Chapter 720: Chapter 721: Retribution The forest burned under the blazing sun, smoke rising high. Craters were formed, and what had once been a lush ecosystem was consumed by the devastation of war. Screams and the clashing of steel, accompanied by the whizzing of magical attacks through the air, were drowned only by the sonic booms of the deadly spells that followed. How much more morbid could war be, when a small conflict that could have been nothing more than children having a scuffle in a forest had produced such devastation? Dismembered bodies littered the ground. Some were charred remains, some were cut to pieces, others were crushed by immense force. It was as if a sick and deranged child with a vividly visceral imagination had created a picture of death, each demise more grotesquely unique than the last. More than the screams and devastation was the stench. Death smelled like human waste. It smelled like an abattoir where lives were butchered, only many times worse. The burnt scent of flesh and wood, and the acid smoke rising into the air, clung to the lungs like poison. "If people knew war looked like this, would they still want to fight?" Evangeline reined forward, her face covered in slick mud and blood. Her hair was disheveled, tangled with falling ash, and her armor was blackened with gore. The battle was reaching its climax. They were victorious. The enemy had retreated to their fortress, and the path to the meadow was open. Her hand felt heavy. She didn’t know how to feel about this until she heard a soft sound beneath the massive carcass of a demon beast that resembled a monstrous cow with six horns and large fangs. Evangeline slowly approached it. Her duty was not just to be a slayer, she was also a healer, and it was up to her to save those who still clung to life despite all this. She turned around to the other side where the sound was coming from, and there a large man lay, one of the horns having impaled his armor. Blood had spilled until it dried. His face was pale, his lips dry and cracked. He was whispering something as he stared into the ash-covered sky. Evangeline squatted down, leaning close enough to hear what he was saying. "Mommy..." That was all he whispered. This man, who looked like he had fought countless battles and endured all the hardships of life, was calling for his mother. Evangeline lowered her hand over his chest to heal him. Her golden light once again reached out to another lost soul. This was not the first person to call out to his mother on the battlefield, and he would not be the last. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖 She heard soft footsteps behind her and sensed the faint presence of Abellona of Valtheron. The princess behind her was silent for a moment before speaking softly. "In their last moments, people show who they really are. In the final glimmer of their life, they call out to the first person who ever made them feel safe." "For most it’s their mother." She glanced at Evangeline, who was healing the man, though he was already a lost cause. "They were warriors in life, but in death, we are merely children who call out to our mothers to save us." Evangeline tried—she really tried—but even with her radiance, the man lost the light in his eyes and stopped calling out to his mother. His will had died. "Now he has returned to the Goddess of Doom," Abellona whispered, having been through this many times before. Evangeline bit her lip, her heart heavy with grief. "Is this just..." "No. It is war," Abellona replied. "Do not ask for justice here. You will find none. Justice cannot be found in the chaos of battle, only in the order that comes after." Evangeline clenched her fist. "When dawn comes, it doesn’t erase the horrors of the night. It only shows how much we’ve failed." Abellona didn’t really understand what Evangeline meant. She didn’t know much about this young woman, save for several official meetings over the years. "Is that a bad thing? Dawn might come late, but it always comes. Sometimes justice is late, but never its retribution. That always comes." "Retribution..." Evangeline whispered softly. Abellona took a deep breath. "We have reached the fort, and as expected, it was their supply line. However, for some odd reason, they have chosen not to defend it." This part confused Abellona deeply. Why didn’t the demons keep the fort? The coalition force was focused on the dungeon gate and wasn’t exactly disciplined. Without holding the fort, they couldn’t advance without fearing a demon attack from the rear, forcing them to attempt a siege. "It would have weakened us even if we managed to take it eventually." "Then why did they give it up?" Abellona was more confused than before. All her logic told her that keeping the fort would have been the wiser move. It would have taken at least a few days to capture. "Why?" Evangeline clenched her fist, looking around, her eyes scanning for Leona, who had been separated from her. "They’re luring us to the meadow. Their leader is saying he doesn’t need cheap tricks or a battle of attrition to defeat us." Abellona nodded, her crimson eyes narrowing as the ashen air filled her lungs. "The question is, should we answer? It could be a trap." Evangeline picked up her sword, standing up from beside the dead man. All his goals and wishes had ended here. The magical orbs around them were still watching and broadcasting this horrific sight. They had won, but at what cost? Would it really continue like this, for them, for this world? Ruins after every battle, and the hubris of men denying that their world was already a post-apocalyptic ruin. "I... I’m scared," Evangeline whispered. "I’ve been scared, but I’m more afraid of doing nothing about it, like I always have. There is no justice on the battlefield." "Thus, I will bring the dawn." A bright glow spread from her body, illuminating the path ahead.