Final Battle (5)
Pfsh! Blood spurted from the split monster's body, drenching me in a spray of crimson.
But my whole body had been soaked in blood long ago. Ignoring it, I swung my sword once more.
Shlick— The monster cleaved in two. Blood erupted from the fresh cross-section again.
Another splatter hit me. Sizzle... Unlike before, acrid smoke rose from my body, accompanied by a rotten stench. My clothes and some skin were melting away.
Monsters carried poison depending on their type. Especially the higher variants—they evolved, enhancing their innate abilities or racial traits.
Of course, I was constantly shielding myself with mana, but this one's poison seemed more potent than most.
Still, it wasn't enough to poison me. This body wasn't immune to all toxins, but anything short of intangible extreme venom could barely harm it.
And all I need to do is crank up the output.
I drew up more mana, reinforcing my protective barrier. At the same time, I activated the Arden Mana Heart Technique.
I'd never stopped training in my family's heart method. But separately from that, it still lacked my personal color and nature.
It remained a pure white canvas. In other words, I hadn't fully tapped into the heart method's potential.
The reason? It was too precious. This exquisite martial art's power felt wasteful to unleash fully right now.
Of course, I could do it in an instant if I wanted. But I had plenty of strength without it, and the situation didn't call for it yet.
Yeah, not yet...
Anyway, that didn't mean its properties vanished. Imbuing it with color and nature implied no limits to what it could hold.
So, just like before, I absorbed the poison this time too. And converted it into mana.
In a hunt, skill mattered, but so did stamina and mana management. No amount of talent helped if you ran out of gas.
Hunters who burned through their abilities showboating and died mana-dry were a dime a dozen. Just like this one.
"Urk—!"
A beastkin suddenly collapsed. He'd been competing to rack up kills, and his legs gave out.
A single moment's gap. Monsters never missed those.
The surrounding horde focused on him. A shaman bound his arms and legs with spells, another swung a tree trunk bigger than itself, and a wall erupted around them.
Restraint, assault, escape blocked. The trio conspired to finish him off.
Boom! I exploded my power, kicking off the ground.
My vision whipped around. In an instant, I reached the beastkin trapped in peril.
I slashed the tree to splinters, then unleashed magic at my feet to pulverize the wall and spells.
Even higher variants were just monsters. Stronger than equivalent humans, sure, but full of openings and lacking depth.
Crisis averted. Without pause, I reset my stance.
I locked onto the monsters that had attacked, then swung.
Three strokes. Sword auras lanced out, bisecting them.
"Hoo..."
I exhaled, scanning the area.
While I handled this side, Elena and her elf squad were dealing with the rest. I pitched in to clean up.
Once things calmed, I approached the beastkin who'd nearly died.
"Hey."
"Uh, that is..."
My cold tone left him flustered and fumbling. I pressed on relentlessly.
"I told you not to fuck around on the battlefield. Focus on the fight."
"Khk, w-wait..."
"You think a commander's orders are optional?!"
Some of us were busting our asses to hold the line and minimize casualties, while others prioritized their damn kill counts.
"When I say it once, you obey, got it?!"
"S-spare..."
Under my killing intent, he couldn't even breathe. But I didn't let up. If anything, I bore down harder, like I meant to end him.
"That's enough."
A voice cut in. I turned to see Hatan, the beastkin rep.
"Young blood runs hot—can't blame him for that, right?"
The beastkin leader, chieftain of his tribe, spouting that nonsense.
"And who's been toying with us this whole time? A commander should understand his troops' traits before issuing orders."
"......"
I was floored by him peddling that crap like gospel truth. The other beastkin nodded along.
How utterly pathetic.
In the midst of unfinished battle, I declared to them:
"Elena. From now on, exclude the beastkin and proceed. Send to the capital for replacements. Prioritize recovery and support—priests will do fine."
"Understood."
Elena, at my side, relayed orders to her subordinates.
Predictably, backlash erupted.
"Hah, you think I'll follow th—?"
"And contact your mother right now."
I turned back to Elena.
"...What message shall I convey?"
"Provisional Saint Kyle Arden formally protests to Red via Green."
Saints and saintesses had privileges. One was petitioning the gods—or making requests—within reason. They usually granted them. No wonder they were beloved.
This applied to provisionals too.
"Even so, the World Tree..."
"Mother agrees. She says to do it now."
The reply came quicker than expected. I nodded to Elena.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
Elena swiftly commanded her elves, rallying them.
Without beastkin support, we'd hold higher variants until reinforcements arrived.
"Wait!"
Hatan lunged forward. I flicked my arm.
Kaboom!! A line of destruction erupted with thunderous roar. Sensing danger, he froze.
"Warning: Cross that line, and you're enemies."
The biggest threat inside was incompetent allies. Their skills were solid, so I'd kept them—but if they hindered us, better to eliminate.
"But without us..."
"Shut it. Take your pissing contests to the arena."
I radiated killing intent. Hatan and the beastkin behind flinched.
"And... if you thought I'd go easy like Estella, you're dead wrong. You think you exist because I clean up your messes?"
She might laugh it off sweetly. Not me.
My anger sparked Elena to grip her sword. The elves followed suit.
In this, elves were the best of the demihumans.
The beastkin froze. Satisfied, I led the elves onward.
"W-wait...!"
A desperate cry. I ignored it, walking on.
"Anything but sending us back..."
My tone unchanged, I kept moving. Soon, a satisfying response came.
"S-sorry... Saint..."
To beastkin, battle was honor incarnate. Missing this war was utter disgrace.
I glanced back. Hatan bowed deeply, his kin too.
I said lowly:
"Behave. Last chance."
"Y-yes!"
The now-meek beastkin. I nodded.
"Move out."
I led elves and beastkin back into battle.
The fight progressed smoothly. Elena and Hatan—both Master-class powerhouses. No way they'd yield to higher variants.
With me too, we never fell back. The elf squad fulfilled their roles silently under Elena, and obedient beastkin joined, steadily thinning the horde.
But that was it. No matter how many we slew, the battle dragged on.
Reason: Monsters kept swarming. Humans clustered in the battlefield's heart drew every beast from afar.
And I couldn't focus solely here. Eyes were on us, but the walls still raged with war.
Commanding here, receiving wall reports, issuing new orders—it overwhelmed even me. Too much info.
My brain overheated. Nosebleed trickled down.
"...Are you alright?"
Elena's question. I wiped the blood.
"Fine."
Just my low physical realm. As a hunter, I'd handled worse effortlessly.
And above all:
I'm getting used to it.
Kyle Arden's talent shone brightest now. Amid fierce combat, I adapted in real-time.
"Boss status?"
I asked Elena, who wore the commander's comm artifact, relaying intel for me.
"Evan's... fighting alone."
"Not getting pushed?"
"Holding 3-7 odds, barely..."
Elena looked worried for Evan, ready to rush if I allowed.
But she held. I told her:
"Don't worry. He's not dying easy."
"But..."
"Who do you think trained him? Me. I did."
Me—the ex-hunter, monster expert—trained Evan. Not Tianis profs. Me.
His monster-fighting skills? Ironclad.
"So..."
I cleaved a monster, continuing:
"Focus on the fight."
"...Understood."
"And your appearance means..."
A monster blocked us—a colossal drake that could smash walls effortlessly.
I knew what its emergence signaled.
"This war's nearing endgame."
Second-strongest after bosses. One lurked per field.
"I'll handle it. You lead the others—keep interference off me."
"Yes."
Elena nodded, ordering elves and beastkin. They spread wide, clearing surroundings.
The space expanded. Only me and the drake remained.
To the softly growling beast, I said:
"Let's play, just us."
I channeled mana into my ring, drawing its power.
Unique Magic: Domain Declaration
Mana rippled outward from me.