Book 3: Chapter 20

Betrayer’s Betrayal

“They’re here! They’re here!”

The soldiers in charge of monitoring the army of Apristos from atop the defense walls were in an uproar.

The Apristos troops had started to move.

All of the soldiers’ faces reflected their utter desperation. Alheim’s strongest fighters went to attack the opponent’s main line, but that ended in failure. Furthermore, news came that approximately 110,000 enemy soldiers were headed towards them.

The watchmen soldiers atop the walls saw those few people they thought as the strongest fighters charged toward the enemy line. A gigantic thunderbolt struck the troops, and many enemy soldiers were overthrown.

Such overwhelming power—victory might be possible. Many soldiers thought so.

However, when the second thunderbolt struck, the enemy that should have been defeated had revived.

Their numbers increased around 10 times more—

Amidst the confusion of the flustered soldiers, news broke from the higher-ups that the strongest group’s attack failed. They were then told that the enemy’s whole army was coming, and they must be prepared.

Through the sprawling grasslands, 10,000 flaming knights, which seemed to be made of magic that was conjured by the enemy, marched in the frontlines. They were followed by a troop of 3,000 people with 100,000 soldiers gathered behind them; all of those soldiers were marching toward them.

A ceasefire negotiation had been held the previous night, but Apristos had responded by sending the messenger’s head back. They had no intention of stopping. They planned to overrun the country. 

The soldiers’ limbs were quaking in fear. But they could not escape. The civilians were still evacuating through the Royal Capital’s gates located opposite the grasslands. They needed to buy some time. It was easy to imagine how horrendous the women and children’s fate would be if they were captured by the enemy.

At any rate, they had to let their wives and children escape. Many soldiers suppressed the urge to run away, and they tried to bolster themselves and prepare for the attacks.

When the enemy battalion reached the center of the grasslands, an incident occurred.

The flaming knights that had been marching steadily on, suddenly halted!

── *** ──

Shortly before the flaming knights stopped in their tracks, the Prince and his guards were walking just behind them.

He was flanked left and right by the Left General and the ex-general, respectively. Halt walked a little further behind the former general.

Intoxicated with the overwhelming strength of the flaming knights, the Prince’s courage grew tremendously. Originally, he should be staying behind the army, but he had joined the frontlines instead because he wanted to see upfront Alheim’s demise in the hands of the flaming knights.

The Left General put up with him condescendingly.

“Hey, make sure to capture the female Elves without slaying them. I don’t care what you do with the males,” said the Prince to the former general.

“I understand. I will slaughter all the men who will resist. Is that fine with you?”

“Go ahead.”

“Looks like you don’t have mercy on your own country.”

The Left General was quite surprised that the former general readily accepted the prince’s outrageous command.

“I’ll be happy if this country sinks in desolation and despair. Ah, but leave Tina Harivell to me. I want to kill her with my own hands. Could you pardon me for that?”

“That Heroine? Well, I don’t really care. Why?”

“It’s a personal thing, but… Well, you can say it’s a parental grudge.”

Amon had possessed the former general’s body, and those words were his own.

Tina and the other Heroes had killed the Demon King raised by the Evil God. Since he was under the god’s control, Amon was also affected by the frustration festering in the Evil God’s heart. 

Tina did not do anything to him directly, but he was overflowing with hatred against her.

“Ah, but I heard that person possesses a great amount of skill. No matter how strong the knights are, I believe it will be difficult to capture her. Or do you mean to say you can still beat her even if you go solo?”

The Left General fully grasped the extent of the strength of the flaming knights before him. However, he didn’t have the confidence to win against a Hero who has the reputation of killing a dragon with her bare hands.

“Ah, I’m afraid I cannot win against her on my own. But I have this person.”

Amon looked at Halt. He gave his command.

“Halt, capture Tina Harivell and bring her here. Do not kill her, alright? I will be the one to stop her breathing.”

“Don’t want to.”

Halt refused to obey Amon’s orders.

“What?”

Amon could not believe his ears.

Supposedly, Halt could never disobey him, since he had been brainwashed by the [Bracelet of Slavery]’s power.

Amon tried to issue an order once again.

“This is an order. Go and bring Tina Harivell.”

“I already said I don’t want to. So pesky.”

“!?”

Without a doubt, Halt really did refuse.

“W, what’s happening? Why are you going against my orders!? Y, you should have been brainwashed completely!”

He trained his eyes on Halt’s arm.

The [Bracelet of Slavery] was firmly attached to his arm.

“I wasn’t brainwashed.”

“Huh!?”

“How on earth!?”

“N, no way… does that mean you’re our opponent!?”

“Yeah. I’m Halt. The husband of the Second Princess of Alheim, as well as the Heroine Tina, which means I’m your enemy.”

As soon as Halt said that, the flaming knights pointed their spears at the throats of the Prince, former general, and Left General.

In a blink of an eye, all the surrounding flaming knights also pointed their spears toward them.

“W, why!? Why didn’t the slavery bracelet work on you!? No, you attacked your own comrades! It should have worked!!”

“Well, it seems like magical equipment doesn’t affect me. In other words, even if you equip me with a legendary weapon, I won’t get stronger. Ah well, the opposite is also true. Even if you place a cursed object on me, I won’t be cursed.”

Halt removed the bracelet after he said those words.

“N, no, that’s utter nonsense…”

Amon’s eyes widened.

“More than that, you said I attacked my friends? Well, that’s so I could keep up the ruse that I was your ally. Moreover, I don’t want you guys fleeing on me.”

Halt sauntered toward Amon.

“W, what!?”

“You’re one of the Evil God’s guys, aren’t you?”

“!?”

Halt felt the aura of the Evil God the moment he stepped on Alheim. When the former general called him, and during their handshake, he had also noticed that the ex-general had come into contact with someone related to the Evil God.

Of course, at point-blank range, it was easy for Halt to see that someone having the same aura similar to the Evil God currently possessed the body of the former general.

The truth was, Halt didn’t really hold a grudge against the Evil God. He was enjoying his life in this world.

However, he had always wanted to take revenge for being killed, even for a bit.

“What I’ll be doing now is just venting out on you.”

“Wha— Gufu!!!”

Halt punched Amon with his magic-strengthened fist.

The former general’s body had been splendidly trained. Not only that, Amon, a high-ranking demon, had taken over his body, so most attacks would not have an effect on it.

Nevertheless, Amon was blown away marvelously.

Several flaming knights standing at the edge caught Amon.

Afterward, they threw Amon, who had already fainted, and he flew at a neck-breaking speed back to Halt. Amon’s face crashed into Halt’s fist that was further strengthened magically compared to the first hit… 

Halt punched him with all his strength.

With a sound that didn’t match that of a human striking another, Amon soared to the sky and was blasted away to a distant mountain.

“Fuu, that was quite refreshing.”

The Prince, Left General, and the surrounding soldiers stood rooted to the spot, appalled at what happened.

Contrary to them, Halt looked revitalized.

——

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