Chapter 19 TSH Vol. 1 Chapter 4 Part 2

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Around evening, in a village in the northern part of Ecclesia—

—It’s here!

Sieg broke into a sprint without a second thought. He had sensed the mana fluctuation unique to a teleport. To his horror, the teleport point was right in the middle of the village.

Fortress cities like the capital had magic barriers on their outer walls, preventing demons from teleporting directly inside. But this village had no such protection. The land was merely consecrated around the church, which, while effective at repelling most monsters, had little effect on demons.

The teleport point seemed to be the central square. He could see an old man resting there, along with several children playing. Suddenly, a black magic circle flared to life on the ground right beneath the children’s feet. A demon was coming.

This is bad!

Sieg used [Flash Step] to cross the distance in an instant. He skidded to a stop, scooping up the children. After dropping them safely at the edge of the square, he spun back to face the magic circle. Just as he did, a black, glittering crystal was emerging from the circle. It was about the size of an adult’s head.

The children burst into tears, the villagers shouted, and the square erupted into chaos.

Sieg dashed toward the magic circle and, with all his might— “Hyaaaah!”—kicked the emerging crystal, sending it flying. The black crystal shot away at a tremendous speed.

After confirming the children were safe, Sieg dropped into a low stance and chased the crystal with [Flash Step]. The force of his takeoff gouged a chunk out of the ground, sending earth flying. A large clump of dirt smashed into a nearby stall, but fortunately, the shopkeeper seemed unharmed.

Sorry about that!

Apologizing to the man in his head, Sieg continued the chase. He had made a flashy move, but his identity should be safe. He was wearing one of the village’s souvenirs—a Hero’s mask.

The crystal arced through the air and began to fall. As it neared the ground, the surrounding grass and trees withered before his eyes. It was absorbing the life force from the area to break its crystalline state.

It struck the earth with a dull thud. The ground around it cracked and turned gray, sapped of all vitality. Having absorbed enough life force, the crystal flared, and with a sound like shattering glass, it cracked open. A black, fog-like substance spilled out from within, slowly beginning to take form.

His Sacred Silver Sword couldn’t cut the demon in this state. A true holy sword or a magic sword could inflict damage while it was still reforming, but he wouldn’t obtain one of those for a long time.

Sieg sprinted forward, drawing his sword and glaring at the coalescing demon.

The instant it takes solid form—I’ll strike!

The demon finished reforming. Its shape resembled a bipedal mantis, with an armor-like exoskeleton, a triangular head, and eyes perched on the ends of two stalks. Its eyes swiveled wildly, and it inhaled, as if to let out a roar. In that exact instant—

Now!

Using [Flash Step], Sieg closed the distance and, as he rushed past, he slashed. Countless trails of light flashed, and the demon’s body was instantly diced. Black blood sprayed from its wounds. It was his sword technique, [Gale’s Flurry].

Sieg skidded to a halt past the demon, spun around, and attacked again, this time from its back. A circular targeting array, visible only to the Hero, appeared in his vision, enclosing the demon. Anything caught inside this circle would be annihilated.

A sharp breath hissed from Sieg’s mouth. The muscles in his limbs bulged, and his form vanished. The next moment—a storm of slashes assailed the demon from every conceivable angle: left, right, front, back, and even directly above.

Thrusts, sweeps, downward slashes, upward cuts, swings, slices, and rising stabs. Caught in this storm, the demon’s body—its bones, its flesh, its hide—was cut, torn, and carved, exploding into a thousand pieces. Black blood instantly stained the ground.

Its Demon Core, the organ unique to its kind, shattered like glass and disintegrated into dust.

Sieg leaped backward, landing softly. The sequence of attacks was complete.

Where the demon had stood, nothing remained but a faint residue. After the storm, there is only destruction.

The technique Sieg had unleashed was [Storm Dance Flurry]—the advanced version of [Gale’s Flurry].

Extermination complete.

Sieg flicked the black blood from his blade, let out a single breath, and sheathed his sword. From the demon’s arrival to its destruction, only thirty seconds had passed. It was so fast, it made the struggle he’d endured last time seem like a bad joke.

…Good. A demon of this level is no problem at all. All that training in the labyrinth paid off.

Sieg finally let out a breath of relief. The fight had been far enough from the village that there appeared to be no witnesses.

All that’s left is to slip into the ruins and check if the [Teleportation Gate] is still usable…

He removed his mask and took a step to head back to the village. In that instant, he froze.

—What!?

He spun around, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. In that direction, an enormous magic presence had suddenly appeared.

It can’t be…!

But there was no mistaking that pulse of power. It was a demon. And it was incomparably stronger than the one he had just annihilated. The direction was, without a doubt, the capital city of Ecclesia. A demon had appeared in the capital.

—Damn it!

Sieg’s face twisted as his mind raced.

Was this village a decoy!? Or maybe they planned to strike two places at once from the start? But why? Why is this different from last time!? Did I do something wrong!?

Sieg shook his head, trying to clear the confusion. No, questions later! I have to get back to the capital, now!

Judging by the scale of its appearance, that has to be a mid-level demon. Princess Cordelia is there… She’ll definitely try to join the fight. That’s not an enemy she can handle!

Sieg’s face twisted in anguish. He absolutely could not abandon them. He was redoing this entire journey specifically to save more people than last time.

I have to get back. No matter what! If I don’t—the city will be destroyed!

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In the capital of Ecclesia, just before evening.

A soldier on patrol in a watchtower on the outer wall spotted something strange. Far beyond the wall, a large black stone lay on the ground. It reflected the light of the setting sun, glittering like a jewel.

“What…?” As the soldier watched through his spyglass, the ‘jewel’ cracked open, and something like a piece of flesh emerged.

Seeing the glistening, quivering mass of flesh, the soldier cried out. “Ugh! S-Sergeant! Look at that!”

The watch sergeant aimed his own spyglass where the soldier was pointing. There was indeed a strange object. Judging by the trees, it was about the size of a child’s head. The sergeant tilted his head. “A new type of slime, maybe? If it gets closer, we’ll have the guards take care of it. I suppose I’ll report it, just in case.”

The tension in the air eased at the sergeant’s words, but the soldier who had kept watching suddenly shouted again. “…Huh!? Sergeant! The flesh—it’s changing!”

“What?” The sergeant and the other guards raised their spyglasses. What they saw made them all look at each other in confusion.

“…Huh? It was a blob a second ago…”

The mass of flesh had somehow reformed into the shape of an insect. And as they watched, the insect split, multiplying. They also noticed the surrounding trees were wilting, the grass and plants rapidly turning black.

“What… what in the world is that!?”

While the sergeant held his breath, the insects reformed again, this time into rat-like beasts. The creatures scurried around, splitting and multiplying relentlessly. In the blink of an eye, their numbers had swelled to several dozen. And the multiplication wasn’t stopping.

If they keep multiplying at this rate, how many will there be in a few hours?

The moment he had that thought, a profound chill ran down the sergeant’s spine. His eyes wide, he roared in a trembling voice.

“M-Messenger! Report to Central! Monsters spotted outside the walls, south-southwest! Numbers—numerous!”

The report from the watchtower sent the Grand Temple into an uproar. High Grand-Priest Roderick observed the swarm himself and declared them to be demons. In the records of the Hero’s party from decades ago, there was a description of just such an endlessly multiplying demon.

Demons had appeared in the Ecclesia capital. An emergency message was immediately sent to the Royal Capital, and the city was placed on wartime alert.

The Grand Temple’s vast chapel was hastily converted into a command center and was now overflowing with people. Reports were shouted, orders were barked, and scores of priests, scribes, soldiers, knights, and mages scrambled to and fro.

The commander-in-chief, High Grand-Priest Roderick, issued his orders.

“Solidify the city’s defenses! Get the citizens inside the inner wall, as many as possible! Holy Knights, secure the perimeter and guide the evacuation! Priests, pour your mana into the outer wall’s magic barrier!”

Even as he spoke, the demons continued to multiply. Worse, they seemed to be mimicking what they devoured. Within minutes of appearing, their forms had diversified into insect-types, rat-types, and dog-types. It was possible that mobile forms, like horses, or flying forms, like birds, would soon emerge.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. What Roderick and the other commanders feared most was the emergence of a humanoid form. In the worst-case scenario, they couldn’t rule out the appearance of knight-types or even mage-types.

The High Grand-Priest’s face twisted, and he growled low in his throat. “Unbelievable… even one would be a problem, but this is just like…”

An army. It was a true army of demons.

If Sieg had seen it, he would have identified the demon at a glance. Its name was Legion—the Infinite Swarm. It was a greater demon, a single entity that was simultaneously a multitude.

Last time, Legion hadn’t appeared until much later in his journey. Two major cities had been destroyed by it. Last time, they had lured all of Legion into one of those cities, intentionally overloaded its [Teleportation Gate], and annihilated the demon along with the entire city. But such a tactic was impossible here in Ecclesia.

The High Grand-Priest closed his eyes tightly, his mind racing. The Hero headed north… Could that attack have been a feint? I don’t know… I don’t know, but in any case, he would not abandon us. He will surely return. But—

The High Grand-Priest gave a firm nod, his resolve hardening. This is the sacred land of the kingdom. It is our duty to protect it! Whether the Hero returns or not, our task remains the same. We will protect this land, and we will repel the demons!

Just as he cemented his resolve, a firm voice called out. “Your Eminence, I heard there was a demon attack! Is there anything I can do to help!?”

It was the Fifth Princess, Cordelia, who had appeared with her guard, Emma. Her face was pale, but her eyes shone with the light of determination.

The High Grand-Priest answered with a troubled expression. This was a public setting, so he refrained from using her nickname.

“…Your Highness, please prioritize your own safety. It would be best for you to retreat to the castle and wait with the viceroy’s family. If the worst should happen, we will need to activate the [Teleportation Gate] and consider an escape to the royal capital—”

The princess cut him off. “Please wait! I bear a responsibility for failing to find the Hero! I beg you, add me to your battle line, even in the lowest rank! Otherwise… I will never be able to face the people!”

“…Cordie.” The nickname escaped his lips. He couldn’t send the princess, whom he thought of as a granddaughter, to the front lines. But if he ordered her to shelter in the castle, she would likely just head to the front on her own. She was usually reserved, but Roderick knew well that she was capable of bold, decisive action when it mattered. In that case, it would be safer to formally integrate her into the knight order and have her act as a detached unit.

Having made his decision, Roderick entrusted her to the commander of the Holy Knights.

“Princess Cordelia is a magic swordswoman who wields ice magic. It would be best to use her and her guard as a special unit.”

The commander looked down at the princess for a moment, then broke into a wide grin.

“I’ve heard about you from His Eminence’s own guard. A magic sword user, eh? Excellent! We’ll have you serve as our order’s mobile support unit!”

The princess replied with a look of relief. “Understood. From this moment, my guard Emma and I are under the command of the Ecclesia Holy Knights.”

The commander nodded magnanimously. “Excellent. We shall call your unit the Cordelia Squad. Now that you are part of our order, Your Highness, you will receive no special treatment. Understood?”

“Th-That is exactly what I wish for!” The commander and vice-commander exchanged a glance, seeing her reply with such a pale face.

“Bwahahaha! A fine answer! We are holding a war council now. Follow me!”

“Yes!”

The princess and Emma followed the commander and vice-commander. Watching them go, the High Grand-Priest let out a sigh.

Truly, once she’s made up her mind, she doesn’t listen…

The battle had already been joined at the city walls. Catapults, volleys of arrows, and long-range magic from the mages were all trying to stall Legion’s advance. The high-level mages had already begun their incantations for a large-scale offensive spell.

The High Grand-Priest gave his next order.

“After the ranged volley, the knights will charge! Do not let the enemy reach the city before the incantation is complete!”

If they unleashed a spell of that magnitude too close, the city itself would be damaged. They had to strike while the enemy was still at a distance.

Messengers ran to relay the order. The High Grand-Priest grimaced and muttered to himself. “…Cordie, you must not be reckless.”

“Evacuate, quickly!”

“Calmly, to the inner gates!”

“No carriages! Move on foot!”

Inside the city, the evacuation of citizens and pilgrims was underway. It was not yet complete, but a considerable number of people were already moving to safety behind the inner wall. As expected of a holy city, there was no significant chaos, none of the looting so common in times of war. Everyone was calmly following instructions.

In the square before the main gate, the Ecclesia Holy Knights had assembled, along with the personal guard details of the great noble houses, squires, and regular soldiers. Mages were positioned around them. After the magic volley, the knights would charge out. Their well-trained warhorses stood ready, silently awaiting their riders’ signals. At their head was the commander of the Holy Knights, clad in shining silver armor.

 “Open the gate!”

At his command, the massive city gate began to open. Far beyond it, a black mass carpeted the ground, squirming. The thought that all of it was the enemy made even the faces of the valiant knights pale.

Seeing this, the commander roared at his troops. “What’s with those pathetic faces!? Weren’t you the ones always complaining you wanted to test your skills in a real battle, not just in training? Well, rejoice! Today, I’ve prepared the perfect opponents for you!”

The knights let out a rough laugh, and the light returned to their eyes.

The commander scanned his men and bellowed. “Our enemy is the demon tribe! The sworn enemy of the gods! A worthy opponent! Now is the time to show them the fruits of your training!” He continued to roar. “The grace of the gods is with us! Mages, grant us your blessings!”

Instantly, rays of support magic rained down upon the knights. Blessings of protection, enhanced resistance, fortified life force, and heightened morale—all manners of buffs were granted by the mages. Power surged through their bodies, and their morale soared. The knights rode out of the gate, forming up in a wedge formation.

The mage corps, positioned on the outer wall, confirmed the knights’ formation and shouted through an amplification tool.

“Beginning the volley now! Knights, follow the light of our magic! May the gods grant you grace!”

The mages, their incantations complete, took aim. The voice of the mage captain echoed.

“Offensive magic—FIRE!!”

A volley of long-range attack magic, spanning every element, shot out from the walls. Seeing the streaks of light, the knight commander roared.

“Now is the time to show them the true strength of Ecclesia! Follow the light! CHARGE!!”

“UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH—!!”

Amidst the war cry that shook the very city walls, Princess Cordelia spurred her horse, riding out with Emma. They were positioned on the far-right flank of the cavalry, with plans to break off as soon as the magic barrage landed.

The Cordelia Squad was a special detachment, entrusted with a special mission: to find the demon’s weak point.

No matter how many of the individual ‘clones’ they destroyed, they would never defeat the demon’s main body. That was the consensus of the hastily-summoned monster researchers. All demons possess a Demon Core. That core can never be split. Therefore, the clones were merely operating on pseudo-cores, and killing them would not inflict a single point of damage on the true body. In other words, the real body, the one holding the Demon Core, was out there somewhere. The mission assigned to the Cordelia Squad was to find it.

Up ahead, the magic barrage landed, vaporizing swaths of the insect-type and rat-type demons. Individually, the clones didn’t seem very strong. She could see the vanguard of the knights clash with the demon swarm. She caught sight of the knight commander, wildly swinging his greatsword.

Commander, everyone, please be safe!

“Emma, let’s go!”

“Right!”

The princess called to Emma, and under the cover of the dust and smoke from the explosions, veered her horse hard to the right. They would cut through the copse of trees and head for the demon’s original point of emergence.

The princess suddenly thought of Sieg. If he were here, how much more confident she would feel… But he’s already gone…

She let out a small breath, recalling his words. On their last day together, he had praised her for the first time.

(“Yes, you’ve gotten stronger.”)

(“Keep training hard.”)

Just remembering those words filled her with a strange strength. A small smile touched her lips, and her tension began to ease.

Please watch me, Sieg-san… no, Master! I will do what I have to do.

The princess steeled her resolve, relayed the new course to Emma, and they began to circle around the flank of the demon swarm.

Master Sieg… and great Hero… please grant me courage and strength!