Barbarian in a Failed Game

319. The Great Demonic Realm (2)

Which country suffered the most direct and immense impact from the disaster caused by the black sun?

There was no doubt.

“…Indeed, has there ever been a time as perilous as this in the empire’s history?”

It was the empire. Possessing the largest territory and having the most extensive population, the empire inevitably bore the brunt of the damage, accounting for a tenth of the continent’s population.

Moreover, the empire had been embroiled in conflicts until recently.

The rampage of the great forest was halted by the exploits of a certain barbarian and his companions, but in the process, the internal war among the electors and the erosion of the demonic realm had already inflicted significant damage.

No matter how high the authority of the imperial family, it was inevitably tarnished.

“Your wise majesty, the emperor.”

The spacious conference hall prepared by the imperial family. At the head of the table sat Emperor Friedrick, known as the Iron Blood, accompanied by Sir Conrad, the empire’s strongest knight.

The round table, which filled half of the conference hall, was occupied by leaders representing the empire or equivalent powers.

“Even now, with public sentiment in disarray and nobles across the land voicing their grievances… another war? We are in no position to conscript forces. No, even if we had the means, it would still be impossible.”

The man who stood and addressed the emperor was also a leader of a faction integral to the empire.

Reinz.

The head of the electoral family in the northeastern part of the empire had recently changed. With the family head falling into a death-like sleep due to the black sun, his eldest son and heir became the new Elector of Reinz.

He had already proven his merit as a commander leading troops in place of Leniyar during the war instigated by the greenskins. His actions demonstrated that he was not merely opposing the imperial family’s moves for the sake of opposition.

“Of course, I acknowledge that this black sun is an unprecedented disaster. Who could disagree? A sun visible even from beneath the ceiling… Nowadays, among the nobles, it has become common to sleep face down rather than looking up at the ceiling. But.”

The Elector of Reinz sighed with a face full of regret.

“It is still too much. Not just a partial conscription… but conscripting almost all able citizens? This leaves us with no backup.”

Some individuals quietly agreed with the Elector of Reinz. However, this did not mean that the remaining attendees agreed with the emperor’s conscription order. They were merely being cautious, not knowing the emperor’s true intentions.

However, Emperor Friedrick’s resolve was firm.

“I will not accept any objections. The empire will now prepare for an all-out war, and this includes not only the empire but also the border kingdoms. An envoy has already been sent in the name of the imperial family. We should receive a response soon.”

“Your Majesty! This is too extreme!”

Bang!

“All-out war?! Against whom are we waging this total war? The greenskins, the beasts of the great forest, and even the demonic realm could not shake the foundation of the empire!”

A middle-aged man with hair and beard prematurely white stood up, striking the round table in anger. Despite his age, he possessed a robust physique strong enough to throw any ordinary man with one hand. This man was also an elector.

Argent was the elector family that had supported the imperial family the longest, and the Elector of Argent was the greatest supporter of the imperial family.

Such a staunch supporter of the emperor now stood up in direct opposition.

The word “all-out war” had evidently struck a nerve with the elector. Believing the empire to be an eternally great nation, he had faith that even the unprecedented disaster of the black sun could be overcome with the empire’s power.

“Have you said all your complaints?”

“Your Majesty—”

“Elector of Argent, you are before His Majesty.”

Just as the Elector of Argent was about to explode with anger again, seeing that the emperor paid no heed to the electors’ grievances, an invisible force gently pressed down upon the assembly.

“First, wouldn’t it be better to listen to His Majesty’s words? To speak out in discontent immediately… the situation is what it is.”

“Hmm…”

The Elector of Argent had no choice but to suppress his anger.

The Elector of Reinz watched the situation with a smile, difficult to read, and the emperor, who had been observing the commotion, began to speak.

“We must advance to the great demonic realm. We must project all the empire’s forces to eliminate the source of the black sun.”

“The great demonic realm… are you saying the black sun is a result of the great demonic realm’s erosion?”

“That part, I will explain.”

At that moment, a handsome man who had been sitting quietly in a corner since before the leaders entered the conference hall stepped forward on behalf of the emperor.

Everyone in the hall, who had been silently wondering about the man’s identity, showed interest as he came forward. When he revealed his identity, the hall fell silent.

“I am Arkadnil. I have protected the empire and mortals in accordance with an ancient pact since distant antiquity.”

“……”

All eyes in the hall turned to the emperor, questioning if this was true. The emperor quietly nodded in affirmation.

Murmurs spread through the hall.

Everyone present was a leader of a prominent faction within the empire, and the existence of the dragon guarding the imperial family was a rumor that had circulated in hushed tones. Now, the truth of this rumor was laid bare before their eyes.

And the fact that the guardian dragon had revealed himself to everyone had significant implications.

“The black sun is just the beginning. It is a precursor to a great evil that seeks to revert the entire continent, no, Midland itself, to its primordial state. If you do not stop it, you will not have a future to worry about.”

“Does that mean… Midland will be destroyed? Oh, Guardian Dragon.”

“That is correct.”

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Arkadnil continued, unfazed, listing the facts calmly.

“Gather all your forces. Do not hold back; it is right to project every ounce of your strength.

The ‘gate’ has opened, and the chaos minions of primordial evil will overflow beyond the great demonic realm.”

“Additionally, do not be overly conscious of the black sun. The very act of trying to avoid it equates to ‘recognizing’ it, which ultimately means you will succumb to the primordial evil.”

“The erosion of the demonic realm will accelerate.

The chaos seeping from the ‘gate’ will devour souls and grow stronger, increasing its pace. The time you have to muster your forces is limited. So, hasten.”

Just hearing this, everyone in the conference hall had the same thought. Doom was near. Believing in the eternal prosperity of the empire seemed like a dream now. And the catastrophe Arkadnil had foretold descended upon the continent.

“Strange monsters are rampant in the eastern part of the continent!”

“A snowstorm the size of the entire eastern desert has erupted—! The snowstorm is delaying the monsters’ advance! The Witch of Winter is involved…!”

“Urgent news from the Pantheon Church! The cardinal priestess Elena is now officially known as the ‘Saint of the Scales’! She has been proclaimed an apostle of God and is heading to the great demonic realm with all the paladins and crusaders…”

“The ‘High Elf’ of the Canuta Border Marquisate has joined forces with the Pantheon Church! Additionally, the dwarves have offered to provide their arms to the imperial army free of charge! Furthermore, they are transporting thirty magic-engineered cannons to the great demonic realm……!”

Chaos creatures had appeared.

However, as if foreseeing this from the beginning, various forces were mobilizing. The leaders of the factions, who had initially despaired at the situation, found hope.

“Indeed, where will the mighty strength of the empire go in the face of this crisis!”

“The greenskins and the beasts of the great forest may have threatened the empire, but they never broke it. If the empire’s strength is united, there is no disaster we cannot overcome!”

“Primordial evil? It’s just another demon! How many demons have descended upon the empire before? All those demons fled before the empire’s power, and this primordial evil will be no different!”

A vast number of people flocked to the great demonic realm.

The army was so massive that even the empire’s administrative power couldn’t keep track of the total number. There were frequent encounters between territories that had been on bad terms and even factions that were almost mortal enemies gathering under the same banner, naturally causing significant confusion.

However, even that confusion was trampled and mixed into the immense chaos emanating from the great demonic realm.

***

The gate opened.

“Return to the primordial state according to the natural order. All life returns to chaos. Bear your original sin and gain a new life.”

A voice was heard, and the sky opened.

“This is a predestined disaster. It is merely a repetition of an event that has occurred countless times. Do not resist; accept it.”

Under the black sun. The voice spread by the primordial evil tainted everything with wickedness. The desert, created by the erosion of the great demonic realm, roiled as if it were alive. The desert itself gained life and turned hostile to all humanity.

Rumble…!!

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers felt it simultaneously. The vibrations beneath their feet were the sign of a massive creature rising from its crouch.

“Submit to the will of the world.”

Boom─!

“It’s a creature!!”

The human army and the bizarre monsters began to clash. The monsters that surged from beneath the ground were of disjointed, grotesque forms, all creations of chaos.

Their numbers rivaled the imperial army marching toward the great demonic realm, and new chaos minions continued to emerge from the ground.

“We, we can’t win…!”

Clang! Clang!

The chaos minions were uniformly horrific in appearance, but their looks were not the worst part.

“How can we possibly defeat that?!”

Each creature of chaos was a monster capable of grinding hundreds of humans to dust. However, knights and mages, considered the asymmetrical power of the human army, were few, and even they could not face the chaos minions alone.

Despairing at the strength of the creatures, countless soldiers broke formation in terror.

The word ‘destruction’ began to fill the minds of the people.

“Submit to chaos.”

“Submit to chaos.”

“Submit to chaos.”

And as the demonic voice that had echoed in everyone’s minds since entering the domain of the great demonic realm repeated its seductive refrain.

“A foul stench.”

Even under the chaotic sky, the radiant platinum hair of a girl fluttered in the wind, retaining its brilliance. She appeared out of place on the battlefield. Yet, no one dared to underestimate the girl based on her appearance.

Having fully embodied the divinity of a goddess, she had shed her mortal limitations. Midland’s new Goddess of Justice raised her sword.