I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution

Chapter 244: 244. Abyssal Holy War – Final Resistance (3)

Episode 244. Abyssal Holy War – The Final Resistance (3)

An aura, shimmering with purple mana, flew forth.

Forged from a sword, it was death itself in flight.

The moment they saw the ghastly sword strike surging toward the allied lines, cleaving through even the Drones as if they were nothing, everyone intuited the fate that awaited them upon contact.

But just before that ghastly terror could overwhelm the allied forces' encampment, a barrier of light blocked it.

The barrier of light, which had held against the wave of aura sharp enough to slice through anything, finally crumbled, but the wave of aura had also vanished.

Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, their cheers quickly turning to ecstatic praise for the Saintess Queen.

“Hmm…!”

Watching the sight from the hill, Baal narrowed his eyes at the sensation transmitted to his hand.

His aura had shattered the Saintess Queen's barrier.So far, it was the same as what he had done just before.

But the sensation of breaking through the barrier, digging into the caster, and disrupting their mana was gone.

It had been blocked.

The moment he realized this, a cruel smile spread across Baal's lips.

“How dare they, mere humans.”

They were an incomparably inferior race.

If Baal and his followers hadn't aided them from behind the scenes, they would have been struggling just to survive, let alone push back the Demon King's Army.

The reason Baal struck down the Demon King wasn't because their power was insufficient to conquer the Central Continent.

It was because the Demon King at the time was not worth the lives of the compatriots who would have died in the process.

Furthermore, the Saintess who had become the focal point of human resistance.

The very Saintess they praised so highly was not a salvation granted to them by God. She was a mercy sent by him.

He sent her not for the sake of humans, but to use them as a tool to drive the Demon King into a corner and drag him from his throne.

God does not care for them.

If God had truly looked after them from the beginning, he never would have given such power to Gremory, a succubus.

The proof is that no small number of clergy from the Holy Theocracy have been making deals with Abyss Corporation behind the scenes, maintaining a hostile symbiosis by using the fear of demons to line their own pockets.

And yet, now.

After all this time?

Is God looking after them?

The noble demons, them.

Is he granting them His protection to subjugate Abyss Corporation, and Baal himself who founded it?

This is unacceptable.

The descendants of a race that survived by relying on his mercy and a false saintess, these wretches dare to set foot on this land, bare their fangs at demons, and block his path?

Baal's lips twisted.

“If I crush their saintess right before their eyes, will those vermin finally learn their place?”

*

The barrier of light blocked it, making it seem foolish that I had been frozen watching the ghastly wave of ruin fly in.

But the moment I saw the barrier of light fail to hold and crumble, a chilling sensation ran down my spine.

Even if she was caught off guard, she was at full strength, and she ended up like that after blocking just one attack.

How much time had passed since then? Two hours at most?

How much could Eris have recovered in that time?

“Your Majesty!”

I rushed over frantically, and thankfully, Eris was standing properly on her own two feet.

Only after sighing in relief that Eris hadn't collapsed did I see the crystal in her hand, which had lost its light.

“Are you all right?”

Eris turned her head and looked at me.

Eris's naturally pale face was somehow tinged with a slight red.

As if she were incredibly excited, her blood pumping fast.

“I'm perfectly fine!”

“…Uh, yes?”

“I feel full of energy, and I have more crystals. Give me your orders, Marquis!”

…Even for wartime, a queen who just came back from the dead immediately pestering her commander for orders.

Somehow, I couldn't hide this strange feeling.

More importantly, is she really okay?

As I cast a doubtful glance her way, I turned my gaze to Lord Beaumont standing beside her, and he just shrugged his shoulders.

My, you must have it rough thanks to this reckless queen, our Royal Guard Knight in a nanny role...

Eris must have noticed she was inappropriately agitated for the situation, as she belatedly cleared her throat.

“I'm really all right. The Countess Aquitaine brought me spare crystals, and I've rested enough. My condition is good, so I can do my part.”

Indeed, if it weren't for her, a catastrophe would have just occurred.

“…Please let me.”

We all know full well why we are here, and how much of ourselves we've put on the line.

Seeing the unwavering look in Eris's eyes, I nodded and replied.

“Please follow me, Your Majesty.”

“Yes!”

Eris replied, excited.

“I don't know what it is, but your mood has suddenly changed. Did you receive some kind of revelation?”

It was half a joke, but also half serious.

She may not look it, but she's a saintess, after all.

Who knows if she really did receive a revelation from God?

Eris chuckled and replied.

“Not from my God.”

“Hmm?”

Then whose God?

A question did arise, but this was no time for idle chat.

Even as we stood there, the bombardment continued, and I could see the muskets below firing in unison, felling Drones.

We'd caught our breath thanks to Baal's strike, meant to annihilate our defense line, only scorching the Drones at the front before being blocked by Eris's barrier, but if we left things as they were, it was only a matter of time before we'd be in melee combat with the Drones.

We may have disorganized them once with the shock assault of the Revolutionary Guard's Grenadier Regiment, but it's not like the demon soldiers were completely annihilated, nor has their equipment superiority gone anywhere.

We still have no leeway.

No sooner had Eris and I hurried to our destination than a gruff old man's roar erupted.

“Aaargh, I thought my eyes were going to fall out from waiting! When are we doing this, Marquis!”

“Sorry for the delay, Tower Master. Are all the preparations finished?”

The Tower Master, who wasn't very tall and only reached my chest, pounded his chest and shouted as soon as he heard me.

“Are you asking me that now! I finished three minutes ago!”

…Isn't three minutes not that long to wait?

“Tsk, I can see exactly what you're thinking! Do you know how many people would consider it their family's glory to get a chance to speak with me for three minutes!”

I instinctively touched my face.

Was it that obvious?

He didn't get old for nothing, at least.

“It's a misunderstanding, Tower Master. Her Majesty the Queen has also arrived. She will protect you while you prepare the grand magic.”

“Oh, right. Welcome, Saintess Queen!”

There had been no prior discussion since Eris was unconscious, but...

“Nice to meet you, Tower Master! I'll protect you no matter what! Just trust me!”

As the vitality-filled Eris shouted energetically, the Tower Master blinked and said,

“Oh, how friendly. Any thoughts on quitting being a Saintess and working at the Magic Tower?”

“Ye-Yes?”

But the Tower Master displayed a dignity that flustered even Eris.

…Being a saintess isn't something Eris can just quit, and besides, wouldn't her status as Queen be the problem if she were to work at the Magic Tower?

Ah, wait.

I got swept up in his pace too.

“…Tower Master. Even so, isn't it a bit much to try and poach manpower during a joint war? There's a basic sense of morality between allies….”

What nonsense is this, trying to take the Queen from here!

I tried speaking his language, figuring that shouting wouldn't get through to his common sense, but the Tower Master went even further.

“Does morality pay for research funding? A mage has no need for something like morality! Tsk, this is why I hate idiots who know nothing of the magic arts.”

“Ah, hahaha….”

Eris let out an empty laugh, and I suppressed the urge to grab the back of my neck as I opened my mouth.

“…I may not know the magic arts, but I at least have the ability to cut the research funding sponsored by the Countess Aquitaine to the Magic Tower in half.”

…I couldn't suppress it.

Considering the Tower Master's missing conscience and personality, was this a mistake?

I was regretting my words after spitting them out, but the Tower Master was an even more incredible person than I thought.

“Hmph. Ahem, ahem, a jo-jo-joke, of course. Yes! Just a joke. This is the latest style of joke trending at the Magic Tower! Th-that's right, Marquis Lafayette is married to the Countess Aquitaine, isn't he? Hahahaha, no wonder you boast such extraordinary competence, the saying 'like wife, like husband' is no empty phrase! Hahahaha!”

Did you act that way because you'd forgotten until now?

…Should I have played the Christine card sooner?

“…You overpraise me.”

My mind dazed, I gave a noncommittal reply and turned my gaze to the giant magic circle drawn on the ground.

It somehow brought back bad memories.

Even to me, a layperson in magic, the structure of the spell formula was completely different from the one in my memory, but it was a magic circle built nonetheless by countless mages pouring in their mana and using all sorts of materials.

A spell formula to manifest grand magic.

“I may not have any insight into the magic arts, but it certainly looks magnificent.”

I just threw out some empty words, but the Tower Master immediately revived.

“Magnificent? Maaaagnificent? You look at the masterpiece of this body, the sage of sages, and merely call it magnificent! This is the essence of the magic arts, a work that has never been seen before and never will be again, a legend in history, a masterpiece that endlessly approaches myth! The Allied Forces should consider it an honor just to see this with their own eyes!”

…Why is the great sage of sages a person like this.

Are there no normal people among these so-called sages?

Still, while the other mages who participated in constructing the spell formula were exhausted, drinking potions to replenish their mana, the Tower Master looked not just fine but overflowing with energy, so his skill at least seemed certain...

I let out a small sigh.

“Very well. Her Majesty the Queen and the entire Allied Forces will protect you, Tower Master, no matter what happens. So, please begin.”

“Hmph, hmph. Good, then….”

When the Tower Master gestured, the mages gathered.

They weren't on the level of the Tower Master's direct disciples, like Louis, who could wield sufficient power even as a solo force, but they were still elite mages, carefully selected by the Magic Tower, who took their places at each corner of the magic circle holding mana amplification crystals-

The Tower Master, likewise holding a mana amplification crystal, stood in the center of the magic circle and stared intently at me.

…? What.

“Ahem, ahem.”

The Tower Master cleared his throat and stared at me again.

This can't be….

We're in a fight for the fate of humanity and the Central Continent, and this man, said to be humanity's greatest intellect.

I opened my mouth with a very reluctant expression.

“…If we win thanks to your grand magic, I will endeavor to increase the sponsorship funds a little more.”

“Hahahaha, as expected of the Countess Aquitaine, she has a good eye for men!”

The mana amplification crystals held in the hands of the Tower Master and the mages began to glow.

A familiar sensation. My nerves stood on end at the ghastly feeling, my body's mana screaming a warning.

The magic circle flashed and shone, and as if the mana erupting from the amplification crystals wasn't enough, it began to greedily suck in all the mana from the atmosphere.

In the very center of the mana that had gathered and swirled like a storm, the Tower Master, standing in the eye of the storm, reached his hand toward the distant sky-

The sky, covered in a violet fog, began to split open.

The grand magic used by the Storm Witch manipulated the weather to summon an artificial superstorm.

However, the Tower Master's version.

“Oh, ooooh…!”

“Whoa…!”

From the sundered sky, a burning sphere, shimmering blue like a sun, slowly began to descend.

“Is that… a meteorite?”

Eris asked, her face half-horrified, and I shook my head.

“No, if something like that fell, not only the demons but all of us would die too.”

I don't know exactly what it is either, but.

According to the Tower Master's explanation, it's a grand magic that distorts the mana structure.

-The mana wavelengths of each race are different. Even if they use the same mana, the arrangement they use to sustain life and exert their abilities is different. And this body's great grand magic can cover an area with a powerful mana wavelength, scrambling only a specific arrangement! A truly genius idea! As expected, I'm amazing! …Isn't that right, Marquis?

-Frankly, I don't quite understand what you're saying, but what happens then?

-Well, what would happen if you took out a human's internal organs, then roughly rearranged them to match a pig's before shoving them back inside?

-Your example is quite… something, but they would probably die.

-Exactly.

“…Anyway, the moment that thing falls, all the Drones and demons in this area are finished.”

Eris made a vague expression, then nodded.

“Okay, so as long as we protect the Tower Master, we win, right?”

“That's exactly right.”

I replied with a short laugh and turned my gaze to the enemy position.

A grand magic fueled by mana amplification crystals and the mages' own mana.

A battlefield that seemed to reenact the battle with the Storm Witch.

But the conditions are the exact opposite.

This time, we defend, and they must attack.

They do have the option to retreat, even if it means sacrificing some of their forces here.

The demons must have clearly felt the ghastly sensation that comes with casting grand magic.

But this is already the second time they have moved a million Drones.

Baal's demon army was also deployed preemptively, only to be defeated.

If they retreat now, rendering all those sacrifices meaningless, does Paimon have enough mana to move those countless Drones again?

Even if that were possible.

Pride. Baal of ‘Arrogance’.

The pride of a demon who only stepped forward belatedly after coming all this way.

Could he turn tail and run in the face of a desperate struggle cornered by human intellect?

The moment I thought that.

A ghastly sound, like a human scream, echoed across the battlefield.

That's a type of… horn… I suppose.

And at the same time, the demon forces began to advance in unison.

All of them—the demon unit that was likely their elite, and the reserve Drones, who had been spectating from the rear while our defense line repelled the preemptively deployed demons and desperately held back the Drones.

Yes, that's right.

The demons' arrogance, their pride.

It would never permit them to simply retreat here.

Neither we, nor they.

Can retreat from here.

It is victory or death.

Now things are a little more fair.