

A corrupted soldier who had sold his soul to the demon. His sinister face drew closer. His rough panting, as if breathing out smoke, and his dull ruby-like pupils caught the eye. Soon, a transcendent force exceeding that of a human slammed into a shield. The shield broke with a snap. The soldier’s arm also fractured in an instant, and he flew backward.

“Aaaargh!”

“Die!”

Instead, the soldiers in the rear quickly stepped forward. A long pike pierced the gaps in the monster’s armor, and a sword fell upon the neck of the creature spitting up bloody phlegm. If a gap opened, it was filled. And they fought again. Having gone through a bitter struggle, the expedition party swung their weapons, shouting and screaming as if possessed. Crossbow bolts flew over their heads. Unlucky ones had their eyeballs pierced through the helmet and died instantly.

“Kkrrg.”

Lightning fell, and fireballs exploded. Spells or shields meant to neutralize them also flashed. That brilliance brought something to mind. It was like neon signs. Tinnitus rang in their ears, and in the end, without even knowing what they were uttering, they only thrusted and struck down with the blades in their hands. Only the sound of their own heartbeats was heard clearly. Velloc’s group also struggled in the midst of that battlefield.

“O Goddess who shines solely upon me… Your servant prays. Please grant me the strength to block their heartless blades.”

Adel knelt and drove her sword into the floor. A flame of holy power erupted from her body. It was a bright, clean color, different from that of the King’s elite troops. She gestured. Then, the flame spread out, forming a shield centered around the party. This blocked all projectiles, such as crossbow bolts and throwing weapons. Since the falling magic was absorbed by Velloc’s crested armor, the place where the group stood in the chaotic battlefield was the most dangerous yet safest spot.

Kk-ooraaaa

A dark shadow cast beyond the wall. Soon, flames surged and a monster soldier emerged through them. He shook his body, trying to brush off the disgusting residue stuck to him. Soon, his bloodshot eyes scanned the surroundings. A sword-wielding elf, a mage chanting spells, a paladin emitting an obnoxious light, and a greatsword knight were in view. The monster soldier tilted his head with a click and violently swung his arm. The joints of his armor snapped off as his weapon-holding hand stretched out like a tentacle. The speed was incredibly fast.

Velloc moved his hand slightly. The blade targeting Cara clashed with the greatsword, making a sharp clang. Seeing that it targeted the mage first, it seemed to possess some basic intellect. The monster soldier retracted his deflected hand. Judging by the length, he seemed to intend to swing it like a whip. Velloc had no intention of waiting. He bent his waist and lowered his knees. His steel boots dug deep into the floor. With a brief breath, he kicked off the ground. A dot shot forward. At its end was a massive sword that looked like a spear. The demon soldier could not react. His upper body exploded as if struck by a siege engine.

Beginning with him, the wall of fire on all sides shook. Dozens of monster soldiers and knights rushed forward, holding their respective weapons. However, Cara’s spell was completed faster. She slammed her staff onto the floor and shouted,

“Flames of Izaris!”

A crimson magic circle appeared beneath the monsters’ feet. Cara spread her hands.

“Surge!”

The floor fizzled with smoke and began to boil. Sensing the unusual aura, the demon soldiers increased their running speed even more. At that moment, the light of the magic circle grew larger. The demon soldiers bent their heads, covering their faces with their arms. The stone wall exploded with a bang, and a pillar of fire shot up. They flew through the air like dolls with severed strings and plummeted to the ground. Three warriors stepped forward toward the creatures rolling on the ground in agony.

“Die!”

Adel swung the edge of her iron shield, crushing a demon soldier’s helmet with a thud, while Isabel ruthlessly thrusted her rapier between the eye slits of another helmet. Velloc struck down with his sword as if swinging a hammer. They protected Cara while she chanted, and counterattacked once her spell erupted. The party fought on like that. However, during the battle, Velloc shook his head.

“They are endless.”

His gaze shifted. Although the expedition party was still holding out well, enemies kept appearing through the passages and the central staircase. It was like looking at a swarm of ants. At that moment, individuals wearing more ornate armor than the others revealed themselves. Decorated with red feathers on their helmets, they looked to be of considerable rank. They gestured.

[Proud soldiers of Adria. Do not retreat! Under no circumstances must they be allowed into the King’s chambers! Kill the filthy invaders! Tear them apart!]

[Lions do not retreat! Sweep away all of those hyena-like bastards!]

As those figures appeared, the movements of the demon soldiers changed. Their attacks became subtler and sharper. The screams of the expedition also grew louder. Were they commanders? Perhaps they were the generals of the kingdom’s army who had gone missing. At this rate, they would all die. Velloc was not the only one who thought so. Cara said,

“It’s not good. Rather than decreasing, their numbers are only growing. On top of that, they don’t get tired, but we are tiring out. It seems the time to make a choice has come.”

“What choice? A choice of how to die as painlessly as possible?”

Isabel, who had shot her crossbow to pierce the neck of a demon soldier, cracked a joke. Cara let out a hollow laugh and shook her head. She spoke again,

“Whether to keep fighting alongside the expedition until we slaughter all those monsters, or to ignore them and target the Archdemon who must be hiding somewhere. It’s one of the two.”

Her spell exploded once more. A fired arcane bolt slammed into a charging demon knight. Seizing the opening, Velloc cut him down. It was true that they had to find a way. However… he gestured with his head.

“Even if we target the leader, can we break through those guys? They are pouring out endlessly even now.”

Cara’s spells were powerful, but there were gaps while she chanted. Velloc’s greatsword also could not escape the limits of a sword as a weapon, as slicing down two or three at once was the limit. Let alone Adel’s holy power or Isabel’s arrows. These fools. They completely forgot in the meantime. Cara sighed, looking at Velloc and Adel. Soon, she tapped the bag at her waist.

“Think about what we have. We have the spell scrolls we brought out from the Archmage’s dungeon! Scrolls where each one has powerful might! Using them, we can break through that encirclement!”

“Right… we had those.”

Adel pulled out the sword she had driven into the floor. Then, she rummaged through the bag at her waist and took out the spell scrolls. Velloc also took out the scrolls and held them in his hand. Soon, he handed a few pages to Isabel, whose hands were free. The elf’s eyes widened slightly. She caressed the paper and said,

“This amount of spell scrolls… It is on the level of strategic weapons. If my superiors saw this, they would have drooled.”

Cara chuckled. Soon, she adjusted her robe and prepared to run.

“It’s an amount that could easily lay waste to an entire territory. Is everyone ready? The target is the staircase over there. You should see a passage at the end. To me, no matter how I look at it, that is the only place leading to the upper parts of the castle. And if it’s the King or the Archdemon, they would be situated on the top floor.”

The group nodded at the reasonable opinion. Their gazes turned toward the staircase in the center of the hall. They also saw the wave of monsters crowding over the ruined carpet and the single passage beyond them. Cara’s eyes sparkled.

“The plan is simple. Tear the scrolls toward them. That will create a brief opening. Then we run. If the monsters crowd in, we tear another scroll and run. We just repeat this.”

Simple enough for a child to understand. Velloc nodded. Soon, he took a large step forward and swung his sword. The greatsword flashed, and the charging soldiers fell like autumn leaves. Cara shouted,

“Now!”

The party ripped the scrolls open. Lightning poured down in branches, and spears of flame flew. For an instant, a flash erupted, and the castle trembled with a rumble. The monsters directly hit by the spells literally began to be torn apart. Indeed, as expected of the Archmage’s legacy, it was of formidable power. While Velloc was admiring it, the general commanding the demon soldiers turned his head.

[Scrolls?! What kind of…]

“Run!”

Leaving only those words, Cara ran. Velloc, Adel, and Isabel also ran toward the emptied staircase. Crushed flesh and half-melted armor fragments clung stickily to the party’s boots. They did not care. They kept running, looking only ahead. Realizing the group’s scheme, the general shouted urgently,

[B-block them! Under no circumstances must they be allowed to reach the King!]

Kk-eeeeeek

Crossbow bolts and spells poured intensively onto the party. It was useless. As long as they had the shield of holy power and the spell-blocking armor, they could not be stopped with projectiles. In the end, the enemies had no choice but to block with their bodies. Every time they did, the scrolls in the party’s hands unleashed formidable magic. The stone staircase rumbled, and the carpet through which the spells passed burned hideously and curled up. The passage was drawing near.

“S-Sir Velloc! Where are you going, leaving us behind?!”

[Ugh! Block them! We must block…]

Leaving the Duke’s urgent voice, the monsters’ screeches, and the corrupted kingdom general’s yells behind, the group plunged into the darkness of the passage.