Chapter 18 – Clash
In the council chamber, the Seer was already sitting in the pavilion.
Around him, the other gods turned their heads as the visitors entered.
With complicated expressions, they looked silently at Salia and the Dragon God.
“After all that protest, this is how it’s going to go?”
She ignored the mocking words and continued forward. The Dragon God glided lightly in the air and rested on the grass without making a sound.
“Those who side with monsters and seek to overthrow the Hero’s army are no longer one of us. From this point on, bow before the might of my Hero, be miserably defeated, and fall into the Demon Realm.”
“My Hero formed an alliance with the demon general a moment ago.”
She sat down and looked at the slender, delicate-featured man. Anticipating the ironic curve that would appear at the corner of his lips, she continued to speak.
“And after defeating your army, they will fight against each other in a duel.”
“He’s going to bow before the Demon King while offering the bull’s head as a gift?”
“Well, he means to send the Demon King to the underworld as well. Why not send him off with a friend?”
The Dragon God sighed at her open hostility.
“It is amazing that you can be called the ‘Goddess of Peace,’ when you speak such ominous words. Perhaps you should be called the Goddess of Strife.”
“It was always used as a roundabout slur. And so you are merely replacing it with a blunt one. However, I cannot deny it, given the current state.”
“The foolish goddess is now on the defensive. You should regret everything.”
With contempt so thick it seemed to drip from his words, Furukamuto mocked the golden dragon.
At the same time, the pavilion began to change shape with an audible rumble.
The stone table split cleanly in two, each half sliding back. And into the space that opened between them poured a great volume of water, spreading across the ground to form a clear, mirror-like pool.
The chair that Salia was sitting on transformed into a throne, while fruits and wine were arranged upon the low table. The Seer nodded with satisfaction.
“Apprently, the pieces are all in place now.”
Reflected on the surface of the water was the scene of the Demon King’s army in the very midst of forming its battle lines, and opposite them, the Hero’s army stood utterly unmoving as it prepared to meet the attack.
“So you mean to thin out your already scant forces even further, all to try and hold us in check? And you’re countering our cavalry with lizardmen and ‘Fang Riders.’ Units that possess both mobility and striking power. But are you really planning to fight a war of attrition with so few troops?”
“And on your side, it’s the same defensive formation as always. Spearmen drawn up eight ranks deep, with two ranks of mage troops deployed at the front, cavalry placed on both the right and left wings. It is straight out of a textbook, isn’t it? But if you really want to call it a tercio, shouldn’t there be at least ten or twenty field guns to go with it?”
Like master tacticians appraising a game laid out on a board, they shared their observations on each other’s formations. The other gods around them also raised their voices in response to the spectacle of the vast battlefield.
“However, I have never seen battle lines as splendid as these.”
“But when was the last time mortals gathered under the name of the gods and crossed spears? It must have been centuries ago.”
“Could it be that divine radiance is returning to its former glory…? How marvelous…”
“It is too early to be so impressed. Have a look at this.”
The Seer smiled with satisfaction at their praise, and then he brought up a new water mirror in the air.
Beyond it was the sight of dungeons across the land, falling one after another, and of monster settlements being put to the torch. At this point, all support for the demon general’s armies had been completely cut off.
“While holding the Demon King’s main force in check, he’s even managed to strike down the other forces scattered across the land…”
“In the end, there truly is no weapon greater than overwhelming numbers…”
Salia listened to the other gods with a conflicted expression. The Dragon God had told her that this would happen. Still, she could not hide her astonishment at the skill with which he tracked Berganda’s advance while flawlessly cutting off every possible route of escape.
“Did you really think our army would go on merely defending while you harassed us with your diversionary tactics? You interfered with our movements at every turn, but it seems you only ended up tightening the noose around your own neck.”
“Ah, well done. It’s reassuring to see things unfolding exactly as I expected.”
The Dragon God muttered as he tossed some grapes into his mouth.
“If anything, had you gone and set up some half-hearted defensive position, I would have mocked you for it. But it turns out you’re sharper than I expected…most impressive, indeed.”