Chapter 41
As long as that monster—the Gatekeeper of the Demon King’s Castle—was standing guard, there was no way for us to enter the chapel where the summoning ritual was taking place.
In other words, we had to defeat the Balrog.
What a completely insane fantasy world.
If I ever get possessed into another story again, I’m going to beg for a peaceful healing slice-of-life or a cute childcare story instead of this.
Just when I was wondering how on earth a human was supposed to fight something like that, Kastian, wrapped head to toe in blue flames, soared into the air.
He swung his sword down at the Balrog’s massive head, and following his lead, the Bernstein knights drew their swords and charged.
“Don’t come any closer!”
Kastian shouted as he landed, dodging the Balrog’s claws after slicing off one of its horns in an instant.
His figure, cloaked in blue aura, flickered between visibility and darkness as black miasma poured out from the Balrog’s glowing body.
“All knights, hold position! Mages, cover them! Priests, purify the area!”
Hamil shouted, his voice booming as he raised his energy. His body flared with a vivid orange aura before he, too, charged into the black smoke with his sword drawn.
Ralph and the mages formed ranks and began casting spells, while the high priests unleashed waves of holy power, pushing back the creeping miasma.
The poison that spread across the ground couldn’t penetrate the priests’ barrier, but the area around the Balrog was still thick with dark smoke.
Inside that suffocating fog, Kastian’s blue aura and Hamil’s orange aura flashed alternately as they attacked the creature together.
The other knights, unable to get close without protective aura, could only watch anxiously.
I, too, was stomping my feet helplessly when I suddenly felt a gaze. Turning around, I saw eighty-two soldiers—those who neither illusions nor poison could affect—staring at me.
“Give us your orders, my liege.”
Eden, the leader of the death soldiers, bowed his head.
“May I… ask for your help?”
“We have been waiting for your command.”
When I asked apologetically, Eden grinned and drew his sword.
Red aura flared around his blade, and the others followed suit, unsheathing their weapons in perfect unison.
Then he gave a quick order to two of them.
“You two, guard our lord.”
“Understood, Captain.”
As the two soldiers took positions at my side, Eden raised his voice, ringing loud and clear.
“Glory to our lord!”
“To glory!!”
And with that, they charged toward the Balrog.
Marcus, watching the entire scene, couldn’t help exclaiming in awe, but I just stood there dumbfounded.
What the heck was this perfectly organized chain of command?
I had no idea what was happening, but apparently they’d even appointed a captain among themselves. They really were like a proper army.
And regardless of my intentions, my army of death soldiers, bound together by loyalty, plunged through the poisonous miasma and attacked the Balrog head-on.
Gatekeeper or not, sheer numbers had power.
Inside the black smoke, blue flames, red flames, and orange flames intertwined like a violent dance—it was a breathtaking sight.
The death soldiers swarmed the Balrog like an army of ants, biting and hacking at its flesh.
After a prolonged and brutal struggle, the Balrog let out an earth-shaking roar and finally collapsed.
Everyone seized the opportunity and launched a coordinated attack. Even the priests joined in this time.
“Now! Push forward!”
“Flames of Purification!”
The high priests, who had until now only held the barrier, released their holy power all at once.
Brilliant white beams of sacred light pierced through the black smoke and struck the Balrog directly.
The creature, halfway to standing again, screamed and crashed back to the ground.
“GRAAAHHH!!”
At the same time, I screamed too.
“Kyaaah! My soldiers!”
The combined holy attack from three high priests didn’t just hit the Balrog—it melted the death soldiers who had been fighting it. Literally melted them.
Without thinking, I poured my magic into the fading soldiers.
“Return! All injured, return immediately!”
Five death soldiers, who had been clinging to the Balrog’s waist when the holy blast hit, rose out of my shadow.
They were so weak they could barely hold their form, so I channeled every ounce of mana I had into them.
“My lord…”
“‘My lord’ is forbidden!” I shouted back.
I sent mana not only to the five who had returned, but also to those still fighting the Balrog.
Of course, my mana bar dropped like crazy, and as dizziness hit me, I fumbled through my bag for a potion bottle.
Then—bottoms up.
“Ugh! So bitterrrr!”
The bitterness scorched my tongue, stomach, and brain all at once—I groaned like a drunk uncle at 2 a.m.
The Balrog, now with a holy-light hole blasted through its gut, thrashed wildly, striking at my soldiers. I continued to channel mana into them nonstop.
“You there—return! That one too, return!”
I recalled a soldier crushed under the Balrog’s foot and another flung into the wall, then sent mana to heal Eden, whose shoulder had been ripped by a claw.
Whenever my soldiers seemed about to vanish, I pulled them back, refueled them with magic, and they charged again.
Because of their reckless devotion, Kastian could continue striking at the Balrog’s weak points.
Despite taking what looked like a dozen fatal blows, the monster still resisted desperately—until Kastian’s blue blade finally pierced its forehead.
At last, after over two hours of battle, the Balrog fell.
It disintegrated into black ash, and the poisonous miasma began to fade.
Through the dissipating smoke, Kastian stood tall with his blue sword in hand.
He swung once to shake off the Balrog’s blood, sheathed his weapon, and walked toward us.
On either side of him were Hamil and Eden, and behind them marched the bluish-gray death soldiers—it looked like the finale of a heroic movie.
Cheers erupted all around.
“We did it!!”
“It’s dead!”
No kidding—it actually worked?!
Turns out humans can kill a demon king–class monster.
At this rate, maybe we could even defeat the Demon King himself.
Everyone had seemed strangely calm even though the summoning was imminent, but now I finally understood why—they had Kastian.
As I nodded in belated comprehension, my soldiers gathered before me.
They dropped to one knee in perfect sync and shouted solemnly:
“We have fulfilled our lord’s command!”
I suddenly felt like some grand general.
I took Eden by the shoulder and lifted him up.
“Everyone, stand. Is anyone still hurt?”
“Thanks to your mana, there are no injuries, my lord.”
“Good. You all worked so hard. You were amazing.”
I scattered a bit of mana over them just in case, my praise coming straight from the heart.
Not just because they were my soldiers—anyone who fought without fear of vanishing deserved pride.
When I smiled brightly at them, Eden turned, raised his fist high, and shouted:
“Our lord is pleased!”
“Oooohhh!!”
Their thunderous cheer shook the walls. Eden beamed with satisfaction.
“The soldiers rejoice, my lord.”
Was he always like this, or did death change his personality?
He was surprisingly good at rallying people.
Honestly, he seemed perfectly suited to be their captain. I’d noticed earlier during the battle how he coordinated the troops strategically.
Well, as long as he’s happy, that’s what matters.
As we were celebrating our victory, Kastian approached.
“I fought pretty hard too, you know. Am I not getting any praise?”
True enough—the soldiers had done great, but Kastian was the true hero who defeated the Balrog.
I’d heard he was strong, but seeing him actually fight… Facing a creature three times his size head-on like that—anyone would find their heart racing.
But if I praised him outright, my soldiers might lose morale. So instead, I leaned close to his ear and whispered:
“You were the coolest, Your Grace.”
Then I gave him a big thumbs-up.
Kastian chuckled, his eyes curving in amusement—a soft, refreshing smile, completely different from the fierce expression he’d worn moments ago.
He gently patted my head and spoke to the soldiers.
“Without your troops, this would have been far more difficult.”
He was being modest. Even alone, Kastian probably could have defeated the Balrog. It might have just taken a little longer.
Still, it was nice to hear. I couldn’t help but puff my chest with pride.
Is this how parents feel watching their kids perform well?
Seeing my smug little smile, Kastian laughed quietly.
“The priests and mages are undoing the barrier now,” he said. “Whatever lies beyond, we’ll likely need your help again.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll ask my soldiers to assist.”
Truthfully, I didn’t even have to ask—the death soldiers were already staring at me with eager, sparkling eyes, as if begging for another command.
I stroked the bag of mana potions and steeled myself—just as Ralph’s urgent voice rang out.
“Your Grace, hurry!”
