Chapter 132

132nd Episode

Whose Side Will the Gods of War Take?

“Please, hurry and carry me!”

At the young lady’s words, I snapped back to reality.

A woman strong enough to wield aura collapsing due to a lower body injury is certainly a loss of power. Thus, I decided to carry her on my back.

However, even though I had made up my mind, my hands wouldn’t readily move.

Had her lower body armor been torn off? Her white, soft-looking buttocks and thighs were fully exposed.

Was it alright to touch them? I momentarily hesitated, but…

“Ah, hurry!”

Compelled by her urging, I had no choice but to hoist her up.

The armor pressing against my back was extremely hard, but what my hands were in contact with felt soft and squishy, unlike anything else on this battlefield.

Squish, squish.

Was the fact that she couldn’t feel anything in her lower body a lie, or was she simply too preoccupied to care?

The noblewoman Enya did not utter a single word while being mishandled by a strange man. She merely clung to me and swung her sword around.

“Now, where are we heading? Should we retreat to our main camp?”

“We’ll press forward! Move ahead!”

“R-really…?”

“We’re not joking around with Sardechi! Hurry! Until we cut down the enemy general, Anchors, this madness will continue!”

Enya pulled me close with one hand and leaned this way and that.

It felt as though I was being manipulated like a horse, and I had a strange feeling that I had become a mere tool. Strangely enough, though, I didn’t hate it.

Squish, squish.

With my hands gripping her soft buttocks, I felt that if I could have this experience for one day, it wouldn’t be so bad to be a beast of burden.

For the young mistress of the viscount family to be so shameless as to allow herself to be carried by an uncouth man—rumors of this could prevent her from ever entering a politically arranged marriage. Young Lady.

“Shut up! From here on, we’ll be entering the fort. You’d better start thinking of your defense before the judges!”

Oh, how frightening. But it seems you don’t fully understand. The only ally around you is that barbarian; it seems you’ve only gathered a ragtag group. You’ve merely increased their army numbers, haven’t you?

“Urgh…”

While the swift ambush went well, this was obviously bait. Miss, you’re waiting for reinforcements while drawing me in, aren’t you?

“You know very well! When the main force arrives, it’ll truly be the end!”

Enya sounds agitated. The young lady of Sodomora’s cries. Before she spoke, Anchors had replied.

But if we can finish everything before then, that’s all we need. Everything will be resolved before the main force arrives.

Certainly, as Anchors had claimed, the brave soldiers who fought valiantly were now lying in the mud, being torn apart by the dead.

Grrr…

Not only were they dying, but they were also rising again as the undead.

Because of this vicious cycle, Enya and I were left isolated, stranded in a sea of undead.

Grraaah!

Kraaaah!

Skeletons glowing with red eyes lunged at us from all directions. Enya, with her aura-coated sword, fiercely swung her arms in defense.

“Huff… Huff…”

The breathing behind me was getting coarser, and the speed of her sword swings was slowing down little by little. It’s clear that she’s tiring.

And the sweat-soaked part of her bottom I was holding was becoming extremely slippery. Because of this, it was difficult to carry her over the muddy battlefield.

My fingers kept slipping, pressing deeper into the gap between her cheeks. In every way, I was feeling like I was about to d*e.

Just as both our breaths were becoming rough, Enya encouraged me from behind.

“Samaritan, please muster a little more strength. If we manage to survive and return, you’ll receive a great reward for your efforts!”

“A great reward?”

“I’ll recommend it to Father! It’s something you can anticipate! Gyaah…!”

Right at that moment, the young lady Enya screamed.

“Is everything alright? Are you unharmed!?”

“I suddenly felt a sensation I’ve never experienced… Huff… It’s nothing! Let’s make a rush for the fort!”

In that instant, my fingers must have slipped deeper into something smooth. Perhaps it was the reaction to that.

The area I touched might very well have been a deep and sacred valley.

It’s a grave sin to touch the body of an aristocratic woman. This is something truly terrible. Rather than receiving an award, I began to tremble from the fear of punishment.

Rather than carrying the young lady here, isn’t it insane to ask me to charge through this mud and the dead and reach the magician’s position? I had no intention of doing such madness.

Patssook.

Right then, skeletons emerged from the mud. As they grabbed at my ankles, I kicked them every which way.

“Gyah, ahhaa! Huff, huff!”

Enya screamed and fell off my body like an untrained rider.

Sir, your horsemanship is quite poor. Since you seem so eager to enter the fort, allow me to usher you in. With great respect, but alive, mind you.

Glruuu…

From the sky, voices commanded the skeletons to pounce on the fallen Enya.

With her skill in using aura, she will become a fine d*ath Knight, able to command Pluto’s armies.

“Who said that nonsense!”

Though Enya swung her sword to ward off the skeleton menaces, they relentlessly targeted her sword-wielding hand, biting and gnawing until she was finally subdued.

“Ughhh, aaaa!”

Under her helmet, she roared like an animal. Of course, shouting didn’t solve the problem.

And bring that Samaritan as well. I don’t care if he comes alive or dead. Since he possesses strange karma, I’m sure we can create something interesting.

Kraaaa!

The skeletons also lunged at me, not just Enya.

It would have been different if they were mere skeletons, but among them were the fresh corpses of soldiers who had recently died. Their weight and strength were far from ordinary.

However much I grow in power, level up, and even learn how to use aura, brute force from a group beats everything, it seems!

“Yaaaagh, gak! Ack!”

I was thrashed and bitten all over by the corpses that attacked my body.

Since I had stripped off my armor in the name of speed tactics, the only thing protecting my body was a thick leather garment. However, that did little to dull the pain.

“Ugh, d*mn it, this really hurts!”

In the midst of my cries in all directions,

“This is the power of Pluto, the god of the underworld. Oh Minerva and the deities of the lofty Hypos Mountains, please look upon us with mercy…”

I could hear Enya’s prayer amid her struggle with the undead.

Prayers, huh.

What else can an powerless person about to d*e do but that much?

“Young Lady! Save the young lady!”

“The horses won’t obey!”

“d*mn it all!”

“Prepare the retreat-.”

“No! The reinforcements will soon arrive-.”

“Bu-, hold onnn-!”

As various voices gradually blurred and merged in my ears, I, buried under the mass of the undead, managed to move my jaw and tongue.

“Suh… sun, victory to-!”

Ding.

『Consume 200 achievement points to borrow power.』

『Current Hassan’s achievement points: 282.』

『Yes.』

『No.』

Gugugugugugug.

I tried to move my hand to the “Yes.” button that appeared before my eyes, but I couldn’t find any ease to move my fingers with the undead battering my body like they were going to tear it apart.

“d*mn it, you bastards! Get the hell away, you bastards!”

Straining all the strength out of my body, I moved my arm but couldn’t even reach the switch just before my eyes—a completely deadlocked situation.

d*mn it, am I ending like this?

As my breath grew stifled, I began to see bits of my past flashing through my mind.

School, military, parents, my younger sister, this unexpected parallel world, the white-haired woman, and the pink-haired girl waiting for me at the cabin.

Hassan! Look! It’s a wolf spider! Keng Keng! What do you think? Aren’t they the same?

Even Luna’s voice calling me reaches my ears.

This must be what they call a passing life-flash before d*ath.

Hassan is truly useless. Can’t even stand properly, huh? That’s because you’re a slave, you know.

No, not these random flashbacks. Why do you show Elfride?

-Lit.

Boom!

Just as my consciousness started to become hazy from the suffocation, a strange explosion sound came, and the pressure on my body suddenly loosened. What the hell? What happened?

Thanks to that, the blocked breath became at least a little smoother, and I finally managed to press the floating letters with my fingers.

That “Yes” button I wanted to press so badly!

Ding.

『Alright, buddy. Let’s go for the big one.』

Hoooosh!

At that moment, a sound of something slicing through the air was heard.

Kaboooom!

Following that, a massive impact and explosion occurred, and a continuous buzzing noise filled my ears.

I didn’t even have time to adjust to that bizarre situation, and my body felt like it was soaring in the air. My vision was completely filled with a blinding light that painted the entire world white.

The complete opposite of darkness, a terrible whiteness.

How do you put it? A whiteout?

I was submerged in a world so bright that it made distinguishing faces impossible, but from that, all oppression and bindings on my body vanished, and I was able to rise from my position.

“d*mn brat, still doing stupid things. I can’t look away at this, for real.”

Is this part of the flashbacks that haven’t ended yet?

In the glaring white world, the clear face of a fairy with white hair and red eyes stood out vividly amid the brightness.

d*mn it, to see Elfride right before d*ath—what an irony.

“Elfride, you b*stard!”

At that moment, I screamed in anger. If it’s just a flashback, a dream, I figured I might as well clear out all the unspoken things and d*e peacefully.

“Ccaanpfridiiie! Caanprryidyyeen! Why are you showing up even in my deathbed flashbacks? Change her to Luna!”

“Wha-, what? Who?”

Seeing Elfride flustered by my curses delighted me immensely. Since there was no turning back now, I decided to go even further.

I took bold steps toward her and extended my hand.

Squish.

My hand directly grabbed the large bosom I had surreptitiously eyed before. The sensation under the leather clothing was vividly transmitted.

So the flashbacks were 4D after all.

Keng keng.

I could even smell the unique grassy scent of Elfride.

I had heard that flashbacks were a hallucination created by the brain using all acquired information. Indeed, it’s real.

“…”

Even the expression of Elfride, who’s utterly furious and speechless, matched the real thing. The high-definition reproduction and vivid sensation made it quite enjoyable.

Perhaps this is a final reward my dying brain is giving me. I had to let it all out right here.

“Screw you, flat-chested b*tch! You’re the type who lures men with just your br*asts, but I wanted to touch them once too… soft and squishy. Actually, I don’t want to d*e…”

“Y-you b*stard, are you insane? Are you really looking to d*e, you d*mn a**hole!? You’re just too hyped up because you haven’t been beaten up lately!!”

Something flashed before my eyes, and instantly, darkness engulfed my vision.

*

“Kiyaahkkk—!”

I woke up, bolting upright with an odd scream. I had an absolutely crazy nightmare, but after I woke up, I couldn’t recall anything at all.

I calmed my racing heart, relieved that it was just a nightmare. But when did I fall asleep?

Looking around, I saw two moons floating in the dusky evening sky.

“I’m awake! I’m awake! Here, here! Samaritan is awake!”

Below that, I saw rough faces stained with mud and bl**d. Is this hell? Or am I still in the nightmare?

But the intense smell of mud and sweat hitting me made it seem real. Most of all, the vivid pain on my face could not be from a dream.

My temple was aching badly.

“What the…?”

When I touched my face, I noticed that my left eye area was incredibly swollen, making me gasp in shock.

It hurt like an electric shock when I pressed it lightly, causing an involuntary groan.

When had I sustained this injury?

I inspected my arms and legs carefully, but aside from some minor scratches, I didn’t seem to have any major injuries.

“Huf…”

At that moment, a sigh of relief finally escaped.

I looked at the men who were cautiously watching me and asked,

“What exactly happened here?”

“There was a strange explosion of light, and all the undead on the battlefield were eliminated. We somehow rescued you and the young lady from that explosion. Soon after, the main forces arrived, and…”

Ssuuuh…

As the men spoke, I slowly sat up.

Turning my head, I realized where I was—the plain in front of Baldes Fort.

However, under the moonlight, the landscape felt different from the one I remembered.

Gooaaahh…

On the flat plain, there was a giant crater as if a meteor had hit. The deepest part of the crater’s center must be tens of meters deep.

Bathed in the moonlight, the crater looked as dark and ominous as the vast mouth of the earth, causing goosebumps.

“…After that strange explosion, the terrain changed. Isn’t that astonishing? Such an event can only be the power of the gods.”

“The silent gods of Hypos answered our prayers! At any rate, this significantly changed the battlefield—what a blessing!”

People laughed and cheered about the situation. Looking away from them, I gazed at the burning Baldes Fort far away.

The wooden barricades were charred black, and flames erupted here and there, making the scene feel quite magnificent.

Fixating on the burning fort, I asked into the void,

“So, is the war over?”

“Not yet. We still need to capture the magician Anchors. We have 2,000 armed soldiers and magicians heading in—soon, he’ll be restrained.”

“Or he’ll come out dead.”

As someone added, others chipped in too, finally spilling out what they had been holding back.

“d*mn it, we should have sent in the main forces from the start.”

“Wait! Otherwise, we would probably have fallen under that monstrous giant’s assault. It’s a d*mn shitty situation to use us as bait.”

“That monster! Frankly, I thought some sort of hellish beast had risen. Moros, right? Isn’t Moros the ancient god symbolizing d*ath? Did that monster really represent Moros…?”

“There’s no way that was real. But it was undoubtedly a powerful giant. Even Andrea of the ‘Twenty Sword Strikes’ didn’t have a chance and was cleanly split into two.”

“If that creature had been alive…half of us might’ve died at its hands. Granted, it feels a tad exaggerated. But I had this real feeling—like we might’ve truly faced that reality…”

People shivered in fear remembering the ash-colored giant they saw at sunset. Some were even breathing heavily, swallowing loudly.

“…Still, it was hard to believe that you, sir, ran towards that monstrous thing without a single hesitation! I thought you were being dragged for a moment!”

Then someone spoke to me.

I racked my memory to understand what they were saying. These men clearly thought that when I was drawn magnetically towards the giant’s monstrous hand, it was my own choice to charge in and attack it.

“That… it was a bit of a misunderstanding. I didn’t exactly rush in because I wanted to…”

“Hm… you’re more modest than we thought! We all saw you overpowering that monster! Honestly, I somewhat underestimated you as a barbarian, but nothing has ever been more grand and breathtaking than what I witnessed.”

“Hector fighting Achilles could’ve never been that remarkable! This was a truly epic duel that would’ve deserved being recorded in a temple in the age of romance.”

“Indeed, I didn’t even blink and watched the whole thing.”

People started bustling about, evaluating the battlefield.

Even as the battle continued to the morning, and the wounded exchanged stories, eventually, experienced soldiers and knights managed to plant the yellow banner symbolizing Sodomora on top of the fort.

[Author’s Note]

Mitshuri has been holding her breath…

But as I continued to hold it, it seems like this might take a few days of thought, so I’ll come up for air today.

Mitshuri is taking a breather…

H-huff.

Still, it’ll come out quickly… Sob… Our house fairies are hard at work baking rice cakes!

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