Morning, the supply team brought the goods to the place.
We unloaded large wooden crates one by one, and then carried the wooden traps into the pit.
Food and medical supplies are kept separate on the carts.
The mobile cannon is arranged in an arc, with many iron spikes surrounding it.
Continuing the training session, I took a rapier.
"I taught you a little about how to attack and counter. But on the battlefield, the enemy doesn't just use a few weapons, so the two of you need to learn how to respond flexibly."
Straightening my arms, I swing my shoulder to the left, hurling the tip of my sword forward.
"For enemies who use rapiers, when they attack, immediately step back. If they lose their balance during the attack or have not yet retracted, slash at the edge of the sword and swing it to the chest or wrist… Ouch! I didn't tell you to be so strong!"
Before I could even finish my words, they followed the instructions and stabbed me in the chest.
She turned her face away, pretending to be apologetic. But it doesn't seem sincere.
"I'm... sorry, okay? Why didn't you say earlier that you were still tired?"
With a sigh, I called out Rolas.
"Now you two will practice on your own. I'll be back in about two hours, whoever hits the enemy first will get a break, the rest have to stay out until the night. Clearly?"
When the boy heard that, his face turned pale: "There's no need for me to rest now I guess..."
It's been a few days, and we've completed all the preparations for the demons's landing, but not everyone seems confident they'll return.
At midday, the watch team rushed to report the news, a large army estimated to be about 2,000 men had come into view, and all of them were carrying weapons, bows and spears... Portable cannons were carried by the horses.
Duke Ress stood up and said loudly: "This is possibly the most important task, and the last one for all. We will win and keep our heads held high! Immediately engage in battle!"
I started reloading the cannon, adjusting the firing angle.
"Raise the cannon head to 30°!"
Behind me, someone touched my shoulder.
"Do you think we'll die?"
Turning around, I caught sight of a slim, young man with curly hair, wet tears, and a scared smile that looked like he had PTSD.
There are many strange people in this world that we hardly know.
I replied to him, as if reminding myself.
"Yes… But a part of me still begs myself to believe in life. We are prepared, but war is the embodiment of unpredictability, a little calculation is not enough. At least, we can only fight now. I don't advise you to stay. Take a horse and run back to the Kingdom if it's a wise decision" - "Then why don't you run too?"
I was silent for a moment, lowering my head.
"I've run enough. Now is the time to stand back and look…"
After listening, he shook my hand and left. That young man's name, was Gionus.
The enemy was approaching, the sound of firecrackers shook the ground, the smoke began to thicken. Flames of bows and spears were launched, piercing the mist.
We saw dim figures falling into the pits, blown up by bullets; and take it for joy, a sign of victory.
Those demons were just humans after all, no one knew what was going on in their minds, and because of that madness, killing became part of the military's face for two centuries.
The soldier next to me kept shouting, the atmosphere was tense.
"Soon, we will do it! Kill them all…"
I barely had time to turn around looking at the man, then a cannon ball smashed through his upper body, exploding.
Falling to the ground, my wound began to bleed, stinging. Lair lunges forward, lifting me up.
"You really can't stop getting injured idiot?! Hurry back to the camp!"
The girl took me away. We left the ambush site, behind the shivering mixed sounds.
"Lair, do you find it strange? It looks like we're slamming ourselves into a trap."
She mused, making a puzzled expression.
"Maybe. But why?"
Suddenly a series of horrifying images flashed through my mind, the sight of all those remaining at the supply camp being brutally killed.
I found myself in someone's body, running away from the camp.
"Ray! Ray! Calm down! Ray!"
I was shocked, speechless. Just now, the things I saw were hard to describe in words.
"What happened?"
Lair slapped me hard in the face. Yes, dealing with it by force is probably her only course of action.
"You just yelled out of control!"
I told what I had seen, but she refused to believe it, because who could have believe such a story...
We returned to the camp, and just exactly like those images I saw, all that awaited us was blood and flesh.
Lair fell to her knees, crying and screaming. Looking down at the ground, I was horrified to realize…
The woman's body that I felt for that brief moment, was now dismembered.
Silently taking the rapier, I circled to the back of the camp.
A bunch of people were smashing our supplies, laughing hysterically.
I stared at them, then started laughing.
The laughter of mixed emotions, of trampled trust, of useless sacrifices, of utter fear, and of someone who has nothing but despair.
I don't know what I was thinking when I made such a foolish decision, I probably didn't have any reason at that time.
The deadly scythe is waiting to sever the link between my body and soul, all of which will suddenly return to Hell.
I've run away enough...
No matter how many times you escape death, fate will not change.
Lair ran inside, panicking with frightened eyes.
I didn't want to see her suffer anymore, but at the moment, only blood covered my eyes.
A sword pierced through my head, and consciousness suddenly disappeared.
Now, what was left of my fragile existence was trying to hold me back.
I don't know who ended my drowning in humiliation, but I really have to thank them.
In the end, I could only run, until I died…