Chapter 134: The Price Of Victory

The battlefield had ceased. Tanaka stood amidst the carnage and took stock of his surroundings. The stillness of the battlefield was eerie. For hours the sky had been pierced by the howls and roars, the spells and weapons and the thudding of masses of living creatures. Now it was all the wind rustling through broken trees and the occasional groan of a dying creature.

Tanaka slowly looked down. Blood stained the ground. Monster bodies littered the battlefield. Some of them were contorted in unrecognizable positions. Others had been crushed beyond discernment. Fur, scales, feathers, broken horns and claws were strewn over the battlefield in addition to broken weapons and armor. The battlefield had been changed into a graveyard.

Tanaka’s eyes fell upon the Eldoris side of the battlefield. The sight was more agonizing than any of the wounds inflicted upon him by Rhazek. The bodies of the fallen from Eldoris’s side of the battle had not vanished in the fray. Now that the battle was over Tanaka could see just how many there were. Greater Ogres. Ogres. Goblins. Lizardmen. Serpentkin. Orcs. Star Wolves. Mana Birds. Turtlekin. Some of them had fallen on the first charge, the others had perished guarding the healing tents, some had fallen to the corrupted beasts before Corruption Resistance could reduce the potency of the corruption on the strongest of Eldoris’s warriors.

Tanaka’s heart ached at the loss of his kingdom’s numbers as his connection to it pulled at his very being. He had felt their deaths during the battle. Now he could see them. Tanaka’s gaze fell upon the healers’ gathering. Relia was there. She moved from one wounded warrior to the next, channeling Life Sovereign despite the exhaustion in her every fiber. Sora was there too, in his slime form, taking a rest next to her after the battle. Raxolf was keeping watch on them.

Raishin stood a little further away, his body covered in blood, though it was difficult to tell which belonged to him anymore. Raveana still had the wild look in her eyes but even she had gone silent. Rogan and Ryuken helped to carry the wounded. Drakar had landed. His wings were shredded in several spots and one of his arms was badly injured. Torga had not moved from his post at the defense line until all the wounded were brought there. Zephyr had hovered over the battlefield once before landing with the rest of the group. They had survived. Though there was no celebration going on.

Tanaka looked downwards. He had become stronger. He had evolved. He had defeated a Demon Lord. None of those things changed the masses of bodies lying at his feet. His fingers curled into a fist. "Malachiel..." The dragon’s name slipped out of Tanaka’s mouth. There was no response. The True Dragon was still not present. Tanaka knew what that meant. There would be no miracle. No crimson light spread over the battlefield. No raising of the dead. The dead were really dead.

Tanaka closed his eyes for a moment. He had gotten used to thinking of death as something that could be countered. That luxury had never been his. Perhaps it had only been a lie he had convinced himself of. When his eyes opened, Tanaka forced himself to look over the battlefield. The Varkesh army was also silent. Thousands of monsters stood on the opposite side of the battlefield, staring at Tanaka. Their king was dead. Their best warriors either dead or repelled. No orders were given.

Then a loud voice rang out over the Varkesh army. "STOP!" The shout was loud enough for it to be heard all over the battlefield. The Varkesh warriors turned to look at the speaker. Commander Tharven stood in the distance. His armor was dented, his heavy axe was chipped and stained with blood and one of his horns was broken from the battle. He looked towards where Rhazek’s body had been. There was nothing left. Tharven’s expression tightened. He turned his gaze to Tanaka.

"All Varkesh forces!" The Varkesh army stood tall. "Cease combat!" No one moved. Tharven raised his axe. "Put down your weapons!" Weapons were dropped to the ground, one after another. Axes. Spears. Swords. Claws retracted. The sounds of battle faded away entirely.

Tharven strode forward alone. Several Varkesh warriors seemed to follow his example but Tharven raised a hand and halted them. He came to the middle of the battlefield and dropped to one knee. Tanaka observed him closely. Tharven lowered his head.

"Rhazek is dead." Tanaka said nothing. "As a commander of Varkesh’s army I acknowledge defeat." Tharven took a breath. "More importantly I acknowledge the strength of the king that slew him." A few of the Varkesh warriors behind him exchanged glances. Tharven continued. "Varkesh will not continue a war it can no longer win." Tanaka looked over the mass of Varkesh warriors. There were still thousands of them. Some were wounded, some stared at Tanaka with hate, others with uncertainty. No one attacked him.

Tharven placed his axe on the ground. "I give my allegiance to Tanaka Eldoris." The words sent a ripple of murmurs through the Varkesh army. A few of the soldiers knelt, others followed Tharven’s example. One knee after another touched the ground. Tanaka stared at them. Only a few hours ago, these monsters had sought to kill his people. Now they were kneeling at his feet. He should have felt triumphant, but all he wanted to do was sleep.

Tanaka looked back towards Eldoris’s forces. His people were still tending to the wounded. The soldiers of Eldoris still laid where they fell dead or otherwise. His kingdom had survived, but it had done so at a great cost. Tanaka exhaled slowly. "Get your wounded together." Tharven raised his head. Tanaka continued. "We won’t execute soldiers that have stopped fighting." A few of the Varkesh warriors looked surprised. "But we won’t forget what happened here either." Tharven bowed his head. "Understood."

Tanaka turned away. Tanaka’s body felt heavier than it should have. The evolution to Emperor Devour Slime had granted him tremendous power, but it had not banished the fatigue that had built up throughout the war. Tanaka’s Magic Core still ached, his body was beaten up and his mind was exhausted with a weariness that regeneration could not cure.

Raishin approached. "Lord Tanaka." Tanaka looked at him. "The eastern line is secure. We are gathering the wounded." "Good." "Do we pursue Varkesh?" Tanaka turned to face the distant kingdom. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then, Tanaka shook his head. "Not today." Raishin nodded. Tanaka turned to the other leaders. "Everyone’s exhausted. Take care of our people first." His gaze returned to the battlefield. "We’ll deal with Varkesh later."

Tharven heard him. "King Tanaka." Tanaka turned. "We will remain here until you decide what is to become of Varkesh." Tanaka stared at him. There were several things he could say. Several things that should be said. The borders. Rhazek’s death. Varkesh’s army. The corrupted land. The source of everything. Nothing mattered in this moment. Tanaka rubbed his face. "I’ll come to Varkesh." Tharven blinked. Tanaka turned to look at Eldoris. "Not now." Tanaka’s voice was weary. "I just want to go home."

For the first time since the war had begun, Tanaka allowed himself to stop thinking as a king at war. He simply walked. Towards his people. Towards home. Behind him, thousands of kneeling warriors and in front of him stood the wounded but living kingdom of Eldoris. Tanaka walked on. He had won the war, now he merely had to survive the cost of victory.