Episode 104. Difel (6)

We stood in the icy rain in the darkness, with no visibility.

The forest surrounding us looked like the jaws of a monster trying to devour us.

The members of the death squad who were guarding the ranks shuddered at the roaring sound of thunder.

It seemed dangerous to see them standing on the sticky mud like cold spittle, but the crew looked ahead and willingly risked their lives.

“… It never rained today.”

Zinner, the youngest member of the surveillance platoon, who was watching the front with a telescope in front of them, muttered as if it was strange no matter how much he thought about it.

“Before the start of the operation, weather observations were made more than five times, but there was no sign of rain. Could this also be the work of the enemy?”

In the rain that quickly took away my body heat, I nodded my head instead of answering.

“… It must be Kegar’s work.”

The forest was turning over like a stormy seashore.

Trees were helplessly plucked like feathers under the overwhelming cumulonimbus cloud that came from afar, like a moving castle.

Flashes of lightning that fell endlessly through the pitch black illuminated the night sky, and it seemed like a rebuke, as if to know who you dared to challenge.

but… . Even he, who shakes Mother Nature in his hand, couldn’t lay a finger on us right now.

I calmly gazed at the night sky looking down at us.

‘No matter how powerful you are, as long as you’re mixed with humans… . I’ll have to put restrictions on my neck as much as the things I got with power.’

Can a giant’s finger catch the rats in the sewer?

‘Let’s try until the end.’

I didn’t tell anyone that Kegar and Dana were dragons.

Even Dana didn’t tell me that she was a dragon in the first place, but now that she’s come forward and says she knows everything, it only adds to the confusion.

If this wasn’t the end of Kegar’s plotting with Princess Seryl, at least he wouldn’t be able to reveal himself openly.

‘At least, wouldn’t it be enough to support the battle while maintaining the polymorph?’

This was the same for Dana, who had to return to Kiruna together, so in the end, the direction depended on the battle between us and Dipellen.

* * *

“Enemy found in hotel. Five Dipelins and about twenty or more Dipelins.”

“There is nothing more than this unit. Please keep tracking.”

Lewen’s voice came from Jiner’s radio.

In a situation where they are usually outnumbered, it is no different from suicide for those who have to fight a defensive battle to give up occupying a building and come down to the ground.

You wouldn’t have expected that we would set up camp in a forest that was no different from a clearing, rather than a hotel with a narrow entrance.

However, blind spots are marked in places that are taken for granted.

“It’s comfortable because I can only protect the front.”

Ginner looked back for a moment and said to me.

“There is no need to prepare for bombing. It seems that even Kegar never thought that the professor would choose this place as a battlefield instead of a hotel.”

As if answering him, a nervous groaning sound came from behind.

‘… Anyway.’

We were leaning against the wall of the garrison built by the Imperial Knights.

The moment you see the knights stationed at the hotel for tonight’s raid move into the forest outside the research center complex.

I was able to understand Seryl and their relationship to some extent and find a way to minimize Kegar’s involvement.

It seemed that the knights on the other side of the barrier were overhearing our conversation, but I answered Zinner without muting.

“If Princess Seryl had completely taken over even the Imperial Knights, she wouldn’t have evacuated the Knights to a place like this. They must have ordered them to deal with us.”

It seemed that the Imperial Knights were tacitly following Seril, but they did not burn their loyalty enough to risk their lives in a private power struggle.

Despite being called the second-in-command of the imperial family, Seryl was not yet emperor.

Even if she was willing to sacrifice Kiruna’s professors for her own ambitions, she would not have been able to order those who sacrificed their swords for the emperor to sacrifice their lives for their own self-interest.

“Even so, for the knights to criticize Princess Seryl’s evil deeds and turn their backs on her, she must have felt that her authority was formidable.”

“Ah, that’s why you’re not raising anyone’s hand like this.”

If there were casualties among the knights dispatched to protect the Imperial Academy, the Commander of the Imperial Knights would not leave her alone.

It’s a natural progression to think that Seril may have given Kegar an order not to touch the knights, even if the others don’t know.

“Of course, from the point of view of the knights, we who use them like shields may not look nice. But you won’t make the decision to help Princess Seryl just this time.”

If the knights joined the other side, of course it would be difficult to hold out until tomorrow morning… .

However, we are not a force that can do no damage to them and be helplessly suppressed.

“Because if they lay a hand on me, they will turn Princess Frill into an enemy.”

Frill, which has recently been attracting the attention of many retainers, is not a scarecrow who is far from the power of the imperial family as it was a few years ago.

By any chance, if Frill finds out that I died at their hands… . She will actively launch a political offensive against the Knights.

Their creed, which swore to protect only the emperor, would become a laughing stock.

“If the knights move their camp or return to the hotel through the rain and wind, we just have to follow them.”

If you were prepared to be mistakenly shot by the Dipellins while marching out of sight.

‘If Kegar, who felt that the war situation was unfavorable, came all the way here himself and tried to capture us one by one… .’

At that time, I have no choice but to lean on Dana.

‘Looking at Dana’s reaction, Kegar seemed a bit stronger… . Even if the knights in the back act as a shield, the situation is not in our favor.’

In fact… . It was all the more so because, before Kegar, Dipeln was not an easy enemy.

‘The wardens who have been hunting Dipel are also new beings. I don’t know how strong it is and how it will attack.’

So, except for Jiner, who will be the eyes of the main unit, the remaining vampire guards formed a detached unit and left to obtain information about the enemy through guerrilla warfare.

Lewen said he would prevent power loss by repeating long-range sniping and retreating, but… . Still, it’s a life-and-death operation.

“Please, you should do well… .”

I was holding on to the thread of hope, but the difference in power was still overwhelmingly slanted.

The only things we can say that we have an advantage over our opponents are the mobility of the vampire detached unit and the organizational ability to deliver information and give orders to each other in real time.

‘If only I could make it through tonight… .’

Like those dark clouds that howled tirelessly, the war situation was so chaotic that it was impossible to see even an hour later.

Fifteen minutes after looking down at the receiver while biting my icy lips.

“Currently, Dipels are moving towards the main team. And… . The Dipelns started following us. First of all, we will reposition after spreading.”

“… .”

* * *

Darkness was the stage for vampires, and this was a truth that did not change even in the face of crazy rain and wind.

‘Yes, there’s no way those who didn’t receive Esca’s blessing could move faster than us in the dark.’

Having seen so many moments where God and truth were denied here, Lewen should feel relieved that the common sense he knew was being realized again.

‘Let’s stay calm. Yes, you just need to keep your distance.’

Lewen climbed atop a tree whose roots were deep enough not to be blown away by the wind, giving up pursuit and staring at the dispelled Dipellens.

A platoon member pointing a gun at them asked her.

“The enemies have stopped. Should I snipe?”

“yet.”

Recognizing the tailing of the detached unit, they seemed to be trying to use individual breaking tactics.

It seemed like they were trying to send a group of Dipels to the main unit to make them not pay attention to the detached unit, and the Dipellins, the core of the force, were trying to eliminate the guards themselves.

“You’ve just learned from the chase that it’s impossible. Alright then. What are you going to do now… .”

Among the Dipelins, Lewen carefully observed Rane’s behavior.

‘Is that the leader of the Dipellen?’

Even in the cold, freezing rain that I couldn’t tell if it was raining or snowing now, Rane’s cheeks were flushed red.

As if she was drunk, steam continued to rise from her body, which should have been as cold as ice.

He was muttering something while standing still with round objects in both hands.

‘What are you doing?’

While continuing such an uncomfortable confrontation with each other.

Rewen, who confirmed the identity of the round object she was holding in both hands, frowned.

“Crazy… .”

Rane was holding the heads of the professors, one in each hand… . Judging by the still bleeding appearance, it was clear that they had been hunting the professors who found them while raiding the hotel earlier.

Then, after setting the two corpses on the floor, she stumbled and drew something on the dirt floor with her bare feet.

She thought that whatever she was drawing would be washed away by the rain, but completely intoxicated with blood, she continued her actions without looking down at all.

‘… for a moment. What?’

After she drew a full circle on the floor, Lewen’s eyes began to blur little by little.

It took a while for me to reorganize my mind. As the platoon members also started rubbing their eyes together, a ray of goose bumps ran up Lewen’s back.

‘We can see everything in the dark. If so, that… ?’

Licking her pink lips… .

Rahne placed the head she had separated from the corpse in the center of the circle that had become blurry.

At her feet, a white mist that could not be dispelled even by strong winds began to rise… .

“Professor Ian.”

“… .”

“Professor Ian, can you hear me?”

“what’s going on?”

“I think we need to revise our strategy right now.”

Quickly appreciating the situation, Lewen immediately picked up the receiver.

“what’s going on?”

“It is blood magic. One of the Dipeln is using blood magic to create a smoke screen that our eyes can’t see inside.”

“Then, the method of trying to intercept the enemies with magic won’t work.”

Since many of the different races could not use magic, he expected that the wide range of attack methods he could take out from the opponent would be about the extent of Kegar’s magic.

The party tried to intercept the approaching Dipels with magic and run away, leaving the knights behind.

It was an operation that could not be established if the opponent’s position could not be properly identified.

“The protection of the night is gradually fading near the smoke screen. I think we should also consider the possibility that a technique that breaks the bond with the guardian spirit was applied to the blood magic.”

“It seems that the reason for raiding the hotel first was to obtain ingredients for blood magic. Could you please get out?”

“I will try.”

And after a while… .

Lewen took her eyes off the receiver and corrected the report again on the spot.

“School, professor… .”

“If there is an emergency, evacuate first and then report. As you see right now-”

“… No, I think it’s already too late.”

Lewen was determined to give her life to Esca, focusing on conveying what she was seeing.

“The white fog that Rane created was not a smoke screen.”

Gazing at the beast’s growing silhouette from across the fog, Lewen held a silver-forged sword instead of a long gun.

A huge werewolf covered in fur was in front of him.

“In there, the Dipellens… . Before receiving the grace of the gods in the past… . It seems to make an appearance.”

As soon as her report was finished, Rahne’s ripping laughter broke through the rain, and a huge, furry werewolf howled from beyond the smoke screen.

When the girl pointed something round at the monster, he sat quietly in his seat and started wagging his tail.

Soon after, she waved her hand at the determined vampires as if mocking… .

“Pang, ask-!!”

At the crew, he threw the severed head.