Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Arrow Storm and Magic Onslaught
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The Assault Squad members dismounted from Britannica all at once, forming multiple layers of defense in front of Arthur and Aria.
They then blocked the incoming arrows flying toward them alongside Helot.
Adran, who had arrived there with the Assault Squad, shouted toward the Del Knight Order.
“Archers to position!”
Click-click-click.
The knights swiftly moved forward in front of the Assault Squad, forming up in three ranks.
The first rank raised their shields to create a defensive wall, while the second and third ranks drew their bowstrings.
Adran fired her bow toward the enemy archers.
“Fire!”
As soon as the command fell, the Del Knight Order unleashed their attack.
A rain of arrows poured down from both sides.
Pew-pew-pew!
“Argh!”
Thud.
“Arrrgh!”
“Shift targets to the enemy archers in front!”
At the adjutant's order, the Espana Archer Squad moved in perfect unison to counter.
Pew-pew-pew-pew.
“As expected.”
Adran had anticipated that the Del Knight Order would draw concentrated fire from the enemy archers once they attacked.
She responded exactly as planned.
“Target groups, charge!”
At her shout, the knights in the third rank broke formation and scattered in all directions.
They took cover behind obstacles and struck back.
It was irregular tactics deviating from standard group assault formations.
This was where the true value of the Del Knight Order, led by Bow Master Helm Del, shone.
Having escaped the Espana Archer Squad's firing range, their mission was to eliminate key enemy figures and collapse their command structure.
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew.
Their arrows targeted the Espana Archer Squad's adjutant in unison.
“Keep firing until it breaks through!”
At the adjutant's cry, his subordinates relentlessly drew their bowstrings.
He shifted his gaze toward the cavalry.
Their Giant Wolves were locked in a fierce stalemate with the enemy.
Seeing Trevic and Danekt merely watching from the rear, it seemed the captain had not yet recovered.
But the moment recovery happened,
He was certain the battle would end.
“As expected, all rumor and no substance.”
A sinister smile crept across his lips.
Thwack.
“……!”
An arrow lodged in his forehead, and he瞪ed wide-eyed as he fell from his horse.
“The adjutant Manto is down!”
“Hurry and inform Vice Captain Danekt!”
At the rear of the archer squad, a pole with a red flag was raised to signal the emergency, and a temporary adjutant stepped forward to take command.
“Continue…… Thwack!”
Even he was struck by their arrows and fell from his horse. Several in the front lines followed, hit by the attacks.
Realizing the arrows came from a completely different direction, they grew restless.
“Damn it!”
“Cease fire!”
“Request shield squad support!”
The mechanized barrage halted as they fell back.
The Del Knight Order seized the opening and poured on a ferocious assault.
A rain of arrows fell from the sky.
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew-pew!
“Argh!”
“Aaaah!”
“Hurry with the shield squad…… Thwack!”
***
“We have to end it here!”
Trevic's face hardened.
Danekt, watching the situation on Arthur's side alongside him, replied.
“Count Juan will finish it. But…….”
When the arrow fire from their own lines suddenly stopped, he turned around in confusion.
‘What the hell!’
A flag signaling an emergency at the archer squad caught his eye.
Looking at the archer squad, Adjutant Manto was nowhere to be seen, and the shield squad was forming a defensive wall in front of them.
It seemed their commander had been taken out by the enemy attack.
‘We underestimated them.’
Frowning, he shifted his gaze to Count Juan's position.
He was preparing something with the mage corps.
He could feel a thick layer of mana forming around them. It was a phenomenon that occurred when a massive amount of mana converged in one spot.
Beyond Count Juan's mana barrier, where the mage corps had gathered, came into view.
‘I see.’
Danekt gave Trevic a dark smile.
“It'll be over soon.”
***
“My expectations were too high. Expecting anything from a brat was the mistake to begin with.”
Juan shook his head as he gathered mana.
Gutanos, gathered with the mage corps in a circle, chanted runes.
They were preparing a large-scale siege spell.
Rumble.
A low boiling in the atmosphere began to sound.
Mana converged at the edge of where the mage corps stood, and small flames appeared.
They resembled rocks at first, gradually growing larger.
Juan's presence boiled up in tandem.
A resonant 'hum~' echoed around him as all seven circles activated.
Flames blazed fiercely in his palm.
Following that, the intense heat from the 6th-class equivalent spell the mage corps had prepared, Giant Fireball, was completed.
“What a boring end.”
As Juan curled his lip to deploy the pre-prepared Fire Field,
Something imbued with tremendous power shot toward him like lightning.
“Damn it!”
He hastily erected a shield.
Boom!
Crack-boom.
The shield shattered all too easily, pathetically.
An identical Aura Arrow followed in quick succession.
“Damn it all!”
Juan retracted his attack spell and rapidly deployed Reactive Shields one after another.
Boom! Boom!
He lightly blocked the attacks.
But rage surged at his plans going awry.
Juan used Hawk Eye to glare at the source of the attack.
A white-haired man standing before the enemy defensive wall was aiming at him.
Clad in red armor with his face obscured by a skull helmet, his identity was unknown.
But spotting the man-sized black bow in his grip, he recognized him instantly.
The empire's one and only Bow Master.
Helm Del!
As he drew his bowstring toward Juan again, Juan's face twisted.
“To challenge me…….”
Juan raised his right hand.
Flames roared in his grasp, morphing into arrow form.
“Go!”
The Fire Arrow shot forth like lightning.
Helm released his bowstring.
Bang.
Three Aura Arrows flew like lightning bolts.
It was an attack that defended against the enemy while countering.
“You'll only have to deal with me.”
Helm wore a resolute expression.
As if peering into his mind, Juan flashed a sinister smile.
“Will you, now?”
The Fire Arrow suddenly split into over ten, half veering toward Arthur.
“Get lost! Begone!”
Helot, who had been madly deflecting the Espana Archer Squad's attacks, grimaced as the magic arrows approached.
“Shit!”
He charged forward, swinging his sword with all his might.
A streak of deep blue aura shot out, colliding with the fire arrows.
Boom!
He had blocked them with an aura burst for the first time, but two survived and pressed on.
“Huff, huff, huff! Fine, let's go all the way!”
Helot surged his mana and charged at the fire arrows.
Boom!
Helot was flung back and crashed.
“Vice Captain!”
Several Assault Squad members rushed to Helot.
His breastplate half-torn off from the severe injury, he struggled to his feet and shouted.
“Hold your positions!”
“Vice Captain…….”
“Now!”
At his stern command, they hurriedly returned to Arthur and guarded their posts.
“Ugh…….”
Helot glanced at his left shoulder where the armor had been ripped away.
The necrosis had turned it black and blue, visible even to the bone. The pain drilling into the marrow felt like his head would explode.
But his lips curled up at having protected Arthur from the enemy's attack.
“As long as I'm here, no one…… touches the Young Master.”
He picked up his fallen sword.
Then straightened his back, glaring at the enemy with fierce eyes.
Helm, who had briefly despaired, saw Helot block the attack and swiftly drew his bowstring again.
An intangible arrow formed on the bow, wrapped in coiling intangible aura.
“Take this.”
Bang.
Light flashed as the arrow flew.
The sound of it slicing the air echoed like wailing ghosts around them.
“To dare block my attack…….”
Juan seethed with humiliation and rage.
Gutanos and his subordinates were watching.
He could excuse the attack on Arthur being blocked by a subordinate throwing himself in the way, but the one aimed at Helm had been repelled despite numerical superiority.
In short, he had been overwhelmed by the enemy's arrow power.
And this attack brought a shameful twist.
Even from afar, the moment the enemy drew his bow and aimed,
It felt like a dagger pierced his heart.
He swallowed hard, unconsciously clutching his chest.
“Damn bastard…….”
Juan's presence boiled over.
He raised both hands to chest height, drawing up mana.
This time, whirlwinds stirred from his hands.
“I'll blow your head off. Wind Blade!”
He swung both arms with full force.
Fwoooosh.
A sharp wind howled as the 6th-class attack spell deployed.
Powerful mana took the form of wind blades and flew forth.
Just before colliding with Helm's Aura Blade.
Keda, who had been anxiously watching from behind Helm, eyes flashed.
As soon as contact with Parsia, severed for a while, resumed, he summoned the wind spirit and shouted.
“Blow it away!”
Helm's Aura Blade, augmented by the wind's power, unleashed terrifying might.
It clashed with Juan's attack.
KABOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted.
Everything nearby was swept up and shattered in the explosion.
Juan bellowed as this attack failed too.
“Gutanos!”
As if waiting, Gutanos unleashed the attack spell prepared with the mage corps.
Rumble-boom!
Lightning suddenly cracked from the sky, and the fireball conjured by the mage corps appeared above the Death Knight Order as if teleporting.
“Wh-what?!”
Skevin shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Everyone, scatter!”
“Vanish!”
Gutanos spread both arms wide.
The fireball erupted in blinding light.
KABOOM!
A colossal explosion that could engulf the area.
Everyone assumed massive casualties from the blast.
Skevin, who had deployed Aura Armor for defense, felt no impact and sensed something off.
'What?'
He looked up and scanned around.
Where everyone lay flat on the ground, about ten were exerting themselves on something.
It was Keda and his subordinates using spirit magic to shield their allies from the explosion.
Countless fireballs battered the wind barrier they had erected.
Keda shouted to Skevin.
“It's about to collapse! Hurry and form the defensive wall!”
Skevin sprang up and yelled.
“Defense unit! Assemble!”
***
Arthur and Aria nearly got swept by the explosion's aftermath, but the Assault Squad threw themselves in to block it.
The Assault Squad couldn't escape unscathed.
“Argh!”
“My arm…….”
“Aaaah! I can't see!”
They all collapsed, groaning in agony.
In the hellish chaos, Aria, who had been healing Arthur, opened her eyes.
Arthur regained consciousness, letting out a low groan.
“Ugh…….”
Aria shouted to Helot, standing like a human shield in front.
“He's awake!”
Helot rushed to Arthur.
“Young Master, are you alright?”
“Mm…….”
Arthur grimaced, opening his eyes, and asked.
“How long was I…… out?”
“About ten minutes.”
“Damn it.”
Arthur tried to rise, but his body wouldn't respond.
He had only regained consciousness; full recovery hadn't come yet.
As he looked to Helot to ask about the situation, his subordinate's wretched state came into view.
The left shoulder where his armor was torn showed advancing necrosis, bruised black.
It was obviously an injury from protecting him.
His heart felt like it was tearing.
As self-recrimination welled up, Aria pointed with a terrified face.
“Th-there…….”
Arthur followed her finger, and Helot turned to look ahead.
The sky had turned red from the countless fireballs raining down.
“Damn bastards!”
Helot scooped up Arthur and Aria and bolted toward their lines, shouting.
“Don't say a word!”
“Take Aria and go!”
“I can't do that!”
Arthur glared and bellowed.
“That's an order!”
Helot hugged him tighter, showing his unyielding resolve.
“Do you remember! The promise with you, Young Master.”
“What about it suddenly……!”
Arthur's eyes wavered for a moment.
Helot grinned, then wiped it away for a resolute expression.
“I keep every word I say. So don't worry about a thing, Young Master—just trust me. I'll save the Saintess too.”
“You crazy bastard…….”
Arthur twisted his face and continued.
“Try dying on me.”
“I won't die until I see you commanding the empire, Young Master!”
Helot ran with every ounce of strength, his sole thought to save Arthur.
“Definitely…….”
By then, fireballs reached his back and began pouring down.
Boom! KABOOM! KABOOOM!