Chapter 74
Me: *Widen Magic* *Mental Immunity-Group*
As I cast the spell over hundreds of thousands of soldiers upon the fortress, I sensed the relief of the soldiers as they found courage in themselves. I knew what they were about to witness was carnage in the very least. These were precious citizens of the Empire, I didn't want them going home with PTSD or anything worse. This would help them not be influenced by whatever they see today.
Me: *Widen Magic* *Domain*
Domain was an improved or awakened version of the Ope Ope No Mi's 'Room'. Much of the limitations were removed and now, it truly lived up to the name of my 'domain'. When the veil enveloped everything in the vicinity...and I mean the entire plains and even E-Rantel, I felt confident.
Diana: You didn't use Dimensional Lock?
Me: Nah, then others can't see what's going inside. I could sense the Holy Kingdom wants to see what's happening. I'm going to let them witness it all.
That was our goal after all.
Far out into the plains where the negotiations were taking place, we saw our team exit the tent, followed by the Kingdom's; more accurately, it was Gazef and the nobles dragging out an unconscious King.
Me: Without their King, the decision to attack or not lies on Raeven's shoulders.
Diana: No matter, he already knows what he has to do. Assuming he read the instructions of course.
The trio teleported right in front of me and bowed.
Me: Good job out there all of you. Say, can I begin?
5: Anytime Kara-sama. The damage was done. Any more or less will not make a difference.
Me: Good, then I shall begin.
I called upon my authority in this world and my job class as an evangelist. I felt my Command Mantra itching as I began to speak towards the Kingdom. While any other voice would have faltered, the wind carried and amplified my voice far and wide.
Me: People of the Kingdom. Hear me and listen for what I say is your salvation. Your King and Nobles have refused my offer of accepting your surrender and decided to wage war. But tell me, people of the Kingdom. Who dies when we fight?
I paused for a dramatic effect before continuing.
Me: Is it not old men that declare war but the young that fight. Is it not the nobles who argue while the commoners die? Tell me, who from your Kingdom benefits from this war?
I could see confusion sweeping the lines as they realized I was right. They were brought here by force. The choice they had was either death or joining the army. Especially in this critical time, they were separated from their family to die fro a cause they didn't care for. After all, what has the Kingdom ever done for them?
Me: You fight for a cause you do not care for. Yet you were forced to fight...to die for a Kingdom that has robbed you. The nobles have abused their authority, the Royal family has proven that they are incapable of properly ruling you. We, on the other hand, have come to free you. Free you from the burden, free you from certain death.
Once again, the people of the Kingdom listened despite the yelling of the nobles on their horses. This was what they wanted to hear after all.
Me: Those who are worthy shall join our Empire while others will die. All those who have stolen and robbed others when you need not so, kneel.
Approximately a third of the army was forced to kneel while the others looked at them with confusion. Those who kneeled were desperately trying to rise but they found themselves stuck to the ground. Unable to get their knees off the floor.
Me: All those who have committed murder unjustified, kneel.
A smaller proportion of the Kingdom was forced to kneel this time. But by now, it seems almost every noble was kneeling. The ones still standing looked around in confusion at what was happening.
Me: Those of you who truly believe that the Empire is the enemy, kneel.
This time, an even smaller amount of the people kneeled. This was to be expected as most commoners already saw the nobles as their true enemy. The Empire was just another outside force and nothing more. They had no real reason to hate us, especially so since they had no patriotism towards the Kingdom to begin with.
The soldiers who remained standing numbered at around 150,000 or half of their original numbers remained standing.
Me: I offer you a choice to those who are standing. Drop your spears and join us. I will guarantee your safety within the Empire.
Inside, I hoped not many would take the choice. After all, I was doing this for formality's sake of keeping up our appearances as an Empire which waged war for just reasons. Thankfully, the people's fears were still there.
A few hundred decided to take the risk and come but the rest stayed. It was logical after all, they had family to return to, or perhaps their entire lives were still in the Kingdom. Not many could simple decide that it was not worth it and join another country with nothing. The rest stayed where they were, contemplating or steady. Whatever the reason, time was up.
Me: {Release Control} You are free to move now.
As I released control of their movements, there was great confusion and chaos within the Kingdom's forces as they realized two things. First was who had committed what sin, especially towards the nobles. Next was the overwhelming difference between power between themselves and us.
Me: General fear comes in three forms. I will teach all of you what they are.
Suddenly, flower petals fell from the sky. Each flower was a masterpiece. Beautiful and colorful, softly floating down onto the people below. They waved slightly in the air from the wind before softly landing on the ground.
It was a bizarre scene. What were these flowers doing in a battlefield? Where did they come from, and more importantly, why?
Suddenly, the flowers exploded. Each and every one of them exploded into fire, ice, smoke, and some simply with the aura of death.
Me: Lesson one. Fear of Beauty
The beautiful and perfectly shaped petals continued to fall from the sky. The Kingdom's forces crawled over each other and used others as their shields in order to protect themselves from the harmless looking petals.
Raeven: Retreat! Retreat! Fall back!
He didn't need to say it. The soldiers were already scattering all over the plains but nobody could escape the flowers. They were falling from directly above them, after all. The beauty in which they once trusted would be nothing more than flowers were killing them left and right.
The chaos ensued by I stopped the flower production and instead raised my hand high up. I created a massive rock, the size of the fortress and began to pull it down. The heat from the friction and my own tinkering with the meteorite turned the rock red from the heat.
Unfortunately, I knew this would kill everyone (except our forces who were protected by us) so I broke up the massive meteorite into smaller pieces. Hundreds of rocks the size of houses came into view as they broke apart the clouds.
Screams of despair sounded from the Kingdom as they realized what was happening.
Me: Lesson two. Fear Monstrosity
As I said that, sis casted a major debuff on the Kingdom's army which made most simply slouch down in despair and weep like broken men. Many simply didn't even try to move anymore, after all, they truly believed it was meaningless.
While their broken hearts weeped, the meteorites struck and shook the world...though none of it made out of the 'Domain'. The Empire's side was miraculously untouched from both the meteorites and the after blast, though the same could not be said for the Kingdom.
Burned and crushed bodies of gore were scattered around the plains. Remains of burning bodies were all that were left; however, even in this situation, there were a couple thousand miraculous survivors who had survived. Not unscathed but alive. They cried upon the boundaries of the domain as they realized they were trapped.
Unfortunately, I wasn't done with even the second phase. The fear of certain death must have an avatar in which would resemble their fear of death. I had the perfect thing.
Me: *Summon Gedo Statue*
From a magic circle, a 100 meter tall wooden statue climbed itself out. With it's 9 eyes and horrendous figure, it was worthy of taking on the name of Death in the eyes of the Kingdom.
Redo Statue: RROOOAARRR~!!!
Me: Exactly, go and rampage. Let free your Bloodlust!
It did exactly that as it dropped onto all fours and crawled, searching for life in the dead plains. Under its foot and arms, the survivors were trampled. By its tongue, souls were ripped out of their bodies. By its roar, people collapsed as their will was dominated by the avatar of death.
Those who were still alive began to run in horror...if they could. Others simply let the statue come and end their nightmare while the stronger willed cried on the floor. Those who were capable of casting 'Lion's Heart' tried to keep their distance from the Statue but that was hard when the statue was over a 100 meters long...and specifically targeting those who tries to stay alive first.
The people I had made sure they wouldn't die; namely Brain, Climb, Gazef, Ramposa, Zanac, and Raeven were looking at me in horror. They too were unable to move in my presence. Unfortunately, I mentioned I will show them all 3 fears. There was one more left.
Me: Lesson three. Fear of the Unknown.
Then together with sis, we spammed the low tier debuff spells.
Diana & Me: Blindness, Madness, Insanity, Deaf, Confusion, Fear, Paralysis, Mirror Spells
We continued to spam wide area spells all over where the survivors were...except for the select few who we decided to spare.
Soldier: Ahhh! I can't see! I can't see! I can't *splat*
The soldier turned into human paste as the debuffs became too much for his body to handle.
*Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat*
*Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat*
*Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat*
*Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat* *Splat*
The sound of soldiers in confusion, lost in their way being splattered into nothing was witnessed by the hundred of thousands of people upon the fortress, the spies from the Holy Kingdom, the soldiers who decided to defect to our side, and most of all by the Royal Family of the Re-Estize Kingdom and a few others.
When the dust cleared, there was no one left. Not one survivor other than the few I have mentioned. Carnage was an understatement. Massacre was too kind a word. Apocalypse would leave if he saw this scene. What had happened here was the work of something only an undead or the devil himself would do...yet it was done.
Me: *Forced Teleportation*
In front of us, the sand glowed and suddenly the Royal Family of the Re-Estize Kingdom stood there. All of them except Barbro. Even Renner who was supposed to be still in the Capital city and away from the war. With them came Marquis Raeven, Climb, Brain, and Gazef.
Diana: We did our part. Ramposa, would you like to negotiate again? I have a deal you cannot refuse after all.
The King's eyes burned with hate as he looked at us defiantly...but then that too was lost as he realized the situation. Not a single one of his soldiers and nobles were spared. All of them were dead. Every single one of them.
Ramposa III: Do what you wish, I care no more. I am no King. You take it all Emperors, you win.