Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: Fiery Storm Onslaught
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“……!”
Artisan's eyes widened as he huddled his body as much as possible, shielding his head with both arms.
A massive boulder-like form, and into it plunged a sword.
Kwaaaang-!
It was on a whole different level from an Aura Blade attack.
The shock reverberated straight to his bones, and the aftershocks spread throughout his entire body.
Continuous attacks could prove dangerous.
Artisan—no, Collepton—wanted to reveal his power of darkness, but he couldn't.
If it came out that he was the Demon King's familiar, the knights of the Namshar Empire would be plunged into great shock.
Their swords might even turn toward him.
If that happened, everyone here would become his enemy.
He couldn't handle all these foes alone.
But staying put like this could mean getting done in by the enemy, so he decided to quickly find an opening and crush him in one strike.
The sword seemed to return to Natarsian, then with a bang! it shot back like a bolt of lightning.
Artisan swiftly threw himself to the side.
His massive frame moved with agility that belied its size.
But though it seemed he'd dodged the sword, he hadn't.
The missed sword twisted direction again, flying toward Artisan.
"Damn it!"
Artisan sprang up and threw himself sideways once more.
Again, the sword sliced through empty air.
"You'll never escape me."
As Natarsian flicked his hand, the sword veered and hurtled toward Artisan like lightning.
"This is ridiculous!"
Artisan glared and thrust out his fist.
Bang-!
An Aura Fist infused with black light stretched straight toward the sword.
“……!”
In that instant, Natarsian's eyes flashed.
The Aura Blade and sword clashed in midair.
Kwaaaang!
With the explosion, a tidal wave of force surged again, and the sword lost its power, falling to the ground.
As Natarsian blankly watched the scene, Artisan swiftly leaped back to his own lines and shouted.
"Hubei!"
Wind and earth spirits appeared, erecting a barrier between them, while a fire spirit hurled a fireball at Natarsian.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
It struck Natarsian squarely.
But he stood unmoved, as if unscathed, lost in deep thought.
‘……It was definitely the power of darkness. What's going on? Could Artisan be the Demon King's familiar?’
The Namshar Empire, though at war, had fought the Demon King to the bitter end.
As such, the empire had suffered immense losses, and their resentment toward the Demon King was beyond words.
Why join hands with the Demon King?
They surely knew it would lead to the empire's downfall.
Even as enemies, as fellow knights who pursued strength, his regret was profound.
This gave him reason to exterminate him and the Namshar Empire along with him.
From here on, no mercy in battle.
Natarsian reached out toward the fallen sword, and it flew into his grasp.
He gripped it tightly, raised it overhead, and bellowed.
"Kingdom Knight Order-!"
His thunderous voice drew all eyes to him.
Intense aura blazed from Natarsian's sword like flames.
The powerful momentum spread in all directions.
It was like a mage's buff, boosting the Kingdom Knight Order's morale.
The knights erupted in cheers as one.
Waaaaah-!
As their momentum soared, Artisan matched it with a roar of his own.
"Tornado Knight Order-!"
Waaaaah-!
They shouted back with full force.
Just as Hubei tried to rally morale using his spirits,
Natarsian called out.
"Herik!"
From behind, Herik flew in from the sky, blue light glowing in his hands.
He immediately unleashed blue mana toward the spirits.
The spirits hastily raised barriers.
The blue mana slammed into the earth barrier like a battering ram.
Kwang!
Stone fragments scattered everywhere as the barrier shattered.
Then the mana crashed into the wind barrier behind it.
Kwang!
The whirlwind-formed barrier vanished in an instant.
Meanwhile, the blue mana, still potent, flew toward Hubei.
"Damn it!"
Hubei hurriedly layered wind barriers and retreated.
The spirit mages unleashed attacks at the blue mana all at once.
Kwang! Kwang-kwang-kwang!
A barrage poured down, and the blue mana shattered all of Hubei's wind barriers before dissipating.
It was an utterly terrifying power.
Hubei swallowed hard, staring at Herik hovering in the air.
‘7th Class…….’
Mid-tier spirits couldn't block it.
Even all the spirit mages combined couldn't match a 7th Class mage.
Without top-tier spirits, they had no chance against him.
Best to retreat for now.
"Retreat!"
At Hubei's shout, the spirit mages vanished one by one and fled the area.
"Watch closely."
Herik gathered mana in both hands.
He prepared his strongest spell, Fire Storm.
The mana in his hands floated up, merging into one.
It grew in volume, igniting like a fireball before becoming a massive typhoon.
"Die, all of you!"
He swung both arms forcefully toward the enemy.
The mana typhoon spewed flames everywhere as it advanced on them.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Run!"
"Uwaaak!"
"Spare me!"
The battlefield turned to hell in moments.
Hubei, who had fled far away, watched the knights tossed into the air by the enemy attack, rage boiling within.
He wanted to help, but stepping in now could doom not just him but all spirit mages.
As he gritted his teeth to suppress his fury,
"Lord Hubei."
“……!”
He whipped around.
Duke Terry stood there, covered in blood.
"H-how did this happen, Your Grace? Did you fall to them too……."
"No. I was carrying out His Majesty's orders when I arrived. But what's that?"
"The enemy has a 7th Class mage. That's his summoned spell."
"A 7th Class... The spirit mages can't handle that."
"I'm sorry."
Hubei bowed his head deeply.
"His Majesty's command: all forces retreat beyond the border."
"That far?"
Hubei tilted his head.
They had come this far with great effort, only to withdraw so easily.
It could shatter allied morale.
"Did His Majesty give a reason?"
"A variable has arisen, he said."
"……Understood."
Hubei instructed a wind spirit to relay this to the spirit mages.
Then he scanned around for Pigeaaro.
He spotted him gripping his sword, trembling with rage as he stared at the front lines.
His face was flushed beet red, as if blood surged backward, on the verge of explosion.
With his subordinates slaughtered helplessly, his fury was understandable.
But now was not the time for emotions.
Hubei mounted a wind spirit and swiftly approached him.
"Retreat."
"But how can we leave them like this……."
"His Majesty's orders. We must survive to avenge them."
"Damn it!"
"Hurry. We need to escape before they pursue."
"I'll kill you all!"
Pigeaaro glared piercingly at Herik in the sky, then wheeled his horse and fled the battlefield.
The surrounding Tornado Knight Order followed suit.
Moments later.
The area swept by the Fire Storm was a scene of carnage.
Filled with charred corpses.
Natarsian still stood at the spot where he had dueled Artisan.
"Your Excellency!"
Demian rushed over and dismounted.
With a face full of worry, he checked Natarsian's condition.
He looked fine outwardly, but his face was drenched in sweat.
The Explosive Sword floating before him had its flames scatter and vanish.
As it fell like it had lost power, Natarsian snatched it midair and sheathed it.
"I think I know why that guy said what he did."
"What do you mean? Who are you referring to……."
"Arthur Julius."
Natarsian turned as he continued.
"He knew everything."
Demian stared at his back with a puzzled expression.
‘What on earth do you mean?’
***
"Hmm."
Arthur watched the sun rising over the horizon, his face hardening.
Despite racing here at full speed without rest, he felt he'd arrived too late.
"Parsia, what's the situation?"
-The Namshar Empire has retreated to the border.
"What?"
An unexpected turn.
With Artisan, the Demon King's familiar, and massive forces plus skilled knights.
Valtre and Natarsian's strength exceeded his expectations.
"What happened? Did Valtre have some hidden force that proved overwhelmingly effective?"
-No. Valtre Marquis only watched from the walls. The Peridri family held them off alone.
“……!”
Arthur's eyes widened as he reined in Khan.
Even with strong forces, holding off several times their number defied common sense.
If Natarsian stepped up, Artisan would have countered from Namshar's side.
He'd predicted Natarsian would have the edge in a Grand Sword Master versus Demon King's familiar duel.
But for the rest, he'd judged Namshar would dominate…….
"I must have misjudged."
-It was a fierce back-and-forth, but the Peridri family's mage corps tipped the balance.
"Didn't Namshar counter with spirit mages?"
-The mage corps leader was a 7th Class mage. Mid-tier spirits couldn't stop him.
"7th Class!"
He hadn't known of another mage on Millerph's level besides Altros.
This made the Peridri family's power nearly equal to the Julius Kingdom's.
How could one family be this strong?
"Artisan wouldn't have just taken it lying down."
-He struggled even against Natarsian.
"Even without using his power of darkness?"
-He held out without using it, revealing it only once at the end to block Natarsian's attack.
"Hmm……."
Hiding his power even while being pushed back?
Namshar probably didn't know he was a familiar of darkness.
Having confirmed Tomoya Kingdom's strength, they'd likely retreated to plan countermeasures.
"Casualties on both sides?"
-Namshar split into two groups, ravaging most of Tomoya's subjugated territories and killing all knights. Tomoya's forces are left with just the capital.
"Does Valtre know this?"
-No.
"Artisan will go all-in on the next attack."
As Arthur's gaze deepened, a sudden thought struck him.
"Has Natarsian figured it out?"
-You mean the power of darkness?
Arthur nodded.
If he'd sensed the dark aura from Artisan, he'd understand what Arthur had meant.
He looked forward to seeing how he'd respond.
"Hope he judges wisely."
Arthur tasked Parsia with scouting both camps, then decided to rest briefly.
Reorganizing and planning would take hours, so he'd check his own power meanwhile.
He slowly drew up mana.
As all six circles spun, immense momentum flowed from his body.
Golden aura rippled in his palm.
Power surged uncontrollably.
Perhaps he could finally summon what he desired. Anticipation swelled.
‘Please, this time…….’
He poured all his power into his hand.
The golden light blazed intensely, a form beginning to emerge.
Unlike before, it felt weighty.
Its size grew unusually large.
‘What is this?’
As curiosity filled Arthur's face, the golden light flashed, completing the summon.
"What? Why this……."