Chapter 228
Duke Hispenril struck a few statue-like poses towards the onlookers before regaining his composure.
He commanded the Duchy Knights behind him.
“My attack is wide-area but linear, so it has limitations. You all take care of any demons that slip through.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Upon hearing their loyal reply, the Duke immediately clenched both fists.
Then he furiously pounded the empty space in front of him as if it were a punching bag.
<Screech!>
<Screeeeech!>
Demons 50 meters away melted into nothing.
The Duke’s aura-infused punches reached all the way to the central plaza, periodically sweeping away newly appearing demons.
Indeed, it was no exaggeration to say that Duke Hispenril alone was taking out more than half of the demon army.
The knights watching thought:
‘The demons aren’t even slipping through, they can’t even get close to this area…?’
They grew sullen from having nothing to do.
Thus, the northern street was extremely safe, thanks to Duke Hispenril.
Meanwhile, Eltea was in charge of defending the eastern street.
“How dare these filthy demon bastards crawl out.”
The pink-haired knight, holding a long spear in her right hand and a short spear in her left, was single-handedly sweeping through the demon race.
She penetrated the enemy lines with footwork that was the epitome of grace, drawing nimble circles with her two spears.
The dazzling Aura sliced through the demons.
The Duchy Knights were moved by Eltea’s overwhelming martial prowess.
“As expected of Lady Eltea!”
“Kuh-heup, Hispenril’s future is bright!”
“Loyalty, loyalty.”
“Spend less time chattering and more time slaying!”
“Yes, Lady Eltea!”
Around that time, the S-rank boss, Grim Reaper Lord, emerged from the Gate again. It tried to break through the defensive line without engaging the knights.
“La-Lady Eltea!”
“Understood! Fall back!”
Eltea reacted immediately to the knights’ calls for help. She re-gripped her long and short spears and leaped.
Boom!
The two spears clashed with the giant reaper’s scythe blade.
She entered the battle with the resolve to absolutely not let it pass this point.
The reason was…
“Do you think I’d let you touch my husband? Huh?”
The eastern street she was defending was also the path leading to the Golden Ivory Tower.
Currently, a temporary treatment center for patients affected by the dark green smoke was set up in the front yard of the Golden Ivory Tower.
Alchemists were also medical professionals specializing in pharmacology, so their role was paramount at this moment.
Leonard Rodelain was especially so.
“So this was the plague the child was worried about,” Leonard muttered, covering his mouth and nose with a cloth.
Leonard had spent some time preparing to develop a plague cure using the Elephantipe Herb with his beloved daughter.
He had planned to create dozens of prototypes in advance and, if the problematic plague occurred, select the most effective one and process it into a complete form.
If, as in the original story, a Dungeon Drain had occurred as a precursor to Walpurgis Night, and a Dungeon Burst had happened a week later, they would have been able to respond sufficiently.
However, the disaster occurred much earlier, and the time gap between the Dungeon Drain and Dungeon Burst was also short.
Response was impossible.
‘For now, I’ve figured out that Reagent #47 is the most suitable as a cure…’
The Elephantipe Herb, the core ingredient of the cure, was in Gillette Territory.
With Spatial Teleportation Stones blocked, they had to focus on symptomatic treatment using only the potions distributed in the Duchy for now.
Leonard looked over at Hilde, who was treating a small child nearby.
“Hilde, is the Divine Power effective?”
Hilde, who possessed a Cardinal-level 7th Divine Power Tier, looked on the verge of tears from frustration.
“It’s no use. My power isn’t enough…”
“Not even with 7th Tier…”
“I-I’m sorry… for not being helpful…”
“Hilde, hush. You’re doing well enough. Don’t be upset. Let’s do our best, okay?”
“Leonard-sensei…”
Perhaps kindness was more piercing, as Leonard’s patting and comfort had a counterproductive effect.
Just as Leonard was about to gently put his arm around Hilde’s shoulders, which had begun to tremble faintly.
Shweeeeeeek!
“…!”
A sinister tearing sound pierced his ears. A Demon Realm bat had broken through the eastern street’s defensive line.
<Human male! Old, but to my taste! Give me your blood!>
“Gasp!”
The bat, mouth wide open, flew rapidly towards Leonard.
The moment its glinting fangs were about to sink into Leonard’s vulnerable neck.
Thwack!
Hilde struck the bat with an aura-infused fist.
The bat, sent flying far away, bounced off building roofs four times like a skipping stone before disappearing.
“Are you alright, Sensei?”
“Uh, uh, uh-huh, thank you, Hilde.”
“No problem.”
“You’re truly amazing. How did you do that just now?”
“I tried applying Divine Power to the fist techniques I learned from His Grace the Duke…”
“Incredible. That’s very impressive.”
Hilde smiled shyly and stood up.
“The battle seems fierce on the front line. May I go help Sir Eltea and the knights for a moment…? I’ll also heal them…”
“Uh-huh, yes. Be careful, Hilde.”
“Yes, Sensei…!”
Leonard, waving goodbye to the receding Hilde, suddenly thought:
‘I’m the only one who can’t fight…’
He felt an uncalled-for sense of alienation.
The remaining two areas were the western and southern streets. The paths there were guarded by Printz and Raywin, and the Silver Citadel Knights, respectively.
The two men in Royal Knight Uniforms cut down demons at the forefront.
Seeing the endless stream of enemies, Printz shouted:
“Raywin! You leave Peronsa via the west gate! Return to the Royal Palace!”
“What are you saying, Printz? With Peronsa in this state, how can I abandon my post alone?!”
“Lady Hilde said earlier. She had a premonition about today’s events before her journey. She said all nations would be in danger.”
“What? Then surely…”
Raywin smashed a skeleton with his sword hilt, his face surprised.
Printz parried an attack coming from Raywin’s blind spot and continued.
“Yes, the royal capital Wilhellon might be in a similar situation. You go and confirm it.”
Printz was the Duke’s grandson, and Bianca was also here. He naturally had to remain in Peronsa and protect this place.
“Understood, Printz. I’ll confirm and return immediately.”
Raywin nodded heavily, then turned his back and moved away.
“Hoo.”
The time he could gaze at his friend’s retreating back was short.
Printz, left behind, once again took a deep breath, glaring straight ahead.
“Come on, come!”
His aura-infused sword drew a trajectory of light. The fierce battle continued on the western street.
And finally, the southern street.
The direction defended by Iphail, Hestio, and Ash was relatively quiet.
“Why do demons seem to be coming less this way? Is it just my imagination?”
“My senses are telling me the same thing, Brother Iphail.”
“An assassin’s senses are trustworthy, Hestio.”
“Brother Hestio, really… Thank you for the compliment.”
Even as they idly chatted back and forth, Iphail and Ash did not stop stabbing, slicing, stomping, and kicking the demons.
Hestio was also busy scattering weakening skills everywhere.
“It’s good for us, but how did this happen?”
“I don’t know, Ash. Is it because this is behind the Gate?”
“Even considering that, there seem to be fewer, Brother Hestio.”
Ash and Hestio pondered but couldn’t find an answer.
Then, Iphail, who had been swinging his sword without much thought, unexpectedly offered a plausible opinion.
“Isn’t it because there’s a church behind us?”
“Oh?”
“Ooh?”
About a hundred meters behind where the three men stood, there was Saint Agnes Church.
In fact, Iphail’s guess was close to the truth.
Saint Agnes Church was the first Incantation Cult branch, holding a status comparable to the Pontifical Palace for the Order Religion.
Even without a Holy Ground Construction artifact, it functioned as a holy ground, abundantly blessed by the real god, the ‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World.’
That wasn’t all. Saint Agnes Church was full of miraculous holy artifacts received from the Possession Management Bureau Gods during the last founding anniversary.
A pure gold communion set.
An Inexhaustible Holy Oil Vessel.
An auto-charging cash offering box.
A Handmade Lily Garland.
The holy artifacts placed throughout the chapel emitted powerful divine energy.
Among them, the ‘Handmade Lily Garland’ adorning the cross on the church roof had an especially miraculous effect.
It was equipped with a function like mosquito repellent, driving away wicked beings.
For that reason, the southern street had some breathing room. However, they couldn’t simply rejoice.
“No matter how many we defeat, there’s no end.”
“Indeed. I’m getting a bit tired, brothers.”
“When will this finally end? At this rate, my Divine Power will run out.”
As the battle was becoming a war of attrition, humans with limited stamina couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Just then.
Kiiiiiiiiii—.
A mournful wail, like a ghost’s cry, covered all of Peronsa. An ominous premonition scraped at their eardrums.
Everyone who had been scattered, fighting individual battles, turned to look at the central plaza. At that moment.
Flap, flap!
Pitch-black shadows burst out of the Gate into the night sky.
They were the silhouettes of monstrous birds that looked as if they were cut from and clumped together out of pitch-black darkness.
<Screech!>
The black silhouettes flew around like living beings, howling with terrifying cries.
There were thirteen in total. They soared through the night sky and began to spew black flames onto the ground.
Whoosh!
The ground was defenseless against the breath pouring down from the air. The central plaza instantly became a hell teeming with black sulfur fire.
“Aaaargh! It’s hot!”
“Th-the flames are coming!”
Black flames surged down the main road, engulfing several knights on the frontline.
The defensive line was pushed back to where the flames couldn’t reach.
Some knights tried to shoot down the Shadow Monstrous Birds by launching Aura into the sky.
However, at mid-to-high expert level, their range and power were insufficient.
Furthermore, the Shadow Monstrous Birds were quick and agile, as expected of flying creatures.
Around that time, everyone saw the Shadow Monstrous Birds preparing to spew their hellish breath again.
“Gasp…!”
“N-no!”
Everyone scattered on the main roads turned pale.
This was because Peronsa’s forces were mostly Aura users, and as confirmed just moments ago, Aura users were vulnerable to airborne enemies.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“Huuuuaaagh!”
Duke Hispenril, who was defending the northern street, immediately moved.
It was time for an Aura Master to shine.
Privilege for the Possessor