Chapter: 278
It was a desperate bloodbath.
The endless onslaught of countless enemies filled the horizon, and people had to muster all their strength to fend off the relentless waves of foes without a moment to breathe.
The situation was far from hopeful.
Having fought against the Witch of Gluttony, they were not at their best, while the enemy’s numbers seemed infinite, no matter how many they cut down.
Yet, amidst this grim scenario, everyone managed to hold on, not giving in to despair because someone was fighting the most lonely and tormenting battle in front of them.
Sylvia, who was casting barriers to stop the Insect Demonic Beasts flying towards the city, felt the same.
“Scarlet…”
It was painful.
Even though she had recently rested, her internal injuries had not fully healed, and every time the insects collided with her barriers, pain surged from within.
But every time she felt that way, Sylvia saw it.
The flames flickering amidst the thick darkness covering her surroundings.
How could she not know?
Scarlet was distracting the gaze of the enemy to lighten her burden.
“If Miss Scarlet is fighting like this, I can’t just sit here…!”
That was why Sylvia could endure.
No matter how much blood surged from within and her vision whitened.
She could bear it.
Perhaps others felt the same way too.
No matter how difficult and painful it was, they could endure together because they had the light of the flame shining ahead.
They could grit their teeth and hold on until the very end.
However, even with such efforts, limits would inevitably come.
While they grew more exhausted, the enemy’s numbers were ceaseless.
Eventually, one by one, those who collapsed from fatigue or were taken down by the demonic beasts began to appear.
Sylvia too reached her limits.
No, she had already crossed them many times.
She had endured, shouting that she could still do it, but now she truly felt it.
There was no power left, no matter how much she squeezed.
“I’m sorry, Miss Scarlet…”
Beyond the fading starlight, Sylvia looked at the flames.
A flickering candle in the wind. The fire seemed too fragile, like it could extinguish at any moment.
She felt it.
The flame inside everyone’s hearts, which had once burned brightly, was now dying alongside that fire.
The moment the flame extinguished, everyone would collapse.
But regrettably, the fire was weakening.
Unable to bear watching that dying flame, Sylvia lowered her head, tears flowing down her cheeks.
The tears streaming down Sylvia’s face held the flame within them.
As the flame gradually scattered within those tears…
In an instant, it flared up.
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, her vision brightened, and Sylvia lifted her head in astonishment.
And she saw.
“Ah…”
Flames spreading like wildfire across the land that had been shrouded in darkness.
The army of flames driving away the darkness.
“What’s that…”
“Flames… It’s the Fury Beasts…”
Voices of confusion arose from those who had been on the verge of demise moments ago, faced with the sudden shift in circumstances.
Of course, they were bewildered, as the very demonic beasts they had been fighting had turned on the enemy.
“Anyway, they’re on our side, right?”
“Well… I’ve lived long enough to see everything, apparently…”
But what was significant to them at the moment wasn’t those trivialities.
What mattered was that reinforcements had arrived at the battlefield where there had been no hope, and now these demonic beasts were their reliable allies.
The despair that had been cast over everyone’s faces was being lifted by the light emitted from the flames.
“Gah, you bastards! Even if you feel like dying, let’s push through just a bit more! Now we have a chance!”
“Thanks for coming to help, you guys!!”
And once again, the cheers from the revitalized people rose.
Sylvia quietly wiped her tears and smiled as she looked towards one spot.
Over there, a girl stood gallantly, fighting against the enemies with the enormous firebird and the army of flames behind her.
The flicker of hope that had been on the verge of extinguishing began to ignite again.
*
-■■■■■■■!!
-■■■■■■!!!!
The army of flames poured into the battlefield.
Their numbers were certainly not small, revealing a definite presence even against the horrifyingly large army of Lust.
[W-What is going on?!]
The voice of the Witch of Lust was tinged with panic at the sudden arrival of the army of flames.
[H-Oh, so you brought your own demonic beasts? But what are you going to do! My numbers overwhelmingly outmatch yours!]
However, realizing that she still had more demonic beasts than anyone else, she confidently commanded her troops.
[I will show you the terror of numbers! Go! Hold them off until the city is conquered!]
In response to the Witch of Lust’s orders, her demonic beasts rushed to block the army of flames.
But the command had little effect.
[W-What?!]
The wall of troops her demonic beasts had formed was broken through effortlessly by the army of flames.
The fury beasts, wielding flames, did not simply let the enemy troops stand in their way.
A portion of the battlefield turned crimson with the flames expelled by the fury beasts.
[Stop! Stop them!!]
The Witch of Lust screamed at her troops, but that didn’t mean the impossible suddenly became possible.
-■■■■■■■!!
-■■■■■■!!!!
The combined firepower of the furious beasts was more than enough to incinerate the approaching forces of Lust.
I could recall the sight of how hundreds or even thousands of those fury beasts burned away multiple times their number, screaming.
When men gather, they inexplicably begin debating who would win in a fight between A and B.
And since the common hobby among boy students during school was mostly gaming, one day this topic came up among friends.
“Hey, do you know who would win in a fight between 400 Zerglings and 30 Firebats?”
Zerglings and Firebats were units in a very famous game called StarCraft.
Zerglings were units optimized for mass deployment by the Zerg species, and Firebats were flame-throwing soldiers from the Terran race.
Since I didn’t have a computer at home during school, my experience was limited to watching friends play and having a few rounds in an internet cafe, so I answered that question without much thought.
“Well, obviously the 400 Zerglings would win, right? They’re more than ten times the number.”
To which my friend laughed and showed me a video of those units battling.
The result was a complete victory for the 30 Firebats.
The Zerglings melted before the flames of the Firebats.
Seeing that overwhelming gap, I thought, “Wow, those Firebats are way stronger than I expected…” but my friend told me that Firebats weren’t actually that strong of a unit.
The reason a Firebat could so overwhelmingly defeat Zerglings was due to their extreme strengths.
Right now, that was why the forces of Lust were getting taken down one-sidedly.
In terms of representation, the fury beasts were the Firebats, and the forces of Lust were the Zerglings.
[Ugh, worthless pieces of trash…!]
Realizing that she was at such a disadvantage, the Witch of Lust took another approach.
She sent the Insect Demonic Beasts scattered about the battlefield toward the fury beasts.
Yes, the reason why the Witch of Lust was a formidable foe was precisely that.
In a battle of numbers, she was always at a significant disadvantage, yet if she faced an enemy like this, her ability to turn that enemy into her ally could change the tide.
But…
“…Do you think that’ll work out the way you want?”
I laughed at her, who had easily dispatched any opponent until now.
And at that moment of mockery, I noticed that the Insect Demonic Beasts hesitated.
Of course. They had nothing they could do.
The control ability the Witch of Lust possessed could only activate by inserting her insect-like demonic beasts into the bodies of her enemies.
But the fury beasts were mostly cloaked in flames or completely formed of fire.
There was simply no structure for an insect to sneak in and survive.
What are you going to do? Our kids are immune to mind control!
I thought proudly and directed my gaze toward where the Witch of Lust was.
For a moment, the Insect Demonic Beasts blocking of the area dispersed, revealing her face wrinkled with irritation.
[Ugh…!]
As she roared in fury, the black gemstone hanging around her neck pulsed with light, and newly formed Insect Demonic Beasts filled the sky like black clouds.
At the same time, the Insect Demonic Beasts and ground troops poured towards my location.
-■■■■■■!!
In a furious bid, the massive firebird behind me yelled, “How dare you!” and enveloped me with one wing.
Then, with the sweeping motion of its other wing, a scorching gale surged forward, incinerating all the approaching demonic beasts.
I nodded slightly in gratitude to the firebird that protected me and once again cast my gaze towards the Witch of Lust, feeling her angry and irritated eyes scrutinizing me.
[Ugh…! Let’s see how far you can hold out! Do you really think you can handle my infinite army?!]
Though she seemed to have sensed the tide was turning, was that pride?
No, looking closely, she was indeed acting with her eyes locked on me while a certain amount of her troops continued toward the city.
Was it acceptable to suffer defeat as long as she could conquer the city?
Fury filled me at her petty actions.
I instinctively felt the need for a powerful blow.
A strike powerful enough to crush the will of the Witch of Lust.
“…”
…No, actually, I might just want to give that damn witch a severe beating.
And right after that thought…
-■■■■■■
Flames flowed towards me.
From the firebird behind me.
From the other fury beasts that had pierced through the forces of Lust to reach me.
The flow of flames, the power only the fury beasts—whom fire was the source—could impart.
“…You, no, you all.”
As the sensation of drained powers filling back up, I absentmindedly questioned them.
“…Are you lending me your power?”
-■■■■■■■■■
In response to that question, the firebird nodded and spoke on my behalf.
Your will is our will.
“…Thank you.”
I expressed my gratitude to them, looked towards the enemies in the distance, and spoke.
“Why is it that your abilities don’t work on me?”
Flames sent by countless demonic beasts swirled around my body, gathering above my head.
The gathered flames resembled a small sun.
“What a silly question to ask.”
With that form, I raised my fist and glared at the foe.
A coward who hid behind a multitude of enemies while not lifting a finger himself.
The garbage that has caused countless people pain and toyed with their hearts.
“While you cowardly hide behind, playing games with people—!”
As my fist targeted the enemy, the sun above condensed and pooled in my fist.
The fist imbued with sunlight turned red, white, and blue, and then blazed crimson again.
Fueled by anger toward the enemy standing right before me.
With that, I stretched out my fist and shouted.
“I—! Fought with every ounce of my being—!!!”
And pierced through the darkness that enveloped the land with the red sun.
KWA-BAAAAM—!
“…Hah, hah.”
Breathless from my full-powered strike, I looked forward.
From where my fist struck straight ahead, accompanied by a flash, there was a clean void as if nothing had ever been there.
The pressure and heat from my radiant punch had wiped away everything in its path.
Moreover, due to the impact of the attack, most of the surrounding forces had burned away to the point of annihilation.
With that one blow, I probably took out more than half of what remained of the enemy troops…
But regrettably, such a powerful blow did not achieve what I had aimed for.
[Ah, AAAAAAH─!!! HRAAAAAK!!!!]
The Witch of Lust screamed.
Having used the remaining demonic beasts as a shield, even so, one of her arms had been blown off.
The pretty half of her face had become burned and distorted because she could not finish blocking the searing heat.
[You, you!!! How dare you take my arm…!! My face…!]
Fueled by rage from that loss, her voice became a howl directed at me.
[I will never forgive you—!!!]
Whether she intended to take revenge, she clutched the gemstone around her neck with her remaining arm, glaring at me filled with rage.
But.
Tch.
“…”
[Ugh…!]
As I silently raised my fist again towards her, the look in her eyes turned to one of fear.
[Ugh…! Damn it, just you wait!!!!]
Seemingly terrified by my threat, the Witch of Lust conjured a swarm of Insect Demonic Beasts and threw her remaining troops aside, fleeing without looking back.
I watched her retreating figure for a while.
“…I’m done for, seriously.”
I collapsed right there on the ground.
I had no strength left to even lift a finger; I thought I would die.
Either way, it seemed my threat had taken effect.
I managed to land a solid blow on her too.
“—Miss Scarlet!!”
Through my fading vision, I saw Sylvia rushing towards me in shock.
It’s okay, it’s okay.
I was just exhausted from pushing too hard.
Still, I managed to muster my last bit of strength and wink at Sylvia as she approached, giving her a thumbs-up.
“…We won, hehe.”
Immediately after that, I fainted, but…
I think Sylvia was smiling too.
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