Reborn As A Maid

Chapter 156: Chapter 156 - Battle Between Enemies ( Part 2 )

At the very moment Draven’s order reverberated across the valley:

"Advance."

The Demon Legion began its movement.

Thousands of armoured demons advanced as if a black flood moving forward, their war shouts shaking the mountains. The siege monsters marched through the earth, winged demons filled the darkened sky, and cursed banners whipped furiously in the unnatural wind.

The earth vibrated from thousands of steps of marching soldiers.

Rosario Village stood alone against an army which once had destroyed entire kingdoms.

But...

There was no escape.

Jennie slowly took out Excalibur.

The shining silver blade was glowing with holy light piercing through the blackened clouds.

Leviathan was still on her waist.

One Divine Sword was enough for now.

She looked towards Luka.

"You don’t have to prove anything."

Luka laughed.

"I know."

He rested Tempest on his shoulder.

"But this is my home."

"I tried hard to become a person who will deserve to live here."

He glanced back at villagers gathering behind him.

"I won’t let anyone take it away."

Jennie smiled.

"Then we should defend it."

Snow stepped forward.

His gigantic body of white colour stood near Rosario’s gates like an ancient guardian.

His nine tails spread out behind him and they were glowing with divine frost.

The movement of demon soldiers slowed down instinctively.

One of them said:

"A Divine Beast..."

Another one tightened his hand around his spear.

"We were told that there will be only one Sword King."

Snow showed his teeth in a grin.

"You were misinformed."

At the moment Snow roared-

The air froze.

The snowstorm covered the battlefield, encasing the front ranks of demons in thick layer of ice.

Several monstrous beast were completely frozen and then shattered by the weight of the demons rushing in behind them.

Over the village walls, Roxy raised her staff.

Hundreds of ancient magic circles appeared one by one.

Each one covered the previous circle perfectly.

Villagers were looking amazed.

"So many..."

"I’ve never seen such magic..."

Roxy took deep breath.

"Grand Ancient Magic..."

"Crystal Rain."

Thousands of glowing crystal spears appeared high above the battlefield.

At her gesture they fell on the battlefield like meteor shower.

The first ranks of demons barely had time to raise their shields.

The crystals hit the ground exploding with the devastating power.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The whole sections of the Demon Legion were sent back by the explosion.

The smoke and pieces of the ground were filling the valley.

Meanwhile...

The defenders of Rosario started preparing for a fight.

Former thieves held rusty swords.

Former mercenaries were raising rusty shields.

Hunters were drawing old bows.

Blacksmiths were holding heavy hammers.

Miners were raising their iron picks.

A gray-haired man laughed.

"Never thought I would die defending a village."

His friend smiled.

"Better than dying stealing from it."

Several men laughed.

Not because they were not afraid.

Because it made them feel less scared.

Jennie looked at them.

"You don’t owe us this."

The village elder shook his head.

"No."

"We owe this village."

He looked around the houses surrounding them.

"Rosario accepted those whom the rest of the world rejected."

"Today..."

"We will pay back."

The Demon Legion reached the outer barricade.

The first demon jumped over wooden structures.

Before he could land-

Slash!

The miner hit him with his pick.

"Heh... I actually hit him."

Another villager pushed away the stunned demon.

"Too early to celebrate!"

The battle was beginning.

The metal was clashing against claws.

The magic was exploding above.

The snowy breath of Snow swept through the enemies.

Jennie was moving like a flowing water.

She didn’t waste any moves.

Every blow with Excalibur disarmed an enemy.

Every step protected some villager.

She was intentionally hitting armour joints and weapons to disarm the enemy instead of killing them.

The demons who were surrendering were just knocked unconscious.

Draven observed this from a distance.

"...Still holding back."

His smile disappeared.

"Even now."

On the western flank-

Luka charged.

The singing of Tempest filled the air.

The sword responded to the blows by howling gusts of wind.

The single strike released the blade of compressed air which scattered dozens of demons.

Another strike created a tornado which threw enemy soldiers high into the air.

Luka suddenly stopped.

"...I didn’t plan to kill that many."

Tempest was laughing inside his mind.

"You’ll get used to me."

"I hope not."

Three captains of demon soldiers rushed him all at once.

Each of them was holding cursed weapon.

Each of them was moving extremely fast.

Luka tightened his grip on the sword.

"I’ve faced drunks more skilled than you."

They roared at him.

They attacked him together.

The sword of Luka was shining brightly.

Luka stepped forward instinctively.

His body moved of its own accord.

It was the sword which was guiding him.

One perfect swing.

Wind divided into three sharp currents.

They hit each of the captains.

Their weapons were ripped out of their hands before they even realized what had happened.

The captains crashed to the ground, unconscious.

Luka looked at them.

"...I did this?"

Tempest proudly said:

"We did."

Nearby, Jennie was smiling without turning her head to him.

"You are improving."

Luka scratched his head.

"I have no idea what I’m doing."

"You don’t need to."

"Trust the sword."

Tempest immediately objected.

"No."

"Trust yourself."

Luka was blinking.

"...This is surprisingly wise."

"I have my moments."

The battle continued to intensify.

More demons were joining it.

But something unexpected happened.

Rosario was not going to break.

Former criminals were fighting along with ordinary villagers.

Those who lived only for themselves were saving each other now.

A scarred bandit put a scared kid behind him.

"I’ve done too many terrible things."

"Not today."

He raised his axe.

"Today..."

"I’m protecting this kid."

And somewhere else an old smuggler was dragging the wounded hunter from the battlefield while arrows were flying above their heads.

"Don’t you dare to die."

"You still owe me dinner."

The hunter laughed.

"I thought I already paid."

"You underpaid."

Observing the battlefield from the center, Jennie couldn’t help but smile.

"They are changing."

Snow nodded.

"No."

"They are becoming what they always wanted to be."

Observing everything from high above the battlefield, Draven was narrowing his red eyes.

"The Sword King."

"The Mage."

"The Divine Beast."

"And now..."

He looked at Luka.

"...the new master of Tempest."

He clenched his fist with black spear in it.

"Interesting."

Cruel smile was spreading across his face.

"Very interesting."

Somewhere below Luka was raising Tempest once again.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Jennie he was waiting for the next wave of demons.

The villagers of Rosario who once were feared as thieves and bandits, who lived for gold, revenge and survival no longer fought for it.

They fought for that place which gave them second chance.

And in the future this battlefield will remember them not as criminals and outlaws.

But...

For one day...

They were heroes.

The battle went on endlessly.

Steel met claws.

Magic lit up the darkened sky.

While the snows’ freezing blizzards were clashing with the flames of the demons, Roxy’s magic shook the mountains.

At the middle of all this...

Luka and Jennie fought side by side.

With Excalibur and Tempest shining on the battlefield like two rays of silver and blue.

For the first time in a millennium...

Two Divine Swords worked together.

"Left!"

Called Jennie.

Luka did not hesitate.

Tempest reacted faster than he could think.

A fierce gale blew from his sword throwing aside a charging siege beast.

The monstrous creature slammed into a squad of demon soldiers.

Then came Jennie and gave a beautiful one-strike.

With the sword of Excalibur, she let loose a crescent of holy light scattering the rest of the enemy without hurting any of the people behind.

Snow laughed above.

"You two really get along!"

Luka smiled.

"Just swing."

Tempest sighed in his mind.

"You’ve got modest."

...

Far away from the battlefield...

Draven watched in silence.

Since the battle had begun, he hadn’t moved an inch.

His eyes focused only on Luka.

Not Jennie.

Not Snow.

Not Roxy.

Only Luka.

"The Sword of Storms..."

Murmured Draven.

"So you finally accepted him."

Surrounding him, there were demon commanders waiting for an order.

One of them finally asked,

"Lord..."

"Should we attack?"

Draven slowly shook his head.

"No."

"They are distracted."

With a sickening smile, he continued.

"Now..."

"I go hunting."

Disappearing in a blink.

Without any explosion or burst of magic.

In one moment he stood on top of the rocky hill.

In the next...

He was gone.

Meanwhile...

Laughing at the fleeing demon captain because of the rage of Tempest’s winds, Luka said.

"I think they’re afraid of us now."

Jennie smiled.

"I think so too."

Something was wrong.

An icy chill ran down her spine.

A voice of Excalibur erupted in her mind.

"Leonis!"

"Behind—!"

Jennie immediately turned around.

Too late.

Suddenly...

A shadow appeared behind Luka.

Silent.

Invisible.

As if it just materialized out of nowhere.

Only crimson eyes could be seen.

Draven.

His black spear was already moving.

Not toward Jennie.

Toward Luka.

Everything slowed.

Eyes of Jennie widened.

"LUKA!"

Instinctively Luka turned around.

He had no time to pull Tempest out of the sheath.

The spear was too fast.

Too near.

Too accurate.

But...

Instead of stepping aside...

Luka saw something behind him.

Jennie.

True target of Draven was not him.

If Luka would move away...

The spear will go forward.

Right through the heart of Jennie.

Decision took only less than a heartbeat.

He smiled.

"...Not happening."

Instead of moving away...

He moved forward.

SHHKK!

Black spear stabbed through his chest.

The noise echoed on the battlefield.

Time stopped.

The wind became silent.

Tempest cried out.

"LUKA!"

Blood soaked his shirt.

The spear came out of his back.

Horror filled the eyes of Jennie.

"...No..."

Leaning closer, Draven said to Luka with a cold voice reaching only to his ears.

"You made the right choice."

Coughing blood, he smiled slightly.

"Yeah..."

"I did."

Slightly frowning, Draven said.

"Even now..."

"You are smiling?"

Luka looked at Jennie.

She was alive.

That was enough.

"I promised..."

"...to protect everyone else."

Jennie immediately reached him.

She caught him before he could fall.

"Luka!"

"No..."

"No..."

Healing magic from her hands covered the wound with golden light.

But...

The black spear pulsated with demonic powers.

Wound would not close.

With urgency Leviathan said.

"The spear is cursed!"

"Get rid of it!"

Jennie reached to grab it.

Draven smiled.

"Too slow."

He pulled the spear out of him.

Blood started flowing on the ground.

Body of Luka fell into the arms of Jennie.

Surrounding them...

The battle paused.

Rosario’s defenders were watching with unbelieving eyes.

"No..."

"The chief..."

Roxy froze.

Her staff slipped from her fingers.

With a roar shaking the skies, Snow attacked.

Luka looked up at Jennie.

His breath had become labored.

"...Guess..."

"...I wasn’t much of a swordsman."

Voice of Jennie trembled.

"Don’t talk."

"Spare your strength."

Weakly chuckling, he said.

"Bossy..."

"...as Derresa."

Tears rolled down Jennie’s cheeks.

"You’ll see her again."

"No."

"We will save you."

"We will find the way."

Luka slowly shook his head.

"I know..."

"That when it is my time."

His trembling hand reached to the hilt of Tempest.

Divine Sword lied next to him.

Crystal of the sword shone desperately.

"Master..."

"Please..."

Weakly holding the hilt, he said.

"...Sorry."

"I didn’t carry you very long."

Voice of Tempest broke.

"It wasn’t long enough."

Looking at Jennie, Luka said.

"Take care..."

"...of Rosario."

Jennie vigorously shook her head.

"No."

"You will tell them yourself."

He smiled.

"I think..."

"...that they will listen to you."

Eyes of Luka moved toward the distant hill.

Where his beloved Deressa lay under the white lilies.

Gently the breeze blew onto his face.

For a few moments...

He imagined that he sees her.

Under the cedar tree.

Smiling.

Holding hands with a small child.

Waiting.

He whispered so softly that only Jennie could hear.

"...I’m coming home."

His fingers loosened.

Tempest slid out of his grasp.

Blue light of the Divine Sword dimmed.

Luka’s hand fell silently.

Silence fell on the battlefield.

Bowing her head, Jennie couldn’t say a thing.

Howling mourning Snow echoed in the valley.

Roxy kneeled.

People that had followed the feared bandit before watched the man that gave them hope die.

Calming himself, Draven twirled his spear and put it on the shoulder.

Without any signs of regret, he looked at Jennie.

"I told you."

"There will be no mercy."

Carefully laying the body of Luka on the ground, Jennie slowly stood up.

Then...

Her silver hair waved in the cold wind.

In her left hand she held Leviathan.

And Excalibur remained in the other.

Shining two Divine Swords.

For the first time since the Great Demon War a thousand years ago...

The Sword King looked at Draven with rage.