Chapter 329: Youngsters These Days Are Truly Frightening (3)
Chapter 329: Youngsters These Days Are Truly Frightening (3)
The annihilation of the Magellan Kingdom and the Harbor Duchy.
This served as a severe wake-up call to the Allied Forces, who had been brimming with confidence.
In truth, if they hadn't come to their senses now, there would be no hope for them. Seventy thousand men had been wiped out in a single skirmish; how could they not be alert?
They hurriedly consolidated their strength and reorganized their ranks. While they remained wary of a potential counteroffensive from the Yuzef Kingdom, the kingdom remained strangely quiet.
It almost felt as if they were being considerate, giving the Allies time to prepare for a proper showdown.
And so…
With the Sword Saint, Duke Carlos Dante Reinardo, appointed as the Commander-in-Chief, the reorganized Allied Forces began a full-scale, fierce confrontation with the Yuzef Kingdom.
It was the beginning of the cursed conflict that would later be known as the War of the Outer Gods.
July 1, 1531.
The Sword Saint personally led the Allied Forces to attack the main camp of the Yuzef Kingdom.
"Do not retreat! The enemy is the foe of the entire continent!"
"Holy Knights, move forward! No matter how strong they are, the enemy is still undead. Melt them away with Divine Power!"
At the commander's order, the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom stepped forward in unison, tracing the holy sign over their chests as they unleashed their Divine Power.
"O Yupinel, return these beings who have defied the order of the world back to the earth. Turn Undead!"
"Turn Undead!"
"Turn Undead!"
The Divine Power unleashed simultaneously by hundreds of Holy Knights and monks was lethal to the undead created by the dark mages.
The undead that came into contact with the holy light literally melted away, and even some of the dark mages appeared to be wounded. However…
"Arrogant fools… Did you think we wouldn't prepare for such trivial tricks?"
Grid, a direct disciple of the Jonsa within the Yuzef Kingdom, gnashed his teeth and gave the command.
"Deploy the Enemy Knights."
"Yes, sir!"
Following his order, knights clad in crimson armor advanced to the front lines.
Since most of them were also undead, they should have been vulnerable to Divine Power. However…
Clang! Vroom!
The situation changed the moment Aura Blades manifested on all of their swords.
By unleashing their Aura to push back the influence of the Divine Power, they withstood the Holy Knights' assault. And then…
"Go! Kill them all!"
The moment Grid’s command fell, they charged toward the enemies before them.
There were at least two hundred of them.
Over two hundred knights, all capable of manifesting Aura Blades.
"What? What are those monsters?!"
The Sword Saint sprang up from his seat and shouted.
He had expected the enemy to have a hidden trump card after hearing that the Allied vanguard had been decimated. But he had never imagined something so absurd.
Seven-Star knights charging in, filling the front lines? Even if he gathered every Seven-Star knight in the Empire, they wouldn't amount to half that number. How was this possible?
While he stood in shock, the Enemy Knights had already crashed into the Holy Knights and monks at the front. And then…
"Aaaargh!"
"Yupi— gurgle…"
"Eaaaaaaah!"
A horrific massacre ensued.
The Holy Knights had been placed at the front to deal with the undead monsters summoned by the dark mages; they never expected to clash head-on with a force of this caliber.
The moment the two sides collided, the Holy Knights and monks collapsed like sandcastles hit by a tidal wave.
"No! Protect the Holy Knights!"
The Sword Saint shouted urgently, drawing his own sword and leaping forward.
As he charged, the Imperial Knights naturally followed suit.
Though relations between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom were usually strained, the situation was different now. The enemy was the dark mages—beings whose specialty was summoning the dead and demons from hell.
To face such foes, the presence of the Holy Kingdom was indispensable. Without them, there was no effective way to counter the dark mages' undead summons.
To save as many Holy Knights and monks as possible, the Sword Saint lunged forward and unleashed a full-power strike.
"Ooooooh!"
Though he had surrendered the title of the strongest on the continent, the Sword Saint was still the Sword Saint. Two Enemy Knights caught in his strike vanished instantly, leaving not a trace behind.
Inspired by the Sword Saint’s prowess, the Imperial Knights also charged bravely into the Enemy Knights.
"You bastards…"
"Do not underestimate the Empire!"
The Sword Saint and his thirty Seven-Star guardian knights provided a glimmer of hope. Though their overall numbers were inferior, their counterattack created an opening on the battlefield.
The relentless advance of the Enemy Knights was momentarily halted, and there were those who did not miss that window to do their part.
"Now! Pour it on them!"
At the command of the Second Sage of the Tower of Truth, hundreds of mages who had been pre-casting their spells simultaneously unleashed fire, ice, and lightning.
Boom! Crash! Roar!
The ground trembled slightly from the terrifying explosions.
The Tower of Truth, which could be considered the polar opposite of the dark mages, unleashed devastating firepower. Their magical bombardment caused significant damage to some of the Enemy Knights and the regular Yuzef troops following behind them.
However, they weren't the only ones capable of such feats.
From the rear of the Yuzef Kingdom, dark mages in black robes rose into the air. And then…
"I'll return it tenfold!"
Ras, another direct disciple of the Jonsa, began a simultaneous casting with his subordinates.
Instantly, black fireballs formed above their heads, rapidly growing in size. Ras chanted a single spell, and the other dark mages added their strength to it, amplifying its power. It was a secret technique possible only for dark mages whose mana properties were identical.
"Block it!"
"Don't let them fire!"
The Seven Sages knew the destructive power of that attack all too well. Magic swordsmen desperately took to the sky, attempting to interrupt the dark mages' casting. But…
"Too late!"
Accompanied by Ras’s jubilant voice, the massive spell was finally completed.
"Hellfire."
An ultimate high-heat spell that could only be used by those who had reached the pinnacle of dark magic. If those flames of hell were to fall upon the Allied formation, the results would be catastrophic.
"No!"
"Stop it!"
The Seven Sages frantically deployed protective magic, trying to shield their allies at any cost.
And at that moment…
Flash!
Almost simultaneously, two streaks of light soared into the sky.
One was a golden flash, gripping a massive Aura Blade over ten meters long in both hands; the other was a blue flash, even faster than the first. And then…
Slash!
The blue flash unleashed a powerful single strike, splitting the dark mages' spell in half.
The Hellfire was cleaved in two. Following right behind it, the golden flash hacked the bisected flames of hell into pieces.
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles
Fourth Form
Twin Dragons’ Chaotic Dance
K-boom!
The Hellfire, shredded into dozens of pieces by the Aura Blade, finally exploded in mid-air.
The ones who had blocked this horrific attack and saved the lives of tens of thousands of allies were April Schneider of the Schneider Duchy and…
"Ohhh…"
"Lord Kenoyer!"
Kenoyer Grass.
He was the Guardian, the Tower of Truth’s greatest combat asset, who had remained hidden until now. He landed on the ground and spoke to April in a blunt voice.
"Thank you for the assistance."
"…It was nothing."
April had a slightly surprised expression, which was unlike her.
And for good reason.
‘We jumped at the same time, but he was faster than me.’
Aside from Patrick, this was the first time she had been outpaced in speed. She had expected him to be strong, given his title as the Tower’s greatest asset, but she had assumed he would only be slightly stronger than Riman Sierra.
This, however, was on a different level.
‘Is he at least on par with the Sword Saint? Or perhaps even stronger?’
Looking closely now, he wasn't just shrouded in lightning. His very body had transformed into an incarnation of thunder. Even the sword in his hand was made of lightning. Was this possible when one's mastery of a Soul Weapon reached its limit?
Kenoyer spoke to the admiring April.
"It seems we must join the fray as well."
"Understood."
"I will take the left. The Grand Duchess will…"
"I'll take the right."
The two locked eyes and nodded simultaneously. Immediately after…
Zip! Boom!
April charged forward with explosive force. Kenoyer moved at such high speeds that not even a vibration of sound was left behind.
Though their styles differed, the two streaks of light tore across the battlefield and plunged into the heart of the Yuzef Kingdom’s main force.
* * *
"Hahaha! Good. Very good!"
Grid was intoxicated with joy.
This was it. This was exactly what he wanted.
The constant screams of despair and the death rattles of the dying. The thrilling killing intent of the strong charging for his throat. All of it excited him.
He had been forced to endure and suppress himself until the day of the Salvation’s Sunset arrived, but everything he sought was right here.
"Fine. Shall we reveal one more card?"
As he raised his hand, a man carrying a massive two-handed sword appeared from behind him.
The Overlord, Sierion Byssus Yuzef.
He stepped forward.
The Overlord sprinted across the battlefield. His target was the titan who was fiercely holding back the Enemy Knights alongside his subordinates.
The Sword Saint.
"Come."
Sensing the presence of the Overlord charging toward him, the Sword Saint did not shrink back in the slightest. Instead, he pushed his Aura Blade to its limit, preparing to meet the Overlord. And then…
Wooooooong.
The King’s Sword.
The symbol of a king and proof of the 8-Star realm. However, unlike before, it was not a brilliant, pure white blade that rose high over the battlefield, but a deep, pitch-black sword.
The Overlord’s sword swung down.
In response, the Sword Saint stepped forward and swung his sword to meet it.
KABOOM!
The clash between two 8-Star masters blew away everyone fighting fiercely in the vicinity…
Boom!
One of the two combatants was sent flying backward. The result left the Allied knights in shock.
"Huh?"
"Duke!"
The one sent flying was the Sword Saint.
The Imperial Knights rushed toward the Sword Saint, who had been knocked back after taking the Overlord’s strike. The Sword Saint slowly stood up and raised a hand to stop them. And then…
"Youngsters these days are truly frightening."
The Sword Saint rose slowly. Though he was covered in dust, his physical condition was perfectly fine.
Absolute.
The Sword Saint’s unique technique, which had even given Patrick trouble, had saved him from the Overlord’s blow. He looked down at his tattered armor and…
Rip! Tear!
He simply tore it off.
His well-trained upper body, which defied his age, was revealed.
‘Armor is meaningless anyway.’
It was better to make his body as light as possible. It might be a small difference, but one never knew. When engaging in a real battle against someone of his 'own level,' one had to mind even the smallest details.
"I shall take your head here and end this war."
"……."
The Overlord did not answer. He simply raised his sword.
The Sword Saint realized from the Overlord’s demeanor that he wasn't in a normal state of mind, but he didn't have the luxury to be considerate.
"I'm coming at you with everything I've got."
Immediately after…
Boom! Crash!
The Sword Saint and the Overlord began their duel in earnest.
* * *
The battlefield was hell.
Perhaps it was because the Enemy Knights had pushed back the Holy Knights so significantly in the beginning? Divine Power failed to reach every corner of the battlefield, and the dark mages took advantage of the gaps to indiscriminately raise undead monsters.
"Ugh… Aaaah!"
"No! Stay away!"
Soldiers who had died on the battlefield, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, rose as zombies.
While they might not have been a serious threat to regular knights, they instilled profound terror in the common soldiers. The fact that they could become like that if they died sent the soldiers into a panic, making them deaf to their commanders' orders.
The ground war turned into a chaotic melee, while in the sky, a fierce battle of firepower continued between the dark mages and the mages of the Tower.
"Curse Fire!"
"Frost Arrow!"
The magical duel between the Tower of Truth and the dark mages was intense. The Seven Sages personally stepped in to use their magic, but they couldn't gain a clear advantage.
Grid, Ras, and Envy—the direct disciples of the Jonsa. The power of these three was by no means inferior to the Seven Sages. In fact, their combat experience far surpassed that of the Sages.
Where would the Seven Sages, who had spent their entire lives researching in the Tower of Truth, have gained such practical combat experience?
In contrast, the Jonsa’s direct disciples were those who had been scouted by the Jonsa after surviving countless life-and-death situations in the shadows of the world.
That difference was becoming painfully clear.
As a result, the Seven Sages became increasingly focused on defense. Even if they couldn't defeat the enemy, they were determined to at least stop the fireballs from falling onto their allies' heads.