■ Siege □
The overall situation of the war was flowing in favor of the Demon King’s Army.
This was because the route from Hamburg to the capital Oz was mostly flat terrain, which wasn’t ideal for defense by the Kingdom’s army, predominantly consisting of humans.
Originally, the fortress of Hamburg, once thought to be impregnable, would have filtered them out, but it had been captured long ago last year.
Thus, with the path to Oz wide open like a highway tollgate, the Demon King’s Army continued their swift advance.
Currently, the composition of the Demon King’s Army is as follows:
The Beast General Walter Leonhart leads a beastman battalion of 3,000 soldiers.
The Death General Mephisto commands an undead battalion of 5,000 soldiers.
The Mecha General Nick Iron leads a golem battalion of 2,000 soldiers.
Additionally, there are 5,000 demon tribe soldiers drafted from various tribes, totaling 15,000.
Opposing them, the Oz Kingdom’s army, combining the forces of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd divisions, amounts to about 50,000 troops.
Though there was exactly a threefold difference, there was no particular concern.
On average, the combat power of demons is about three times that of ordinary humans.
Taking this into account, the two armies were roughly evenly matched in terms of manpower.
We joined up with the Demon King’s Army about three days after departing from Hamburg, placing us almost midway between Oz and Hamburg.
Thanks to this, our return to Oz didn’t take too long.
The great walls of Constantine the Great.
Once the strongest walls guarding the southern border of the empire, they now serve merely as a flood barrier for the Oz Kingdom.
Naturally, these walls are stronger on the outside than the inside, since they were never designed to withstand attacks from within.
Although Barnett leaving enormous sword marks inside the walls was indeed a remarkable event, even I felt burdened at the prospect of confronting these walls head-on.
With triple-layered magical protective barriers, these walls are far sturdier than those of the Hamburg fortress.
They truly represent the pinnacle of lost technology.
It’s said they were built by hiring dwarves from Nídavellir, though whether that’s true or not remains unclear.
The tales of old might’ve exaggerated a bit.
Whether the dwarves were conscripted or paid mercenaries, the walls’ incredible durability is undeniable.
“Kaldratsch, how should we approach taking down those walls?”
I bowed slightly in response to the Demon King’s question.
“By conventional means, they won’t fall. Even in decay, this is a relic of the once-prosperous human empire. Its defensive capabilities are unmatched across the continent.”
“Then what about unconventional methods?”
I glanced towards the horizon where the Constantinople Wall stood.
“A powerful magic spell will be necessary. Something potent enough to turn those sturdy walls into dust.”
“Can you cast such a spell?”
“It’s possible, given sufficient mana and time.”
As I answered, I showed him the ruby necklace hanging around my neck.
Having noticed its identity, the Demon King nodded approvingly.
“We seem to have both. Should things escalate, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Understood.”
I watched the kingdom’s forces, which had swarmed out like a pack of dogs beyond the walls, while deep in thought.
Dorothea, passing by curiously, asked,
“What are you doing?”
“Well, if using magic to collapse the Constantinople Wall is an option, wouldn’t it be better used against the kingdom’s army instead?”
Dorothea nodded understandingly.
“That’s something you should ask the Demon King about. It’s not my place to interfere.”
“If we’re planning to breach with magic anyway, why bring so many troops?”
“There’s also a show of force involved. Among the historical Demon Kings, few have commanded such high levels of control. The Four Heavenly Kings here, except for Mephisto, gathered primarily due to Lord Nero.”
“Why exclude Mephisto?”
“That guy’s a puppet; we can’t tell what he’s thinking. He probably doesn’t even have a brain.”
Though Dorothea, one of the Four Heavenly Kings herself, criticized harshly, she suddenly raised her voice.
“Hey, aren’t those dwarves?”
“Wow, they really are.”
Among the human forces visible from the hilltop, a distinct group caught my attention.
Long braided hair and beards, heavy armor covering their entire bodies, short but muscular limbs, and large battle axes — the archetypal appearance of dwarf warriors.
Judging by their numbers, it seemed to be a company of a hundred or so, but considering the technological prowess of Nídavellir, they were certainly formidable foes.
“They appear to be reinforcements sent by the Nídavellir Kingdom. That horn-shaped banner suggests the Gullarhorn Mercenary Corps.”
The Gullarhorn Mercenary Corps.
Composed entirely of dwarves, they’re one of the strongest mercenary groups on the continent, known for their mastery of various battlefield tools.
Though I’d heard of them, this was my first time seeing them in action.
They were sure to stand out among the human forces.
Upon reaching the seventh tier, I gained the ability to read the winds, and I could sense the shift in the battlefield’s currents.
Anyone could see it was getting intense.
The battle was about to begin.
“Let’s get back to position.”
“Yeah.”
Together with Dorothea, I headed toward the rear lines where the mage corps was stationed.
-Blow! Blow! Blow!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
In large-scale wars, communication through sound and flags is common.
Because of the noise on the battlefield, verbal communication has its limits, so military bands always play instruments according to the commander’s orders from the rear.
As the massive horn sounds echoed across the sky and the heart-pounding drumbeats covered the earth, the armies finally faced each other.
Thanks to the enhanced physical abilities I gained upon reaching the seventh tier, I could clearly see the faces of the distant human soldiers.
Anxiety, unease, fear.
On the other hand, the demon troops already seemed excited at the prospect of spilling blood.
One might say the demons were more savage than humans, but this was a matter of custom.
Believers in the goddess of strength think that dying bravely in battle grants access to Valhalla, the warriors’ paradise, so they fight with the readiness to die.
That’s only possible because of the promised happiness after death.
Eventually, the Demon King, commanding from the rear, extended his hand forward and shouted,
“Charge!”
Waahhhhh!!!
At his command, the demon soldiers who had been waiting anxiously began rushing toward the kingdom’s forces.
Simultaneously, spells launched from the rear of both the kingdom’s and the Demon King’s armies flew like fireworks, tracing parabolic arcs before landing and leaving behind massive destruction.
Kuuguuuu!
The ground shook, and rocks scattered everywhere.
But the tenacious demons charged forward undeterred by the deaths of their comrades.
Soon, the Demon King’s forces descending quickly from the hill collided with the kingdom’s army.
“Die!”
“Aaaahhhh!”
“Hold your ground! Retreat here and we all die!”
Chaos ensued.
The human army struggled to maintain formation while the demon army fought to break through their ranks.
When the two sides were this close, neither magical bombardments nor arrow volleys could be unleashed.
Iron golems towering over 3 meters trampled fallen human soldiers as they advanced relentlessly.
These guys were nuisances when I faced them, but watching now, they’re quite useful as walls.
While observing the battlefield from the rear, I heard a chilling laugh.
“Kehehehehe! Liberate all your hatred!”
Mephisto, leading the undead battalion of the Demon King’s army, clashed with the outermost line of the kingdom’s forces.
The humans were prepared for the undead, as priests rushed out en masse to cast holy magic, and paladins wielding consecrated weapons slashed zombies without pause.
Well, the basic tactic of the undead is to infect nearby corpses and turn them into allies, so they’ll handle themselves fine if left alone.
Next, my gaze turned to Nick Iron, the fully chrome-plated golem knight.
He could transform his body at will, much like a metal slime, and was currently in the form of a centaur, with a human torso and horse-like lower body.
“Don’t run away!”
The most difficult enemy on the battlefield isn’t the one with strong attacks or fast speed, but the one with strong defense.
Nick Iron’s entire body was made of chrome, a heavy metal that repelled even most magic, making him practically invincible against weaker foes, much like Lu Bu.
Not that it matters when swords barely make a dent; it’s cheating to fight with an overpowered cheat key.
While musing on this, I monitored the ever-changing battlefield situation using crimson magic.
