=Message===
[Chain Event] The Advent of the End: The Great War
The Regalia Treaty Organization has declared war on the Orthodox Continental Alliance!
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The surprise attack led by the Mynoghra alliance had inflicted severe damage upon the Vagia faction.
The defensive positions Vagia and her forces had prepared were already in ruins. The Succubus units held in reserve as the main force were also not unscathed; amidst what could only be described as a hellish cacophony of screams, they desperately attempted to reorganize.
Even with the powerful weapons and armor bestowed by Lord H, they were ultimately individual entities.
They could never adequately withstand the military-scale actions being taken by the Mynoghra side.
If one wished to overturn that overwhelming disparity rooted in the game system, they would need to prepare an equal measure of irrationality, an equal tier of power.
Here and now, the only one capable of that was the leader of the Succubus, the one perceived as the player: Vagia.
"...Well, we certainly took quite a beating. I never imagined they would launch such a fierce assault either. But do they realize? Being too rough from the start tends to get you disliked by girls, you know?"
Vagia muttered a light quip while surveying the surrounding situation. Contrary to her nonchalant tone, her expression was rigid. The attack, far exceeding her expectations, had undeniably shaken her.
But even so, she was the witch blessed by the divine favor, a being who plotted to seize the entire world by outwitting Mynoghra.
Her spirit was not so soft as to lose the will to fight over something of this degree.
(...Unanticipated! But I certainly can't give up here just yet!)
The Seven Divine Kings' magic cards were unusable due to direct assault on the mana source.
The defensive positions had been magnificently shattered by the charge of the Meruulian.
The fighting strength of the Succubus caught in that suicide attack was reduced to roughly half; setting aside immediate recovery, it would take some time for them to reorganize into a coherent fighting force.
However, at the same time, fortunately, some things remained intact.
Two Noble Succubus bodyguards were still operational, and the weapons and armor from Lord H that amplified Vagia's offensive and defensive capabilities were not sealed.
Additionally, there was another factor. The existence of Vagia herself.
Above all, Vagia still held her trump card—a devastating ability whose true nature remained a mystery. Her most crucial fighting force was still intact and unharmed. Thus, the Chaste Witch Vagia was in an ideal position.
Vagia quietly drew her weapon. It was a curved, katar-like blade with a crude form as if carved straight from rock, colored in near-primitive shades of blue and green—colors not found in nature.
Yet despite its bizarre appearance, the power contained within was beyond immense. One need not be told it was Legendary class; anyone present could understand its danger at a single glance.
Takuto seemed fully aware of this as well, quietly watching her reaction.
"Of course, it's regrettable my Succubus subordinate was defeated unilaterally. But if you think you can take us down, you're sorely mis—!"
In that instant, her words were cut off by tentacles bursting from the ground with the hardness of steel.
Without any warning, they pierced toward Vagia’s midsection, aiming to impale her from the thighs upward—yet she narrowly evaded at the last moment.
Drifting into view and standing beside their master, Takuto Ira, was the confidant of the Ruinous King.
The hero he trusted most and loved above all. Atou of the Mire.
"How long I have waited for this day. For the grave sin of conspiring against Lord Takuto and luring him into a trap under the pretense of a conference—I, Atou, his hero, shall deliver the final blow."
Silent rage filled the air. The dense miasma of dark energy grew thicker, intensifying the aura of death—a pressure that even Vagia could not brush off with a light remark.
"Your mood seems a bit different? Did something happen, little Atou?"
"Nothing at all. I'm just my usual self, Witch Vagia. If I must say something, perhaps it is you who feels pressured?"
Takuto answered her words. In his right hand was a sword ill-suited for the Ruinous King—yet it was clearly an exceptional piece.
Its design was far too orthodox for the leader of the evil nation Mynoghra to wield, but considering the power it contained, such details were trivial.
Vagia, recognizing it as a weapon of an RPG faction, raised her guard another notch. Acquiring aid from allies to pursue one's aims was by no means her exclusive privilege.
"Oh my, how hurtful to suggest I'm pressured. Call it the thrill before the affair begins, won't you?"
(Though even as I say that, having someone get this close is really throwing off my plans...)
The inner turmoil vanished unexpressed into the battlefield. Taking the time to exchange words was proof of not underestimating one's opponent. But at this point, there was no room left for pleasantries.
Their gazes sharpened, crossing in a moment of silence.
Around them, battle had begun, a cacophony of blood, screams, and the clash of steel. Yet within that center, a fleeting stillness had arrived.
Abruptly, suddenly.
—the battle between the leaders of both armies had begun.
"—!"
"Haa!"
—CLANG!
A sound far too high-pitched and infused with magic to be the simple clash of blades echoed, accompanied by a shockwave that blasted the area away.
That shock, as if declaring everyone else present unnecessary, sent even the rushing Noble Succubus guards and the monsters charging to protect their king flying with ease.
Only the two combatants, and perhaps Atou—Takuto's other half in this place—were permitted to remain.
Inhuman speed and power, unleashed to their full, ferocious extent toward their target.
High-pitched rings sounded in succession, each one a shockwave that shook the earth.
Attacks launched with reaction speeds honed to the absolute limit played out like fast-forwarded footage, lethal blows crossing so many times it became absurd to count.
"Even though I can't use the Seven Divine Kings' magic anymore, we still have this weapon, right? It's nothing compared to the firearms Mynoghra possesses—let's see if you can handle it?"
"You've gotten awfully confident with something borrowed. If you're off your guard, that makes things easier for me."
Even as words were exchanged, the exchange of blades occurred several times over.
Takuto retorted with words full of composure. Meanwhile, Vagia's ferocious onslaught showed no signs of wavering.
The fusion of brute strength from an overly detailed setting, and the infinite possibilities of equipment from a hack-and-slash game hacked by the late President H. That power was indeed, for Mynoghra, and for the Dark Continent Treaty Organization, something that could pose a genuine threat.
But that was all. That was all there was to it.
No one realized the importance of this fact. No one could realize it.
Perhaps they were simply looking away.
In this place, no—in this world—
Takuto Ira and Atou were fighting together for the first time.
Takuto put some distance between himself and Vagia, pausing for a heartbeat before taking his stance. In that instant, the power of darkness surrounding him surged and concentrated into his dominant hand.
The Regalia sword, now infused with lethal force, was swung without flourish.
Vagia moved to evade it with ease, but his opponent was not fighting alone.
In that fleeting moment—tentacles converged from every direction, blotting out Takuto’s form from sight. His trusted subordinate, who had until now hidden their presence and merely watched, struck with a fatal blow at this perfect timing.
Evasion was impossible. Therefore, Vagia first cleaved through the tentacles with his weapon, then slammed his foot down with enough force to crack the ground, catching the descending sword with an upward slash.
(Reflexes, speed, durability—he has the edge. But with Atou, we have the advantage in numbers and surprise attacks. Indeed, this won’t be easy...)
Takuto muttered to himself.
Only with Atou were they an even match.
He nearly sighed at this fact, yet simultaneously felt a sense of relief that they could at least reach that level.
There were countless ways to handle a situation like this. At the very least, he possessed the means and understood the methods.
His only concern was the possibility of their own error, but on that point, he was confident.
Takuto flashed a provocative grin. What meaning did it hold, exactly? Either way, as the extreme exchange of blows unfolded, not a single person present had the composure to dwell on such things.
◇ ◇ ◇
Few were privileged enough to witness a king’s battle.
Yet those who did saw their minds captivated without exception, forced to abandon thought as they observed an event from a world set apart.
Mortal, Mynoghra's foremost sage and a Dark Elf elder who had witnessed firsthand the numerous miracles brought about by the King thus far, was no exception to this awe.
"Truly, a battle of gods. We are not even permitted to stand in such a place... Is this, the King's true power..."
His voice was choked with astonishment. Into that almost rapturous tone, another immediately cut in.
"Save your trembling for later, Elder Mortar! Our supreme mission is to prevent those Succubus subordinates of his from approaching that area! If we're caught gawking and get caught out, it will be a disgrace for ages to come!"
Even as he issued constant orders, the one performing perfectly accurate sniping with the firearm in his own hand was Gear, the War Chief. He was the strategic linchpin leading the Dark Elf warrior corps that Mynoghra boasted.
At his words, the old sage's expression instantly reverted to its battlefield severity.
"Hmph! To be lectured with sound reason by one such as you! Buy me some time, Gear! I will unleash the magic of Ruin!"
Elder Mortar immediately began the incantation.
Being rebuked by a junior like Gear stung, but he well understood that he had made a mistake. Simultaneously, in this situation, he knew exactly what needed to be done before any apology or reflection.
The Mana of Ruin, with which Mynoghra had a high affinity. The magic made usable by this Mana was notoriously ill-suited for domestic affairs, difficult and unwieldy all around.
Magic for combat, completely incompatible with the hermit-like playstyle of Mynoghra.
Those were the spells of Ruin.
--The magic of Ruin shone with its true value in precisely these kinds of situations.
"Military-Scale Magic of Ruin--Coat of Resentment!"
Military-scale magic flooded the battlefield, and mana condensed into a viscous, jet-black mist that enveloped Takuto and the others.
The Coat of Resentment was a military magic that granted units Ruin-attribute defense.
Its enhancement rate was among the highest for unit enhancement magic within the 'Eternal Nations'.
Unlike the 'Land of Ruin', it could distinguish between friend and foe, allowing only one's own forces to be strengthened.
However, as a demerit, it had a short duration and the characteristic that it would destroy buildings and improvements on the land where the enhanced unit was located, regardless of allegiance.
But the short duration was negligible when considering the time perception of an SRPG, and the building destruction was merely a merit, given it was enemy territory.
For Mynoghra, a nation whose standard strategy was to hole up behind closed doors managing domestic affairs, this magic was something of a treasure left to rot—a treasure that had at last found its moment to shine.
"This is the perfect technique for the battlefield, my lord! Please accept this old fool's meddling with grace!"
"The enemy is faltering! Monster units, push the front line forward! Gunner units, increase the barrage! Do not let Succubus fodder anywhere near the king!"
Under Gia's orders, Mynoghra's subordinates surged forward with renewed vigor. Because military magic had been cast across the entire battlefield, the buff to defensive power had reached all of their forces, enabling this aggressive push.
Threaded through the gaps in the advance, bullets and bombs launched by Dark Elf gunners rained down upon the Succubus remnants.
Those Succubus who remained unscathed launched a counteroffensive, and the weapons deployed by Lord H inflicted not insignificant casualties on Mynoghra's side.
Naturally, even this fell within Takuto's calculations.
One might even say it was going exactly as planned.
Mynoghra's subordinate units could be reproduced through gold and mana. The cost was steep, certainly, but redeployment was simple. Pulling back irreplaceable Dark Elves and medics—useful only in domestic administration and support roles—to the rear, while pushing expendable subordinates to the fore with full expectation of losses, was a perfectly rational approach.
Of course, those subordinates were not mere cannon fodder.
The Headhunter Insect possessed abilities particularly effective against human-type units, and the somewhat replenished Misbegotten were not the kind of foe that any run-of-the-mill Succubus could handle.
The Ruin Spirits, dragged in from their former role in land improvement, were inflicting damage on the enemy primarily through mid-range magical attacks, and units newly prepared for this very battle were also present.
All in all, the Succubus forces, which had taken devastating damage in the opening strike, were fighting a purely defensive battle—a matter of plain reality.
"Oh, the pink elephant is so pretty..."
Amidst the wreckage of the Merurian, which should have long since fulfilled its purpose and collapsed, its grotesque mutterings continued as though nothing had happened at all. Upon its remains, forces of incomprehensible magnitude clashed head-on, unleashing deathblows as each sought to impose its own will upon the world.
The assault operation that began with the Merurian's charge had thrown the battlefield into ever-deeper chaos through its shockwaves.
Even Mynoghra, the very nation that had adopted this operation from the start, was beginning to be tossed about by the rapidly shifting tides of battle changing by the second, and with both Takuto and Atou fully absorbed in dealing with Vagia, the command over their subordinates was weakening.
But all of it was within expectations and within acceptable tolerance.
To regard a battle between beings of immense power as equivalent to a real-world war would be nothing short of foolish.
In a world where overwhelming disparities exist in individual combat capabilities, conventional military strategic theories hold no weight.
No matter how strategically advantageous one might become, no matter how large a force one might amass.
If even a single unit possessing combat power that surpasses all that is present, everything is overturned.
This means that the established strategies we know become worthless, while simultaneously demanding the construction of new and individually customized tactics.
"The most standard tactic among them is this—deploying full force from the opening to destroy the opponent's key unit."
This is precisely why it is said that in 'Eternal Nations', if a hero is defeated, recovery is nearly impossible.
Such were the extreme importance of a superior individual's combat power.
(In the end, this woman is the most troublesome. That is why I will kill her here, Atou.)
(Yes, Lord Takuto!)
Through the coordination of Takuto and Atou, the Succubus forces are gradually being pushed into an inferior position.
Indeed, the weapons wielded by those Succubi are powerful. However, this is only at the individual level. When facing heroes and leaders of Mynoghra, whose battle scale is at the legion level, few are capable of standing against them.
In fact, even the Vagia, who had raised such a fierce initial stance, was forced into a purely defensive fight. It was only with the aid of the Noble Succubus guards who joined midway that the battle could truly be said to have begun.
Overwhelming advantage, overwhelming disparity in power.
While this outcome demonstrated how troublesome the Seven Demon King's magic had been, Takuto Ira did not let his guard down in the slightest under these circumstances.
The battle situation is progressing favorably toward a Mynoghra advantage.
However, Takuto remained unwavering in his focus. On the contrary, he harbored concerns.
(But... their response is slower than anticipated? I thought they would regroup a bit sooner...)
Namely, the opponent's actions were sluggish. Takuto had expected them to regroup and respond more quickly, but there was no sign of it. The Vagia he envisioned should have possessed the capability to handle a situation like this. Though questions remained, for now, he did not slacken the attack, pressing forward in one swift motion to deepen the pressure.
On the other hand, Vagia was in the midst of confusion. Vagia had, to some extent, predicted Takuto's aim. Although she did not know the method of destroying the city to target the Mana Source directly, it was certain she was under attack from all sides. As someone who had centered her strategy on the Seven Demon King's cards, she was now forced into a fundamental strategic restructuring, which was exceedingly harsh to actually execute.
Vagia's face was contorted in anguish.
Without relenting his assault, Takuto calmly analyzed her expression.
(Is the Mana Source seal a bluff to buy time for a counterattack? Even so, given the current attrition, the risk is far too great. Does she possess Succubus regeneration or resurrection methods? No—Dokyuu Succubus had no such settings. H-san's game was the same.)
Multitasking in the midst of combat. He processed and weighed multiple considerations simultaneously.
Extreme concentration on the battlefield was pushing Ira Takuto to the next level.
(The allied neutral nations deployed in the rear show no signs of disturbance... Am I overthinking it? Either way, the course of action is straightforward, but still...)
For this attack, Pepe and Doban—whose forces were strained—had already pushed through the rear positions and spread flanks to secure themselves as reserves, ensuring no enemy could strike behind them.
By deploying subordinated monsters, he could constantly monitor the battlefield and respond to any situation. This was the advantage of war within an SRPG.
While keeping everything under his direct management, Takuto pressed his provocation.
"Waiting for reinforcements? That's futile. We've left ample forces over there too. A born-true hero and a gambler. Taking down a player isn't so easy."
Takuto flashed a fearless grin.
No reply came from Vagia. Reading her anguished expression, she must have been on the verge of having no moves left.
Just a little more—her defenses were crumbling. Searching for words that might break her rhythm, Takuto obeyed his instinct and instantly leaned his upper body half a step back.
A streak of light shot past mere centimeters from his neck as a shadow overlapped his field of vision simultaneously.
"Please escape, Lady Vagia!"
"We—we'll hold them here!"
Her Succubus bodyguards.
Glancing toward Atou, he saw that several of Atou's tentacles had been severed, yet the creature conveyed its thanks through its gaze alone.
Takuto gave a slight nod, understanding that keeping two bodyguards pinned while supporting him must have been difficult, and pulled back momentarily to regroup.
But was that truly the right call? It was plain to see that the escort Succubus had volunteered for a desperate rear guard to buy Vagia's escape.
If he hesitated even a beat, wouldn't he simply be handing her a chance to flee?
If Gear or Mortar were here, they would have the same concerns. Naturally, the Elful sisters and Kree would agree. Even Anterize, who was unfamiliar with strategy, would reach the same conclusion.
"——I-I'm sorry!"
In truth, Vagia seized her subordinate's suggestion as a golden opportunity, and after a moment's hesitation, attempted to flee and regroup.
Surely, Takuto Ira had anticipated this? No—
=Message═══
〈!〉 Error
No movable locations exist.
───
"Wha—Impossible!" Vagia shouted. An invisible force field barred her escape.
This was not merely a matter of willpower being sapped or legs refusing to move. Vagia's very actions were being fundamentally crushed on a much higher plane.
To her, Takuto explained with clear composure.
"In 'Eternal Nations', if all adjacent hexes are surrounded by enemy units, you cannot retreat. And a 'unit' isn't limited to armies—even a single entity counts as a unit."
Vagia's pupils dilated in shock.
It was easy to judge this as the system's corrective power. But the question of "why?" remained completely unresolved.
Attempting to flee, even at the cost of her comrades' lives, yet the retreat was still denied.
Vagia could distinctly feel the moment when the system's absurdity—something she herself had used so often—turned its fangs back on her.
"When your potential destination is blocked by enemy units, all passage is impossible until they are eliminated. For example, yes—perhaps with the very lowest-cost mass-producible unit, like *Long-legged Wrigglers* or something."
Takuto informed her in a somewhat teasing tone. But the dense killing intent dwelling in his eyes clearly showed that he had not let his guard down for an instant.
"The determination of your subordinates to sacrifice themselves to let their lord escape is commendable. However, my king will not permit such childish play."
Atou added. The tentacles had already regenerated and deployed around them, ready to resume combat at any moment.
The words between master and servant were heavy.
The composure that had been on Vagia's face was nowhere to be seen now—only confusion and shock seemed to fill it entirely.
Yet even so, Takuto sensed a certain kind of composure lingering in her expression and eliminated the carelessness that would have undoubtedly been present under normal circumstances.
Something still remained. Takuto was certain of it.
"Atou. Let's see this through to the end without letting our guard down."
Those words were heavy and dark.
That voice, as if it had emerged from the depths of an endless darkness, simply gave the next instruction.
=Eterpedia===
[Cloak of Resentment]Lv2. Destruction Magic
For one turn, raises the defense of allied units present on the target territory.
※All buildings and improvements on the target territory are destroyed.
※The rate of defense increase varies depending on the buildings destroyed.
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