Chapter 37 : Black Lion -1
"No, what is this……?"
It was about an hour after the battle began that James realized the situation was taking a serious turn.
The soldiers at the vanguard, who had been pushing back Alcala just a moment ago, started vomiting blood and collapsing one by one.
The cause that made them like this was precisely that.
"Commander-in-Chief, look at the moon over there!"
"W-what is happening!"
SKREEEEECH!!!
The moon, dyed in black, was letting out a screech.
The moon was continuously spewing out a violet halo that was ominous beyond measure.
The soldiers directly hit by the halo vomited blood and collapsed right on that spot.
"B-block it! What are the mages doing! Cast shields to protect the soldiers immediately!"
James gave the order in an urgent voice.
The mages hurriedly began casting.
Vwooom.
"Cough!"
However, the moonlight pierced through the shields and fell upon the soldiers as it was.
Before anyone knew it, most of the soldiers standing at the very front had collapsed.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat and reorganize the battle lines!"
The field commanders hurriedly ordered a retreat, but the moonlight, having swallowed all the soldiers at the very front, was gradually expanding its range.
"Ugh!"
Before long, one-third of the entire allied forces had been swallowed by the black moon.
And just when the soldiers were trying to retreat in a hurry,
Clank! Clank!
The firmly closed gates of the Alcala fortress opened, and apostles riding skeleton horses began to charge all at once.
As if they had been waiting for this moment, Alcala, which had been consistently on the defensive, switched to an active offensive.
Thud thud thud thud!
In the hands of the apostles running on skeleton horses, long skewers were held one by one.
At the tips of those skewers, ominous flames resembling the moonlight flickered.
"Leave the soldiers alone and target the knights. Alcala's mercy to the foolish ones!"
"Mercy!"
As the Alcala Paladin standing at the lead shouted in a gloomy voice, the Alcala Holy Knights who repeated the order wielded their skewers without mercy.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
The skewers dug sharply between the knights' armor, leaving wounds.
Since the skewers were such thin objects, the size of the wounds was not that large, but the stabbed knights soon fell to the ground one after another.
And through the wounds of the fallen knights, the energy of corruption began to spread rapidly.
Sizzle.
The skin of the fallen knights discolored and turned pitch black like that of the Alcala believers.
If they were left unattended past tonight, it seemed they would inevitably become apostles of Alcala before the sun rose tomorrow.
Although soldiers made up the majority of the troops, the knights formed the backbone of the army.
But with the knights being neutralized this quickly, the might of the allied forces was crumbling in an instant.
"Ah, Alcala's mercy soaks this night!"
"Oh, Alcala!"
Ramon and the archbishops, who were watching this scene from Alcalia, vomited out admiration and gathered their hands on their chests.
The hidden card they had prepared pierced the heart of the allied forces smoothly.
Since those countless troops would become servants of Alcala just as they were when the sun rose tomorrow, it was no wonder they were this satisfied.
However, they did not know yet.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Preparation complete, Captain!"
"We can advance right away!"
That among the numerous swords aiming at their necks, there was still one more sword remaining that had not lost its sharpness in the slightest.
"Whole army, advance!"
I, having confirmed that the armed forces responsible for close-quarters combat in the Alcala Order had all vacated the main camp, finally gave the order for Haken to sortie.
"Waaaaah!"
"Charge!"
Following behind me as I stood at the very front, the Haken members started running just as they were.
Having moved in advance to the canyon surrounding the plain, the members and I began to charge with ferocious momentum like a spear striking down.
Urrghhh!
Slash!
Cutting through the obstacles blocking us, Haken ran across the empty plain like the wind.
Since the troops and corps defending Alcalia and the main camp had vacated their spots to annihilate the retreating allied forces, I was able to approach near Alcalia without any particular difficulty.
"What are those things again?"
"They must be foolish ones like moths diving into fire, unaware of Alcala's great will, Your Holiness."
Ramon, who was watching this scene, spoke while wiggling his finger that had rotted black.
"Alcala's will to the foolish ones!"
"Alcala's will!"
When the repetition ended, the archbishops gathered their hands together.
Then, the halos that were scattered in disorder gathered together and poured down toward Haken.
Thinking the situation was concluded with this, Ramon turned his gaze beyond the field.
Thud!
However, suddenly a tremendous roar rang out, and the entirety of Alcalia began to shake violently.
"What is happening!"
Flustered, Ramon hurriedly stuck his head out the window to examine the vicinity of Alcalia.
A moment later, Ramon's pupils changed to become huge, unlike usual.
"W-what is this……."
The archbishops also followed behind Ramon and hurriedly looked out the window. What entered their sight was,
"Smash it! This dog-like tower!"
It was the sight of Haken pounding on the tower with momentum that seemed to not care about the Baptism of the Black Moon at all.
***
"Each squad leader must not forget to check that squad members take the potion at 15-minute intervals."
"Okay, got it. We just have to drink the potion that the doctor gave us every 15 minutes."
Peyton swallowed the potion Gabriel had distributed and then let out an exclamation.
"Hey, that doctor is actually quite skilled. Seeing how we are perfectly fine while other guys collapse as soon as they touch this black mist."
The members of Haken were uniformly wearing leather belts, where blue-tinted potions were neatly arranged.
This potion was an item made by Gabriel, and it had the effect of blocking the Baptism of the Black Moon.
The reason I insisted on bringing Gabriel along, despite his reluctance, was also here.
Through the experience of my past life, I knew about the hidden move prepared by the Alcala Order, and I also knew the fact that an anti-magic agent was needed to block it.
That was why I had Gabriel accompany the Haken Knight Order to gain information about them and made him create a potion that could block the Baptism of the Black Moon.
And my plan fit perfectly.
The Haken members came to be able to roam the battlefield without being affected by the curse.
"Where do you think you're attacking! You maggot-like bastards!"
To stop Alcalia from collapsing, the apostles rushed out of the tower in a hurry and attacked the members, but they could not lay a single finger on the members.
It was only natural, as the Holy Knights skilled in close-quarters combat had vacated the tower to annihilate the allied forces, so the only ones remaining here were priests who had practically zero direct combat ability.
"Aaaack!"
Of course, orders were sent to the Holy Knights to turn the army around immediately, but much time was needed for those who had disappeared beyond the field to return.
Alcalia was shaking as if it would collapse at any moment.
"Hey. Captain! We've cleared out all the small fry and mostly smashed the pillars, but the top floor over there looks a bit suspicious?"
Pierce, who had cut down three priests blocking his path in a single breath, approached Ismael and pointed to the top floor.
"That strange light is leaking from the top. I think we need to do something about that place. If the Captain allows it, I'll take about 50 men and go there. How about it?"
Slash.
"You do not need to do that, Sir Pierce."
Ismael cut the throat of a priest rushing at him with a dagger and then shook his head.
"Why? Do you not trust me? Don't worry. If it looks dangerous, I'll come down right away."
"That is not it. Neither you nor I need to pay attention to the top floor."
As Ismael swung his sword once, a pile of priests was cut in two just like that.
"Kugh-"
Around the time the screams they vomited out subsided, Ismael glared at the top and said.
"The Captain went to the highest floor himself."
***
"Al, cal-!"
Stab!
The archbishop spoke the name of god until the last moment, but unfortunately, Alcala did not stay by the priest's side at the final moment.
Instead, what guarded his end was only a single sharp sword that had pierced through his mouth and neck.
I retrieved the sword that had blown away half of the priest's head and moved my steps just like that.
"……God…… will not…… forgive…… you…… Cough."
The archbishop, who had lost his lower body and was wriggling with only his upper body remaining, used his last strength to throw a curse at me.
Crunch.
However, by the bundle of Blade Aura I sent flying, the archbishop's upper body was crushed just like that without even being able to finish the curse.
"Noisy bastards."
A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
From the first floor to the highest floor, the path I walked was dotted with corpses and blood.
But ironically, not a single drop of blood was on my armor and cape that had staged this horrific scene, adding a sense of unreality.
Bang!
"Kugh!"
My kicking at the entrance upon arriving at the main temple located on the highest floor and throwing the sword held in my hand happened almost simultaneously.
Perhaps intending to ambush me the moment I opened the door and entered, the two archbishops waiting in front of the entrance holding an axe and a mace respectively ended up skewered and dangling on the temple wall.
"Any more? Are you the end?"
"Ugh, uuugh-"
And ending with the skewers, the archbishops who tried to protect Ramon with their lives no longer existed.
"Yo-you bastard, Alcala's wrath will- Hiiiek!"
Pope Ramon, who was hiding behind the statue emitting light and spitting out curses, ended up screaming.
The statue was cut in two just like that by the Blade Aura I sent flying.
Now that the statue was broken into two pieces, there were no obstacles blocking the space between Ramon and me.
I kicked Ramon's jaw just like that.
"Cough!"
At my kick, Ramon's flesh, which was already dangling, fell off just like that.
I ruthlessly crushed Ramon's chest, where about one-third of his bony ribs were visible.
I looked down for a moment at Ramon, who was spread out in a heavy sprawl like a pot-bellied frog, and swung Axion without hesitation.
Slash.
Ramon's severed right arm soared into the void.
My gaze, chasing Ramon's soaring right arm, landed on Ramon's bony index finger, or more precisely, the green ring settling on the index finger.
A ring intricately crafted with a green snake wrapping around a skull.
I stared at the red eyes of the exceptionally vicious snake, snatched Ramon's right arm by reaching out my hand, and spoke with a satisfied expression.
"Found it!"
There was a reason why I, who rarely showed expression, was satisfied like this.
Because this ring was the very reason I had to defeat Ramon personally.
"H-how do you know about that!"
"Why? Are you embarrassed because it feels like your business capital has been revealed?"
Ramon made an astonished expression at the fact that I noticed the existence of the ring, but I pulled the ring off the severed wrist and held it in my palm.
Sizzle.
Then, a cold chill rose from the palm holding the ring and wrapped around my whole body.
Not a chill caused by cold weather, but a bizarre chill filled with gloomy and unclean energy wrapped around me voluptuously like a snake's tongue.
-I shall give you power.
At the same time, a voice sweet like candy and ominous like a demon rang out inside my head.
-So offer everything of yours to me.
The identity of the voice was the snake wrapping around the ring, 'Gorgon'.
Gorgon whispered sweet words to seduce its newly found master, just as it had done over thousands of years until now.
The snake seduced me with a sweet voice as if it could give me everything in this world.
Looking down at such a snake, I said.
"Shut up."