The thunder magic that had been activated began raining down lightning bolts like a downpour.
The soldiers standing in formation were bathed in it and burned alive.
Because of their dense formation, the casualties swelled in an instant.
Before long, defensive magic was deployed.
A translucent barrier weathered the lightning.
As soon as one was damaged, new defensive magic was layered over it.
Multiple casters must be cooperating to construct them.
(Their overall response is sluggish.)
I observed the soldiers' reactions and assessed the situation.
In addition to being thrown into confusion by the surprise attack, some appeared to have damaged their eyes from staring directly at the lightning.
They were attempting to regain some semblance of command, but it would take time yet.
Next, I focused my attention on where Makia had been.
There, a sphere composed of chains of light existed.
It seemed she was inside it.
By wrapping herself in chains of light shaped into a sphere, she had devoted herself entirely to defense.
Makia was prioritizing her own life above all else.
She was likely considering the possibility that I might launch a surprise attack on her.
After suffering through the series of attacks, she had re-recognized me as a threat.
Contrary to her words and demeanor, she was fighting cautiously.
For me, this was convenient.
If she is constantly on the offensive, there is always a risk we will suffer a fatal wound.
I want to kill the surrounding soldiers now to weaken her.
If Makia is going to be passive, then I will not hesitate to maneuver this into a favorable situation.
I used Visual Transfer to jump right into the midst of the soldiers.
Immediately, I spun while slashing my sword.
Blood sprayed and screams rose as I began to dash.
"Whoa—oof..."
"Hieeek?!"
"Hey, someone attack quickly—"
I decapitated the startled soldier, sliced off his arm, and pierced through his heart.
I killed them one after another before they could react.
I was conscious to never remain in the same spot for an instant.
Being suddenly plunged into a melee had thrown the soldiers into the utmost confusion.
Most could not grasp the situation, and thunder magic still poured down from above.
Defensive magic was also caught in a cycle of being broken and recast.
Consequently, the spellcasters were being forced to exhaust themselves.
Even those trying to respond to my assault could not readily strike back.
Because they had to attack me alone, amidst many allies.
That hesitation created an unavoidable opening, and they were cut down by me after deliberating.
I understand the psychology of not wanting to involve comrades, even as a last resort, but that indecision ultimately brings even more sacrifice.
On the other hand, I was very simple.
Everything but myself was the enemy.
All I had to do was cut them down.
There was no need to think about anything else.
(Hmm...?)
As I was breaking through the soldiers' resistance, I sensed a powerful magical reaction overhead.
At the edge of my vision appeared chains of light.
Emitting holy light, they undulated like serpents.
Makia had been sticking to defense, but it seemed she had decided to turn to offense now.
Almost the instant I registered them, the chains of light shot toward me without a sound.
I seized a nearby soldier, spun around, and pulled him into the path of the blow.
Then I gave his armor-clad back a light push.
"Huh—"
The soldier let out a witless cry.
The chain of light, carrying too much momentum, pierced through his abdomen and launched him straight up into the sky.
"O-Bghhhhaaaaah!"
The soldier screamed as he vomited blood.
His limbs thrashed in agony, but it meant nothing.
Before long, the soldier's eyes rolled back and he died.
And with his death, the defensive magic overhead began to weaken.
I hadn't realized it, but that soldier had apparently been one of the mages who'd been blocking the lightning.
Witnessing their comrade's gruesome death, the soldiers froze in unison.
No one could move from the spot; they were struck dumb.
They stared at the corpse, still impaled.
An attack from Makia, who should have been their ally, had just butchered a soldier right before their eyes.
Even if they understood it was an accident, the psychological shock was immense.
*Next, it could be my turn.*
The scene was enough to make anyone think that.
I used their paralysis to resume the slaughter.
I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
I parted the soldiers like a wedge, cutting them down with crude, direct strikes.
During this time, no chains of light flew my way.
Had Makia returned to pure defense?
Perhaps realizing she'd killed an ally had made her cowardly.
Her judgment, to put it generously, was hard to call precise.
Her strategy wavered too much depending on the situation.
She probably had no experience fighting as a commander.
Makia had mentioned that gaining sacred magic had elevated her status.
This must be her current phase of rising to power.
If she had accumulated experience as a commander, I would likely be facing an even tougher fight.
Soldiers swarm in from every direction.
I scatter them like a gale, cutting through their ranks.
With every swing of my sword, limbs and heads take flight.
"Demon King, prepare yourself!"
One shield-bearer charged forward with remarkable courage.
He meant to halt my advance with his body.
(Not a bad assessment)
If they stopped my charge, they could press their attack.
In terms of numbers, the Holy Staff Nation had the advantage.
If they could surround me, it would be their victory.
(…But, it's naive.)
I increased the output of my physical enhancement and accelerated further.
Bringing my sword down in a high arc, I cut through the soldier and his shield as one.
They split cleanly in two and collapsed just as I passed by.
"Die!"
Another soldier thrust a spear.
A refined, well-executed attack.
He aimed precisely from beyond sword range.
But even this cannot reach my life.
I guided my blade along the approaching spear, deflecting its trajectory by just a fraction.
The spear tip grazed my cheekbone as it continued onward, catching one eye of the soldier behind me.
"What—!?!"
I seized the throat of the soldier who’d just stabbed his comrade without flinching, smashing the pommel into his face.
Snatching the spear from his fainting grasp, I didn’t have time to remove the eyeball still impaled on its tip.
“—Pierce.”
Stepping over the corpse, I channeled mana into the spear to reinforce it.
Then I hurled it straight ahead.
With a thunderous roar, the spear skewered soldiers along its direct path in a line. The spiraling shockwave of destruction caught those who’d avoided a direct hit as well.
Every last one of them was spent like worthless refuse.
By the time the spear embedded itself deep in a distant church, the Holy Staff Nation’s formation had completely collapsed.
From my position, the earth was carved away in a fan-shaped swath, and the soldiers who had been standing there were reduced to meat and fragments.
That single throw alone must have killed over a thousand.
Above, I heard the sound of defensive barriers shattering.
The mages maintaining them had thinned, and their concentration finally broke.
Lightning resumed its rampage, crashing down upon the few soldiers who had survived by chance.
No one had the leeway to counterattack me.
Even so, I cast a wave of flame magic across the entire area in rapid succession.
Though its instantaneous power was low, the spell inflicted ongoing damage through its spreading fire.
After a short while, some began collapsing, unable to breathe properly, while others writhed in the grip of high fevers.
I approached them and drove my blade squarely into the crown of each skull.
The cascading slaughter had driven the soldiers' morale to its absolute limit.
Eventually, some started trying to flee.
This was not a strategic retreat.
It was a rout born of the fear of death.
That is why I surrounded the rubble-strewn zone with a barrier.
They are Makia's source of mana supply, and it would be troublesome if they escaped the battlefield.
Now deprived of any escape, I cut down the remaining soldiers with my sword as well.
Mercilessly, I reaped away fragile lives.
(This is hell. And I am at its heart...)
The words that rose within me were laced with self-mockery.
Drenched in the blood of others, I continued to wield the keepsake sword.