Side story Chapter 11:the struggle of the Pontiffs ground army

(Pontiff POV)

In the distance, I see a great number of machines approaching,creating an enormous cloud of dust.I swallow my spit in an attempt to soothe my parched throat, but it has little effect in the dry air of this wasteland.It appears I am more nervous than I realized.As the pontiff of the Word of God religion, there is no reason I should be part of this battle.As I stand under the pressure of the battlefield, I realize all too clearly that I am a politician, not a commander.Or perhaps I should say

remember not realize

Long ago, before the Word of God religion became such a large organization, I commanded an army once.However, I soon learned that I had no talent for war.

As it is a role that uses one's mind, I thought I should at least be able to feign it adequately Yet, when it came time to enter the battlefield, I found I was nothing more than a scarecrow.

There are times, such as this one, when I have no other choice but to participate, but otherwise I prefer to leave it to my more talented subordinates.The right person, the right place, the right time.This should not be my battlefield.But this time, there is meaning behind my presence here.Before me stand the knights of the Word of God.

There are thirty thousand of them, all told

Normally, they are meant to stay at the Word of God's focal point,

the Holy Kingdom of Alleius, as the strongest line of defense.But these are the only men I could mobilize on such short notice.As a result, the Holy Kingdom has been left virtually defenseless.Furthermore, it is very likely that many knights will make the

ultimate sacrifice in the coming battle, meaning that Alleius's military might will be vastly depleted

Coupled with our recent failed attempt at invading Sariella, we are suffering so many losses that the kingdom itself could crumble.However, we are in no position to hold back.The fate of the world hangs in the balance.I, of all people, cannot bring anything short of my full forces to such a battle.

Even if others might forgive it, I myself would not.This is all so I can keep my vow to do anything it takes for the sake of humanity.

Even if I must sacrifice my "power" in the form of the Word of Godorganization

I will gladly do so if it means humanity is protected.

And if it will raise my knights' morale, then I cannot hesitate to be present at this battlefield, either.Even if I am a subpar commander, my presence gives these knights strength.If I am to send these people to their deaths, the least I can do is offer them that small comfort.I cannot simply sit around when the world is in peril.

"Thank you for gathering here today, all of you."

My amplified voice reaches every knight.

"The forces you are about to fight are far stronger than any monstersyou have faced; this battle will likely be the fiercest you have ever encountered." The knights listen intently, hanging on to my every word.

"Your opponents are the vanguard of evil creatures who once felledour god. The surviving creatures have returned to attempt to destroythe world once more. Know that the very survival of our world depends on the outcome of this battle!"

When I finish my speech, the knights raise a battle cry so loud, it almost seems to shake the earth itself.

*ROOOOAAAAR* as the white wolf with 10 tails roared a powerful roar which eclipsed the sound of the knights as the feeling of fear was spread though out the battlefield as if an true alpha present but the knights how are devout believers in the Word of God become silent as they watch as the wolf charged at the army with four girl in a normal situation a person would not even dare to go near a creature such as that one but my word have inspired this people to lay down there lives without any hesitation

This is my "power."

I know all too well that I am exploiting these people, in a way.But the time when I felt guilt for such a thing has long since passed.I have no hesitation about sending them to near-certain death.

"Charge!"

On my order, the knights raise another yell and rush forward.But then an explosive roar drowns out their cries again but it was not from the wolf

The wind blows so violently that I'm forced to shut my eyes.

When I attempt to open them again, another gale blows into my face.But in the moment that my eyes are open, I see the mechanical

soldiers' formation falling apart.

The machines are being crushed and annihilated along with the veryground.And more attacks mercilessly follow.This brutal assault is the work of the queen taratects: the legendary-class monsters Lady Ariel summoned.The queen taratects' breath attacks are what's currently decimating

the machine soldiers.Few monsters are categorized as legendary class.

It's a level considered beyond the ability of any humans to fight—essentially a living natural disaster.Most of them are beings that were made to manage this world,working under the supervision of Lord Black Dragon.But the queen taratects, which Lady Ariel created, are a notable exception.Unlike the other legendary-class monsters, which were designed to be such from the beginning, these are base monsters that have evolved to incredible heights.

It's said that a single one of these powerful beings can ruin an entire nation.That is the queen taratect: a distinctive monster even among the rare legendary class.And there are four of them here.How many human kingdoms could these four monsters destroy?

It's said that an entire army led by a hero once managed to defeat a single queen taratect.The hero and most of the army were lost in the process.Even then, it was a miracle they were able to defeat it at all.

As I watched the battle I see the tanks take aim at the taratect as the taratect also charged a breath attack as they fired the queens attack was more powerful so it was able to easily overpower the tank but as the blast was about to hit it is disappeared 'lady Ariel did inform me thar this thing had an anti-magic barrier so all magic attacks are useless to them'

anti-magic barrier is troublesome, but worse yet, the tanks'armor is simply so sturdy that no human attack could hope to scratchit.Our only choice is to entrust the tanks to forces other than theknights, like Lady Ariel's kin or Potimas's machine weapons.

 Indeed, even the smaller machines are a great challenge for the knights.It takes several of them to even stand a chance at destroying one machine.These are elite soldiers who have undergone rigorous training, yet there is a limit to their individual strength.The human race, you see, is terribly weak.So what is their role in this battle?

Essentially: meat shields.

They are a living wall meant to slow the machine army's progress.

 These knights are not here to defeat the machines but simply to buy time and nothing more.It is for that small purpose that they die.

The tanks' attacks force the queen taratects to pause their breath attacks, and the machine soldiers use this chance to resume their advance.Their numbers have been considerably thinned out by the breath attacks, but because there were so many to begin with, one cannot say that there are few of them remaining now.These mechanical soldiers now begin to attack the knights.Their light bullets pierce right through them, fatally injuring most of those in the front ranks.

*BOOOOOM* was the sound as one of this tanks was flung into the sky as it rolled into the ground taking out many of my knights and the enemy at the same as I looked at how was the one how did it I saw the wolf as it stood there and in a split second it disappeared I began to look for it

*BOOOOM* I than saw a dust cloud as it cleared the wolf was there but it held the four girl with its tails and began shouting at them in a different language I could not understand after that he placed the girl down and disappeared again and as it reappeared on the other side of the battlefield 'I thought lady Ariel said that there was a anti-magic barrier around the tanks but it seems that the wolf it using some sort of teleportation magic?.... No its not teleportation its just that fast' I must insure I do not make an enemy out of that monster 'as I was thinking I a giant hunk of matel flow through the air at it hit the ground and continues to roll, destroying any mechanical soldiers in its path.

When it finally stops, there is a dent in its hull so deep, it's as if it took a direct hit from a cannon.Another attack hits that same tank, sending it flying even farther away.In its place stands a young girl, still swinging an indelicate blunt weapon that appears to be a hunk of metal with a handle.Though she looks out of place on the battlefield, she is actually not ahuman but a puppet taratect, another of Lady Ariel's kin.

Despite her innocuous appearance, her kind is one of the strongest of Lady Ariel's spawn, second only to the queen taratects.

While her face may look cute, each of her six arms is brandishing one of these blunt metal weapons, so I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to misjudge her.Lady Ariel told me before that even the puppet taratects were unable to match the tanks, but it appears there will be no such concern this time.The other tanks nearby have already stopped moving, perhaps out ofcaution toward this new threat, but she strikes all of them anyway.

…Is that entirely necessary?

I would prefer her to focus on the tanks that are currently causing problems, not the ones that are sitting still.As if hearing my thoughts, another one of the puppet taratect approaches the one still wailing on the stopped tanks and smacks her on the head.Then the second puppet taratect points at a still-moving tank.

puppet taratect hesitates, though she seems to understand

the second one's meaning, but then a third one comes and deals her a swift kick.Were it not for our current circumstance, this would simply be a charming scene of some young girls play fighting.But these girls represent a powerful fighting force.They should be battling seriously, not messing around.More of my knights are losing their lives while these girls jest.

As if to ease my frustration, a queen taratect's breath attack blasts through the machine soldiers' rear lines.

It wreaks destruction on the mechanical soldiers, whose advance myknights laid down their lives to halt.A flying machine speeds toward the queen taratect, but a wyrm knocks it out of the sky before it can attack.Even now, the wyrms and flying machines are engaging in a fierce battle in the air.

They've accomplished their task of delivering Lady Ariel andcompany onto the enemy flagship, but the wyrms and dragons haveno time to rest.If they were not there to keep the flying machines occupied, nodoubt our ground forces would be destroyed from above.Thanks to the clean sweep of the queen taratects' breath attacks,

things on the ground are going more smoothly than expected.However, that advantage is a delicate thing indeed.The knights are currently holding back the machine soldiers'

advances enough that the queen taratects can attack as they wish,but if the machines break through, victory will be far less certain

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I won't lie I wrote like 9% of this chapter like adding parts were wolf was but other than that yeah totally cope for the noval oh and don't bother with it it's just an idea I had didn't work oh well