Chapter 138
Chapter 138
"All units, defensive formation! Hold the line!"
Though his trump card had been absurdly thwarted, Roger Vifros swiftly regained his composure and shouted.
"Mages, assemble!"
He then drew a staff shimmering with an ethereal blue light from within his robes and rapidly channeled mana.
The mana radiating from the staff intertwined with that of the gathered wind mages, completing an enormous spell in an instant.
Whoooosh—
A colossal whirlwind, veiled in a faint glow, enveloped the Vifros formation just as—
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The quarrels fired by MacLaine's crossbow cavalry harmlessly bounced off the wooden shields lightly raised by the soldiers. The Liberatio bombs that had filled the sky were also caught in the whirlwind, detonating midair in rapid succession.
KABOOOM!
Whoooosh—
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The startled crossbow cavalry hesitated to advance, and the hail of Liberatio raining from above dwindled sharply.
"Is that even possible?"
A mere dozen mages casting a barrier large enough to shield an army of three to four thousand?
Clayton shot Logan a bewildered look—coming from the man who had just pulled off something even more unbelievable—but cleared his throat and answered.
"...For an Archmage, perhaps. But maintaining a barrier of that scale won't last long. It's an absurdly inefficient defense, even for high-tier magic."
"Then what we're seeing now is...?"
"That staff must be an extraordinary artifact. Even so, he's pushing himself to the limit. It won't hold for more than an hour or two at most. Even if he burns through his lifespan, he can't sustain it longer than that."
At Clayton's firm declaration, Logan's expression eased slightly.
To anyone else, Roger Vifros might have appeared composed, but Logan's sharp eyes caught the strain on his face—he looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Yet one question remained.
"Their knights aren't moving either... They're just relying on that barrier and turtling up? They're not even counterattacking—just shooting a few arrows as a warning."
"They're buying time. Clayton, are you certain about that one-to-two-hour estimate?"
Patrick, who had been preparing to charge, suddenly approached and interjected.
"Yes, my lord."
"Would it be excessive to assume they're stalling for something they believe will turn the tide within that timeframe?"
"No, it's a reasonable assumption. A 5th-Circle Mage wouldn't push himself like this otherwise."
Unless he's truly that much of a fool.
Clayton's muttered addition didn't need to be voiced aloud.
"What's your move, Logan?"
"What else? There's only one choice."
Logan flashed a confident smirk before turning to his men.
"All knights, prepare to charge! I'll lead the vanguard—we break through them head-on!"
"Yes, sir!"
Though MacLaine's vaunted weapons had been rendered useless, the knights' morale remained unshaken after witnessing Logan's earlier miracle.
And if their weapons couldn't penetrate the enemy's defenses?
Then they'd just have to make them penetrate.
"If they're blocking external attacks with some strange magic, we'll blow them up from the inside."
Knights who had been carrying golems now clutched two or three Liberatio bombs against their chests.
"Let's go!"
Whoooosh—
A golden-yellow mana, infused by Clayton, enveloped Logan and the charging vanguard as the MacLaine knights surged forward.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Logan felt his blood boil as he watched the enemy knights rallying toward the center of their formation in response.
No matter how defensive their strategy, standing still and taking a knightly charge head-on was suicide.
"Charge!"
Sure enough, a familiar voice rang out as the enemy knights began their counter-charge.
Perfect. Come right at us.
"Throw them!!"
At Logan's command, the MacLaine knights hurled the crimson-glowing bombs, just as their enemies had done.
Propelled by the enhanced strength of aura users, the bombs arced toward the Vifros knights who had ventured beyond the safety of their barrier.
But—
"Not a chance!"
Two knights at the forefront of the enemy forces—
A whip-like silver Force Blade lashed out in a brilliant arc, while a towering red Force Blade, nearly five meters tall, surged in support.
KWA-BOOOM!
A few knights fell behind, but the Vifros charge continued almost unscathed.
Logan's lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin.
Of course it wouldn't be that easy.
Since his regression, Logan had always prioritized efficiency and effectiveness.
Ambush when possible. Overwhelming firepower followed by a charge if ambush wasn't an option.
Direct confrontation was a last resort—only when there was no other choice.
That formula had brought MacLaine victory after victory, and it was undeniably sound.
Yet deep down, a quiet dissatisfaction had been festering.
Especially now, facing an enemy whose grudge against them had long passed the point of no return.
In the depths of his heart, Logan felt an irrational, primal urge—to crush these sworn foes head-on, on equal footing.
And for this moment alone, he had no intention of resisting that madness.
Not when the situation left no room for retreat.
Not when he possessed more than enough strength to indulge himself.
'The first strike—overwhelming, devastating!'
Whoooosh—
The Force Core embedded in his heart pulsed. The energy radiating from its nucleus amplified exponentially as it cycled through the second, third, and fourth cores orbiting around it.
Mana surged from the Wind God's Boots strapped to his stirrups, stimulating every nerve in his body for acceleration.
The Gauntlet of Might gripping his reins channeled mana into his bones and muscles, enhancing his strength.
Simultaneously, amplified mana poured into his beloved sword, Lux.
Whoooosh—
A single swing would unleash a Force Blade over three meters long—
A weapon surpassing even lances in a charging attack, a privilege of only the highest-tier knights.
But Logan didn't stop there.
Guided by the pinnacle of secret techniques only he could currently perform, his Force twisted and amplified along a precise path, forging something far more potent and deadly.
And then—
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
At a distance close enough to read the emotions on his enemies' faces—
"I'll wipe you all out!"
A golden blade, two meters wide and over twenty meters long, materialized and bisected the Vifros vanguard horizontally.
SCHIIING!
The golden sword of a giant, cleaving across the battlefield.
The spectacle was so overwhelming that even the frenzy of war momentarily faded from the minds of those nearby.
The two elite knights at the forefront leaped into the air, narrowly evading the blade—but they were the only ones who could.
"Aaaargh!"
Twenty knights behind them screamed as their bodies—some split in half, others missing limbs—were swallowed by the golden arc of death.
HIIIIIIISSS!
The horses of the following Vifros knights collapsed, their riders tumbling across the ground amidst a spray of crimson.
The formation shattered in an instant.
And in that opening, the MacLaine knights, their fighting spirit blazing, plunged into the breach.
KWA-BOOOM!
"Aaaah!"
The clash of steel was deafening. Though the numbers were even, the collision was a one-sided slaughter.
"W-what?!"
Back at the command post, Roger Vifros' face drained of color.
The 6th-Circle wind magic—the Wide-Area Multiple Barrier—woven with the power of artifacts and supporting mages, began to tremble.
The quarrels from MacLaine's crossbow cavalry pierced through the gaps, raining down upon the Vifros ranks.
"Aaaah!"
"M-my lord!"
"Guh!"
By the time Roger regained control of the barrier, at least a hundred soldiers had already fallen in that brief moment.
His glare briefly locked onto the blue-haired, heterochromatic knight leading the crossbow cavalry before he forced his attention back to the front.
Those archers weren't the real threat.
'If the knight order collapses...'
Gritting his teeth, his expression hardened with resolve.
"Kill him!"
Aslan and Flanz, commanders of the Vifros knights, were well aware their formation was crumbling.
But the Twin Blades of Vifros had no attention to spare for anything else.
"Let's die together!"
"Dream on, you bastards!"
Five high knights—each missing limbs or bearing fatal wounds—were assaulting the enemy lord, but they paid them no mind.
Their entire focus was fixed on a single man, decades their junior.
"Die!"
Flanz's whip-like silver Force Blade lashed out, coiling around Logan from all sides.
Aslan, silent and grimacing, accelerated instantly, driving a crimson blade—glowing ominously—straight for Logan's heart.
'Hah!'
The moment Logan leaped into the air to evade—
The two smirked coldly, mocking his foolish choice as they ruthlessly carved into his airborne body.
Slash!
SCHIIING!
Yet despite the chaotic flurry of white and red blades rending the air, not a single drop of blood spilled.
Before they could even process the anomaly, a geyser of blood erupted from an entirely unexpected direction.
Splurt!
"G-guh?!"
A golden Force Blade had pierced through Flanz's chest from behind.
The combination of the Wind God's Boots and Logan's mastery of Ghost's Shadow had produced an impossible result.
"Isn't it about time we wrapped this up? Rest in peace."
SCHWING!
Amidst the cacophony of battle—
A single head soared into the sky, frozen in shock, as the two strongest knights stood paralyzed.
Aslan had known about Logan's monstrous abilities since the fall of Tomodo Castle.
He had believed that, even in the worst-case scenario, he and Flanz together could handle him with ease.
But the moment that golden pillar of light descended, instinct alone saved him—forcing him to dodge midair.
Every fiber of his being screamed that this man was nothing like before.
A chilling dread settled in his chest, but he had no other choice.
And that premonition manifested in the worst possible way—far sooner than expected.
SCHWING!
"Flanz!"
Aslan's vision turned red as he witnessed his oldest friend's death.
Replacing the lost Velocitas with a lower-grade artifact sword, Mobilitas, he poured every ounce of his strength into it and accelerated to his absolute limit.
Simultaneously, the crimson Force Blade at his sword's tip compressed to its extreme before lashing out like lightning.
His secret technique—Red Lightning—inspired by his fallen comrade's skills.
He prayed it would avenge his friend's soul.
But—
FWOOSH!
His hopes vanished into thin air as the attack harmlessly cleaved through empty space.
And then—
Slash!
"Your movements are too telegraphed."
By the time the mocking voice reached his ears, a searing pain erupted from his side.
The golden glow flashed before his eyes once more.
"Ah—!"
The excitement surging through him was instantly overwritten by the terror of death.
Only the storm of blades that erupted from behind him saved his life.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
"Tch!"
Logan had aimed to finish off both of them in his moment of triumph, but he'd failed.
The relentless barrage of wind blades was too fierce to ignore—he couldn't just swing through them.
Still, it was baffling.
'He's maintaining a barrier over the entire army AND casting offensive spells?'
Had Roger Vifros suddenly become some legendary archmage?
Even as Logan marveled at his enemy's prowess, his sword moved like lightning.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
Amidst the chaotic flurry of formless blades—
"Aaaargh!"
Screams of agony began rising from the enemy ranks.
'Hm?'
Against his better judgment, Logan's gaze flickered toward the source.
He saw enemy soldiers collapsing under the renewed hail of quarrels.
The massive barrier that had once shielded the entire army now only covered Roger and his mages.
'You madman! You're sacrificing your entire army just to kill me?!'
A shiver ran down his spine.
Then—a crimson blade lunged at him from point-blank range.
'Guh!'
Slash!
The Force Blade grazed his side.
Aslan's already-ugly face twisted into something even more hideous before vanishing back into the storm of blades.
'Too. Easy.'
The message, mouthed silently, made Logan scowl.
'Fine. I'll play along.'
If his enemy was forcing a reckless move, he'd gladly oblige.
The golden light radiating from Logan's sword intensified.