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Chapter 313 part 2

For Dran and Christina, these two are the most deeply connected among the Arkrest Kingdom nobility present at the battle, second only to Prince Sperion.

In the Agraria campaign, the Apienia family had dispatched their promising young vassals, but realizing the tremendous strength of the Demon King’s Army, they joined the Battle of Megesus with their greatest force, led by the lord and lady and their elite knights.

Because of the aftermath of Merle’s battle, the Ruozens, no longer able to fight properly, temporarily withdrew their forces, maintaining a distance from the Demon King’s Army. This was not unique to the Apienia family but was due to an order relayed to the entire army from Sperion, the commander-in-chief. Since Sperion himself had no experience leading an army in battle, it was likely advice from another general, who served as his chief of staff, conveyed under Sperion’s name.

Anyone would want to keep their distance after witnessing Merle’s battle. If the order had been to maintain the frontline, it’s uncertain how it would have affected the morale of the soldiers actually on the battlefield.

Fortunately, thanks to black roses and various other flowers scattered throughout the front line like a wall, protecting the soldiers from the start of the battle, the transmission of orders and movement proceeded smoothly. These protective barriers of flowers were created jointly by Diadora of the Bernese Raider Knights and the flower nymphs, mainly from Ente forest, who followed her in employment. As Diadora waited in the main camp in the Barony of Bern, the other flower nymphs synchronized their magic and senses, extending roots from underground to create improvised walls. These walls not only blocked bullets and magic aimed at allies but also created necessary gaps for allies to attack and even provided pollen and sap for blood clotting, detoxification, and pain relief. It was more of a defensive position than just a protective barrier.

After surveying his own troops quickly preparing to fall back, Vassar, who should be far away but still feels the earth-shaking impacts on her skin, sighed. As one of the top five wizards in Arkrest Kingdom for combat, including Merle and Olivier, Vassar couldn’t help but admire Merle, who was truly exceptional when serious.

「If that child had lived her life suppressing such power, she must have felt very constrained.」

Still, the words that came out were words that commemorated Merle’s hardships, rather than words that called her a monster, probably because Vassar felt sympathy for Merle’s suffering.
　
Or maybe it was her sensibilities as the mother of a daughter who is a powerful wizard, even though she is a little older than Merle. Seeing the compassion in his wife’s words, Ruozen looked through his helmet with a vertical slit and spoke.

「Is this a release of the repression you have been feeling? Still, would it be pitiable for Miss Merle if I said that this is excessive? We are fighting with such intensity that it might change the terrain.」

Nelneshia’s father was a valiant and audacious knight, displaying a tempestuous fury in battle. Yet, once he stepped off the battlefield or when the fighting ceased, he transformed into a mild-mannered gentleman.

「At first, I was cautious about the impact on those around me, but as I got more engrossed, the danger to us might increase if we continue like this. And that troll and the demon tribe, their strength is immense.」

「Hmm, even you and I would struggle to merely hold off one of them. The vampires of Bern fighting in the air against the demon tribe are formidable as well. Even with ample preparation, in a one-on-one, our odds of victory are fifty-fifty.」

At this moment, the number of Zandarza’s treasured children facing Dramina had grown from three to six. Each, including Marzamis, had sustained various injuries and were pushed to their limits without any leeway.

Even in the daytime, when Dramina was not at her best, she had grown accustomed to battling the six demons. She even had the spare capacity to worry about collateral damage from Merle’s battle.

「There’s no need to fight one-on-one, right? It’s a battlefield, not a formal duel.」

What Vassar meant was obvious, and Roosen had no objection.

In reality, if the two faced the six demon generals or high-ranking demons, they would do so only after being significantly empowered by support magic from over a hundred mages and priests, and divine miracles. If their own strength was insufficient, they’d augment it with others’ – a simple solution.

「Yes, that’s right. It goes without saying. Hmm, anyway, there are many examples in history of outstanding individuals overturning quantity, but a battle between outstanding individuals could be so ferocious. I never thought about it until this morning. I thought I had gotten to know some of the strongest people in the world through my interaction with Vaje, and I can’t help but feel ashamed that I didn’t know.」

「Everyone who participated in this war with the knowledge of their skills must have been acutely aware of this.…That kid!」

「No way,」 Vassar thought as he spun words of comfort to her husband who was scratching her head, but the constant roaring sound stopped for a moment, and immediately after that, an extraordinary amount of magical power spread to the surroundings and spread across the sky. Her face turned blue as she saw the huge magic circle.

Merle’s great magic had already caused great damage in the Dark Wilderness, but now that he’s here, Vassar wonders if he’s finally serious about blowing up the continent.No, he just wants to defeat the enemy. I understand that he simply decided that it was necessary to use such powerful magic.

In other words, there is a high possibility that they are not thinking about the damage to their surroundings!

「A human can wield such powerful magic!!!?」

As Vassar trembled with unprecedented fear, the single black rose that surrounded the two men who served as the guardians of his army trembled, and the voice of Diadora uttered.

「Hello, Count Ruozen, Lady Vassar, how are you? An Arc Witch is about to unleash a massive attack in about fifteen seconds. Please evacuate quickly. We’ll mitigate the aftermath.」

「Is it preventable? Would it be rude to ask that?」

As Vassar and Ruozen communicated with the Black Rose, they checked the positions of the already evacuated soldiers and prepared to leave. Vassar mounted her broom, and Roosen sat behind his beloved wife.

「I’ll show you one of our trump cards from the Barony of Bern. The Romal Empire might not be aware, but it’s difficult for us to continue the battle.」

Although it was a guess rather than a definitive statement, it was too much for Diadora to say whether the battle would continue or not, but if the situation turned out to be such a reversal of previous predictions, there might be a change in the scale of the strategy. Both Vassar and Ruozen agreed, so they didn’t object or criticize.

Having issued similar warnings across various fronts along with Ruozen, Diadora, upon finishing, looked up at the distant sky filled with a massive magic array over the Bern stronghold, wearing an expression of genuine amazement.

Within the surroundings designed by Dran and fortified with golems mass-produced by the magic users employed in Bern, Diadora was at the center of a formation of various flower spirits numbering over twenty. At their feet lay the magic array drawn by Diadora using her thorns.

White Lylyeltiel and Cattleya flower spirits clasped the small, outstretched hands of Diadora on both sides, while other flower spirits held their other hands. Through the drawn circle, the magic power of these spirits flowed into Diadora, creating countless flower defense barriers at the frontline.

「Di, Diadora, those magic circles are done by our allies, right?」

The one asking, unable to hide her fear, was a fragile white Lylyeltiel nymph. Her hair and dress, petal-like, were white as her namesake, trembling under the overwhelming power.

She, curious about the world beyond the Ente Forest, had come to Bern through Diadora. But the reality of Merle’s actions was beyond her imagination.

Apart from the white Lylyeltiel nymph, the others, except Diadora, were pale with anxiety and fear. Diadora felt the urge to unleash a barrage of complaints at Merle.

「Yes, it seems they’re a bit oblivious to their surroundings, but the one responsible for that mess is our ‘latecomer’ ally. It’s a hassle even for someone like Dran to take care of that. Moreover, she’s on the verge of evolving her soul. While it may be convenient against the God’s kin, consider the limits, my dear!」

Diadora ranted mercilessly, while Selina, witnessing the magic circle in the sky, let out a terrified shriek.

Selina, not present at the scene, had until recently been synchronizing her magic with her Lamia peers to summon dozens of gigantic Jarams, staging a monumental battle with a fleet of land battleships. But upon noticing Merle’s outburst, she quickly disbanded the Jarams and reappeared at the frontline, swiftly transforming them into transportation for Arkrest Kingdom soldiers.

Praising her for making swift, necessary decisions based on accumulated experience, despite her panic, was appropriate.

Merle’s strike, disorienting friend and foe alike, was a merciless spell, generating a gravitational shockwave within a certain area, forcibly moving objects faster than light, disintegrating them into photons. Miscontrolled, it could transform boundless matter into light, threatening to annihilate stars.

Merle’s prowess likely prevented miscontrol, but a trace of anxiety persisted. The dark unease in Selina and Diadora’s hearts continued until they saw a familiar figure take off from Bern’s position.

Just before Merle’s Nichtigheit unleashed a golden, tsunami-like shockwave in all directions, Trawl and Zandarza, realizing the danger, began to retreat.

Disregarding the retreating two Demon Generals, Merle released the golden shockwave, converting everything, even the atmosphere, into light. The shockwave, spreading spherically, prompted true and faux Dragonkin, as well as Dramina and the battered demons, to choose full retreat.

Merle’s single strike dramatically altered the battle, a testament to her brilliance. However, it wasn’t a commendable act.

The gravity shockwave’s emission continued, aiming to broaden its effect, when Dran, emerging from Bern’s position, directed a side slash from his Dragon Claw Sword at the shockwave.

Following the slash’s path, an opposing gravity shockwave halted the original’s acceleration, and the golden shockwave vanished instantly.

Left standing with her Nichtigheit was only Merle. Dran glanced briefly at the Demon King’s army, noting Zandarza and Trawl’s retreat with significant injuries. Their timing and action were impressive.

「What the heck?」

Merle, in disbelief, approached Dran. Placing his hands on his hips, he bluntly stated,

「You’ve gone too far.」

Merle felt his blood run cold and his uplifted spirit shrink. He now realized he had indulged in his power, neglecting those around him.

「Huh…」

「There’s no irreparable harm to our allies, but your actions have forced both enemies and allies to regroup. Prince Sperion has ordered us to withdraw. The Demon King’s army is also reducing its forces. We’ll still be vigilant for night raids, but that’s it for today.」

Dran’s tone and voice weren’t overly reproachful, but his exasperation was evident. Merle, sensitive to this, felt deep shame for his childishly unreasonable behavior, despite being the elder.

「Yes…」

The word 「dejected」perfectly described Merle’s current state. However, this dejected woman was capable of annihilating planets, a dejected Miss Shonburi indeed.

On the other hand, Dran, who effortlessly neutralized Merle’s attack, had also astonished the Arkrest Kingdom’s camp, particularly the mages. But for him, such reactions were probably nothing new.