Before the subjugation battle, the Empire began to gather individuals who could serve as military strength from all over the territory. The Erebeon subjugation battle was not the first of its kind. The Central Empire had launched two subjugation campaigns to eliminate the first demon beast. However, the results were all devastating failures. One aura user went missing, three died, and 80% of the Northern Garrison was decimated. Thus, to avoid repeating the same mistakes, the Empire had to pour all its resources into this subjugation.
The Empire’s second aura user, Sword Saint Franz Eldin. The Knights Order of the Duke of Belfern, which guarded against the Southern Kingdom Alliance alone. Holders of the Platinum Iron Blood Medal, awarded only to those who have subjugated greater demon beasts. The Northern Free Mercenary Alliance, the Holy Light Knights Order, the Bureau, and so forth. Powerful individuals who had been hiding throughout the Empire began to converge on the Northern Front. They were the best talents available to the Empire, having left behind only minimal military strength to protect the Empire’s security.
“Captain, did you see that over there?”
“Where?”
I turned my head in the direction Rie was pointing. A tremendous procession of carriages was stretching out. It was the arrival of those participating in the subjugation. Rie was pointing to the most splendid carriage among them. It belonged to Sword Saint Franz Eldin.
“I thought he’d look muscular and burly because he’s supposed to be stronger than the Knights Order Commander, but he’s quite slender.”
Through the curtain of the carriage, a handsome man with half of his face covered in tattoos caught my eye.
“Isn’t that someone else?”
“Are you perhaps jealous, Sword Saint? But it’s hard to believe that anyone other than Sword Saint would be riding in a golden carriage bestowed by the Emperor.”
“…Could it really be him?”
“Yes, it’s real. And didn’t they say Sword Saint has red hair?”
I squinted my eyes and peered more closely inside the carriage. It wasn’t a character from a dark fantasy Soul-like game, but a strikingly handsome man who looked like he could appear in a romantic fantasy. I felt an unsettling sense of déjà vu akin to what I felt when I first possessed this body.
In the game, Franz Eldin was not portrayed as a handsome character. He had been severely burned all over his face from battles with demon beasts and looked grotesque. Moreover, he was halfway into the transformation into a monster, so Franz Eldin effectively resembled a monster. However, that man showed no signs of monsterization or burns.
In that moment, Franz Eldin in the carriage met my gaze. His eyes were calm, without the grotesque swirling of insanity, but rather contained a power that was anything but fake.
A sense of déjà vu. Perhaps a feeling of discomfort. An intense suspicion that was somewhat similar.
“…”
“Captain? What’s with that expression, as if you have to go badly? Are you a serious Sword Saint?”
I shook my head to shake off the distracting thoughts.
“No, it’s nothing.”
What I needed to do now was to successfully complete the subjugation.
***
The preparations for the subjugation were conducted far more thoroughly than before against the greater demon beast. Those gathered at the Northern Front sharpened their skills by practicing together or sparring. I also participated in the sparring line while simultaneously training with the wave device. The person I mostly sparred with was Irene.
Irene’s spear thrust forward. She flickered like a bouncing body, feigned an attack to the front while targeting the side, and I turned my sword to deflect her spear. As I stepped forward, I spun my sword in mid-air. A new form vanished behind the blade tracing a monotonous counter-clockwise path and reemerged right next to Irene.
She inserted her spear into the trajectory of my wooden sword aimed at her carotid artery. Utilizing the misaligned flow, I flipped in mid-air and landed behind Irene. I kicked off the ground, rapidly accelerating by snapping my ankles and toes in rapid succession. I executed a slashing diagonal cut that glided like a snake.
As Irene stepped back, she threw her spear forward. The spear, shot like a bullet, narrowly grazed my cheek in an instant. Gripping the spear’s tip with only her index and thumb, she swung it sideways. The might transcending human limits created a pressure wave that slightly pushed me back. I adjusted my grip on the spear, darting towards her faster than the force pushing me away.
A six-hit thrust employing the spear like a stiletto. I embedded the wooden sword into the ground and leaped into the air to evade her thrust. I then swung the wooden sword downwards. In response, Irene drew a circle with her spear and thrust at me. The wooden sword I released struck her shoulder violently, and her spear slashed at my abdomen.
Boom!
With a sound like flesh bursting, both Irene and I were pushed away to the opposite side. Dusting herself off, Irene threw the broken sparring spear to the ground.
“You’ve grown tremendously since the first time I saw you. I barely recognized you.”
Wiping the sweat dripping from my chin, I released the broken sword. I had gripped it so hard that the hilt was indented.
“I still have a long way to go.”
“We only used pure strength so far. If I had used my aura or you had used your wave, the result might have been different.”
“…I doubt it.”
Even if I used the wave, I would still be half a step short as I am now. Perhaps it would be different if the wave device reached Level 4, but for now, it was hard to guarantee victory.
“The sparring is done, what are you thinking of doing now?”
“All remaining schedules have been completed. I’ll probably head to train with the wave device.”
“If you have no plans, come with me. I have something for you.”
Irene gestured for me to follow.
***
At the Northern Front, weapons frequently broke, so they were producing their military equipment on-site. The steel sword I often used was made here. Entering a village lined with blacksmiths, Irene dragged me into one of them.
“Smithers, are you here?”
A man walked out from inside the blacksmith shop where the sound of steel being hammered echoed. The bald blacksmith with soot on his face welcomed Irene.
“It’s you, Commander. The enhancement of the Frost Spear you entrusted to me is complete. Try it out and let me know if anything feels off. I can always make adjustments.”
Smithers pulled out the Frost Spear from inside the shop. Irene took the spear and closely examined it. The spear, crafted using the essence of the demon beast she hunted herself, emitted a chilling aura. Nodding in satisfaction, she pointed at me.
“What about the sword you said you’d gift to Ian?”
Smithers looked at me with curiosity. Soon, he brought out a jet-black sword. It seemed as if it was pulsating with life.
“This is a solid-type weapon made from the essence of Radiata. Its ability seems to absorb blood, but… well, I’m not sure about the details. It’s probably similar to the ability it used when it was alive.”
Solid-type weapons. This term refers to the military weapons made by processing the essence of demon beasts. They possessed special abilities inherited from the demon beast’s life. Such items were luxuries that only higher-ranking individuals could afford. Irene’s Frost Spear was also a type of solid-type weapon. She handed the sword to me.
“What’s this?”
“It’s my gift to you.”
“If it’s a gift, I’ll receive it gratefully. But why are you giving this to me all of a sudden…?”
Irene grinned slightly.
“You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?”
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten. You said we should finish it together.”
“Make sure you keep your word. I will keep mine as well.”
***
At the Northern Front, on a hill covered in white snow. Thousands of troops and hundreds of powerful individuals gathered there. Before entering the battlefield, it was the final morale boost. Supreme Commander Baldir Nordelheim of the Northern Front began his speech.
“The Empire has failed twice here. Our predecessors lie buried in this land, and the North is soaked with their blood.”
He took a step forward. In his age-worn eyes, fatigue and cold calculation were blended together.
“Today, we face the third.”
He slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Instead of raising his weapon, he firmly lifted his head.
“If we collapse today, there will be no Empire. Kill them. Not until the last remaining one declares victory.”
The next to continue the speech was a woman wielding a spear, Irene Krause. Holding her spear, Irene projected her voice down the hill.
“I am Irene Krause, Commander of the Empire’s First Knights Order. I will not give you hope. I will not make the irresponsible statement that we will survive.”
She surveyed the lined-up soldiers.
“I have but one command. Become a demon in front of those infernal gates and fight. If the one beside you falls, stand on that corpse. If you have no arms, bite your enemy. If you have no legs, crawl to kill your foe. Even if you are to die, cling to the enemy’s feet.”
She raised her spear and shouted.
“Killing the enemy is the only way for us to survive, and at the same time, the only honor we can pay to our fallen comrades.”
Silence flowed instead of cheers. The sound of clashing steel resounded instead of roars. Spears and shields, cloaks and flags fluttered in the falling snow.
“Let’s go.”
The thunderous footsteps shook the ground beyond the blizzard. The soldiers’ spear tips trembled in unison.
A shadow stood tall in the snowstorm. The colossal figure of Erebeon, with thousands of demon beasts roaring in front of him. It looked like the broken imperial flag was stuck on the shoulder of the great demon beast, silently awaiting Erebeon’s command. For a moment, I felt a sense of déjà vu regarding that familiar format of armor and rusty sword. Shattering the blizzard, the sound of a trumpet resonated. The soldiers charged towards the demon beasts.
