Upon hearing the news of the Demon Lord's army advancing, the situation took a sudden turn.
The Grand Sage Aglupus muttered, "Sooner than expected," while leaving the reception room.
Together with Nyau, I began preparing to confront the Demon Lord's army and left the imperial palace.
Already, outside, many people were running around in a panicked state.
Nevertheless, because they had predicted the Demon Lord's invasion in advance, it seems that the evacuation of civilians and the deployment of soldiers had been to some extent completed.
"We will protect the esteemed Sage Nyau with our lives."
When Nyau took her position, the waiting soldiers expressed this.
Nyau's placement was on the western edge of the castle walls.
Since the Demon Lord's army was approaching from the west, it was the most likely area for intense fighting.
Nyau was also serving as the commander for this entire area.
So, Nyau spoke a few words to the soldiers.
"I know there are many flaws in Nyau, but I intend to fight with all my might, so please take care of me――."
She messed up at a crucial moment.
With eyes that seemed to say, "What should I do, Kiska?" Nyau looked in my direction.
I had no choice but to follow up.
"Listen up, all of you! The one here is none other than the Master of the Strongest Title, Sage Nyau. With her magic, she can easily bury a hundred or two hundred dragons! Do you understand? She is the goddess who will bring us victory! So, give it your all and protect her!!"
"'Uooooooooooooooooooooo!!'"
The soldiers raised their fists and let out a powerful battle cry.
Alright, we were able to boost their morale sufficiently.
"Kiska, you're exaggerating a bit. Nyau isn't that strong."
Nyau whispered to me so that those around us couldn't hear.
"Sometimes, a little exaggeration is necessary, Sage Nyau."
"Mmm."
Nyau pouted and gave me a disgruntled look.
"Kiska, will you protect Nyau too?"
"Oh, I'll definitely protect you with my life."
I said while patting Nyau on the head.
"Nyau will also protect Kiska with all her might."
"I see, I'm counting on you."
The Demon Lord's army advanced in two ways.
One was a force consisting of demons marching on the road.
The other was using dragons to infiltrate from the sky. On the backs of these dragons, demons were waiting, so once they entered from above, the demons would start their assault along with the dragons.
Our task was to shoot down the dragons flying in from above.
If we could successfully shoot them down, we could bury the demons riding on the dragon's back.
To shoot down the dragons, powerful magic was necessary. That's right, only Sage Nyau could bring down the dragons.
So, Nyau was waiting in the place that would likely become the most intense battleground.
"I've confirmed the advance of the Demon Lord's army ahead!!"
Someone shouted.
When I looked, there were countless shadows flying towards us.
They were dragons.
"Nyau, are you ready!?"
"Yes, I'm ready."
As she replied, Nyau began chanting while holding her staff.
"I command in the name of Nyau. The endless plunderer. Feeble anger. An arrow made of hearts. Even dust accumulates as dust. Twelve words of power. Fragile crimson jewel. The primordial light. Death is unequal before the gods. The sender of nirvana. The spirit that controls everything. All is a jest. The four elements have become my servants. The earth remains unchanged. Truth is absent. Footprints are eternal. The pulsating blood never ends. The circle of revenge is broken. I have but one wish. To thrive like a phoenix, nourished by knowledge. I am the executioner of the bonfire. Now, be dyed in red. Fire magic, Ninth Tier, Inferno Infinite Annihilation Cannon, Destriete!"
In an instant, with a massive magic circle, countless red flashes burst forth.
Those flashes mercilessly pierced the dragons.
"Roar!"
The dragons emitted groans and crashed to the ground.
Impressive, she took down the dragons so easily.
"Hey, there are more coming!!"
The soldiers' voices could be heard.
The enemy has over a thousand dragons, and they keep attacking one after another.
"Fire magic, Ninth Tier, Inferno Infinite Annihilation Cannon, Destriete!"
In this manner, Nyau continued to vanquish one dragon after another.
However, no matter how many she brought down, the next dragon would arrive.
"Hey, the dragons are entering the city!"
Even though Nyau is the strongest mage, it was impossible for her to shoot down all the dragons by herself. Some dragons managed to evade Nyau's attacks and successfully landed inside the city, within the walls.
Nevertheless, they couldn't afford to stop.
Nyau exerted herself to the fullest, using her magic to bring down the dragons as much as possible.
"Nyau, are you okay?"
"Y-yes… I'm… I'm fine…"
She answered, but she clearly wasn't fine. She was out of breath, and with every breath, she wore a pained expression. Just standing was making her unsteady on her feet. She had heard that using magic would exhaust her, but it seemed even more grueling than she had imagined.
"Nyau, we need to move."
"…"
Without waiting for Nyau's response, I picked her up and moved away from that spot.
In an instant, a column of flames rose in the place we had just been. It was an attack by the dragons.
"Th-thank you…"
"Don't force yourself to talk."
Saying that, Nyau nodded slightly and began constructing her magic once again.
It's frustrating. Even though Nyau is going through so much pain, I can't do much to help. I wish I could be a substitute for Nyau, but unfortunately, I can't attack the dragons flying in the sky.
"Inferno Infinite Annihilation Cannon, Destriete!"
Once again, Nyau unleashed her magic.
With this, she managed to bring down another dragon.
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"Hey, Nyau, isn't it about time you took a break?"
It had been several hours since the battle began. Nyau's condition had been strange for a while now. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hands were trembling, and her breathing had become rough.
"I'm… fine…"
While saying this, she attempted to activate her magic.
"Huff…"
In an instant, she coughed up blood.
It was clear that her body had reached its limit.
"Hey, seriously, you should rest already—"
Despite this, Nyau prevented me from continuing.
"I'm okay… Nyau has to do this. It's all Nyau's fault that it came to this… That's why Nyau can't afford to stop…"
When she saw the devastated capital, Nyau repeatedly muttered, "It's my fault," and blamed herself. She was still carrying the emotions from that time.
"Alright…"
If I were to prioritize her well-being, I should probably force her to stop. However, I wanted to respect her determination to keep fighting no matter how worn out she became.
"I'll support you with all my might. So, focus only on using your magic."
"Thank you… so much…"
Saying this, Nyau glanced at me briefly and expressed her gratitude.
Knowing that she didn't even have the luxury to express her gratitude, her actions appeared remarkably noble. I couldn't help but feel incredibly fortunate to stand by her side.
◆
From then on, we continued to fight. Nyau unleashed magic without a break, and I carried her while maneuvering wildly to evade the dragon's attacks. Both of us were utterly exhausted.
Next to us, people were being killed one after another. We didn't even have the luxury to dwell on that. The only motivation we had was to kill as many dragons and demons as possible, and with that determination, we kept moving.
Even though we had defeated so many dragons, the battle situation remained unfavorable. No matter how many we defeated, the dragons kept appearing one after another.
"Roarrrrrrrr!!"
We heard a dragon's roar ahead. It was clear they were targeting us. Using the skill "Provocation," I continued to evade their attacks. If I could keep avoiding the attacks, Nyau would complete her incantation and defeat the dragons.
With that in mind, I kept dodging and dodging—
"Huh…?"
I realized something. I hadn't heard Nyau's voice for a while. She had already lost consciousness. She couldn't use magic anymore.
"Roooooarrrrrr!!"
Suddenly, I noticed that the dragon in front was releasing a breath attack engulfed in flames. Oh, we couldn't avoid it from here. It seemed like this was the end for us.
"Barrier magic, First Tier, Barrier Este."
Suddenly, a massive barrier appeared in front of us. That barrier protected us from the dragon's breath attack.
Nyau, who should have been able to use magic, was already unconscious. So who had cast this magic?
"Well done. Thanks to you, we were able to hold on until now."
The one who said this was the Grand Sage Aglupus. He also looked quite battered, and it was clear he had been fighting in a different location from us.
"We can't let Sage Nyau die just yet. So, you take her to a safe place. I'll take care of the rest"
"Understood!"
I nodded and ran with Nyau in my arms toward a safer area.
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