A wind of blood blew through the air as the people took a break after a day's march.

"What are you doing?　Stop!
"Help!

　Coxon slashed the people he saw in turn.

　The area was beginning to get noisy.
　Those who came to see what was going on tried to run away when they saw the slaughtered bodies and Coxsone's figure, but they couldn't escape and were killed.
　This area is where all the knights are staying, but even so, they can't deal with Coxsone properly. That's because most of them are not even wearing armor.

　Generally speaking, there are few armies that march in full gear.
　They may wear light armor to guard against demons, but armor is basically carried on horses or carts and worn on the battlefield.

　Adventurers, on the other hand, usually traverse dangerous areas in small groups.
　Some of their equipment was designed so that it would not interfere with their activities even if they wore it, and they were relatively lightly armed in the first place, so it was common for them to keep it on while traveling.

　And Coxsone felt his hair stand on end like a wave coming from behind him.

　--Magic ......!

　A knight in a robe was pointing his staff at Coxsone at a distance of ten paces.

Blizzard Arrows!

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it. He combined his baskets and raised them above his head to protect his head.

　A life-freezing rain of ice rained down on Coxon.
　His baskets bounced, his armor bounced, his thighs scratched, and spittle rained down. Behind Coxon's run, a path of piercing spines formed.
　The sorcerer's face twisted in fear.

"Aah!　A ...... "Icicle Arrow"!

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. I'm not sure what to make of that.
　But Coxsone flashed his sword sideways. With a sound like shattering glass, Tsurara's arrow shattered.
　And then the next blow.

"Haha. ......

　The sorcerer's body was smashed with his staff.

"Oh, what the hell?

　Just then, there was a scream from somewhere else.
　Just then, another scream came from somewhere else, and there was a glimmer of light in the river.

　--It's started.

　Coxon cut the carnage and headed toward the river to see what was going on.
　The river was brightly lit.

　There were a number of supply boats floating in the river, now moored to the riverbank.
　The boats were on fire.
　They were on fire. Sparks of fire were flying up and illuminating the night sky.

　Flitting about on the river were the spirits of little girls dressed in loose robes, pumpkin masks, and holding up canteras.
　Jack-o-lanterns. A low-grade spirit system of the undead.

"d*mn it, stop it!

　A soldier picks up a stone from the riverbank and throws it at the jack-o'-lantern, but of course the stone slips through the spirit and only ripples vainly on the surface of the river.

"That won't work, you idiot!

　The girls breathed into the cantera, and the breath turned into flames like the breath of a dragon, setting the soldiers on fire.

"Hot d*mn!

　In desperation, the soldiers jumped into the river.
　The jack-o-lanterns spewed fire as they swept along the shore, burning the boats one by one.

"No!　Turn it off!　Turn it off!

　Someone shouted.
　And there was nothing they could do.

　The flames spread like a leap across a string of anchored ships. It looked as if a fiery serpent was lying on its side.
　As it should have been, the Transportation Corps soldiers who had received the princess's orders were coming from the rear, jumping onto the ships, and smashing the pots of oil that they had brought as supplies.
　They fulfilled their duties and disappeared into the flames. Seeing their noble deaths, Coxon was inspired to do the same.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.

　The magic knight who rushed to the scene cast a spell.
　And then the stream of water sickled from the surface of the river. Against gravity, the water flow rose to the sky and formed a huge ball of water in the air.
　And when it became large enough, it poured down as a waterfall with several times the volume of water.

　The water flow created by water elemental magic can extinguish fire, but it is not real water. Most elemental magic is just an imitation of a phenomenon, an illusion that disappears with it when the magic effect wears off. Just as jack-o'-lanterns now use fire spells to ignite oil and create real flames, it was necessary to devise a spell that would remain after the effect of the spell wore off.

　This knight seems to be planning to boost the power of his magic by sucking up water from the river and mixing it with his magic, while wetting the ship to protect it from the flames.
　As the ship catches the flowing water, it is extinguished and cannot burn as easily.

　With the flames burning this large, anyone would notice. One by one, soldiers came to see the devastation of their precious supplies and began to put out the fire. They began to draw water from the river using their helmets, not to mention their masks, and drape water-soaked cloths over them.
　The priest seems to have arrived, and the light of sacred magic flies, and the scattered jack-o-lanterns flutter away.

　The fire that had been started was slowly being extinguished.
　Water was poured down by magic, and the area that had once been as bright as noon was once again engulfed in the darkness of night.
　The piles of goods had burned, but the lower parts of the piles were probably still intact. The surface of the ship was charred, but it appeared to be in a navigable condition.


　But Coxsone kept his hands to himself, watching in the darkness, away from the flames.
　There was no need to stop the firefighting. Coxon knew that this was a diversion.
　It could be destroyed after its role as a diversion was over.

[Performance Deflection: Harness Custom] [Frosted Phalanx].

　It was sudden.
　The creaking sound of ice was coming faster than a horse.
　The river had begun to freeze. The ice was eroding downstream and upstream. Thick spikes protruded from the frozen river like the shells of adamantine turtles.

　The fast-moving ice swallowed the convoy in a flash.
　The huge ice spikes skewered the ships, sending bits of wood flying.
　And so did those who had stepped into the river to put out the fire.

Whoa!
What?

　screamed those who had been launched when the spikes sprouted.
　As they swooped through the air, they were knocked to the ice spikes, or to the hard stony riverbanks, or to some other unwelcome place, and became motionless.

　Water elemental magic is very powerful when propagated through a water field. This is especially true if you've applied [Performance Deflection: Substantive Diversion (Harness Custom)].
　Now, the river has turned into a sword mountain where everything is frozen.
　The stabbed ship was thrust up and nearly collapsed, frozen in midair and standing still like a bad taste painting of a water disaster.
　And yet, the hellish view of the unquenchable fire continues to burn.

　Destruction by ice and fire. It was a devastating sight for all to behold.
　For what seemed like an eternity, everyone watched, speechless, as the magic was cruel, beautiful, and overwhelming.
　And then the spell was broken.

　The ice created by the magic disappeared, leaving only the water of the river that had been caught and frozen. Of course, it's impossible to keep lifting the wreckage of the ship with such scant ice.
　The spearhead of ice collapsed at once, and the wreckage of the ship was slammed into the surface of the river in a state of ice floe.
　The river, which had swallowed up a large number of pieces of wood and material wreckage, sent up a huge splash, flooding even the riverbank.
　The ship, still in shape, was already full of holes, and it tilted, spitting foam.

I'm not sure what to do.
「「「「 ohhh ohhh ohhh ohhh!!!」」」」

　At the same time as the ice magic dissolved, a battle cry rose from behind the lines.

　With bloodshot eyes and shouts, the army charged forward.
　They were knights of the Transportation Corps, men with appropriate blunt instruments like hammers, and horses so excited that they blew bubbles.
　They rushed toward the people who seemed to have no idea what was going on. And then.

"What the hell, ......!
"What the hell are you doing ......?

　Like a rolling pin running over bread dough, the carnage began.

　The knights and even the rampaging warhorses are terrifying. A kick to the leg can kill you instantly. They were far more terrifying than any demon.

　Somewhere, a trumpet was blown messily. A warning that there had been a surprise attack.
　But it was too late to notice.
　While everyone was distracted by the fire, Coxsone had killed the general and the princess had taken the rear of the line.

　In the relatively safe rear were mainly Transportation Corps.
　Some of the guards were probably knights who were as skilled as the most experienced adventurers, but the rest of the Blue and Silver Kizuna kept them in check. If the princess were to join them, she would be able to kick the knights out of the guards. The rest are just a few non-combatants and the attendant bouncers of the sake merchants, so there are only so many of them.

　And now, they were the princess's soldiers. While they were distracted by the burning transports, the princess took control of them and made them ready for battle.
　A black shadow blended into the night, hovering above the crowd that was fighting for their lives.

No, that's ridiculous. ...... Why ............

　A dwarf soldier, who had apparently come out with only an axe and no armor, looked up at the heavens in dismay.
　Dwarves, who have adapted to living underground, can see the landscape even with little light.
　The dwarves can see. The beautiful figure of a princess spreading her wings and soaring through the night sky.

　A silver-haired, silver-eyed girl. A rose painted in blood.
　There's no mistaking her for anyone else.
　The name ...... has been imprinted in the minds of all those participating in this march more strongly than any other.

"Why is the Rose Princess of Hell in this place?

　The bosses of demons usually set up a base and do not move from it.
　In particular, when it comes to battle, they will retreat to a dungeon in the middle of nowhere and let their minions fortify their defenses.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and what you need to do to get it.

　But.
　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　I'm not sure what to make of it.

　The dwarf soldiers were surprised to see the princess and fought.
　But the next moment he had turned on his heel and was slashing at his allies behind him.

What are you doing?　Hey, ally, ally ......!

　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I wonder how many of them realized that this change of heart was due to the vampire's ability, the evil eye of fascination.
　The evil eye that charms the opposite s*x into becoming loyal servants regardless of race.
　Even if you can't see them clearly, as long as you see their eyes glowing vermilion at the moment of activation, they are effective.

　For some reason, it is said that most vampires are male. The reason for this is not clear, but the actual cases reported are all male.


　However, when female vampires do appear, they are seen as a far greater threat than male vampires. This is because there are far more males involved in the fight, and they are all subject to the evil eye of enchantment.
　Incidentally, war horses and war cavalry are also basically male.

　It was no longer a battle, but a violation.
　It may be that the attackers were not ready for battle, but more than that, those who fight to save their lives and those who fight to die work too differently. A man with a hammer can kill a well-trained knight.
　"Kill as many as you can and then die. That was the princess's order.

　But the war gradually became more competitive.
　A few of the princess's soldiers blew up at once and rained down on the rest.

"Is there no way to save these guys?
There's too many of them!　There's just no way to save them!

　A large warrior (fighter) is swinging his greatsword like a club, cleaving with the belly of the sword. "This is Igor, the leader of the Dune Clamps.
　Igor leads the way, followed by the adventurers.
　The Evil Eye of Enchantment does not seem to have worked. On the contrary, none of the surrounding soldiers turned. They must be using some kind of ranged defensive magic.

　--Here it comes, the dune clasp!

　"I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
　It doesn't matter how many people less than a small army you gather, to the Dune Clasp, one person or a thousand will be the same.

　--Then this is my job!

　Coxon readied his sword and flew.
　His legs felt like they were exploding. In fact, the energy was almost an explosion.
　The "Flash Leg" technique.
　He moves by spraying magical energy from the armor on his legs or the boots that are integrated with the armor. This was the technique that Coxsone had mastered.

　Coxsone soared into the night sky, spinning gently as he was swept by his legs.
　When he thought Igor's figure was approaching, he made another sudden stop, closed the distance at once and hit him with a backward kick in the air. He caught the kick with his sword and slashed at Igor with his sword while landing in a single vertical turn.
　Igor caught Coxsone's sword in his basket and shouted at him with a loud voice that shattered his eardrums.

"You fool, Coxsone!　Come to your senses!

　The wizard is chanting a spell behind Igor as he holds Coxsone back.

　--This word is ...... restorative?

"Calm!

　At about the same time the wizard used his magic on Coxsone.

"What the hell ......?

　Coxon was coughing up blood.
　Igor in front of him was also shocked.

　His body was hot.
　Many swords and spears were piercing Coxsone's body from behind as if they were sewing through his armor.

　Something's wrong. There's something...

　--What is it?　Why did I risk my life to fight for ...... the Rose Princess of Hell?

　Until a moment ago, Coxsone didn't have any doubts.
　"He thought it was only natural that he should give his all to the Rose of Hell, and he was happy with himself for doing so.

　The Evil Eye of Enchantment. Coxsone's protective talisman, which he had been carrying as a precaution, was instantly smashed, and he was mesmerized by the evil eye.
　And he was killed before he could regain his senses.
　...... The goal of this battle was to stop the supply and destroy the reinforcements for the "Rose Princess of Hell". In the event that you're not sure what you're looking for, there are a few things you can do.

"Create Undead".

　Evil magic invades the dying body of Coxsone.
　The feeling and consciousness that had almost disappeared returned.
　It no longer belongs to a person, but to a truly loyal servant of the princess. ......

　The battle is over.

　The battle was over before I knew it.

　By the time those who had gone into a frenzy and started fighting each other were defeated, the "Rose Princess of Hell" and the undead who followed her had disappeared.
　All that remained was the wreckage of a transport ship floating on the river, burning slowly. The overturned tents. The groans of the wounded.
　And many corpses, human and horse alike. ...... Half of the dead were those who had been manipulated into attacking their allies.

　Many of the knights and adventurers were unharmed. Most of those with a certain level of skill survived. The only notable casualties were the four members of the Blue and Silver Bonds.
　However, their supplies were almost completely destroyed, and the men and horses carrying them were killed. The hippogriffs of the airborne cavalry were also taken.

　Those who had survived were just standing around in the dark, dumbfounded.

　Fortunately or unfortunately, their numbers had dwindled. The remaining food would be enough to get them home.
　However, all means of transportation had been destroyed. There were even knights who threw away their armor to have food for the journey home.
　They could barely make it home. It's impossible to ride into Ciel-Teira and fight. Even if the lives of the fighters are safe, it does not equal the safety of the army.



　The army that had returned to Noa Curio in fear of being pursued had been reduced to less than a tenth of its original size.