Sloth (3)

The battle at the barrier raged on.

When Frondier slew the Cyclops, a long gap opened up on the battlefield, stretching from the barrier to where the Cyclops had fallen.

The Roach Knights, who had been covering Frondier, seized this opportunity and skillfully lured the monsters that had split to the left and right.

Sylvain, now wielding his sword in his left hand, fought even more comfortably than before the battle began, and the knights' movements, utilizing their mobility, resembled a hunting party.

When they had lured the monsters and sometimes caused them to collide with each other, creating a single clump, Enfer's sword and the mages' incantations shone brightly.

And above all.

'That Frondier fellow, he meticulously wiped out all the black monsters.'

Sylvain clicked his tongue at Frondier's thoroughness.

Though he didn't know the principle behind it, Frondier was the natural enemy of the black monsters.

Before heading alone towards the fragment, he had already eliminated almost all of the black monsters.

Of course, he did so because they were a valuable source of mana for him, but Sylvain couldn't have known that.

Just like humans, monsters also have morale. While they may not be as significantly affected as humans, monsters still hesitate when their comrades fall beside them, and they even flee when defeat looms before them.

However, Frondier showed the monsters something worse than death. At least for the black monsters, they were sucked in and turned into mana.

At what point in that process did death occur? There was no greater fear for the monsters.

Frondier, who killed the Cyclops and ran beyond the northern side. The battlefield afterwards seemed similar to the battles that had always taken place in Yeranhes.

Of course, there were far more monsters than usual, but Frondier had already killed most of the flying monsters beforehand, eliminated almost all of the black monsters, and even subjugated the dangerous Cyclops.

While Frondier was running around like that, Sylvain, the Roach Knights, and Enfer were all still standing, so the battle became more manageable than it had been at the start.

And so, the long struggle between monsters and humans continued in a stalemate for a long time.

But at some point...

"...Isn't something strange about those guys?"

It was a soldier's remark. It was almost a murmur, but it definitely reached the ears of those who were having similar thoughts.

"They suddenly look elsewhere, stop in the middle of their advance, and look around."

"Don't they look like they just woke up?"

"It's like they don't know why they're here."

There was a change in the monsters' movements.

Of course, they still charged madly when they spotted humans, but overall, the monsters' organized flow was becoming disarrayed.

Sylvain and Enfer quickly took note of this change.

Sylvain, who was commanding the Roach Knights from outside the barrier, caught a glimpse of Enfer in a fleeting moment as the scenery rushed past him on horseback.

As if he already knew, Enfer was already looking at Sylvain, and they exchanged a brief conversation with their eyes.

─Frondier did it!

With that certainty, Sylvain inhaled deeply.

"Shout! Soldiers of Yeranhes!!"

Sylvain gathered all of his remaining aura, which had been gradually depleted by the long battle. The knights did the same. It would be a problem after they used up all this aura, but Sylvain was certain.

There would be no 'after' this time.

"Strike fear into their hearts! Amidst the falling rain of arrows and the baptism of fire, make them realize where they are right now!"

"Don't spare the arrows! And the mana too! Pour everything you have into them!"

"It will be tough, but just get through this one time! This is the end! Use all your strength and collapse if you must! Even if you fall, you will return home safely!"

Understanding Sylvain's intentions, the knights encouraged the soldiers. In response, the soldiers gritted their teeth and roared.

Without a care for the remaining battles ahead, they shouted, shot arrows, swung their swords, and magic rained down from the sky to the ground.

"Haaap-!!"

And as if to spur them on, Enfer's long, horizontal blade cut through the air. The distant wall of monsters began to collapse like dominoes.

The monsters behind them were bewildered as they suddenly found themselves at the forefront. They met eyes with Enfer, who was radiating a terrifying aura from afar.

─You too will be cut down where you stand.

A death sentence that needed no words. Enfer had already foretold their demise with just a look.

Kieeeeek!!

The monsters were completely disoriented. They had just woken up, and suddenly arrows were raining down, fire and ice were falling, mounted humans were thrusting spears and swords, and they could see other monsters dying in the distance.

The first thing that caught their eyes was the barrier. The still thick and tall barrier, and the humans glaring down at them with murderous intent.

It was impossible. They couldn't overcome that barrier. No, why were they even here in the first place? What were all those corpses?

The monsters who were slow to judge died, those who were slow to act even if they judged slowly died, and those who acted but were slow on their feet also died.

The monsters who came to their senses began to scatter. Of course, the monsters who were already attacking the barrier continued to mindlessly charge at the humans, but they were naturally skewered by the blades and spear tips.

"Uwaaaak! Haak! Huk, huuk!"

One of the soldiers at the front was swinging his sword like a madman. Of course, it was due to Sylvain's shouts and the knights' encouragement, but he was already half-drunk on the scent of war.

In a life-or-death battle, such people were common. It was fortunate that he was at the very front, otherwise, he might have swung his sword indiscriminately at both enemies and allies.

Such a soldier needed to be subdued by several people from behind or disarmed by a much stronger individual to bring him back to his senses.

But this time, there was no need for that.

"Uwaak! Haak! Ha... Huh...?"

The man who had been madly hacking away at the monsters in front of him soon realized the anomaly.

Whiing~

His sword awkwardly sliced through the air at some point.

"Huuk, huuk, huuk... Huh..."

The soldier finally became aware of his own breathing and slowly lowered his shoulders.

"They're gone..."

There were no monsters.

He had been swinging his sword mindlessly at the seemingly endless horde of monsters, but once the last one fell, the next one didn't come.

All he could hear was the pounding of his own heart and his own ragged breaths, like a strong wind brushing through the trees.

All he could see was the strangely empty space beneath the barrier and the monsters scattering in all directions.

His ears, which had only heard his own heartbeat and breathing, his eyes, which had only seen what was right in front of him.

His five senses, which had been focused solely on his immediate surroundings due to the battle, slowly opened up to his surroundings.

And once they were fully open…