Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Crushing the Steel Knights
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“What the hell is that?”
Capo ignored Arthur’s words entirely, his attention fixed solely on Arthur’s right hand.
Suddenly, the bizarre weapon changed form.
It had grown even larger than before.
Normally, a weapon growing bigger meant it was getting stronger.
An ominous premonition washed over him.
‘The power of a demon?’
That was when Capo’s face darkened.
Something poured out from the strange weapon like a hail of arrows.
Instinctively sensing the danger, he threw his body sideways.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Thunderous roars followed.
But he couldn’t dodge them all.
Thwack!
“Damn it!”
A heavy impact hit his thigh, accompanied by sharp pain.
Before Capo could even register the agony, he sprang up and aimed his spear at Arthur.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Once more, something shot toward him like lightning.
“With that puny thing, you think you can—!”
Capo glared wide-eyed and spun his spear like a whirlwind to defend himself.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thwack!
“Urk!”
A heavy shock transmitted through his wrist.
It wasn’t a dagger or a throwing star, just something like small pellets, yet they carried the power of an Aura Blade.
‘What in the world...’
Capo stared at Arthur, his face filled with questions.
Arthur’s attacks had all failed, but a meaningful smile crept across his face instead.
‘Just as expected.’
He’d tested it just in case, and it performed exactly like it had on Earth.
The flying aura projectiles were about one-and-a-half times larger than those from the Sig Sauer, with greater power too.
Now that confirmation was done, all that remained was...
Arthur curled one corner of his mouth and glanced toward the nine o’clock position.
The Steel Knight Order came into view.
“First, the visible ones.”
He pulled the trigger without mercy.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
“Argh!”
“Gaaah!”
“What is it?!”
Their armor couldn’t block the assault.
Knights collapsed limply, while the survivors flailed about in panic, thrown into utter chaos.
It was pandemonium itself.
Drakan didn’t miss the moment.
“Sweep them away!”
Raaargh!
Woo-ooooh!
The Giant Wolves and knights roared in unison, unleashing merciless attacks on the enemy.
Screams of agony erupted from all sides.
“Aaagh!”
“Spare me!”
“Run!”
The ground was dyed red with their blood.
It was brutality reminiscent of hell itself.
Capo, who had been clashing with Arthur, bellowed as the assault suddenly turned toward the knights.
“You bastard!”
He swung his spear with all his might.
Thick blue aura rained down like arrows.
Arthur rolled sideways to evade, then squeezed the trigger at Capo.
“Damn it all!”
Capo hurled himself aside in haste.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
He barely dodged, but the enemy had shrewdly predicted his movement and unleashed the barrage.
“No chance!”
He wildly swung his spear, batting away the incoming aura.
While Capo was preoccupied with defense, Arthur closed the distance.
Ten meters, seven meters, five...
As the gap shortened, the K1’s power doubled, and Capo’s face grew darker under the relentless onslaught.
‘What?’
Aura Blades kept flying. By now, his mana should have been depleted.
Yet there was no sign of it. The attacks were growing stronger instead.
“Damn!”
“Just defending won’t cut it, will it?”
Arthur’s clear voice startled Capo.
Somehow, Arthur had closed in right up to his spear.
“H-How...”
“You’re done.”
Arthur fired at the hand wielding the spear.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
“Aaaagh!”
Capo’s hand suffered massive damage, as if savaged by a beast, and he dropped the spear.
In that instant, Arthur smashed the gun’s butt into his head.
Thwack!
Capo’s head snapped back, blood spraying.
Arthur followed with a spinning back kick to his gut.
Boom!
Capo flew backward and crashed into the ground.
Like a bolt of lightning, Arthur leaped forward and drove his knee into Capo’s stomach.
“Guhh!”
Capo’s eyes bulged as if tearing apart, vomiting blood.
Arthur jammed the gun barrel into his blood-gushing mouth and bellowed like thunder.
“Everyone, freeze!”
His voice boomed across the battlefield.
Regardless of ally or foe, every knight’s gaze snapped to Arthur.
“Gasp!”
“C-Captain...”
“Th-This can’t...”
Disbelief and despair clouded the Steel Knight Order’s faces.
In contrast, triumph dawned on the Lannister Knight Order’s expressions. Respect for Arthur began to swell in their hearts.
‘A Sword Master...’
‘Incredible!’
‘Worthy of the Julius Count family.’
Meanwhile, Drakan, who had been watching Arthur, was inwardly stunned and shocked.
The weapon Arthur wielded was something he’d never seen, and the Aura Blades fired without any preparation process—far too simply.
Above all, its power was immense enough to pressure a Sword Master.
‘A Sword Master... and around my age.’
He had reached upper Sword Expert three years ago but hadn’t progressed further.
According to Sir Ralph, he was the greatest in Lannister family history.
Even as a vassal house to the Julius Counts, he had no intention of serving anyone weaker than himself.
But Arthur was leagues stronger.
And this wasn’t even his full power.
‘If he went all out...’
His chest swelled, blood heating up.
Just as his father had fallen for Tehran Julius, he too had fallen for Arthur.
Now, he had one task: to support Arthur’s dream with all he had.
‘My liege.’
As Drakan pledged his loyalty to Arthur,
The Steel Knight Order stared blankly at Capo in dazed shock.
‘Captain...’
Worry filled their faces.
Before dying, Capo had one thing he desperately wanted to know.
Had he known about that weapon, he wouldn’t have collapsed so pathetically.
With the barrel in his mouth, he couldn’t speak, so he shot Arthur a silent, questioning look.
Arthur read the doubt in Capo’s eyes and met his gaze steadily.
“The power of the Julius family.”
“...!”
“Those who slander us will walk the path to ruin.”
“N-No way...”
Killing intent flickered in Arthur’s eyes as he replied matter-of-factly.
“Even the emperor is no exception.”
“Y-You...”
Capo’s eyes shook violently.
In the distance, the sound of hundreds of cavalry charging reached Arthur’s ears.
“Watch from hell how everyone who messes with us ends up.”
Rat-tat-tat!
Capo’s helmeted skull exploded.
At the same moment, Drakan shouted to his knights.
“Kill them all!”
Without hesitation, the knights unleashed on the demoralized foes.
“Argh!”
“Gaaah!”
It was a massacre.
Arthur’s golden armor was splattered with Capo’s blood, but he didn’t blink, staring at the approaching enemy host and bellowing.
“Drakan!”
“Yes!”
Drakan rushed over with Ron, bowing deeply.
It was utmost reverence.
“We advance. Prepare.”
“Understood.”
Drakan bowed politely and let out a long whistle.
Wheeee-.
Behind Arthur, the knights began forming ranks as Khan howled loudly and charged up.
Dust rose, the ground trembling in his wake.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-.
Skevin and the Phoenix Knight Order appeared.
Their morale dominated the field.
“Perfect timing.”
Arthur swiftly mounted Khan.
“Charge with Skevin and break their momentum!”
“Yes!”
As Drakan replied, Arthur shot toward the enemy like an arrow.
“...!”
Drakan’s eyes widened.
‘Surely not?’
Facing that many alone was suicidal.
“My liege! No!”
But his judgment proved wrong moments later.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Even at over a hundred meters, Arthur unleashed his barrage.
It was ranged too.
Amid the thunder, enemies tumbled from their horses, sowing chaos.
They loosed arrows in retaliation, but Britannicker bore Arthur—hitting him mid-gallop was impossible.
If Arthur shook their formation, the damage would be immense.
Drakan turned with a resolute expression.
The Lannister Knight Order stood arrayed with grim faces.
“Spear of the Empire!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The knights slammed their spears into the ground three times.
“Wedge formation!”
At his command, Ron howled.
Awoooo-!
The Giant Wolves formed a diamond wedge, spears extended.
Drakan waited for the Phoenix Knight Order.
When they drew within ten meters,
“Charge!”
With Drakan’s cry, the Giant Wolves surged forward with murderous intent.
Skevin followed closely, raising his sword high.
“Assault Team! Forward!”
Britannickers-mounted knights surged ahead.
They flanked the Lannister knights like unfolding wings.
Skevin rode abreast with Drakan, shouting.
“Don’t stop!”
“...!”
Drakan’s eyes gleamed.
“Wipe them out in one go!”
Immense energy poured from Skevin, thick blue aura rising from his body.
‘Him too?’
Drakan’s gaze wavered.
Now he saw: Skevin was no slouch.
Upper Sword Expert like himself, or perhaps a notch above—nearing Sword Master.
The knights flanking them were mid Sword Expert or higher.
‘These guys are the real deal!’
And Arthur, charging alone and raining hellfire.
A shiver ran through Drakan.
‘With this force...’
The hundreds ahead held no fear.
Time to show the Lannister family’s might.
Drakan raised his spear overhead, poised like a harpoon strike, radiating killing intent.
Thick blue aura rose from him too.
“Let’s go!”
Skevin surged ahead to lead.
The line formation shifted to a sharp V.
Britannickers and Giant Wolves charged madly with ferocious momentum.
Meanwhile,
Arthur unleashed indiscriminate fire.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
The enemy crumbled helplessly.
He quickly scanned the banners for the Yarve Count’s amid the chaos.
Toward the rear of the vanguard flew the Rose Knight Order banner.
“Hiding back there.”
Arthur kicked Khan hard and poured fire toward it.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
“Protect the Count!”
“Knights!”
At the vanguard knights’ cries, dispatched knights from various territories raised shields.
Yarve gaped at the golden-armored figure charging while spewing endless Aura Blades.
“Who the hell is that?!”
“Judging by the golden armor, one of the Julius Count family members.”
At Hazan’s words, Yarve roared.
“Who doesn’t know that! I’m asking which one!”
Panting, he thought.
Wesley, the only decent son of Count Malcolm, had died fighting monsters.
The other two were worthless trash, useless to the count family.
It had to be Medlin, that insolent wench, scheming something.
But he wasn’t one to fall for that.
“I won’t be shaken by this.”
Watching knights fall to the barrage, Yarve pondered briefly.
Then,
“Sir Barthes.”
Hoofbeats approached from behind.
A middle-aged man in a brown robe drew alongside and replied politely.
“You called?”
The lord of Densha Territory had sent him specially with the Karos Knight Order—a 5th Class mage.
He’d planned to keep him hidden, but no choice now.
Yarve glared at the golden armor.
“Can you handle it? Just buy time until Capo arrives.”
“I’ll do my best.”
The middle-aged man bowed, then raised his right hand overhead.
Muttering runes softly, intense flames erupted from his hand.
The flames slowly formed a massive spear.
“Rune Spear!”
He thrust his arm forward with full force.
Fwoosh-!
The 4th Class flame spear rocketed with deafening whoosh.
“...!”
Arthur sensed intense energy incoming from ahead.
He swiftly drew a dagger from his back.
“I...”
Fierce momentum poured from him.
“Won’t dodge!”
As the flame spear sought to engulf him!
He hurled the dagger, wrapped in golden aura.
Boom!
The flame spear split in two, its dispersing energy absorbed through the dagger into Arthur.
“Power...”
Arthur’s eyes reddened, golden aura surging wildly.
Energy gathered in his right hand.
‘No way?’