Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: The Fall of Altomers
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Thud thud thud!
Rian ran forward without looking back.
To arrive even a second faster, his movements were unhesitating.
And when he reached the exact cliffside where he had fought Altomers, thud!
He saw Altomers kicking off the ground and leaping up.
In that instant, three figures entered Rian's view.
'No one's dead yet...!'
But he sensed that this attack from Altomers might pose a real threat.
Rian, still running at full speed, drew an arrow.
Whoosh!
He held his bow horizontally level with the ground, drew the string, and released.
From raising the bow to drawing and firing the arrow, the entire complex process took less than a second. Moreover, shweeeeeek—!
The archer squad soldiers following behind widened their eyes at the arrow flying precisely toward Altomers.
'Is... is that even possible?'
'No way, even for rapid fire...!'
'Incredible...'
It was a shot that left them nothing but awe.
In any case, the arrow stretching toward Altomers snapped weakly and fell to the ground.
Altomers had swatted it away in one strike.
"Graaaaaargh!"
"Captain Raymond!"
But thanks to that, he had saved the three men.
Raymond turned at the moment the arrow flew in.
Holrun beside him shouted.
"It's... it's Rian!"
"Arrowhead Unit!"
With Rian at the lead, the Arrowhead Unit following behind seemed to glow with a halo.
As soon as the Arrowhead Unit arrived, Rian rushed to support Raymond, Brian, and Holrun, moving them back.
"Don't get close to that thing! Never try to fight it head-on!"
Rian shouted loudly to the Arrowhead Unit members surrounding Altomers.
There was no one in the Arrowhead Unit who could block Altomers' attack right now.
Kyle or Arthur, using shields over 10cm thick, might withstand one hit, but even that would be difficult.
Rustle—!
The Arrowhead Unit members encircled Altomers. And as per Rian's orders, they kept a considerable distance.
"Are you alright?"
"Ugh... I'm done for."
Brian furrowed his brow at Rian's question.
Perhaps because the tension eased with Rian's arrival, the pain of his body breaking apart hit him all at once.
Rian turned to look at Altomers.
"Graaaaaargh! Graaaah—!"
Altomers roaring at the Arrowhead Unit members encircling him.
What was strange was that even in his rage, he wasn't charging recklessly.
At that sight, Raymond spoke.
"Be careful. He seems to have lost his reason, but his combat is extremely efficient and rational."
"Understood."
Rian suppressed his fury as much as possible and coldly observed Altomers. Then, raising his bow, he approached him.
"Everyone, draw your javelins. If you don't have any, throw whatever weapons you have. But absolutely do not face that thing head-on."
""Yes sir!""
The Arrowhead Unit members shouted loudly as they readied weapons to throw.
Some gripped javelins backward, others prepared to hurl their spears or swords.
Rian carefully watched Altomers.
Even surrounded by over a hundred soldiers, he showed no sign of being overwhelmed or exposing any openings.
Rian raised his bow. The archer squad members followed suit, aiming at Altomers.
Pew—!
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew—!
Starting with Rian, arrows from the ten archer squad members shot toward Altomers.
A short distance that no ordinary knight could block.
But before the arrows reached his body, aura flowing from Altomers' sword blade instantly shattered them to pieces.
Rustle rustle!
In that interval, the Arrowhead Unit members swiftly moved, fully encircling Altomers in a semicircle.
Now with the cliff at his back, Altomers lowered his stance and growled lowly.
"Grrrrrrr...!"
He looked just like a beast driven into a corner.
Raymond and the squad leaders behind watched Altomers with hardened expressions.
Despite his beastly appearance, the calm demeanor and sharp judgment he had shown in battle still sent chills down their spines.
Rian didn't want to drag this fight out.
He wanted to kill the monster quickly and send Squad Leader Derek off peacefully.
Grit.
Intense killing intent swirled in Rian's eyes as he stared at Altomers.
Soon, Rian raised his hand and extended it toward Altomers.
"Attack."
Pew-pew-pew-pew-pew—! Pew—!
At Rian's command, the front-line Arrowhead Unit members hurled their held weapons at the monster.
Weapons they would need to keep for close combat anyway.
It was more efficient to inflict even small wounds with accurate throws.
However, Altomers wasn't just sitting there taking it.
"Graaaaaargh—!"
The moment the members prepared to throw, Altomers roared loudly and launched himself toward where Rian was.
He aimed to break through one spot decisively before all attacks focused on him.
Indeed, separate from his lost reason, his movements were extremely practical and sharp.
The instant he charged toward Rian,
"Uwaaaaaah—!"
"Uoooooh!"
Kyle and Arthur bellowed war cries as they rushed at Altomers.
Both had special-made massive shields pressed tight to their bodies, yet faint fear showed on their faces.
"Kyle! Arthur!"
Rian shouted loudly at their unexpected action.
Altomers swung his sword at the two moths flying toward him.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Before his sharp sword aura could cleave Kyle and Arthur completely, the two slammed into Altomers with their shields.
Boom!
With a deafening clang like tearing metal, Kyle and Arthur were sent flying back.
"Uwaaaaaagh!"
Kyle screamed as he crashed to the ground.
His shield had split, severing half his arm.
The bone wasn't fully cut, but if given just 0.1 seconds more, Kyle's arm would have separated from his body.
"Vice Captain!"
But their recklessness yielded tremendous results.
As Altomers tumbled to the ground from the collision, Brandt shouted loudly.
"Attack—!"
Rian and the Arrowhead Unit members didn't miss that timing.
They threw every weapon they had at the fallen Altomers.
Puk-puk-puk-puk-puk-puk-puk-puk—!
Dozens of weapons embedded in Altomers' body as he lay there.
Turning into a porcupine in an instant, he merely writhed, curled up.
"I... is he dead...?"
Someone muttered.
For a human, such wounds would naturally be fatal. But in that moment, Rian glimpsed the monster's eyes through the gap in his huddled form.
"Fall back!"
At Rian's shout, the members quickly retreated. And with that, Altomers slowly rose.
"Grrrrrrrrr...!"
Clang! Ting ting clang!
As he stood, the weapons embedded in his body popped out one by one, falling to the ground.
In that brief moment, he had protected his body with aura, shielding his vitals.
'...Monster.'
Even so, his condition was dire.
A pool of blood had formed beneath him, thick enough to slosh.
White bone was visible through the gaping wounds, and his movements were unnatural, tendons severed.
But,
"Graaaaaargh—!"
He yanked the sword from his left side, roaring ferociously as he charged at Rian.
It felt like a mad determination to take Rian with him even in death.
The moment he launched toward Rian,
Pew-pew-pew—!
Someone dashed swiftly toward Altomers.
It was Isaac.
"Isaac!"
Rian shouted loudly at Isaac's sudden action.
No matter the injuries, charging Altomers head-on was suicidal.
Proof was Altomers raising his sword at the oncoming Isaac.
Soon, a dark red sword aura flickered on his blade, emanating deathly energy.
"Grraaaaaah!"
With a fierce roar, Altomers swung his sword down over Isaac's head.
The moment Isaac raised his sword against the strike intent on cleaving him in two, boom—!
Something shot into the sky with an explosive sound.
"...Huh?"
Rian's eyes shook greatly at the sight.
Altomers' sword blade had snapped and flown upward.
And Rian wasn't the only one stunned.
"...Grrah?"
Even in his crazed state, Altomers looked at his broken sword with a bewildered expression.
He hadn't even imagined his sword breaking.
In that instant he flinched,
Slash—!
Two swords crossed as Isaac pierced through Altomers. And then, spuuuurt!
As Altomers' head hit the ground, blood erupted from his neck like an explosion under immense pressure.
Red rain poured over Isaac's head as he moved behind Altomers.
Rian couldn't hide his astonishment watching Isaac slowly turn, gripping his two swords.
What faintly clung to his swords.
It was aura.
"...Wow, he really is a genius."
Could someone use aura on the first day of starting mana cultivation...?
Rian muttered unwittingly. The others watching Isaac shared the same shocked gazes.
Then Rian looked at Altomers, fallen headless.
Finally,
'...It's over.'
The long, grueling battle in Bieltona was drawing to a close.
* * *
Sending off a comrade is always heartbreaking. Especially Derek's death, like that of a senior who had led him, tore at Rian's heart painfully.
Crackle crackle—!
Inside the cremation site, Derek's body burned away.
Rian watched him silently, holding his breath.
Memories with him, conversations they shared, flashed by quickly, making his heart ache even more.
'I'm sorry... Forgive me.'
If I had been a little stronger, you wouldn't have died.
If I had tried a little harder, this wouldn't have happened.
But through this incident, Rian would harden once more.
Knowing that, Raymond beside him said.
"Take him with you to the place you'll rise to."
"...Yes."
Rian answered shortly to Raymond's words.
Derek was gone, but all he had given remained.
Rian and the Arrowhead Unit etched their long-time comrade Derek into their hearts and sent him off.
Days passed.
Bieltona had taken heavy damage from the fiercest assault yet.
But as always, they quickly recovered and prepared for battle once more.
Clop clop.
Then, an unscheduled guest entered Bieltona.
"Vice Captain! Vice Captain!"
"What is it?"
Rian asked Brandt, who had run up suddenly. Brandt replied.
"Someone from Velotra came."
"Velotra?"
"Yes, he said you'd know if he mentioned Adelson."
"Adelson?"
Rian headed straight to the gate.
Soon, Adelson waiting at the gate ahead shouted loudly as Rian approached.
"Rian!"
"Mr. Adelson! What... you came here in person?"
"Haha, killing two birds with one stone. I wanted to see you too..."
Rian nodded at Adelson, who swallowed the rest.
It seemed they had succeeded.
Rian took Adelson and the accompanying Bex straight to his tent.
"Did you secure it?"
"Whew... yes, but this was really dangerous."
Adelson spoke cautiously as he pulled out a small box.
Rian asked.
"This is..."
"Yes."
Finally, the thing that could put the final period on Bieltona had arrived.