Chapter 403 – 403. Flowers Bloom Even at the Grave (11)

– One –

Whoa!

A cold north wind blows

It hits the northern slope of the cliff.

The chasing of the wind that follows creates a cool updraft.

Woo oh oh

The wind, which could not rise and hovered, forms a huge vortex.

The cold wind blows around the northern slope.

It didn’t take long for the wind that stayed near the surface to heat up.

Whoops, whoops, whoops.
Whoops, whoops, whoops.

Near the northern slope of the cliff, the soldiers lined up in fever,

Kururrureung!
Cuckoo Cuckoo!

A siege engine slowly slipping through the canyon,

Climb up, run up, run up, run up.
Purrureung.
Hee hee!

And because it was consumed by the heat of the warhorse leading it.

Kurung, kurureung!
Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwak!
Close up, close up!

The siege engine still needed a little more time to get out of the gap in the cliff.

It is because of the constant bombardment, subsequent explosions, and final collapse that numerous debris created a ramp on the surface of the area.

That slowed down the advance of the siege engines.

“Everything is ready!”

“As long as you give the order to advance, we can always advance north!”

“Good job.”

However, that fact was not a reason to delay the soldiers’ advance north.

It was because they brought siege weapons just in case, and a far more important goal than that was to prepare a siege centering on the target of capture.

Piririk.

The person receiving the report activates the communication magic tool.

He opens his mouth with a relaxed face.

“Ready to launch, Luxardo.”

– Is it? That’s faster than expected. It’s been a lot of trouble.

“No. Didn’t the reconnaissance team find any abnormal signs?”

– No hazards were found within 10 km of each route. We’re still advancing, but other than a little wooded, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Then request permission to advance.”

Chuck!

He raises the obeisance of the War God towards the communication magic tool.

It would be courtesy to Regal rather than to Luxardo.

– Know before you set off. The target is hovering around 30 km to the northeast. Its movement speed is rather fast, and its movement path is also very erratic. Moreover, if approached in small numbers, a platoon of upper-middle-level combat personnel can be easily defeated.

After listening to Luxardo’s explanation,

Gulp.

He swallows dry saliva

Listening to the specific circumstances, the target seemed to be much more ferocious than I vaguely thought.

It was the first time that he, too, was aware of the danger of the target, as information about the target was blocked considering his fraud.

– So after setting up a wide siege, the entire army will have to quickly attack him. If that’s not the case, focus your best efforts on maintaining the siege. Also, it’s hard to predict where he’ll move, so right after you form a siege, you’ll have to move flexibly while periodically figuring out his location. Got it?

“Yes!”

– Permission to go north.

“Insect!”

Piririk.

Communication ends.

He turns his head

He looked at the commanders and nodded.

A ferocious smile spreads across the commanders’ lips.

“Advance!”

When the order to march fell from his mouth,

Aaaaa!
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

All soldiers stomp their feet and let out a cheer.

Everyone is excited about the fact that they can finally start a proper operation.

Overcoming difficulties with Regal’s wisdom and overcoming a huge cliff based on it also inspires their sense of accomplishment and pride.

It is encouraged.

Enthusiasm.

Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck!

Soldiers on the front line took their steps.

The earthshaft rings.

At that time,

Kurrrrating

“Uh, uh…?”

“What, what?!”

A vibration of a somewhat different texture from that originating from the soldiers’ foot clouds begins.

Soldiers stumble.

Fluff, flop!
Thud!

Fall down.

Combat personnel and high-ranking officers lower their bodies.

Examine the surroundings with keen eyes.

No risk factors are visible.

But don’t let your guard down.

Even if nothing happens, even if it turns into waste, it is always a better choice than being careless and causing damage.

“Rise up and strengthen your defenses!”

“The rear row defends against surprise, and the front row hastens to break away!”

Commanders are giving orders to the soldiers who are confused.

However, the instruction could only be expressed as ‘something’, and could not be a practical solution or alternative.

Because they couldn’t find the cause of the earthquake either.

Kururrureung!

The earthquake continued,

Dump!
Cheeky!

“Oops!”

“Mi, don’t push!”

The soldiers were still unbalanced.

Only some of them with outstanding physical abilities can barely control themselves.

“Do not be afraid! There is nothing but shaking the ground!”

“Hold on! This is only a temporary phenomenon!”

Pointless and inaccurate instructions amplify soldiers’ fear.

However, with no options other than that, the commanders give orders that are close to brute force.

“Wizards and sorcerers will soon find out the cause!”

“Hold on a little!”

It’s a lie.

It is impossible for anyone to cast a spell while stepping on such a turbulent ground.

“You’ll die soon! Get up and rely on your teammates! If you don’t have the confidence to get up, lie flat on the floor to prevent a fall!”

That is also a lie

Far from stopping the earthquake, its amplitude was gradually increasing.

“You guys are safe! So,”

The moment a commander tried to speak a lie again,

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Fuhuaaaaagh!

“…!”

The ground in front of them explodes all at once.

It seems as if the ground is boiling.

Long cracks run from east to west on the surface of the earth,

Woo woo woo!
Shrrrr!
Shaaaaa!

“Uh, uh, what’s that…!”

“100 million…!”

“Oh, my God…!”

A thick, strong tree trunk sprouts from the gap there.

Tree trunks sprouting through the dust,

Whirliriririk!

It extends obliquely toward the southern sky.

It sprouts in the twinkling of an eye,

Tutter trump!

Behind them, close to the top of the cliff.

They connect to each other

The way they should go is blocked again.

Although it didn’t grow to a desperate scale like the cliff, it seemed distant to remove it in a short time because wizards and shamans including siege weapons were not prepared.

“Damn it…!”

“Oh, oh, no…!”

The soldiers are frustrated because they think that all their hard work has been in vain.

“This, this…”

‘I have to get out of here right now!’

Commanders feel insecure.

The fact that a trap that hadn’t worked so far worked as if it was waiting for the main unit to pass through, and the fact that it was activated on a scale beyond imagination, everything reminded me of an ominous future.

“Forward! Forward!”

“Sorcerers and wizards, clear the way for allies to advance!”

Such insecurity compels commanders to give their soldiers almost unreasonable orders.

Of course, there was no way the soldiers could carry it out.

The soldiers looked at the commander with full of anxiety and bewilderment.

Do commanders know that this is an impossible request?

“…”

Swoop.

He quietly avoids the eyes of the soldiers.

Looking for an excuse, I look around.

That moment,

Woojik, Woojijijik!
Deude Deuk!

“Uh, uh uh…?”

“This…!”

Tree trunks touching the top of the cliff contract.

No, it starts pulling the cliff.

Of course, the direction was above the heads of the soldiers scattered by the earthquake.

Whoops, whoops!
Cuckoo Cuckoo!

The cliff slopes slowly.

It wasn’t that all of them were knocked down, but it was intimidating enough that part of them attacked.

“The cliff, the cliff is coming over!”

“Buy, buy, save me!”

“Aaaaa!”

Soldiers panic.

Only one possibility remains in their future.

The one who was in overall command of the soldiers north of the cliff,

Piririk.

“Lou, Luxardo!”

Only then do we connect communications to the command center.

The reason for not quickly reporting the abnormality may be that it was judged to be a temporary phenomenon.

Maybe he was so flustered that he forgot to report it.

– What’s going on?! Did you find the cause of the earthquake?!

“I think it’s faster to see it for yourself than to explain it to you!”

Swoop.

He turns the communication magic tool around.

Soldiers struggling in the mayhem, tree trunks stretching out towards the cliff and pulling it in, and part of the cliff attacking them are reflected.

It was a desperate and tense situation.

– Has someone touched a trap?!

“No! Without warning, a tree trunk suddenly rose from the ground!”

– This… !

Luxardo bit his lip with a dismayed face.

But he didn’t have time to ponder for long.

Aside from identifying the cause, a way to overcome the situation is more urgent now.

– What are the chances of the soldiers escaping?

“It’s not great! No, it’s close to impossible!”

– … The soldiers give up Let only commanders and combat personnel escape!

“All right!”

Piririk.

Luxardo terminates his communications.

The commander raises his head.

[Listen to all troops!]

I shout with an aura over my voice.

[Those who can escape from this place immediately! Whether in front or rear, escape to a place where you can avoid enemy traps, and wait in a safe place until the situation calms down!]

It seemed to be an order for everyone, but in reality it was an order for those who were able to escape.

Yes!

The answer that came back also came from the mouths of those who were only waiting for an opportunity to escape: high-ranking combatants and commanders.

Woo woo woo!

With their colorful auras on their bodies,

Shashak, shashashashak!
Tat tat tat!

It runs at high speed towards a place it judges to be advantageous to survive.

Literally, their own lives began.

Shashashashak!
Whoops, whoops!

Some returned to the crevices of the cliffs,

Tat tat tat!
Kwajik, Kwajikjik!
Boom, puffer pung!

There were also those who broke through the tree trunks in front of them,

Tatatatat!
Awesome love!

Others ran east or west.

Although their destinations were different, they all had one thing in common.

They abandoned ordinary soldiers, magicians, shamans, and even expensive siege weapons.

“Ahhh…”

“Huh, huh… Your Majesty…!”

Soldiers look at their backs with dark eyes.

However, since it was an order issued by the command center, that is, approved by Regal, there was no further opposition.

With eyes like those of abandoned puppies,

Kururrrr!
Shaaaaa!

From under the oncoming cliff, I get hit by shrapnel raining down on their heads.

Unable to even dare to run away, they shudder in fear of death.

Kurleung!
Shasha shak!

Even the last commander escapes the prison of the tree.

Frustration grows even more.

“Kuheugh…!”

“Ah…”

Soldiers swallow their cries.

Some raise their heads and face the cliff in order to face death fully head-on.

All over the face of the cliffs falling towards the soldiers,

Slither.
Shrew, shruck.

“What, what…?”

Long, sharp thorns sprout.

They were soldiers who would die just by crushing them, but their enemies seemed to be completely sure they were going to finish the kill.

As their commanders all disappeared from the battlefield,

“This, this, this, vicious bastards…!”

“You will be punished!”

“Our Emperor His Majesty will avenge it!”

Only evil remained to rule them.

They vomit out unreachable, no, unreachable anger.

Even in the meantime, they do not resent the leadership.

Even though they faced a situation where they would face inevitable death by order of their superior, the direction of their anger was directed toward their enemies.

What they could have as inferiors was a truly desirable and exemplary attitude to others.

“Even in death I will curse!”

“With our blood fertilized, the Whiskai family will prosper forever!”

They spew resentment toward their enemies.

But all the originals,

Kururrureung!
Kujik, Kujik!
Cuckoo coo!

Completely buried in the sound of the cliff collapsing.

All that came back was an empty echo.

Shaaaaa!

The sky darkens.

As the remaining soldiers look at it, it is reminiscent of a scene where the lid of a coffin is closed.

Of course, it was more difficult to tell the difference between the sight of the soldiers and the perspective of the corpse in the coffin.

It was a coffin lid, but in reality it was no different from a torture device like Iron Maiden.

It approaches the soldiers’ heads.

“His Majesty!”

Starting with the most paroxysmal cry,

“Long live the Whiskai family!”

“Even if I live or die, I will remain a loyalist of the Whiskai family!”

“I am a proud loyalist of Whisky!”

Soldiers swear allegiance as a will.

Not too long ago,

Whoops!

“At that…”

“Kkeuk…!”

Numerous thorns attack the soldiers.

Penetrate them

I’m sorry!

“Ohhh, ohhhhh!”

“Turn it off…!”

Soldiers are crushed.

Just as whole garlic is put into a grinder and minced, people are also minced.

Push-Shoot, Push-Shoo-Shoot!
Push Yi Yi Profit!

Blood gushed out.

But it could only be felt as hot and wet, and no one could see it from within.

It was because the cliffs covered the sky and the tree trunks closed the gaps, so even the light that came in was too dim.

Deude Deuk!
Rumble!
Srup, srup.

“Oh ah ah ah …!”

“Aaaaa!”

Soldiers are pushed north.

More precisely, what was a soldier, the soldier’s minced meat flows thickly to the north.

The bodily fluids and dirt squeezed out of the soldiers, the soldiers’ flesh, bones, and their equipment are mixed together and become something like a kind of dough.

The living soldiers blend into it.

Get caught up

Harmonize

“Sa, save, kkeureuk…”

“Ah, ah… Big, big…”

“Bup, pooh! Puppup!”

Deude Deuk!
Zureuk, Zurureuk.
Splat, squeak!

It turns into a cookie dough-like form with evenly mixed nuts.

The speed at which the ceiling sinks also gradually slows down.

Coo-goo-goo!
Deude Deuk!

After a long wait, it completely touches the ground and each other.

Although each other’s stomachs are hit, they do not stop colliding fervently.

It is reminiscent of a deep hug between affectionate lovers.

Soon, the screams of the soldiers subsided.

What you hear in between

Gurgling, gurgling.
Zuzu.

There was only the sound of thick liquid flowing.

Through the gaps through which commanders and senior combat personnel slipped,

Push!
Gurgling gurgling!
Rumble.

Finely chopped red dough soars.

It felt like lava was pouring out, and it was like a geyser bursting out.

“Uh, ugh…”

“Shit…!”

Commanders and combat personnel could not bear to leave the area.

It was because of the guilt of running away, abandoning his men and comrades.

No matter how much there was an order from the superior, the act of abandoning the allies and running away made them burdened with remorse.

“Go-ok, kuheo-eok!”

Smack!
Chwack, chwaaaaak!

Someone vomits

“Kuheugh…”

“Huh…”

Someone cries

“You guys… I will definitely chew you guys…!”

“I will kill you… I will kill you…”

And some swear revenge.

Just like Regal, the agents and enlisted men under him carve a grudge deep into his heart that can never be washed away.

Their anger took away from each other a place to retreat.

Perfectly.