93
My Villains Chapter 93
24. Boss Phase (3)
Breaking both the iron chain hood and neck at once, I was suddenly lost in thought.
"Keureuk."
Perhaps due to increasing strength as my level rose? The resistance felt while breaking iron chains seems to have decreased quite a bit.
Catching the blood that scattered like a fountain, I burst it in all directions. The fragments containing magical power violently clawed at the surroundings.
Just before the blood storm subsided, I quickly swung Hrunting and cut down two of them.
One collapsed forward with a deep cut in the side, and the other one-
"Keuhu, Keaaak!"
Their face was being devoured by sticky flames that started from the severed arm.
I occupied high ground about five steps up the stairs, cutting down all those who charged at me on horseback.
Dodge, thrust. Deflect, stamp. Flow away, strike. Block, kick.
"Heu, huu."
I was drifting somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. Like swimming in cotton candy so sweet it made my tongue tingle.
A metallic scent vibrates through a world covered in red filter.
"Phoe- *gasp, haah* Phoenix?"
Turning my head suddenly, I saw Grania sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.
After making an awkward expression for a moment, I gathered my sword and shield and reached out to her.
"Are you alright?"
"Huu, yeah."
Grania stumbled briefly before picking up a sword from the ground. This was because the bandits were rushing in.
After dealing with about fifteen bandits while covering each other's backs, another gap appeared.
Remembering what happened at Salt Castle, I struggled to open my mouth. It was to say what I couldn't during the chaos.
"About what happened with Gillius, I'm sorry."
"...Nothing to be sorry about. It was an accident."
Grania continued speaking while shaking blood off her sword.
"I'm grateful you at least saved Farel."
With her expressionless face, there's no way to tell if she's sincere or not.
Ugh, I'm running out of things to say for no reason.
"Let's retreat. It would be better to regroup with the main force."
Just as I was about to nod, a rough shout burst out from somewhere.
"You, you rat bastard!"
Turning my head at the shout and following curses, I saw a giant wearing black plate armor glaring at me.
Before I could express doubt, the giant leaped off his horse and charged at me.
"That guy, could it be-"
"Go first!"
I pushed Grania away and charged to meet the giant.
By now, dozens of corpses of horses and men had piled up around us. Blood flowing from them formed small streams and pools.
I drew up magical power flowing through my heart and extended my consciousness toward the giant, toward Albienne.
Pagagak!
"Keuk!"
Blood fragments shot up from all around, roughly scraping against the iron plates.
It was a loud explosion like a land mine going off... But perhaps due to my low-grade magic? Not even a scratch was left on Albienne's plate armor.
"Hyaap!"
Breaking through the blood storm, the baron swung his weapon with a shout. It was a cruel-looking iron mace with eight sharp metal pieces attached.
As I quickly stepped back a couple steps to dodge, he charged straight in leading with his shoulder.
The giant's charge in full plate armor was incredibly powerful.
Bang
I raised my shield while straightening my knee and jumped back using the rebound.
However,
I stumbled briefly as something caught my foot.
This was because bricks and wooden pieces were scattered on the ground from the collapsed wall.
Albienne didn't miss the opening and swung his mace again.
As I quickly lowered my waist to dodge that attack.
Whoosh.
What's this? It's slow?
The moment I thought that.
Heung!
As Albienne twisted his body elastically, the mace that had brushed past above my head changed direction and rushed in like lightning.
Kwang!
"Keheuk."
The long solid iron mace, including its handle, split my shield in half.
Being thrown and rolling on the ground, I bounced back up, but
"Die!"
Having gained the upper hand, Albienne poured attacks without rest. I had to repeatedly retreat while discarding my half-broken shield.
"Uh, uhh!"
"It's the bandit leader! Kill him!"
I retreated to where the spear-wielding soldiers were, but the heavily armored baron pushed forward recklessly like a tank or armored vehicle.
The garrison soldiers thrust their spears in confusion, but they were futilely blocked by the plate armor that completely covered his entire body.
"Annoying bastards!"
With a thunderous roar, his swung mace swept up three soldiers at once. Two had their waists broken, and one rolled on the ground with a broken arm.
Damn, he's incredibly strong.
"Huuk, huu."
Having caught my breath thanks to the soldiers' sacrifice, I regained my posture and charged at him again.
This time, I fully utilized the skills I had learned from fighting Utequais.
Circling around while mixing shallow attacks and feints, watching for openings while definitely avoiding his attacks.
"The baron is over there!"
"Push in! Sweep them all away!"
The bandits following Albienne poured in one after another over the collapsed wall.
"Stab them!"
"Don't retreat! Maintain formation!"
The garrison sergeants shouted until their voices cracked.
Lord Ariad and the prince's commander who were on the gate tower were also joining the battlefield with weapons drawn.
Even in the chaotic battle where allies and enemies were mixed, Albienne was persistently targeting me.
He didn't stop charging while crushing, smashing, and deflecting the soldiers who persistently clung to him. He was just like a tireless bull.
Well, I wasn't much different.
Since Ellen's spell had taken full effect, Hrunting was glowing bright red. The crimson blood flowing along the blade pulsed vividly in the sunlight.
Seureuk!
The surprisingly light, terribly sharp, and unimaginably hard blade cut down the bandits.
Blood, screams, and death overflow everywhere. It was such a chaotic battle that no one would notice even if the blood soaking the ground decreased slightly.
While the baron was rampaging among the soldiers, I had fully recovered my strength.
By the time the baron and I faced each other again, vitality like flower petals overflowed from the blade light surrounding Hrunting.
"You rat bastard *heu* I'll make you *huu* regret not running away!
Was it because his body had heated up? Or because the intense sun had heated up his black armor?
Heat haze rose from Albienne's head and shoulders.
I watched that scene with interest before kicking the ground.
Whoosh.
In that moment, the red filter over my eyes deepened. Everything on the battlefield appeared to move slowly.
The baron's mace was the same. The fierce strike coming down diagonally replayed in slow motion towards my lower abdomen.
I twisted my shoulder and threw back my head. Strangely, my movements didn't seem to slow down much.
I jumped up while glancing at the missed mace. Then I thrust my sword into Albienne's neck.
Kagak.
Hrunting's broad blade seemed to get caught on the helmet and gorget, but,
Kagagak.
The heated plate split while sending sparks flying.
This was Hrunting, which had a record of cutting through enchanted plate armor. There was no reason it couldn't cut through normal plate armor
Puuuk.
Ignoring the heavy resistance flowing through my wrist, I drove more than half the blade into the baron's neck.
As Hrunting was pulled out of Albienne after its brief tempering,
"Heok!"
The world regained its original speed.
"Keuok..."
Albienne, clutching his neck, let out a belated scream. Only then did a question I had momentarily forgotten brush through my mind.
Isn't Albienne supposed to die in Chapter 3, not Chapter 2?
Kuung.
With a heavy sound, the baron's large body collapsed.
"This shit, boss!"
"The baron has fallen!"
"That bastard killed the baron!"
The bandits who were just crossing over the wall ruins cursed loudly. They charged at me while letting out hate-filled shouts.
However, that charge didn't last very long.
Bang
"Keaaak!"
"Hot, it's hot!"
Ellen's third fireball had exploded among them.
Setting aside brief concerns about future confusion, I glanced up at the sky. Ellen was slowly descending from the tower while holding onto a rope.
She's probably almost out of magic. I should finish this quickly and head back.
"Huu."
I exhaled hot breath and looked at those who were writhing while engulfed in flames.
"Heop."
Among the panicked bandits, several who met my eyes swallowed hard.
"Damn it all."
"R-run..."
Those who stopped screaming met death first.
"Ellen!"
Seeing me running up the stairs as if flying, Ellen made a puzzled expression.
"Why are you rushing up here so out of breath?"
"Hey, why are you here!"
I quickly picked Ellen up while holding a small shield I had picked up along the way over her head.
"Aht, hey! You're getting blood on me!"
"Is that the problem right now? I told you to shoot just two fireballs and retreat right away!"
"Why bother? There clearly wasn't anyone who could counterattack."
"What if you got hit by a stray arrow!"
The exposed top is a dangerous place. I quickly went down the stairs after taking care of the archers who were shooting arrows between the battlements.
"You really, why don't you ever listen?"
"If you just do what you're told, doesn't that make you a slave, magician?"
"What if you get hurt again? When you regret it later and cry, it'll be too late, you know? Why are you so careless when you already have trouble with your leg?"
Ellen seemed at a loss for words and quietly pouted her lips. Then, as soon as she came downstairs, she said, "Fine, put me down. I'm going to meditate."
"Ah geez."
Without realizing it, my gaze turns to her annoying philtrum. It's been a while since I felt this urge......
While Ellen was meditating, I observed the reed field through my special eyes. The point where Albienne had rushed in was already cleared of enemies. Commander Herald was rebuilding the barrier with the conscripted soldiers who had regained their morale.
Lord Ankir and his cavalry, who had been sweeping through the reed field, were returning to the castle walls. Thanks to Lord Ariad's soldiers coming out to meet them, the bandits had no choice but to give up their pursuit.
Utequais also returned to the city on a masterless horse. Though he had many scratches here and there, there didn't seem to be any fatal wounds.
After the cavalry returned and the castle gates closed, the mounted bandits began to disperse. It was probably because their leader, the baron, was dead and their hopes of occupying the city were crushed.
The mounted bandits scattered in all directions in groups of five or six, up to thirty or forty. It took less than an hour for hundreds of horses and riders to completely disappear from view.
Among the bustling soldiers, I quickly walked while using Ellen as a shield.
"At least one hundred and fifty should remain on the walls."
Acer, who was guiding me from the front, continued speaking, "And that's the minimum estimate, assuming the mounted bandits won't return."
Every stairway down the wall was lined with bleeding soldiers. There were no priest's prayers or healing potions. They just blocked their wounds with dirty cloth.
"Then how many are going to the dock?"
"Excluding the wounded, probably about a hundred."
Though the mounted bandits had retreated, the battle wasn't over. There were still pirates remaining.
"A messenger came from the port. As you predicted, there are merfolk mixed in."
Acer, who had been speaking rapidly, shouted loudly as we approached the bottom of the castle gate.
"Here, bring one horse! A strong one!"
The stables were crowded with newly captured horses. The stable hands, who were sweating trying to calm the excited horses, became even busier.
"The infantry will go with Mr. Herald. The preparations should be finished soon."
The square in front of the castle gate was chaotic with soldiers preparing to move. Sergeants were shouting at soldiers who were wearing blood-stained helmets and examining their newly acquired weapons.
"Then what about the cavalry?"
"We'll depart right away. They're waiting for us."
An old stable hand came running, panting, with a horse's reins. The horse brought from the stable was...
"Oh? Spotty?"
"What, you know this horse?"
"Of course. It's the horse I left at your garrison... This is the very same Spotty we got after clearing out the bandit camp guarding the secret passage."
I took the reins and stroked its head a couple of times.
"Hey, long time no see. At this point, isn't this almost fate?"
As if understanding my words, Spotty, who had been fidgeting, calmed down.
I helped Ellen onto its back, then stepped into the stirrups and mounted myself.
"This way!"
Acer spurred his horse and darted out, and I naturally followed. Despite the urgent horseback riding, I felt an inexplicable excitement.
At the entrance to the path leading to Salt Castle, about twenty cavalry soldiers were waiting for us. Lord Ankir, who stood at the front, shouted as soon as he spotted us.
"We're departing! Don't fall behind!"
The cavalry's disciplined response followed, and the sound of hoofbeats rang out.
We're leaving right away? Ah geez, everything's so hectic.
As the column stretched out, Utequais, with a stone hammer in his saddle, pulled up beside us.
"You, killed leader?"
"Yeah, why!"
"Used Darran agbara?"
"What's that, you bastard!"
"Power! Evil power!"
"Damn it, I told you not to call it evil!"
"No matter! Used it?"
The evil power this guy's talking about must mean blood magic, right?
"Yes, I used it, why!"
"Haha! Good, very good!"
Utequais laughed heartily, bending at the waist. His already struggling horse was about to foam at the mouth.
What's with this guy? Why is he acting like this?
I whipped the reins and distanced myself from Utequais. If I got caught up in him falling off his horse, I wouldn't even be able to collect my bones.
After riding like that for a while, the dock was suddenly right in front of us.