Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Two Choices (6)
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The blade, scattering red flashes as it swung, severed the neck of an undying soldier with eerily clean precision.
The self-proclaimed army of the gods, who had never once retreated until now, finally hesitated for the first time today.
It was because Cain, enveloped in pitch-black aura that anyone would find ominous, looked every bit the devil incarnate.
"What's wrong? Aren't you the army of the gods? Then you should slay the demon defying the heavens."
If this battle had been a full-scale clash on open plains, even Cain might have died several times over.
But this was a siege. And in sieges, the defenders always held the overwhelming advantage.
Especially for Cain, who only needed to cut down the enemy soldiers climbing the walls. It wasn't all that difficult.
'I've cut down at least three hundred already. And yet they're still pressing the attack... It's getting exhausting.'
But the situation wasn't favorable. Thanks to Cain, they could kill enemies, but that was the extent of it.
No matter how strong Cain was, he couldn't slaughter fifty thousand troops all at once by himself. And Cain was human, after all...
As time passed, his stamina would wane, and his body would reach its limits. That would widen the gaps in their defense.
And when he finally hit that limit, collapsing like a puppet with cut strings, Cain raised his sword.
Puk!
The blood-red magic sword craved not the enemy's blood, but its master's. As if finding it tastier, it drank endlessly.
"What?!"
"L-Lord Blackguard?! What in the world are you doing?!"
"......"
Ignoring the now-familiar gasps of shock around him, Cain welcomed the approaching death.
But regrettably, death couldn't claim him just yet. As always, his eyes snapped open again. His breath returned.
Cain quietly raised his arm. His body, heavy as waterlogged cotton, now felt as light as a feather.
Just like when he'd first entered the battlefield and swung his sword. Cain moved effortlessly once more.
'If this were a game, it'd be like continuing. Even after game over, pop in a coin and your health restores...'
Not only his wounds, but his stamina had fully recovered. Thanks to that, Cain could fight again.
Whether this was good or bad, he wasn't sure. Optimistically, he was growing accustomed to Defeat Regression.
Pessimistically, it meant he was falling deeper into its grasp. But he set those thoughts aside for now.
He focused entirely on killing the enemy. Shaking off distractions, Cain resumed slaughtering the foes.
This was partly because they were enemies. But more so, the foes charged at him in rage upon seeing him.
"Cain Blackguard! Traitor to the kingdom!!"
"Die!! The gods demand it!!"
"Atone with your life! That's the only thing you can do!"
"Anyone would think I'd abandoned the kingdom."
Every time he faced kingdom soldiers or knights, voices laced with curses and hatred pierced his ears.
The resentment and loathing in those voices bordered on actual curses. An ordinary man would have crumbled long ago.
But they had no effect on Cain. He'd already been tempered by endless cycles of death.
To put it in metaphor: he was already immersed in hellfire—what did a few extra flames matter...?
Cain's blood-red blade showed no hesitation, decapitating them all despite their supposed immortality.
"Is that all you have to say? Then die already."
Besides, Cain was more victim than perpetrator from the start. The kingdom had abandoned him first.
The only emotion left in Cain now was simple doubt. Why had they discarded him back then...?
For power? Or some other reason? Surely they didn't actually believe he'd staged a rebellion.
Even as those thoughts swirled, Cain's sword lost none of its sharpness. If anything, it grew keener, faster.
The kingdom's morale finally began to crack at the sight of Cain tirelessly butchering their comrades.
Their courage stemmed from the belief they couldn't die. But that belief had been shattered.
"M-Monster! Monster!!"
"No, that's a demon."
"A demon thwarting the gods' will...!! But we can't beat it with our strength."
As the kingdom forces faltered, the empire's morale surged in turn. Just hold on a little longer.
Then they could win. With Cain Blackguard, they could win! That simple truth boiled their spirits.
And amid it all, Cain swung his sword relentlessly. His breath reached his throat, vision blurring.
'Not yet. Just one more... one more!!'
Until his stamina bottomed out, until his arms refused to move. He gritted his teeth, forcing the swings.
If they truly stopped, he'd grip the sword reverse and plunge it into his own heart to reset.
Thus, the endless cycle of death and killing continued. And finally, the moment Cain felled over a thousand foes.
Bwoooo!!
A trumpet signaling retreat blared from the enemy lines. Only then could Cain lift his head to the sky.
The sun, once high in the midday sky, had sunk beyond the horizon after his ceaseless sword swings.
"We won!!"
"Our first victory against those monsters!!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!! Long live Blackguard!!"
"Quiet, all of you! Tend to the wounded first!!"
The soldiers, drunk on victory and cheering, quickly snapped back to reality. The war wasn't over yet.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Siege warfare demands several times more troops than defense. It varies by case, but that's the rule.
Yet that rule was shattering right now. Cain let out a sigh. The first day hadn't been bad.
With Cain and his Twelve Legions joining, they'd cut down over a thousand enemies. A decisive victory, without doubt.
But the problem came next. The first day's triumph was only because the enemy commander had blindly ordered attacks.
Up to now, that wouldn't have been an issue. Since they couldn't die, they could keep pushing.
Relentless pressure would eventually win. But now, things had changed dramatically.
"The enemy’s starting to use their heads."
"It's barely worthy of being called tactics—just the basics of basics. But... it's annoyingly effective."
"The wisdom of ancient sages endures in military treatises for a reason."
They began piling up earthworks or hugging the walls to break them down—basic siege tactics.
The issue was that the only way to kill them was Cain's expendable efforts. Magic could buy time.
But even that only stalled them; once the mages' mana ran dry, the attacks resumed immediately.
In short... despite defending, they had to attack first. An absurd situation.
'They’ve become far more troublesome than expected. Can't cover this with mere strategy or tactics.'
Cain clicked his tongue inwardly. If they'd stuck to brainless assaults like day one, he could've handled it.
But once they realized Cain could kill through regeneration, they switched to slow, gnawing attrition.
The exchange rate was disastrously unfavorable. They could just tank hits, but we couldn't.
Every arrow, every brick—not to mention mana recharging over time—was a loss if used on them.
Why? Because we couldn't kill them. They just regenerated. So why not flip the approach?
Subdue without killing. There were plenty of ways, and surprisingly, they might work well.
"But that's just a matter of time... We can't hold them forever. They'll recover everything eventually."
"That's enough."
"Pardon? What do you...?"
"Your Highness, do you remember the time I first captured you alive?"
"That... N-No, surely not...?!"
"Are you serious right now?!"
Not only Morgana, but even Anna listening nearby had her expression slowly turning to horror.
Naturally, Morgana hadn't forgotten that moment, and Anna knew the full story from tales.
The problem was... what Cain planned bordered on suicidal charge. Yet he didn't back down.
"Looks like it's time to end this long and twisted grudge."