Chapter 518 The Vanguard Assaults

Elsewhere.

Jaca flew for a long while, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

At last, he halted his advance.

“……They escaped again?”

The network of monsters he had deployed stretched wider and wider.

Yet every time he rushed to a signal, he found nothing.

Impatience burned hotter in Jaca’s chest.

He wanted to abandon this group entirely—but the moment his forces scattered, they came under attack, and two High-Rank Demons had already fallen.

The mission of his vanguard was not only to strike at the Allied Forces but also to establish a beachhead on this continent for the main army’s later advance.

To build a stable, controlled beachhead, his troops had to spread out and clear the area—not huddle in a single spot.

With limited strength and no reinforcements, every High-Rank Demon capable of leading troops was invaluable.

These ambushes, therefore, hit them hard.

Unsure of his enemy’s true power and desperate to avoid further losses, Jaca had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

“Hmph. Nuisances…… Let’s see how long you can keep hiding.”

The words left his mouth.

Boom——!

Jaca’s figure vanished from the spot, shooting into the distance at blinding speed.

……

Dorothy’s Hill.

“Firuvin, your current condition…… it’s from this thing, isn’t it?”

Irus said suddenly.

“……”

After a short silence,

“It was a necessary cost……” Firuvin replied slowly.

“Is that so~!”

Irus clapped her hands and smiled.

“Then such a cost isn’t needed any longer! We can shut it down again!”

“Wh—”

Firuvin stiffened and objected sharply:

“Impossible! The demon threat is still upon us—how can we——”

“Do you no longer trust the Heroes?”

Taken from NovelBin, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Irus asked with a smile.

“Or do you not trust us~?”

“I……” Firuvin frowned tightly. “I have never thought that.”

“Then it’s fine! Alright, let me take a look.”

Irus stepped up to the device in a few strides and began tinkering with it casually.

“Let’s see…… like this, then this, and this…… right?”

“Wait! Don’t touch that recklessly—it’s extremely dangerous!”

Firuvin cried out in alarm, trying to stop her.

But in the next moment,

Hum……

the continuously running device shut down abruptly.

“Done~!”

Irus clapped her hands, wearing a look of “that was hard work,” and turned to face the others.

“……”

Firuvin stared at her in helpless resignation, finally managing only:

“As expected of you. There truly is nothing you do not know……”

“Hehe, I’ll take that as a sincere compliment.”

Just then,

Beep——! Beep——!

a magical tool at Firuvin’s waist blared an alarm.

“Hm?”

He picked up the tool and glanced at it.

His face darkened at once.

“The demons…… are attacking.”

……

Windrock City.

Irus and the others hurried back.

“How bad is it?”

“Not good.”

Aralond, who had remained in the city, answered.

“The enemy isn’t striking us directly as they did before—they’re…… hm? Lord Firuvin, has your condition improved?”

“Yes, thanks to someone……” Firuvin shot a silent glance at Irus.

“?”

“Never mind me. You said the Demon Lord Army isn’t targeting Windrock City?”

“They are not.”

Aralond unfurled a map

and pointed to a spot south of Windrock City, within the Witch Hills.

“Their target is here…… Ebony City.”

“Ebony City?” Firuvin frowned slightly.

“I thought this was not a vital stronghold……”

He leaned down and studied the map carefully.

Then he realized:

while Ebony City was not strategic, capturing it would let the demons bypass Windrock City and reach Dorothy’s Hill directly.

Could it be……

the demons had found out?

Firuvin understood that the demon vanguard likely knew the key to holding them back.

It was almost too absurd to put into words.

Yesterday, this would have been a disaster—but now…… that place no longer mattered.

“Hey! I heard the demons are attacking!”

Russell burst in recklessly.

“Russell, must you always shout like that?” Eileen chided, following close behind.

“So annoying……” Russell muttered, then raised his voice again.

“Why are you all just standing around?! The enemy’s coming—let’s go out and fight!”

Not content with words alone, Russell grabbed Arthur by the arm.

“Arthur, quit dawdling! Let’s move out now!”

“Wait, Russell, isn’t this too rash……”

“Not at all! Oh right——”

“You lot too! This is our first joint battle as Heroes—hurry up!”

With that, Russell gripped his Holy Spear and charged outside with Arthur.

“Brother, wait for me!”

Alice hurried after them.

“Ugh, honestly!”

Eileen sighed in exasperation and chased after them with Lucien.

Inside the Temple, the others exchanged looks.

At last, Aralond stood slowly.

“……Russell is right. It is time we Heroes fought together. Let us go.”

……

Rumble……

The great gates of Windrock City creaked open.

Russell, spear held high, was the first to charge out.

“Charge with me——!”

“Ooooh!! For the Heroes!!”

The elite Church Knights poured after him.

The massive host thundered toward Ebony City.

On the city walls.

Watching the Heroes vanish into the distance, Hulim Heyerar lifted her right foot, ready to follow.

But Irus placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We stay here.”

“?”

Hulim Heyerar looked at her in confusion.

“We’re not going? But Arthur and the others……”

“They are Heroes——”

Irus said seriously.

“Not delicate flowers who need us to coddle them.”

“This time, we leave everything to them.”

“……Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“Danger is how they truly grow strong, is it not?”

“……”

Hulim Heyerar glanced at the others one by one.

Firuvin, Laki, Esmelon—even Fulmir stayed put, with no intention of aiding the Heroes.

She thought it over.

Six Heroes, most already at S-Rank combat level, and the rest nearly there.

With the Archdemon Commander absent, the remaining demons stood little chance of killing them.

“Hehe It’s not like we’re abandoning them completely!”

“The demons, by their nature, have probably sent a strike force to raid Windrock City too. This is just a necessary defense for the city—don’t misunderstand~!”

“……”

I see.

What a flimsy excuse. She could already picture Prarlulu and the others returning worn out, helpless to complain to them……