Dann was escorted toward the armory when he was approached by the royal adjutant.
"Young man, you're not lying about that weapon, are you?"
Dann glanced wearily at the adjutant beside him.
"I don't even know for sure myself... But one thing's certain—I can't tell the truth. There's no turning back for me now. I have to play the role this world expects of me."
"Why are you so quiet?"
"It's a type of firearm called a revolver. And yes… supposedly, it can kill the Demon King and his minions." (Hopefully.)
"A firearm? Is that what it's called? We've never seen a metal weapon shaped like that before."
"Is that so...?" No wonder everyone looked so puzzled, Dann replied.
"Lately, the monsters have become bolder, attacking villages in the eastern region. We've had a hard time pushing them back. Many young knights have fallen in battle."
"If what you say is true, then your weapon could be a great help. And you might even be spared from punishment."
Eventually, they arrived at the armory. Several soldiers were already there, changing into their armor.
"Dann, you should suit up too. Pick whatever weapon you want to carry."
This guy... he's pinning his hopes on me? No... maybe the situation in this country really is that bad. Boar King? So I really am in a world like this? Then that means... even worse monsters could exist here too...
But why do I have a revolver? Who am I, really? Damn it, I can't remember anything...
Dann looked around. There were all sorts of weapons—axes, spears, swords, and more. While he was busy deciding, the young knights received their orders from the adjutant.
"Alright, fifteen of you are ready. Head to the front gate immediately. But before that, write down your names and your hopes. Before you step onto the battlefield. As you all know, most who fight out there meet a gruesome end. At the very least, your written hopes will become a source of strength for the next generation."
CLANG!!
The sudden crash of falling armor shattered the tense atmosphere.
All the soldiers stifled their laughter as they saw Dann collapsed on the ground, brought down by the armor he had just put on.
"Silence! There's nothing funny about this. You were all beginners once too. Now move out!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers replied in unison. The adjutant then ran over to Dann and helped him up.
"Dann, are you alright? Is the armor too heavy for you?"
"Damn… so this is what it feels like to wear armor? It's so heavy… feels like my back's going to break," Dann muttered inwardly.
"I'm just not used to it yet… ahaha," he said with a sheepish grin.
"In that case, you'd better change into something else. Pick a weapon you're comfortable with," the adjutant suggested.
Meanwhile, in the eastern part of the village...
The horde of pigmen had already reduced homes to rubble, flames devouring what remained. Scattered corpses of knights lay across the ground, bloodied and broken. The monsters had also captured women, tying their hands and feet to wooden poles, then hauling them off—each pole carried by two pig warriors.
"Capture every woman you find! We're throwing a grand feast tonight—GWHAHAHAHA!!" bellowed the Boar King, his troops cheering wildly at his words.
Back in the grand royal palace...
One of the palace guards—the same one who had acted as the executioner at the gallows—was behaving suspiciously. Unseen by others, he slipped into a dark, unused room at the rear of the palace.
The room was pitch-black, lit only by five glowing symbols drawn on the ground—magic circles, inscribed with dark ink.
The guard began a ritual, chanting to himself in an eerie, unknown language.
Inside the palace throne room, the royal family peered nervously through the curtains, watching the chaos unfolding outside.
"Your Majesty… could what the accused said be true? That he has a weapon capable of defeating the Demon King?" one noble asked anxiously.
"Two weeks ago, my court seer predicted that someone would appear—someone who would drive back the great storm. Is he the one? I do not know," the king replied solemnly. "But I value justice above all. No matter who he is, if that young man is lying… he will be executed on the spot, along with the seer who vouched for him."
Drap, drap, drap—
The sound of armored footsteps echoed from the grand front gate. From the blinding sunlight, a tall female knight with flowing silver hair entered, then knelt before the king.
"I have returned, Your Majesty. Please give your command."
"Among all our soldiers, you alone have earned the title of Knight Number One in this land—for your victory over the swamp monsters and the destruction of their lair."
"That was an achievement no other knight dared to even attempt, let alone succeed in."
"But this time… the enemy is the Boar King. Even an adjutant-class warrior was slain by his hand…"
"That is why I cannot let my most talented knight die in vain. I order you to remain here, until the enemy numbers are reduced."
"But Father—"
"YOUR MAJESTY," the king snapped sternly.
"But Your Majesty… the Boar King is merciless. They will kidnap women and children. Innocent people will suffer...!" she pleaded, desperation in her voice.
"Seraphina Valeblanc, in the name of the Kingdom of the Eternal Light Order—I command you to stay here until the Boar King's army is thinned."
Seraphina Valeblanc was not only a top-class knight, but also the crown princess of the Eternal Light Order. She was known for her long silver hair, which shimmered like moonlit threads. Her armor was silver and white, adorned with ancient royal engravings from a long-lost era. Her eyes were sharp yet gentle, embodying both strength and compassion.
Her face lowered in despair, her heart heavy with worry for her people. The urge to help burned within her, but she couldn't disobey the king's command.
Not long after, a soldier burst into the throne room.
"Your Majesty, the adjutant has departed for the eastern village with the accused, Dann!"
"Hmm... good. I want to see whether that young man can back up his claims. This kingdom needs a miracle to ever know peace again."
The ground shook violently as a cavalry unit thundered across the land, their galloping hooves sounding like war drums.
DUG-DUG-DUG-DUG...!
Among them rode Dann—now dressed in a brown cloak, black trousers, and a short dagger strapped to his waist.
"Dann! I want to hear your plan. Are you going to use that weapon right away?" the adjutant shouted over the noise of the horses.
"I'll give it a try... Oh, by the way—what's your name, Uncle?"
"Uncle? Hahaha… you're too polite for someone accused of a crime."
Blard chuckled, clearly amused.
Dann looked visibly awkward, his expression tight. "I already told you—I didn't do it!" he shouted in embarrassment.
"Hahaha… well, let's hope that's true. The name's Blard. Pleased to meet you, young man."
The adjutant smiled confidently, his eyes full of experience and trust.
A few minutes later, Dann and Blard reached the hilltop. From there, they could clearly see the village below—devastated. Smoke billowed from burning homes, and a few remaining soldiers still fought valiantly amidst the chaos.
From the back of his horse, Dann stared blankly at the disaster unfolding before him.
It was a sight unlike anything he'd ever seen. Fear and unease surged through his veins. His face tightened with frustration, silently questioning why he'd ended up in a world like this. His grip on the reins grew firm, his knuckles white.
"This is bad... the damage is extensive. We need to move, now!"
"Hyahh!"
Blard shouted, urging his horse forward. But as he turned back, he noticed—Dann was still frozen.
"Dann?! What's wrong?! Move it!"
His shout snapped Dann out of his trance. He kicked into motion, spurring the horse forward. Sweat dripped down his face, but his gaze was now locked ahead.
CLANG—!
The sound of steel clashing.
The cries of soldiers cut down by monstrous axes.
A knight lay helpless on the ground, begging for mercy from the towering beast in front of him. Bloodied and bruised, he looked up into glowing red eyes, drool spilling from the gaping maw of the pig-headed monster.
It roared—"BUOOOHH!"
Then slammed its axe into the ground again and again, as if to shatter the earth itself.
When Dann and Blard arrived at the battlefield, the scene was far worse than anything they'd seen from the hill. Burned homes, mangled corpses, shattered bones, and rivers of blood painted the village in pure horror.
The smell of iron and death filled the air. The stench pierced Dann's lungs, stabbing into his heart like icy needles. His entire body trembled, his skin drenched in cold sweat.
"Everyone fall back and regroup! We'll form a new line!"
Blard's commanding voice echoed across the chaos. The remaining soldiers—wounded and exhausted—found a sliver of hope in his words. They slowly retreated from the frontline.
"You there! How many of the pig monsters have you taken down?" Blard demanded.
"Sir! Total count is twenty-five. We've only managed to kill… two."
"Only two...? Then how many men have fallen?"
"Sir… of the seventy-five deployed, only fifteen remain."
Blard's expression darkened.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
He turned toward Dann—but the young man was swaying. His vision blurred, dizziness spinning his world.
And then—he collapsed from his horse.
"Dann?! Damn it, Dann! Wake up! We're in the middle of a battlefield!"
Blard knelt beside him, shaking his shoulders. But then his eyes narrowed.
"So… it's true."
From beyond the scorched haze of the battlefield, ten more pig monsters emerged—marching proudly toward them.
"Commander! What should we do?! They're coming!" a panicked soldier cried out.
"Ten of you—come with me. Four of you—guard this young man. You—go back to the capital and report our situation!"
—"Yes, sir!"
Dann was quickly carried away by four soldiers. Blard then stood tall, facing the enemy with steely resolve.
Ten pig-men strutted forward arrogantly. Blard clenched his jaw.
"Only ten? Then where are the other thirteen...? Don't tell me...!"
He strapped on his shield, then unsheathed the sword on his back.
On either side, the remaining knights took position.
"BUOOOHH!!"
The war cry of the monsters split the blazing midday sun like thunder.
"Get ready! These aren't ordinary pig monsters… they're Hogkin!"
No wonder so many knights had fallen...
"I'll take the big one. The rest of you—two on one! Hold formation! Dodge first—then strike when the opening comes!"
"CHARGEEE!!"
Hogkin were monstrous humanoids with pig-like faces, skin as dark as scorched iron, and bulging, powerful muscles. They stood nearly three times taller than an average knight.
Living in packs, they often hunted other monsters deep in the forest. But during mating season, they would descend upon human settlements to abduct women and children.
Due to their overwhelming genetic dominance, the offspring they sired would always be male—ensuring their kind would multiply for generations to come.
Clash!
The impact echoed across the battlefield. Some soldiers were sent flying, others barely held their ground. With his shield braced on his left arm, Blard blocked the heavy swing of a Hogkin's axe.
"Pathetic humans! You should just die and accept your fate! GWRAHH!!"
The monster's voice was deep, guttural—each word laced with rage, its breath like the stench of hell itself.
"That's never going to happen!"
The Hogkin roared and swung its axe once more—
"CLAAANG!!"
The colossal weapon met Blard's sword. The ground cracked beneath their feet from the sheer force.
"YOU... ARE... NOT... MY... MATCH!!"
With a full-throated roar, Blard countered—his blade slashing in a wide arc toward the creature's neck—
"SHUUUUT!!"
A spray of thick, black blood erupted. But it wasn't enough. The beast still stood.
One by one, the knights fell.
Some were trampled.
Some skewered.
Some... were bitten alive.
But they fought on.
Every Hogkin slain was paid for in blood.
Screams. Cries. Barked orders. Chaos.
And finally—With his body covered in wounds, Blard drove his sword upward, piercing through the last Hogkin's chest and into its heart.
The monster let out a final roar—
"BUOOOH—!!"
—and collapsed, shaking the battlefield with the thunderous crash of its death.
Of the eleven who charged, only five remained standing.
Blard dropped to the ground, blood soaking his shoulder, breath ragged and shallow.
"Count the bodies," he muttered.
"And... pay your respects to the fallen."
The earth was still drenched in blood as Blard pulled his sword free from the final Hogkin's corpse.
"…It's… over," whispered one of the surviving soldiers.
His voice was hoarse, trembling with a mix of exhaustion and shock.
The other four just stood there, battered and bleeding, sweat soaking through their armor.
But then—
Dossun… Dossun… DOSSUN…!!
The ground trembled again.
"No… don't tell me—"
From the haze of battle, where dust still lingered in the air, new shadows emerged.
Ten more Hogkin.
Their steps were heavy. Wild. Driven by rage.
But that wasn't what made Blard's breath catch in his throat.
In the middle of them stood a colossal figure.
Towering over three meters tall.
Muscles bulging like living stone.
His body was covered in bone armor—stitched together from the remains of his victims.
And his face… it was no ordinary pig face.
It was the face of a war god—
twisted by hatred.
It was the Hogking
"GURRRROOOOOHHHHHH!!!!"
The beast's roar shook the heavens.
It struck their chests like thunder.
The morning sky dimmed—as if swallowed by his presence.
The young soldiers dropped to their knees in an instant.
The rest stood paralyzed, their legs robbed of strength.
"This… is impossible," Blard muttered, biting down hard.
His hands trembled—not from injury… but from pure, primal fear.
There weren't enough men.
Not enough strength.
Not enough time to flee.
There was… no hope.
Blard turned to look at Dann—still unconscious, guarded by four soldiers.
The Hogking raised a massive spiked club high above his head.
With a single "GRUUUUUKH!!", his army of Hogkin howled in unison—
their marching footsteps thundered again, quaking the earth beneath them.
Blard closed his eyes. Took a breath.
"…Forgive me, my daughter.
It seems your father… won't be coming home."
The dawn sky faded to gray, welcoming the fangs and blood that would once again be spilled.