Chapter 330: Kill the Sword Saint (1)
Chapter 330: Kill the Sword Saint (1)
The battle was nothing short of fierce.
A brutal struggle unfolded across both the land and the sky, with the military might of both sides locked in a tense confrontation.
However, as time passed, the scales began to tip, slowly but surely, in one direction.
"Kwooooooar!"
Massive demonic beasts and demons from hell were summoned sporadically across the battlefield.
The number of summons from the dark mages grew one by one. Of course, the Allied Forces tried to respond each time.
"Priests! What are the priests doing?"
"Send them back, quickly!"
The divine power of the priests, who governed the axis of order, could forcibly banish summons crawling up from hell back from the Middle World.
In the beginning, they had certainly responded that way. The problem, however, was that as time went on, it became increasingly difficult to withstand the sheer volume the dark mages were summoning.
The reason was clear.
"Damn it, if only the Holy Knights hadn't taken such heavy losses at the start..."
Oiros Ryan, one of the 12 Paladins that the Holy Kingdom took such pride in, gnashed his teeth.
Fighting the Enemy Knights with his entire body hardened like steel, he occasionally unleashed divine power to neutralize the summons and undead brought forth by the dark mages.
But even that was reaching its limit.
God’s power was infinite, but the mind and soul that channeled that power were not.
If he, a Paladin, was in this state, how much worse must it be for the others?
Looking around, he saw countless Holy Knights and monks already gasping for breath.
As expected, the issue was having suffered too many casualties against the Enemy Knights in the opening stages.
And as the demonic beasts and demons of hell began to trample the common soldiers in earnest, the casualties on their side increased exponentially.
"Damn it, hold them back! I said hold them back!"
"Glory Knight Order, charge!"
"We’re going too!"
The knights of the Allied Forces also fought desperately, giving their all.
The performance of the Double Dragon Knights from the Schneider Duchy was particularly impressive.
Composed entirely of knights who had reached the 4-Star realm or higher, they unleashed Aura from their twin swords to face the demons. Had it not been for them, the front lines would have collapsed much sooner.
"Father, we will go as well."
The man calling Grand Duke Schneider "Father" and requesting to join the fray was a massive Orc with green skin and red tattoos etched across his body.
It was Tutan, the Great Warrior of the Red Rock Tribe.
As Patrick’s sworn brother, he had naturally begun calling Grand Duke Schneider "Father" at some point.
He and the 50,000 Orc warriors following him were a formidable force, but Grand Duke Schneider had been keeping them in the rear.
The reason was...
"This is a war of humans. I appreciate your desire to help, but..."
"We did not come here just to watch. Please, let us go."
"You might die."
"A warrior does not fear death."
At Tutan’s resolute words, Grand Duke Schneider squeezed his eyes shut.
Though he had asked for their help and brought them along, he did not want to spill their blood on a human battlefield if possible.
What reason did these simple folk have to bleed for the struggles of humans?
That was why Grand Duke Schneider had kept the Orcs and Elves in the rear, despite the glares and pressure from the other Allied Forces. However...
'If the tide of battle continues like this, the Allied Forces will lose.'
That would mean victory for the dark mages.
The Middle World could very well turn into hell. Just then...
"Warriors of the forest! Advance for our neighbors and for justice!"
The voice of Kilios, the King and warrior of the Elves, rang out as he held his spear high.
Following his lead, a thousand Elven warriors plunged into the battlefield.
"You... you..."
Grand Duke Schneider was at a loss for words.
He hadn't expected the Elves to charge out like this while even the Orcs were holding back. And Tutan...
"Father. When my brother arrives, please tell him that Tutan died fighting as a warrior."
He could no longer endure it.
If he, a member of a warrior race, stayed behind the Elves, it would be a matter of pride.
"Great warriors of the Orcs! Let us gooooo!"
"Uwooooooooar!"
"Uwooooooooar!"
A Battle Howling thundered across the battlefield.
Simultaneously, a red light flickered in the eyes of all the Orcs, and the Force sleeping within them began to resonate.
Unlike the Aura wielded by the followers of Yupinel, the Force wielded by the subjects of Kalaron was far more savage and destructive.
Above all, the terrifying thing about the Orcs was...
"Wooooar!"
"Out of my way!"
...that they displayed terrifying destructive power when gathered as a group.
The destructive power shown by the Orc warriors, whose Force resonated with one another due to their heightened fighting spirit, was truly horrifying.
The moment the Orc warriors were deployed, the formations of the Yuzef Kingdom’s army buckled and shattered.
For the Allied Forces, who were being pushed back overall, it was a welcome relief that allowed them to breathe.
What stood out most was the giant Orc warrior fighting at the very front.
"Uwooooooooar!"
Emitting red Force from his entire body and swinging a massive Stone Blade larger than himself like a madman, the Orc warrior’s performance was truly impressive, even to the other knights.
"This is impossible."
"What kind of Orc is..."
"Can an Orc really become that strong?"
Orcs were a race that adapted sensitively to their environment.
It was only natural that the combat power of Orcs struggling to survive in the Great Forest would differ from those living in relatively peaceful regions.
Furthermore, Tutan was an Orc who had lived a life so intense that it had never been easy since the day he was chosen as someone's sworn brother.
To stop him, two Enemy Knights charged forward, swinging their Aura Blades.
"Heh? It's dangerous!"
"Get out of the way!"
The knights of the Allied Forces cried out in horror at the sight. If that warrior, who appeared to be the leader of the Orcs, were to die, wouldn't the Orcs' morale, which had finally risen, plummet?
So, he should retreat to the rear—
BAM!
One shot, two kills.
With a single savage swing of Tutan’s Stone Blade, the two Enemy Knights were sent flying into the distance.
The knights of the Allied Forces gaped at the sight.
The Enemy Knights summoned by the dark mages were undoubtedly using Aura Blades.
In other words, they were masters who had reached a supreme realm.
And yet, that Orc warrior had tossed two such masters away as if he were throwing pillows.
"How... how can that be?"
"This makes no sense."
Even his allies were dumbfounded.
But this was clearly a favorable turn of events.
"UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!!"
Tutan’s roar, exalted by victory, set the souls of the Orc warriors on fire.
"Woooooooar!"
"Woooooooar!"
No, it wasn't just the Orcs.
"Damn it! I’m going too!"
"Hell, it’s a fine day to die!"
"Aaaaaaaah!"
It was a cry that set the hearts of men ablaze.
* * *
"Fire!"
"Seize control of the air!"
While the Orc warriors changed the tide on the ground, the Elves were highly active in the sky.
Using spirits and archery, they attacked the dark mages in the air and supported their allies.
The performance of the Elven Knights, including Elione, was particularly dazzling.
Wearing the Vine Rings Patrick had made for them, they summoned high-level spirits to attack the dark mages.
While not as diametrically opposed as divine power, the power of spirits was still a quite unpleasant energy for dark mages.
"Tsk... those point-ears..."
"The World Tree is dead, so how are they summoning spirits?"
"Damned wretches..."
As the casualties among the dark mages mounted, displeasure showed on the face of Grid, who was overseeing the battlefield.
In any case, victory or defeat in this war was not what mattered.
The goal was simply to soak the earth with as much blood as possible for the moment of the Setting Sun. However...
'How dare these vermin harm our comrades?'
The deaths of dark mages falling to the ground after being hit by the Elves' spirits and arrows held a different meaning for Grid.
And it seemed his other comrades felt the same.
"Grid, are you just going to stand there?"
"Use the next move, or let's pull back for now."
At the words of his comrades, Sloth and Envy, Grid’s expression hardened with resolve.
"No matter if this is just a game, we cannot lose to such vermin. We are the ones who will become the kings of the new world."
"Hehehe... Right. That’s the spirit."
"Good. Shall we do it then?"
It seemed they truly had a next move prepared.
As Envy and Sloth approached Grid, he pulled a black crystal ball from his robes.
Holding high the crystal ball, which emitted a demonic energy far more eerie than what Grid himself gave off, he spoke.
"Great Master. Please lend us your strength."
Then, the black ball shattered, and someone who had been sealed inside emerged.
It was a Death Knight who wore no armor.
As the figure was summoned, holding only a simple sword with a Taiji pattern engraved on the hilt, Grid spoke seriously.
"Concentrate. If we lose control, it’s over."
"We know."
"We can't hold it for long. Deploy him quickly!"
What they had summoned was a familiar of an Outer God.
He was a warrior of the Wudang Sect who had once been hailed as the Sword King in the Central Plains.
Though he had suffered severe damage during the battle on Dragon Island, he was now almost fully restored.
He was the trump card Jonsa had lent the three of them in case of an emergency.
And Grid shouted to the Sword King.
"Go. Kill the Sword Saint!"
Grid’s target was the core of this war.
The Sword Saint.
* * *
The Sword Saint and the Overlord.
These two had already been clashing fiercely for over two hours.
The Overlord’s sword, specialized in offensive power.
The Sword Saint’s defense, boasting absolute protection.
The paradoxical confrontation between the strongest spear and the strongest shield showed no signs of reaching a conclusion.
However, the Sword Saint knew.
'The moment I fail to hold out, this war is lost.'
That was how strong the Overlord was.
Without him there, the Overlord could likely wipe out all the 7-Star knights of the Empire by himself and then break through alone to cripple the Allied Forces.
To avoid such a catastrophe, he had to at least hold his ground, even if he couldn't win.
'Good grief, how did I end up in this position...'
The Double Dragon were impressive, but the Overlord was also extraordinary.
He felt both envious and pitying toward his grandson, who would have to live through an era with such young men.
'No, perhaps not the Overlord? This man is already finished.'
Though it was impossible to say who would emerge victorious in this duel, even if he himself lost, there was no future for this Overlord.
Despite being enemies, the Sword Saint couldn't help but feel a sense of regret as a fellow swordsman.
But then...
"Hm?!"
The Sword Saint hurriedly pulled his body back and swung his sword toward the sky.
Even though the Overlord was right in front of him.
The threat flying down from above his head was so lethal that he had to respond to it first, even at the cost of ignoring the formidable foe before him.
At least, that was how he felt.
Swish!
His sword, flying sharply, collided with the sword swung by the unidentified enemy.
Thud!
And a sound he had never heard in his life rang out.
What was that? It wasn't the sound of sword clashing against sword.
Even though it was an attack imbued with the Sword Saint’s Aura Blade, it echoed like the sound of striking a hollow log.
The Sword Saint, bewildered by an experience he had never encountered before, tried to create distance, but he was flustered once again.
The opponent’s sword was sticking to his own, following it closely.
He tried moving his sword rapidly, pushing and pulling instantaneously, but the opponent’s movements were so exquisite that he couldn't shake him off.
And the opponent, catching the sword with the tip of his own, closed the distance to the Sword Saint and placed his palm against the Sword Saint’s heart.
"Kh?!"
A panicked sound escaped the Sword Saint’s lips. This was—
BOOM!
...Crash!
With a terrifying sound of air exploding, the Sword Saint’s body was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground.
"Your Grace!"
"Nooooo!"
The knights of the Empire were horrified.
It was only natural, as an unidentified swordsman had suddenly appeared and blown the Sword Saint away in a single blow.
"You bastard!"
One of them charged at the unidentified enemy with a strike filled with rage.
Both his momentum and discipline were far from ordinary.
He was also a 7-Star knight, so it was to be expected. However...
Slash!
It couldn't be seen.
One could only feel it.
The cold sensation of something slicing through one's body in an instant.
"How... how..."
With a face filled more with confusion than anger, he collapsed to the ground.
The other Imperial knights were aghast at the sight of him dying with his waist sliced open.
"Roberto, in a single blow?"
"Crazy... What is that? What is that monster?"
The fallen Roberto was a man ranked quite high even among the 7-Star knights of the Empire.
Even the Sword Saint had evaluated him as having the potential for 8-Star.
He was a true powerhouse who had already proven his strength by defeating three Enemy Knights on this very battlefield.
And yet, he hadn't even been a match.
Faced with this overwhelming sight, the other Imperial knights halted their steps and hesitated.
The sheer difference in skill instilled fear in them rather than a desire for revenge.
Fortunately...
"Cough... Do not interfere."
Hope was not yet lost for them.
The Sword Saint, who had been blown far away, spat out blood and pushed himself up.
With eyes that had not yet lost their will to fight, he spoke.
"Experience really is everything."