Chapter 528: For a Friend (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 528: For a Friend (6)
Dante was left alone as the blades of the Imperial Guard swarmed him.
Though the knights of the Hairan Assault Squad were doing their best to hold the line, the sheer number of the Imperial Guard was overwhelming. To make matters worse, regular knights continued to charge at him relentlessly.
Every time Dante moved, a sharp flash of light erupted. And every time, at least one knight fell dead.
He couldn’t understand it. Even though they knew they were no match for him, these knights kept rushing in like moths to a flame.
I can't afford to go easy on them…!
Through the torso of a knight he had just cleaved in two, the blade of an Imperial Guard lunged. Dante reflexively twisted his head to dodge, but the steel still grazed his forehead.
Blood trickled down, staining his vision crimson.
He wiped the blood away, creating a momentary blind spot—an opening the Imperial Guard did not miss. Had he not already activated the Dragon Armor, a secret technique of the Imperial Sword, even Dante would not have escaped a fatal wound.
The bands of blue aura wrapped around his body deflected the Imperial Guard’s blade. But the aura didn't stop there; it surged back like thorns, piercing the attacker’s chest.
The golden armor was ruthlessly punctured as fresh blood sprayed into the air. Three or four other knights, who had thrust their swords in unison without knowing the properties of the Dragon Armor, were either mortally wounded or killed instantly.
Naturally, the Imperial Guard was composed of talents far beyond those of regular knights. Some had even passed the Runcandel cadet exams in their youth before being cut—individuals who would normally be praised as geniuses.
But before Dante, they were nothing more than ordinary men.
Talent, effort, the will to overcome a heavenly curse, and the sheer resolve that brought him to this battlefield—in every aspect, Dante transcended the knights of the Imperial Army.
"Do you really think you can kill me just by swarming me? You lot aren't even close. At the very least, you should send someone on the Captain's level…"
Dante’s voice trailed off as he saw a man standing before the Dragon Spear.
The Captain of the Imperial Guard, Alton Hairan. He was Dante’s uncle and had once been a flagbearer of Hairan before joining the Guard.
"Stop this now, Dante."
A sharp, mocking chuckle escaped Dante’s lips.
"Alton Hairan. My uncle. Grandfather always called you pathetic, but I tried to understand you, to respect you. I told myself your joining the Guard wasn't because you lacked the qualifications or potential to become the next Patriarch of Hairan… but because it was another form of loyalty, to both our family and the Empire. That’s what I chose to believe."
Dante began to walk slowly toward Alton.
The surviving Imperial Guard and regular knights continued to thrust their swords at him, but Dante ended their lives without ever taking his eyes off his uncle.
"Grandfather was right. You’re just trash who became the Emperor’s dog, scrambling for some paltry power because you didn't have the confidence to achieve anything within Hairan."
"If you stop now, you can still go back, Dante."
"Ha. What did you just say?"
"Paltry power? I am the Captain of the Imperial Guard. If you declare your surrender and hand over the White Stone to His Majesty, Hairan can continue to exist as a pillar of the Empire. I swear it on my name. Stop this madness. This slaughter doesn't suit you. We can act as if none of this ever happened."
"Hahaha…!"
Dante’s face twisted into a grimace.
"You’ve gone mad, Alton Hairan. How many do you think have already lost their lives? If I stop now, will they come back to life? Will the fact that the Emperor branded Hairan as traitors simply vanish?"
Dante’s eyes were bloodshot as he screamed, "Don't give me that bullshit!"
"This fight will not end until one of us—Hairan or the Empire—is destroyed."
"Foolish boy… Do you have no sense of responsibility as the Young Patriarch? If you don't stop, Hairan will be annihilated! Even its history will be erased without a trace."
Dante surged forward, thrusting his sword. Alton met the blade head-on.
Clang—!
A thunderous roar and a concussive shockwave erupted from the point of impact. The Imperial Guard knights who had intended to assist their captain found themselves unable to even approach.
Cough—!
Dante spat out a mouthful of clotted blood. More blood streamed from his eyes and ears, and his wrists, locked against Alton’s blade, rattled as if the bones were about to pop from their sockets.
"And what do you plan to do with that body? What kind of choice is this for a Young Patriarch? You are leading yourself and your clansmen to a dog's death, even when a path for everyone to live is right before your eyes!"
As if his uncle was no longer worth answering, Dante silently swung his sword.
Just as Alton said, his frail body seemed to have already passed its limits. Yet, the fact that he was still moving his rattling frame with such precision meant that Dante was breaking through a threshold as a martial artist.
In stark contrast to his body, which was now bleeding from every pore, Dante’s sword began to emit an even stronger light. He was digging into Alton’s defenses, faster and sharper with every exchange.
Each time their blades clashed or sliced through the air, the wind shrieked. Fragments of sword energy scattered in all directions, forming a vortex, while the ground beneath their feet collapsed from their relentless footwork.
The other knights retreated, waiting for the shockwaves to weaken. It was a battle where those who had not reached a certain level of mastery didn't dare stand near.
It didn't take long for the duel to be decided.
In the split second Alton attempted to unleash a Hairan secret technique, Dante sliced through his wrist and took his back.
Stab—!
Dante’s blade pierced through Alton’s back and emerged from his chest, stained dark red. As Dante twisted the sword, Alton’s body flinched and his head slumped forward.
The blood from Dante’s forehead continued to run into his eyes.
For a moment, memories of Alton from his childhood flashed through his mind: moments when his uncle had doted on him, and moments when he’d struggled to hide the inferiority he felt toward his own nephew.
But they had come too far to grieve.
The thoughts rose and vanished like bubbles on the water's surface. Dante felt no sadness.
"Alton Hairan. Hairan never abandoned you, but you abandoned Hairan. Hairan never betrayed you, but you betrayed Hairan before anyone else. Even this death is not enough to atone for your sin."
"Guh… ack…"
Alton was remembering the same things as Dante.
He was not as strong or as solid as his nephew. That was why he had left Hairan, why he had just spoken of saving it, and why he was now uttering his final words.
"St… stop…"
Thud.
As Dante pulled out his sword, Alton collapsed forward, his body convulsing.
Stop… Zipple is coming… Dante.
The voice, on the verge of death, was so faint that his lips barely seemed to move.
Dante did not hear the warning. And even if he had, it would not have changed his resolve.
With Alton’s death, the Imperial Army was thrown into turmoil. No one had imagined the Captain of the Imperial Guard would fall in battle. After all, it was Dante, not Ron, who was currently tearing through the battlefield.
"Assault Squad! Continue to support the Young Patriarch!"
Like a ghost, Dante began to surge toward the Dragon Spear once more.
At that point, the regular knights nearby were seized by the fear that had been masked by their battle madness. They no longer dared to charge the Young Patriarch of Hairan.
The hundred or so knights guarding the Dragon Spear recoiled, and only the high-ranking officers, including the remaining Imperial Guard, managed to level their swords at Dante.
The dragons stationed behind the massive cannon let out a roar.
They fired their breaths in unison. At that moment, another group of Hairan Assault Squad knights arrived, forming a sword barrier to protect Dante.
"Go, Young Patriarch!"
Not all Hairan knights were monsters like Dante. The Assault Squad knights were barely managing to block the dragons' breath. And it wasn't just the breath; Red Dragon-class and Imperial Dragon-class cannons were firing at Dante from all directions.
The Dragon Spear… If I destroy that cannon and the Five Sword Saints arrive…
The Hairan knights fired sword energy at the dragons. Cutting through the falling embers of the beasts he struck down, Dante closed the distance to the Dragon Spear.
While Dante and the Assault Squad cleared the path, the Dragon Spear fired two more shells at the Sword Emperor Castle. The wall where Dante had been standing was completely demolished, leaving the inner castle exposed.
Though this wasn't a battle aimed at defense, the unconscious Ron was in the deepest part of that inner castle.
As a member of Hairan and as the grandson of the Sword Emperor, Ron was still Dante’s greatest hope. Even though he hadn't regained consciousness while the Sword Emperor Castle was being destroyed, Dante believed his beloved grandfather would surely wake up before the war was over.
He believed that Ron would rise and show the enemies of Hairan the true weight of the name ‘Sword Emperor.’ Dante believed it with all his heart.
Without that hope, his exhausted and wounded body would have already collapsed onto the cold ground to find peace.
"Haa, haa…!"
Dante exhaled raggedly and gripped his sword.
The Dragon Spear was right before him. Up close, it was as massive as a mountain and emitted an indescribably ominous energy.
He cleaved it with a single strike.
The sword energy of the Imperial Sword Secret Technique, Sky Piercing Slash, split the center of the Dragon Spear, leaving a glowing afterimage. The superweapon, now split in half, collapsed to either side, crushing the regular knights and mages who failed to escape in time.
Dante briefly hid himself in the cloud of dust and smoke, dropping to one knee. He forced himself back up before the enemy could see him, barely steadying his trembling body.
It was the moment Hairan seized a small victory in this war.
"The Young Patriarch has slain the Captain of the Imperial Guard and destroyed the Dragon Spear!"
"The Emperor’s Dragon Spear has fallen…!"
But at that moment.
Kaaaa—!
Kaaaaaa—!
Explosions echoed from somewhere else. Though distant, the sound was identical to the Dragon Spear firing its shells.
Turning around, Dante saw the barriers and outer walls of the Sword Emperor Castle crumbling.
There are… more Dragon Spears?
The Dragon Spear was a main cannon, of which only one was supposed to exist in the Empire. However, the Emperor had borrowed Zipple’s power to prepare replicas for this very moment.
"Aaaargh!"
"The back gate… two Dragon Spears confirmed!"
"The Henserck Magic Squad and Lilista Magic Squad are operating them! At least four—no, seven, nine…!"
Dante was too far away to hear the urgent cries of the sentry knights. But even without their reports, he could tell that things were going horribly wrong.
"The Sword Emperor Castle can't be defended! We must evacuate!"
"Medics! We need medics!"
"Evacuate to where? Hold your ground! Defend it with your lives!"
"Scatter! Scatter so the cannons can't aim!"
It felt as if the blood in his entire body had turned to ice.
Again… where should I go? Should I keep advancing toward the Emperor? No, the Sword Emperor Castle… the knights of Hairan… Grandfather…!
A wave of nausea surged through him. He had to pull himself together, to respond. It couldn't end this futilely.
As Dante was engulfed in despair, the Emperor smiled. But both Dante’s despair and the Emperor’s smile lasted only for a moment.
From far beyond the rear of the Sword Emperor Castle, a single, massive streak of glowing sword energy fiercely sliced through the bleak night sky.
It was a distinct deep blue hue, woven from a mixture of lightning and aura.
There was only one person in the world who used such a sword.
Therefore, everyone on the battlefield who witnessed that sword energy realized it in an instant.
Jin Runcandel had arrived.