Chapter 26

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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One of the soldiers who had quickly escaped from the fleeing civilians rushed to the front of Worm. While it was a poor choice in terms of footwork, it was neither reckless nor hasty. It was a wise decision to be wary of the fire magic that had swept away the archers. The strategy of the anti-magic soldiers was to get close and take the initiative.

"Roar!!!"

Without losing momentum, the spearman raised his short spear and struck down from above. The spear, which bent and whistled through the air, aimed for Sauria. Even if the blow was blocked by the helmet, the impact would easily shatter the skull. The spearman likely intended to force a dodge with a downward strike and then take control of the pace with thrusts. The advantage of a simple spear lies in its lightness. The speed of the thrusts, which followed one after another without a break, was unmatched by other melee weapons. The lightness of the spear's strikes was also compensated for by the downward strikes.

Considering the follow-up from the rear, the number of enemies had to be reduced. Worm, avoiding a prolonged standoff, crouched and swung his halberd. The halberd, equipped with a branch blade and an axe head, was extremely heavy. Although he had struggled with its weight when he first took it up, it was the weapon he had used the longest among his arsenal, even longer than the demon mask.

The spear, which had been aimed at the ground, suddenly changed course and aimed for the sky. The two spears crossed and clashed. The spearman's elbows, along with his spear, were pushed back and bounced into the air. Worm, following the inertia of the halberd, rotated like a top, pivoting on his ankles and hips. The spearman, wide-eyed in shock, extended his elbows to create space between the spear and his body. It was a defensive technique derived from staff fighting, but it was no longer relevant.

"Ugh, ah, ah!?"

The halberd, wrapped in magic, snapped the spear like a twig and carved a single wound into the armor. The spearman crumpled to his knees and fell forward as if in penance. Viscous blood flowed out around him. Although his intestines were prevented from spilling out by his armor, the immediate death left little meaning.

"Do not waver. Attack!!!"

With the skilled soldier as a sacrifice, the soldiers and their blades approached as a group. Defending on the spot would be overwhelmed by the difference in numbers. Worm, without time to properly channel his magic, recklessly unleashed it in front of him. The fierce flames covered and obscured the imperial knights and the spearman's corpse, turning the view blue. Although it was a bluff with hastily channeled magic, the flash and heat were real. Some stopped in fear of the primal terror of fire, while others covered their vital points with their hands. In front of the "Will-o'-the-wisp" user, these reactions were fatal.

Narrowing his eyes against the searing heat, the only one who tried to assess the situation was unlucky. He had been the most militarily valuable to Worm. By the time the blue flames flickered, a hole had been pierced in his throat. The demon mask, drenched in fresh blood, chuckled drunkenly. By the time the soldiers on either side realized the thrusts from the flames, one had his neck sliced by the branch blade, and the second thrust stirred the eye socket of another soldier.

"Inside the fire!!!"

With a battle cry, the warhammer wielder's horizontal swing cut through the flames, but Worm slid between the remaining two in a lizard-like crouch. One of the soldiers, trying to cleave the knight with a longsword, was deceived by the distance due to the blue flames. The sharp blade only grazed the air. It was not wise to let him take the back. One of the soldiers, attempting to turn, fell on his buttocks.

"Stand up—"

The warhammer wielder, frustrated, was about to scold him, but his words caught in his throat at the sight of his comrade on the ground. Worm, as he passed by, had used the branch blade to tear from the knee tendons to the thigh.

"Phew, ugh!!"

Whether to aid his comrade or eliminate the threat, the warhammer wielder, wavering, received Worm's answer from the highest position. With a short breath, the accelerating axe head cut through from the shoulder to the side. The soldier, collapsing on top of his fallen comrade, was dead. The soldier, trying to stand up by pushing the corpse away, fell again.

The laceration reached the artery. It might have been possible to extend his life by containing the blood loss with a magic barrier, but the source of life had already flowed too much. With labored, gasping breaths, he clutched the earth and stopped moving. Worm, having dealt with him, had no time to watch. Many more attackers remained.

"What the hell is he!?"

"Do not engage him directly! Focus on restraining him!!!"

More soldiers were assigned to Worm, while the enemy commander instructed his troops to buy time.

"Break down the door!!!"

"Do not let him escape. Secure the back door too."

In addition to the front entrance that Worm was guarding, orders were given in rapid succession. Worm had assumed the commander was among the vanguard, but he was wrong. Despite sending five more to the afterlife, the command structure remained intact. It was evidence of the presence of experienced veterans or non-commissioned officers.

"Hook his limbs!!!"

"Do not engage in melee, maintain your distance!!!"

To avoid getting too deep into the knight, the attackers kept provoking. Amid the chaos, a dull thud echoed. It was clearly not the sound of hitting a person. The uninvited guest was rudely knocking on the armored door with a mace. At the edge of his vision, the mace head, guided by centrifugal force, struck the center of the armored door, splintering the wood. The rhythmic sound of destruction continued. The annoying attackers were compensating for the difference in skill with numbers and distance. He could not afford to turn his back and retreat.

"A few more hits—Gah, ah!!!"

A more shrill sound of destruction was followed by a scream. A shadow stretched from the distorted gap in the armored door. It was the short spear of the accompanying cavalry. The spear tip pierced the weak point in the armor, the armpit, and reached the chest. There was no need to inspect. It was a fatal wound.

"Ugh, hey, we're ready for you."

"Push back, overwhelm them!!!"

The former Ferius soldier, who had been attacked by the shell-encased oyster, angrily thrust his mace and sword into the gap, but with little success. The struggle over the armored door continued intensely and without pause.

"Huff, huff—huff"

Breathing heavily, he moved like a flowing stream. Worm, like the enemy soldiers, shifted from a strategy of killing with one blow to one of precisely weakening the limbs. He used every part of the halberd, from the tip to the branch blade, axe head, and pommel. He changed his grip, thrust, struck, hooked, and slashed without being noticed. The halberd was stained with a mix of blood and flesh. The demon mask mocked the slow-roasting skewers.

"If you won't help, then shut up."

His harsh words, delivered in a breath he did not want to waste, only made the situation more annoying. Worm, tired of the undisciplined faces, was not alone in his frustration. The attackers, more accurately, the imperial knights, were similarly annoyed.

"Focus on me, and you'll see something good."

The attacker, as if to limit his space, made a move to attach himself to the door. Worm, who could not ignore it, had to deal with it, wearing down his nerves. If he could burn them with the "Will-o'-the-wisp," he could incinerate those who could not create a magic barrier, but burning the city would only please the demon mask. Besides, burning the person he was supposed to protect would be no laughing matter.

"Over here!!!"

"We're going to blow the door open."

Worm inwardly cursed at the new arrivals. The rising magic power was a clear sign of an attack spell. A valuable magic soldier, accompanied by guards, was coming. The target was both Worm and the door. Given the call to avoid, it was likely a soil projectile or—

Before he could finish his thought, the magic was cast.

An ice spear, a semi-transparent, corporeal water-based attack spell. While crushing a soldier's finger with the pommel, Worm pulled back his halberd. The front line's restraint loosened, fearing they would be caught in the blast. He glared at the flying ice spear with his magic eye and met it with his halberd. He had no intention of engaging in a contest of strength. The shock ran through his hand, but his fingers held the handle. The axe head scraped the surface of the ice, altering its trajectory. The ice spear pierced the outer wall without hitting the imperial knight or the door.

"Ugh, you cut it."

"…Next, keep it up!!!"

Worm smiled behind his mask. In a fight to the death, the one who flinches loses. The commander, who had been calm in giving orders, clearly panicked in front of his men. It would be a dirty fight, but he was originally a knight from a humble farming background. He was well-accustomed to such dirty battles.