74 Intermediate holy barrier

Looking at piles of meat splatter all over the ground. The soldiers that camp themselves nearby was unfortunate enough to get hit by the blast. The victims of the blast continued their endless screams due to the pain that they are receiving. Parts of their body has truly vanished or in other words, disintegrate into nothingness during the explosion.

The commander is hit hard, as he knew that he had made something irreversible by putting most of the priest together. His strategy and formation are based on the fact that they could endlessly charge their enemies while the priest within each squad is tasked to do massive heal and to recover the squad's fatigue.

Now that the priest is gone, they are basically doom unless his men are able to motivate themselves without relying on the magic powers that they usually receive. Even now as he is thinking about what kind of instructions he should point it out so that his men would calm down and find a way to get out of the place alive.

The gramps is by far the only priest that is uninjured by the blast as he is one of the high-ranking leaders that could override the orders from the commander if he deems it useless. Some of the priests manage to deactivate their explosive device and immediately tried to cover themselves with their own barrier but the blast is quite the handful.

It could penetrate the holy barrier and even injured the priest within it and some doesn't even make it. Even though they only consist of five thousand soldiers, gramps doesn't have that much quantity of magic to heal everyone. Furthermore, he wishes to save his magic power in order to fight the demonic enemy that entrap them in the forest.

The commander saw Gramps was frowning and appears to have the expression of fear. He can't help himself but ask.

"Gramps, what's the matter?"

"Can't you see what's happening out here?"

"All of the priests that I have brought with me is down. I can see, Gramps."

"No, you aren't getting my point."

"Well tell us then, cough* me I mean Hahahaha."

"I believe, the priest that you brought is not careless enough to allow someone to get past the barrier it isn't. If All I can say that the enemy that we are facing right now, is powerful enough to be able to get inside the holy barrier and even manage to slice apart some of your untrain priest that doesn't have the skill to be able to even defend themselves."

"What are you talking about? How can I believe that the holy barrier created by our ancestors and refine by our leader are easily sliced apart."

"Calm down, you shouldn't be too confident about the holy powers. There is a counter for each and every element."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, what if someone got a hold of a holy weapon."

"You're saying that the weakness of the holy element is itself? The Henson Kingdom hero is our enemy this time?"

"I believe so, Takashi is the only hero that was given a holy sword to overcome his obstacles and defend his own kingdom. But he didn't know that we had input an enchant that could disable its weapon whenever we want to."

"Gramps, you're a genius. I don't have to worry about him then."

"Do be careful because Takashi is an extraordinary hero. He is the strongest human I've ever met."

"Then I need your help gramps. We need to make a plan to trap him."

AS they were talking to each other, the soldiers were getting restless, some of the brave ones decided to overcome their fear and approach the fog in which neither are able to come back despite the calls of their platoon.

Furthermore, most of them started to see illusions of their past. Family, best friends that they knew long ago appeared in the fog. Soldiers that have a weak conscious started to flock towards the fog. Only a few minutes have passed since the death of the priest but almost a thousand soldiers have disappeared into the fog.

By the time the commander and the old man came out from the tent after the discussion, it was too late.

"W-What's happening!? REPORT!"

One of the soldier nearby heed the call and quickly make a run towards the commander.

"Sir! Our troops are getting hypnotized and more of them kept walking towards the fog. Anyone that tries to help was cut down without hesitation. Even when we are able to stop them. They continue to cry out names that we never heard off."

"Gramps, are you able to make the hypnotism go away?"

"I could if I were to create the holy barrier but know that I could only protect everyone for five hours straight. After that, I won't be much of help anymore."

"Is there any alternative method gramps?"

"Not that I know of."

The commander didn't know what else could he do to escape from the clutches of the spirits. No matter how good their equipment is if the wielder is not strong enough it is pointless. Each and every soldier is equipped with the ability to kill any spirts but he didn't make any preparation to defend against mind magic.

It is his mistake to rely too much on the priest that he had deployed. Including the blast and the soldiers that have already disappeared through the fog, he only left with three thousand soldiers.

"Gramps start the holy barrier I will think of a way."

"Alright."

"You! Gather everyone together, drag each and every injured priest and those that have been hypnotized."

"Right away sir!"

Despite, the chaotic situation. The captains were able to quell the scene and within an hour everyone that is alive is present in front of the commander. There are those few that are being held on because of hypnotism.

"Tina!! Get away from me! I need my Tina! I won't let go of her ever again!"

The gramps shook his head left to right as he resigns himself to his fate. I didn't believe that the commander is able to find a way to allow everyone here escapes from the situation that he is in. He starts chanting to create the holy barrier.

If he were to create a normal barrier it could last a day but looking at the situation and knowing the enemy has the power to penetrate the holy barrier he didn't want to take any kind of chance and immediately summon an intermediate holy barrier.

As the holy barrier slowly covers everyone, the soldiers that were hypnotized are cured while there's a visual improvement on the injured priest that is dying.

"Let's move!"

Abandoning the rest of the dead priest and their resources that took too much time to gather, they march off towards their holy alliance location. In order to preserve, the stamina of the gramps, a group of soldiers carrier the old man so that he could rest while he maintains the barrier that would save them.

Screams of agony were heard from the distance, spirits, and ghost that accidentally touches the barrier disintegrate into nothingness. The fog that covers them slowly retracts itself as if it is a living being.

The expression of fear can be seen on each and every one of the soldiers. In addition, they are forced to stop marching because of various reasons. Soldiers suddenly scream for no particular reason. There are those that started running and stripping naked while shouting that they are burning. There are even those that wet themselves and unluckily there are some that faint.

The old man, couldn't believe the things that are happening right in front of him. The holy barrier that he is proud of was unable to defend against the enemy that is currently attacking them. The long-distance magic still manages to cause problems for the troops even though they shouldn't be able to touch the troops inside.

The longer they pause to help the soldiers in need, the longer it takes for them to reach their safe location. The old man immediately told the commander about the situation and they are a force to abandon those that unfortunately got hit by the enemy magic powers.

Those that left behind and when the fog touches their body, the soldiers started to scream for help while visually their bodies slowly melt down. There are few that got pulled apart violently and blood splattered on the holy barrier.

It didn't take long before the old man unable to sustain the holy barrier, before releasing the magic power, he sighs to himself that he didn't think that he would meet his doom within the kingdom of Henson. He didn't think that the situation has become this dire that the heroes would join forces with the demon king. It is the first time that such things are happening.

He blames himself for not making enough preparation and should have brought an abundance of magic potion so that he could last longer.

"Protect the old man! Do not let him get hurt. Any of the priest that has recovered, create a holy barrier, take turns and remember to deactivate your self-destruct device."

"S-S-Skeleton!!!"

"AGHHHH Sir there are zombies!!"

"T-T-They are passing through the holy barrier!"

"WHAT!!??"