When the battle just started, Isha was leading the resistance fighters to defend the rear camp.
Although it was said to be a defense of the rear camp, more accurately, the resistance fighters had already completed their historical mission and could wait for the war to end with peace of mind.
Many people were already discussing what they would do after the war ended, and Sam wanted to go to Graywhite Territory to reunite with his parents before deciding on anything else.
Layton, on the other hand, hoped to join the army in Graywhite Territory, preferably the Third Army Group.
However, Isha’s mind was not on these matters; she had a lingering sense of ominous premonition. From escaping the Cathedral of the Blessed Mother of Relief, to the meteor that fell into Graythorn Territory, and then leading the resistance fighters to conduct guerrilla warfare in the Northern Border, Isha had become aware of her special circumstances.
Everything had been overly smooth, and at critical moments, she would always exhibit incredible luck. Towards the end of her guerrilla activities, she even felt compelled to use this luck to put herself in relatively dangerous situations.
Yet even in the most dangerous moments, she did not have such a foreboding feeling.
Soon, whispers suddenly emanated from the Golden Ear Plains not far away.
“I am Noam, the Supreme Commander under the Demon King, here to declare your deaths!”
Isha’s heart tightened, and she immediately looked up towards the Golden Ear Plains while glancing back at her companions in the resistance. She found them also gazing blankly towards the Golden Ear Plains.
“Did you all hear that?”
Layton was the first to react, asking those around him.
“Yes, yes, what was that sound?”
The soldiers of the resistance had serious expressions, after all, most of them had not been to school, but they knew what the Supreme Demon King implied.
Isha took out the monocular that Lind had given her before, and followed the group to a high slope to gaze at the distant battlefield.
Then, the resistance fighters saw the horrifying, deformed monsters wreaking havoc on the battlefield, and behind these monsters, a figure resembling a small mountain—Noam.
Layton felt his teeth chattering, the dark clouds hung low, the sky dimmed, and the battlefield looked like a hellish entrance, with smoke and fire intertwining.
Man-eating, twisted monsters rampaged across the battlefield. The once invincible Graywhite soldiers could only retreat while fighting, and countless Doug soldiers had turned into fodder for these monsters. Layton had thought the Graywhite cannons were unmatched, but even their continuous fire could only barely impede the monsters.
Moreover, the disordered Doug army charged into the Graywhite camp, further adding to the chaos on the battlefield. Giant monsters, along with a horde of humanoid sludges, advanced, while the human army scattered in the face of these monsters’ pressure, their wails even audible to the resistance fighters on the hillside.
Even at such a distance, the resistance fighters could still feel an indescribable sense of oppression, as if each movement of the monsters pushed the despair on the battlefield towards them.
The soldiers in the battlefield were torn apart, crushed, bitten, and finally swallowed by these monsters at will. Even with the absence of Doug army soldiers at the forefront, the Graywhite army found it exceedingly difficult to stop the monsters’ advance.
The resistance fighters standing on the hillside gripped their weapons tightly, their palms sweaty, their hearts racing. Someone began to mutter as if in prayer, while others turned pale, their lips trembling, their eyes filled with fear.
Especially the whispers from the largest monster seemed to come from hell, possessing the power to drag a person into the abyss.
“This is no longer a war…” a soldier whispered, his voice betraying his fear, “this is the arrival of the apocalypse.”
Isha pulled back the monocular, quickly recovering from her fear, because Isha was more concerned about what would happen if these monsters won.
If these monsters triumphed and broke through the Graywhite army on the Golden Ear Plains, they would truly cross into the Northern Border and rampage without restraint. Isha foresaw that those monsters would also transform humans into monsters, and ordinary people would have no resistance against them.
If the First Army Group and the Third Army Group sustained heavy losses, Lind might have to consolidate the army and abandon most of the territory to defend, which would lead to a very passive situation.
Recalling how her compatriots in the Cathedral of the Blessed Mother of Relief had been treated by the Demon Clan, Isha’s rage and sense of responsibility overpowered her fear.
No matter what, they could not let the Northern Border fall under the Demon Clan’s rule, they absolutely could not!
“No!”
Isha said forcefully, “The situation is not that dire yet; now is the time when the front line needs us. Layton, go rally the troops!”
At first, Layton thought he had misheard and asked, “Lady Saintess, are you serious? Even the army of Graythorn Territory can’t defeat those monsters. Wouldn’t we just be walking to our deaths?”
It wasn’t just Layton thinking this; the resistance fighters behind him felt the same way.
“I have observed; those monsters lack long-range attack methods, and while ordinary firearms may not damage the monsters, they can suppress them. As long as our offense is orderly enough, we can prevent those monsters from advancing further.”
“As long as we can suppress these monsters, the magical weapons from Graythorn Territory can inflict damage on them.”
The members of the resistance fell silent. Even though they usually respected the Lady Saintess, asking themselves to suppress the monsters that even Graythorn Territory couldn’t handle felt utterly unrealistic.
Seeing everyone in silence, Isha shouted, “Warriors, lift your heads!”
Isha’s voice was clear and strong, imbued with an undeniable sacred power, causing the soldiers of the resistance to lift their heads once again.
At that moment, a beam of light broke through the clouds above, shining behind Isha, forming a magnificent and somewhat sacred light column. Isha’s expression was determined and calm, her eyes devoid of any fear, instead radiating a resolve to face death.
“We once vowed to defend our home and protect our compatriots, but what will happen if those monsters break through this line of defense? The army up ahead is our Northern Border’s elite force; if they fail and allow those monsters to infiltrate the Northern Border, our compatriots will either turn into monsters or become food for them.”
“Our lands will be lost, our faith will collapse. Shall we bow our heads in surrender at this moment of despair?”
Isha’s voice reverberated in the air like a sacred horn, striking directly at the soldiers’ souls.
“I can understand your fear; I am just an ordinary person, and some of you may have heard that I have even lost the protection of the Holy Light. I fear more than you do, but even if I am the only one, I will go to the battlefield. When I became the Saintess, I vowed before the Goddess and the Governor that regardless of whether I still have the Holy Light’s protection, I will fight for the people!”
With that, Isha shouldered a firearm and, illuminated by the light beam, descended the hillside, preparing to head to the battlefield.
The resistance fighters seemed to be inspired, gradually standing taller, their fear replaced by conviction and determination, their hands gripping their weapons no longer trembling.
“Swear to follow the Lady Saintess to the death!”
“What are just a few monsters? Watch me push them back!”
The resistance fighters, initially affected by Noam’s whispers, regained their senses, resolutely deciding to follow Isha into battle. Everyone silently lined up and headed towards the battlefield.
Along the way, the resistance fighters encountered several Doug soldiers who had escaped. Seeing the resistance fighters going against the tide, some Doug soldiers kindly approached to advise them, “Are you trying to get yourselves killed?! Humans cannot win against those monsters. Even Graythorn Territory can’t defeat them. What use are you, ordinary people, going up there? Just run away!”
“If those monsters enter the Northern Border, where can we escape to?”
“To the Royal Capital, to the Giant God Mountain Range, anywhere south is fine.”
“But the Northern Border is my homeland.”
The Doug soldiers fell silent. Watching this reverse-moving troop, some Doug soldiers who had recently raided the Graythorn rear supply camp silently joined in.
The resistance fighters didn’t say much either; instead, they distributed their weapons to these new soldiers. Even many escaped professionals silently joined Isha’s ranks. By the time Isha reached the battlefield, the group had grown significantly, adding many professionals to their number.
“Flee! Flee! Lowly humans shall become the offerings for the resurrection of the Demon God! However, I will grant you respect, and you shall be reborn as the new warriors under the Demon God, receive the baptism of holy blood!”
“A mere human is nothing, in the face of divine power, just a cicada shaking a tree!”
On the battlefield, Noam continued to murmur, tormenting the spirits of the soldiers, while Isha, watching the increasing number of soldiers behind her, called out, “Don’t underestimate humanity! You monsters!”
The mixed formation of the resistance and Doug armies, under Isha’s leadership, charged at the monsters.
