Chapter 544
Redina was responsible for providing massive magical bombardment support to the needed areas while overlooking the battlefield.
The spot with a bird's-eye view of the vast battlefield had always been Redina's, where she had to decide whether to support a particular place based on her own judgment.
The situation on the battlefield was always changing, and Redina had to make decisions on her own.
She had to decide at all times.
To help or not to help.
Using telescope magic, she analyzed the situation on the battlefield and helped where it was most needed.
Helping where it was most needed meant that some places would not receive assistance.
She had to judge between important units and less important ones.
She would leave some units to be annihilated while supporting more critical locations and more important troops.
Saving some while watching the deaths of others was Redina's job, and she had to make that choice every minute, every second.
Her decisions were based on intuition, not the kind that could be reached through deliberation and review.
The fact that her judgment could be wrong sometimes plunged Redina into her greatest fear, and it was inevitable that she had made mistakes.
The power of the Arc Crystal was not infinite.
Thus, countless situations arose where she had to turn away from someone.
The moment Redina chose to exclude someone based on the battlefield's needs, she couldn't help but think of those dying because of her decisions, rather than those she had saved.
Grrrr!
As she spread dozens of shockwaves to neutralize the swarm of flying monsters approaching the rear base, Redina couldn't help but watch the soldiers being crushed and killed by the falling debris of the defeated creatures.
If she had left the monsters unattended, the artillery would have been neutralized, causing even greater damage.
Nevertheless, the fact remained that soldiers had died due to Redina's magic.
"..."
She might be known as the magician who killed the most monsters.
In the end, however, Redina would be the magician who killed the most people.
With a heavy heart, Redina looked at the battlefield.
She had no choice but to witness countless deaths.
It was a chaotic battlefield filled with death and slaughter.
Ludwig, too, couldn't help but have his place amidst that death and carnage.
Thud! Thump!
Wrapped in blue mana, Ludwig was also killing monsters.
A lot had changed since the time when Magic Body Strengthening had just become possible.
With the optimized magic power from Moonshine, Ludwig achieved optimal Magic Body Strengthening, just like other Royal Class members.
Even if he didn't reach the Master Class, Ludwig was undeniably a superhuman.
Gasp!
He stabbed with his sword, struck with a pommel, and kicked.
The smaller monsters couldn't help but be neutralized by Ludwig's gestures and kicks.
In such a battlefield, Ludwig's talent couldn't help but shine.
"Heugh!"
Swoosh!
He never tired.
Having only the talent of stamina, Ludwig never neglected to hone that ability.
However, not even Ludwig could face all the monsters.
Grrrrraaah!
“Please, save me!”
The cacophony of monsters' roars and human screams mixed in a frenzy echoed from every corner of the battlefield.
Naturally, not all were fighting.
“Ah, ah... ah... ah…”
Some had lost their minds, dropped their weapons in fear, and crawled on the ground.
“My leg... my leg…”
There were those who had suffered fatal injuries, unable to receive healing help and slowly dying.
In this hell where countless people met their end, treated worse than dogs, Ludwig stood his ground, wielding the swords and spears of the fallen against the surging wave of monsters.
Why must such things happen?
Why must there be such events?
Why must these people die so cruelly?
Gritting his teeth, Ludwig does the only thing he can do since he cannot save the fallen ones: he kills monsters.
That is the one unique good left in this world. The other good is the root cause of this situation: the death of the Demon King.
But, Ludwig cannot face the terrifyingly powerful Demon King.
That is the hero's role.
So, killing monsters.
Killing the monsters he can, facing those within his capability, that is the one and only righteousness and goodness that Ludwig can enact himself. 𝚋𝚎𝚍ｎ𝚘ｖ𝚎𝚕.𝚗𝚎𝚝
Some have collapsed, moaning in pain, others have lost their minds, but those who still hold their weapons and haven't given up must be thinking similarly to Ludwig.
They fight against the calamity because it is too bitter and unjust to fall like this, unable to let go of their weapons.
From afar, Ludwig saw something leap amidst the waves of monsters.
-Whiiiik!
Something, a black sphere-like object, flew in and crashed among the soldiers.
-Kuwung!
It wasn't a bullet or a shell; it was a monster.
The monster, curled up like a ball, unfolded its body, resembling a scorpion.
Where its face should have been, there was only a dark hole, brimming with pitch-black tentacles.
-Kiiiiiiiaaaaaa!
"Ugh!"
From the abyss-like hole, a ferocious and eerie screech erupted, causing the surrounding soldiers and Ludwig, who was relatively far away, to lose their balance.
The soldiers nearby began to fall, blood pouring from their eyes, ears, and mouths, just from hearing the cursed shriek.
-Kiiiiiiiaaaaaa!
"Ughhhhh!"
In the midst of agonizing pain, as if his head was being torn apart, Ludwig gritted his teeth.
Monsters were diverse.
Some spewed flames and lightning, while others attacked the mind.
It was impossible to know what form of attack they'd use, and some were so illogical.
Even with their ears covered, the soldiers could not regain their composure as the shriek of terror seeped through, and Ludwig was no exception.
-Thud! Crunch!
The approaching monsters trampled and crushed the fallen soldiers.
They were on the verge of being annihilated by this irrational assault, and Ludwig was no exception.
At that moment,
-Kiiiiiiiaaaaaa!
With her wild, red hair billowing, someone charged straight into the source of the terrifying scream.
Despite everyone else vomiting blood and dying upon hearing the scream up close, the girl with red hair seemed unaffected as she rushed toward the center of the scream.
-Whoosh!
She thrust her sword into the gaping abyss and twisted it.
-Crunch! Crackle!
The monster was swiftly dismantled and fell.
The girl who had slain the monster approached Ludwig, covered in a blue aura.
"Are you alright?"
"Scarlett..."
"Get up. We don't have time for this."
"Alright."
Ludwig got up, feeling the lingering screams echoing in his head, and steadied himself.
A talent called immunity.
It applied to monsters as well.
For some reason, the strange powers wielded by monsters had no effect on Scarlett.
Neither flames, nor lightning, nor the terrifying force that dominated the mind.
Scarlett was immune to the power of all the monsters, as long as they didn't launch a direct attack.
For this reason, Scarlett sought out and killed monsters that wielded unreasonably strong powers.
Without Scarlett, even the formidable Ludwig would have had no choice but to succumb to death.
She saved not only countless soldiers but also Ludwig's life.
However, they must continue fighting to avoid the next crisis.
Before Ludwig could fully stand, Scarlett had already plunged into the midst of the battlefield.
Monsters were everywhere.
Scarlett's immunity protected her from the strange powers of the monsters, but it couldn't shield her from the physical strength of the monsters that grabbed, tore, and bit.
Ddddddd
The ground moaned.
"An earthquake?"
Now, monsters that caused earthquakes appeared as well.
No.
Ddddddddd!
Ludwig, looking at the trembling ground that followed the growing turmoil and rumble of the earth, realized that this was not the result of some special power.
In a situation where an unknown enemy could appear, intuition was most important.
Intuitive and immediate situational judgment, and then action.
When Ludwig realized that the massive rumbling of the ground was not an earthquake but something approaching from underground.
And when he saw that the enormous rumbling had reached the ground beneath Scarlett's feet.
"Scarlett! Get out of the way!"
"…!"
Boom!
Ludwig watched as a giant, grotesque worm with a gaping maw erupted from the ground, swallowing up Scarlett, along with dozens of monsters and soldiers, as it leaped out.