Lark hovered in the air as he gazed at the corpses of the parasitic demons below. According to His Majesty, the Kalavinka Duchy was not the only territory attacked by the demon horde.
The viscounty where the Leonard School was located, Rock Castle, Quasan City, Marcus Duchy. Even Tranta had been attacked by the demons.
Thousands, if not tens of thousands of people were probably fighting right now for survival.
"Now's not the time to be conserving mana," said Lark.
The bracer on his right arm slowly morphed into a two-meter-long staff. Its shaft platinum, its white crown adorned with five gemstones of different colors—each representing the five basic elements. Each of them created from the core of an Elemental.
Morpheus still had enough mana to cast several pinnacle-grade spells.
Although using a large portion of the artifact's remaining mana carried risks, he'd decided to go all out, using one of the strongest spells at his disposal.
Lark raised the staff and the five gemstones on its crown rapidly spun around. Clumps of mana formed at their center and shot up, forming two overlapping massive formations that covered a portion of the sky.
Using the Sword of Morpheus as its medium, Lark started casting two pinnacle-grade spells at the same time. A feat that should have been impossible for a mere human.
Had Lark attempted to do this without the Sword of Morpheus to act as a medium, he would have immediately died from the severe backlash before completing the spell. Even a dragon's body—if used as a medium— would suffer grave injuries.
Mana continuously shot up from the Sword of Morpheus toward the magic formation. The amount of mana was so colossal that it started parting the clouds, as though a giant hand punched a hole through the sky.
The cores of Elementals not only stabilized the mana, it also hastened the formation of the spell severalfold. And with Lark's guidance, two pinnacle-grade spells were easily formed. The two magic formations overlapped, forming an entirely different spell, giving birth to Unique Magic exclusive to Evander Alaester.
The massive, overlapping magic formations glowed. From within, a thousand ethereal humanoid figures slowly emerged. Their bodies were made of golden light, their wings a semblance of fiery lava. Each of them was holding a spear of fire.
One of Evander Alaester's Unique Magic—Sun God's Army.
One of the skills he used back when he single-handedly repelled the demon lord's army, fifteen hundred years ago.
"Scatter and kill every demon that you find," said Lark in a cold voice.
"Half of you—remain behind. Go."
As though they understood everything Lark had said, the golden soldiers placed their left hands on their chests, bowed their heads, then flew in all directions.
Lark looked at the five hundred golden soldiers that remained. Now the Sword of Morpheus was almost out of mana, he'd decided to keep these soldiers with him.
Lark flew toward the west, in the direction of the Mullgray Islands.
*** [Leonard School] The Leonard School was among the territories that had received the brunt of the demons' attack. After weeks of defending against the demon horde, the territory was finally on the verge of collapse.
Several military officers gathered in the headmaster's office in the academy, discussing their next moves.
"Viscount, we've lost contact with the scouts," reported one of the military officers.
Viscount Zacharia furrowed his brows. Black marks circled his eyes, as though he hadn't slept for several nights. His cheeks were sunken. The large cut across his face— he'd sustained from fighting the demons several days ago—had yet to fully heal.
"This is the third time," the viscount said in a suppressed growled. "We can't even request reinforcements from Yorkshaire Fortress."
Unlike Gryphon City, the walls enclosing the viscounty hardly passed seven meters. The parasitic demons could easily climb them using their tentacles. Moreover, although they had six thousand soldiers under their command, more than two-thirds of them were students. Greenhorns who'd never experienced real battle before.
It was already a miracle they'd managed to survive this long.
"I'm sure His Majesty has noticed our situation," said another officer.
"We just need to hold on a bit longer. I'm sure reinforcements are on their way."
"Let's hope for the best," sighed Viscount Zacharia. His voice felt weak and weary. "We're not the only ones being attacked by those damn monsters. But… if I were His Majesty, I would send out reinforcements to Marcus Duchy and Quasan City first. As long as those two territories do not fall, no harm should befall the capital."
Everyone in the room wore grim faces upon hearing those words. They knew that the viscount was right.
"Brother, at the very least, we need to find a way for the students to escape," said Viscount Zacharia.
The current head of the Leonard School nodded in agreement. "I've already spoken with the instructors. We've already transported the rations in the dungeons. Worse comes to worst, we'll send all of the students there and cover the entrance with boulders."
The strategy sounded simple, almost foolish, but all of the instructors— the current headmaster included—were desperate. They knew it was only a matter of time before the demons finally breached the viscounty's defenses.
When that time came, it would be a lot better to hide the students in the dungeons than let them become prey to those monsters.
The Leonard School's dungeon was located deep underground.
Hopefully, despite their ability to burrow underground, the demons wouldn't find the students.
They'd seen how those demons turned their comrades into mindless monsters. A fate worse than death for soldiers like them.
After the meeting with the top brass ended, Viscount Zacharia went to the underground chamber of his mansion. Every day, without fail, he'd been visiting the only prisoner locked up here.
"Zach," the viscount said in a longing voice.
An eleven-year-old boy named after his father. The kid's body was tied to the walls using metallic chains. His eyes were bloodshot, and small tentacles squirmed out of his mouth.
This boy was among the unfortunate ones near the gates during the monsters' first attack. Although he no longer seemed human, Viscount Zacharia would not give up on his son. Despite the protests of some of the military officers, Zacharia did not kill the boy. Instead, he locked him up in the underground chamber of his mansion.
"Your father is here," said Viscount Zacharia in a trembling voice. His normally domineering voice was gone. His shoulders were quivering as tears flowed down his eyes.
"Zach, what should I do?" The viscount's voice was almost pleading.
"How can your father help you?"
Viscount Zacharia was close to breaking down.
Like a rabid beast, the boy roared. It desperately tried unshackling itself, rattling the chains every now and then. He glared at his father with eyes filled with killing intent.
Viscount Zacharia took out the meal he'd prepared for his son. Raw chicken meat with its innards still intact. The viscount had tried feeding the boy with all kinds of food, but this was the only thing he didn't spit out.
Just like the other humans who had turned into monsters, this boy craved nothing but raw meat.
"It's time to eat, Zach," said the viscount.
The viscount's eyes looked lifeless as he hand-fed his son. Forget finding a cure—they couldn't even call for reinforcements. He knew that they would probably die here, unable to do anything.
A cure.
The viscount was desperate for one.
Even if he had to kneel to His Majesty for help, the viscount was willing to do anything in order for his son to recover from this curse.
Several loud knocks were heard on the underground chamber's door.
"Viscount! Are you inside?"
Viscount Zacharia recognized the voice. It was the leader of the guards in his mansion.
The viscount gazed at his son and said, "Father will be right back," then went out of the underground chamber.
"What is it?" he said.
"My Lord, it's terrible!" The leader of the guards was visibly shaken.
"The gates have been destroyed by the demons!"
Viscount Zacharia turned pallid. The thing they'd been fearing the most was here. Finally, the demons had breached the defenses of the viscounty.
Viscount Zacharia clenched his fists. He ran upstairs, donned his armor, grabbed his sword, and left the mansion. He immediately issued commands and led the soldiers toward the gate.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by a scene of carnage.
Thousands of parasitized humans and parasitic demons had already poured into the viscounty. Dead bodies of soldiers littered the streets.
Viscount Zacharia even recognized several familiar faces among the parasitized humans—most of them were his subordinates, soldiers who'd dedicated their lives to the territory.
Seeing this, all of the soldiers were visibly shaken. Would they become like that too, if they fell prey to these demons?
"Father!" shouted one of the younger soldiers. He almost dropped his sword, seeing his father turn into a monster. He was about to run to his father but was stopped by the viscount.
"Snap out of it! Do you also want to become a monster!?" snarled the viscount. "The headmaster is probably evacuating the students underground as we speak! We need to hold them off here!"
Screeches were heard above. Viscount Zacharia despaired seeing hundreds of sky demons above.
What the hell was happening?
The number of demons attacking them felt more numerous than usual.
Viscount Zacharia remembered his brothers, his wife, his sons. His oldest brother aside, the rest of his family members were non-combatants.
He couldn't afford to let any of these demons pass.
With his vast experience honed from numerous wars during the reign of the Tyrant King, Viscount Zacharia led the remaining soldiers into battle.
"Hold the line! Do not falter!" snarled the viscount.
"Hooah!"
Although they were greatly outnumbered, the soldiers fearlessly blocked the path of the demons. Swords and fleshy tentacles clashed.
Arrows whizzed, screeches echoed. The scent of blood permeated the air.
Viscount Zacharia roared as he continued cutting down parasitic demons one after another. His normally stoic image was gone as he desperately fought for survival.
"Viscount! It's the flare!" shouted one of the soldiers as he pointed. Red powder had exploded in the sky. "It's the signal! They've successfully evacuated the students underground!"
Viscount Zacharia kicked the parasitized human in front of him, sending it flying and rolling on the ground. Using his only hand, he cut the tentacles of the parasitic demons to his left, spun around and evaded the attack to his right, then stabbed the head of the parasitized human at his rear. Everything happened in seconds. Although they were greatly outnumbered, luckily, the martial arts of the Leonard School were extremely effective against the demons.
"Finally," huffed the Viscount. He leaped back and evaded the attack of a parasitic demon hiding underground.
Although they could not accommodate everyone in the underground dungeon, the headmaster promised the viscount he would evacuate his family to the underground shelter, along with the rest of the students.
Your Majesty, I trust that you'll send us reinforcements.
Even if he died here, at the very least, his family would be safe.
Although it might take several days or a couple of weeks, he believed that King Alvis would not forsake this territory and send reinforcements.
With no longer any regard for his life, the viscount charged deeper into the enemy's line. Following behind him were several loyal soldiers, who'd decided to die alongside their lord.
Like a cornered beast, the viscount—a man with a single arm— slaughtered the demons left and right. Even when the soldiers behind him dwindled in number, even when his body was cut and pierced through by fleshy tentacles, he did not stop.
He was in a battle trance.
Right now, there was nothing but him and the demons. His sword moved fluidly as he pushed through the limits of his body.
A tentacle pierced his stomach. His legs wobbled and he almost lost his balance. Summoning his remaining strength, he gripped the hilt of his sword tight and cut the head of the parasitic demon from top to bottom, cleaving its body in half.
Viscount Zacharia looked around him. Most of the soldiers were already dead—only a few hundred remained. A majority of the demon horde had successfully entered the viscounty and were now massacring the residents hiding inside their homes.
Viscount Zacharia's body quivered. He fell to his knees.
This was the end, he was sure of it.
He took out a dagger and pointed it at his neck. At the very least, he wanted to die a human. The last thing he wanted was to become a monster and attack his surviving comrades.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled.
Viscount Zacharia was about to slit his throat when an indescribable heat swept throughout the viscounty. Everyone, including the parasitic demons, looked up at the sky.
The viscount's pupils trembled at what he saw.
Over a hundred golden humanoids were flying in the sky, their hands holding spears.
Monsters?
No, they felt more like soldiers.
If the sky demons were abominations, the golden humanoids felt like divine creatures. It felt as though the messengers of the Gods had suddenly decided to appear before the mortals.
"What's… this?" said the viscount in a whisper. He dropped his dagger and slowly stood.
The sky demons, the parasitic demons, and the parasitized humans stopped in their tracks, clearly afraid of the golden humanoids in the sky.
'They're retreating?' The viscount noticed that the parasitic demons started burrowing themselves underground. The sky demons, on the other hand, kept a safe distance. Even the parasitized humans stopped attacking the humans.
Even from this distance, the viscount could feel the heat emanating from the golden soldiers.
It was surreal. Their bodies were clearly made of fire.
The bodies of the golden soldiers glowed, and as though on cue, they started flying toward the demons in the sky and the parasitic demons below.
The golden soldiers flew at a frightening speed, closing the distance in seconds. Without hesitation, they brandished their fire spears and stabbed the bodies of the sky demons. The sky demons shrieked as their bodies were quickly engulfed by flames. The moment the golden soldiers pulled out their spears, the sky demons fell toward the ground, scorched and lifeless. The parasitic demons below, despite hiding underground, met the same fate.
Viscount Zacharia stood there, frozen, as he watched the one-sided battle.
The demons that had almost destroyed the entire viscounty were being easily massacred by the golden soldiers.
The only thing that worried the viscount was the fact that the golden soldiers did not discriminate between the tentacle monsters and the parasitized humans. Even children that had turned into monsters were killed on sight.
"My Lord!"
Several surviving soldiers ran toward the viscount.
"Your wounds!"
The soldiers were horrified to see the large hole in the viscount's stomach. It was amazing that he was still alive after sustaining that much damage. A normal soldier would have already died by now.
"This is nothing," said the viscount in a weak voice. He'd sustained injuries worse than this before—and he'd survived. "More importantly… those golden soldiers."
The soldiers next to the viscount stared at the massacre unfolding before them. They, too, felt that a god had decided to send his soldiers to this realm to aid mere humans like them. For a moment, they had the urge to kneel down and pray.
"Divine retribution…" mumbled one of the soldiers.
"I don't know what those things are… But it seems we'll survive to see another day, My Lord."