Battle Against the Demon King's Army
For goblins and orcs, 30,000 to 60,000 isn't a threat. The Nord army has that much power.
However, things can't just end with monster attacks. The monster attack is an invitation to draw him out. Knowing that, Ren decided to go out.
There must be a demon controlling the monsters, and how will they come out? He did not even know how many demons were on the united front. The only way to find out was to accept the invitation.
Ren, who had pushed aside the opposition of those around him, especially Rin's fierce opposition, and went out on his own, regretted a little when he saw the group of demons that had appeared. The strength he felt from his opponents was a cause for regret, but more than that, it was the Vampires who were leading it, and Rin was greatly upset at the sight of them.
He did not want to involve Rin in a fight with her kin.
"...Rin, go back to the fort."
"I can't do that."
"But it's your own tribe up front, right?"
"...I've been prepared for that from the beginning."
"Did you know by any chance?"
"...I'm sorry. However, the Nord vampires have not betrayed Ren-sama. Please believe that."
"There were others besides the Nord?"
"The Vampires left Nord several years ago."
"Several years ago…… in other words, you knew each other."
"...Yes."
She knew. The demon king's surname is Drunkel, the same as Rin's. Rin's family, her brother. Although disowned by her father.
"Then go back to the fort."
"I can't do that."
"I'm saying it's fine, so there's no need to push yourself."
"I'm not pushing myself."
"You're stubborn... we don't have time to talk about this."
The group of demons stopped running when they saw that we were waiting for them, but now they are getting very close.
The giant demons, which had been lagging behind, had joined them, and their power was unmatched by any enemy he had fought so far.
"Ren-sama, please step down."
"I can't do that"
"But you can't fight satisfactorily in your current physical condition."
"So if I run to the fort, will they back off?"
"That's……"
"It's the same"
"But... the opponent is the Demon King."
"……Yes?"
Even Ren didn't expect what Rin said. He is taken aback.
"One of the vampires is calling himself a demon king."
"It is the heroes who fight the Demon King, right? Why me?
"I am sorry."
"No, even if Rin apologizes. But the Demon King... what about the other demons?"
"All of them are demons with excellent fighting power who live outside of the Nord. The bull head is called the Alshion tribe, and they usually live in caves. They are characterized by their strength and their use of weapons."
"They look like minotaurs to me."
"Is that knowledge from another world?"
"Yes"
"I see. The Ogre tribe is the one with horns on its head. They are also strong and have sturdy bodies. Their weapons are claws and fangs."
"Ogre. Their appearance is just like I had though."
"The characteristics of giants are similar. However, their attacks are pure brute force. However, as you can see from their size, they are quite powerful."
"None of them use magic?"
"I think the ogre can."
"What kind?"
"It's non-attribute magic. But if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't massive, it was more like a flying projectile."
"I see. Is it the same as watching out for flying knives?"
"Yes. But as you can see, the resistance to magic is extraordinary for any demons."
"Is it a characteristic of all demons?"
"Yes"
"Roughly 1000… it’s tough as expected."
"That's why."
"But I can't just run away. We'd be abandoning the Northern Alliance."
"But the Northern Alliance..."
"Whatever we do, even if we run away, we have to make our move first."
He will not break his own promises. That is Ren's creed. But now it is binding his actions.
The Demon King's army is right in front of them. Stones suddenly rained down on the Demon King's army. It was a projectile attack from the fortress.
"Backup…. it is meaningless. I guess we'll just have to hold out a little longer."
Hearing Ren's words, the cavalry behind him all got into a fighting stance. The attacks with projectile weapons continue, but most of them are blocked by the deployed giant race. The flying stones as large as a man's head are crushed by the force of their arms, so it is no exaggeration to say that the giants are able to crush them.
"Five Cavalry Corps. I lift the ban on individual battles. Don't go too deep. And stay away from the Demon King."
Listening to Ren's instructions, the formation split into smaller groups.
"Deploy!"
At Ren's command, the Nord army's cavalry corps scattered in small units.
◇◇◇
From the main camp of the united front, it looked as if the Nord army had fled. However, it was not so. The cavalry of the Nord army was divided into small groups and spread out to encircle the Demon King's army. The Demon King's army was also advancing toward the Nord army.
It did not matter what formation they were in. Each cavalry unit was moving toward the nearest demon. Soon, battles began here and there on the front line. It is a battle between one demon and a Nord army of five cavalry.
"...Is this okay?"
A questioning voice leaked out of Heinz's mouth.
As far as he can see, the Nord army is just a small group fighting individually. Can they win against the demons who are superior in strength? Heinz thought so.
However, the Nord forces soon began to gain the upper hand. Here and there, the demons could be seen falling to the ground.
"What's happening?"
No one answered Heinz's question.
From the main camp, it appeared that the Nord cavalry was simply moving about, keeping their distance from the demons. And yet the demons are lying on the ground.
"......Petty tricks."
It wasn't an answer to Heinz, but Baat muttered in an abject tone. Baat can see what the Nord army is doing.
"Can you see it?"
"Well"
"Then tell me, what kind of attacks are the Nords doing?"
"It's a magic attack."
"Magic attack?"
"It's just livelihood magic."
"How does that defeat the demons?"
"They would make holes in the ground, or blind them with fire or wind magic. When they fell to the ground, they would finally attack them with swords and spears. It's a hit-and-run approach, and never force it."
"Such a battle..."
"What does this mean? I can only assume that they had trained for it beforehand."
Their participation in the war had been leaked to the Nord. Thinking that, Baat spoke in a questioning manner.
King Luine opened his mouth in response to that question. What came out was a completely different answer than what Baat had in mind.
"Isn't it for the heroes?"
"Heroes?"
"I think it's the way to fight against the heroes."
"…I see. That would make sense."
"It seems to be more effective than the heroes."
"Why do you think so?"
"Well, at least they can't use offensive magic, can they? So, they are getting beaten up in the distance. If it were the heroes, they could fight back with magic or swordplay.
"...It's not that they can't use it, it's that they don't need to."
"What?"
"I said that the Demon King brought the elite. I hope you don't think of the elite of the demons as equal to the heroes of the humans. You see, the battle is just beginning."
The battle should have been spread all over the front line, but before they knew it, several spaces had been created. A circle formed around a single demon.
As soon as the cavalry of the Nord army entered the circle, the demons who should have been in the center of the circle instantly interrupted the cavalry line and knocked down the soldiers from the horses.
Soon after, the Demon King's army was solidified as if it were forming a circle, with a few of the demons as a stopgap. The Nord army seems to have lost its upper hand and is simply circling at a great distance.
◇◇◇
"Too sturdy"
Ren doesn't think his tactics were wrong. However, he didn't have the decisive factor to stop the demons. It was partly because he had made it a rule to break away with a single blow to avoid loss of life, but regardless of that, the enemy demons were too tough.
They repeatedly attacked after making many openings, and as a result, the enemy was allowed to counterattack before they could even defeat them. Right now, it's centered around the strongest among the demons. This means that they cannot continue to fight in the same way.
Ren was frustrated because he could not find a way out of the situation.
"Cunning little tricks will not work! Fight fair and square!"
A voice from the Demon King Army reached Ren.
"...Fair and square!?"
"That's right!"
"There is no such thing as fair and square against the demons!"
"What!?"
"It's common sense to fight against demons by relying on numbers! And don't forget to wear amazing weapons and armor! What's more, it's convenient that no matter how many times you lose, you can try again!"
"...What are you saying!?"
"I'm talking about the common sense of another world! In the first place, the demon king's opponent is decided to be a hero! If you want to fight, fight the heroes behind you!"
"...My opponent is you! Don't say anything that doesn't make sense!"
"Like I said, it's the battle with the Demon King!"
"I'm not the Demon King!"
"Ah, I see"
"Mizuru, chief of the Alshion tribe! I challenge the Nord Emperor to a duel!"
A bull-headed demon came forward. He was about three meters tall, and his bare upper body looked sturdy. With arms like thick logs, he wields an axe that is longer than he is.
"How can you speak normally with that frame?"
"Huh?"
"It doesn't matter. Are you strong?"
"Probably"
"Am I right in assuming you can't use magic?"
"Yes. It's true that the Alshion tribe doesn't use magic."
"I see"
"Ren-sama?!"
Rin panicked as she wondered what the point of going through the trouble of checking it again.
"I can't ask anyone else to fight."
"There's no need to undergo a duel before that!"
"Even if we run away, they'll chase us."
"Even if that were the case, currently, Ren-sama is..."
"I'm fine. Thanks to Luna, I'm calm now."
"……"
"And I'm not going to fight to the end."
"That is?"
"Prepare a plan. The duel buys us time until it's over."
"...In that case, I will fight."
"I want Rin to prepare a plan. There's no need to worry if it's against the united front, but if I leave it to someone who isn't good at dealing with demons, they'll probably notice."
"……Yes"
"Seriously. Because of them, I ended up using my trump card on this battlefield. I have to think about how to move on to the next. When your plan is ready, go through it without worrying about me."
"Yes... be careful."
"Yeah. Then, please."
Ren got off Ran and began to proceed on foot toward the demon Mizuru. Rin looked worriedly at his back, but Ren told her it was important to hurry up with the preparations and had Run run back toward the fortress.
The others moved to a position with their backs to the fortress and formed up. The Demon King's army also gathered in position facing them.
Ren and Mizuru faced each other between the two armies, the Nord army, and the Demon King's army.
◇◇◇
Far from starting the counterattack of the Demon King's army, the fight between the two armies has stopped. The united front side was watching the situation worriedly, wondering what had happened.
Before long, the two armies faced each other, with one person from each army stepping forward.
Even those on the united front knew that it was Ren from the Nord army.
"No way, is it a duel?"
It is not uncommon for a duel to suddenly start on the battlefield. However, it's still before the full-scale battle, and one side is the demons. The words were uttered with such thoughts in mind, but they made Baat uncomfortable.
"What do you mean, no way?"
"…Do demons have duels?"
"Of course. Power is everything to the demons. The duel to measure it originally belonged to the demons, and the humans merely imitated it."
"No way?"
"Again with a no way. The ignorance of the humans is astonishing."
"...Assuming it is a duel."
"It's a duel."
"…What are the stakes in this duel?"
"Like I said... demons don't ask for anything in return for a duel. It's just to see who's stronger."
"But the Nord emperor is not a demon."
"……Indeed."
"You're not taking any strange conditions, are you?"
"You can't know that from here. But probably not."
"Why is it so?"
"If they are the kind of people who would tarnish a duel by asking for something in return, then of course they would cancel."
"The fact that they didn't seem to stop means that they accepted unconditionally.
"Right……"
Ren and Mizuru are facing each other with their weapons at the ready. They seem to be waiting to see how they will fare, and the duel has already begun.
"Did you follow the customs of the demons... No, you kill him whether he gave a condition or not."
Baat was a little impressed when he learned that Ren had accepted the duel unconditionally, but he quickly changed his mind and spoke in denial. Baat wouldn't recognize Ren.
"...They moved."
It was Heinz who muttered. As he said that, the two facing each other moved.
The demon Mizuru swung his axe in a wide arc and closed the gap between them. Even from a distance, the axe blow, which looked powerful, was repelled by Ren's sword.
Mizuru used the force of the rebound to turn the axe around, this time slicing upward from below. Again, Ren's sword changes the trajectory of the axe.
Still, Mizuru does not stop. He pulls back the deflected axe's trajectory with brute force and begins swinging it with tremendous force. The axe's rotation accelerates to the point that it cannot be clearly seen. The wind created by the swinging axe sends the grass and soil flying, as if a small tornado had occurred.
"That's……"
"The wind produced is as powerful as the intermediate level wind magic used by the humans."
"Is that how demons fight?"
"To be exact, they belong to the Alshion tribe. Each tribe has a different way of fighting."
"……I see."
A small tornado approaches Ren. The moment they thought he made contact with it, Ren was thrown wide to the side. Furthermore, Mizuru approached without stopping the rotation.
Ren bounces back again. Mizuru chased after him. The battle repeated like that.
"...Can't win, huh?"
The subject of Heinz's murmuring is Ren. Heinz unconsciously wished for Ren's victory even though he should have been the enemy. He is not cheering for Ren, he is just not happy about the victory of the demons.
It was not only Heinz. There were others who looked on in frustration at Ren's inferiority. They felt as if Ren's defeat, who was a strong person for them, was a defeat for the humans.
Baat felt a little bitter about it. But then Baat saw a situation that made that feeling vanish.
"That's absurd."
An unbelievable situation causes an unintentional voice to leak out. Hearing Baat's words, Heinz and the others stared at the battle to see what was happening.
Before long, Heinz and the others began to see what was happening. The axe that Mizuru wields is now clearly visible.
"Is he tired?"
"…………"
He asked him why, but Baat refused to answer. He just watched the battle.
◇◇◇
Baat, who was watching the battle from afar, was surprised by the situation. Mizuru of the Alshion tribe, who was the one involved, was even more surprised. His body doesn't move the way he wants it to.
"Funngghh!"
Mizuru manages to move his heavy body with a yelling voice. Still, the momentum of the axe is quite fast.
"This is why demons are..."
Ren is muttering a complaint as he dodges Mizuru's axe.
"Youuu! What did you do!"
The body is heavy, but it's not from being tired. He was not tired at all. Mizuru suspects that Ren did something.
"We are fighting. You have no right to complain."
Just as Mizuru suspects, Ren is responsible for his heavy body. It's normal. It's not right to complain.
"Damn you, you're just a human!"
"It doesn't matter what race it is. Only the strong win. This is the end!"
Ren dives into Mizuru's bosom.
"Bind.”
Putting his hand on Mizuru's chest, Ren emitted spirit magic. In the next moment, Mizuru completely stopped moving and fell backward.
"Seriously... how many times are you going to make me use magic?"
The magic resistance of the demons was extraordinary. Considering that it would be difficult to completely stop the movement of the body, Ren aimed to stop the movement of the heart. That alone made him cast magic over and over again.
Luckily it still worked. Ren didn't know whether demons had hearts or not.
He swung down the axe that Mizuru was using on Mizuru's neck, which had fallen to the ground. The severed head rolled on the ground.
A groan echoes from the surroundings. None of the demons thought that Mizuru would lose.
"This much... even if it's a demon king's subordinate, it's not a big deal."
Ren speaks words to provoke those demons.
"K-kill him! Kill him right now!"
The demons were successfully provoked by Ren. The demons rushed to Ren with terrible expressions. Ren had no intention of dealing with them.
He jumped on Ran that came running toward him and made it run toward the fortress.
"Chase him! Crush them all at once!"
A group of demons chased after him. Their legs are no less than Ran's, and they follow Ren as he runs into the fortress.
"Kill! Kill them all!"
The battle had been settled when they had broken into the fort. The demons thought so, but...
"...What?"
Before long, flames rose all at once from all over the fort. It envelops the entire fort in one fell swoop and bursts into flames. With many demons trapped inside.
The Battle of the Tarbut Plain ended with this battle. The Northern Alliance was defeated. However, no one on the united front side considered it a victory.
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