Episode 251 Blood Clash (5)
This morning is peaceful again.
However, there is no sound of birds chirping or leaves rustling in the wind because it is midwinter.
Phew.
A place where a cold wind blows. Numerous heroes stand in front of a large platform. They are heroes who were drafted from all over the world for the war to subdue Permish.
“I see you called us together early in the morning. Today must be D-Day.”
A man scratched his beard and muttered. The words he blurted out without thinking were picked up by a man nearby.
“That’s true. The wind is cool and the sky is cloudy. It’s the kind of weather that would make the demons go crazy.”
“You… I can see from the green armband that you’re a senior hero like me. What’s your affiliation? It’s my first time seeing you.”
“I belong to the 1st Japanese Battalion.”
“They said there was a bow hanging on his shoulder. It must be good to be in the rear.”
“What meaning do the front and rear have when facing a commander? If the front is breached, the rear will be annihilated in less than five minutes.”
“That’s true too.”
The bearded man chuckled as if something was so funny. The two men were complete strangers. However, they spoke to each other in a friendly tone as if they had known each other for a long time.
Heroes are people like this. They have the courage to make jokes even before a battle. That’s why they are called heroes by people, and they are both respected and envied.
“Anyway, remember my handsome back of the head and dodge it carefully before shooting me. What could be more dishonorable than being shot by an ally’s arrow and dying?”
The bearded man showed the back of his head to the archer and tapped his hand. The archer narrowed his eyes and then opened his mouth wide.
“It stands out because it has little hair. I will definitely remember it.”
“Hey! I’m not making fun of a balding person!”
“Haha, I didn’t mean to tease you. Anyway, why are we gathered here?”
The bearded man shrugged.
“Well, there’s something that happens all the time. Before a huge battle like this, the commanders give a routine speech or something.”
“I see.”
“I’ve been eating my hero’s food for over thirty years, but honestly, I don’t know why I do such things. We’re not even Academy cadets, so why should we be getting lectured at this age?”
“That’s true too.”
The archer nodded softly. The bearded man continued his argument.
“Instead of raising morale, it could actually lower it. I’m already worried that the person in charge of this punitive expedition is some kind of bloody bastard.”
The bearded man grumbled with a discontented expression. The archer looked around, then put his mouth close to the bearded man’s ear and whispered.
“There are many eyes watching.”
“That’s better. Then there will be more ears to hear.”
The bearded man snorted. He spoke without paying attention to the archer’s remark.
“A great hero is not something that can be achieved only by being strong. On the battlefield, the ability to lead people is more important. And that usually comes from experience. But I wonder if a seventeen-year-old is capable of leading this many heroes. That’s what I’m saying.”
“I don’t know what you mean… but he is still the Seven Stars.”
“What’s the big deal about Chilseong? In the eyes of the corps commander, Chilseong and us are all the same anyway… … .”
That was when.
Thud, thud.
Everyone present’s eyes followed the sound of footsteps climbing the steps of the stage. It was a boy in a black uniform with a white robe draped over both shoulders, the Heavenly Sword Ganggeomma.
The bearded man swallowed dryly. His darkened throat quivered loudly because of his beard.
‘… Even though you said that.’
The bearded man was once again surprised.
A thrilling presence that instantly captures the attention of even those in the rear. A dark spirit that makes you wonder if it is mine.
Only then did the heroes hastily regroup. The room that had been filled with a sense of leisure suddenly became filled with tension.
Thump.
Cheongeom stood in the center of the platform. Geomje, who followed him, stood on his left wing, and Changseong on his right wing. It looked as if the two veterans were supporting Cheongeom.
The Heavenly Sword looked around the crowd with indifferent eyes. The heroes felt their bodies tense up for a moment and avoided his gaze. In particular, the bearded man who had been chattering so enthusiastically almost lowered his eyes.
“… … .”
As the atmosphere became completely silent, Cheongeom let out a deep sigh. At this, all the heroes froze in place like stone.
What? Are they looking down on themselves? Are they going to say something like a professional disappointment?
Thump.
Cheongeom takes a step forward. One step, and then another. Eventually, he stops at the very edge of the platform. It was a precipice where he would fall if he took even half a step further.
Cheongeom sat down there with his legs hanging down from the platform, his eye level aligned with that of the standing heroes.
Cheongeom opened his mouth as he looked at the heroes who dared not raise their eyes. A dry, but clearly affectionate voice cut through the silence.
“Thank you all for coming here early.”
The heroes raised their heads without realizing it at the unexpected humility of Kanggeomma.
“Actually, it wasn’t my intention to bring you all here. I feel burdened by this, and I know very well that even if I, a young child, were to speak, it wouldn’t be very convincing.”
Cheongeom put one hand in his pocket and scratched his head with the other.
“But since it’s customary… … . Instead, I’ll make it short. I would appreciate it if you could understand that I don’t have much to say.”
The heroes thought that the way he chose his words was very human.
“I won’t say things like ‘Fight and risk your life.’ After all, you are heroes. Of course you are here with that kind of determination.”
At the same time, there is something about the voice that catches people’s attention.
“So in the same context, I won’t say, ‘Don’t die.’ That would be too irresponsible. I won’t say something weak like, ‘Please lend me your strength.’”
The pronunciation is neat and the sentences are short and concise. Also, the space between the words adds weight to the words.
“Because I know I am responsible for your lives. That’s why I don’t want to show myself as weak.”
Kanggeomma went out of his way to get on their level. This meant temporarily putting aside his own authority.
“I am young and innocent. I am probably your son. It may be hard to believe. But please remember one thing.”
It also expresses their intention to fight together with us.
“I am not one to turn a blind eye to the responsibility I have shouldered. Although I am young, I am proud to say that I am strong enough to shoulder that level of responsibility. Hmm- I have been talking for too long. I guess this is how it is for everyone who stands here. Anyway, my point is one.”
Kang Geum-ma stood up from his seat. He finished speaking briefly.
“Let’s win.”
Kanggeomma gently turns his body. Two letters are formed on the retinas of everyone looking up at his back.
『Heavenly Sword』
Behind the back of the strong swordsman returning to his place.
Waaaaaaaaaa… … !
The roar was deafening. The heroes were encouraged by the sincere speech.
The heroes’ weapons soared as if they were going to pierce the sky. The sound of drums rang out in sync with the heartbeats, and flags waved under the clear sky.
“… It’s like seeing a heroine from a myth, isn’t it?”
The bearded man asked the archer as if talking to himself.
“You are wrong.”
The archer responded with his fangs exposed.
“He is already a myth.”
* * *
As soon as I finished my speech, we marched. I, Geomje, and Changseong took the lead. This was partly to boost morale, but also because we, as experienced corps commanders, felt it was right for us to be at the forefront.
‘A legion commander. If you meet a legion commander who has just torn through the magic realm head-on… … .’
Unless you have a strong heart, you’ll probably end up foaming at the mouth and fainting. And if you let out a blast, the battle line could collapse in an instant. No matter what, we had to take the lead.
Accordingly, the other officers, General Remy, Vice-Chief Sung, and the association executives, each led their units from their respective positions.
After marching for an hour, we finally arrived at Gehenna Gate. The gate itself was a grotesque object, with hideous statues stuck all over it like pus.
‘Well, it’s nothing compared to the monsters that will appear soon.’
They had time to reorganize their battle formation. To be exact, they wanted to tear the army apart into top, mid, jungle, and bottom positions.
Even though the system was only introduced yesterday, the heroes showed agile movements. Even while scattering, they did not panic and lined up neatly.
‘They say they only drafted veterans among veterans, but they are quite different.’
I also took a deep breath, feeling relieved. It was about to happen. The 4th Corps Commander Permish bursts through the gate and appears. He is in a state of full magical power.
‘It can’t be compared to the times of Agor or Vesna.’
People tend to feel fear of things they have never experienced. I have never experienced a commander of a military force. Sweaty palms were a natural symptom for a human being.
“Heavenly Sword.”
The sword master, who had come close before I knew it, lightly tapped my shoulder. Changseong was also next to him.
“Your expression is dark, which is unusual for you.”
“Oh, yes.”
I thought about it for a moment and then asked them both.
“Aren’t you afraid, Master Inspector and Master Changseong? You lost three of your comrades here half a century ago. If it were me, I would hesitate to come back. Even Master Inspector lost an arm to Agor half a year ago.”
At my words, Geomje and Changseong looked at each other. Even though they were enemies, they had the same expression on their faces at this moment. Geomje turned his gaze back to me.
“It is a heroic virtue to die on the battlefield. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t terribly afraid, but at least I feel less scared today than I did 40 years ago.”
Changseong added.
“At that time, the hero army wasn’t even organized. But what about now? Aren’t all the warriors, seniors, and all, gathered together with one mind and one purpose? Is that all? Just thinking about fighting with you, Cheongeom, makes me excited. My body is tingling!”
Oh, I see. It seems I have unknowingly underestimated those who call themselves heroes.
If you think about it carefully, you will realize that the heroes in the game never tremble or run away. At the time, I thought they were just a bunch of numerical data that moved according to the user’s commands.
But that wasn’t it.
These are heroes. Superhumans who have undergone the harsh training of Joaquin Academy, warriors who consider death on the battlefield an honor.
On the other hand, I am an alien who came here only half a year ago. So I thoughtlessly treated them with human common sense.
‘We still haven’t drained all the water on Earth.’
When I smiled, Geomje and Changseong also smiled. I don’t know what their smiles mean, but they were a great comfort to me.
That was the moment.
Kukukung… … !
A heavy sound struck the eardrums. Everyone turned their heads to look at the gate. The eerie-looking gate was cracked and spilled stone chips.
It was a familiar eerieness. Anyone could tell what was happening now. The Gehenna Gate was going to explode open, and the scene of Permish walking out from beyond it was vivid in my mind.
“All hands, prepare for battle!”
The thunderous instructions of the creator spread far and wide. The tank heroes, known as ‘tops’, lowered their helmets and raised their heavy shields.
OMG.
The swordsman drew his sword and held it upright, the blade covering half of his wrinkled face.
thud!
Changseong also struck the spearhead. The road shook slightly. Changseong spoke to the swordsman standing next to him.
“If by any chance I lose an arm in this battle, please be sure to train with me, Nibelung.”
The sword master burst into laughter. Meanwhile, pure white particles of light began to appear on the blade. It was the aura of the sword master.
“You need both arms to be able to match me. So take good care of them. Who knows? If you have both arms, I might be able to change my mind.”
“Hahaha! Good, good!”
Changseong laughed fiercely. He crouched low and held the spear short.
Kwa-ang!
At that moment, a loud noise erupted and the gate’s doors were shattered into pieces. Visibility was limited. Shadows could be vaguely seen walking through the clouds of dust.
The two veteran generals, Geomje and Changseong, shout my name with their backs exposed.
““Strong Sword Horse!””
He answered.
“I will win.”
