Chapter 79
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 79
When I entered the Command Center, the Castle Lord and several nobles were already there.
They greeted us.
"My lady, my lord, welcome."
"Is the situation dire?"
I immediately asked the Castle Lord about the current state of affairs.
"The creatures have gathered around the fence at the boundary in numbers beyond counting. They haven't attempted an attack yet, but it will begin the moment the moon reaches its zenith."
"What of the Crown Prince?"
"Ah, he arrives now. Your Highness."
"Spare the formalities."
As those present attempted to show proper courtesy to the Crown Prince, he waved them off dismissively.
"Explain the situation."
"Yes, I shall explain. Hagurs have appeared at the boundary beyond the Castle Wall."
"How many?"
"Too numerous to count."
"Castle Lord, how is House of Maxius progressing?"
"The Duke says he requires more time."
"Then we must engage in battle without the antidote."
Ah, now I understood why Cain Maxius had been nowhere to be seen.
The Crown Prince had ordered him to create the antidote.
That was when it happened.
Woooooo-!
Woooooooo-!
The horn's call began to sound longer and faster.
"Castle Lord!"
A voice calling for the Castle Lord came from outside.
"Castle Lord! The creatures have begun their attack!"
At the Knight's words, the Crown Prince rose from his seat and spoke.
"Go at once and lead the Knights of each unit to the Castle Wall. You must prevent them from advancing even a single step into the castle, by any means necessary."
"Yes, understood."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
As the Crown Prince's order fell, everyone hurried from the Command Center.
In that moment, my eyes met Aiden Byon's.
We both nodded toward each other.
Without words, we understood what that gaze meant.
'I must survive.'
'I must survive.'
Our paths diverged from that moment.
I immediately gathered my Knights and rushed toward the Castle Wall at full speed.
Boom, boom—!
"Krraaaagh!"
"Aaaahhh!!"
The Border was absolute chaos.
Despite the darkness of night, blazing torches hung throughout, illuminating everything as if it were day.
Beyond the Castle Wall, Hagus continued their relentless assault to breach the fortress, while inside, Knights fought with every ounce of their strength to hold them back.
To breach the Castle, they had to cross the River.
They came in swarms, swimming across the icy waters.
Some of them floated motionless in the water, struck down by the Knights' arrows.
But several managed to cross the River and reach the Castle Wall.
And they began climbing the massive structure with their enormous bodies.
"Everyone to your positions!"
"Yes!"
The Knights moved to their designated posts.
"Krrgh!"
"Do not let them climb the Castle Wall!"
"Yes!"
After ordering the Knights to attack without pause, I closed my eyes briefly to assess their numbers.
Heat gathered in my pupils.
Whether due to the ring or not, power surged through me far more rapidly than the single time I had used this ability before.
I opened my eyes the instant I closed them.
Using the heat I sensed from living creatures, I began counting their numbers swiftly.
One, two, ten, hundred, thousand....
But no matter how I counted, it never ended.
'There are far too many.'
Though not precise, a rough estimate suggested several thousand at minimum.
The Knights here numbered approximately 110,000—the original 10,000 garrison plus 100,000 reinforcements—so we were not outnumbered in sheer count.
But this was not a battle of human against human.
Numbers were meaningless against monsters.
A sudden thought struck me: I had to prevent them from advancing further toward the Castle Wall.
So I ignited a massive line of fire directly in front of where the Hagus clustered on the far bank of the River.
The fierce, crimson flames rising from the ground momentarily halted their advance.
But it was only temporary.
They charged into the inferno without hesitation or thought, driven by madness.
"Kyaaaaaaagh!"
Agonized shrieks erupted from all directions.
That was when it happened.
A massive wooden ladder leaned against the Castle Wall.
Even demons, it seemed, possessed those capable of thought and strategy.
Their plan was to bypass the burning sections and climb directly upward.
Hagus swiftly scaled the ladder using both hands and feet.
"Push the ladder away!"
At my command, the Knights brought long poles and began shoving the ladder.
But with the ladder's weight combined with that of the creatures climbing it, it refused to budge easily.
"Ugh!"
"More! Put more force into it!"
"Push!"
Thud!
As several of them pooled their strength, the ladder separated from the Castle Wall and crashed to the ground.
The impact sent dust scattering in all directions.
"Screeeech!"
The demons tumbled to the earth, shrieking with irritation.
"We need help over here too!"
At the Knight's plea, I moved toward them.
"M-My Lady!"
The moment I placed my hands on the ladder, the Knights stared at me in shock.
"Push!"
"Y-Yes!"
As we shouted in unison and pushed with all our might, a demon that had climbed up from the River suddenly appeared at the Castle Wall.
"Roaaarrr!"
Its horns were not particularly large, yet it suddenly lunged at me without warning.
It closed the distance in an instant, attempting to gore me with its horns.
"My Lady!"
I quickly released the ladder and stepped back, drawing flames to my fingertips.
But in the moment I was about to attack, the creature's head rolled across the ground.
"Are you unharmed, Miss?"
It was Lian.
Lian had cleanly severed Hagus's head from its body, exactly as instructed.
"I could have handled it."
"I understand. But it is my duty to ensure you face no threat, however minor."
"I know. Thank you."
Lian gave a slight nod and returned to his position.
With the flames already summoned to my hands, I approached the ladder to put them to use.
"Everyone, step back."
"Pardon?"
"Now!"
"Yes, understood!"
After knocking the Knights off the ladder, I dropped a massive inferno onto it.
Then I adjusted the firepower with my hand.
In an instant, flames consumed the entire ladder.
"Kuaaaagh!"
The monsters clinging to the ladder shrieked as the roaring flames engulfed them, plummeting toward the riverbed below.
The wooden ladder itself was rapidly reduced to ash by the fire, scattering like dust on the wind.
But this was far from over.
Hagus continued its relentless assault on the Castle Wall, and eventually, one by one, they began to breach it.
"Aaaaagh!"
The screams of Knights echoed from all directions.
"Die! Kill them all!"
The Knights roared as they severed the necks of Hagus one after another.
"Gaaaah! No! P-please, spare me!"
In the midst of this frenzied slaughter, one Knight suddenly began convulsing in panic.
"What... what is this?"
"My body... it's stiffening! My fingers won't move!"
"What did you say?"
"No, this can't be! I can't die! I can't die!"
The Knight, drenched from head to toe in Hagus's body fluid, trembled with terror as he tore off his armor.
But even that proved futile, and shortly after, the Knight's movements ceased entirely.
His entire body frozen, the Knight's final scream died unfinished, his mouth locked open in a silent cry.
The other Knights who witnessed this began to stir with unease.
"H-how is this...!"
"There's really no antidote?"
"Are we all going to die like that?"
The Knights erupted into terrified screams as they frantically examined their own conditions.
Some found relief in their pristine armor, while others, sensing they would be next, recoiled in horror.
'I need an antidote.'
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