Chapter 159

—Northwest City Argyle—

Argyle, the northwestern city of Magnar Kingdom .

This is also the fortress city which holds the front line with the western continent behind its back .

After the Knight Wall’s fall, the next city that’s about to fall was Argyle .

Argyle was now being engulfed in blazing flames and black smoke .

At first, you could feel the humans’ fighting spirit from their fervor-filled voice .

However, that fervor has now completely disappeared .

It has now been replaced by wails of despair and they covered all of the tragic city .

The citizens of Argyle who were late to escape were trampled down .

There are still indescribable scenes going on in the city……

[Guruguuaaagiiiiiieeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!]

[Oguruuoooeeeeehhh! Guruuuu! Gueeeaaaaahhhh!]

[Gugiiieeeehhhh! Geeeiiiieeeehhhh! Ahiigeeeeaaaahhhh!]

[Higegeggeeeehhh! Higeegeeeehhhh♪ Higiieeeehhhh♪ ]

The watchtower on the castle walls that overlooks this gruesome sight .

A lone Ogre Soldier had climbed onto its roof .

Dangling from its hand is the severed head of the garrison captain .

The Ogre Soldier looked at the cloud of dust rising from a distance .

That cloud of dust began drifting away from the city……

The Ogre Soldier squinted its eyes .

An emotion that slightly resembles irritation gushed forth from within the Ogre Soldier .

The prey escaped .

Let’s play some more .

As if it’s releasing its emotions, the Ogre Soldier let out a roar towards the sky .

[Kisshyyuuuoooeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh———-!]

<The Former Captain of the White Wolf Knights’ POV>

[The evacuation of the citizens of Argyle is abandoned at this point! All units gather! Fall back! For the time being, we’ll retreat towards Sinbapa in the south!]

(T/N: シンバパ/Shinbapa… Tried googling it, and now I regret it . )

The Great Demon Emperor’s Western Invasion Force .

The first place to receive their attack was the fortress city Argyle .

The speed of the enemy’s advance was much faster than originally expected .

As a result, the evacuation of the citizens of Argyle was belatedly delayed .

Naturally, there are lots of people who were left behind .

More than half of Argyle’s garrison force, the cornerstone of this city’s defense, had also been killed in action .

▽

The horse’s hooves sound like an incoming avalanche as they struck past the sandy ground .

I, an old Knight named Marg Nogg turned my head behind me as I rode behind my horse .

Reflecting in my eyes is the black smoke rising above the fortress city .

[Kuh…… May the Goddess damn all of you, filthy ogreeeesssss……]

The enemy’s main force is their Ogre Soldiers .

It is also said that these Ogre Soldiers aren’t afraid of death .

Also, the amount of monsters assaulting them were unusual .

(I’ve already heard about it, but I never thought that it’s to this extent……)

[Marg-dono!]

The garrison force’s deputy captain lined his horse alongside me .

[Ohhh!? You managed to survive huh!? Good work surviving out of that hellhole!]

[No, it’s the soldiers’ nature to shield my body from harm!]

[What about Oviss!?]

It’s the name of the garrison force’s captain .

The deputy captain had a bitter expression on his face upon hearing my question .

[I don’t know…… However, we found the company he’s been with……]

I grinded his teeth .

[Guh…… If we weren’t weakened by these Tyrant’s Miasma……]

The assaulting monsters were releasing these Tyrant’s Miasma as they charged .

The specters endowed to them by their leader, the Great Demon Emperor .

Being in the range of where these specters drift to takes its toll on human beings .

First of all, the body’s movements become slightly sluggish .

Even refining magic energy just for a single spell exhausts us more than usual .

There were also other effects that made our bodies weaker .

Therefore, we can’t exhibit our full strength against them .

Even if we could win with our original combat strength, we’ll still lose due to the influence of the Tyrant’s Miasma .

With wishfulness in his voice, the deputy captain raised his voice .

[However, if it’s the White Wolf Knights…… If it’s the continent’s sole Divine Magic Swordsman Sigurd Sigmus, we won’t lose, don’t you think!? Marg-dono!?]

[That’s what I want to think too, but even that Sigurd won’t be able to escape from the burden of the Tyrant’s Miasma…… However……]

There’s hope .

[If only we can defeat the Great Demon Emperor, it would have been different . ]

That’s right… If the Great Demon Emperor were to be defeated, the Tyrant’s Miasma he released towards the Golden-Eyed monster will disappear .

To be precise, their “connection” with the Great Demon Emperor will be broken .

The Tyrant’s Miasma seems to supplement that “connection” .

That’s why…

[That’s why…… If only a Hero from Another World, the ones that were unaffected by the Tyrant’s Miasma, could defeat the Great Demon Emperor……!]

We could just wipe out the remaining Golden-Eyed monsters with our original power .

The density of the Tyrant’s Miasma varies from individual to individual .

According to past information, the more powerful the monster is, the more dense the Tyrant’s Miasma tends to be .

When it comes to the amount of Tyrant’s Miasma that the Great Demon Emperor releases around himself, this amount was already unimaginable for us .

(It is said that even the Alion’s Goddess is unable to stand up against the Tyrant’s Miasma that emanates from the Root of All Evil… . . Could it be that we could only rely on those Heroes from Another World……? Or perhaps……)

If it’s that Civit Gartland, could he perhaps defeat them?

(Now that I think about it…… I heard that there’s a group of sorcerers called Ashinto, who are said to have killed the “Humanity’s Strongest”…… If those people were to join our ranks in this war, I think they’ll become a tremendous asset for us……)

Then…

[Hmm?]

I could see a cloud of sand ahead our path .

It looks like something’s coming our way .

I let the troops slow down a bit .

He also instructed them to prepare for combat .

The deputy captain squinted his eyes .

[They look like a horse-pulled cart but……, ———-!?]

The deputy captain’s expression changed and he began throwing out his commands .

[Archers forward! It’s a pack of Ghoul Horses! Shooottt!]

The Ghoul Horses were dragging a cart behind them as they rushed towards us .

They had quite the frightening speed .

(I can’t see any enemy troops loaded in their carts……)

There’s only the carts and the Ghoul Horses pulling it that appeared .

My keen eyes sharpened, I gazed forward .

[However, that’s quite a large cart…… it would be difficult to stabilize those carts with that size especially with the speed those Ghoul Horses are running……]

The road it’s passing through isn’t that bad, but it’s not that good either .

In fact, the way those carts move looks quite suspicious .

I need to find out what the enemy’s intentions are .

[……They may have set some kind of trap on those carts . Be on the lookout . ]

[Hah! Get the Anti-Armor Squadron ready to move forward! Also, get the cavalry ready to charge!]

(T/N: Originally Anti-Tank Squadron . I thought there wouldn’t be any tanks in that place so…)

At that time……

Thud!

The Ghoul Horse leading the group tumbled down .

And then, in the next moment—–

I found everyone stopped moving and gasped .

[No… way—-]

Its large cart flung out and what came out from it was—-

[T- That is…… the citizens of Argyle who evacuated before……!?]

It turned into a pile of corpses .

The deputy captain turned pale .

[D- Did they anticipate that they would evacuate……?]

[However, they did that before we even knew it……, ———-!?]

As if something snapped, I glared at the other carts following the leading cart .

[Don’t tell me… . . Even the other carts were—-]

One of the Ghoul Horses was shot between its eyebrows and tumbled down on the ground .

The fallen Ghoul Horse slid on the ground and scattered the sand on its path .

And the cart it’s pulling tumbled down and turned sideways together with it .

[Guuuhhh!?]

As I thought, it’s another pile of corpses .

Among them were the faces of some members of the garrison force who had followed them as guards .

[Marg-dono, t- that is……]

Bringing something to my attention, I gazed further across the row of Ghoul Horses .

There’s a cloud of dust fluttering about in the distance .

I could hear something ringing from the shadow beyond the curtain of sand .

Along with the cloud of sand, the flock of shadows were approaching us .

They don’t look like they’re reinforcements from Sinbapa .

[……They’re enemies . ]

They’re Ogre Soldiers riding behind Ghoul Horses .

They were approaching us in an ordered line .

Then, the deputy captain seems to have noticed something .

[Hmm? There’s something on the end of the Ogre Soldiers’ spears……, ———-!?]

The deputy captain became speechless .

Even I, myself became pale as he learned what that is .

The spears in the hands of the horse-riding Ogre Soldiers……

There’s a human head pierced on its tip .

There were a number of those spears with severed heads hoisted on them .

The leading Ogre Soldier lets out a war cry .

[Shhiiigigogiogooeeeaaahhhhhhh—————-!]

It’s a mixed chorus filled with joy and killing intent .

Clench……

The deputy captain tightly gripped on the reins in his hands .

[T- These bastards…… What do they see humans as……? What the heck do they think humans are——–!!!?]

At that moment, my ears picked up some kind of sound .

“Gaaooonnn!”

That’s how it sounds .

After that, I suddenly felt—- uncomfortable .

[……?]

(A shadow?)

Reflexively, I look up above my head .

In the next moment…

Thuuudddd!

The earth trembled .

Looking behind my back, my eyes opened wide .

[That’s impossible…… A G- Golden-Eyed monster… came from the sky……!?]

There didn’t exist any Golden-Eyed monster who had control over the skies .

It’s because Jonato’s prided “Sacred Eyes” had shot down all of them before .

Therefore, the Root of All Evil’s forces can only invade by walking through the ground .

Yes…

They’re not supposed to have existed anymore .

Moreover…

[——-Hearken, humans——-]

The 6-raetared (6 meters) monster who stood behind us spoke .

(T/N: ラータル / rātaru…… Almost sounded like retard . )

A monster who could use the human language .

(Is this guy a Demon……?)

[By my name, I pledge my allegiance to the Great Demon Emperor and the third oath for the Demon Emperor—– I’m Dreikuva . ]

(T/N: ドライクーヴァ / Doraikuva)

A goat’s head .

Fur that looks like purple flames .

Intimidatingly unfurled bluish-purple wings .

Walking on its two legs .

And… Golden eyes .

Everyone became stupefied .

Forgetting about the Ogre Soldiers in front of them, everyone’s gaze were nailed at the wicked appearance of the monster that appeared behind our backs .

My body feels heavy .

This was probably due to the influence of the Tyrant’s Miasma that was released by this Black Goat Demon .

Just by the influence of the Tyrant’s Miasma, everyone became unable to move and lost their ability to fight .

(T- To be affected this much…… An enemy that releases such an amount of Tyrant’s Miasma that we couldn’t move……?)

In that case……

(How powerful…… could the Great Demon Emperor be……?)

[Humans, ye must not give up thy life this easily . Have a strong will and seize survival by thine own power . You need not worry . If you do so, thine lives……)

Saying so with its solemn hollow voice, the Black Goat Demon brandished a large bowl with its large claws .

[—-we will truly, mercilessly trample them down . ]

□

The news of the fall of Argyle, followed by Sinbapa reached the White Wolf King’s ears .

It is said that the amount of survivors were only to fit in one carriage .

Just like Argyle, it is said that a massacre was conducted in Sinbapa until all of the remaining people in that place died .

Three days after the fall of Sinbapa .

After preparing for the war, the Heroes from Another World headed to the main battlefield Magnar, led by the Goddess, and departed from Alion’s Royal Castle .