Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Reaper
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***
“Damn it!”
Bagrann was taken aback as Skevin’s skills surpassed his expectations.
Even when Hans immediately unfolded his technique upon seeing him being pushed back, he couldn’t bring him down.
He truly lived up to the name of the Julius Count Family’s guardian deity.
It was frustrating, but they were no match for him.
Yakim would have to step in, but he and the Red Warrior Squad hadn’t returned.
The Rose Knight Order held a numerical advantage and kept pressing forward, but the Phoenix Knight Order’s skills were no joke.
The intelligence gathered for the territorial war indicated that the Phoenix Knight Order’s average strength was at the Sword Actor level or slightly above.
But most of them were Sword Experts or equivalent.
As time passed, the skill gap would become evident, and they were likely to be overwhelmed.
Before that happened, Yakim and the Red Warrior Squad needed to join quickly and take them down.
“Let’s hold out a little longer.”
As Bagrann gripped his sword tightly and assumed an attacking stance, Hans said with a resolute expression.
“I’ll somehow get him off his horse.”
“You have some clever plan?”
“If we knock him off his horse, he’ll be much easier to handle.”
Hans drew the dagger from his waist.
Realizing what he had in mind, Bagrann nodded.
“Attack and fall back immediately.”
“Understood.”
Hans spurred his horse forcefully and charged at Skevin.
Skevin, who had been watching the two, gripped his sword tightly as Hans rushed in.
“I’ll finish you first.”
He drew up mana and charged back.
In an instant, he closed the distance and swung his sword.
A deep blue aura blade flew toward Hans.
It wasn’t comparable to Yakim’s aura blade, but it was overwhelming for Bagrann or Hans, who were a step below Skevin.
Hans blocked it with all his might using his sword.
“Ugh!”
Shock coursed through his body, and blood welled up in his throat.
Gritting his teeth to endure it, he hurled the dagger in his other hand toward Skevin’s horse with all his strength.
“Where!”
Skevin deflected the dagger with his sword and swung at Hans’s torso as he came charging.
‘Got him!’
Hans yanked hard on the reins. The horse reared up in fright, kicking its front legs high into the air.
The sword sliced through the horse’s head and flew toward Hans.
As he fell with the horse, Hans aimed his sword at Skevin’s mount.
“……!”
Skevin pulled on the reins, but Hans’s sword struck first.
It severed the horse’s neck clean through.
Neigh!
It was then, as the horse crashed to the ground.
Bagrann, who had been pursuing Hans, thrust his sword toward Skevin.
“Damn it!”
Skevin hurriedly leaped off his horse.
Bagrann swiftly turned his horse toward Skevin, who was rolling on the ground, and charged.
“Die!”
He swung his sword with all his might.
A blue aura-wreathed sword flew toward Skevin.
Skevin quickly raised his sword to block, but it pierced his left shoulder.
“Ugh!”
“Die!”
Bagrann pressed harder on his sword.
The blade embedded in the shoulder dug deeper.
“This much…….”
Skevin glared with venom in his eyes and gripped the sword in his shoulder tightly.
At that moment, Hans, who had fallen from his horse, got up and charged like a shot.
“It’s over!”
It was when the blue aura rose from his sword, aiming for Skevin’s heart.
Thud!
“Arghhh!”
Something struck Hans’s eye.
He collapsed flat and rolled around madly.
“What the!”
As Bagrann faltered slightly in surprise, Skevin seized the opening, yanked the sword from his shoulder, and thrust at him.
“Damn it!”
Bagrann parried the sword and quickly retreated. Then he swiftly scanned the surroundings.
Everyone was locked in fierce exchanges.
“Where the hell did that come from!”
As Bagrann grimaced.
Something flew from the front.
“……!”
Thud!
“Argh!”
A dull impact and pain shot through his shoulder.
Something like a dagger was embedded in his shoulder.
“What, what the…….”
Amazed that it had pierced his armor, a group emerged from the forest.
Blood-soaked figures unleashed attacks on his subordinates.
They were from the Julius Count Family.
“Damn it! Where the hell did that bastard go!”
As Bagrann scowled, thinking of Yakim.
A figure in golden armor charged toward him with terrifying momentum.
His subordinates rushing at the figure were sent flying with single strikes.
Above all, seeing the sword wrapped in golden aura in the figure’s right hand, his face darkened rapidly.
“T-That’s…….”
Golden aura was the signature of the Julius Count Family.
And it was exceptionally dense.
He never imagined a Sword Master-level powerhouse in a count family known only for its past glory.
Skevin shuddered at the sight of Arthur.
He had grown even stronger than when facing the ogre.
Like the reaper of the battlefield, he crushed anyone blocking his path.
Absolute power!
Seeing that imagined strength in reality filled his chest with indescribable emotion.
‘Young Master…….’
Awe settled on Skevin’s face as he gazed at Arthur.
The knights locked in fierce combat instinctively turned their heads at the overwhelming presence.
All eyes on the battlefield turned to Arthur.
The Phoenix Knight Order felt a burning heat rise from deep within at the sight of him.
Conversely, the Rose Knight Order’s faces hardened at the powerhouse emanating terrifying momentum.
Arthur mercilessly felled those blocking him and stood before Bagrann.
Then, he coldly addressed Skevin collapsed on the ground.
“Get up.”
“Ugh!”
Skevin gritted his teeth, clutched his shoulder, and stood.
Bagrann tensely aimed his sword at Arthur.
“Who the hell are you?”
Arthur stared at Bagrann with cold eyes.
“I asked who you are!”
“Reaper.”
“……!”
The moment Bagrann’s eyes widened, Arthur closed in front of him in a flash.
“Gasp!”
As Bagrann startled and tried to swing, Arthur’s kukri was faster.
Slice-.
Bagrann’s wrist was severed.
“Touch me, and death is all you’ll get.”
Arthur mercilessly decapitated him with the kukri.
“……!”
Everyone, including Skevin, who witnessed the scene, was stunned.
He, the guardian knight of the Yarve Count Family, died too pathetically without a proper fight.
Arthur swept his chilling gaze around and said coldly.
“For daring to touch the Julius Count Family. You deserve death.”
Those words stabbed into the Rose Knight Order’s hearts like daggers.
At that moment, several charged at Arthur with swords drawn.
“Die!”
“Where!”
As the Phoenix Knight Order moved to intercept, Arthur drew a dagger from his belt and hurled it at them.
Whoosh-.
Thud!
The dagger wrapped in golden aura flew like a bullet, embedding in their helmets.
Arthur shouted loudly.
“Show them exactly what happens if they touch us!”
Argh-!
As the Phoenix Knight Order exuded killing intent and charged, swinging their swords.
Slice!
Stab! Stab!
“Arghhh!”
“Ugh!”
“M-Mercy…….”
The Rose Knight Order fell like they were being massacred.
About ten minutes later.
The Phoenix Knight Order coldly stared at the dead or dying Rose Knight Order.
“Hmm…….”
Even after the battle ended, Arthur’s rage hadn’t subsided; his chest still burned.
If he left the overflowing mana as is, he felt like he’d go berserk.
He decided to ask Millerph if there was a way to calm it.
He scanned the surroundings several times, but Millerph was nowhere to be seen.
Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen him during the fight either.
“What happened?”
As Arthur tilted his head.
The Devil Squad members approached.
Their eyes burned intensely.
Their appearances were a mess, but there was no sign of fatigue.
“Are you alright?”
As Dark cautiously asked, Arthur nodded and countered.
“And you?”
“We’re fine.”
“But where’s Millerph?”
“Wasn’t he with you, Captain?”
“What are you talking about? While I was dealing with them, wasn’t he with you?”
“No, he hasn’t come to us since he went with you, Captain.”
“Did something happen?”
As doubt clouded Arthur’s face.
Shrieeeek-!
A monstrous cry echoed from the sky.
“……!”
It was Cardrazin’s roar.
Arthur’s face hardened instantly, and Skevin and Hellot rushed over.
“Young Master! This cry…….”
“Clean up here!”
Arthur signaled the Devil Squad and raced toward the western mountains with them.
***
At that moment.
“Cough!”
Millerph, spitting out a handful of blood, stood before a cliff.
After parting with Arthur and heading to the Devil Squad’s position, he spotted massive shadows moving.
Unable to ignore it, he checked and found ogres appearing again.
Their path led straight to where the Devil Squad was ambushing.
So he attacked to lure them in the opposite direction.
But facing five at once was impossible.
Soon his mana ran dry, and since he’d drawn their attention, he had to escape somehow.
But overexertion caused chest pain and constant blood surging up.
Thus, he couldn’t flee properly and was cornered at the cliff.
With the cliff at his back, Millerph glared at the approaching ogres, who exuded monstrous ferocity befitting the land’s supreme monsters.
They were larger than the ones before.
The Fire Lance that had worked previously was utterly ineffective; they’d grown that much stronger.
“Damn it.”
Millerph knew his situation was dire, but he worried for the Devil Squad, who were set to face the enemies with him.
Yet he had no way to help.
“Just when I started seeing the light…….”
Watching Arthur grow, he envisioned the Julius Count Family’s revival.
Unlike his meaningless days before, each day swelled with anticipation for the day they’d stand tall in the empire.
He’d just begun tasting life’s joys……
“Guess it was fate to die back then.”
Millerph gave a bitter smile and slammed his staff into the ground forcefully.
“Can’t go alone into loneliness.”
He spread his arms wide and drew up his life force.
Power from his heart gathered into the circle formed below his navel.
He planned to end them with his strongest attack spell, ‘Lightning Rain.’
Millerph murmured runes softly and activated his life force.
White light formed in his palms, rippling like lightning.
The ogres, sensing the danger instinctively, let out roars.
Shrieeek-!
They strode forward.
One uprooted a tree and hurled it at Millerph.
Millerph thrust his palm toward the flying tree.
Boom!
Like lightning from the sky, it blasted the tree away.
With a resolute expression, Millerph declared.
“This is no place for you. All of you, vanish!”
He unleashed his final attack spell, ‘Lightning Rain.’
The white light shining from his palms shot skyward.
Rumble! Boom!
Thunder crashed from the heavens, and massive bolts engulfed the ogres.
Boom! Roooar! Boom!
Shriek!
Shrieeek!
The ogres thrashed wildly, screeching from the strikes.
The one hit dead-on charred black and collapsed; two stumbled and fell off the cliff.
The remaining two, though struck, didn’t die and approached with vicious killing intent.
“Cough!”
Millerph spat black blood and slumped down.
He felt his strength draining away.
He wanted to eliminate them all before dying, but failing made him furious.
“Sorry. The rest are yours, Young Master…….”
As he turned toward the cliff to throw himself off.
Shrieeek!
Thud-!
An ogre’s roar shook the air as it collapsed.
‘No way!’
Hope flickered across Millerph’s despairing face.
Sure enough.
He heard his voice calling.
“Millerph!”
Millerph whipped around.
Arthur was shoving his kukri into the mouth of the fallen ogre.
More captivating was the golden aura manifesting on his armor!
Aura taking physical form on armor meant Sword Master awakening or equivalent power.
His growth was astonishingly fast.
But knowing he’d fill his void brought immense joy.
His chest swelled, tears streaming down.
For the first time, he cried out loudly.
“My lord!”