The False Hero, Volume 12, Chapter 17

Chapter 17

----- Lutz -----

“I … will defeat you here … Hero!” The Archfiend pushes himself up to his hands and knees after having been flattened by my attack.

“Sorry, but this battle is already over.” I stick my spear into the ground, passing right through the Archfiend’s heart in the process.

He finally falls silent, having been released from his hideous metamorphosis and mind-altering control. Now that he’s dead, the fiends that he was keeping at bay begin to swarm into the little arena.

Since there are only worthless enemies here, I take to the skies. They’ve already stopped sending Imps at me when I go airborne, probably because I can wipe them out without even slowing down.

Standing above the armies, I scan the battlefield. By now, everyone is embroiled in their own fierce combats against Archfiends and former heroes. Except King Edgar, who’s still fighting Julius’ uncle, Bradley.

Checking my [Minimap], I see that most of the enemy’s strongest troops have already been deployed. The same is true for us, as we’ve had to respond to each Archfiend by mobilizing squads to fight them.

While we’re busy dealing with the strongest threats, high-class fiends like Abyss Knights and Incinerators have been left nearly unchecked. When I started the fight with that Archfiend, our battle line was in good shape. Men stood mostly shoulder-to-shoulder, holding their ground against the fiends.

But now, just a few short leaps from my [Air Step], an Abyss Knight has broken through the front line of troops, overwhelming the soldiers and forcing them back. The buckle in the line has put pressure on the surrounding men, their formation beginning to crack under the pressure.

The same scene can be seen repeated several times over in both directions. Even with more powerful equipment and potions, the average human soldier is simply too low of a level to face the high-class fiends. Worse, any opponent can suddenly evolve into a stronger variant, completely healing all the damage and forcing them to start over against an even more dangerous enemy.

Under these conditions, it’s only a matter of time before something gives. And if we allow our formation to break and for the battle to turn into a chaotic melee, our chances of victory fall to almost zero.

This is going even worse than I thought. I wasn’t expecting him to be able to evolve the fiends in the middle of battle…

At this rate, we’ll need to use some of our aces early just to keep up with them.

Although we expected the enemy to have their own surprises, this one has been especially difficult. It’s hard to come up with countermeasures when any fiend on the battlefield can suddenly evolve and change the entire dynamic of the local combat.

Worse, we’ve noticed that most fiends only evolve after taking heavy damage. I know from experience how demoralizing it can be to think an opponent is about to be defeated, only for them to recover all their strength in an instant.

If we allow those feelings of unease to spread at the same time as the formation begins to buckle, we risk a catastrophic collapse somewhere on the front line that could lead to a domino effect for the rest. And since the Lord of Chaos is clearly evolving fiends near weak points in our formation, it’s only a matter of time before he finds a crack wide enough to pry open.

“Rhys,” I use my Party Chat feature so only our closest companions can hear. “The men here are at their limit. We’ll need to fall back and restructure our battle line before something breaks.”

“We’ve already revised our battle plans and are preparing to issue new orders, including one to reform the line.” Rhys is already ahead of me, as expected of their top general. “Are you also prepared to enact your plan?”

“Yeah. If we’re going to make a new battle line, then this is the perfect chance to do it.”

“Then I shall begin the operation.”

Even with telepathic communications with the commanders fighting on the front lines, moving troops during battle is no easy feat. That, too, is another advantage of our enemy, as the fiends respond instantly to any orders, fulfilling them immediately and without any regard for their own safety.

We, however, have to take our time and wait for each commander to pass the new orders on to their men. In the meantime, all we can do is reinforce any section of the line that looks to be under too much pressure.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of just going anywhere I want.

I cancel the [Air Step] I’ve been standing on since defeating the Archfiend, falling right back down to the ground where our battle took place. The little arena that had disappeared with his death has returned. And judging from the size, the one controlling the fiends wants plenty of space to fight me.

“Did you ask to fight me?” I match the gaze of the only other one inside the arena. “Or was it an order from above?”

“Is it even worth asking such a question?” Cedric, the leader of the former heroes, stands opposite to me.

“I guess not. You have enough of a reason to hate me since I killed your father, but is this really how you want to throw your life away? We both know you can’t beat me, Cedric.”

“Don’t act like you know anything about me. You come here from your own world, doing whatever you please while spouting any nonsense that you think will help you win. Feigning heroics when it suits you, and resorting to violence and manipulation when it’s convenient. You’re no better than the rest of us, no matter how much you pretend otherwise.”

I can’t help but feel a bit of surprise. “You’re trying to guilt trip me? Now, of all times?”

“Have I spoken a single lie? Even now, you use the same underhanded tactics. Why else would you bring up my father?”

“Because that’s why you chose to fight me. Or are you saying I’m wrong?”

“My father always knew what he wanted, and he wouldn’t stop until he had it. Anyone who got in his way would be met with his wrath, without exception. If you were to ask me if I felt any despair at the news of his death, I would certainly say yes, if I were in front of a crowd. But the truth is … all I cared about was the shame he brought upon my name by dying in such a fashion.”

Normally, it’d be hard to believe someone who says they don’t even care that their dad died. But this world has different standards and expectations than Earth. It’s not even that uncommon to disown people who bring shame to their family name, especially for nobility, who rely on their reputation.

When I consider everything I know about Cedric, I realize it’s entirely possible that he didn’t come to avenge his father.

“If you’re not here because of him, then why did you choose to fight me?”

“Because among all the people who stand against us, I hate you more than anyone else. I was the leader of the Summoned Heroes. Me, Cedric de Salemon! The one chosen to save this world!” He points his sword at me. “Until you returned and ruined everything.”

“Are you listening to yourself? You’re talking about saving the world when you’re working for the Lord of Chaos. Have you gone insane, Cedric?”

“No. To the contrary, I finally know precisely what needs to be done.” He takes a combat stance, shield forward, sword in reserve.

I return the sentiment, falling into a spear style that prioritizes poking and prodding for weaknesses.

Unlike the Archfiends, Cedric isn't being controlled directly by the mad god. He and the other former heroes are simply fighting for him because it suits their own desires in one way or another.

However, that doesn't mean they haven't received some nice upgrades. Their levels and stats aren't much different from before, but each of them came with a new and deadly weapon, containing unique magic not seen since the Devastation.

In Cedric's case, that includes his shield. Curiously, he still carries his own sheathed blade and has his original shield strapped to his back, despite having been given a more powerful set by the mad god himself.

With his strength, carrying around a couple extra pieces of equipment isn't that big of a deal, but in a battle where he's already the underdog, it doesn't make sense to me.

Regardless, he wants to fight. And I'm willing to give him one.

Cedric brings the battle to me, his blade releasing a clear hum as it cuts the air. The strike is easy to block, meeting only the shaft of my spear, but he’s hunkered behind his shield, making a counter difficult.

However, even if he did leave me an opening, I wouldn’t take it because I’ve already run into something that I need to analyze.

“Your sword is humming.” I pull back my spear and make a little space between us. “It’s a little unpleasant.”

Cedric doesn’t follow, preferring to watch as I retreat a single step. “It’s going to be more than unpleasant soon enough.”

I look at my hands, which tingle from exposure to his humming sword. “You’re sending the energy through my spear and into my body, dealing damage each time I block. Is your shield the same?”

“Why don’t you test it and find out.” Cedric pushes the issue, coming at me with his sword again.

Rather than block, I dodge. Doing so makes it even more difficult to find an opening, but even with his powerful new equipment, there’s a clear difference between our stats. With my speed advantage, it’s possible for me to launch a counter-offensive, even when I’m on the backfoot.

Despite that, I aim my spear directly at the center of Cedric’s shield. The tip lands precisely where I intend, skidding off the metal without leaving even a scratch on its surface. Without a doubt, it’s impossible for me to slice through his shield with my current level of equipment, meaning I’ll have to make it past his defenses if I want to deal any damage.

But more importantly…

“It’s the same.” I nod at his shield. “Whether I attack or defend, I will always take some damage.”

“The perfect magic for a hero donning full plate, wouldn’t you agree?”

“A hero, huh? Don’t you think it’s time to stop calling yourself that?”

“Only if I lose this war.”

“So the champions from the winning side get to declare themselves heroes when it’s over.” I shrug. “War never changes, I guess.”

Cedric doesn’t respond. His eyes tell me that he’s done talking.

At least with words.