Kuro no Maou

“That girl is.......”

It was about one week ago when I went to Irz for applying the scorched earth tactics that the enemy scout squad had attacked.

The scout troop was made with 7 people. Among them, there was one girl who seemed like a misfit there, I certainly remember her.

She had been able to climb over the wall we had created to trap them, but she should have been burned to ashes after getting attacked by Fiona’s fire magic.

But, that supposedly dead girl, with blond twintails and wearing a bow, could be clearly seen in my view.

But by the time I became aware of her, she got hit by a lightning magic attack and disappeared after falling down the log and into the river.

“Did I see wrong? No, she was definitely—–“

But in the Rone river in front of me, let alone her, there are no mercs left either.

They, who had recklessly attacked without any support from the crusaders, took huge casualties and had run away just now.

It seems they had prepared at least logs to cross the river but they were nothing more than floating supports, they didn’t really increase the speed in crossing the river much.

It only increased their chances of not drowning even when hit by lightning arrows.

But it didn’t have any effect on the result of the battle. And now, the bombardment had once again begun.

“I guess it’s no use thinking about that girl anymore.”

I had only seen her for an instant. It must be some kind of mistake, or misunderstanding. There’s even a chance that it was a twin or a look-alike as well.

What I need to think is not about that but how to deal with this bombardment.

“The enemy has retreated! We should also hurry up and withdraw! Be careful of the fireballs. Magicians, use defensive magic shields to cover as much as possible!!”

With the sound of agreement, the adventurers deployed in front of the protective wall once again evacuated towards the guild.

“Pull carefully and quickly! If this got blown up it’ll be all over!!”(Mozrun)

Mossan and the 2 goblins quickly pulled the carriage on which the machinegun was kept.

I once again realized that it was a good decision to have not fixed it at a single place and made it movable through carriages.

During the bombardment it can be kept safe like this in the guild’s storage.

“What’s the damage report?”

I asked for the report through Lily’s telepathic network.

To be able to talk handsfree both ways is really convenient.

On my question, the reply quickly came inside my head.

“Deceased 1. Injured 3. Slightly injured ones are in dozens but they’ll soon become perfect after receiving healing.”

“I see. Quickly get to treating them.”

Another one died.

Even without hearing the report, I did see one of the arrows fired by the mercs striking down an adventurer near the protective wall.

Probably, it was fired to attack me who was firing bullets with my magic bullet arts.

If the arrow had gone as it was aimed and hit me; a single arrow wouldn’t really have been any trouble for me.......I feel regretful but I can’t let that depress me.

For the person who took the arrow in place of me as well, I must continue fighting.

Mourning for dead will come after all this is over.

“But, it seems they really were used as sacrificial pawns.”

It was anti-climatic how we so quickly were able to repel them off.

Although I don’t know what the enemy was thinking to make the mercs so uselessly attack like this, I do feel pity for them.

But that doesn’t mean I’m going to show any kind of mercy to someone who tries to cross this river.

And, bombardment continued for the whole day and there was no other attack. And so, we had protected the defensive line for the 3rd day.

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“The Cyprus mercenary group seems to have been annihilated. Only 21 came back alive. And along with the leader Cyprus, most of the original members have gone missing.”

Norz gave a smile after hearing Sister Sylvia’s report.

“I see. It’s refreshing to think that grinning face is now at the bottom of the river.”

Norz had always felt unpleasant about the fact that he had to take that group of mercs with him since the Cardinal Mercedes had ordered so directly.

It would have been one thing if he had hired them himself because he considered it necessary, but there was no way he would silently accept it just because his superior asked him to take them with him.

On top of that, the leader Cyprus had a personality who liked fooling around. There was no way such a guy would be able to build good relationships with anyone, let alone the short tempered Norz.

“But, is that fine? To just use them and throw them away like that? In a situation where you hid most of the info regarding the defences of the village, isn’t it as good as deceiving them?”

When Norz had asked Cyprus to attack the village he quickly received ‘OK!’ from Cyprus and did not tell anything about the ‘attack of the Devil’ or about the strong resistance showed by the demons.

“Cardinal Mercedes had only asked me to take them to Pandora continent with me. He didn’t ask me to bring them back alive as well.”(norz)

“Isn’t that just sophistry?”

“No, regarding their treatment, I was told that I can treat them the same way as any merc group would be as long as I take them with me. There’s no problem even if they got annihilated during their ‘jobs’.”

In the end, Norz had no idea why Cardinal Mercedes had asked him to take this merc group with him, but he had already taken care of that troublesome group, he had no need to think about useless things. He could be happy without hiding anything.

“Is that so? What to do with those who came back alive?”

“Abandon them, is what I want to say but it’ll become troublesome later. Pay them as per the contract and ask them to leave. They’re just impertinent mercenaries, after facing something like that, they’ll happily go back.”

“Then, as you say.”

Sylvia completed the decree quickly and gave it to one of the soldiers.

With this, the order would be executed as per Norz’s will. Since they, the employer, was obediently paying them, there won’t be any problems from their side.

“But, that ‘Devil’s’ attack really is troublesome.”

Norz knit his brows. After seeing the mercs being pulverised under the enemy’s crossfire, he once again realized the power of that attack.

“Since they were able to use it today as well without any problems, it means that there’s no use limit or time limit on it.”

The limit Sylvia talked about wasn’t regarding the number of bullets or the barrel that needed to bear exhaustion while firing.

It was regarding a more stronger, magical limit that exists in this world.

For example, just as how Lily could only return to her normal form during full moon nights, there were magical limits like a specified time, period, season, or the positioning of the stars, only during which an ability could be shown.

It also included using magic items or special catalyst that could not be used again after one use.

Only, the stronger and stricter the limit was, the effect would be proportionately larger. Even if the crossfire was an extremely powerful attack, it was not a large scale magic that would require a certain limit it seems, or so Sylvia believed.

If she were to guess, it was a magic that could be used easily without much labour or effort.

“umu, if you say that it’s a completed magic with no specific weakness, then it can’t be helped. Attacking from the front will be the best way. Above all, we still have an overwhelming number of troops still remaining. Also, that attack had stopped for some time in between, that means it can’t be used infinitely.”(norz)

“That would be so. If repeated twice or thrice, the interval should also get bigger. As long as we don’t think about our damages, we should be able to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.”

They didn’t have any definite proof but considering the theory of magic and the situation, it was the most plausible situation. Norz also agreed to it.

“Aa, oh right, what happened to those reinforcements that Bishop Gregorius was sending?”

On the basis of the ‘prediction’ that was sent a few days earlier, it had been written that some reinforcements were sent this way.

“We have not received any report that such a squad has arrived or is approaching as of yet. As long as it isn’t a lie, these reinforcements sure seem to be moving very leisurely.”

“fun, I don’t care either ways. I don’t want to keep a weird squad near me. It’d be better if they didn’t come at all.”

“Is that so? Either way, no new squad will come here till the next attack at least.”

“fuh, the next attack, eh?”

Reacting to those words, Norz gave a smile similar to a carnivorous animal.

“Tomorrow, no, day after tomorrow, the preparations to cross the river will be complete and we shall once again go on the attack. Being delayed for 5 days, we will have bare enough time to catch those demons that those bastards allowed to run away but—-“

Norz’s smile was mixed with delight to trample those demons, which had made him suffer a loss.

“—-fuhaha, this time definitely, I’ll exterminate those annoying damned demons.”

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The next day, the 5th of Hatsubi.

That day no mercs came to attack us recklessly like yesterday and the bombardment continued without showing any signs of stopping and the Crusaders themselves showed no movement.

Since some part of the barbed wires and fence had blown away due to the bombardment, we had gone out to repair it.

For some reason, the enemy didn’t seem to care about it and exept for the bombardment; we were able to smoothly finish the repairs.

Actually, I wanted to blacken our defensive line as well like the guild but Mossan was unable to cast [Eternity] property on it so the effect of blackening could not be maintained. So I had no choice but to leave it as it is.

At the same time, thanks(?) to the bombardment, the underground supply and escape route prepared beforehand came to good use.

If the soldiers had directly attacked like the first day, there was no need to transfer items underground but if the enemy was bombarding us from a long range, then it was a different matter.

Although it might to impertinent to call it an underground passage as it was nothing more than a well camouflaged trench. But as long as the fireballs didn’t fall from directly overhead the passage, it could protect against the flames. On top of which, since it hid the supple squad, there was no chance of getting sniped either.

It would have been fine to carry the items during the night when the bombardment stops but the enemy still kept on observing us, so it was obviously better to use the sure safe underground passage.

But still, even though this bombardment really is annoying, the adventurers in the guild along with Vulcan were surprisingly obedient and calm.

I had resolved myself to plan a surprise attack against the magicians doing the bombardment no matter how reckless it was if their displeasure became unbearable but it ended up being a needless anxiety on my side.

While thinking that, I once again slept for 2 hours and ended my day.

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And on the next morning, after completing their river crossing preparations, the day of attacking finally came.

Alsace defensive battle, it’s fated conclusion began on the 6th of Hatsubi.