The False Hero, Volume 12, Chapter 17 pt. 3

----- Lutz -----

Well … I didn’t expect that.

The consequences are immediate, with the small arena flooding with fiends. And they’re not just coming after me.

My spear fells a Berserker at the same time as Cedric’s sword takes down a Blighted. We’re much deeper inside enemy lines than usual, as Orakio’s soldiers are already in an organized restructuring of their formation, which requires them to give up some ground to the enemy army. So while I haven’t moved much, the soldiers have.

Fiends that normally stay out of the melee, like Zealots and Incinerators, can be seen within the mass of monstrous enemy troops. While I would love a chance to thin them out, there are a few important matters to deal with first.

Mainly, just what the hell Cedric is thinking.

“Up!” I leap into the sky, landing on a translucent platform.

Cedric follows, jumping out from a clump of fiends that seem to be even angrier than usual. As soon as he escapes into the air, an enormous burst of Mana erupts from below.

It's not one powerful spell, but rather a volley from every fiend in range that's capable of casting projectile spells.

“I think you made them mad.” I move to another [Air Step] and surround myself with several layers of [Shimmering Shield]. “Get over here unless you want to be a pincushion for their magic.”

Spells aren’t the only things coming our way. An Abyss Knight’s hammer is also flying at us from below, a Blighted has teleported right beside us with his scythe in hand, and an Incinerator is charging up a powerful magic to use against my barrier.

The fiends that have begun to ignore me unless directly engaged now swarm with purpose. But it’s not me they’re after. It’s the one who betrayed them, Cedric.

“Yeah, you definitely made them mad.” I cut down a Zealot who pokes his head through the [Shimmering Shield].

“Do you ever cease your blabbering!?” Cedric finds fault with my personality, which isn’t surprising.

“Why does everyone ask that?” I block a sideways swing at my head with the pole of my spear.

The [Shimmering Shield] spells shatter one by one as the fiends continue their onslaught of spells. We don’t have time to worry about that though, since we’ve been swarmed by Imps and other types to the point where we can’t even see the ground anymore. One surprising protectile on the shield is a full on Mutant that got thrown at it.

My spear’s a blur, but no matter how many I cut down, two more take its place. Cedric and I naturally ended up back-to-back, but even without having to worry about what’s behind us, there’s no way to keep up with the swarm of fiends. By myself, area of effect magic would be devastating to them right now, but I’m not by myself.

“We need to get out of here.” My [Shock] paralyzes an entire group of fiends, which fall from the sky. They’re instantly replaced by more. “Or we’ll be worn down.”

Cedric throws off an Imp biting his shoulder. “I have no need to flee from these creatures.”

“Well I do. I’ve got places to be, and you’re coming with me.”

The shattering of the final barrier is my signal to retreat. I have to cut a path through the fiends, but it’s better than letting myself get overwhelmed. Of course, I have a parting gift for them.

“Hurry up.” I make a showing of extending my arm back at Cedric.

That gives him some encouragement to move, and when he slices his way past me, I release the spell.

“That princeling would be proud.” I watch the sky as the [Meteo] spell erupts into existence.

Not wanting to be around when those rocks hit the ground, I follow the path made by Cedric, escaping the swarm of fiends.

Even though the battle lines have shifted, the men didn’t have to move too far. We’re back in friendly territory in just a few heartbeats, landing well behind the front line, where the reserves are waiting for the order to go in.

“Rhys, I have an update for you. And you’re not going to believe it.”

“I hope you bring good news this time.”

“Actually, I do.”

“Truthfully? It would be a welcome change, for sure.”

“I picked up a new ally while I was in the middle of the enemy army. You know him well.”

“I have made my return.” Cedric speaks through our shared connection.

Not even the girls know what happened yet. Well, Laya’s been tracking me so she no doubt understands, but the rest are completely unaware.

“...Hah?” Belle is the first to give voice to her thoughts, as limited as they are.

“Cedric, are you suggesting that you have defected from the enemy?” Rhys gets right to the point.

“I have.”

“And you trust him, Lutz?”

“Well, I was going to pawn him off on you to have men keep watch on him and have him fight wherever you felt was right, given the situation. As for whether or not I trust him, I’d say that he’s not likely to betray us again, based on what I saw and heard.”

“Understood. I shall send a squad to oversee him and adjust my plans to account for his presence.”

“Thanks.” I cut the communication there.

“Looks like you’re going to have some babysitters. Try not to complain about that too much.”

“As long as I’m able to spill the blood of fiends, then I have no qualms with the decision.”

Since I have to keep an eye on him until the group shows up, I wave Cedric over to the nearby triage. There’s a lot of activity, with the medical staff packing up crates as they prepare to move further back.

The battle line continues to move closer as the formation is restructured, making it dangerous for the injured men to stay here.  Most of the wounded are steadily recovering with the use of potions or Light Magic. They’ll be back in the fight before long, though not at full strength until they get a good night’s rest.

Those men aren’t the ones I’ve come to see. Beyond them is another section of the ward, one where soldiers lay dying. Missing limbs are a common sight here, as the ones on the verge of death are often hit with attacks far above their level. It’s an unfortunate reality for a world based on stats.

Twenty-three men, consuming some of the most powerful potions in the world for the mere chance to survive. And even if they do, most will be disfigured for life.

“[Cure Three].” I cast the conveniently-named third and final healing spell.

Unlike [Cure], which is a single target, and [Cure All], which uses a typical magical circle, [Cure Three] uses a targeted-based system. Anyone within range can be individually selected, letting me target only the people who need the powerful healing magic.

Of course, I target the most grievously injured soldiers in the triage. That’s not enough to completely use up the spell’s healing power, so I add another two dozen other wounded men.

If RAM were still with me, she’d be able to target the spell by most injured instantly instead of me having to do it manually. But it’s not hard to do it myself when all the wounded are gathered in a single area.

“M-my leg is…!” A bedridden man grabs the stump where his leg used to be.

The bandage covering the wound rips open as pink flesh grows from the stump. In a matter of seconds, his entire limb has reformed right in front of his eyes.

“That’ll help them get this triage moved.” I walk out and leave them to it.

Cedric follows, frowning again. “No inspiring speech? Those men just witnessed the miracle of Divine-Class magic, and you’re just going to walk away without saying a word?”

“They saw me. They’ll figure it out.”

“And you’re satisfied with that?”

I shrug. “It’s annoying when people worship me, so I’d rather just leave.”

“In doing so, you miss gathering their faith. No wonder you’ve yet to achieve your goal.”

“Don’t worry about me. Just go do whatever it is you gotta do.” I stop in front of a group of soldiers. “But follow their orders while doing it.”

This Anti-Archfiend squad is one of the weaker ones, only meant to finish off one that’s been worn down by another group. But they’re more than strong enough to keep watch on Cedric and report any strange behavior. As long as Cedric really does plan to use his strength to fight for us, then it’s still a net benefit.

I give him a casual wave as he’s led off by the squad to wherever Rhys decided to put him. Without a doubt, he’ll be placed outside of the center of the battle, since something important is about to happen here. While I’d like to think Cedric is sincere in his return, there’s no need to take a chance.

“Now, then…” I leap up and land on a translucent platform. “Let’s see how the battle’s going.”

From my vantage point, I can see the entirety of the front line, from Vastela’s eastern flank to Belfast’s western. The armies for those two kingdoms haven’t moved much. They’ve given ground to keep their formation intact, but it’s not nearly enough for them to have to move their triage camps like we’re doing here in the center.

Looking at Orakio’s troops, I see exactly what I expect. At the center where I’ve been fighting, the men are steadily giving up ground to the enemy army. Unlike the flanks, there’s a clear difference between where they’re fighting now, compared to when the battle began.

With a bird’s eye view, it’s easy to see that the men in the middle have been pushed back by the force of the fiend’s assault, creating a bend in the battle line. If the enemy were to send enough Archfiends and high-class fiends to the center, perhaps they could even break through.

“Doesn’t seem like they’re going to fall for it, though. Luring them in would be nice, but there’s already enough of them here for our plan to succeed. Not like killing them is the real goal, anyway.”

I let my [Air Step] spell fade. “Either way, it’s about time to meet up with Lumina. Or rather, she’s already here.”

I land on the empty ground near where the triage is still being packed up. Lumina greets me with a wave instead of a curtsy, which I return.

The one beside her doesn’t offer any sort of greeting, but that’s to be expected of the ever-frowning princeling, Lyle.

I look between the two royal siblings. “You two ready to change the course of this battle?”