The Great Human-Monster War ①
Third-person perspective
[Oaken Keep]
Later historians would claim the spark of the Great Human-Monster War was lit at Oaken Keep.
It is commonly believed that the monster tribes simultaneously invaded human territories. However, prior to this, the keep had already been infiltrated by a monster plot.
The incident began one day before the coordinated attacks commenced.
A certain package was delivered to the keep.
The delivery was made by the regular supply unit, which had consistently transported provisions to the keep.
No one had ever questioned their loyalty. They had worked diligently for years.
Thus, the package received no significant inspection and was brought inside the keep without scrutiny.
It contained an explosive device of catastrophic scale—unknown to all.
“Hmm? What’s this package?”
“Don’t know. Haven’t heard what’s inside. Smells like horse feed, maybe?”
“No, it’s not moving, is it?”
“What? No way… It’s moving.”
“Hey. Which unit brought this cargo in?”
“D-don’t know. I didn’t notice until it was already here…”
“Check immediately. Then report to higher command. I’ll stay here and watch the package.”
“Ah. Got it.”
The soldier’s response upon discovering the package was not incorrect.
It was not incorrect—yet slightly too late.
“! Danger!”
It bursts from the package.
Lunges directly at one of the soldiers, tackling him to the ground.
“Gh—!?”
“T-that’s an Anogratte!?”
The creature that attacked the soldier was a monster.
A monkey-like creature.
“What? What’s going on?”
“A—monster!? How did it get inside the fortress!?”
“Helping now!”
Other soldiers arrive, alerted by the commotion.
They draw their swords, thrusting them toward the monster attacking their comrade.
“Stop! Don’t kill him!!”
If they had been calm, they might have remembered.
The monster known as Anograt, its terror.
A creature pierced through by countless blades, dead.
As signal, several more of the same species emerged from the other crates.
A few soldiers, upon seeing them, realized the meaning of their actions and paled.
“Too late now! Prepare for defense!”
The remaining monsters were dispatched by the soldiers.
Individually, they were not particularly strong.
Not a threat to the soldiers stationed at this fortress, on the front lines of the war against the Demon Clan.
But that was only true if the enemy was alone.
“Report to the upper command.”
“Affirmative.”
The soldiers’ expressions were heavy after eliminating the monsters.
“What do we report?”
“That the nightmare of the Revenge Ape has begun.”
Anograt, also known as the Revenge Ape.
A monstrous entity known to never forgive those who harm its kind.
Should one of these creatures be slain, they will come in overwhelming numbers.
They will not cease until either their opponent is dead, or the entire swarm is eradicated.
A beast imbued with wrathful madness.
"What now, us?"
"Worst case, this fortress may fall."
The next day after the destruction of the monsters, Anograt’s horde attacked Oakun Fortress.
The very day the fiendish forces launched simultaneous assaults on human territories.
"Everything went as planned."
"Yes. Perfectly."
Sarantia, commander of the fiendish army’s second legion, and her subordinate observed Oakun Fortress from afar.
Countless ape-like fiends clung to the fortress walls, breaching into the interior one after another.
The human defenders of the fortress initially attempted to repel the fiends' incursion using magic.
Yet the fiends known as Anogratsh continued arriving in relentless waves—no matter how many were slain, new ones emerged without pause.
The sheer number was Anogratsh's greatest threat. Their disregard for death, their relentless advance, was their most dangerous trait.
Once targeted by such a fiend, even a fortress with high Durability would fall.
"Indeed. Our casualties are zero."
"Correct. Though we can no longer approach the fortress for now."
Even the demon forces avoid Anogratsh.
They cannot risk drawing attention. Until Anogratsh fully withdraws, no force—no matter the fortress's state—may approach.
"It is unavoidable. Besides, this war does not aim at conquest. This is sufficient."
"Indeed. However, your execution was remarkable."
"Not at all."
Syrilis truly believed this.
What she had done this time was remarkably simple.
She had used the influence of the succubus clan to seduce and indoctrinate a human supply unit, then compelled them to capture several anogratsh.
She had then transported them into the fortress alongside the supply goods.
That was all.
The plan had many flaws. The chance of failure was high.
But Syrilis had accepted that failure was acceptable.
The crucial point was merely to create the situation in which humans would provoke the anogratsh.
Even if the anogratsh were not brought into the fortress, she could have indoctrinated other humans and ordered them to kill on the spot.
Then, all that remained was to send the individual toward the fortress with a neutral expression.
It was mere chance that it succeeded on the first attempt. No intricate plan was involved.
"Sorry, Demon Lord. I have no intention of complying with your designs."
Syrilis murmurs, expression heavy.
In her mind, the image of the Demon Lord forms.
She possesses the strength to command the demon army.
Yet, she feels no hope of defeating that Demon Lord.
She does not consider opposing an opponent with no chance of victory.
But she sees clearly that obedience will eventually lead to her exhaustion.
That is the nature of that Demon Lord.
Therefore, she obeys, yet seeks to deviate slightly from his designs.
"Perhaps it’s wrong for a demon to do so, but I will meet my quotas. Won’t you overlook it?"
No answer comes to Syrilis’s monologue.