By Zephyria Inside the Portal where the light was refracted and shimmering, Dellua ran forward, looking only in one direction. It took quite a while to reach the exit, as if there was some problem with the specified coordinates.
Usually, this phenomenon occurred when the terrain of the coordinates had changed, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location.
Therefore, she hurriedly stepped out of the Portal, embracing all sorts of worries and pain. She hoped that the ominous feeling inside her was just her own concern.
Thud—
As soon as she came out, her powerfully extended steps faltered for a moment. The first thing that hit the tip of her nose was a fishy smell.
It was a chilling smell that could not be compared to the smell of her own blood that she had just been covered in.
As she stared blankly ahead, the focus that had been scattered by dizziness became clear. The dazzling sunset flowed over the wide plain, and the black-stained flag of the 6th Division fluttered torn.
Broken swords and bent spears. Collapsed tents and rolling protective gear. A small fire attached to the dry grass occasionally sparked and slowly moved to the side.
This place, which was clearly a flat land, now had sunken pits and hills, and the gentle slopes were littered with scorched earth and dark blue figures.
The blood gradually drained from Dellua’s face.
Her eyes, unable to accept reality, busily rolled around. Her hands, exhaling irregular breaths, slowly rose and grabbed her head.
Soon, what poured out from between her twisted lips was a terrible and desperate scream.
“Aaaaaaaah—!”
Her legs, which had lost their purpose and could not find their way, suddenly ran out somewhere. Roughly pulling her members who were half-buried in the dirt, Dellua checked their faces one by one.
It was already the fourth or fifth time that her legs had given way to the cruel shapes, but she still grabbed the shoulders of every figure she saw and lifted them up without hesitation in order to find survivors. But each time, she encountered the cloudy eyes of a corpse, and after sending off her dead comrades several times, she was already heading towards the top of the hill.
Swallowing the metallic taste that had risen to her chin, Dellua took her last step towards the summit.
The moment she finally reached the summit, what she saw below was by no means the sight she had hoped for.
“…….”
The dark blue shadows that had been sparsely visible were now piled up in layers and lying on the floor.
Groans of death desperately whimpered for help.
Blood had soaked into the floor and formed a pool filled with blood. But Dellua did not look back at the horrific scene for long.
Because a huge and hideous shadow slowly loomed over her head from behind.
A monster with a huge body flapping its heavy wings. It approached leisurely, creating a hot wind as if to announce its presence.
As a result, the sunlight that had been pouring down disappeared, and Dellua’s body was placed in the middle of a dark shade.
In the meantime, she felt as if the hot blood flowing behind her neck was rushing to her head. Her eyes shone fiercely. As soon as a Magic Circle unfolded beneath her feet, a huge golem soared from the ground.
“Aaaaaaah!”
Clenching her fists, she jumped onto the golem’s shoulder in one breath. Then, without hesitation, she threw her fist at the monster that would be behind her.
Following her movements and angry shouts, the golem’s arm, which had rotated 180 degrees, flew towards the core’s head. There was no fear in the gesture. There was only a desire to tear the monster apart.
But the demon beasts, who had gathered in front of the Queen before she knew it, suddenly formed a solid shield. The golem’s fist was dully embedded in the middle of the demon beasts’ bodies that were intertwined in an instant. The bodies of the demon beasts that had been piled up like a tower burst due to the pressure, but even with the acidic liquid splashing in all directions, she did not stop, enraged.
Kieaaaaak—
In the midst of the scattering demon beasts’ screams, Dellua sublimated the pain that felt like a knife was stabbing into her into a shout. At the same time, she mercilessly swept away and kicked away the foolish demon beasts that rushed towards her.
“Die, you monsters—!”
Each time a solid Boulder swung through the air, the small fries that had been blocking her vision fell down in droves. The heavy footsteps of the golem, which echoed with a thud, thud, advanced nimbly, breaking through the indiscriminate attacks.
After knocking out the last demon beast that rushed in front of her, just before the golem’s fist reached the core.
An ominous light flashed between the wings of the demon beast, which had shriveled up like a demon’s hand.
‘……!’
Dellua, who had instinctively sensed the hot air, threw her body to the side. But the ultra-high-speed Destruction Beam that had already been fired pierced the golem’s heart in an instant.
Kwaaaang—!
Her ears were dazed by the instantaneous burst of impact. Dellua’s body floated upwards and was pushed away, falling over the hill with a short scream.
Rolling down the slope with the scattered Boulder, she was half-buried among the groaning members.
“Ugh—.”
The pain that felt like her flesh was torn spread from her abdomen to her entire body. A heavy breath was exhaled from her mouth, and blood vessels stood out from her neck to her entire face.
Dellua struggled and wriggled her body, turning her upper body over to prevent her stomach from being pressed. She clutched her abdomen with both hands, trying to prevent herself from falling into shock, while intermittently vomiting blood.
Then, a familiar figure came into Dellua’s eyes as she crawled on the floor.
“……Battalion Commander.”
A pale face with its head buried in the dirt and looking this way with half-loosened eyes. It was Marlene.
“…Marlene!”
As soon as Dellua found her, she called her name in a voice that seemed to break and crawled on her hands and knees. Then, she hugged Marlene, who was covered in blood and slightly heaving, and looked at her condition with trembling eyes.
“Marlene, where are you hurt? …What’s wrong?”
Her body, soaked in blood to the point where she couldn’t tell exactly where she was injured, looked very heavy. She couldn’t properly control her arms, legs, and neck, and was barely moving her lips while drooping her body.
“……I’m sorry….”
In the meantime, a metallic sound that was so cracked that it didn’t sound like a human voice flowed out intermittently.
“I shouldn’t have… told you… about my dream….”
At those words that contained so much, Dellua’s face, which had been looking down at Marlene, was terribly distorted. Soon, she barely raised her upper body halfway and hugged the other’s head with her trembling arms. Her shoulders, which had fallen into despair, sobbed softly.
Marlene, who was hugged in Dellua’s arms, tried to open her eyes while holding on to her fading consciousness. But unlike her will, her eyelids gradually loosened, and she fell into a feeling as if sleep was coming.
She wanted to raise her arm and pat the Battalion Commander who was crying, but her body did not move as easily as her heart desired. Even when a black shadow loomed over her head, she could not give any other signal except for slightly grabbing her clothes.
When she felt her elbow being pulled, Dellua, who had buried her face in Marlene’s neck, raised her head with a startled look.
Involuntarily turning around, the core, leading the demon beasts, had come close to her.
The demon beasts simply looked down at the two people as if they were watching the emotions of humans who had reached their limit. In the midst of those terrible and cruel eyes, Dellua felt her strength draining away, unlike the boiling fighting spirit.
She barely exhaled an uneasy breath, and gave strength to her arms with the determination to protect only the body she was holding in her arms. She bent her legs and awkwardly knelt on the ground, trying to maintain her balance as much as possible while staggering.
And then, a cool chill suddenly rushed in front of Dellua’s face, which was burning hot. At the same time, a gentle yet cold man’s voice flowed into her ears.
“Dellua, get up.”
The cold air stimulated her sensitive eyes, and Dellua reflexively closed and opened her eyes. Then, she saw three figures who had appeared in the blink of an eye blocking her way and aiming their weapons forward.
The dark navy hair, which had always been neatly arranged, was disheveled and swayed in the wind.
Meterion was on the left and Isabella was on the right, based on the Captain’s broad shoulders in the center.
Their appearances, who had been struggling in the midst of fierce battles and explosions, were all torn and cut, and there was not a single place that was intact. But in order to fulfill their duties even if they died, they stood in front of the monster again, holding on to their fading minds.
Meterion, who was glaring at the core with a face that looked like he was about to collapse, glanced back at Dellua, who was behind him. Then, he sharply rebuked her as if to tell her to come to her senses.
“Get up—!”
Dellua’s shoulders flinched greatly at the voice. But that was only for a moment, and she gently put down Marlene’s head, whom she had been holding. Then, she propped herself up on the ground with her trembling arms and legs, and finally stood up while staggering precariously.
The core, as if highly appreciating their admirable will, caused Destruction Beams to seethe in its wings, as the four of them, who were in a miserable state, tried to confront it, believing only in their tenacious lifelines.
「Foolish ones.」
Hugo, who knew better than anyone how terrifying its power was, simply extended the wide surface of the Greatsword to deploy an Aura, but did not avoid it.
For some reason, regrettable memories briefly passed through his tired mind, but he shook off the negative thoughts by slowly blinking his eyes. Then, strangely enough, Leonardo’s face, smiling brightly at him in the last memory in the fleeting thoughts, came to his mind.
Hugo was dumbfounded by himself that it was that that suddenly came to his mind, setting aside his comrades who had spent a long time together, but he slowly recalled that face in his heart.
Soon, a thought that did not fit the situation, that he wanted to defeat the demon beast as soon as possible and go check on his condition, lingered in his mind.
And at that moment.
Hugo’s heart seemed to respond, as a chilling thrill ran through his skin and bones.
Reflexively, his bright blue eyes snapped open, his gaze turning to a point far away in the southwest.
Kwaaaaaang!
Pajijijijik―
Suddenly, a massive pillar of light soared beyond the ridge, bursting with golden sparks as it pierced the sky. The thick streak, like lightning striking from the ground to the heavens, spread a savage fire and wind pressure, flaunting its threatening presence.
From there, a terrifyingly spreading shockwave instantly engulfed the entire southern part of the peninsula. The destructive gale, accompanied by vast clouds of dust, crumbled the weak foundations and overturned even the plains.
In an instant, not only the demon beasts but also the bodies of the humans standing there were helplessly pushed back. Even Hugo, who had firmly planted his feet, staggered for a moment and took two steps back.
Feeling the intense and familiar energy within it, Hugo lowered the arm that had been shielding his eyes and gazed again into the distance. His lips, slightly parted as if in disbelief, moved to utter a name he couldn’t quite bring himself to say.
‘Leonardo?’
Brushing back the hair tickling his brow, Hugo faced the bizarre phenomenon of the entire world being bathed in gold. In the center of the receding clouds, drawing a perfect circle, flashing lightning expanded its power and raged fiercely.
Soaring higher than even the grandest mountain, it radiated an energy of a different dimension, one he had never felt before.
‘No, this is….’
Meterion, Isabella, and Dellua, who had deployed their Aura and lowered their bodies, also involuntarily raised their heads at the overwhelming Magic Power that made their skin tingle. The thunderous explosions, synchronized with the pounding of their hearts, tore through the air at such speed that it felt as if they were piercing through their stuffy chests.
The Magic Power, crackling with sharp sparks, soon revealed its form in the dazzling glare of the scattering sunset.
A divine shadow engulfed in scorching golden flames.
Recognizing the unfamiliar yet longed-for presence, Hugo looked at him in the sky and muttered to himself.
“The sun.”