Chapter 208
Chapter 208
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Scheme
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“The enemy is on the move.”
Collepton flashed a sinister smile at Figaro’s report.
If he predicted their attack pattern correctly, the mage corps would shake up their lines with wide-area attacks, then the knight order would sweep them away.
Natarsian would come for him personally.
But things wouldn’t go as they planned.
“Pull all troops back to the second line and wait until sunset.”
“Yes, sir.”
Figaro bowed without another word and left.
The reason Collepton wasn’t responding immediately was because he had a mission for Hubei.
He had ordered him to corrupt all the spirits of the spirit summoners using the summoned Krasena.
He planned to turn the spirit summoners—who could detect the power of darkness the quickest—into his subordinates first.
And since knights knew nothing about spirits, there would be no issue even if they corrupted.
While the spirit summoners dealt with the mage corps, Figaro and Duke Terry would handle the enemy knights, and he would lure Natarsian in and finish him with the power of darkness.
This approach would let him hide his presence while still using Namshar’s knight order.
Figaro or Duke Terry might grow suspicious of the spirit summoners, but how many would survive the battle with the mage corps?
Even Hubei couldn’t guarantee survival against a 7th Class mage.
The knight order would suffer heavy losses too.
By the end of the battle, no one left could threaten him.
Everything would turn in his favor.
To solidify his position among the Guardians, though, he needed powerful subordinates.
Natarsian would be perfect.
But he was exceptionally strong, so controlling the power to keep him alive might be tricky.
“Hmm, it’d be easy if that guy helped.”
At that moment.
An eerie silence hung over the gathering of spirit summoners.
They all wore dazed expressions, while only Hubei—having summoned Krasena—moved busily.
After a long while.
Hubei wiped the sweat from his face and let out a long breath.
“Phew—It’s done.”
-Now they’ll obey your every word.
“Thank you.”
-No need for thanks. I just want my contractor to live long and not die. That’s why I turned them into your puppets.
“How could it not be? Their power rivals an entire knight order.”
-Think bigger. The enemies you’ll face ahead are all powerhouses.
“Understood. I won’t betray Lady Krasena’s expectations. Now, I’ll report to Lord Collepton.”
“No need.”
Collepton appeared there.
He glanced at the spirit summoners and smirked.
“You hypnotized them all?”
“Yes. Brainwashing them all was beyond my skill, so I used hypnosis.”
“It won’t wear off easily?”
“It won’t as long as I live.”
“Good.”
Collepton shifted his gaze to Krasena.
Her bursting chest, slender waist, and hips that overflowed with elasticity just from looking.
Her moist eyes and full lips were utterly seductive.
Just seeing her made his blood boil.
“Truly stunning.”
As Collepton approached her, Hubei quickly stepped aside.
He stroked her long hair and asked.
“Spirits can’t have physical bodies, right?”
-That’s correct.
“What a shame. To only look at a seductive woman like you.”
-If you desire me, I can please you in other ways.
“I don’t need mental communion.”
-How disappointing. I was looking forward to it.
“You temptress.”
As Collepton’s lecherous gaze fell and his hand reached toward her hips.
Boom—!
Crash! Crash!
An explosion rocked the ground.
“It’s starting.”
A smile curled on Collepton’s lips.
Krasena glanced at the rising plume of smoke, her own lips curving up.
-When darkness falls….
Collepton finished her words.
“The true festival of blood begins.”
***
Heric’s face hardened after unleashing the wide-area barrage.
He hurried to Natarsian.
“It’s too quiet.”
“I felt it too.”
“No reaction from them means they’ve all taken cover.”
“They haven’t fully retreated, though?”
Where had all those troops vanished to?
They had to be watching from somewhere.
As Natarsian scanned ahead, something caught his eye.
Gopra Mountains!
‘No way?’
They couldn’t have fled there….
But if they’d seen through his plan and had no intention of counterattacking right away!
He sensed a faint trace of dark energy.
“Send a scout unit to the Gopra Mountains.”
“You think they’re….”
“They’d be digging their own graves.”
“I’ll burn them all the moment we confirm.”
Murderous intent gleamed in Heric’s eyes.
Moments later.
The scouts returned.
“Your Excellency, they’ve built a defensive wall there!”
“As expected.”
Natarsian nodded and signaled Heric.
He had been waiting with the mage corps and immediately issued the order.
“Attack!”
Pew-pew-pew-pew—!
Dozens of fireballs rocketed into the sky, streaking it red.
Heric shouted.
“Sealing team! Charge!”
Over ten members shot toward the Gopra Mountains like lightning.
They spaced out at intervals, erecting defensive walls at positions to block enemy advances.
The intent was to halt their momentum from the start.
The fireballs struck the Gopra Mountains.
Boom! Kaboom!
Flames erupted, and screams echoed from the enemy.
“Now we’re getting the picture I wanted.”
Heric’s eyes turned cold as he waved his hand.
Bang! Bang-bang!
More fireballs launched skyward.
Boom! Boom-boom!
They poured relentless fire to turn the Gopra Mountains into a sea of flames.
Namshar troops hiding in the mountains burst out.
Raaah—!
They charged with ferocious momentum but soon slammed into the defensive walls.
They swung their swords nonstop to break through, but inflicted no damage.
“Damn it! What do we do!”
“Hold until the spirit summoners arrive!”
The knights unleashed everything they had.
Soon, a dark cloud seemed to loom over their heads.
“What’s with the sudden clouds?”
“What the hell?”
“Damn it, look over there!”
One knight pointed ahead with his sword.
Mages hovered in the sky, sparks crackling from their hands like lightning.
Figaro spotted them and yelled.
“Everyone, run!”
The knights bolted back toward the Gopra Mountains.
But fireballs kept raining there, making it even more dangerous.
The magic barriers blocked all other directions.
“Shit!”
Figaro assessed the situation and bellowed.
“Erect defensive walls!”
As soldiers scattered to form barriers.
Raindrops fell from the vast dark cloud above.
Figaro stared at a drop on his palm.
‘Rain…?’
The moment his eyes widened, thunder roared and lightning struck.
Rumble-crash—!
Over ten thick bolts pierced the knights and slammed into the ground.
The lightning arced through the wet earth in all directions.
Aaaagh—!
Electrocuted knights collapsed with agonized screams.
Figaro deployed aura armor to survive but watched helplessly as lightning felled the others.
The barriers were useless too.
Bolts shattered them on impact.
With the spirit summoners nowhere in sight despite the enemy assault, Figaro roared.
“What the hell are those bastards doing!”
As if hearing him, a group flew from the Gopra Mountains.
Hubei led the spirit summoners.
Summoned spirits rode on their shoulders.
“Clear that first!”
Hubei glanced at the dark cloud Figaro pointed to and said to Krasena.
“Will you handle them?”
-Of course.
Krasena extended her arm.
The wind spirits following her surged toward the thundercloud.
They unfurled a massive wind barrier between the cloud and ground.
Boom! Kaboom!
It blocked all the lightning.
Then Krasena eyed the forward defensive wall and spat one word.
-Break it.
At her command, fire spirits rocketed toward the wall, hammering it relentlessly like dozens of fireballs.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier.
As the spirit summoners’ fierce assault pressed, Heric moved to the next phase.
“It’s your turn.”
Nearly thirty mages below him drew swords with murderous auras.
Mana soon enveloped their blades, and they charged without hesitation.
From the ramparts, Valtre watched, tilting his head.
“What are those guys?”
“The Valkyries. A combat unit specialized in close quarters. Their main targets are enemy commanders, and neutralizing magic attacks.”
“So the secret unit in the Mammoth Mage Corps is them.”
“Impressive. 5th Class magic plus swordsmanship at peak Sword Expert.”
“As expected of the Peridri family. I see why Ruan saw them as his last bastion….”
Valtre gave a bitter smile.
He had secured near-loyal cooperation from the Peridri family, but its sudden derailment stung.
Still, seeing their power, he was grateful they hadn’t turned enemy.
Their goals were clear now, so he planned to use them fully.
‘Fight with your lives.’
***
Kaboom—.
The defensive wall shattered, and trapped Namshar Empire soldiers poured out like madmen.
“Charge!”
“Kill them!”
They raced toward Tomoya Kingdom with frenzied faces.
Figaro, emerging with the knight order, thrust his sword skyward and roared.
“Our fury! Proved in their blood!”
Raaah—!
They surged with berserk momentum.
“They’re coming! Everyone, prepare!”
The Valkyries hid with invisibility magic, waiting.
Soon, knights and soldiers entered striking range.
The Valkyries revealed themselves.
They swung aura-clad blue swords mercilessly while unleashing attack spells.
The surprise assault killed knights before they could react.
Even Figaro.
Assailed from all sides, he blocked frantically but took a magic hit and fell from his horse.
Without time to feel pain, he sprang up, counterattacked, and felled one.
He quickly distanced himself and assumed a defensive stance.
Figaro glared murderously.
“What are you bastards…?”
The Valkyries silently unleashed magic, charged, and swung.
Amid flying spells and swords, Figaro sensed crisis—and rage at being ignored by these unknowns.
“You!”
He slammed his sword into the ground.
Boom!
Countless rock shards flew, offsetting the attacks.
Then Figaro’s eyes flashed.
Bontelga First Form.
Rockfall Trajectory.
With earth-splitting force, he slashed the embedded sword across the ground.
A massive aura blade rent the earth forward.
Rock shards followed, engulfing the Valkyries.
Seeing this, the Tornado Knight Order rallied and shouted.
“Charge ahead!”
The Valkyries countered with spells and charged.
The two forces clashed headlong in a brutal melee of thrusts, blocks, kills, and more kills.
Watching from afar, Collepton looked pleased.
“Time to move?”
From the battle’s start, he had leaked dark power for Natarsian to sense.
He felt the gaze fixed on him.
Natarsian.
Waiting for him to move.
“This time, you come to me.”
Collepton hurled his sword at Natarsian with full force.
Fwoosh—!
It flew with tremendous speed.
“……!”
Something flashed toward Natarsian, who had been watching Collepton.
“Trying to provoke me with that weak throw?”
He neither dodged nor countered, just stared.
The arcing sword crashed ahead of him.
Boom!
“……!”
Natarsian’s eyes widened. He spurred his horse toward the sword’s origin.
Not far away, Heric—commanding the mage corps—saw Natarsian’s move and glanced at the embedded sword.
Invincible Sword!
It was Demian’s blade.