As the fighting continued in the distance, the dual monarchs were simply standing by and watching as the Black Guard went to work. The screams of the enemy knights and militia up ahead were all they could hear in the air beside the occasional explosion and lightning crackle from spells unleashed upon them.
"Looks like they are planning to stand and fight it out to the end" Ophelia remarked as she planted her sword on the snowy ground
"They are brave, I will give them that. Even on the Barrah Plains they refused to turn and run" Amelia added with a small nod of respect for the enemy before them, holstering her daggers back into their sheathes on her sides
"Your Majesties. The enemy's formation is shrinking, do you wish to cast the final blow?" Erhet asked as she slithered up to her monarchs, bowing her head slightly to greet them
"Let them fight for a while longer, I want to see if the enemy will finally turn and run or will they die standing defiant" The raven-haired empress said as she glanced at the towering lamia
"By your word Your Majesty. It will be done"
"Now...let's see how steely their resolve to die for their country is"
"I have just the thing in mind" Amelia said as her crimson eyes glowed for a short moment as she tapped into her [Carnomancy] magic
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
In the midst of the chaos, as their formation grew smaller and smaller, Princess Mako and Sir Matthews did their best to help their soldiers fight to the last. No one had claimed a kill, as with each strike they let loose, each spell they fired away, whenever it struck the enemy, they refused to even flinch or yield. Their resolve was as unbreakable as the armor they were wearing, which perplexed the soldiers of the Dukedom.
"How the fuck are they still standing!" Mako shouted as she fired away a lightning bolt at an incoming harpy soldier who tanked her spell and shrugged it off before soaring into the sky and firing back a rain of ice spikes which killed several soldiers around her instead of her
"Fuck! Where are the barriers dammit?!" Sir Matthews roared as he looked to his back and saw the corpses of what remained of the mages of this small army, all in various conditions such as being impaled by a massive icicle, or a burnt corpse
{!}
Suddenly, the enemy soldiers stopped attacking and slowly retreated back into the fog. The soldiers of the Dukedom were all too scared to cheer in the face of them supposedly winning the fight. Coupled with the fact that many of their allies were still strewn around them in horrifying death poses, everyone was much more worried as to why the enemy had suddenly decided to stop attacking rather than finish them off.
"What are they up to?" Mako asked her beloved who was silent
"I do not know...but I don't like it" Matthews finally replied after a brief silence and looking around in the fog
{!}
Then, in the fog, there was a chorus of growls that sounded both high-pitched and deep at the same time, causing many of the militiamen and knights to unconsciously shudder at the sound of the creatures lurking behind the fog. Many of the militiamen were former hunters for the Dukedom and their expressions were that of confusion as to what the hell was just growling at them from within the fog.
"The hell is that?" A young boy barely out of his teens asked as he looked up at his commander
"I have no idea" The older man said as his eyes scanned the dense fog before him
{!}
Before anyone could do anything, a massive deformed monster akin to a wolf jumped at them from the fog, the wolf was larger than the standard wolf and it was made purely out of patches of flesh that overlapped with one another, exposing some of the red interior, there were also sets of tendrils sprouting from its back and its face had a massive overbite and multiple sets of eyes. The monster jumped onto one of the poor militiamen and used its massive jaw to clamp down on the man's neck, killing him instantly. The others around him were too terrified to do anything for a brief window and in that window, the tendrils on the back of the monster shot out and the tips of these tendrils unfurled into gaping maws with ros upon rows of teeth that chomped down on the necks of these unfortunate souls and then crushed. The same wolf was then skewered multiple times by several militiamen nearby who impaled the damn thing with their lances.
However, it was just the beginning. To the horror of the survivors, they suddenly heard more growls and now coming out of the fog were even more of these damned monsters, but they were not alone this time. The militiamen, knights, Mako and Sir Matthews saw that they were now surrounded by not only hungry and growling wolf-like monsters but also rows of shambling and groaning humanoid monsters with tendrils and disfigured bodies, all of which were either wearing knight and militiamen armor, their weapons clutched in their deformed hands.
"Holy shit!" One militiamen shouted as he saw this
"By the Goddess! Those are our boys!" Another added
"What the fuck is going one?!" A third chimed in
Mako too was also in a lot of shock but she was unable to say anything as the sight of everything before her left her speechless. The enemy they had failed to kill had fallen back and now unleashed something arguably more horrifying at them. Was it because they were not worth the time and effort to be dealt with personally? Was it because they were so pitiful and outclassed that the enemy decided to just give them weaker opponents to fight? Was it all just a show in the minds of those who were actively conquering her home?
"They won't even give us a proper last stand" She muttered under her breath as she saw the grotesque forms coming for them
"Motherfucker"
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Meanwhile, hidden by the fog, Ophelia and the rest of the Black Guard were busy watching with curiosity in their gaze towards Amelia who was busy using her [Carnomancy] magic to create grotesque flesh monsters that she sent out to fight the enemy. The Black Guard under her orders had brought forward some of the corpses still hidden in the fog and then used her magic to absorb them into her biomass before using her blood drops to rebuild them into monsters and then directed said monsters to wear and arm themselves with the various weapons and armor lying around before sending them forward. The blonde empress's crimson-colored eyes gave a soft glow, and her focused and determined expression was all that anyone could see while she was busy creating her monsters.
While Ophelia had a smile on her face that was full of admiration for her beloved testing out her abilities, the same could not be said for the Black Guard as all of them were not only surprised but a bit scared by the sight of the empress who is usually so loving and kind, create monsters of war meant to be fodder and overwhelm the enemy with sheer fear and numbers. Many of them would have questioned if she was really a person chosen by the Gods for this horrifying magic if she just revealed it now, but many across the empire at the start of the year knew of its existence when Amelia herself spoke of its power and that Histy herself had bestowed it upon her.
"To think she is the same Empress who can bring people back from the dead" One Black Guard remarked, clutching his spear a bit tighter
"She giveth life and then taketh away" His friend nodded as he looked a bit uneasy under his helmet
"This is the first time I've ever seen her do this" Another muttered to her battle buddy, her armored lamia tail curling up slightly due to fear
"It's so...unreal...like she is a Goddess herself" Said battle buddy replied with a nod
[Am I detecting a hint of disloyalty and doubt towards my beloved?] Ophelia asked via telepathy while keeping her gaze towards her wife as to not arouse suspicion from the focused blonde empress
The Black Guard behind her straightened up as their expressions went from awe and fear to emotionless as they were all caught off guard by the raven-haired empress's sudden use of telepathy
{None Your Majesty}
{Forgive us for our audacity to question Her Majesty}
{We apologize for our actions Your Majesty}
These were some of the phrases of apology that filled Ophelia's mind in response to her question. Erhet glanced toward the Black Guard, and she felt ashamed that they were questioning the woman who had repeatedly proven that she was appointed by the Gods. She felt the need to cull the Black Guard after this, as the towering lamia believed that those who were not 100% loyal and faithful to the Empress did not deserve to be their bodyguards.
[Calm down Erhet. You needn't think such thoughts] Ophelia told her, Erhet was about to speak but went silent when she caught Ophelia's gaze looking right at her
[They are still faithful and loyal to a fault. I just said it to mess with them...I understand their awe and fear] The raven-haired empress added before redirecting her gaze back to her wife
{Forgive me for those thoughts Your Majesty}
[Accepted, now just relax and watch]
The Black Guard watched in awe and a bit of horror as Amelia began to summon forth more monstrous creations that gave a small howl before moving into the fog. Once she was finally done, Amelia felt a bit tired and fell to one knee. Ophelia walked up to her side and smiled as she helped her beloved stand up and then used her own magical energy to replenish Amelia's own magical energy which was nearly depleted.
"Haaa....that took a lot out of me" Amelia remarked with a small sigh as she placed her head on her lover's shoulder
"You did well Amelia, there is no need to worry. I am sure that you made more than enough to kill them and then some"
"Thank you Ophie, thank you"
{!}
The two were about to share a kiss when a runner from the Imperial Army finally found them through the fog, panting as he finally made it. The dual monarchs and the Black Guard turned to the soldier who quickly straightened up and then gave a salute and a bow to the monarchs before moving forward.
"Your Majesties. The Marshal has mustered up the Imperial Army per your orders, she was trying to contact you through your communication crystals but you failed to respond"
"Ah...apologies then, we were in the midst of something" Ophelia told the young man who looked a bit awkward hearing an apology from Her Majesty
"R..right...I will tell the Marshal that then Your Majesty" The young man said
"Please do, anyways. The enemy army is pinned here and will die fighting against Amelia's fleshy fodder. We are free to march around them and head towards the capital. I am assuming that is what Marshal Belle wishes us to tell her no?"
"Something like that Your Majesties. She actually thought you had destroyed them already and cleared the way" The runner answered
"Ah, well. Regardless, we did clear the way. The beasts Amelia created will finish them off while we busy ourselves burning down the capital. Tell Marshal Belle to begin moving, we will join her shortly"
"Understood Your Majesty"
Once the runner began running back to where he had come from in the fog, the dual monarchs turned to one another and then to the Black Guard, who were awaiting their orders.
"Well, I guess we just get on with it then no? No use standing here when we got a capital to burn" Ophelia said as she looked back at her beloved
"I guess Ophie. I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of a last stand at first, but it is the least we can do for them I guess. They were brave enough to fight on the field, it doesn't absolve the fact they are fucking slavers, but they are brave and I will give them that"
"Glad you agreed with me, plus. It is a great way to test out those [Carnomancy] powers of yours besides resurrection and stuff" The raven-haired empress said with a small smile that made Amelia nod
The two of them then began making their way towards the nearby column of soldiers in the fog marching onwards to the capital of the Dukedom, once they appeared beside those soldiers, many of them gave their salutes and the cries of cheers and shouting erupted across the ranks as many of them saw their monarchs, a feeling of completion and a job done settling in as they marched. One of the officers, a young man who had been with the Imperial Army since its formation, fought against the Hinterlands' Army at the Great River and saw action at the Battle of the Barah Plains turned to his company with a wide smile as he saw the monarchs before him,
"Three cheers for the Empresses lads! Hip Hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Hip Hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Hip Hip!"
"Hooray!"
"Glory to the Empire!"
"Glory to Her Majesties!"
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Meanwhile, fighting for their lives, Mako, Sir Matthews and what remained of the army they had brought with them were on their last legs. Around them were the corpses of so many militiamen and knights who died standing and beside them were the disintegrating bodies of the fleshy fucks that were now surrounding them once again for another push like so many before.
She stood bloodied and tired, though the blood on her armor was not hers; rather, it was the blood of the fleshy monstrosities that tried to kill her time and time again. She was a C-Rank in terms of power, and the rest of the militiamen and knights before her were that and D-Rank in power. The positive thing was that the fleshy monstrosities attacking them were in the same ballpark.
{!}
She blocked an incoming slice from a disfigured humanoid wearing militiamen armor, the grotesque walking thing thrust the spear it had embedded into the stump that was its left hand forward and she raised her bastard sword fast enough to block it, sliding it down the shaft of the spear and allowing her to decapitate it with one quick slash. She then turned around and quickly stepped back once to dodge and incoming slash from another grotesque humanoid that wielded a greatsword in its hands which were fused together to form one big lump. She raised her hand and channeled what was left of her magical energy within her
"<Fire Ball>" she cast, her hand shooting out a medium-sized ball of fire that slammed and exploded upon impact with the monster, making it scream and screech before falling to the ground
While she was doing this, Sir Matthews, the half-burnt and half-alive knight was trying his best to fight back against three monstrous humanoids rushing him. Despite his S-Rank in power, he was still recovering, and what's worse, he hadn't had a lick of sleep ever since the disaster at the Barrah Plains, the constant burning feeling of his body keeping him awake even if he tried sleeping. He used his greatsword as the first of the three charged at him, parrying the incoming thrust with a quick block before using his still-potent strength to push it back and then go for a turning slash coming from below, slicing upward in a diagonal line from bottom left to the right shoulder. He quickly stepped forward with the momentum to unleash a second overhead slash that cleaved the second humanoid in two, his greatsword breaking through the iron sword it held up to block his slash.
{!}
But, before he could do anything else, the third humanoid he had lost track of, managed to get up to his right side and then thrust forward a short sword it was holding into his abdomen, making him nearly vomit out blood. When the humanoid pulled it out and was about to finish him off, Matthews was able to fire his slash off first, decapitating it in one fell swoop. Once the body hit the ground, he was gasping for air as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Haa..haa...fucking hell...how many more of them are there?!" Mako shouted as he raised her two-handed bastard sword yet again, her limbs trembling with fatigue and her breathing rapid
"I can't sense them anymore...I...am...too...tired" Matthews replied before falling onto one knee, his breathing ragged and his body searing with pain
"Hey! No!" Mako rushed to her lover's side, cradling his head in her arms as she looked at him up and down, the burned half of his body and the wound was now taking its toll, without priests that could give him healing magic, due to the fact they were all slaughtered by the slaves, and the lack of any sort of healing potion, Matthews was now on death's door, with a foot in the doorway. Her eyes went wide as she felt a warm liquid on her hand and when she brought it up from his right side, she saw blood which made her almost bawl her eyes out.
"I...I..am sorry....you have to see me like this darling" Matthews said in-between ragged breaths as he looked at her with his good eye, his unburnt hand caressing her cheek after pulling off her mask
"You fucking idiot...you can't leave me like this..." Mako said while looking down at her, tears dripping down her face and onto the cold snow-covered ground while she looked at him
"I...I don't...want..to...believe me...I just...wish...that..." Before he could even finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back and closed before his body followed and went limp.
Mako trembled at the sight of her lover dying in her arms, she felt a storm of emotions fly through her at that moment and she couldn't find her voice to scream or even cry out to him. Looking up from her deceased beloved, Mako saw the remains of the militiamen and knights die to the humanoids who swarmed them one after another, each one dead meant another three came to replace the loss.
She saw one militiaman roar in defiance as he charged down a trio of monsters, his spear thrust forward into the skull of a large wolf-like beast, killing it on the spot before two more pounced at him, tackling him and then growling as they ripped his throat out. She saw another knight, holding off five humanoid monsters with his shield get stabbed in the back by a sixth monster that managed to sneak up behind him, the bone-like blade protruding from the stub which was its arm punching through the plate armor and embedding itself in his spine, blood spurting from his mouth and onto the mask he was wearing.
The finality of the entire thing had finally settled into her mind as she looked back down at Matthews, the man she loved and the man who told her that he would gift her an entire continent to rule together. A gift that now seemed like a distant memory from a happier time, she began to laugh and cry like a person without reason to live anymore while cradling the head of her dead beloved, her eyes pointing towards the gray expanse of fog with tears running down them like a waterfall.
"Fucking savages-" Before she could finish her words, a humanoid monster that approached her from behind thrust a bone blade through her chest, ending her then and there. Once the monster pulled out its weapon, her body fell forward, collapsing atop her deceased beloved, an end she found fitting as the last vestiges of her consciousness drifted away into the void.
A few minutes later, the entire army had been wiped out. There were no survivors, no one left to scream or shout defiantly at the monsters which now began to fade as they had accomplished their purpose. The Dukedom's last military force did not go out with a bang, it went out with a whimper, just like the Dukedom itself was about to do as the dual monarchs and the Imperial Army were coming to the end of their long southern march.
A/N: A FEW MORE CHAPTERS! THE END OF VOL 2 IS IN SIGHT! Also, sorry for the delays in posting, school is P A I N
