30 Years after Reincarnation, it turns out to be a Romance Fantasy Novel

“…This bastard fights like absolute shit.”
Ihan muttered what was, in his opinion, the highest praise for his opponent.
Escape, retreat, flight—whatever term one might use, any knight who held honor in high regard would have scoffed and spat at such an act. But Ihan, who lacked the sentimental values of a knight, saw the enemy’s retreat as nothing short of a perfect backstab, making his blood boil.

It gave him the distinct feeling that he had been played.
That alone was enough to make him pursue the bastard at all costs.
Kwaaaang!

[Gigigigik!]
“…Should’ve smashed him completely….”
His opponent had not been careless. Even when facing nothing more than a mere human, he had not let his guard down.

The Celestial Bull.
The mystery of the Great Demon, which had been hurled at Ihan just moments ago, now blocked his path.
Gone was the massive form, once larger than a building. Now, it had shrunk, taking the exact shape of a real bull.
Kugugung!

Yet, judging by the pressure it exuded, the beast had merely compressed its body to the extreme rather than weakening in any way.
It likely understood that its enormous size would only serve as a liability against an opponent capable of beating it down, and so it had chosen to shrink.
“I’ve never done any damn bullfighting before….”

To put it bluntly, this thing was now even more troublesome to deal with than before.
Its presence was overwhelming.
[Gigigigik.]

“Oh? You can exude killing intent too?”
[Gigik.]
“…….”
Every time the bull pawed at the ground, the very space around it trembled.

It wielded such overwhelming force that it shook not only the earth beneath them but the surrounding area itself.
Utterly ridiculous.
If the so-called God of War had been unnervingly proficient in martial arts and speed, then this thing was wholly devoted to sheer destruction and raw power.

Both were annoying in their own ways.
But Ihan…
I’ll wrap this up in three minutes.

…was not the least bit shaken.
There was no reason to lose against a brute that only knew how to rely on its strength.
That was why Ihan was confident he could crush this ridiculous bull within three minutes.

…However.
Thud!
Boom!
Kwah-aaaang!!
“…Now this is just disgusting.”

From underground, from above, from behind.
Monsters flocked around the bull in an encircling formation.
Trolls and ogres were a given. But among them were even the elusive Twin-Headed Ogre, gargoyles, three-headed serpents, and flesh golems—rare creatures seldom seen.

There was even an enormous snake-like monster he had never encountered before. Insect-type beasts swarmed in waves, and the sheer number of creatures surrounding Ihan filled the air with an unmistakable aura of slaughter.
Only the elite among the 200,000-strong horde had gathered here.
Even Ihan had to admit—it was a bit excessive.

“This is overkill. Are you seriously sending an army like this just to take down a ‘frail little human’ like me?”
[Gigik!]
“…What the hell are you even saying?”

There was something strange about the way the bull and the surrounding monsters watched him.
It almost felt like… wariness.
An entire army of 30,000 elites, hesitant before a single human—what an odd sight.

Hoo…!
Tuk.
Ihan furrowed his brows, tapping the floor with his foot to flick a discarded hand axe into the air before catching it with his left hand. With his right, he drew his sword.

“If I just charge straight through, I’ll break through eventually.”
Hwaaaak!
Even against 30,000 elite monsters and the Celestial Bull, Ihan stood his ground without an ounce of fear, brimming with unyielding spirit.

He might be outnumbered, but if he faltered in spirit as well, he might as well be dead. More than anything, it wasn’t about slaughtering all 30,000 here—it was about cutting through them and crushing the enemy commander’s skull.
Thus…
I will rip that damn demon’s head apart.

With his resolve set, Ihan’s burning determination locked his gaze forward.
To hunt down his fleeing prey.
With relentless, unyielding pursuit.

Hoo-ooh—!
“…The bastard is persistent.”
Ninshubur, fleeing at high speed, half-lidded his eyes as he felt the unmistakable presence behind him.

A terrifying, relentless force.
Even from this far away, the sheer bloodthirst was palpable.
It felt as if a beast was right behind him, jaws wide open, ready to sink its fangs into his throat at any moment.

But Ninshubur dismissed the thought.
No matter how powerful the human was, he would need considerable time to break through the Celestial Bull and the 30,000 elite monsters gathered there.
By the time he did—

Victory will belong to the Lord God.
Even if they lost this battle, they would still win the war.
Everything was for the Lord God.

[Ninshubur, you will bring me victory once more, won’t you?]
“Of course, my Lord. There will not be a repeat of what happened 300 years ago.”
[Yes, that’s right! Unlike back then, I have regained my strength! Those despicable humans…!]

Three centuries ago, when the Lord God had first established dominion over this land, he had been at his weakest.
Yet, as a blessing upon his new domain, he had generously poured out the miracles of prosperity.
Weakened beyond measure by the process, he had then been betrayed by the very natives who had once welcomed him.

[Ungrateful wretches. I gifted them prosperity, and they dared to rebel against me over ‘minor side effects’?]
“They were ignorant fools, unable to comprehend the magnitude of your divine mercy.”
[Yes, that must be it. That’s why they had the audacity to imprison me in this wretched cavern….]

A seething, almost tangible fury radiated from Inanna’s voice in Ninshubur’s mind.
Three hundred years of humiliation, of seething hatred and festering rage, boiled within the Lord God.
That was why—

[Ninshubur, show them no mercy. Spare no means to ensure my victory. Drag every last one of them into the depths of hell for daring to reject my grace. Do you understand?]
“I will not fail you.”
[Good. I trust you. You have never disappointed me.]

And with that, Inanna’s voice grew quiet.
Like an audience member settling into their seat to enjoy a theatrical performance, the Lord God was now merely waiting for Ninshubur to deliver his triumph.
As had always been the case.

***
Kuguguguguung!!
“……!”

The ground trembled.
The mid-to-large-sized monsters that had been merely observing until now suddenly surged forward, mingling with the smaller creatures. Their stampede was so immense that it triggered an artificial earthquake.
But…

“Fire! I don’t care if the cannons break—just keep firing!”
“The barrels can melt for all I care! Use up every last shell!! Keep shooting!”
“Even if we drain every last magic stone, don’t stop! Pour every ounce of fire upon them—!!”
Not a single one of Mordred’s soldiers showed signs of despair or fear.
No, perhaps they were afraid deep down, but retreating was not an option they were willing to consider. They fired their rifles until the barrels melted, loaded shells into the cannons until their durability ran dry, and burned through every last magical stone in their flame cannons.

The Flame Cannons, the pinnacle of Mordred’s technological prowess, were now melting away.
These weapons were so advanced that they were deemed irreplaceable in the modern era due to the scarcity of their required materials.
And yet, those irreplaceable weapons were now dissolving, consumed by their own overwhelming heat.

Even the strongest weapons had their limits.
But still, the flames did not stop.
Fwoooosh!!

As if determined to burn down even one more monster charging toward them.
For Mordred’s victory.
[[Waaaaaaaah!!]]

Even as their hands melted along with the barrels, even as their flesh seared under the relentless heat of the flames, Mordred’s forces roared in defiance.
But—
Kwaaaajijijik—!

Despite their resolve, the moment of collapse inevitably arrived.
The palisades—the fortress that had served as Mordred’s wall—began to crack.
No matter how much firepower they unleashed, monsters pushed through their defenses, relentlessly charging forward.

Small gaps formed in their fortifications, and those gaps inevitably led to the entire stronghold crumbling.
“You goddamn gnolls!!”
“Why the hell are they blowing themselves up?!”
Had they lost their minds?

Gnolls and goblins were hurling themselves forward, throwing their bodies into the fire and explosions without hesitation.
By sacrificing themselves, they cleared a path, paving the way for the rest of the horde to charge directly into the fortress.
The fortress began to shake, and the soldiers struggled just to maintain their footing.

At this rate, they would lose the fortress and be forced into close-quarters combat. And if it came to that—
This is the end!
No matter how elite Mordred’s six hundred soldiers were, they could not hold off hundreds of thousands of monsters in melee combat.

The only reason they had lasted this long was because of their fortifications and firepower. If they lost their stronghold and were forced into direct combat…
“—It’s not over yet.”
Hwaaaaaaak!

Just as despair was about to set in, a pristine white curtain-like barrier unfurled around the fortress.
“This… What is this?”
“My lord?”
“It’s the Lord and the young masters…!”
At some point, the bloodline of Mordred had descended from the command post and positioned themselves at the foundation of the fortress, unleashing their power.

Only those of the Mordred lineage—spiritualists who had spent countless years forging contracts with spirits and mastering their powers—could wield such an ability.
The Shield of a Hundred Ghosts.
Mordred’s greatest secret art, capable of blocking any attack from demonic creatures, evil spirits, and even demons themselves.

[Ggggrrkkk!?]
[Kehhk!!]
Fwaak!
The monsters that had been self-destructing suddenly found their own momentum turned against them, exploding as if their own force had rebounded upon them.

Just as its name implied, the mystical shield not only blocked any attack but also reflected it back upon the attacker.
It was an incredible power.
But—

Drip…!
“My lord! Stop this! You’re going to kill yourself!!”
“…Not yet… Not yet….”

Count Cain of Mordred and his sons coughed up mouthfuls of blood.
With power this formidable, the price was equally severe.
Unleashing this barrier meant that Mordred had been pushed to its absolute limit.

It was a technique used by the heads of Mordred throughout history to buy time for their people and soldiers to retreat.
Thus, the Shield of a Hundred Ghosts was both the family’s greatest secret art and its final trump card.
A technique that required a willingness to die.

“…Forget about me and prepare for melee combat while you still have time.”
“My lord…!”
“Now.”
“!?”
Cain’s order was firm and absolute.
His lieutenant clenched his teeth.

Even in this dire moment, he could feel the lord’s determination to buy them time, no matter the cost.
And yet—
“—Stop resisting and surrender, Mordred. Your defeat is already certain.”

The sound of hope being crushed.
“You bastard…!”
The Great Demon had, at some point, approached the fortress gates, standing just beyond the Shield of a Hundred Ghosts. Looking down at Cain, who was kneeling on the ground, he sneered.

“For the past three centuries, you have defied the will of my Lord, oppressing and rejecting Him.”
“……”
“But my Lord is merciful. He has decided to accept you blasphemers as [slaves].”

“……”
“You should be grateful. Now, bow your heads and tremble with joy. Only through this mercy can you—”
“Oh, so you were that gnoll bastard who ran away with his tail between his legs after losing.”

“…Do not utter blasphemy—”
“—You’re a loser.”
“……”

“Not even a gnoll. No, you’re worse than a sand worm.”
“You insolent wretch!!!”
In the southern continent, the worst insult one could throw at someone was comparing them to a gnoll.

But in the western continent, nothing was a greater disgrace than being compared to a sand worm—a monstrous creature that consumed corpses, devoured its own feces, and even feasted upon its own parents.
“…Hah. That worked better than I expected.”
Even in this desperate situation, Cain smirked.

The ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Great Demon’s twisted expression alone made his day.
This is why education is important.