Chapter 92
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Senne Plains Battle (4)
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I swung my sword and cut down the fool strutting around in his armor, and suddenly all eyes from the Black Lily Mercenary Corps were locked on me.
As if mere stares and attention weren't enough, they pointed their swords and spears right at me.
During that brief standoff, I caught my breath and observed our Third Squad slowly wheeling to the side.
"Not bad speed."
Judging by how quickly they were forming up their ranks and advancing, it wouldn't be long before the Black Lily's flank got hit.
Before that happened, I needed to break through the center and draw all their attention my way.
'That's how we'll pull off the pincer attack.'
I held my sword in one hand and crooked a finger from the other.
"What's the matter? Too scared to come at me, you rookies?"
Scratching their pride did the trick—a loud command boomed from the center of their formation.
"If we don't crush that White Beard Mercenary Corps up ahead, we're all dead anyway! Fight like you're already doomed!"
With that order, the standoff shattered in an instant.
A good number of mercenaries surrounded me, thrusting spears and swinging blunt weapons to bash me down.
"Die, you worthless scum!"
"He killed our squad leader!"
"I'll rip you limb from limb!"
Dogs bark loudest when they're weak, and people get mouthy when they're scared shitless...
Why the hell would I flinch against trash like this?
'I've crawled over way worse piles of limbs than you punks.'
I gripped my sword and launched myself at the bastard stabbing straight at my front.
"Got him—stabbed!"
But what he and I heard wasn't the sound of a spearhead piercing flesh—instead, it was the ting of it glancing off my armor.
I followed up by smashing the pommel of my sword into his jaw.
Infused with Aura, the blow shattered his jawbone in one go, leaving him wailing with what was left of his face.
"Uwaaaaaagh!"
"Can't make out what you're saying, punk."
No point dragging out the pain—I sliced his throat clean.
There were still plenty of enemies surrounding me, but in a one-versus-many scrap like this, seizing momentum first tips the scales your way.
See? Now that I'd pulverized the lower jaw of the guy right in front of them...
They hesitated for a split second, their attacks slowing down.
'Idiots—this is when you double down.'
Tsking inwardly, I kept swinging my Aura-charged sword relentlessly.
Whether slashing horizontally, vertically, arcing in a semicircle, or thrusting like an arrow—every strike brought agonized death cries ringing in my ears.
"Aaaagh, Mommy!"
As more of them screamed and died, the survivors started huddling up and thinking straight.
"That guy's a monster! Rush him all at once! One unlucky bastard gets wrecked, but the survivors split his gear!"
Some ten-man squad leader rallying the troops like it was a goddamn fox hunt.
Treating people like animals to be herded—what a joke.
"Bunch of cowards."
I sneered at them, and they charged in a small semicircle formation.
I could handle them solo without much trouble, but...
"Hundred-Man Leader, we're coming!"
Our First and Second Squad Leaders brought their men right up beside me.
They swung their swords to guard and support me, and the ones trying to swarm me in a semicircle got butchered in seconds.
I could've kept going without their help, but damn if it wasn't reassuring to have squad leaders actually backing me up full throttle this time.
'If they're this solid, I can really cut loose.'
"Alright, let's give you Black Lily bastards—or whatever the hell—a proper mass funeral today!"
With my squad covering my left and right, I could ignore those flanks and focus straight ahead on the killers coming my way.
My field of view narrowed a bit since I didn't need to watch my sides, but that made my breakthrough path crystal clear.
Fewer enemies to handle at once meant I could kill way easier.
And I could definitely feel my knightly power and impact cranked up.
"Is this why knights fight alongside the troops?"
With me and the company combining forces, we started gaining real ground punching through that 150-man formation—something that would've been tough before.
The enemy panic was showing now.
If even their veterans—the core of this merc band—were crumbling like this, the rookies charged me like lost kids.
"Die! Vengeance for our senior merc!"
Just green recruits—no real sword skills to speak of, which was expected—but how scared do you have to be for your blade tip to wobble side to side like that?
"Save the revenge for the afterlife."
I parried his wild swing and ran him through the throat in the same motion.
Right then, cheers erupted from our Hundred-Man Squad's other squads to my left.
"Hundred-Man Leader Martin's leading the charge himself!"
"Stab those cowards in the ribs!"
"Kill every last one!"
Unable to hold the front and now taking hits on their vulnerable flanks, their momentum collapsed in a heartbeat.
The sneaky rookies and half-seasoned ones slunk back with weapons in hand.
What, trying to say something like...?
'We don't wanna fight, so leave us alone.'
Pathetic, trying to bail with other units behind them.
Still, watching the Black Lily Mercs who'd faced our Hundred-Man Squad finally break was damn satisfying...
"I don't care who you are—I'll never forgive you!"
With that shout, a sword-wielding merc suddenly swung at me.
His blade gleamed with that distinct mithril sheen, and his armor sparkled too.
Clashing swords revealed the blue mist of an Aura Expert.
'This guy's got some rank.'
As if answering my thought, he called out his name while swinging.
"Black Lily Mercenary Captain Rhys Flor claims your head!"
"Rhys? What kinda lily's a guy?"
"Shut up—don't butt in on my name!"
Convinced killing me would save his mercs, every attack burned with desperate will.
Maybe it was that sheer determination, but his strikes hit heavier than the Aura in his blade suggested.
I gave him props in return, sort of.
"...Better than that Golden Barley captain, at least."
"Golden Barley? Don't compare me to that loser!"
Our blades clashed on and on.
Ten exchanges, twenty, pushing thirty—my arms were starting to feel the burn.
'Unlike Golden Barley, this merc captain's pretty solid...'
From afar, I figured a 150-man outfit wasn't much, but you can't judge by looks.
Even as Rhys kept swinging without me showing fatigue, he started rolling his eyes leftward more.
'Dude's mind's in the flowers.'
That gave me my opening.
"Die, you lily boy!"
I swung wide at his front—he smirked.
"Think I can't block that?"
As expected, he parried it clean.
Rhys pulled his sword back, then thrust forward, shoving my blade aside with his crossguard.
Normally a panic moment, but everything was going exactly as planned.
Keeping my face straight, I kicked him square in the groin.
"Gaaargh! You fucking bastard—kicking there of all places?!"
I'd packed Aura into it good, but his armor had a codpiece—and it looked intact, so his manly pride should be too.
Still, the pain twisted his face, and I seized the gap to cleave his neck.
The sensation of flesh and bone parting traveled up my sword arm.
"Severed the head of Black Lily Mercenary Captain Rhys Flor!"
One merc captain down didn't end the war, so I didn't give my men time to cheer before barking the next order.
"Captain's head's off—spare the ones surrendering now, kill every runner!"
That sent the stunned survivors—who couldn't even surrender properly amid the shock—getting pincered from left and front.
"Aaaagh, shit!"
"Surrender! I said surrender!"
"Mercy!"
With their captain dead and command shattered, they tried fleeing or yielding, but...
"Drop your weapons if you're surrendering!"
One guy yelled that—then stabbed them anyway.
Another grabbed a runner's back and skewered him.
"Told you not to run."
We steamrolled them; tails between legs, they bolted.
I scanned the battlefield quick and eyed Dalton Captain's main force.
Sure enough, plenty of room to jump in over there.