Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 141: Ardius Fortress Siege Battle – Rescue

A poleaxe, which appeared out of nowhere and embedded itself into the ground, possessed the power to stagger the golden-armored soldier. There was only one poleaxe wielder capable of such a powerful attack on the front lines. He was none other than Alexander Renkvinst, my master, the commander of the “Dragonblood Knights”, and the mightiest warrior of the Kogo race.

Surely, it was master who had thrown that poleaxe. With this deduction in mind, I directed my attention to the area where the poleaxe had materialized. Even though one of my compound eyes was crushed, my field of vision covered all directions, and there still seemed to be nothing behind or around where the poleaxe had appeared or was currently. There were only sprawled corpses and the ground mangled by battle.

However, unlike just moments ago, when I had been solely focused on the golden-armored soldier, I now had a bit of leeway. It was precisely due to this that I was able to notice it—the vibrations emanating from the ground.

(No sound can be heard, and there’s no flow of air. Nevertheless, there’s undeniably something running around in the vicinity. Could it be horses, given the rhythmic vibrations? Two of them… Aside from master, it seems someone else is coming. Could that person be concealing their presence with spiritual arts?)

I intensified my focus on the vibrations transmitting through the ground. Two riders were approaching, one with very heavy steps and the other with notably lighter ones.

Almost without a doubt, the heavier one was likely master. The “Dragonblood Knights” were a gathering of heavily armored warriors, and I had witnessed their charge onto the battlefield as heavy cavalry not just once or twice before.

So, who could the lighter one be? Before I could determine the answer, the situation shifted. The golden-armored soldier shook his head as he rose, and simultaneously, the poleaxe that had been embedded in the ground was dislodged on its own and flew off somewhere.

Seeing this, I involuntarily tilted my head. That was because the poleaxe had flown to a location completely different from where I was sensing the vibrations. Even if it had flown to an empty spot, it would make no sense… What was the purpose behind this?

[Gruaaaah… Huh?]

The golden-armored soldier directed his gaze toward the trajectory of the poleaxe, but the poleaxe vanished without any warning. However, he seemed to have deduced that the enemy who had attacked him was around where the weapon disappeared, as he charged in the same direction with all his might.

However, just as I sensed, there was nothing there, and the soldier swung his arm in vain. Falling to the ground as he did before, the soldier looked around frantically. Since the enemy he believed was here wasn’t present, the golden-armored soldier seemed to be in confusion; he didn’t understand what was happening. I see, so this was the aim behind throwing the poleaxe in a direction where there was no one.

During this time, it seemed as though the golden-armored soldier had completely forgotten about my presence. he appeared to have judged that he should prepare for the unseen assailant who had been using eerie spiritual arts to toy with him, rather than focusing on me, who was on the brink of death. He seemed to instinctively sense which of us posed a greater threat.

Either way, this allowed me to fully dedicate myself to healing. Of course, even as I healed, I didn’t make the imprudent mistake of diverting my gaze away from the enemy, but… the need to be vigilant soon disappeared.

[Guooooo!?]

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind erupted from a direction completely different from where the vibrations were coming, sending the golden-armored soldier soaring into the sky. The descendant of the gods should have been able to fly, but… could it be due to his rampage causing a decrease in his intelligence? He was sent flying far without correcting his posture or hovering in the air.

Now that he was so far away, it was undoubtedly possible to escape. I transformed the ground beneath me into sand and began to retreat by burrowing underneath the earth. My original plan was to create a sandstorm at an opportune moment, obstructing the view and allowing me to escape like this… However, things don’t always go as planned.

As I burrowed into the ground, it seemed the riders had sensed my retreat, as the vibrations of the two sets of horseshoes were also heading southward. It appeared that master and his companion were also preparing to withdraw. Guided by the vibrations coming from above, I continued to pursue them through the earth.

(…Have they stopped? In that case, I should catch up.)

After a while, master and the other person’s movements came to a halt. To join up with them, I traveled through the earth like a fish, getting closer to them. Slowly, I emerged from below and onto the surface.

When I revealed myself, the empty void before me rippled, revealing the forms of the two riders who had saved me. One was indeed master, just as I had thought, while the other was a familiar woman.

“Oh! Are you unharmed, my disciple?”

Master dismounted his horse, reached down, and firmly gripped my arm, dragging me out in one swift motion from the ground up to around his chest level. The forceful pull scattered the damp soil and sand that still clung to my body and hadn’t yet transformed into sand.

Though dirt and sand scattered across his face, master remained unfazed, but the other woman was a different story. It seemed sand had gotten into her eyes and mouth as she spat it out while glaring at master through teary eyes.

“Cough, cough… Can’t you behave a bit more calmly? This is why rough Kogo folks are… well, what else can I expect?!”

“Hm? To be covered in the spray of blood and sand is a badge of honor on the battlefield! The Eru race is far too delicate! Gahahaha!”

The teary-eyed woman’s name was Karya Yuk Altissia. She was the commander of the elite unit “Raging Wind Squad” of the Muruli Republic and the most powerful spiritualist among the Eru race. I distinctly remember her coming up to me with an air of superiority to offer her thanks when Orvo was still alive.

While I had witnessed her formidable spiritual arts multiple times on the central front, I never expected her to come to my rescue. Why would the strongest spiritualist on the central front be here? No doubt, master had forcibly dragged her along, judging by the atmosphere. Master could be a bit too forceful at times.

“In any case, you’ve been through a real beating. Your fighting spirit seems feeble, and your spiritual power is running dangerously low.”

“I apologize for displaying such incompetence.”

“He must have been quite the formidable opponent, huh? It’s been a while since an opponent could withstand my thrown poleaxe. This actually gets my blood boiling! Gahahahaha!”

Master raised his double-edged poleaxe to express his excitement. It was a typical response from him, unhesitant to proclaim that a warrior’s true aspiration lay in battling tough opponents and emerging victorious. From my perspective, prioritizing the survival of oneself and one’s comrades was paramount, and I had no desire to face that opponent again—our values were simply different.

Seemingly unable to contain his excitement, master proceeded to slap my back repeatedly. I wish he would stop, as his blows reverberated through wounds that didn’t completely heal yet. But I knew if I pointed it out, he would just brush off my concerns, chiding me not to be so uptight. So, I endured the smacks in silence, all the while raising my fighting spirit and tending to my body’s recovery.

“So, why did the two of you come to my rescue?” I asked.

“Well, the Vanguard team returned in a sorry state and couldn’t locate you anywhere! After getting the details from your companions, I brought Lady Altissia with me for your rescue! You better be grateful!”

“I was dragged into this against my will. I demand extra gratitude compared to this big guy over here.”

“Yes, thanks to both of you, I’ve been saved. Thank you very much.”

As expected, Lady Altissia seemed to have been brought here forcibly. And while she remained as overbearing as ever, I was grateful for her rescue. I truly felt a deep sense of appreciation for both of them.

Master merely nodded in satisfaction, but Lady Altissia’s reaction was different. She gazed at me with her jewel-like green eyes narrowed. I couldn’t fathom the reason behind her intense gaze, which felt almost like pointed hostility, leaving me nothing but bewildered.

“If you’re grateful, then tell me honestly. How did you manage to locate us? My concealment spiritual arts should have been flawless.”

As if to address my doubts, Lady Altissia posed her query. Indeed, her spiritual arts were extraordinary. Despite completely erasing any sign of their presence—herself, master, and the two horses they rode—they hadn’t given off the slightest hint that spiritual power was in play.

Had it not been for the vibrations through the ground, I wouldn’t have been able to pinpoint their location. Gratitude for being saved aside, her seriousness made it clear that she wouldn’t tolerate deception. I didn’t want to be resented or regarded as an enemy, so I chose to speak honestly.

“I couldn’t sense either of you at all. However, I could sense the vibrations of horses galloping through the ground.”

“Ground vibrations…? I did ensure I silenced all sounds, but the ground vibrations slipped my mind. Though I was dragged into this against my will, I must admit that I’ve received quite an unexpected revelation from you… This calls for an improvement in my techniques.”

“Oh? To think you managed to break through the secret Eru race’s spiritual arts! It seems you didn’t stumble upon this place by intuition! Gahahaha!”

Seemingly understanding that I was being honest, there was no further probing from her. Instead, Lady Altissia placed her hand on her chin, murmured something under her breath, and began to immerse herself in her own world.

As she had mentioned herself, she was probably considering improving her spiritual arts. I thought it would be best to wait until we reunited with the main group before pondering such things… but it felt like my voice wouldn’t reach her. She was that engrossed in her work.

And, master, I don’t possess the kind of intuition you have. There’s no way I could break through the concealment spiritual arts produced by the most adept spiritualist on the central front with just my gut feeling. If anyone could do something as absurd as that, it would be you.

“While indulging in conversation here is fine, it might be time to head back to the main unit. We must report about that creature as well.”

“Understood.”

“Alright then, let’s return… Oh, come on. She’s really engrossed in refining her techniques; her focus is so intense that my voice isn’t reaching her.”

Although master announced that it was time to head back, Karya seemed completely absorbed in her spiritual arts, failing to react to his words at all. To be immune to master’s loud voice showed an astounding level of concentration.

However, she was on horseback. She couldn’t stay like this without moving. After a moment of contemplation, master instructed me to take hold of the reins of her horse and lead it. In this manner, I escaped the danger-filled situation and slowly made my way back to the main unit on foot.