Chapter 322: You’re in the Way (1)
Chapter 322: You’re in the Way (1)
February 5, 1531.
The Grand Duchy of Schneider entered the war with 20,000 troops, answering the Magellan Kingdom’s plea for aid.
A mere 20,000 soldiers might seem too few to shift the tides of war. However…
“Let’s go!”
“Yes, Brother!”
“…….”
The story changed significantly when those 20,000 were led by three 7-Star Knights and a multitude of 6-Star Knights.
Sanson Kainel, Oliver A.
And the Grand Duchess of Schneider, April Schneider.
The moment those three took the lead with the Double Dragon Knights supporting them from behind, the Schneider forces displayed terrifying destructive power.
April’s performance, in particular, was spectacular as she moved independently of the main knight order.
Once the battle commenced, she became a flash of golden light, weaving through the battlefield at will.
And she did it entirely alone.
The enemies, who tried to respond to the knights’ breakthrough by surrounding them, were helpless against April’s movements and could only fall in despair.
“It’s… it’s reinforcements!”
“A dragon wreathed in twin swords? Is that…?”
“It’s the Double Dragon Knights of the Schneider Grand Duchy!”
“Waaaaaaaah!”
The soldiers of the Magellan Kingdom, who had been prepared for total annihilation in the face of overwhelming odds, erupted in cheers.
The prowess shown by the Schneider forces was just that overwhelming.
With three 7-Star Knights leading the charge, they pushed back the Yuzef Kingdom’s army with the momentum of a tidal wave sweeping away a sandcastle.
Of course, the enemy did not simply sit back and take the beating.
A man leading a unit of knights galloped forward to stop the man at the tip of the Schneider spearhead.
“I am Marquis Lobsky, the Godly Spear of the Yuzef Kingdom!”
Dustin Lobsky charged with fierce momentum.
Boom!
His thrust collided with Sanson’s twin swords.
In an instant, the horses both men were riding could not withstand the shock; their legs snapped under the pressure.
The two men leaped off with agile movements before their mounts could collapse.
In a duel between 7-Star Knights, horses were nothing but a hindrance.
After landing, Marquis Lobsky pointed his spear at Sanson and spoke.
“I am Marquis Dustin Lobsky, the Godly Spear of the Great Yuzef Kingdom.”
He had originally held the rank of Count in the Yuzef Kingdom, but through his distinguished service on the battlefield, he had been promoted to Marquis.
Sanson raised his swords in a knightly salute and replied.
“I am Count Sanson Kainel of the Schneider Grand Duchy.”
At those words, Marquis Lobsky ground his teeth.
“What are you Schneider country bumpkins hoping to gain by sticking your noses into someone else’s war?”
“Well, I don’t know much about politics, so I can’t give you a reason for that. However…”
Sanson vividly remembered the devastation of war he had witnessed on his way to this battlefield.
Homes burned and destroyed.
Mountains of corpses with not a single survivor in sight.
Recalling those scenes, Sanson’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.
“Even if it weren’t the Grand Duke’s command, I don’t believe there is any justice to be found in a war like this.”
“…….”
“Therefore, as a knight, I shall stop you. That reason alone is sufficient.”
Marquis Lobsky curled one side of his mouth into a crooked smirk.
“Sanson Kainel, was it?”
“It is.”
“You certainly have a silver tongue.”
“Thank you for the compli—”
“Die!”
Before Sanson could finish his sentence, Lobsky’s spear lunged forward in a surprise attack, aiming to pierce through him.
CLANG!
Sanson raised his swords to block the ambush. An Aura Blade exploded brilliantly between the two.
But Marquis Lobsky’s assault didn’t end with a single strike.
“Die, you Schneider peasant!”
Dustin Lobsky.
The Godly Spear of the former Decatur Kingdom.
The Godly Spear of the current Yuzef Kingdom.
And, crucially, he was a man who held a massive grudge against Patrick.
Swinging his spear ferociously, its Aura Blade extending over a meter, he unleashed a continuous barrage of attacks aimed at Sanson’s entire body.
Sanson moved his twin swords calmly, parrying every strike.
Bang! Crash! Boom!
Lobsky’s fierce onslaught continued.
Sanson focused on defense for the time being, carefully receiving the attacks.
‘He’s fast. And his movements are concise.’
In truth, this was Sanson’s first time facing a 7-Star Knight in actual combat.
Furthermore, his opponent’s weapon was a spear, which was unfamiliar to him.
Thus, he intended to focus on defense in the early stages to observe his opponent.
Seeing Sanson like this, Marquis Lobsky believed he had seized the advantage.
“I’ll finish you!”
Bang! Bang! Boom!
His consecutive thrusts accelerated.
The power increased in proportion to the speed, and eventually, when the speed reached its peak, the tip of the spear seemed to vanish.
At least, that was how it appeared to onlookers.
Rumble!
The countless consecutive thrusts became a single torrent, overwhelming the enemy.
The powerful thrusts and the continuous discharge of the Aura Blade were like waves crashing one after another.
It was Marquis Lobsky’s finishing move, one that had previously pierced through another 7-Star Knight.
‘This is the strike I perfected just to get back at that damn bastard.’
It was a ultimate technique born of obsession and resentment. But the problem was…
“That was a fine move.”
His opponent had parried the finishing blow with total composure.
Sanson had perfectly blocked every single one of Marquis Lobsky’s consecutive attacks with his swords.
Marquis Lobsky faltered, his voice trembling.
“How… how did you block that?”
“…You thrust, so I simply blocked.”
“You’re saying you saw all of my consecutive attacks?”
“Of course. That’s why I blocked them.”
“…….”
Sanson’s face wore an expression that seemed to ask, Is there a problem?
Marquis Lobsky ground his teeth at him.
“Like master, like servant. You’re just as insufferable as that damn bastard.”
“Huh?”
“You’re incredibly annoying. Is that a Schneider tradition?”
There was no need to wonder who the “damn bastard” was.
Oliver, who had been standing a short distance away, approached Sanson.
“It sounds like he’s been dealt with by the Young Lord before.”
“I figured as much, didn’t you?”
“Who else could it be?”
“True.”
The two of them looked at Marquis Lobsky simultaneously.
The heir to the Schneider Grand Duchy had just been insulted.
As vassals who had sworn loyalty to House Schneider, the two knights displayed the attitude they deemed appropriate.
“Well, we’re sorry about that.”
“I don’t know the details, but I agree that our Young Lord was almost certainly in the wrong.”
Where was the loyalty?
Where was the knightly duty?
“…….”
Marquis Lobsky was actually bewildered by this completely unexpected reaction.
It was his first time receiving sympathy from an enemy in the middle of a war.
‘Is there not a single normal person in the Schneider Grand Duchy?’
Then, Sanson spoke to Marquis Lobsky.
“But, you know.”
“What?”
“Our Young Lord might have been in the wrong, but it would be better for your well-being if you retracted what you just said.”
“Arrogant brat!”
Marquis Lobsky slammed the butt of his spear into the ground and shouted with a dignified voice.
“Do you dare threaten Dustin Lobsky, the Godly Spear of the Yuzef Kingdom?”
Sanson and Oliver looked at the posturing Marquis with pitying expressions.
“It’s not really a threat…”
“It’s advice. Pure, heartfelt advice born of genuine goodwill.”
“Honestly, there’s no need to give this kind of advice to an enemy on the battlefield.”
“Hey, we’re all human, aren’t we?”
“I suppose so.”
Hearing their conversation, the veins on Marquis Lobsky’s forehead bulged.
“Shut up! You damn Double Dragon lackeys! I’ll kill you all!”
At those words, Sanson and Oliver sighed in unison.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“He really should have listened to our advice.”
And then, something was approaching from behind them at high speed. That thing, rushing forward like a golden flash, was…
“Who dares!”
A woman who could never tolerate any slander against Patrick Schneider.
It was April Schneider.
She had been flanking the enemy’s right wing, but the moment she heard the insult directed at Patrick, she sharply veered off course and charged in a straight line toward Marquis Lobsky.
Seeing her, Marquis Lobsky…
“How dare you!”
He quickly thrust his spear toward April, who was charging him alone.
Swish!
The thrust, cutting through the air, was devoid of any wasted movement.
It was a strike that had grown even more refined through the arduous training he had undergone after his defeat by Patrick.
It was perfect, as if the word ‘discipline’ itself had been forged into the strike. However…
Grab!
His opponent was April.
She reached out and caught Marquis Lobsky’s spear with her bare hand.
In that moment, Marquis Lobsky’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He hadn't expected her to catch the spear outright, rather than dodging or parrying it.
And that wasn't all.
Without losing her momentum, April used her grip on the spear to vault herself into the air, leaping forward. And then…
CRACK!
Her long, beautiful leg traced an elegant arc and slammed into Marquis Lobsky’s head.
‘Ugh…!’
The impact was so great that Marquis Lobsky felt his consciousness flickering. But he was a 7-Star Knight in his own right.
In fact, he was quite high-ranked among them.
“Hmph!”
Steadying his fading mind, Marquis Lobsky quickly stepped back to regain his balance.
He channeled his Aura to its absolute limit. Then…
Creak. Snap!
His forearms swelled to an unnatural size.
Simultaneously, the arm guards on his forearms shattered and fell to the ground, unable to withstand the expansion of his muscles. Then…
“Haaaaah!”
Marquis Lobsky swung his spear upward with all his might, as if yanking on a fishing rod.
April’s slender body was flung high into the sky.
Marquis Lobsky prepared to fire an Aura Blade at the airborne April.
But before he could, April regained her posture in mid-air.
The moment Sanson and Oliver saw her cross her twin swords behind her back in that specific stance, they scrambled to get out of the way. And then…
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles.
Second Style.
Great Dragon Cross Sword.
A massive cross-shaped slash plummeted toward the earth.
Faced with an attack that looked like a judgment descending from the heavens, Marquis Lobsky frantically extended his Aura Blade to block it. However…
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Aura Blade he unleashed was far too weak to withstand April’s strike.
The cross-shaped slash completely crushed the ground where he stood.
“You’re still alive, I see.”
April landed gracefully and spoke coldly as she looked down at the twitching Marquis Lobsky.
Her expression was frostier than ice.
As she approached Marquis Lobsky with her sword drawn, Sanson hurriedly shouted.
“Grand Duchess! We must take him prisoner!”
April’s brow furrowed slightly.
“He insulted the Young Lord.”
“I’m sure the Young Lord did something to deserve it.”
“…….”
“A-Ah, no. That’s not what I meant.”
Damn my big mouth, Sanson thought.
He panicked as April glared sharply at him.
Just then, Oliver, standing behind Sanson, spoke up.
“Didn’t the Grand Duke order us to bring this war to a peaceful conclusion?”
“…….”
“It’s better to capture him and use him for prisoner negotiations. A 7-Star Knight is a very important hostage.”
At Oliver’s words, April reluctantly sheathed her sword.
And so, the Grand Duchy of Schneider secured a crushing victory from the very start of the war.