Chapter 63 : Free City Bernhard (10)

I had sown the bait.

All that was left was to wait, hoping that this gamble would, by all means, succeed.

‘Well…… the problem is whether Bernhard can hold out until then.’

-Krrururu!

-Kyaooo──!

-Don’t fall back! We must not let the demonic beasts over the wall!

-There are too many of them!

The demonic beasts were coming over the wall.

Bernhard’s soldiers, who had just arrived, were desperately blocking the wall, but demonic beasts were coming over in places they hadn’t managed to block.

In the first place, Bernhard’s wall itself was not very suitable for a siege defense, so blocking the surging demonic beasts was not an easy task.

“Damned bastards!”

Conlan let out a bestial roar and frantically swung his axe at the charging demonic beasts.

Thwack!

Thwaaack!

Each time, the demonic beasts’ blood and flesh scattered in all directions, but looking at the overall war situation, it was merely a feeble gesture.

‘To stall for as much time as possible in this situation…… is that really the only way.’

Fighting the demonic beasts inside the city like this would be endless.

It meant we had to cut off the source.

“We must protect the wall.”

“Hmm…… I agree with that opinion, but I don’t know if we can do it just by ourselves.”

“We still have to do it.”

“Kngh, understood.”

Edric also knew that defending the wall was the best judgment, so he had no particular disagreement.

What needed to be done was decided.

“Let’s go immediately.”

“Yes.”

With Edric’s words, the 4th Special Task Force began to dash off to protect Bernhard’s wall.

[Kyaooooooo──!!]

The closer we got to the wall, the more the number of demonic beasts rushing toward us gradually increased.

However, those bastards had met the wrong opponents.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Each time Edric’s sword, at the lead, flashed, the demonic beasts blocking us fell like autumn leaves in the wind.

As I already knew, it was nothing short of extraordinary skill.

‘And yet, I somehow feel like that geezer is still hiding something…….’

The biggest basis for that was probably because the person himself, Edric, had so many enigmatic aspects.

‘Well…… but for now, it’s time to focus on the task at hand rather than that.’

I swung the Fang of Blazing Fire at the demonic beasts charging from the side.

Fwhoosh!

The blazing fire instantly slit the demonic beast’s throat, and flames flared up.

[Kyaak! Kyaaak!]

The ensuing flames spread to the surroundings, sweeping away other demonic beasts.

“You, aren’t you using the magic you usually use? This isn’t a situation where you can afford to save it, is it?”

“I’m not in the mood for it today.”

“As I thought…… So that’s what happened.”

I felt some strange misunderstanding in Albino’s expression as he looked at me, but there was no need to correct it.

“Uryaa!”

Conlan, not to be outdone, also vigorously swung his axe, mercilessly beating and breaking the charging demonic beasts.

It was truly an unstoppable momentum.

Proving the destructive power of a proper formation, we advanced, cutting down and breaking every demonic beast that charged at us.

“Just a little more! We’re almost at the wall!”

“Uraraaaaa──!”

“All, die.”

Edric, Conlan, Albino, Alicia.

As each of their weapons pierced and cut the demonic beasts, we were soon able to reach Bernhard’s wall.

“Hoo……”

“……Fucking almost died.”

“Stop being a baby.”

Perhaps because we had pushed ourselves considerably to force a breakthrough, everyone except Edric had sustained minor injuries.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Focus, rather.”

“Ah.”

Unfortunately, we didn’t have any time to tend to our wounds.

Because even now, the demonic beasts were persistently trying to climb the wall.

“Catch your breath, everyone. The real battle starts now.”

At Edric’s words, everyone’s expression hardened.

The eastern land beyond the wall.

It was because they saw the countless black dots swarming from that place.

“Crazy……”

That place, once called the Mülhen Granary Zone, was now no longer human land.

Demonic beasts, demonic beasts, and more demonic beasts.

With a scene that made one wonder if all the demonic beasts on the Lagna Continent had gathered, a truly tremendous army was relentlessly charging toward Bernhard.

“Crazy……”

Even Conlan, who had been letting out bestial roars until just a moment ago, stared blankly at the sight, momentarily stunned.

It was the same for the others as well.

“……I shouldn’t have followed.”

As Albino lamented, Edric, who had come to stand next to him, laughed heartily and said.

“Haha, if you want to go back even now, I won’t stop you.”

“You know it’s already too late.”

“Well then, I guess there’s no choice but to struggle, risking our lives.”

“Damn it……”

Unfortunately, even time to regret was a luxury for us.

The demonic beasts were swarming.

An overwhelming army, large enough to fill the Mülhen Granary Zone, was coming to trample Bernhard.

“They’re coming.”

The demonic beasts, seething like maggots below the wall, were persistently climbing Bernhard’s wall.

“Block them!”

We couldn’t leave them be.

Because it was much easier to knock off the demonic beasts trying to climb the wall than to deal with them once they were on it.

Should I call it the advantage of a siege defense?

Fortunately, in this aspect, the 4th Special Task Force could be called specialists.

It made sense, as what they did every day at the Winter Castle was exactly that: holding a standoff against demonic beasts on the wall.

“Where do you think you’re climbing!”

“Dammit…… I really got caught up in something bad. I shouldn’t have come here.”

Conlan’s axe struck a demonic beast’s foot, and Albino’s sword stabbed indiscriminately at a demonic beast’s eye.

“Demonic beast, die.”

Alicia also didn’t stay still, flying around the top of the wall as if dancing, preventing the demonic beasts from climbing onto it.

I didn’t stay still either.

Unlike when I fought the Mage of the Celestial Sound, I had no intention of using firearms here where there were countless eyes and ears, so I activated a combo specialized for area-of-effect attacks from the items I possessed.

[The ‘Orb of Water’ activates its power according to the wearer’s will.]

[The ‘Orb of Water’ deploys ‘Splashing Waves’.]

Water spray scattered in all directions.

In addition to that, Nak’s Legacy let out rough sparks.

Tzzt, Tzztzzt──!

[‘Nak’s Legacy─Jeon’ activates its power according to the wearer’s will.]

[‘Nak’s Legacy─Jeon’ deploys ‘Flying Thunder ’.]

Pajijijijik!!!──

Riding the scattered water spray, an electric shock spread out in all directions like a spider web.

[Krrwararara!]

[Kkereeek!]

The demonic beasts exposed to the electric shock let out bizarre cries and trembled violently, but because the attack’s range itself was so wide, its power was not that strong.

However, it was clear that it had bought us time.

“Now!”

Even though it was just that simple shout, the task force members who understood it simultaneously thrust their weapons at the demonic beasts on the wall.

Stab!

Stabstabstab!!

At that, the demonic beasts fell powerlessly from the wall, sweeping away other demonic beasts.

Despite achieving a small success, the situation was still desperate.

The ground was still full of demonic beasts, and in other empty places that we hadn’t managed to block, demonic beasts had already stormed in and were roaming Bernhard.

“……There’s no end to this.”

Even though we were constantly pushing demonic beasts off the wall, the demonic beasts didn’t die and quickly got up again to climb the wall.

It was partly because the other demonic beasts below acted as a cushion, but unfortunately, Bernhard’s wall was not as high as the Winter Castle’s.

“Hoo-uk, hoo-uk……!”

Because my body had already reached its limit, it was rapidly breaking down even though I had only engaged in a few skirmishes with the demonic beasts.

But why was it?

Even though my body was definitely injured and had reached its limit, why did I feel it gradually becoming more vigorous?

Sss…….

At that time, I could see.

The demonic energy that had been lingering around me was gradually seeping into my body, settling into the torn and wounded parts.

‘……Did demonic energy have this kind of power?’

Like some kind of parasitic organism, the demonic energy was functioning in place of my torn parts.

As proof of that, my wrist, which should have been so tattered that I couldn’t even put proper strength into it, was moving correctly.

‘It’s not what’s important right now.’

Learning about another effect of demonic energy was a good thing, but it didn’t resolve the current situation.

Our forces were still inferior, and Bernhard was on the verge of falling.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who knew this fact, as Edric, who was in the midst of battle, said softly.

“It was an honor to be with you all.”

“Why are you saying something that sounds like a last will?”

“Haha, that’s true too.”

Edric laughed awkwardly.

There wasn’t a single member of the 4th Special Task Force who wasn’t at their limit.

Well, in Edric’s case, he still seemed to be hiding his true strength, but no matter what Edric had hidden up his sleeve, reversing this situation would not be easy.

“Be careful!”

With an urgent shout, Alicia, who had suddenly blocked my front, cut down a demonic beast.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“But your wound……”

“Worry about yourself. Your wound is deep.”

Just as I said, Alicia’s condition was much more serious than mine.

Unlike me, who was recovering due to various powers, Alicia had to endure the repercussions of the battle purely with her own body.

“……I don’t want to lose anyone, anymore.”

“Same here.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m telling you to worry about yourself.”

Alicia’s expression became strange.

I didn’t have time to think about what that expression meant, so I once again swung the Fang of Blazing Fire at the demonic beast charging at me.

Fwhooosh!!

“Cough! Cough!”

“Big guy, don’t die!”

“Die? ……I don’t have the slightest intention of dying in a place like this, so stop saying ominous things.”

“Hmph, your mouth is still alive and well.”

At that moment when everyone had reached their limit.

Tzzt, Tzztzzt……!

Rough sparks flew from Nak’s Legacy and Sorin’s Ring.

It wasn’t me activating a power.

This was an external interference.

‘This is…….’

There was no way I wouldn’t know what this was a precursor to.

Rumble!

Ruuuuuumble!!!

Along with a mighty thunder that echoed from somewhere, dense dark clouds began to gather from all directions.

A bizarre phenomenon, impossible to believe it was natural.

A thundercloud was coming.

“……Hmm.”

“What? Why is the sky like that?”

“That is……”

Even the 4th Special Task Force members, who had been fighting the demonic beasts in a frenzy, noticed the anomaly occurring in the sky now and their jaws dropped.

That was how clearly strange and foreign the phenomenon occurring now was.

‘They’re finally here.’

It’s a bit awkward for me to say it myself, but during the World of Justice days, Cain had an awful lot of enemies.

Although it wasn’t intentional, my playstyle inevitably clashed with many users.

However, just having many enemies doesn’t directly translate to a threat.

How many factions and users could really talk about taking revenge on Cain directly?

I can say with certainty that even if you searched the entire World of Justice, there wouldn’t be that many.

In other words, if even one of them took my bait, this situation could completely change.

Just like right now.

Ruuuuumble!!!───

The lightning bolt that struck from the thundercloud instantly turned dozens of demonic beasts on the ground to ash.

“What the……”

Even Albino watched the scene blankly with his jaw dropped.

Boom!

Craaaackle──!!!

Lightning bolts struck repeatedly.

Along with that, the demonic beasts that seemed about to swallow Bernhard crumbled powerlessly into ash.

It was a scene as if a miracle had occurred, but I knew well that it was no miracle.

【Caaaaaaaain─────!!!】

A deafening roar that echoed from between the thunderclouds struck the entire battlefield.

“Wha, what?”

“Now…… what is happening.”

“……Umm.”

While all the 4th Special Task Force members were in shock, a small shadow revealed itself from between the thunderclouds.

Although its detailed appearance wasn’t visible due to the distance, I knew very well who that person was.

‘As expected, it was that guy.’

The one who had just appeared was someone I also knew very well.

And what that bastard was called, too.

‘The Lightning Emperor.’

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