Crown Princess's Onslaught
Meanwhile, Sione, Nadan, and Nah made it to the square without a hitch, moving at breakneck speed. No mere mid-rank erosion beasts could hope to stop Professor Nah or Sione, and Nadan was no slouch either.
By the time they arrived, the capital guard had already pushed back the low-rank erosion beasts and surrounded the square. The beasts seemed to sense the danger, refusing to charge headlong at the guards.
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Princess."
"It's been a while, Sir Aquila Ladern. How goes the evacuation of the citizens?"
"Mostly complete. Thankfully, no high-rank erosion beasts showed up, so it wasn't too difficult. But... we still have problems. The Terra Church and the Celioum Church."
Sione nodded at Aquila's words.
"Exactly. Even if we clear the square, the paths leading there are probably crawling with erosion beasts. But I don't think the capital guard can't handle a horde like that."
"Your orders, please."
"First, we'll break through to the nearest Celioum Church from the square, then push on to the Terra Church. I'll take point."
"Is that necessary?"
"Is there anyone here stronger than me?"
Aquila shook his head.
"No, there isn't."
"Then wouldn't the strongest leading the way... minimize unnecessary sacrifices?"
"A wise decision."
"Let's go. No need for elaborate tactics against trash like this anyway."
"As you command!"
Sione stomped the ground again, forming a massive warhammer of light, and charged the erosion beasts. Aquila shouted for the soldiers to advance and followed right behind her.
Sione's assault was unstoppable. A single wild swing of her light-forged warhammer pulverized every erosion beast in front of her. With her free hand, she unleashed saint laws.
Solem's divine power generally split into blazing flames or radiant light. While Ashytara had inherited the flames, Sione wielded the light.
From her hand came Solem's Judgment. Light blazed around her hammer, and as she slammed it into the ground, countless erosion beasts ahead vaporized into dust.
Aim for the heart? Against erosion beasts, Sione had no need for such tedious steps.
It wasn't just her inheritance of Solem's Eye or her solid political base that made her the next in line for the Solenute throne. Her prowess in battle matched her influence.
Aquila Ladern, captain of the capital guard, ranked among the empire's top fighters even in a land teeming with powerhouses. Yet even he had to yield to her overwhelming presence.
It wasn't for nothing that Emperor Rajeta Solenute had named her heir at just sixteen.
Her priestly talents were unmatched, but her physical combat skills were elite too.
Nadan watched, a shiver running through him. It wasn't just low-rank beasts ahead. The horde included plenty of mids.
And yet.
They all vanished.
My god.
It was a single blow that shattered the anxiety Nadan had carried since glimpsing the future.
"Well, looks like we won't have to lift a finger."
Aquila let out a hearty laugh.
"Not likely. High-rank beasts haven't even shown up yet. A corrosion this big... they'll definitely send elites. Come on. To the Celioum Church."
"Yes, sir!"
* * *
Carmen Ansis, Tir Roland, Maha Nadina, and the other imperial knights, along with Solemnute Adem students, mercifully linked up with the Celioum Church.
Thanks to the knights' efforts, the civilians and students escaped unscathed. Exhausted, they took a brief rest inside the wind barrier.
And there, they ran into familiar faces. Martin Taylor and a few other imperial knights were at the Celioum Church with more Solemnute Adem students.
"How's the situation, Sir Martin?"
"Not good. We're short on fighters. Most priests are tied up maintaining the wind barrier, and we don't have many knights either. The moment it drops, it'll get dicey."
Like the Terra Church, the Celioum Church faced the same bind. Priests couldn't open sky paths while upholding the barrier, and with most manpower devoted to it, their combat forces were thin.
"Let's check with Bishop Tania first. If the barrier falls... we'll have to step up."
"Understood."
With no room for optimism, Martin led the imperial knights to Bishop Tania.
Celioum's bishop, Tania Grand, was doing her best to rally and endure. Calming the refugees in the church, she gazed darkly at the sky.
She'd managed to send one last messenger out. But that was it. After the messenger slipped the wind barrier, aerial erosion beasts swarmed it.
This is weird. They know exactly how to corner us. This isn't natural corrosion. Someone orchestrated it. Which means... the Salvation Cult. No one else.
The barrier held only because every ounce of power for sky paths had gone into it, with all priests sustaining the shield. But time was running out.
Boom!
Thud!
Gigantic, grotesque bird-like erosion beasts kept slamming their bodies into the barrier, shaking it.
At this rate... it won't hold much longer. This is bad.
"Bishop Tania."
Martin approached Tania as she stared gloomily skyward.
"Ah, Sir Martin."
"How long can you hold?"
"Not long, I'm afraid."
"Then we'll prepare."
"Please do. I hope that last messenger brings good news."
Clinging to faint hope, that's all they could do.
* * *
Ludenberg charged a buffalo-like erosion beast, Liberra in hand. He'd decided to reinforce the most precarious spot first.
The knights squeezed out every last drop of strength to block the beast's assaults. Its attacks were brutally simple—and all the more terrifying for it. Its tough hide shrugged off sword strikes, and its massive bulk delivered charges that could crush foes just by ramming them.
Boom!
Another charge exploded the ground, toppling a Terra statue beside a knight. The knight dodged barely, but his injuries slowed him, taking precious time to recover.
Crunch!
But the beast wasn't done. It wheeled around, trampling the fallen statue, then charged again.
The knight had no strength left to stop it.
Is this it?
Resignation flickered in the knight's eyes for a split second.
Then he spotted a boy with dark ash-gray hair leaping in front—Ludenberg.
In that instant, Ludenberg poured every ounce of power he could muster into Liberra and smashed it down on the beast's massive head.
Clang!
No time for finesse—just raw, brute force. But it halted the charge dead.
No, more than that. Ludenberg slammed the high-rank erosion beast's skull into the dirt with pure physical might.
The endangered knight, the watching students, the nearby knights—all froze in shock.
But Ludenberg was the most stunned.
Just now...
Staring down the reckless charge, he'd felt fear. Doubt if he could even stop it.
But the crisis—the certainty of death if he failed—ignited a strange vitality surging through him.
It felt like the sensation from possessing the Starting Knight's body and slaying a highest-rank beast.
He didn't know what caused it, but Ludenberg sensed the battlefield's grim tide turning.
The knights felt it too, seizing the opening. They swarmed the pinned beast, locking down its movements.
But it thrashed wildly, shaking them off with desperate fury.
Roooar!
The ground quaked, its head wrenching free. Several knights were flung away.
Even in its rage, the knights stabbed again. Ludenberg activated his senses amid the chaos, hunting the heart.
It didn't take long. Right in the head—smack in the center of its brow.
That explained why endless stabs hadn't fazed it. No one would've guessed a heart hid there.
Ludenberg swung at the head instantly. But this time, the beast blocked with a massive horn.
Scraaape!
Liberra ground against the horn with a chilling screech. But it didn't last.
Shink—
The horn snapped off and hit the dirt. Ludenberg whipped his blade back and thrust full-force into the brow.
Crunch!
Flesh tore, and the beast went still.