Outside the city, during the early morning, a battalion stood across the vast open ground. Nearly two hundred soldiers were gathered there. In front of the battalion stood a few people, one of them being Jack.
The warrior standing beside him spoke respectfully.
"Lord Jack, all preparations are complete."
Jack replied in a calm yet stern tone.
"Hmm… got it. Are we ready? Wait… where is Commander Konta?"
The warrior answered,
"He should be ar—"
Before he could finish, he noticed Konta approaching from a distance.
"There he is…"
Jack turned around and walked toward Konta. Meanwhile, the warrior quietly stepped away. Yuki was also standing beside Konta.
Jack glanced at Yuki and asked,
"Who is he, Commander Konta?"
Konta opened his mouth to answer,
"He's a—"
But before he could finish, Yuki interrupted him as if stopping him from saying anything unnecessary.
"I'm his nephew. Name's Yuki."
Hearing that, Konta looked at Yuki with shocked and suspicious eyes, almost as if asking Since when did that happen?
Meanwhile, Jack gave a sharp smile while looking at Yuki.
"I see. So why did he come here?"
Konta stuttered slightly.
"Ah… hm… ha…"
Then, with an emotional yet confident expression, he declared,
"This young man loves his birthplace! That's why he joined this assault to protect this place~"
Jack did not react much.
"I see… Konta, I need to discuss something important regarding this attack."
Konta silently nodded with a serious expression and followed Jack. Yuki remained standing there, quietly waiting.
A short distance away from the battalion, beneath the shade of a lone tree, Jack and Konta stood beside a table with a large map spread across it.
Jack stared at the map and spoke,
"So the demon army is coming from this direction… around fifty to seventy demons, right?"
Konta nodded.
"Yes. This land is completely open. We can't hide anywhere, so we'll have to launch a direct assault."
Jack looked at Konta before turning his eyes back toward the map.
"No… we can."
Konta looked confused.
Jack continued,
"If we hide behind the giant stones scattered across the battlefield, we can launch a surprise attack. Since this is desert land, there are no trees or grass to hide in… but those rocks can still serve as cover."
Konta nodded slowly.
"Hmm… good idea."
Jack then looked at him normally and spoke in a quieter tone.
"You know how important this war is for me. Not only the future of this city depends on it, but my own position as well. If I win this war… I'll become a Viscount."
Then he whispered with frustration,
"Those damned barons are plotting against me. They want me to lose this battle so I'll be removed from my position."
Konta remained silent.
Jack continued while looking toward the battalion,
"There are no official knights in this battle. The ones present chose to fight on their own. Other than them, there are only my personal guards… and your group."
He turned toward Konta once more.
"No matter what happens… we must win this war."
Konta proudly replied,
"Don't worry, Lord Jack. We will win this war and destroy those damn creatures!"
Some time later, several soldiers hid themselves behind the giant rocks scattered across the barren land.
Silence filled the air.
The sun had climbed high into the sky.
Then suddenly—
Dham… Dham… Dham…
The ground began to shake.
The heavy marching sounds grew louder and louder as the demon army slowly came into view.
Massive weapons rested in their hands. Their faces showed no pain, no emotion, no love—only coldness, greed for victory, and overwhelming arrogance.
From the opposite side, the human army also marched forward. Weapons were tightly gripped in their hands, armor covered their bodies, and seriousness filled their faces.
Eventually, the humans stopped a short distance away.
Jack stepped forward.
The demon army also halted, and their leader slowly walked to the front.
Large wings spread across his back. A single horn rose from his forehead. His eyes carried nothing but the hunger to kill.
Hidden behind one of the giant rocks, Konta watched everything alongside several soldiers.
Jack raised his voice loudly.
"We are the guardians of this city! If you wish to attack our city… then first kill us and cross over our bodies!"
The demon leader answered immediately,
"No problem. We kill you. We destroy you. We eat you."
His voice was filled with dominance, pride, and savage confidence.
Hearing those words, some of the human soldiers began trembling in fear. Their hands shook as terror spread across their faces.
Jack failed to notice it and immediately shouted,
"Charge!!"
The human army slowly advanced forward.
At the same time, the demon leader roared,
"Charge!"
The demons rushed ahead at terrifying speed.
The humans who were still far from the giant rocks moved slowly, while the demons—already close to the rocks—charged forward rapidly.
And the moment several demons crossed past the giant stones—
Slash!
They were instantly killed.
The demons froze in shock.
The demon leader's eyes widened in surprise and tension.
The entire demon army suddenly came to a halt.