The Siege* 2

"[Under Divine Flag]!"

Someone cast a spell.

The terror coursing through the militiamen was suppressed in that moment.

This was the result of using magic to improve their resistance to fear. While the divine spell [Lion's Heart] provided complete immunity to fear, it was only effective on a single target. In contrast, [Under Divine Flag] affected everyone in a sphere around the caster.

That was why the paladins stood among the militiamen.

"Don't be afraid!" The paladin who had cast the spell shouted, "Take up your weapons to save those who have gone through the same pain as you!"

Spells and certain special abilities could briefly panic people, but the fear they felt now came from their own hearts. Under the effects of the fear-suppressing spell, the fire blazed anew in the militiamen's eyes.

Still, that was simply covering up the actual problem. The important thing was whether they could do anything about the one-sided attack they were taking from the enemy. Otherwise, the only thing that would come of it would be more dead and wounded. However, Neia could not come up with any good ideas.

"Take cover! The enemy doesn't have unlimited ammunition! They couldn't have brought so much with them!"

I see, Neia thought. Most of their resources ought to be going to the south in order to provision the army standing off against the southern forces, so was that why they thought that they would not have brought enough ammunition for their weapons here? Still, even a captive craftsman could make a lot of those bolts in a short time, although the crossbows were a different matter. This was a gamble.

―The third wave came.

The Ogres were not used to archery, and many of them missed their shots.

Even so, many of the battlements crumbled under the third volley, and there were many casualties among the militiamen.

The massive, lance-like bolts could pierce a man and the man behind him as well.

[Under Divine Flag] was a spell that was centered on the paladin who had cast it, which meant that its effect were strongest when many people were bunched up within its effective radius. However, that only led to more casualties.

The sound of flapping came through the air before the enemy could fire a fourth time. Winged angels flew through the sky and passed over the heads of Neia and the others.

While they were angels of the lowest order, they headed straight for the demihumans. They had burning brands in their right hands and they held pitchers with cloth sticking out of their mouths in their left hands. Those pitchers clearly contained oil or powerful spirits.

In other words, they were carrying explosive throwing weapons ― firebombs.

Of course, the flames produced by those weapons would not harm fireresistant opponents in the slightest, or demi-humans with thick hides or large bodies. They might not even have an effect at all.

On the other hand, there were also those demi-humans who could not deal with fire, and damaging the ballistae would also stop the enemy attack.

The angels filled the sky above the ballista-wielding Ogres and lit their pitchers. However, they did not even have the time to cast them down.

There was a flapping sound as demi-humans took to the sky. They were Pteropuses. Their hands were shaped into leathery wings, and their arms remained still as they rose straight into the air like they were riding the wind.

That was probably the effect of some kind of spell.

A white weblike substance flew out at the same time, entangling the angels. It had probably been produced by a special ability of the Spidans.

The angels looked like butterflies caught in a spiderweb, and they plunged to the ground since they were unable to move freely. They were swallowed up by the demi-human hordes, and it was needless to say what happened to them after that.

However, the angels had not sacrificed themselves in vain.

Several firebombs hit the ground, and roaring flames splashed all around.

Neia judged that this was the best chance she would get, and tensed her bowstring.

Until now, it had been impossible to aim directly at the Ogres due to the shields mounted on their ballistae. Even if she took aim at their unshielded legs instead, it would be nearly impossible to kill them in one hit.

Her father would have been able to shoot out an Ogre's eye through a tiny opening. However, Neia's skills were not as honed as his. However, the Ogres raised their ballistae and pointed their shields upwards. Perhaps it was because they feared the flames or they were afraid for their ballistae, but whatever the reason, their attention was focused on the fire, and they did not pay her any attention.

If she missed this chance, she would probably not get another.

She drew her bowstring to its limit, and then loosed her arrow.

The magic item she had borrowed from the Sorcerer King aided Neia in bringing forth a result that approached what her father could do.

The arrow flew on a startlingly straight path, and struck an Ogre's head.

Neia had not aimed for the thick skull, but a squishy eyeball. While some monsters possessed a protective membrane over their eyes, she judged that it would be easier to strike a fatal blow there rather than targeting the skull.

However ― things did not go as planned.

Her arrow sank into the vicinity of the Ogre's jaw.

The stricken Ogre howled loudly, shuddering from the pain.

The Ogre dropped its ballista, and it clutched its face ― the part where it had been shot. Then, it shakily turned its back on Neia before falling back. While she had not dealt it a mortal blow, she had at least broken its will to fight.

If the demi-human army had healers, it would probably be able to return to the frontlines in no time.

"Tch!"

This was all Neia could accomplish, even with the aid of the powerful magic items the Sorcerer King had lent her.

Neia clicked her tongue and immediately took cover behind the battlements, then pressed herself to the city side of the wall and began to move. The militiamen beside her stared in surprise as she suddenly left her post, and she addressed them in harsh tones.

"―Get out of here! They're going to counterattack this place!"

It was not because they had heard Neia's shout, but several of the ballistae discharged their projectiles in her direction. While most of the bolts had gone away, some of them landed in Neia's vicinity, and they wrecked the nearby wall.

If Neia had been unlucky, she might well have been impaled by those bolts.

She peeked at the demi-humans again. The chaos from the angels and fire attack was being steadily contained, and the Ogres raised their ballistae again. It would seem news of being hit by an arrow had spread throughout the enemy army. In that case, they would probably not make the mistake of lowering their shields again. Therefore ― would she gamble on being able to emulate her father's skill by a stroke of luck, hitting them even if she could only strike their exposed bodies? Or would she shrink up like a turtle and wait for her chance?

Amidst her confusion, the bow she had borrowed from the Sorcerer King caught the sun's light and gleamed beautifully.

You won't be praised for rashness…

Yes. She had managed to borrow such incredibly potent items, and she had to return them no matter the cost. Therefore, she ought not to take risks.

They can't have that many special bolts!

It would seem the demi-humans were volleying an endless hail of lance-sized bolts at them. However, their crude manufacture meant that very often, they flew towards places with nothing to hit, and some of them even fell into the city streets without striking anything.

She could not return fire, so all she could do was hunker down and wait for the enemy attack to stop.

Fragments of the destroyed city walls showered Neia. Some unlucky militiamen were hit and died on the spot, but while others silently prayed for the enemy attack to stop, since they could not do anything else.

Soon, she heard a mighty doom, the beat of a drum. The same sound repeated itself four times. In the distance, the same sound came from what should have been the left wing of the enemy's formation.

…They're coordinating their movements with the number of drumbeats. It looks like the right and left wings are using that to communicate. If I could enter the enemy camp and steal one of those drums, then beat wildly on it, that ought to disrupt the enemy's cohesion ― that said, it would be impossible.

The enemy ought to know the importance of their drums. Therefore, they would be heavily guarded. In that case, who could charge into their camp?

Perhaps an adventurer could use [Invisibility] or [Silence] or other spells to cause chaos among the enemy and then sneak in.

There's no point hoping for the impossible…

Still, there was no doubt that the enemy was changing tack. Neia ― and many militiamen ― nervously rose up to peek at the enemy's movements.

After that a great commotion rose up from them.

It was a feeling which combined shock, fear, and furious anger.

The army arrayed on the other side of the wall was advancing at last. The left and right wings of the Demi-human Alliance forces moved forward in parallel.

The center detachment approached the city gate in a layered formation.

The demi-humans advanced with earthshaking steps, as though they wanted to hunt down and kill Neia and the others.

And then there was another unit ― a very small one ― which seemed to be flanking the city. Were they planning to scale the walls, or was this a feint?

In any case, the enemy had already launched the second wave of their attack.

From now on, it would not be a one-sided struggle, but a mutual struggle of savage bloodshed.

However, that was not where the problem lay. After all, they had been waiting a long time for this, though they could not take joy in the fact that the time had come at last.

What angered the militiamen was the advance of the left and right wings.

Their foremost units were composed of many different species. While they lacked a sense of unity, they had two things in common.

One was that they were all carrying assault ladders.

In other words, their unit was meant to scale the walls and break into the city.

That also implied that they were Neia's objective.

The other thing was that they had human children bound to their bodies.

Some of them were crying and wailing, while others hung limp. All of them were naked, and all of them were alive.

Neia bit her lip hard.

But at the same time, Neia's heart was surprisingly calm.

From her darkened nook in the walls, she watched the demi-human tide pressing down on them. Neia then slid an arrow out of her quiver and began to draw her bow.

Even if the enemy pioneers had entered her shooting range, she had to hold on.

It was still too early.

She took several deep breaths, focused herself, then turned as fast as she could and drew her bowstring taut.

She had only a moment to aim, and there was only one point where she could aim.

―Here!

She released her arrow.

Her unhesitating shot pierced the human shield ― the chest of a child ― and the demi-human behind it.

Perhaps even that powerful shot would have been hard-pressed to bring down something with the toughness of an Ogre. However, the demi-human she had just hit did not seem to possess such unreasonable vitality.

Neia paid no heed to the demi-human she had downed and drew another arrow.

She had killed a person, the child bound in front of the demi-human.

Her hands would not stop shaking. Her vision turned black, and her heart trembled.

Though she knew this would happen and had prepared herself for it, this was how she had reacted.

She reached for the hilt of her sword by force of habit, but her fingers touched the bowstring instead.

It was as though her bow was chiding her, telling her that now was not the time for that sort of thing.

A faint lamp lighted up in Neia's frozen heart. It spread like wildfire, and dispersed the chill winds blowing through her soul.

She stopped shaking, and her vision no longer felt narrowed. What filled her heart were the words of the person who embodied an unshakable justice.

Ahh, to think it would have such a great effect!

Neia reconfirmed that what the Sorcerer King said had been correct.

The demi-human pioneers that Neia had attacked were visibly slowing down.

That was because they had been shaken to discover that their human shields were not effective.

Therefore, she shouted.

Neia opened her eyes, and shouted at the staring militiamen.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and throw your stones down! We can't save those hostages!"

indeed. Neia and the others could not save the hostages. And then, they had already seen what the enemy would do to hostages that had lost their value.

Therefore, what could they do?

She fired another arrow to speed the demi-humans on their way to the afterlife.

Neia used her practiced vision and saw that her shot had pierced a boy through his forehead. She did not know if it was because she had been aiming for an Armatt or because the boy's skull had lessened the impact, but this arrow had not been immediately fatal. However, the enemy's front line was in chaos.

That was only to be expected. Both humans and demi-humans would slow their pace when things did not proceed as planned.

However, all she could see of the enemy lines stretched from one edge of her vision to the other.

Neia had only had an effect on the region where she had shot. Everywhere else, things were continuing as though nothing had happened. It looked like a small dent in a long, long line.

"Hurry up and throw the stones!"

Neia shouted at them again.

If they did not throw their stones, everything Neia had done would have been for nothing. That was something even more unforgivable than taking the lives of people ― children who had futures ahead of them.

The enemy was attacking on the left, right, and center at the same time. A head-on clash with an enemy that outnumbered them several times to one result in them being crushed under the sheer weight of numbers. However, if even one of the enemy elements slowed down, it would relieve the pressure on them.

If the enemy reached the walls, they would climb up while using the children as shields. If they managed to make it up the walls, the militiamen would not be able to resist the demi-humans. What she had to do now was see how much fighting strength she could shave off the enemy before they arrived.

It's very difficult for militiamen to kill children. Therefore, there has to be someone who's willing to set an example, even if they get their hands dirty!

Neia fixed her eyes on a paladin in the distance.

You should have realized that when you took the prison camps and this city! You ought to have known that the Sorcerer King was right! You ought to know that you can't do anything else! And you certainly ought to know that it's pointless to obsess over lives you can't save! What you should be doing is devoting all your strength to save the people you can save!

Neia fired another arrow.

Just like before, her shot killed a girl and the demi-human to which she had been tied.

"Hurry―"

"―Uooooohhhh!"

A shout echoed all around Neia as a stone flew. It seemed to sweep away the anxiety in her heart.

The thrown stone hit the demi-humans, who were still hesitating. While it was a long way from being fatal, it would seem that it had done some damage.

"Hey, you guys! Hurry up and attack the demi-humans! Give up on the kids they're holding hostage!"

Neia recognized the militiaman who was shouting.

He was the father of the boy that the Sorcerer King had killed when they had liberated the first prison camp.

Neia was surprised to find him here.

"If they get past us, the women and children will suffer worse than they did before we saved them! If you still love your children, then throw those rocks as hard as you can!"

His voice seemed to banish all their doubts, and it was shortly followed by a volley of several rocks. While they flew on weird paths and there was no telling where they were aimed at, the fact was that they had been hurled out.

By the time Neia drew her bow again, a hail of stones descended on the demihumans. Many of those stones hit the front-running demi-humans, the ones using children as meatshields. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that they hit the children tied to those demi-humans, than the demi-humans themselves.

The children cried and wailed in a heart-rending way. Even so, the rocks smashed mercilessly down on those pitiful children. They were the most tragic sacrifice of all, caught between the savagery of both sides.

Neia prioritized aiming for those children.

She did that to liberate them from their pain and torment as soon as possible.

This was a sign of respect for the few which had to be sacrificed to help the many.

Neia leaned out to find her next target, and then she felt something tearing through the air as it approached her, but all she saw was a burst of light.

Is this an enemy magic attack?

Neia froze for a moment. At the same time, she felt a gentle impact from her belly. It felt like something had struck her lightly there.

Startled, she stumbled a step back and then she heard a clattering from her feet. She looked closely and saw something that looked less like a lance than a gigantic arrow ― in other words, a ballista bolt.

Its tip looked like it had been hammered into a right angle by a hammer.

Neia hurriedly ducked back behind the wall. After that, she heard a scraping sound as something huge struck the city walls.

Cold sweat ran down her back.

Neia unconsciously stroked the part of her where she had felt the impact.

She thought of how the Sorcerer King had thrown his sword earlier, and it had been deflected by the bubble of light from Buser's armor. That would explain what had taken place just now. It would seem Buser's armor ― which the Sorcerer King had lent her ― had protected her. In other words, Neia's life had been saved in the nick of time.

Is that some kind of protection from ranged attacks? My chest, shoulders, and belly are protected by the armor, but what about other places? Does that ability have to be activated? No, more importantly, how many more times can I use it? Or has it already been used up?

Without the armor that the Sorcerer King had lent her, there was no doubt that Neia would have been impaled through her abdomen.

That fact sent shudders through her body.

"Huh… huh… huh. Come on, come on, dammit!"

Neia had not entered the radius of [Under Divine Flag]. She had felt that it was unnecessary because she had the circlet which the Sorcerer King had lent her. That was why she could feel the fear of death like this. However, there were no tears in Neia's eyes ― instead, she gripped her bow before revealing herself.

She had resolved herself to continue fighting, even if it meant taking the children's lives. She could not allow herself to lose the will to fight after taking a measly little ballista bolt.

This was to keep the children they could not save from suffering any further.

At the same time, it was also to slay the demi-humans who had dragged them into battle. The arrow she loosed embodied both these things.

The intention to attack without regard for the children spread from her portion of the wall, until everyone was throwing rocks at the demi-humans.

Neia even saw the paladins throwing rocks.

"Bastards! You bastards!"

"Ahh, dammit, those demi-humans…"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!' "

"I'm sorry… please forgive me…"

Although those cries of remorse echoed up and down the line, they did not stop throwing their rocks for a moment.

This was the attack made by those people who had accepted that some blood had to be shed to save the highest number of lives.

However, the enemy was far too numerous. By the time they had struck down the front row ― the ones who were using children as shields ― the demihumans had already reached the vicinity of the walls, and they began deploying their ladders one after the other.

While the technologically-backward demi-humans could only make battering rams and assault ladders when it came to siege weapons, the truth was that there was no perfect countermeasure against both of those. Several men pushed the ladders away with long sticks and the angels destroyed several more, but regretfully, there were just too many enemies to face.

"How are the firebombs coming? Get the priests to assist with their spells!"

"This is bad! They've got a ladder up over there! I'll be going over, take care of this side for me!"

"Throw those rocks!"

There was a big commotion on top of the walls. The defenders were throwing rocks or stabbing with longspears to repel the demi-humans who were clambering up the ladders, but the ladders went up one after the other, and it became difficult to deal with all of them.

Several demi-humans nimbly avoided the spear thrusts from the militiamen, instead grasping the spears and pulling their wielders off the wall. Then there were those demi-humans like the Armatts and the Bladers, whose natural defensive strength was comparable to full plate armor. They ignored the spears and rushed all the way up.

While the paladins had been trained in combat and could deal with these heavily protected demi-humans, the number of demi-humans on top of the walls grew and grew. Any gaps which appeared were immediately filled up.

After stiffening her resolve, Neia leaned out from behind a battlement and shot a climbing demi-human from the side.

It was not Neia's skill so much as the weapon she wielded which killed the demi-humans in one shot. She could slay the resilient Armatts and Bladers because she possessed the Ultimate Shooting Star Super.

Neia's body was clearly visible as she leaned out, and she was hit several times by stones spat by Stone Eaters. Although those stones could put dents in metal plates. Neia was protected by Buser's armor. Still, she would probably be bruised and she might have suffered a fracture or two.

Though she was sweating heavily, she did not stop firing on the demi-humans for a moment.

I can still do this… I only have enough mana to use the necklace of healing which His Majesty lent me once, so I need to save it!

As she continued landing shot after accurate shot, part of her mind tried to estimate how long she could hold out. After all, Neia's single use of recovery magic was her trump card.

She pulled an arrow from her quiver, nocked it to her bow, took aim at a demihuman's head or heart, and then loosed it. She repeated that sequence countless times.

A rock hit her hard enough to knock the arrow from her hand.

Neia hurriedly ducked behind a battlement.

She had dropped her arrow because the Stone Eater's attack had made Neia's entire body groan in pain, but that was not the only reason.

Paladins were sword-users. As a squire, she had trained with swords, so even if she knew the fundamentals of archery, she had not spent much time practicing with bows. This lack of practice made her arms cramp up and her fingers ache.

If she could not use a bow, then she would only be getting in the way. It was far too soon for her to use her trump card now, but she had no other way to restore her ability to fight.

"Activate: [Heavy Recover]!"

The mana drained from Neia's body, and it made her feel a little dizzy. She would not be able to do this a second time.

At the same time, all the pain in her body vanished, be it the cramps in her arms or her aching fingers.

"I can do this!"

Neia leaned out again and continued shooting.

Fortunately, Jaldabaoth's forces possessed some degree of leadership.

Otherwise, the ballistae would have fired on Neia to kill her without hesitation, but since they were being led, they did not shoot for fear of hitting their friendlies.

Neia continued shooting as if she were in a dream. Eventually the hand that reached down to her quiver came up empty.

She looked down in panic and saw that she was out of arrows.

Just then, a scream came from the militiamen.

There was a very strong-looking demi-human standing in front of a ladder.

While it was no different from the Stone Eaters who had fired rocks at Neia, its physique was excellent. Though it was no match for Buser, it still radiated the aura of a powerful being.

It held a crude-looking greatsword in its right hand, which resembled a meat cleaver. The other held a helmet that seemed to contain something. It was the head of the paladin which commanded this area.

"The great Jajan-sama of the Lagon Tribe has taken the head of the enemy commander! Now, you dogs, kill them! Kill all the humans!"

●

The situation immediately turned grim.

Paladins were few in number, and a death from among those small numbers meant that the defensive strength of this area would plummet. And then, there was one more thing.

There was a tremendous disparity in fighting strength between a militiaman and a paladin, even if the latter were not part of a hand-picked elite. There was no way the militiamen could win against a demi-human that could kill one of those paladins.

As the militiamen froze in fear, the demi-humans scaled the ladder behind the Stone Eater from just now ― Jajan. They burst forth like water from a broken dam, one becoming two, and two becoming four. It was like mitosis.

Demi-humans began to fill the top of the wall, and in turn, the number of militiamen began to diminish.

Demi-humans and militiamen. The difference in their individual abilities was plain to see.

She looked around in panic.

Arrows. She could not do anything without arrows.

She cast her eyes around like a traveler in a desert searching for an oasis, and then she saw a thoroughly exhausted soldier leaning against a battlement. There was a quiver with arrows beside him.

That's it! I'll take the arrows from that wounded man and send him back to the rear.

But Neia sucked in a breath as she ran over. The man who looked like an archer was missing half his face. He was clearly dead.

He had probably taken a direct hit from a Stone Eater. His brains were oozing out, his glassy eye stared out into nothing, and his fate might very soon be Neia's as well.

She looked more closely, and found several similar corpses. Her usually sensitive nose finally picked up the thick scent of gore in the air. No, her nose was fine, her brain simply had not received the input from it.

As the porridge suddenly rose in her throat, Neia forced herself to swallow it back down with all her might. She barely succeeded, but there was no telling if it was because she had been lucky, or because she had become resistant to this after watching the "live eating performance" earlier.

Neia grit her teeth and transferred the arrows remaining in the nameless archer's quiver to her own. Restocking her quiver felt like she was restoring her own fighting spirit.

I can still fight. There are still things I can do….

After quickly finishing up her work, Neia put the corpse's hands together and closed his remaining eye. There was no time to spare on doing that, but she could not stop herself from doing it.

"I'll fight for your sake too. Until the very end…"

As Neia turned and rose, she no longer muttered to herself.

Her spirit rose to a peak it had never reached before, and her senses were incredibly keen. She felt like she was a part of the bow which she held.

The top of the wall was now a chaotic melee. Considering Neia's skills, it seemed almost impossible to snipe Jajan ― who was holding up the head of the paladin ― given the sheer numbers of friends and foes between them.

However―

I still have these gauntlets! And the Ultimate Shooting Star Super His Majesty lent me! ―I can do this!

She loosed her arrow as she filled herself with that powerful conviction.

By the time Jajan noticed the whistling in the air, it was too late.

The arrow pierced his head, and Jajan fell limply to the ground.

"Jajan of the Lagon Tribe has fallen by the hand of Neia Baraja!"

Although she shouted those words, she was not answered by a cheer. That was only to be expected. There was no time for a long hurrah in the middle of a life- and-death battle. Neia felt a little embarrassed as she realized that, but she had succeeded in shaking the demi-humans' morale. She could feel the pressure on them easing off.

It would seem this had not been a complete defeat.

Neia took up her arrow again, then turned to face a suitable demi-human before sending an arrow his way. She shot the demi-human through the head and he fell from the wall.

Neia drew another arrow from her quiver. She was doing it like it was nothing, like it could not be helped. Was she a master archer like her father now?

Her bowmanship had rapidly improved during the course of this battle. That was how she had managed to kill Jajan, though the latter had been wounded during the battle with the paladin.

Amidst the chaos of war, Neia sought new prey to bring down.

―I'm an archer, so why aren't they targeting me?

That question was answered as her next arrow pierced another demi-human skull.

"Don't approach that human carelessly! She's wearing the Grand King's armor!"

"The Grand King?"

"Grand King Buser? Grand King Buser's armor?"

Neia's sensitive ears caught the chatter which the demi-humans exchanged.

"No doubt about it! That's Buser's armor!"

"Don't tell me that human brought down…"

Ah! Is that it?! When the Sorcerer King said it would protect me, was he not referring to the armor's ability to defend against ranged attacks but the reputation of defeating Buser?!

The Grand King Buser's name was well known throughout the demi-human forces. Therefore, the demi-humans who had mounted the wall were under the false impression that they were fighting the warrior who had defeated Buser.

The fact that Neia had killed a leader-class demi-human in one shot only added to that.

That was why they refused to advance against her, even though they knew Neia was an archer.

I have to hand it to the Sorcerer King, did he take this into account as well?

In all likelihood, few demi-humans would chase her now even if she turned tail and ran. They would probably prioritize holding their ground over chasing a strong foe, even if they were making a mistake. Therefore, Neia's life was probably in no great danger. The Sorcerer King's advice to "flee to the east gate"

suddenly came to mind, but she could not do it after all.

Anyone like that would never have come here in the first place.

Neia loosed another arrow, and killed another demi-human.

"Uoooh! That… that glare again…"

Glare… well, I am looking at them…

"It's the eyes of someone who hungers for slaughter! That, that female human, at least, I think it's probably a female, she's no ordinary enemy!"

Probably… a female…

"Look at that bow! It's amazing! It's not just her skills!"

Hehe!

"The Mad-Eyed Archer!"

…Eh?

"What, what do you mean by that name? Do you know that human?"

…No, no…

"Does that female human have a nickname?"

…Hang on!

"I once heard there was a human archer with a devil's face and amazing skills with the bow… could that be it?!"

That was Dad!

"The Mad-Eyed Archer! The archer who killed Buser!"

For some reason, the phrase "Mad-Eyed Archer" spread through the demi- human ranks like a wave. They've already decided it! As that thought ran through her mind, Neia no longer had any opportunity to correct them.

As Neia loosed her arrows, the militiamen began moving.

"―Everyone, hold the line! Don't let the demi-humans near that girl!"

"Ohh! Form ranks! Remember your training!"

"I'm moving up!"

About twenty militiamen moved to act as shields for her.

"Just kill those bastards for us! We'll protect you!"

"Got it―"

The sound of flapping wings came from the enemy encampment.

Neia pivoted and pointed her arrow at the source of the sound.

Her eyes were filled with the sight of Pteropuses rising from the enemy formation. There were many of them.

While it seemed as though bypassing the wall should have been their objective, several of them dove from the flock and descended on Neia.

She had long since abandoned the thought of who to aim at. In this silent, pure white world where all she could see were her enemies, Neia calmly loosed an arrow at each and every one of her enemies. Her shooting was inhuman, unhesitating in its mechanical precision.

After downing the Pteropuses heading at her, Neia exhaled lightly. She could hear again after being released from that state of hyperfocus.

After quickly finishing up her work, Neia put the corpse's hands together and closed his remaining eye. There was no time to spare on doing that, but she could not stop herself from doing it.

"I'll fight for your sake too. Until the very end…"

As Neia turned and rose, she no longer muttered to herself.

Her spirit rose to a peak it had never reached before, and her senses were incredibly keen. She felt like she was a part of the bow which she held.

The top of the wall was now a chaotic melee. Considering Neia's skills, it seemed almost impossible to snipe Jajan ― who was holding up the head of the paladin ― given the sheer numbers of friends and foes between them.

However―

I still have these gauntlets! And the Ultimate Shooting Star Super His Majesty lent me! ―I can do this!

She loosed her arrow as she filled herself with that powerful conviction.

By the time Jajan noticed the whistling in the air, it was too late.

The arrow pierced his head, and Jajan fell limply to the ground.

"Jajan of the Lagon Tribe has fallen by the hand of Neia Baraja!"

Although she shouted those words, she was not answered by a cheer. That was only to be expected. There was no time for a long hurrah in the middle of a life- and-death battle. Neia felt a little embarrassed as she realized that, but she had succeeded in shaking the demi-humans' morale. She could feel the pressure on them easing off.

It would seem this had not been a complete defeat.

Neia took up her arrow again, then turned to face a suitable demi-human before sending an arrow his way. She shot the demi-human through the head and he fell from the wall.

Neia drew another arrow from her quiver. She was doing it like it was nothing, like it could not be helped. Was she a master archer like her father now?

Her bowmanship had rapidly improved during the course of this battle. That was how she had managed to kill Jajan, though the latter had been wounded during the battle with the paladin.

Amidst the chaos of war, Neia sought new prey to bring down.

―I'm an archer, so why aren't they targeting me?

That question was answered as her next arrow pierced another demi-human skull.

"Don't approach that human carelessly! She's wearing the Grand King's armor!"

"The Grand King?"

"Grand King Buser? Grand King Buser's armor?"

Neia's sensitive ears caught the chatter which the demi-humans exchanged.

"No doubt about it! That's Buser's armor!"

"Don't tell me that human brought down…"

Ah! Is that it?! When the Sorcerer King said it would protect me, was he not referring to the armor's ability to defend against ranged attacks but the reputation of defeating Buser?!

The Grand King Buser's name was well known throughout the demi-human forces. Therefore, the demi-humans who had mounted the wall were under the false impression that they were fighting the warrior who had defeated Buser.

The fact that Neia had killed a leader-class demi-human in one shot only added to that.

That was why they refused to advance against her, even though they knew Neia was an archer.

I have to hand it to the Sorcerer King, did he take this into account as well?

In all likelihood, few demi-humans would chase her now even if she turned tail and ran. They would probably prioritize holding their ground over chasing a strong foe, even if they were making a mistake. Therefore, Neia's life was probably in no great danger. The Sorcerer King's advice to "flee to the east gate"

suddenly came to mind, but she could not do it after all.

Anyone like that would never have come here in the first place.

Neia loosed another arrow, and killed another demi-human.

"Uoooh! That… that glare again…"

Glare… well, I am looking at them…

"It's the eyes of someone who hungers for slaughter! That, that female human, at least, I think it's probably a female, she's no ordinary enemy!"

Probably… a female…

"Look at that bow! It's amazing! It's not just her skills!"

Hehe!

"The Mad-Eyed Archer!"

…Eh?

"What, what do you mean by that name? Do you know that human?"

…No, no…

"Does that female human have a nickname?"

…Hang on!

"I once heard there was a human archer with a devil's face and amazing skills with the bow… could that be it?!"

That was Dad!

"The Mad-Eyed Archer! The archer who killed Buser!"

For some reason, the phrase "Mad-Eyed Archer" spread through the demi- human ranks like a wave. They've already decided it! As that thought ran through her mind, Neia no longer had any opportunity to correct them.

As Neia loosed her arrows, the militiamen began moving.

"―Everyone, hold the line! Don't let the demi-humans near that girl!"

"Ohh! Form ranks! Remember your training!"

"I'm moving up!"

About twenty militiamen moved to act as shields for her.

"Just kill those bastards for us! We'll protect you!"

"Got it―"

The sound of flapping wings came from the enemy encampment.

Neia pivoted and pointed her arrow at the source of the sound.

Her eyes were filled with the sight of Pteropuses rising from the enemy formation. There were many of them.

While it seemed as though bypassing the wall should have been their objective, several of them dove from the flock and descended on Neia.

She had long since abandoned the thought of who to aim at. In this silent, pure white world where all she could see were her enemies, Neia calmly loosed an arrow at each and every one of her enemies. Her shooting was inhuman, unhesitating in its mechanical precision.

After downing the Pteropuses heading at her, Neia exhaled lightly. She could hear again after being released from that state of hyperfocus.

To the side―

She wanted to dodge, but a torrent of pain came from her left arm.

The Armatt beside her had torn her arm apart.

"Gwaaargh!"

Despite her cry of pain, Neia still made to pull out another arrow, but then she thought that she might not be able to properly brace her bow. In that case, perhaps drawing her sword might be better.

Her hesitation was a huge weakness, and the savage-looking Armatt raised its arm, preparing to follow up on its previous attack with a strike to the face.

She wanted to backstep, but her opponent was a superior fighter and managed to close the distance to her, so she could not evade it.

Intense pain filled her face. While she had managed to turn her head and thus avoided having her eyes shredded, the claws had ripped through her left cheek and opened a wound that exposed the interior of her mouth.

Fresh blood filled her mouth, and the taste of blood spread over her tongue.

In addition, she could feel her warm blood oozing from her cheek, the sensation spreading down her neck and chest.

Neia had no time to draw her sword, and so she slammed Ultimate Shooting Star Super into the Armatt's face.

The Armatt had probably not expected her to do that with the bow, so it tried to back up to avoid the attack.

Since she could not move her left arm well enough to brace her bow, Neia drew her sword with her right arm.

Neia performed a ramming stab like she was prepared to die for it. The Armatt immediately countered with razor-sharp claws, but a nearby militiaman had wounded its leg and its aim was off. The claw missed her ear by a fraction of an inch, and in turn her steel blade sank into the Armatt's throat.

She glanced down to the Armatt as it collapsed and then surveyed the situation.

While she had been focusing on loosing arrows, the militiamen on the wall had been almost completely wiped out. The demi-humans had reached Neia, and there were only five more men remaining, all pressed close to the wall.

The nearest reinforcements were fighting on the other side of the demi- humans who had scaled the ladders, and they would be hard-pressed to help her over here. Frankly speaking, they seemed to be engaged in melee, so they would not have the free time to come help her.

There were over thirty demi-humans in Neia's block, and there were only six people on her side.

Neia glared at the demi-humans and they backed off. The pressure on Neia and the others eased a little.

"Sorry about that, Baraja-san!"

The militiamen who had been pressed to the wall took a defensive formation in front of Neia.

"We won't let those bastards past us, even if it's the last thing we do!"

The person who said this looked like a cowardly man in his forties, with an unhealthy, protruding gut. However, his face was flushed with what seemed like the excitement of battle, and his body was covered in so much blood that one could not tell if it was his or the enemy's. Even so, he refused to kneel, standing tall with an indomitable spirit.

He certainly looked like a reliable warrior.

"Thank you very much!" Neia said as she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood which had pooled there. Then, she continued ― "I'll leave this to you!"

He was not the only one who was like this. None of the fallen militiamen showed any sign that they had attempted to leave the perimeter they had formed around Neia. What else could she say except that she trusted them?

The man's eyes went to Neia's left arm, and his face stiffened.

"I can see the bone…"

"Please don't say that, it hurts a lot when you point it out."

"Ah, ahhh, sorry."

Once one reached a certain degree of skill as a paladin, they would be able to use low-tier recovery spells. However, Neia was only a squire, so she could not do so. There were no paladins or priests by Neia's side, and her mana had not yet recovered enough to use the magic item again. It would probably be best to abandon the thought of using her left arm in this battle.

Neia glared at the demi-humans, but just moving her eyeballs made the wound on her face ache.

The pain made her gaze that much more ominous, and as the demi-humans felt it, they went on their guard.

"Thanks to your shots, nobody else made it up here like that guy just now, Baraja-san. It's because of you that we managed to survive this long."

If the demi-humans before Neia's eyes rushed them all at once, the militiamen would probably be routed in an instant. However, they were all wary of Neia the archer, so they could not move together. In truth, she could understand their caution once she heard what the demi-humans were saying.

"The Mad-Eyed Archer… could it be that she's nothing much with a sword?"

"Don't get careless, she's just pretending she can't use a sword to throw her opponents off."

"Really? You're a real smart guy."

"Should we get the Snakemen over and kill her from a distance with spears?"

Neia laughed in her heart. It would seem that she had gained quite an undeserved reputation thanks to the power of the magic bow she had borrowed.

"…Is there hope for me?"

Neia asked herself that question quietly enough that the demi-humans could not hear, and then she laughed.

"…If it's the bow… the bow I borrowed from His Majesty, the Ultimate Shooting Star Super, shooting wouldn't be a problem, but…"

The man tried saying the name Ultimate Shooting Star Super, and then he laughed forlornly.

"I see… so it's very bad, huh. Say, Baraja-san… you jump down from the wall and flee. You should live on."

Neia looked at the man.

"Aiieee! For-forgive me. It's only natural for you to be angry at such foolish words. But, but, while I don't know what sort of hell you've gone through, you're around my daughter's age… I think, but letting a girl like that die is just…"

I wasn't angry, I was just looking normally at you. The thought crossed her mind, but this was a common thing by now and Neia did not take offense at it.

The man was speaking the truth. It would be wiser to fall back for the time being and heal her wounds until she could use her bow, rather than swing a sword she was not used to.

―What'll happen to them if I do that? I know very well. I can't help them even if I stay and fight. I'll just die for nothing. But… Neia swept the bow in her left hand down and to the side.

I need to return this weapon. There are many reasons why I should run. But, but, what will His Majesty's enemies think if I run away while I'm wielding a weapon that

He lent me? In that case―

"How could I run?!" she bellowed. "How could I, as one who holds a weapon borrowed from His Majesty, turn and run?!"

She tightly gripped the sword in her right hand.

Repaying one's obligations was only natural for a human being.

The people of this country ― specifically, the head of their paladins ― were not the sort to do that, but she wanted to show the Sorcerer King that not everyone in this country was like them.

"Uwaaaahhhh!"

Neia's shout sounded like she was wailing. Since she could not use her bow, the militiamen would die for nothing protecting her. In that case, she ought to take advantage of the demi-human's mistaken fear of her power and attack while they could not bring their might to bear.

The enemy had probably not expected Neia to charge so many enemies, and they moved slowly enough that even Neia's meager swordsmanship was enough to cut them up.

The remaining militiamen behind Neia followed her lead.

Neia swung her sword.

It bounced off, and the demi-humans swung at her open body, only to have their attacks deflected by Buser's armor.

Neia thrust her sword.

She stabbed into a demi-human's body, and when she pulled it out, its organs followed. Before that demi-human hit the ground, another demi-human's claws struck at Neia's face. The wound on her left cheek was followed by one on her right, and the blood which flowed out got into her eyes.

Intense pain filled her legs.

A demi-human drove his dagger deep into flesh.

One of the militiamen fell.

Swords swung.

Two more militiamen went down.

One demi-human collapsed.

All the militiamen were dead.

There were nothing but enemies in front of her and to her sides.

Her breathing was ragged, and her heartbeat irritated her.

The parts of her body which had been struck by the enemy blazed hot, and every time she moved them, waves of seizing pain filled Neia with agony.

―I'm scared.

Neia was afraid.

She was going to die, and the thought of that frightened her.

She had been prepared to die here.

The enemy outnumbered them several times to one, and their individual fighting power was superior as well.

The enemy had all the advantages, and the only advantage her side had was their defensive position.

That being the case, it would be stranger if she did not die.

Still, looking death in the eye was terrifying even if she had prepared herself for it beforehand.

The word "east gate" ― said by the person she deeply respected ― echoed through her mind. Though she was prepared to die, she still wanted to live.

Neia had once thought about what would happen when people died.

What would the moment of her extinction be like?

Her soul would return to the great flow, where the gods would judge her, and those who did good as written in the scriptures would go to a land of eternal rest, while the wicked would be delivered into a land of torment.

Still, even if she had accumulated good deeds throughout her life with the aim of reaching her eternal rest, she was afraid to face the end of her life.

She swung her sword.

That powerless strike could not possibly slay a foe in one hit.

Anyone attacking even when surrounded, would take vicious counterattacks from the enemy.

A sword pierced Neia's armor and cut into her.

Neia was still alive thanks to the armor which the Sorcerer King had lent her.

She would have died long ago without it. Indeed, she would have become a corpse like the countless dead militiamen and civilians who had been scattered throughout the city like they had been carelessly thrown away.

I must be in really bad shape…

Neia laughed at herself for being able to think about such inappropriate things even as she was this close to the afterlife.

Her feet slipped due to the force of her swing. Her left thigh seized up and her right thigh was injured and could not hold her upright.

She lost her balance and fell. She leaned against the battlements, but it was all she could do not to collapse.

The world was turning white and cloudy, and she could hear a distant, wheezing panting.

It was an annoying sound. She wondered who was making it, and realized that it was herself.

She was at her limit.

Neia was going to die.

"Just a bit more and the Mad-Eyed Archer will be dead!"

"Ahhh! All together now!"

The voices of the demi-humans came from far away.

This is… a real pain…

Neia could no longer tell what the demi-humans were saying. However, they were probably not singing her praises. As her thoughts scattered into the void, a part of her mind thought only of things like that.

She was simply waving the sword she held ― her attacks were meant to keep the enemy at bay.

I'm… so scared… but everyone… is waiting for me…

In that white and cloudy world, she saw the smiles of her mother, her father, and her friends from her home village.

Who… are they… ahh… Bu-chan… Mo-chan… Dan-nee…? I'm… scared… Your… Majesty…

Her lungs and her heart and her arms and her brain wanted to rest.

Neia could no longer resist that temptation, but still, she had not broken yet.

Why was that?

She was afraid of death. She was filled with her squire's conviction to fight to the very end.

Apart from that ― she wanted to perform feats that were worthy of the war gear she had borrowed.

The demi-humans' weapons thrust out all at once, stabbing into Neia's body.

And thus, Neia Baraja died.

-x-X-x-

<Part 4>

The air of the battlefield had a unique smell to it. It was a muddled mess of all kinds of odors, and simply put, it was a revolting stench. Still, it was a stench that one could get used to.

One of the people behind the closed portcullis ― Remedios ― took several deep breaths of that stinking air.

Her eyes were fixed on the advancing force before her, which numbered over 10,000.

The leaders of the assault on this location were Ogres and horse-like demihumans. Remedios gripped her holy sword tightly.

She liked using the sword to settle matters. She loved it. It clearly defined winners and losers. After all, there would be no more trouble after you killed the opposition. Life would have been so much easier if things were all so simple. Her sister ― Kelart ― and her master ― Calca ― would no longer knit their brows.

"Haaaah."

She sighed.

After that, Remedios thought about what she had to do.

Gustav had said a lot of hard-to-understand things just now, but the gist of it was that they could not let a single demi-human past this gate.

The demi-humans numbered in the tens of thousands. Around 10,000 of them were bearing down on the gate.

Not letting a single one past would be impossible if we were fighting on the plains, but here I can use the gate to limit the numbers who can attack me. So as long as I can keep fighting, it'll be easy enough to keep them from getting past! I just need to keep drinking fatigue recovery potions and keep fighting them one-on-one!

If Gustav were here and had heard this, the look on his face would probably say "Are you fucking serious?" and as she calmly considered that mental image, Remedios laughed. Still, the idea was quite ridiculous, and it was no wonder he would often grab his head in frustration.

See how perfect my plan is! Calca-sama said I could delegate command to someone else, and Caspond-sama seems like an excellent person.

'Umu',Remedios nodded.

After that, Remedios thought about the only flaw in her plan to "fight one-on-one ten thousand times."

That was the existence of Jaldabaoth.

Remedios's plan broke down when it encountered someone stronger than her.

She had trouble using her brain for the most part, but her mind was quite adept when it came to war.

That was why she understood that it would be very difficult for her to defeat Jaldabaoth. Of course, she could not admit that in front of her subordinates. She was the strongest paladin in the Holy Kingdom, and if she admitted her weakness, morale would probably plunge to rock bottom.

That was why they had brought the Sorcerer King over.

The Sorcerer King, huh…

The fact that they had to entrust one of the undead with the fate of the nation upset her so much that she wanted to throw up. However, they had no other option.

Tch. If only that undead creature had fought in a sneaky way, like using those goats or sheep which killed all those Kingdom troops. That way, no innocents would have to be sacrificed. Don't the undead understand that people with strength have to protect the weak? Still… he's really strong, isn't he?

Taking a city by oneself was an impressive feat. Buser was a famous demihuman ― according to Gustav ― and defeating him was also quite outstanding.

However, Jaldabaoth was a different matter altogether. She had her doubts as to whether even a magic caster who could conquer a city without assistance could actually defeat him.

Perhaps she would have learned the truth if she could have crossed blades with him just once, but Gustav had desperately pleaded with her not to.

Therefore, she did not know exactly how strong the Sorcerer King was.

Remedios remained dubious of the Sorcerer King's strength.

She had personally experienced Jaldabaoth's might when he had revealed his true nature, but she could not sense anything like that from the Sorcerer King.

If he was truly able to crush the Kingdom's army, then he ought to be surrounded in an aura of power that could not be hidden.

Was that because he was a magic caster? However, if he was on Jaldabaoth's level, she ought to have been able to sense something from him.

It would be good if he was really as strong as he claimed. Well, we won't lose much if he dies. That undead creature will be a thorn in the Holy Kingdom's side in the future.

Ideally, the two of them would kill each other.

Remedios's opinion had not changed even after her subordinates protested it.

No, it had only solidified after the Sorcerer King killed the boy who had been taken hostage. As a paladin, she could not tolerate anyone who could calmly commit such inhuman acts.

The people of that country were actually ruled by fear, right?

When she thought about it, she found a lot of points which pointed to that conclusion. Perhaps having him and Jaldabaoth kill each other would be for their good too.

The problem is the people of our nation. Gustav was right when he said that this was a chance for us. We paladins can show our strength and abandon the Sorcerer King's foolish opinions… Still, if Jaldabaoth shows up, we have to let him handle it.

Remedios took off her helmet. She wanted to scratch her head.

It was hard to imagine that the citizens of a country run by an amazing individual such as Calca would tolerate one of the undead like that. Just thinking about the matter should have revolted them.

Squire Baraja also ― hm? Could it be that she's been charmed by a spell or something? Yes! He might be using some spell with a wide area of effect that forces people to like him!

Dammit! Remedios thought. She had not considered that possibility.

I should tell Gustav about this. That said, it'll have to wait until we win this battle!

Remedios looked behind her.

There stood neat ranks of civilians holding spears and shields.

"Brave gentlemen! Regretfully, the Holy Kingdom is currently being trampled by demi-humans, but you must accept it! Defeat the demi-humans and save the innocent civilians ― your friends and family ― from their suffering! This is the first step towards our goal, which is to drive out these bastards here and take the Holy Kingdom back with our own hands!"

As Remedios shouted imposingly, anxious looks filled the faces of the militiamen.

"The filthy demi-humans are attacking this place. Gentlemen, raise your shields and thrust your spears! Become a wall that will not let the enemy past you! There's no need to be afraid. Other than their first wave, the only demihumans you will have to deal with are the demi-humans fleeing from me! All you need to do is hold them for a while so that the paladins and I can take them down!"

That eased their tension a little. While being too relaxed was not a good thing, being too tense was even worse. Remedios mused that all the militiamen she could see were in an ideal frame of mind.

"You lot were trained all day yesterday! All you need to do now is show the fruits of that training. No need to be so tense!" Remedios paused for a moment, and then shouted louder than before.

"First rank! Shields up!"

The first row of the militiamen ― who looked like they were encircling the gate ― braced their shields.

These were greatshields which could completely conceal a human body, and their bottoms were lined with spikes that were the length of a finger.

"Shields! Dig in!"

The shield-wielding civilians slammed the spiked portions down with all their might. Thus, they produced a wall of steel in moments.

Yesterday, these shieldbearers had vigorously practiced three drills. The first was to raise their greatshields into the air and slam them back down, in order to drive the spikes deep into the ground. The second was not to falter, regardless of the pressure they were under.

"Second rank! Shields up!"

While the shields they carried were roughly the same size as those of the first rank, theirs did not have spikes. Those shields would go over the heads of the first and the second ranks, like a lid on top of them. This way, they would protect against attacks which made it past the first rank.

There were also paladins who could cast [Under Divine Flag] spaced evenly through the second rank, to protect them from the fear of being pushed by the enemy.

"Third rank spearmen, advance! Fourth rank spearmen, advance!"

The third and fourth ranks were composed of longspear users.

Their longspears would protrude from between the shield teams, their butts firmly planted in the ground to stop the enemy's advance. The third rank and the fourth rank's spears were slightly different from each other in that the fourth rank's were slightly longer. Normally they ought to have had several more ranks of spearmen to form a spear wall, but since they were lacking in numbers, their aim was to overlap killing zones to prevent the enemy from breaking through.

It was a perfect formation.

However, it had a flaw.

While this formation did very well against warriors, it was very weak against demi-humans with special abilities or magic casters.

It was true that the shield wall could block spells like [Fireball] and greatly minimize the damage done. However, spells like [Lightning] that had a piercing, line-shaped area of effect would pierce straight through them and out the rear.

One could not say the demi-humans did not have similar special abilities.

They knew this, but they had taught them to take that formation anyway because no other formation was effective in these circumstances.

"Very good! Then let's begin! Open the gate!"

The portcullis began to rise as Remedios shouted. The advancing demihumans were shaken, and their movements slowed down. The defenders were opening the gate of their own accord ― optimists might think it was a surrender, but realists would consider it a trap.

Remedios laughed.

"You filthy demi-humans! I'll skin you and wipe my ass with your hides!"

After being taunted by a feeble human, the frustrated demi-humans broke into a charge.

Remedios turned and ran. She planted both hands on the militiamen's shields and vaulted over them.

The demi-humans continued their charge, several of them falling down as they approached the gate.

Large quantities of oil had been poured there, and only two outcomes awaited those who fell during the charge. Either they would pull down those behind them, or they would be trampled flat instead.

Unfortunately, the big-framed demi-humans like the Ogres did not fall, and they made it into the city. The horse-like demi-humans slipped and fell, which slowed them down.

A large demi-human's charge ought to be on par with a collision from a warhorse. However, if they could not follow through with it, then all bets were off.

The Ogres continued charging even though their pacing was messed up. They swung their large mauls back and forth, but the spears were longer in comparison, and they impaled several Ogres who had failed to properly judge the distance. Unfortunately, the Ogres were not fragile enough to be killed by that.

"Now! Throw them!"

In accordance with Remedios's instructions, firebombs flew over the heads of the militiamen, and the sounds of pottery smashing could be heard near the gate as an inferno sprang up. The demi-humans around the gate were surrounded by a great fire.

The demi-humans should have predicted something like this, but Remedios was certain that the fires were far beyond what they had expected. That was because both the oil on the ground and the oil on their bodies had ignited at once.

The Ogres facing the shieldbearers began to falter.

It was only to be expected, considering there was a blazing fire behind them.

While they had thicker skin than a human being, that did not mean they could not be burned.

Wails and cries rose from the vicinity of the gate. However, not many of them had lost the capacity to fight despite being enveloped by a fire of that intensity.

One had to acknowledge the great vitality of demi-humans.

Those demi-humans only had two options. They could advance or retreat.

Black smoke blocked their lines of sight. Thus, they were robbed of all other options. While many demi-humans could see in the dark, that ability did not allow them to see through smoke.

Nobody could act calmly while they could not see, were in anguish from the smoke, and when they were being burned by the flames.

Retreating was very difficult given the circumstances. That was because others were following closely behind them in order to storm the city. In fact, the demi-humans outside the gate were hesitating due to the fire, but the ones inside could not know that, given that smoke obscured everything.

Therefore, the demi-humans chose to advance.

That was exactly as Remedios had predicted.

The demi-humans attempted an assault, banking on their powerful bodies to carry the day. However―

―The shieldbearers' third drill consisted of maintaining their shield wall even when surrounded by billowing black smoke.

"Spearmen! Pull!"

The spears retreated as one―

"Spearmen! Thrust!"

―And they thrust out in unison.

The demi-humans gave voice to savage howls, thinking only of getting out of the smoke, and it was under these circumstances ― where defense and evasion were very difficult ― that they ran into the spear line. However, a commoner's strength would be hard-pressed to impale a demi-human's body. This was particularly true of the hand-picked demi-humans who were intended to break through the gate in a frontal assault.

However, that was no problem.

Remedios did not think that they would go down in a single attack.

As long as the shieldbearers were in place, the spearmen could attack over and over again.

"Pull ― thrust!"

As she repeated the order, Remedios jumped over the shields in the opposite of her previous actions and cut down the demi-humans where the spears could not reach.

Black smoke filled her eyes and throat, but she did not have the time to worry about that. There were very few demi-humans who had made it through the oil and the portcullis, about fifty at most.

First she would kill them all and weaken the enemy's willingness to fight.

Since they were part of the vanguard, they must have surely been highly motivated elite troops. Wiping them out would be more effective than killing mooks.

Remedios's breathing was calm and unhurried as she killed one enemy after the other.

Large demi-humans like Ogres could not bring their full abilities to bear in a pitched melee.

The holy sword roamed everywhere without restraint.

Eventually, the shapes of the demi-humans vanished from her tearstained vision. However, she could still hear a large force of demi-humans on the other side of the smoke. They might have been in the middle of reforming their lines.

As Remedios slowly backed away, the silhouettes of several demi-humans came into view.

"Captain! Come back here!"

Her subordinate paladin shouted to her as he cast [Under Divine Flag].

However, Remedios did not retreat. Her instincts were telling her something.

As the smoke thinned, she could sense three demi-humans slowly approaching her, and shortly after that, her hunch was proved right.

One of them was a warrior with the upper body of a beast and the lower body of a carnivore.

One of them was a four-armed demi-human woman.

And the last was a simian demi-human who was festooned in golden accessories.

Remedios had originally planned to kill tens of thousands of demi-humans by herself here, and she was very confident of doing so. However, she now sensed that fighting these three demi-humans at once was extremely dangerous.

There were only three of them. While she could not make them out due to the smoke, she could tell they were brimming with confidence, given their unhurried pace. Even their fellow demi-humans seemed to have handed their task over to those three, unwilling to come any closer.

…They're strong. I don't know if I can beat them even if it's a one-on-one fight… or can I? I've got no chance if it's three-on-one.

Remedios's instincts screamed at her to flee rather than take these three on at the same time. But how should she escape? She had no idea. In contrast, if she beat those demi-humans, it would amount to a flawless victory for this theater of combat.

Remedios gripped her holy sword tightly, and spoke without looking back.

"…Paladin Sabicus, Paladin Esteban."

Both of them replied with a "Yes!" and, from the sounds they made, she judged that they had come to her side.

"Can you pin two of them down until I kill one of them?"

The two of them replied in unison, "Leave it to us!"

Remedios's instincts told her that she was being unreasonable. They might be able to buy a few minutes for starters. But how about sending more people to take the demi-humans on?

No. Remedios shook her head.

Her opponents were a mere three people, who had entered the fray by themselves. Clearly, they were confident in their own abilities and wanted to show off their strength. Enemies like those would surely accept a one-on-one challenge. Such was the arrogance of the mighty.

In addition, such arrogant beings typically took pleasure in making the weak suffer. They would take the extra time to torment their victims even if they could have finished them off in a matter of seconds.

With that faint hope in mind, she decided on a three-on-three.

"Paladins, if the two who stepped up are defeated, continue fighting them one-on-one. The order goes: Sabicus, Esteban, Franco, and Galvan."

They were abandoning their advantage in numbers to buy time. Simply put, she was ordering everyone to kill themselves. However, the paladins did not hesitate for a moment when they received those orders.

This was what it meant to be a paladin.

This was what it meant to embody justice.

This is what it means to sacrifice yourself for others.

This was probably the last time they would be seen alive and unscathed. Even so, Remedios did not take her eyes from the three demi-humans for even a moment. She did not want to miss any chances to glean information from them.

I don't have a clear picture of what's going on, but the first two demi-humans look like skilled fighters. Perhaps that ape-like demi-human is a monk. That four-arms looks like a magic caster. Or is it something else?

There was nothing to fear when dueling demi-humans who relied on brute strength alone, but demi-humans who had been trained were truly frightening.

If they had received warrior training, then they could stack their training and their natural physical abilities to become exceptional individuals who could surpass even veteran warriors of the Holy Kingdom. In truth, the opponent who had given Remedios her hardest fight ― Jaldabaoth aside ― was such an entity.

She recalled the blow that had stabbed her through her abdomen. That was why she paid attention when fighting demi-humans and heeded the warnings of her instincts on top of that.

…Spellcasting demi-humans are the most troublesome to deal with. It'll be bad if they can fly through the air.

While Remedios could use her armor's abilities to fly for short periods of time, she would not have her full range of movement while in flight. Ascending, descending, and turning were all very exhausting, and she would not be able to use her usual fighting style. If her opponent could cast [Fly], she might never be able to reach them with her attacks. While she possessed martial arts which allowed her to make ranged sword attacks, it would be difficult to win quickly when one took into account the fact that their effectiveness was a great deal lower.

The three demi-humans entered through the gate, and then stopped.

"―To think we'd have to join forces for a puny human."

She could not make the three demi-humans out clearly through the smoke, but their relaxed tone had reached her.

The hand gripping the holy sword beaded with sweat, and a bitter taste spread over her tongue, something that only happened when danger drew close.

She could keenly feel her opponents' approach.

The beast and the ape were definitely among the best of the best. While she was not sure about the four-armed one, the fact that she could stand by their side meant that she was on their level. In other words, these three demi-humans were a match for Remedios.

"This smoke's getting in the way. What a pain in the ass."

A strong wind blew the remaining smoke away with a whoosh.

The demi-humans' forms were revealed. Standing at their head was a gigantic demi-human who wielded a battleaxe.

"Zoastia!" Paladin Esteban exclaimed.

Remedios was somewhat baffled. Zoostia? she thought. Was that the demihuman's name?

"Hmm… well, it makes sense that you'd know of me," the Beastman said with an evil grin on his face. "In that case, I'll spare you on account of your learning, so that more people will hear of my strength."

"Heeheehee, Vijar-dono. Jaldabaoth-sama will get angry if you take matters into your own hands like that. At the very least, have him drop his weapon and take him prisoner."

The entity addressing the Zoastia was the ape-like demi-human.

Thoroughly confused, Remedios turned to the people around her, a question mark floating above her head.

"Zoastia? Vijar? Vijar Zoostia? Zoostia Vijar?"

While she was simply asking the names of the opposition, Vijar did not realize that and so he laughed in delight.

"Kuhahahaha! You're calling me that because you've concluded that I'm the leader of our race? You humans have good taste!"

"She's just being polite, Vijar-dono," the four-armed demi-human behind and to the left of Vijar said in a mocking tone.

"That, that's right, it's just a courtesy, Vijar!"

It was only then that Remedios realized she had made a mistake about his species' name.

Right after that, the demi-human called Vijar twisted his face in displeasure.

"Hm, and I even asked Jaldabaoth-sama for permission to spare anyone who pleased me. Don't regret it."

"Who's going to regret it? You can regret fighting us in the afterlife!"

"Heeheehee, what a spirited young lady you are… you are a young lady, right? I'm not good with the ages of other species…"

"It doesn't matter, that ought to be it."

The demi-humans were probably being very serious. This was simply the difference between their species.

"Now then, human girl, I shall introduce ourselves. I am Halisha Ankara. This is Vijar Rajandala, who needs no introduction. And last of all is Nasrene Bert Kyuru-dono."

"Those names! Aren't they the White Elder and Iceflame Lightning?!" Paladin Sabicus exclaimed.

"Kukukukuku. Even the humans know our names. The fledgling, on the other hand―"

"―Human. Do I not have a title like that?"

"I've never heard of the name Vijar Rajandala. However, there's an axewielding Zoastia like you who's quite famous. It's the Demon Claw, Demon Claw Vaju Sandiknara."

"That was my old man," Vijar snorted. "I'm the heir to the title of Demon Claw, Vijar Rajandala. I'll make sure you think of my name when you hear the words 'Demon Claw.'"

"Heeheehee. We'll leave the human general to you then, Vijar-dono."

"So be it. It's hard enough that you've been forced to come right up to your opponents instead of using spells from a distance. Frankly speaking, I was planning to fight them all by myself."

"Heeheehee. We were ordered to work together, you know?"

"So you're having trouble because you're getting on in years?"

"Tch!"

The four-armed demi-human (Nasrene) who had clicked her tongue turned and gave Vijar a scary look. In truth, it felt like they might start killing each other at any moment if they were left unchecked.