“Wha…what the hell is going on?”
From the main camp, Will stood frozen as he stared blankly at the scene unfolding before him.
The tag hanging from his neck had only delivered a message that the Hero had been slain by a kobold named Sheto. After that, it had remained completely silent.
The sky was now swallowed by darkness. And neither the sun’s light nor even the stars could be seen.
Not only that, but even from a distance, he could make out a crimson tide surging toward the soldiers on the battlefield.
“C-Captain! Why is the Demon King here of all places?! And…why is the sky…!”
“The Hero is dead? Killed by a kobold? It must be a lie!”
Panic was spreading through the ranks in the blink of an eye, and even the horses were whining nervously.
“Calm down and assess the situation! Keep your weapons in hand, and do not lose sight of your comrades!”
How long had it been since he had to raise his voice to rally the soldiers like this?
Thanks to the tags, they had come to rely on instant communication so completely that he had nearly forgotten the old-fashioned way of issuing orders.
“Sir Will!”
“Ah… Razab! How are things over there?”
“For the time being, I have recalled everyone who had been assigned to guard the perimeter. However…”
The earnest man turned a fearful gaze toward the black tide writhing in the distance.
“Then…those are the monsters…”
“It must have something to do with that scream that echoed across the battlefield before the sky was swallowed by darkness…”
His subordinates were just as unsettled, and they kept their eyes fixed on the battlefield before them.
“Ca…captain… we should get out of here! You heard that message earlier, did you not? The Hero…is…”
“I know. But there are still men who are stranded out there.”
Will took hold of the reins and gently patted his faithful horse on the neck in order to calm it.
“Most of the people out there were only able to become soldiers through the power of the tags. Now that the power is gone, they are nothing more than ordinary civilians. That means they are the very people we knights are sworn to protect.”
He declared, and his subordinates sheepishly looked away for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“Very few here can still fight without the blessings of the gods. We were mocked as outsiders and ridiculed as stubborn fools clinging to the old ways. But now I am certain that the reason we preserved our own strength all this time…was for this very moment!”
Beside him, Razab lowered the visor of his helmet with a determined smile.
“Those who have experience serving as knights, follow me! And those who became cavalry only through the power of the tags will remain here! Do not try to fight! Form a defensive circle and use your spears and swords only to keep the enemy at bay!”
Barking out the orders, he quickly organized the formation, and took his place at its head alongside Razab.
“Let us ride, Sir Razab!”
So saying, Will turned toward his comrade, ready to dig his spurs into his horse’s flanks.
But what met his eyes…was flesh.
“Huh…?”
A gigantic, filthy purple mass shot past him at a terrifying speed.
Parts of its hide had been split open, and the stench of putrid decay pierced into his nostrils.
Only a heartbeat later did the shockwave from that immense size catch up, blasting Will and his horse off their feet.
“GAAAAAHHH!”
With a heavy crash, he slammed into the ground.
His helmet was knocked clean off, and the entire encampment filled his field of vision.
“He-heeeelp!”
“Stop…! Don’t come any closer…! Ahhhh!”
A thunderous rumble that reverberated deep through the gut shook the earth again and again.
What was flooding into the encampment were the enormous corpses of demonic giant worms.
Blind, deaf, and robbed of life itself, the reanimated worm carcasses crushed every living thing in their path without discrimination, swallowing them into bellies that no longer had any need to be filled.
Bonus chapter courtesy of Photo. Thank you so much!!