Chapter 752: To The End (11)

“We will win! We are here to win!”

“Push them. Don’t let them rise to the sky! Keep the magic up at all times!”

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

“Die!”

“Support! Support!”

“Lift your shields! Lift your shields!”

‘This is dangerous.’

“Don’t break the line. Push it forward!”

‘It’s dangerous.’

“It’s dangerous. Damn it.”

I could see that the situation wasn’t good. It was premature to predict how the battle would go, but there was a natural flow on every battlefield.

‘How many places haven’t collapsed yet? Are they holding on properly?’

I saw a demon throwing a spear. After lowering my head to dodge it, I immediately picked up my ax and cleaved it into his shoulder. It should’ve been painful enough, but he threw a spear again without screaming. If it weren’t for the fellow next to me, I probably would’ve already had a spear stuck in my throat.

I was out of breath, but for the time being, I had no choice but to keep swinging my ax. It was impossible to turn my back in the current state of war, after all.

It was no longer possible to retreat.

‘Is Oscar okay?’

It seemed that she was safe, considering I could still hear her continuous loud warcries. Still, that was merely relieving, not a sign of a hopeful situation. After all, since the frontline was broken, we could be considered to be in a completely surrounded situation.

Perhaps at that rate, the main unit where Oscar was in would also be in danger.

I didn’t want to have sinister thoughts, but I thought this was where I would breathe my last.

“Hold on until the end. To the end! Don’t collapse! Never! Don’t collapse!”

“We will win! We will win!”

How long had we been fighting demons? It was then that a voice came from next to me.

“Squad Commander McCree.”

“Yes?”

“We have to move now.”

“Where are we heading?”

“Where Oscar is.”

“…”

“The line has already completely collapsed. It would be best to join them. We just need to go through the enemies. I want you to take the lead.”

“…”

“I will buy you some time here.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for me to stay…”

“No. I can’t entrust this kind of work to those who are still very young.”

The man was once called the Imperial Sword, a great commander who went through countless life-and-death situations and led numerous battlefields to victory. He was also the armed force that defended the imperial family.

As I slowly looked at his face, I began to notice his complicated expression.

“Victor Hart.”

“I regret it.”

“…”

“I regret the past. I hate to admit it, but I have no choice. Whatever his intentions, he changed the empire… no, he changed the continent. I couldn’t understand why Benignore chose him, but now I can. Go and protect the new leader. Oh, and…”

“What is it?”

“Please send my regards to the Honorary Cardinal.”

“What?”

“Now.”

“Yes… Okay.”

Shortly after I saw Victor Hart raising his huge sword, a small but safe space was opened before me.

The time to think was short. For the time being, it was best to proceed with the plan right away.

“Go! Move! We’ll join Oscar!”

“This is our last battleground, warriors of the State.”

When I heard that line, shouts began to erupt behind me. The troops who were trying to somehow open the way didn’t seem to be afraid of death.

Even though they instinctively felt that it was the end, they held their shields against the enemies. Even I, who had wandered through numerous battlefields, had never seen such a sight. Where in the world was there a noble death?

Death was always miserable and awful.

But… I could agree with them. That was what a cause was. They knew their death wouldn’t be worthless.

They fought to protect the continent. They fought for justice and the light.

They must’ve had the divine in their hearts. They fought with the great light from the Honorary Cardinal in their arms, after all, and they understood that their sacrifices wouldn’t be in vain.

I understood that too.

I fought for the continent like the Honorary Cardinal. I fought not to let the darkness devour our home. I didn’t stand on the battlefield with a grandiose will, but I also had something I wanted to protect.

I could see the leader from not too far away. A symbol of freedom that led the State to a revolution. The revolutionary, who cut her hair short to show that she was dedicating everything to the State, lifted her sword high and guarded a small ember.

“Don’t be afraid of death, soldiers of the State. Remember that our death will not be in vain. Honorary Cardinal and history itself will remember us. I will remember you. I have captured each and every face of our warriors in my eyes and embedded it into my memory.”

‘Oscar.’

“I am proud, heroes of the State. The history! Our future generations! I’m so proud to think that they’ll sing about our actions here. I feel glorified to think that I’ll be remembered with the heroes here. You all should be proud, just as I am.”

‘Oscar.’

“Don’t lose the torch of hope until the end. Even if we lose, the light will triumph. Benignore’s sons and daughters will eventually win. Resist until your very last breath! Our ends will surely be a boon to the light. Remember that Benignore’s State was founded under the belief in resisting for freedom. That will be your strength. Our roots will give you the power you need to fight. Show the pride of the State people. Show our enemies that we are Benignore’s sons and daughters!”

‘She’s someone who couldn’t handle swords properly.’

It couldn’t be said that it would be beneficial for the battle, but it was a great strength to be with her in such a deathly place. It was comforting just to say that I would die beside the great woman who stood at the top of the State.

But…

‘She shouldn’t face the end with us.’

No such history should be written. Oscar should be remembered for a long time as the leader of the State. She had to remain as someone who changed the State, not as a tragic leader who faced the end with her soldiers.

Many of us probably thought of the same thing.

In the eyes of the countless soldiers who tried to maintain the frontline somehow with their teeth clenched, there was a conviction that they wanted to fight for the leader who thought of them sincerely.

‘We have to make sure she lives.’

Even if there was a limit to my sacrifice, we still had to protect her.

‘Benignore. You can take my little life away. However, please allow the symbol of the State you chose to remain for a long time.’

“Oh, Benignore.”

“Protect her! Block them with all your might!”

“The torch of hope will never burn out. Even if we fall, the light will triumph. We must offer our strength to the light and the Honorary Cardinal!”

“Hold on! Hold on!”

“Holy Knights! Do not falter. Benignore will lead you into the bosom of the light. The Honorary Cardinal will guide us to Benignore’s side!”

“Benignore! Benignore!”

“For the Son of God. For those who the light has chosen.”

“Let’s protect Oscar. Protect the State!”

However, the battlefield gradually tilted. As the heroes who were with us fell one by one, Oscar screamed with all she had. The hope in her eyes never disappeared. However, she was biting her lips tightly.

I didn’t know why, but the Imperial Sword’s face I saw a little while ago overlapped.

‘Regret?’

I didn’t know what her regrets were, but she seemed to be muttering a little. Perhaps she was saying her final words.

It was just after that that Oscar’s face began to change slowly.

‘Huh…’

A very small hope entered her eyes. Her joyful face rose.

“Reinforcements.”

“Ah…”

“Reinforcements! Reinforcements are coming! Hold on a little more, heroes of the continent!”

“Ha… Hahahaha!”

“You just have to hold on for a little more! Hold on a bit more!”

“Reinforcements…”

I felt as if the flow of air had changed.

“Prepare the magic! Magic!”

“What… the…”

Something was going on. There was no indication, but I suddenly felt that way.

As I looked at the sky, I saw a black dot flying in, drawing a line.

‘What is that?’

The black line soon disappeared, but I saw the demons, who had just been confronting the troops not far away, had their necks sliced apart cleanly.

It wasn’t just those demons. As if someone was drawing a large circle to the right, the bodies of the pigeons surrounding the ally troops were falling like autumn leaves.

The same happened to those who soared into the air in an instant. All I could see were our enemies dropping to the ground with their wings cut off in the air.

“A miracle?”

There was nothing visible other than the black light’s afterimages. Literally, black rays of light illuminated the sky.

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaash!

The ground cracked. I couldn’t really figure out what was happening right at that moment.

Those who stared blankly at that sight didn’t even shout. The sight was so perplexing that they were speechless.

I began to see wizards and priests chanting spells in the air.

The flashing light continued to spread out, creating more beams. Dozens of airborne demons fell helplessly. The black entity then went to the left.

It passed so fast that I couldn’t see it properly, but it continued to dominate the battlefield.

“Ha… haha…”

Boooooooom!!

Immediately after a loud sound was heard, a dark circle landed on the enemy force. It was like drawing a picture. No, it seemed like a meteor was falling.

‘What did I just… Am I… having a dream?’

It churned the entire battlefield. The demons were busy getting buried on the floor. I couldn’t understand anything that was going on.

‘What… the hell is going on?’

“It’s the Sunset Swordsman.”

“What?”

“The Sunset Swordsman has come!”

A loud voice burst out among the wizards.

‘The Sunset Swordsman? That black line?’

“T-That?”

Fortunately, it didn’t take too long until the question was resolved. When the black line finally stopped in the air…

“Blue… Guild Master.”

I could see the hero breathing slowly.

He looked more like a demon than a hero due to his black wings and large horns paired with long hair and blood-red eyes. I didn’t know if it was because it was just after showing an unrealistic sight, but fear came first rather than awe.

“Demon…”

I muttered.

The moment I looked at the divinely shining golden left eye, I corrected myself unknowingly.

“No, that’s… a god…”