Chapter 233: Sweep Them All Away! (3)
Chapter 233: Sweep Them All Away! (3)
The first to fly in were…
“Senior Iron! Are you alright?”
“Riman?”
It was the Magic Swordsmen led by Riman Sierra.
They had literally flown to the scene.
To Iron and his comrades, who had been struggling in the sky against the swarm of monsters, their appearance was…
“Hahaha. You look like an angel, Riman.”
“I am glad you are safe. Please fall back and rest now.”
At Riman’s words, Iron wanted to put on a front and say he would fight to the end, but…
I don’t have the strength for that.
Just keeping his Soul Weapon active was a struggle. He nodded and spoke to Riman.
“I’ll leave the rest to you, Riman…”
With that, Iron and his companions slowly descended toward the ground.
They had done their absolute best.
Even when the mages from the Tower of Truth insisted on retreating, they had refused to join them, staying behind to fight until the very end.
Without them, the Schneider territory—which lacked any other means to stop flying monsters—would never have been able to maintain its defensive line.
“You did well.”
Riman bowed his head slightly toward his senior. Then, he turned his gaze back to the enemies filling his vision.
A cold fury dwelled in Riman’s normally composed eyes.
“Logically speaking…”
He pushed up his glasses and spoke.
“You’re all dead.”
Where exactly was the logic in that? Regardless, Riman radiated a fierce fighting spirit unlike his usual self as he shouted to his comrades.
“Burn them all to ashes!”
“Yes, sir!”
Riman and the 150 Magic Swordsmen, all with their Soul Weapons active, unleashed fire toward the enemy.
Immediately, explosions of heat and thunderous roars on a scale incomparable to anything seen before began to erupt in the skies over the Schneider territory.
Boom! Crash!
“Skreeeeeee!”
“Kaaaaah!”
Charred Wyverns and Gargoyles plummeted to the earth.
They were vividly demonstrating why the Tower of Truth was considered one of the Three Great Powers of the continent, despite not being a nation.
A Magic Swordsman was powerful individually.
However, their destructive power when gathered as a group was on an entirely different level.
As they soared through the sky, pouring out monstrous firepower with their Soul Weapons, the monsters they faced almost looked pitiful.
They rapidly began to purge the enemies from the skies of the Schneider territory.
* * *
At the same moment the tide turned in the sky, a similar event was unfolding on the ground.
“Here we goooo!”
Sanson led the charge at the very front of the Double Dragon Knights.
Formed in a wedge formation, they pierced through the monster horde like a massive spear of steel.
Regardless of what stood in their path, they charged straight ahead and impaled it.
And right behind them…
“Uwooooooo!”
“Ooooooh!”
Masses of green muscle descended upon the monster legion with a chaotic but overwhelming momentum.
The destructive power of the Orc Legion, which had grown to 2,000 in number, was truly immense.
That green wave swallowed the enemy like a literal tsunami.
The large-type monsters remaining on the ground were being cleared away like sand washed away by a tide. And then…
“Everyone, draw!”
At the command of Kilios, the King of the Elves, hundreds of Elves drew their bows simultaneously. Then…
“Elemental Arrow, prepare!”
Following Kilios’s order, they all summoned spirits.
“Salamander.”
“Flame!”
They summoned fire spirits to dwell within their arrows. Some summoned wind spirits to make those flames even larger and more intense.
And then…
“Fire!”
Hundreds of arrows imbued with spirit flames soared into the sky. Soon…
Boom! Crash! Bang! Boom!
They unleashed a wave of indiscriminate destruction akin to a natural disaster.
The number of monsters still swarming in the rear was halved in an instant.
In the wake of the bombardment, there was nothing left but indistinguishable chunks of meat.
The only thing still alive and squirming was…
—Kruoooooooh!
It was an Earth Dragon, struggling with half its body buried in the ground.
Its thick scales had managed to withstand the brutal bombardment.
Once, that is.
“Prepare for the second volley!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Concentrated fire. Target: the Earth Dragon!”
At Kilios’s voice, every Elven archer aimed their arrows at the Earth Dragon.
In an instant, the Earth Dragon’s large pupils shook as if an earthquake were occurring.
Was it a warning from its primal instincts as a living creature?
Thump! Thud!
It struggled desperately to break free from the ground, but it was futile.
The high-level earth spirit summoned by Faeorn would never grant it freedom of movement. And then…
“Fire!”
The hundreds of arrows that took flight at Kilios’s command…
Rumble, crash, bang, boom!
They rained down, concentrated solely on the Earth Dragon.
Truly, not a single arrow missed its mark.
—Kruoooooooh!
The relentless Elven assault gave the Earth Dragon the hottest shower it had ever experienced.
The Earth Dragon howled in agony, and the soldiers atop the castle walls watched with their mouths agape.
“Wo… Wow…”
“Look at that…”
“I’m speechless.”
That monstrous Earth Dragon was being roasted to a crisp so thoroughly it was almost pitiable.
“So that’s what Elves are like.”
“No kidding.”
“I mean, they’re Elves.”
Usually, when one thought of Elves, didn't images of peace-loving, benevolent, kind, and wise beings come to mind?
Yet the sight before them now radiated a terrifying firepower that made them look like incarnations of destruction.
[Elves are servants of Yupinel, just like humans, and are beings of superior intelligence and noble character. Therefore, capturing and using them as slaves is an unjust and barbaric act.]
This was the official definition of Elves announced by the Saint Louis Holy Church State.
It was a long-winded way of saying that capturing Elves as slaves was forbidden.
Why was such an announcement made?
Was it truly because they were beings of noble character, as stated?
No. That was merely the public reason.
The real reason such an announcement had to be made was that the power of the Elves was absolutely not to be trifled with.
Provoking them and turning them into enemies would mean creating a formidable foe, so the official stance was declared to prevent that.
Even if some humans caused trouble, it was merely the reckless actions of a few; we humans respect and acknowledge you.
It was a way of walking on eggshells around them.
In other words, Elves were just that strong.
The reason they had never been pushed back in power struggles and conflicts with humans for thousands of years was that they were beings of great power.
That power was being proven right here, right now.
—Kruoooooooh!
And the Earth Dragon was dying, letting out its final death rattle.
* * *
The situation had completely shifted.
The ground, the sky, and even the Earth Dragon—which had been a severe threat—were all dealt with.
However, it wasn't over yet.
A streak of light raced straight across the battlefield.
Though there were obstacles in the way, the figure didn't even bother engaging them, running in a straight line.
The target was the massive form ahead.
A monster even larger than the Earth Dragon, with nine heads, dragging its belly as it advanced.
A Hydra.
Naturally, it was Patrick who was racing toward that monster.
The other monsters could be left to the others.
But he had realized the moment he saw it.
The energy radiating from it was extraordinary.
He knew he had to handle this one himself.
Patrick charged, transformed into a streak of light.
And right beside him, a streak of golden light caught up, matching his speed.
The only swordsman capable of keeping up with Patrick’s speed.
“I will join you, Young Master.”
It was April.
Wearing armor crafted from Ogre hide and her blonde hair tied back tightly, she pulled up alongside Patrick.
Patrick glanced at her without a word and nodded.
The moment their intentions aligned…
—Krah-aaaaaang!
The nine heads howled simultaneously, letting out a thunderous roar.
It was a high-pitched sound loud enough to physically vibrate the air.
However, the two did not flinch in the slightest as they charged toward the Hydra.
Sensing the threat, the Hydra’s throats bulged. And then…
Sssssssssss!
Acidic breath capable of melting even steel erupted from the nine mouths at once.
The nine heads continued to vomit acidic liquid, following the two as they split to the left and right.
However, the two moved far faster than the Hydra’s acidic breath could travel, dodging the attacks until the very end.
And finally…
—Grrrrr…
Having finished its massive discharge of gastric juice, the Hydra caught its breath.
The breath attack was over. Then…
Boom!
Without even exchanging a signal, the two charged toward the Hydra from the left and right simultaneously.
The Hydra was momentarily flustered, and in that time, the two closed the distance, accelerating further until they became flashes of light.
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles (雙龍八劍式)
Third Form (第三式)
Apex Flash Dragon Strike (閃龍擊).
In an instant, the two flashes of light, doubly accelerated, struck the Hydra’s body from both sides.
Crrraaaaack!
—Krah-aaaaang!
The Hydra screamed from the powerful impact hitting it from both sides at once.
Enraged by the intense pain that felt as if its ribs were shattering, the beast moved its nine heads simultaneously to attack the small beings that had caused it pain.
Five for Patrick.
Four for April.
A total of nine heads moved in a complex dance to bite and swallow the two.
Crunch! Snap!
Against the Hydra’s attacks, which could chew through solid ground or rock like cookies, Patrick and April responded with even more agile movements.
Moving so fast that it was difficult to even catch an afterimage, the Hydra’s sharp teeth repeatedly snapped at nothing but air. And then…
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
In those openings, Patrick’s slashes were swung rapidly.
In less than a second, five or six attacks struck the Hydra’s shoulder, but the beast’s scales remained intact.
“Tsk, scales that can withstand Aura…”
It was Aura imbued with 7-Star internal energy, yet the Hydra withstood the attack with ease.
Seeing this, April changed her course and lunged for the Hydra’s heads.
If the Young Master’s Aura Blade doesn’t work, mine won’t either.
The scales on the torso looked incredibly tough.
But what about the necks, which moved so fluidly and agilely?
April’s body, leaping forward rapidly, rotated at high speed parallel to the ground.
Spinning like a top, April reached the Hydra’s neck, and at that moment, she unleashed a full-moon slash.
Slaaaaash!
The attack was so sharp it sent one of the Hydra’s heads flying.
Having severed one of the nine heads, April landed on the ground and shouted.
“Young Master! You must strike the necks!”
“Right. The necks, you say?”
Patrick licked his lips.
If there was a weakness, the strategy was simple.
The Aura gathered on Patrick’s sword extended beyond three meters, then four… then five meters.
Having grown his Aura enough to slice through the massive Hydra’s heads in a single stroke, Patrick…
“It’s over.”
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
First Form
Black and White Twin Dragon Dance
His left and right swords moved in a dazzling yet bizarre trajectory, beginning to lop off the Hydra’s necks one by one.
One, two, three, four…
The remaining eight heads, excluding the one April had already cut, were severed with startling ease.
The Hydra’s massive heads fell to the ground with heavy thuds, until finally, the very last head was cleanly taken off.
“That was easier than I thought… Hmm.”
Landing on the ground, Patrick frowned.
He had lopped off all nine heads, yet he could still feel energy coming from the Hydra’s body.
It didn't even seem particularly smaller than before.
And he soon found out why.
“Young Master!”
Simultaneous with April’s shout, the Hydra’s teeth snapped down on Patrick.
Crunch!
Well, on his afterimage, at least.
Before anyone knew it, the real Patrick was standing behind April with a nonchalant expression.
“It regenerates its heads?”
“……”
“How ridiculous. What kind of creature is this?”
At the sight of Patrick, April breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been startled for a moment, but thinking about it, her Young Master wasn't someone who would be caught by such an attack. However…
“This might be a bit of a headache.”
Patrick frowned as he watched the heads gradually regenerate with bubbling foam from the severed surfaces of the necks.
It seemed that for this creature, the head wasn't a particularly fatal weak point.
Even a Troll would die if its head was taken off, but this thing regenerated them casually.
The vital spot must be the torso.
Patrick’s energy sense felt it clearly.
Deep within the Hydra’s torso, protected by those hard scales, he could feel the source of its energy.
That was likely its vital spot.
However, the scales on the body were too hard.
Hard enough that even Patrick’s Aura had difficulty cutting through them.
Should I use my full power? No… I can’t.
If he unleashed his full power and poured out his Aura, he could win. But he couldn't afford to exhaust all his strength on this thing right here. It was then.
Pop!
An arrow imbued with spirit flames flew in and exploded against one of the Hydra’s regenerating heads.
The one who had fired the arrow was…
“Lord Patrick. Please cut the heads again. I will provide cover.”
“Elione?”
It was the Elven Knight, Elione.