86 - Trampling
The invasion force, aimed at reconnaissance in force and joined by Fumiya and Akemi, had completely run amok.
It was Fumiya's fault. From the start, Fumiya had no intention of ending things with a mere reconnaissance. Even if it was reconnaissance, he had decided that he would find the demons and fight them no matter what. Ignoring the restraints of those around him, Fumiya attempted to push deep into Nordende. As Fumiya advanced, the others had no choice but to follow.
As a result, just as Fumiya had intended, they encountered the demons.
"Hold your ground! Stop them here!"
The one shouting was a demon man. He intended to stop the Laurel Kingdom army to let his comrades escape.
"Don't let them get away! Flank them!"
Fumiya would not allow it. He attempted to have the allied cavalry circle around to the front of the fleeing demons.
"Do not rush forward carelessly! Attack from the rear!"
The one issuing orders opposite to Fumiya's was a thousand-man commander of the Laurel Kingdom army. Fighting demons head-on would lead to many casualties among their own. He could not allow that.
"...Do whatever you want."
Fumiya looked dissatisfied that his orders had been denied. But complaining would be a waste of time. Fumiya currently held no command authority.
"Uoooooh!"
Fumiya let out a war cry and lunged at the demons. He felt no fear toward them. Through his battles thus far, Fumiya had learned that such a feeling was useless. He swung his sword aloft and charged toward the demons. The demons did not fear Fumiya either. They were in no position to be afraid. If they allowed a breakthrough, many of their kin would be slaughtered.
"Gooooo!"
Fumiya brought down his shining sword. With that momentum, a band of light extended forward. It tore through the bodies of the demons it touched.
"Close the distance! Stop him even if it costs your lives!"
The demons charged at Fumiya with desperate resolve. However, that resolve was heartlessly blown away. By a swirling tornado.
"You're in the way! Get out of the way if you don't want to die!"
Akemi had also lost her fear of demons. Even against demons superior in magical power, Akemi's magic was effective. Akemi had slaughtered countless demons with her magic. The demons could not stop this duo of Fumiya and Akemi. The fact that the demons were Beastfolk, who lacked attack magic, was also a cause. Before they could engage in the close-quarters combat where they could exert their strength, they were defeated by Fumiya's magic sword and Akemi's magic.
"The children first! Hurry! Please!"
As the number of men serving as the rearguard dwindled, the women stayed behind to stall for time. But the result was the same. Their deaths only bought a small amount of time.
"How annoying! Be carved to pieces and die!"
Akemi's magic enveloped a woman's entire body. A spray of blood mist danced in the air. Once it settled, a corpse remained, carved up so thoroughly that one could not tell her face, let alone her gender.
"...Hmph. Why are there so many uselessly beautiful people among the women of this world? Even the beasts are beauties; it's seriously irritating."
Akemi muttered her complaints while glancing sideways at the blood-soaked corpse lying on the ground.
"Ah, what a pain. I wonder if there's some more amazing magic. Something that could wipe out all the beasts in front of me in one hit."
She even began complaining about her magic. It sounded as if she found the battle tedious. However, what Akemi sought was more powerful magic. Magic that could kill many enemies. Akemi's heart did not fear killing. And it was the same for Fumiya. They were drowning in their own strength. The sight of the powerful demons fleeing in panic only stimulated them further.
"Run... hurry... run..."
A demon woman continued to mutter while lying on the ground.
"Worry about yourself instead of others. You're about to die."
Akemi cast a cold gaze upon the demon.
"...Kill me."
"Yeah, I'll kill you. But when you put it like that, it makes me not want to kill you so easily."
A small, whispered incantation. It was not the large-scale magic she had been using. It was a smaller, yet powerful spell.
"Guaaaaah!!"
A small tornado crawled over the woman's leg. It gouged deeply into the demon woman's leg.
"You're still energetic. Well then, next."
The next spell was fired at the other leg.
"Guh... ah, kgh."
"Are you stupid? What's the point of enduring it?"
"I... have no... intention... of pleasing... a madman..."
"Madman? Do you mean I'm a madman?"
"W-what else... is there... to describe... you... who rejoices... in the... s-suffering... of others?"
"...Then, die."
Akemi declared her death while narrowing her eyes and glaring at the demon woman. The magic released from her hand fell upon the demon woman's chest. A hole opened in her chest. It immediately began to crumble. The demon's body itself was being pulverized.
"...Next."
Akemi looked around with a blank face devoid of emotion. However, the battle was heading toward its end. There were only a few demons left standing and fighting.
"Is it over... ah, how boring. I want to finish this quickly and go back to the capital. Once I'm back, I have to make sure I never have to go out to fight again."
◇◇◇
――The tragedy of the demons attacked by the Laurel Kingdom army had not yet ended. The madness of the battlefield continued even into the night. In a form different from the daytime.
"...Nn... nnn... n..."
Muffled voices flowed within the tent.
"How is it? Have you changed your mind?"
Fumiya posed the question to the demon woman emitting those sounds.
"Nn. Nnnn!"
The answer was also a muffled voice. That was only natural. A cloth had been stuffed into the demon woman's mouth. There was no way she could speak clearly.
"If you quietly do as I say, I won't kill you. I might even release your restraints."
"...Nnnn."
"I can't tell what you're saying... can't be helped. I'll take the cloth out, so don't try to bite me, okay?"
Saying this, he reached for the woman's mouth and pulled out the stuffed cloth.
"Well? Your answer?"
"Kill me."
"That again? Why do you want to die so much?"
"...I have no intention of living in shame."
"Living in shame... you say that, but it feels good, doesn't it?"
"S-stop it!"
The woman shouted. But just by shouting, there was no way Fumiya would stop. From behind the woman, who was bound by handcuffs and shackles, he thrust his lower body upward.
"You just have to quietly do as I say. That way you won't have to die, and you can have these pleasant feelings."
"W-who would... to someone like you..."
"You're stubborn. Why can't you stop being prideful and just listen to me? I went to such lengths to get you, it would be a waste if I had to throw you away."
Obtaining a demon woman. For Fumiya, this was a wish finally granted. For that purpose, he had forcibly invaded Nordende.
"...We are people. We will not be forced to become someone's possession."
"You already are. You're being forcibly raped like this."
He forcibly lifted the woman's hips high and slammed his lower body against her strongly, intentionally making a loud sound.
"S-stop it..."
"Just be honest. You don't want to die, right? If you don't want to die, obey me."
"...Never."
"I'll kill you, you know?"
"That is what I desire. Besides, even if my body is toyed with, my heart will never obey."
Desiring death over living in humiliation. A natural mindset for a demon woman. A spirit passed down to demon women who had suffered persecution for an unimaginably long period of time. It was a spirit that should have been unnecessary.
"...I see. Well, whatever. Doing it from behind like this makes it feel like I'm with a real beast. Once I've enjoyed myself tonight, you'll be useless. I'll just look for another demon."
"...Scum."
"That's right. I wonder what other kinds of demons are out there? My preference is a woman of the Vampio race; I wonder if there are demons similar to that?"
Fumiya didn't seem to care at all about the demon woman's insults. He had already lost interest in the woman before him.
"Hey, tell me. If you don't, I'll use a more horrible method."
"............"
Enduring until morning. Once morning came, death would be waiting. She had no choice but to endure with that thought. Even if hell continued until then.
"...I'm starting to get irritated. My kindness ends here."
"............"
"Hey! At least give me an answer!"
Shouting at the woman, Fumiya roughly flipped her onto her back.
"Eh...?"
Looking at the woman's throat, Fumiya's anger cooled instantly. Seeing the hole gaping in her throat.
Eventually, the woman's body began to crumble. No matter what restraints were used, it was impossible to hold together the body of a woman who had been pulverized. In exchange for death, the woman had become free.
She was not the only one. All the women who had been captured alive by the Laurel Kingdom army and spent a night of humiliation were the same.
◇◇◇
At the Undead Legion's encampment, located quite far from the Laurel Kingdom army's camp where Fumiya was, Ray was staring silently up at the night sky. It was not his usual sorrowful expression. A strong aura of anger floated upon his face.
(...Anger. Is that the source of our power?)
Attempting to calm that anger, Kamui questioned Ray.
(...Why do you think so?)
(Exactly how many Undead Beasts did you manipulate? Moreover, from this distance.)
The term Undead Beast was something Kamui had come up with. As a general term for the undead beasts and magical beasts that Ray manipulated.
(Who knows? I simply ordered them to put them out of their misery. I didn't count how many responded.)
The order to kill the demon women captured by the Laurel Kingdom army. The Undead Beasts had responded to it.
(...Do they seem like they could be a military force?)
(That's different. They desired death. I simply helped them with that.)
He had merely killed defenseless demons. If it came to a battle, he could not win. The Undead Beasts he manipulated were all small animals. Their role was strictly information gathering.
(...If that's the case, it's still impossible for now.)
Kamui understood that as well. Knowing it, he had made Ray answer. To remind him that they were still lacking in military strength.
(Fighting as an army. There are other ways to kill.)
(Maybe so. But that's not absolute either.)
(...I know. I know, but...)
Knowing that Fumiya was raping demon women, Ray could not remain calm. Driven by anger, he had issued an order to the Undead Beasts without any guarantee of success.
Fortunately, it had succeeded, but Ray's feelings had not yet subsided. His murderous intent toward Fumiya had reached an all-time high.
(I absolutely must make it succeed with that guy. I can endure it, so why can't you?)
Kamui's grudge against Fumiya was stronger. The anger over what was done to Rui would never soften. That was precisely why the revenge against Fumiya had to be a success.
(...Understood, I'll endure for now.)
Ray understood that well. In reality, there was likely no great difference in the strength of their anger. Even so, Ray believed that regarding Rui, Kamui's will should be respected.
Having calmed his feelings, Ray lowered his gaze from the night sky.
"...Cecil-san."
There stood Cecil, looking at him with a worried expression.
"Did something happen?"
"...A little."
"...So you won't tell me."
Cecil looked depressed that Ray would not discuss the details.
"It's a story that would make you feel sick."
"Even so, I want to know. That something that makes you feel such strong anger."
It didn't matter how she felt. Cecil wanted to share emotions with Ray.
"...Demons—I believe they were Beastfolk—were attacked by the Laurel Kingdom army."
"Has the battle begun?"
The battle within Nordende. Cecil knew that it would eventually begin.
"That may be so, but in this case, I believe 'trampling' would be a more accurate expression."
Ray did not perceive this incident as a war. He considered it a unilateral act of slaughter by the Laurel Kingdom army.
"Trampling..."
"Many women were captured by the Laurel Kingdom army. Is further explanation necessary?"
"...N-no."
Women were captured. She understood what Ray meant by that. She also understood why Ray was emitting a strong aura of anger that could be felt just by being near him.
"I don't care what happens to demons. That feeling hasn't changed, but this kind of thing is just..."
"...I agree."
"They are likely people I've never even met... but still, it overlapped."
"............"
There was no need to ask who. When it came to Rui, Cecil became unable to say anything. Although Cecil was jealous, she could not direct those emotions toward Kamiira and Rui. It was not because they were dead. It was because she felt she was no match for them.
"Didn't you think about saving them?"
Kai asked, not necessarily on behalf of the silent Cecil.
"...I wonder if that counts as saving them?"
"Eh?"
"I believe I killed them all."
"...How?"
He didn't know where the Laurel Kingdom army was, but he knew it wasn't a distance that could be traveled back and forth in a short time. Kai was bewildered by Ray's words that he had killed them.
"Using Undead Beasts."
"...Ah, I see."
Kai also knew about the Undead Beasts. Even so, the feeling of "how" remained, but since Ray said he did it, Kai convinced himself that it must be so.
"Once again, the only thing I could think of was to kill them. I couldn't save them in the true sense..."
"Ray..."
Regret over the deaths of his mother and sister. Thinking of Ray's emotions, Kai's expression also darkened.
"I need more power."
"Does that mean... you still want to save them even now?"
"Eh?"
Ray was surprised by Kai's words. He hadn't thought of it that way.
"Is that not it?"
"...I have things I must do."
"I see... then it can't be helped."
No words of affirmation came from Ray. But it wasn't a denial either. The desire to save them existed. Even so, Ray had priorities. If that was revenge for his mother and sister, Kai had to accept it.
"Cecil-san. While I'm gone, please don't push yourself. I'll make the barrier strong, so if you think it's dangerous, you should flee immediately."
"I..."
"I can't imagine it as a man, but it seems to be something so painful that one would want to die."
"...Yes."
Even as a woman, she couldn't imagine it. That was Cecil's inferiority complex toward Rui. Cecil had complained to Ray and Hinata about her own unfortunate circumstances as an adopted daughter, but she had not actually experienced such things. She had escaped before it came to that. Cecil had not experienced a true tragedy.
"Kai-kun. It's still a bit early for departure, but I'm counting on you to look after Cecil-san."
"Understood. I don't have any power, but I'll do whatever I can."
"...That's enough. What I can do now is limited. I just have to do the greatest thing within those limits."
Immediately after speaking kind words to Cecil, Ray was thinking of something cruel, the exact opposite. Unlike before, Ray switched to different natures without changing to subordinate personalities. From Cecil's perspective, this made Ray difficult to understand, but he himself was not aware of it.
Angel and demon. Such expressions were never used in this world, but because of this difference in nature, Ray would come to be evaluated in contradictory ways.