NOVPUBSlash!
Belinda skewered one of the Grex lunging at her, panting as she spoke in an exhausted tone.
“Milord, do you think we can really make it to the fortress?”
“Of course! Don’t worry; we’ll get there just fine. Thanks to you two showing up, our chances have increased significantly. Though, let’s be honest, I probably could have made it alone. Still, it’s much easier with you both here.”
Ghislain’s innocent response ignited Belinda’s temper.
“How can you always be so arrogant? We can barely move forward right now!”
Both she and Gillian were on the brink of exhaustion. The number of Grex seemed to have grown even more compared to earlier. There didn’t appear to be a way to break through the swarming monsters.
Even so, Ghislain laughed lightly as he swung his sword.
“Come on, just push a little harder. We’re almost there, aren’t we?”
“I’m telling you, we’re completely out of strength! We haven’t moved an inch forward for a while now! I’ll clear the way somehow, so at least you go ahead, Milord!”
“No, we’ve come this far together. Piote will take care of the rest.”
“What did you just say?”
Belinda was so stunned by his sudden remark that she momentarily forgot to swing her dagger. Even Gillian, ever composed, audibly gasped in surprise.
Piote was a priest. He was likely tending to the wounded at the fortress even now. He wasn’t someone capable of lending aid in a battlefield like this.
But Ghislain maintained his confident smile.
“Trust your comrades during moments like this. There’s a reason he’s called a saint—or is it a saintess?”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their conversation was cut short as the three of them clenched their teeth and fought against the endless wave of Grex. They were so physically drained that even breathing too hard would sap their strength further.
At the fortress, Piote wasn’t the only priest present—there were ten others stationed there.
These priests had originally come with an army of victimized investors during the previous war, but Ghislain had detained them, securing a provisional reassignment letter from Porisco to ensure they couldn’t leave.
Now dragged into the Forest of Beasts, these priests were tirelessly supporting the soldiers from the rear with their holy powers.
Among them, Piote moved briskly, observing the knights as they prepared for battle.
“I have to help.”
While Piote had received combat training from Ghislain, he still wasn’t skilled enough to contribute much in direct fights.
As he scanned the battlefield again, nausea rose in his throat.
“Don’t retreat! If we fall back, it’s over!”
“Push them back! Break apart the ones clinging on!”
“The Lord is coming! Cover him!”
The sight of countless soldiers struggling against the endless tide of monsters was dizzying. Piote had never seen such carnage before. The sheer brutality made him feel like vomiting.
But he couldn’t turn away. Fighting against such wicked beings was a divine mission entrusted to him by the goddess. The sacred scriptures declared monsters as unnatural abominations of the world.
The mages stood grim-faced, rooted in place. Their lack of spellcasting made it evident they were preparing for something significant, something that required Ghislain’s arrival.
Piote’s gaze landed on Alfoy, who was lying on the ground, wheezing.
“...Still alive, huh.”
The thought came unbidden, and Piote quickly shook his head in shock.
How could a priest, a servant of the divine, harbor such petty resentment? Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and muttered a prayer.
“Goddess...”
Since receiving his revelation, Piote’s body had undergone strange changes. His control over holy power had become smoother, and the more he used it, the larger his reserves seemed to grow.
At first, he had been bewildered, but he soon realized it was a blessing from the goddess. He understood that this gift came with immense responsibility.
As holy power surged within him, Piote clenched his fists.
“I don’t know much about war. I don’t know when or how to fight properly.”
But one thing was clear: Ghislain was isolated, the mages were waiting for their chance, and the knights were trying to carve a path.
Before the mission had started, Ghislain had spoken to him.
“This mission is incredibly dangerous. The capture team might not make it in time. When that happens, we’ll need your power.”
“Me? But how? What should I do?”
“There will come a moment when either the capture team or the fortress forces are in grave danger. That’s when you step in. If I’m not there, you’ll have to decide for yourself.”
“But I don’t know how to recognize such a moment. Please, tell me when and how.”
Ghislain had simply shaken his head.
“I can’t tell you when. The battlefield constantly changes. But you’ll feel it. If you pay attention to the flow of battle, you’ll know when it’s time to act.”
Now, Piote realized that moment had come.
He raised his hands to the heavens, closed his eyes, and let the radiant light of holy power erupt from him.
“Behold, you will grow strong in the goddess’s power. Wear the full armor granted to oppose the wicked.”
Brilliant light poured from his hands, spreading outward to encompass the entire fortress.
“The goddess proclaims: I have given you authority to trample them and overcome all the enemy’s power. Nothing shall harm you.”
“Goddess... please, protect them,” Piote whispered.
The radiant light reached its zenith and then vanished, leaving behind only a blinding flash.
“What... what is this?”
“I feel unstoppable!”
“My wounds are gone!”
The soldiers, realizing their newfound state, shouted in amazement. Strength coursed through their bodies, minor injuries were healed instantly, and even the bedridden wounded rose to their feet.
The change wasn’t just physical recovery.
Spears now pierced through Grex skulls with ease. Arrows, fired with newfound strength, tore through multiple monsters in a single shot. Even the soldiers themselves glowed faintly with silvery light.
“Screeeech!”
One soldier, struck by a Grex’s claw, looked down in confusion.
Normally, such an attack would have shredded his flesh. But the glowing light around him had completely nullified the blow.
“Haha! Take this!”
Emboldened, the soldier drove his spear into the Grex’s skull, killing it instantly. With this newfound strength, the monstrous horde no longer seemed so terrifying.
Encouraged, the soldiers pushed harder, their attacks becoming faster and more relentless.
Piote smiled faintly as he watched the transformation. Blood dripped from his nose, and his body swayed weakly.
“It’s enough... They’ll save the Lord now.”
He muttered to himself before collapsing.
The other priests stationed nearby trembled as they witnessed the miraculous scene.
“What... what is this?”
“How could a mere priest possess such power?”
“Is... is the rumor true?”
They had heard whispers that Piote was a saint. Many had scoffed at the idea, dismissing it as baseless talk. But now, faced with this undeniable miracle, they could no longer deny the truth.
“I... I need to report this...”
“Will they believe us? Probably not, right?”
“I don’t know...”
The power Piote had just displayed wasn’t something any ordinary priest could wield. Even though none of them had ever seen a saintess before, it was clear that only someone of that caliber could unleash such power.
The priests wore complicated expressions. It was hard to process how a low-ranking priest they had always dismissed had gained such strength. Jealousy mixed with an overwhelming sense of futility.
“No matter how unfair divine power is... this is just too much!”
As the priests simmered in their envy, Piote’s miraculous power temporarily shifted the tides of the battlefield.
Screeeech!
The relentless momentum of the Grex began to wane. For the first time, more of them were dying than filling the clearing.
Kaor wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.
“Now’s our chance.”
The knights, already prepared for a charge, had hesitated momentarily, stunned by Piote’s display of power. That brief pause, however, had given them the perfect timing for their assault.
The holy light radiated through their bodies as well, allowing them to channel every bit of mana they would have used for defense into their legs.
“Let’s go!”
Kaor and 400 knights leapt from the fortress in unison.
The charge of the Fenris knights was a force so devastating it could break through formations held by thousands of enemy soldiers.
Though they lacked their mounts, the raw explosive power coursing through their legs compensated for that loss.
BOOM!
Screeeech!
Nothing could stop the knights as they advanced with their greatswords raised. Every Grex in their path was crushed or torn apart in a single blow.
The knights didn’t glance to the sides. Their focus was solely on breaking through the crimson wall of monsters ahead.
Meanwhile, Ghislain, Belinda, and Gillian faced a similar situation.
Ghislain’s crimson eyes glowed even brighter as he grinned.
“See? I told you Piote would pull through.”
Belinda and Gillian both smiled as they tightened their grips on their weapons.
“As expected, Milord had everything planned from the start.”
“I’ll take the lead, Lord Ghislain.”
Their stamina had completely recovered, and though their mana reserves hadn’t returned, they felt a power that surpassed their usual limits.
Even the Grex swarming them couldn’t inflict any damage on Belinda and Gillian anymore. All they had to do now was charge forward.
“Let’s go. This power won’t last forever.”
BOOM!
Ghislain swung his sword, tearing through the wall of Grex in front of them. Belinda and Gillian followed closely, disregarding defense entirely as they focused all their strength on the attack.
The breakthrough, which had previously stalled, now surged forward with unstoppable force.
Riiiip!
Screeeech!
It was as if the knights led by Kaor and the group led by Ghislain were closing in on the Grex from opposite directions.
The monsters caught between the two forces were torn apart as though caught in a grinder. Even as more Grex poured into the battlefield, reinforcements from the fortress provided enough cover for both groups to advance steadily.
Finally, Ghislain’s group and the knights met.
BOOM!
With a vicious swing, Ghislain sent the remaining Grex flying and laughed wickedly.
“I told you to stay and guard the fortress!”
Kaor and the knights chuckled, unbothered.
“Well, we don’t exactly follow orders well—must’ve learned that from you, Milord.”
“Fine, thanks to you, this’ll be faster. Let’s move!”
Ghislain, Gillian, and Kaor took the lead, with the knights following close behind. Belinda slid into the middle of the group and muttered.
“Ugh, this is exhausting. I could use a break.”
BOOM!
The Fenris knights led by Ghislain displayed such overwhelming force that calling them the kingdom’s finest was no exaggeration. Their strength and reputation were well-earned.
The Grex didn’t stand a chance. They were slaughtered before they could mount any effective counterattack.
Even as more monsters surged in to fill the gaps, support from the fortress ensured Ghislain and the knights could keep pushing forward.
“Block the reinforcements coming from behind!”
Galbaric’s booming voice carried over the battlefield as he directed the repositioning of the trebuchets.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Dozens of boulders rained down, targeting the Grex chasing after the knights. At the same time, arrows fired from the fortress’s towers poured down in unrelenting waves, flanking the advancing knights.
Thanks to this coordination, Ghislain and his forces managed to reach the fortress gates safely.
Cheers erupted from the fortress as they arrived.
“Lord Ghislain has returned!”
“Push harder! We’ve almost made it!”
“Wooooo!”
The soldiers cheered as Ghislain and the knights climbed back into the fortress. Ropes prepared in advance made it easy for them to ascend with just a few quick movements.
Covered in blood and exhaustion, Ghislain decapitated a pursuing Grex as he shouted.
“Is anyone left behind?”
“No, Milord!”
The knights responded in unison, their voices strong. They immediately dispersed to assist the soldiers scattered throughout the fortress.
With Ghislain’s return, the soldiers’ morale surged to its peak.
Yet the number of Grex remained overwhelming. Despite all the fighting, the crimson tide roaring through the forest and across the battlefield showed no sign of stopping.
Piote’s divine blessing was beginning to fade. The light surrounding the soldiers flickered weakly, a clear sign that it would soon disappear entirely.
It was time to unleash the final strike.
“Vanessa!”
At Ghislain’s command, Vanessa, who had been conserving her strength until now, stepped forward.
BOOOOM!
An immense pressure of magical energy began to envelop the fortress, suffocating the air around it.
