By Zephyria 
139
They rushed in like a tidal wave, ready to crush Tae-muk. They thrust their teeth forward, even before their bodies or hands. Tae-muk’s shoulders, arms, and legs were pierced and marked by countless teeth. Sometimes, they even tore something away, and Ho-eun had to squeeze his eyes shut, unable to bear witnessing it.
Blood gushed, dripped, and poured from beneath Tae-muk. Yet, he did not fall. As if someone had planted him in the lake, he stood, smashing the heads of the Devouring Ghouls.
“Why… why…”
Ho-eun, his face contorted in pain, murmured in a suppressed voice.
Why is Tae-muk fighting alone? Why are the other soldiers just watching? Why aren’t they going to save him?
Ho-eun scanned the surrounding soldiers with tearful eyes. They all held their weapons high, merely watching the lake, the Devouring Ghouls, and Tae-muk. To Ho-eun, it seemed as if they were spectating Tae-muk’s death.
This can’t be. I can’t just stand here.
Ho-eun lowered his hand and shook Gil-sang’s shoulder.
“Corporal. There, the General is there. We have to go save him.”
“…”
But Gil-sang did not respond. Ho-eun glared and called out to him forcefully.
“Corporal!”
Then, Gil-sang turned to look at Ho-eun.
“We have a job to do here.”
“What is it!”
What could be so important that they’re just standing by while Tae-muk gets hurt! What life could be more precious than his!
“You must wait.”
But Gil-sang, as if he didn’t have time to explain, looked forward again and raised his sword.
“Haa…”
Ho-eun, letting out a sigh like a lament, looked at Tae-muk again. But in the meantime, Tae-muk had disappeared, hidden by the numerous Devouring Ghouls. No, it was impossible to know whether he had merely disappeared from sight, or whether he had been torn to shreds in the mouths of the Devouring Ghouls.
Thinking that far, his heart plummeted. Without thinking twice, Ho-eun pulled on the reins, turning the horse’s head.
He was going to go, even if it was just him. He knew he would die, but so what?
His life was utterly useless without Tae-muk anyway.
Just as Ho-eun, gritting his teeth, was about to kick the horse’s flank, Gil-sang, who had noticed Ho-eun’s movement like a ghost, forcefully pulled on the reins that were wrapped around the horse’s jaw. Unable to withstand the immense force, the horse staggered.
“You mustn’t go.”
“Let me go!”
“I can’t let you.”
Gil-sang spoke with an unprecedentedly firm and frightening face. Ho-eun stared at him with bloodshot eyes. He felt unfamiliar. It was as if he wasn’t the person he knew. Gil-sang was a righteous and loyal person. Why was he doing this? Had he been possessed by a Devouring Ghoul? Was that why Gil-sang and the others were just standing by, watching Tae-muk?
Just then, several soldiers rushed past Gil-sang and Ho-eun, who were facing off. They went into the lake and dragged out the horse and soldiers who had slipped and fallen earlier. They also carried out the injured soldiers and the fallen baggage. However, no one approached Tae-muk.
Eventually, Tae-muk was the only person left on the lake.
“Corporal!”
Ho-eun was about to call out to Gil-sang in a more urgent voice when.
Bwoooooooo.
The Conch Horn sounded. The heavy sound rode the ice of the lake, the snow, and the cold air, spreading far and wide.
The Conch Horn sounded only once, no more, no less. It was a sound that seemed to convey something, not a warning. And soon, silence fell. Everyone closed their mouths and held their breath. Ho-eun did too.
“…”
He had a feeling that something was about to happen, something that far exceeded his imagination. And that thing would probably happen to Tae-muk.
Ho-eun scanned the lake thoroughly, looking for Tae-muk. But he was nowhere to be seen. Only the thousands, or more, of Devouring Ghouls that he had failed to stop were rushing towards the Crimson Rain Brigade. They were moving at such a speed that they seemed to be right in front of them, but no one was moving. They were just standing there, waiting.
How long did that eerie silence last?
Thump!
Suddenly, a huge sound came from the middle of the lake. It was a sound that could not be compared to the sound of the Conch Horn. It was no exaggeration to say that heaven and earth shook. Indeed, the nearby trees convulsed, and the snow piled on them scattered like mist. The horses neighed, startled by the vibrating ground.
But the roar did not stop there.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
The heavy sound was thick yet sharp. Occasionally, there was also the sound of something cracking. And at some point.
Crackle.
The lake cracked. With the sudden cracks, the snow piled on the lake sprang up as if bouncing, then scattered like fog. Soon, the cracks evolved into gaps, and water slowly crept up through the gaps.
And soon.
Rumble.
The thickly frozen lake began to heave. The ice broke. It collided with itself, splitting, and then colliding again, creating a sound like thunder.
The Devouring Ghouls running on the shaking, tilting, and overturning ice lost their balance and helplessly slid into the lake. Behind the desperate screams of the Devouring Ghouls, the sound of splashing followed.
A blue void appeared among the Devouring Ghouls that had covered the white lake in black. The blue void gradually grew in power, and soon devoured all the Devouring Ghouls.
Kieeeeeek…….
Caw, caw, caw!
Screech…….
The scene of ice, water, and Devouring Ghouls mixed together was chaotic beyond description. Ho-eun, who had been blankly staring, belatedly came to his senses and busily turned his head, looking for Tae-muk.
However, the broken lake was devouring everything indiscriminately, Devouring Ghouls and people alike. Tae-muk was nowhere to be seen. Only pieces of ice stained with his blood floated up and down.
“Ah…”
Ho-eun sighed faintly. His eyes were empty.
The lake became still. The screams of the Devouring Ghouls and the splashing sounds were no longer heard. It was because everything had sunk into the deep water.
The lake became completely blue, without white, red, or black. It was a chilling blue. The sight of it maintaining its tranquility as if nothing had happened after swallowing so much sent shivers down his spine.
“…”
“…”
The Crimson Rain Brigade soldiers were still holding their breath. As if waiting for something. And as if they knew what they were waiting for. Far away, the water splashed up with a splash!
Kieeeeeeeek!
One Devouring Ghoul poked its head above the water.
“…”
Ho-eun’s eyes widened. Was it alive? Well, those who were still alive even after their heads were cut off couldn’t possibly die just from falling into the water. He had been deceived by the blue stillness and mistakenly thought that they were all dead.
Subsequently, other Devouring Ghouls also poked their faces out of the water one by one. They swam using their wide hands and feet, and tried to climb onto land by scratching the ground with their sharp claws. Their black leather, wet with water, shone glossily. Their teeth also gleamed.
It was the moment when Ho-eun swallowed hard after seeing it.
“Fire!”
Byeonguk shouted, riding his horse from afar. Then, behind the soldiers surrounding the lake, a hundred archers appeared. They pulled their bowstrings with all their might, and then released them all at once.
Numerous arrows flew, making a sound like heavy rain pouring down.
The arrows crossing the sky were shaped like spears. After all, they were used by the God of War, not ordinary people, so they were that much thicker, heavier, and sharper. There was no need to mention its destructive power.
Thud, thwack, crack.
The Helmet Bones of the Devouring Ghouls were pierced, broken, and shattered, making dull sounds.
Kieeeeeee…….
A Devouring Ghoul with an arrow stuck deep in the crown of its head trembled its jaw and sank into the water with a gurgle. The Devouring Ghouls next to it and behind it sank in a similar manner.
“Fire! Fire! Keep firing!”
Byeonguk shouted incessantly. In response to that order, arrows were fired without rest.
But the number of Devouring Ghouls was far greater than the number of arrows. Those who had dodged the arrows, or those who had avoided fatal injuries, or those who had used the corpses of other dead ones as shields, persistently approached the land.
From then on, the soldiers who had been surrounding the lake with their weapons raised began to slaughter the Devouring Ghouls. They struck, smashed, and split the Devouring Ghouls crawling onto the ground from above.
Dong-ja and Man-soo stabbed the crowns of the heads or the roofs of the mouths of the Devouring Ghouls with their spears. Seong-im cut off the wrists or fingers of the Devouring Ghouls grabbing the ground with his sword. The screams of the Devouring Ghouls soared from here and there. In this way, the Crimson Rain Brigade quickly subjugated the Devouring Ghouls without much effort or injury.
In battle, those above are overwhelmingly advantageous compared to those below. Moreover, now that the Devouring Ghouls were trapped in a huge pit called a lake and couldn’t even properly support their bodies, it was no exaggeration to say that the victory or defeat had already been decided.
It didn’t take long for the blue lake to turn red and for the screams of the Devouring Ghouls to disappear.
The battle ended as expected with the victory of the Crimson Rain Brigade. Not many were injured, and no one died.
No, you never know.
“…”
Ho-eun stared at the red lake with cloudy eyes. His vision was blurry. It was because the focus was off. He had moved his eyeballs to find Tae-muk throughout the chaos, so his fatigue had reached its peak. He wanted to jump into the lake, but Gil-sang wouldn’t let go of the horse. He didn’t even allow him to get off the horse.