Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Chapter 53: An Unyielding Enemy (4)
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"Enemy raid! Sound the alarm!"
"All troops! Assume battle formations and engage!"
The undead army had advanced right up to the front lines of the camp. Alarm bells rang out clamorously, and the Philius Empire forces swiftly organized themselves, preparing for combat in an instant.
Leading the vanguard was Marquis Crayer. He raised his sword, infused with vivid mana, high in the air as he prepared to charge alongside his knight order.
Right behind him waited the mages from the Azure Tower and Crimson Tower. Their plan was to support the knights' charge with long-range magic.
"Knight order! Ready to charge!"
Marquis Crayer bellowed, channeling mana into his voice. The knights straightened their ranks, while the mages from the Azure and Crimson Towers began drawing their magic circles.
"For the glory of the Philius Empire! Charge!"
Marquis Crayer and his knights charged toward the grotesque undead horde.
There was no trace of fear on their faces, and not a hint of hesitation in the blades they swung.
The moment the knight order clashed with the undead army, brilliant beams of multicolored magic arced across the dark night sky, striking the rear of the undead forces.
Boom! Kaboom! Bang!
Explosions erupted with deafening roars. Clouds of dirt billowed up. The flesh of those denied eternal rest was brutally torn apart.
"The undead assault is weakening!"
"Good! Push through like this!"
Marquis Crayer shouted triumphantly at the report from his subordinate knight. He swung his sword with vigor, and the knights maintained their momentum without slowing.
With the undead formation disrupted by the magic barrage, the knights pierced through the enemy lines with relative ease.
The knight order's charge split the undead army in two.
Rodin's subordinate necromancers hurriedly directed the undead to seal the gap in their divided formation, but it wasn't easy.
This was because heavily armored infantry followed closely behind the knights, emerging with the distinctive screech of steel and beginning to butcher the undead.
Their weapons gleamed with golden holy power.
The Heresy Hunters' executors also wielded the might of paladins and priests, chanting holy prayers to bestow sacred strength upon the infantry.
As the infantry advanced and the Heresy Hunters moved up behind them, they chanted holy prayers once more, unleashing explosions of holy power upon the undead army.
Most of the zombies had been hastily conjured from the corpses of the Jeist Magic Kingdom's forces, leaving them with virtually no resistance to holy power.
Whenever the golden storm raged, undead scattered like fallen leaves.
"Lord Rodin, this won't do. There's a limit to what these improvised zombies can handle."
A subordinate necromancer spoke up. Undead destroyed by magic could be resurrected with mana, but those damaged by holy power were difficult to repair.
"Shouldn't we commit the main force?"
Another subordinate necromancer cautiously offered his opinion. Rodin nodded and grinned.
"It's time to deploy the legion."
As he raised the hand holding his staff, the space behind him tore open, revealing a new undead army. Unlike the zombies that had assaulted the Philius Empire forces until now, these were different.
They were all clad in black steel heavy armor, with a handful of elite undead like death knights and dullahans mixed in among them.
"You go as well."
"Understood, Lord Rodin."
Rodin sent even his favored elite necromancers to the front lines. Unlike before when he'd been holding back, today he intended to go all out.
"Transmit the order to fall back! Tell them to return immediately!"
Raymond shouted urgently, sensing the ominous aura before even the Azure Tower Lord and Crimson Tower Lord monitoring the battlefield via magic.
A messenger rider galloped off in haste, and the horns signaling a temporary retreat blared across the field.
"Retreat?"
Marquis Crayer was puzzled. The Philius Empire forces had complete momentum against the undead army. A little more pressure, and victory would be at hand—or so he thought.
But defying an imperial command was impossible.
Swallowing his regret, Marquis Crayer turned his horse toward the camp, while the Heresy Hunters and infantry quickened their steps to return as well.
"Enemy reinforcements have arrived on the field!"
A senior Crimson Tower mage atop the watchtower scanning the battlefield cried out sharply. Just as he said, undead reinforcements had appeared—and they looked far from ordinary.
The sinister aura they exuded paled the faces of those guarding the barricades.
"Fear not! His Majesty the Emperor is here with us!"
A mana-infused shout rang out. It came from Cassias.
Reminded of the emperor's presence, the soldiers' morale rose slightly, but it wasn't enough.
Then Raymond, ignoring the Royal Guard's protests, donned his golden armor himself.
"The troops' morale is at rock bottom. I'll lead the Imperial Army in battle."
"But Your Majesty...!"
"I've made my decision, Marquis Blizzard. Don't make me reverse it."
Marquis Blizzard and the Royal Guard tried to dissuade him again, but Raymond remained resolute.
In the end, the Royal Guard had no choice but to obey the emperor's will, as they always had.
"The Imperial Army is ready."
Cassias reported calmly. Six thousand Imperial Army troops stood arrayed right before them.
"Oh no! Your Majesty! This is too dangerous!"
Just as he moved to join the Imperial Army, Azure Tower Lord Risefield Dior came rushing over in a panic.
"Isn't this a routine occurrence? Enough fussing, old timer."
"Then let me join you too, Your Majesty!"
"A mage needed for rear support fire—where do you think you're going? I'll gratefully accept your sentiments."
"But..."
"No time. I won't hear more."
The brief argument ended. Raymond joined the Imperial Army, leaving Risefield behind.
He took position at the front alongside the Imperial Army's knight order. The Heresy Hunters, who wielded holy power, joined them as well.
The undead army before them exuded a grim, murderous aura, but the eyes of the Imperial Army and Heresy Hunters showed not a shred of fear.
The reason was simple. The emperor stood among them now.
"His Majesty the Emperor fights with us!"
Cassias bellowed, mana surging in his voice. The Imperial Army knights lowered their visors in unison and drew their swords. Hundreds of cavalry lances aimed straight ahead.
"Charge!"
"Waaaaah!"
Raymond raised his Soul Sword, scattering pure white radiance, and shouted. As a thunderous roar erupted, the Imperial Army and Heresy Hunters surged fiercely toward the undead horde.
"Enemy cavalry charge incoming."
"Send the skeleton knight unit forward and erect a wall of bone."
The necromancers moved busily. They waved bone staffs through the air, drawing magic circles.
A barrier woven from sharp bone spears rose up, and skeleton knights clad in black steel advanced.
Leading them was a death knight.
"Magic cover!"
No sooner had the bone barrier formed than Azure Tower Lord Risefield Dior reacted. At his command, the Azure Tower mages chanted spells in unison.
Dozens of powerful spells traced brilliant paths through the air, slamming into the bone barrier. It crumbled amid deafening explosions.
Dozens of skeleton knights were buried under the collapsing wall, and the Imperial Army knights trampled them, clashing with the undead reserves.
The skeleton knights thrust with swords and spears. Several Imperial knights fell, spilling blood, but the losses were minimal, and they pressed on undeterred.
Forgetting fear, they charged relentlessly, piercing the vanguard formed by skeleton knights and suddenly assaulting the rear mage lines, wreaking havoc. At their center was Raymond.
Rodin bit his lip in frustration upon seeing the emperor, clad in gleaming golden armor and wielding pure white radiance.
"Send the death knight order."
At Rodin's irritated command, the necromancers mobilized the death knights.
Dozens of waiting death knights sprang into action. All were elite forces who had reached the high knight realm.
"Your Majesty! Death knights incoming!"
Silvia warned sharply, sensing the approaching ominous presence. Raymond, who had been swinging his sword furiously at the undead, snapped to attention and fell back into formation.
Catching his breath, he took a brief moment. In the distance, pitch-black knights approached rapidly under the cover of bone mages' magic.
"Here they come."
Raymond spat coldly. Right behind him, Silvia loosed a barrage of arrows enhanced by wind spirits. Two death knights toppled, headless.
"Royal Guard, forward!"
"We are the shields of the imperial family! We protect His Majesty the Emperor!"
As the death knights drew near, Marquis Blizzard shouted. The Royal Guard advanced. The Imperial knights mustered their courage and joined them.
"Collision imminent!"
"Brace for impact!"
The nightmare-mounted death knights crashed into the Imperial knights. Heavy impacts sent Imperial knights' bodies flying into the air.
"Royal Guard!"
Marquis Blizzard called out again. As he extended his hand, frigid northern winds howled.
Death knights had high magic resistance, but they couldn't withstand powerful high-tier spells for long.
The advancing death knights fell, only for others to take their places. The Royal Guard pressed forward, engaging them in combat.
"Kraaaah!"
"Arrrgh!"
The high knight realm was no trifling matter. The moment combat began, over ten Royal Guards of viscount rank or below lost their lives in an instant.
"I'll handle this."
Raymond launched himself at the death knights. Gestain and Desia accompanied him.
Raymond burst through the Royal Guard and unleashed pure white radiance at a charging death knight.
The death knight collapsed, limbs severed. Gestain wildly swung his aura blade at the foes. Desia's high-tier magic detonated.
By the time he came to his senses, dozens of death knights lay annihilated.
"Your Majesty! Give your orders!"
Cassias shouted powerfully. Despite the casualties from the recent death knight clash, the Imperial Army's morale remained unbroken.
"Merge with the Heresy Hunters first."
A messenger rider galloped off vigorously, and a knight waved a massive flag.
Soon, the Heresy Hunters joined up. Raymond ordered an assault on the undead command center. According to Silvia, Rodin and the necromancers were gathered there.
"Lord Rodin, the Imperial Army and those Emperor Church Heresy Hunters are heading this way."
"Shouldn't we fall back?"
The necromancers grew agitated at the fierce approach of the Imperial Army and Emperor Church Heresy Hunters.
Having used most of their death knights earlier, the only forces guarding the undead command now were a single sword saint-grade death knight and dozens of dullahans.
"Fools... This is a direct order from the high council. You think we'll survive if we flee and suffer defeat? We can't retreat from here, no matter what."
Rodin was firm. He loathed being branded a deserter, even in death. He sent his direct subordinate, the sword saint-grade death knight, forward with the dullahans.
"Understood, Lord Rodin."
"We'll follow."
The subordinate necromancers calmed somewhat.
Meanwhile, Raymond mercilessly cut down the blocking undead forces, rapidly closing in on the undead command.
In the end, the sword saint-grade death knight had no choice but to step forward with the dullahans.
With the final defensive line moving, the necromancers anxiously watched the front.
"Your Majesty! It's a sword saint!"
Marquis Tempest shouted upon spotting the death knight's extraordinary movements. To protect the emperor, he blocked its path with five Royal Guards.
"You shall not pass!"
Storm Sword manifested. But the sword saint-grade death knight pierced the blade-wind storm, closing the distance in an instant. By the time Marquis Tempest recovered, a pitch-black sword was embedded in his abdomen.
"Guh... kuh..."
"We'll provide cover."
Bishop Lisiver stepped forward. Holy prayers healed Marquis Tempest's wound while attacking the sword saint-grade death knight.
Even undead who forgot fear instinctively avoided holy power. As the sword saint-grade death knight retreated, the Royal Guards swarmed like bees.
"For His Majesty the Emperor!"
Desia provided cover with powerful high-tier magic. Under the relentless chain attacks, the sword saint-grade death knight lost its left arm. In that gap, the Imperial knight order engaged the dullahan unit.
"Bishop Lisiver!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Bishop Lisiver responded to Raymond's call.
"Lead the Heresy Hunters and attack the command's left flank!"
"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"