Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 257
Chapter Title: 99. Western Front (1)
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Time passed.
The Anti-Empire Alliance, centered around the kingdoms of Brioll, Liberda, Bursen, and the Holy Kingdom, had encircled the Empire's borders. Up to that point, the Empire had shown no movement whatsoever.
Even as this blatant military provocation unfolded, the Empire made no response, leading the soldiers to harbor faint hopes that the crisis might resolve through diplomacy without any bloodshed.
But those hopes were in vain.
The Empire's army began to move.
Their first target was the western encirclement line—the vital link between the Holy Kingdom and Bursen.
Jonathan gasped for breath.
The Empire's forces that emerged after the long silence were all terrifyingly strong in ways that defied comprehension.
Their swordsmanship wasn't particularly refined, but their raw power and speed were exceptional, and they showed no fear of combat whatsoever.
"Haha..."
He let out a chuckle as he slew an Imperial soldier charging at his back.
Soldiers typically avoided engaging knights directly, but the Imperial troops had no such hesitation. Regardless of their opponent, they threw themselves forward with utter disregard for their lives.
As a result, Jonathan and the other Bursen knights were suffering tremendous stamina drain.
"Huff... huff..."
Gripping his sword, he charged forward while scanning his surroundings.
The Empire's army seemed endless.
"No wonder it felt too quiet."
The Empire had spent the time consolidating internally without any major moves. This had sparked optimistic speculation that perhaps they were burdened by the prospect of war.
But it had all been an illusion.
They had simply been biding their time.
Proof of that came in the form of endlessly pouring forth waves of impeccably trained elite troops.
"Hold the line, everyone! Reinforcements are coming!"
Jonathan bellowed as he rushed ahead. Several foes swarmed him immediately. He cut down soldiers and knights alike, striving to bolster morale.
This was the first battle since the formation of the Anti-Empire Alliance.
They couldn't afford to lose ground here.
The outcome of this fight would set the tone for the long war to come.
He had no intention of letting history record that the Anti-Empire War began with Bursen's defeat.
As he shouted encouragement to his troops, an arrow suddenly whistled toward him.
He dodged it reflexively.
Lifting his gaze, he saw a knight in black armor approaching him.
The aura emanating from the man was ominous. He appeared to be one of the Empire's higher-ranking knights.
Jonathan grinned fiercely.
"I'm more brains than brawn..."
That didn't mean he planned to shy away from a swordfight.
The Imperial knight charged. Black energy crackled like lightning around the blade in his grip.
Jonathan swallowed hard and summoned his own sword aura. This opponent seemed stronger than him.
But if he didn't stand his ground, the soldiers around him would suffer.
Jonathan met the clash head-on.
His hands went numb from the impact.
He twisted his blade for a counterattack, but the enemy rammed into his shoulder instead. The force sent Jonathan staggering back.
The enemy's blade came crashing down from overhead.
Jonathan barely blocked it.
Staying put would mean death.
He rolled across the ground to escape, then rolled his eyes to fend off the follow-up strikes.
But someone else had intercepted the enemy in his place.
Seeing that massive back, Jonathan felt a wave of relief.
"Jose!"
"Leave him to me, Sir Jonathan."
Even after joining the Ten Strong, Jose hadn't changed a bit. Wielding a sword befitting his enormous frame, he strode toward the Imperial knight standing before him.
By now, everyone knew Jose's name. Mention Bursen, and Jose came up right away.
Yet the Imperial knight showed no fear even facing Jose. He advanced and swung his sword just as he had against Jonathan.
Of course, it was futile against Jose.
With a single swing, Jose disarmed the knight through sheer power difference and sent him tumbling across the dirt.
Jose kicked the writhing man on the ground. The Imperial knight went still.
Watching the scene, Jonathan felt chills run down his spine.
The Imperial knight had seemed less than human.
Devoid of emotional turmoil, he simply fought on without knowing pain until death claimed him.
Only then did the battlefield feel different.
All the Empire's troops fought with that same demeanor.
"Damn it..."
Jonathan spat a curse and raised his sword again.
He wouldn't lose to things like that.
His resolve hardened further.
Together with Jose, he plunged into the waves of Imperial forces crashing from the front. Countless blades rained down from above. He wove through them, piercing the enemies' throats.
But the Imperial numbers didn't dwindle.
The Empire's territory was vast, and their troop numbers overwhelming to begin with.
"Where are the reinforcements?"
"I've sent word!"
"They need to hurry."
The closest were from the Holy Kingdom. While hoping they'd arrive soon, Jonathan raised his sword once more.
"Fight!"
The brutal melee of killing and dying dragged on.
Jonathan had lost count of how many he'd slain. The same went for the allies falling around him.
It was a gruesome war of attrition, where for every enemy killed, an ally perished.
"Why aren't the reinforcements here?!"
Jonathan roared.
That was when cheers began rising from the distance. He whipped his head around. The Holy Kingdom's flag fluttered far off.
"Reinforcements!"
The moment they arrived, the Imperials began crumbling like waves crashing on rocks.
"Sir Jonathan."
The Holy Kingdom's commander found him quickly.
A man he'd met multiple times—once as enemies due to bad blood between their nations, then as allies in the Anti-Empire Alliance.
He furrowed his brow.
"Why aren't you using those weapons?"
"Weapons?"
"The orichalcum-plated ones."
"Those?"
Jonathan shook his head.
"I prefer something I'm used to."
"That's why..."
He clicked his tongue.
"I told you to use them against the Empire's army."
"Didn't notice much difference. My regular sword feels better anyway."
"Orichalcum is effective against the Empire."
"Didn't seem like a big deal."
"Look closely."
He jerked his chin.
Holy Kingdom troops had joined the fray, fighting alongside Bursen's forces against the Imperials.
Jonathan tilted his brow.
"Uh..."
"See?"
Reluctant to admit it, Jonathan had no choice but to concede the point.
The Imperials, who charged without fear of death, showed more human reactions against the Holy Kingdom.
Stabbed by a sword, they recoiled in pain; sensing disadvantage, they fell back.
"The Empire's troops have been modified with black magic. Orichalcum resists black magic, so it greatly weakens them when used against it."
"Got it. Seeing it in action makes sense."
"Once this battle ends, equip everyone with orichalcum weapons. We're not supplying them because we have time to spare."
"Understood."
Currently, the Holy Kingdom handled all orichalcum plating. They alone possessed the material and the means to work it.
"Any issues on the other fronts?"
"Fighting's only here."
"Really?"
"Guess the Empire saw this as our weakest point."
"What nonsense."
Jonathan shouted as he charged forward. He snatched a sword from a fallen Holy Kingdom soldier's corpse and began swinging it.
With the orichalcum plating, the fighting felt noticeably easier.
"Bursen! Advance!"
"Advance!"
Morale surged among the Bursen troops as they roared.
Jose's exploits added to it, stalling the Imperial advance.
"Back to the Empire!"
"Die, you Imperial scum!"
"Long live Bursen!"
Curses and screams echoed everywhere.
Then, one corner of the battlefield stirred with murmurs.
Jonathan looked over.
"Huh?"
Something was visible.
Amid the approaching Imperial ranks, a giant several times larger moved. At first, he thought it was siege weaponry, but no—it was clearly a living creature.
A name flashed in his mind.
"Donchichi?"
The ogre that had ravaged Liberda only to get thrashed by Moyongchan had returned.
To face one of the Ten Strong, another was needed.
Jonathan turned.
"Jose!"
No reply came. A nearby knight, panting, spoke up.
"Sir Jose is fighting Imperial knights right now."
"What?"
Turning, Jonathan saw Jose surrounded by several foes.
"What are you doing? Hurry and help Jose—"
Just then, a Bursen knight tried to assist and promptly lost his head, collapsing. The skill gap was immense.
"Looks like they prepared those specifically for Sir Jose."
"Damn it..."
Diverting more troops to aid Jose in this situation was risky.
Jonathan said to the Holy Kingdom commander,
"What about Sir Francesco?"
"He's holding the front."
"Why hasn't he come?"
"Imperial forces have appeared across every front right now. We're on standby since we don't know where or when they'll strike next. Can't pull all our key forces here."
"This isn't standby—we're under attack!"
"Quit whining."
"Damn it..."
Jonathan ground his teeth as Donchichi drew closer.
It was truly massive.
If that thing rampaged in the center, the soldiers wouldn't stand a chance.
"Donchichi's coming! Everyone, brace yourselves!"
Jonathan shouted.
"We need to gather the knights. We have to tie it down with numbers."
"I'll help."
"Thanks."
Jonathan called nearby knights together. But in the ongoing melee, few could break away.
"I-it seems impossible."
Some knights voiced their fear.
Donchichi's presence on the battlefield loomed that large.
As Jonathan tried to rally them,
"It's coming!"
Donchichi accelerated.
It had begun charging.
Its massive bulk swept aside surrounding troops with every step. Donchichi trampled its own Imperial allies without care, barreling madly toward Jonathan's position.
Each time its foot slammed the ground, Bursen soldiers flew into the air.
"C-can we, we block it?"
This time, even Jonathan had no answer. Deep down, he wavered between fleeing or holding firm.
The moment Donchichi breached the Imperial formation and fully entered the field—
Boom.
A massive crash echoed as Donchichi toppled sideways.
Time seemed to slow.
The sight of the charging behemoth pathetically flying sideways before crashing to the ground was vivid for all to see.
Jonathan's face lit up.
He knew who had suddenly appeared to deliver that flying kick to Donchichi.
"Yuri Brioll!"
Brioll's royal prince, one of the Ten Strong, and the hero leading the Anti-Empire Alliance had crossed the long distance to arrive here.
No Brioll troops in sight—he'd come alone, it seemed.
But that was enough.
"My god..."
Yuri Brioll downed Donchichi and swung his sword relentlessly. The ogre scrambled up, retreating defensively as wounds multiplied across its body.
Both of the Ten Strong, yet the power gap was stark.
Who could have foreseen the young Allied Forces prince growing this strong?
As Jonathan wallowed in sentiment, a voice cut in.
"No time to gawk at the show. Hope you've got lives to spare."
The sarcastic tone felt oddly familiar.
Jonathan turned.
"Huh?"
It was definitely someone he knew. But this man wasn't the type to say such things. Always courteous, the model knight.
The face matched perfectly.
Yet the cynical expression overlaying it made him seem like a different person.
Jonathan murmured blankly.
"Sir Rolang...?"