17 CHAPTER 16: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE (3)

SARAH CAMPBELL POV:

Thanks to the priest who was surprisingly fast for someone who had his eyes closed while helping us change, we have managed to dress up quickly. I never noticed those armors were so hard to put on. You need to fasten a lot of parts and then unfasten others when it is too tight then the armpits start hurting and you have…Urgh, I hope I won't have to do this every time.

We leave the changing room and most of the people we left haven't changed. Eleonor is nowhere to be seen as well. The headpriest is still standing at the same place and among the boys, only five people have dressed up.

"Are you done?"

"Yes, we are." She points before her with her finger and I walk there with Tiffanie, Ian and the others also come and when we are all assembled, she crosses her hands and something start shining on her forehead, a balance appears on it, shining with a bright yellow.

"Wow." Back in our world, we would definitively call this witchcraft, but somehow, here, it just feels like it is normal.

"May the god of balance grants you his blessing. May he be the guide of sword to strike our enemies. May he be your armor to come back safely. And may you succeed on your mission."

Right as she closes her mouth, a window pops up before me, making me shudder a bit. This is the third it happened but I am still not used to it.

[

BALANCE BREAK - ultra

You have received the blessing of the god of law and balance.

Time left: 3 days 00 hours 00 minutes.

Effects:

+ 30% damage against demon kind

-20% damage received against demon kind

Speed boost

Strength boost

Agility boost

Magick boost

]

"Wow…" This…this is something else. I already had a boost thanks to my class but with this, I am sure I could defeat even Emilia.

"I see you have all successfully received a blessing. Horses will be waiting for you outside, you will head to the frontlines. I pray for your safety and I hope your hands will strike true, always."

She leaves before us and while I am still a bit bewildered by that blessing, the others start moving out.

"Hey, what do we do now?"

I turn to follow Ian and while we walk, I hear those who didn't change whispering.

"I don't know. We should go to David. He always has good plans."

"Yeah, that's true."

Of course, it was going to be like this. What do they even see in this bastard?

***

When you hear people talk about the world war, you always find yourself thinking that it couldn't have been so bad or they are exaggerating. I saw one documentary once where they were saying that people were sleeping next to dead bodies because there were too many of them.

"This is incredible."

When we arrive at the frontlines, there are like a hundred thousand soldiers or even more already standing. They assembled such an army just this morning. How organized are they?

"You guys are finally here. What took you so long?"

Emilia comes to us with three knights. Every single one of them is on their horses alone, while we all have someone doing it for us.

"Sorry, it wasn't easy putting this armor on."

I get down from my horse and right when I put my foot on the ground, I hear a rumbling. I look up to see what did that and I see multiple flocks of birds fleeing from the forest up in the mountain before us. The city is on a mountain as well I guess we are kind of disadvantaged if they come from above.

"Here they come. Listen, you guys don't need to be on the frontlines from the start. Observe first and see what you can do."

Emilia leaves with her knights and we stay behind. The rumbling increases and the ground is vibrating like crazy. As it increases, the soldiers reorganize. The archers go to the back, almost joining us, other soldiers go to the side. They are mostly holding spears and such. At the center, soldiers holding shields are staying, together with Emilia and the knights who were training us.

Suddenly, the air becomes restless, light starts to fade a little, as if the night is falling. The ground stops shaking, and finally, no sound can be heard.

"Fire!!!"

From an unknown position, a scream resounds powerfully and the next thing I see is the archers all pulling on their bows and firing their arrows. The sky is painting black with them and right as they reach wherever they were aiming, monsters come out of the forest like a wave, like an incredibly strong and unstoppable wave.

"Kraaa!!!"

"Gyaa!!"

"Gouaa!!"

The screams of the first hit by the arrows resound all the way here. There is all kind of size but I don't know their names. I knew that I should have asked them to tell me about the different kinds of demons there are. Now, it is too late.

Some of them are flying, though to low altitude. Others have almost our size. I also see some that are really tall and frightening, holding trees in their hands as if it is but a mere mace. I definitively don't want to face such a thing.

"Fire!!" Once again, that voice resounds and the archer repeats the same thing. Until now, none of the monsters have reached Emilia and the others. Should I go there as well? Will I be able to help if I go?

"This must be a dream." Suddenly, I hear Ian's voice behind me. Yeah, I don't think I will be of any help. I can feel my body trembling all over from what I am seeing.

"Fire!!"

As the voice resounds for the third time, the demons collide with Emilia, small monsters that are almost the same size as humans.

"Switch arrows!!"

Suddenly, the archers start rummaging through their quivers. Then they all bring out arrows that have cloth attached at the tip.

"Ignite!!" Ah, I see what they are doing. "Fire!!"

A volley of fire arrows goes to the demons and sets some of them ablaze. Not only them, it creates a wall of flame separating those fighting against Emilia from the others at the back. That's a good tactic. That way, she can demolish them progressively. But if it is this easy, why couldn't they have done it before? What am I forgetting?

"Are you heroes not going as well?" The guy who brought me finally speaks. His voice is somehow intimating when he speaks behind his helmet.

"I…Fuuuu." Come on, girl. This is why you decided to come here, right? To help those who need it. "I am going. Bring me there."

"Wait, Sarah. Where are you going?" Tiffanie holds my arm. She is trembling as well. This…This is not what we thought. No, actually, we didn't really think about it. We just acted this is all a game because it felt so unreal.

"I am going to help, even if just a little."

I get on the horse and the soldier brings me to the battlefield. It is time to erase my fear.

***

"Kyaa!!"

This was a bad idea. This was such a bad idea.

"What are you doing?! Stand up already!!"

I can hear Emilia's vice behind me but my legs…My legs won't move. I was too naïve. I was too naïve thinking that it would be so simple. As soon as our horse arrived, three of the things jumped on it and killed it almost instantly. I couldn't even move while the soldier who was with me saved me from an attack. His blood sprayed on me and I don't know why but I have lost my strength since I saw that. I tried to talk or stand up but nothing I do work. My body doesn't answer anymore.

How foolish was I? What did I think I would be able to accomplish? It has always been like this. Every time I wanted to do something to help others, I always backfired. When I went to confront David for what he was doing to Will, he only increased his bullying, when I tried to soothe Will, he only started looking at me like a nuisance. And now, this.

"Gryaa!!!"

As a demon raises its arm to kill me, I see my life flashing before me. All the good and bad moments I had in my life. Now that I think about it, I didn't have really bad moments, my life was filled with joy. Is that perhaps why? Because everything was happiness around me, I didn't know what to do in front of those for which it wasn't the case.

"I am coming!" There is no need for you to come, Emilia. I deserved this. I was too foolish so this is my just punishment.

"I had to wish to at least tell him how selfish he is." The last thing I see while closing my eyes is the sight of the demon before me smiling. So those bastards even enjoyed doing this, huh.

"Gryaa-"

"What are you wasting our time here for?" Suddenly, together with the sound of a sword cutting through something and the demon screaming in pain, his voice resounds in my ears.

When I open my eyes, he is standing there, with an armor shining of a bright and clear grey under the sun.

"No way."