Chapter 389: The Second Continental War (12)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 389: The Second Continental War (12)
Meanwhile, Mystic received grim news from his scout.
"The Dmitry army has dispatched a pursuit squad. Judging by how they marched out before even repairing their walls, it seems they intend to wipe us out first rather than prepare for our next attack. Lord Mystic, if we clash with them like this, annihilation is inevitable."
"...Damn it."
Mystic's face contorted.
This was unexpected.
Ares had insisted that Dmitry would surely send a pursuit squad, but Mystic had fiercely disagreed.
Dmitry had only won by utilizing the advantages of a siege defense.
A total war against the Kronos Empire in an open, unprotected area would surely be a massive burden on them. He had never imagined that the likes of Dmitry would dare open their gates and march out without Roman Dmitry. Or perhaps, he had simply tried his best to deny the possibility. Suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of Dmitry had severely wounded Mystic's pride.
With my remaining power, I cannot properly use Spatial Teleportation Magic. If I force my mana to rise, my limbs will be torn to shreds in the dimensional rift. I could save my own skin if I fled alone, but the moment I report such a pathetic result again, Lord Alexander will kill me.
Recently, Alexander's mood had been extremely foul.
Although the Emperor maintained an outward appearance of composure, Mystic knew all too well that Alexander was highly infuriated by the variables caused by Roman Dmitry. Mystic needed a military achievement—clear proof of his utility. To recover his strength and launch a counterattack, he had to at least keep the remnants of his army alive for now.
"The map."
"Pardon?"
"Give me the map!"
"A-ah, yes, sir."
With a rustle, the map was spread across the makeshift table.
The northeastern region.
There was little room to escape.
Being a borderland meant there were few viable routes. Since the pursuit squad would be approaching from Dmitry's direction, there was only one option: move as far south as possible. If he could buy time and recover enough mana, he could use Spatial Teleportation Magic to summon reinforcements and turn the tide.
Yes, the war isn't over yet.
This was actually an opportunity.
The Kronos Empire had only lost due to the enemy's defensive advantage; had they clashed in an open field from the start, they would have easily overwhelmed Dmitry. From now on, it was a battle against time. Depending on how long he could drag this out and lure the enemy in, he could achieve the feat of wiping out Dmitry's pursuit squad in a single stroke.
He rolled up the map.
"Pack your gear, everyone!" Mystic shouted. "We are moving south immediately!"
"Understood!"
Dmitry.
They had taken on the exact same nature as Roman Dmitry. Baring their fierce fangs like predators, they were undeniably threatening.
However, Mystic would show them clearly that even among predators, there were tiers. The only reason Dmitry could run wild was not because they were individually strong, but because the martial power of a single man—Roman Dmitry—defied all common sense.
He set off, hurrying the troops along.
It was a humiliating, unfamiliar retreat for Mystic, but there was no other choice.
But how far had they gone?
Clank, clank, clank.
"This is the opposite direction of Dmitry. Is the great Kronos Empire actually running away with its tail between its legs?"
The southern retreat route.
There stood Chris, blocking the path with Dmitry's soldiers.
* * *
Mystic's face stiffened.
Chris.
For him to catch up already...
He was faster than expected.
And blocking the southern retreat route meant he had already seen through Mystic's intentions and taken the shortcut.
There is no retreat...
There was none.
Dmitry's soldiers had already surrounded the area, and a signal flare rising into the sky was calling for reinforcements. With Mystic's power, he could still escape alone using Spatial Teleportation. Normally, he would have done exactly that, but the moment he saw Chris, a new plan flashed through his mind.
Chris is a core figure of Dmitry. Even if we lose this battle, killing him would be recognized as a significant achievement.
It was a touch-and-go situation.
Silence did not mean peace.
With everyone gripping their weapons and glaring at each other, it wouldn't be strange for a brutal battle to erupt at any second.
It was then that Mystic broke the silence.
"Attack!"
"Charge!"
Step.
He took a step back.
As the soldiers of the Kronos Empire rushed forward as if they had been waiting for the command, Mystic fluttered his robes and gathered his mana.
"Thunder Storm."
Crackle!
Rumbleeeee!
A barrage of lightning erupted.
The blindingly intense light swept over the surroundings, accompanied by a roaring storm. Dmitry's mages did not stand idly by. They quickly cast defensive magic to block Mystic's attack, but the destructive power of a 7th Circle spell surpassed ordinary standards.
Flash!
Boom!
"Aaargh!"
"Uaaah!"
Dmitry's soldiers were swept away.
Having eliminated dozens of soldiers in an instant, Mystic waved his arms to redirect the Thunder Storm.
He had only one target.
Chris.
However, if he revealed his intentions too early, Chris might not step forward. Thus, Mystic slaughtered as many as possible to force his hand. Meanwhile, the Kronos Empire's army clashed with Dmitry's soldiers. Contrary to their aggressive charge, Dmitry's soldiers actually overwhelmed the imperial forces in melee combat.
Clang!
"Die!"
Thuck.
The imperial army's attacks did not work.
Dmitry's soldiers possessed skills far superior to ordinary troops due to their rigorous training. Even as their comrades were swept away by magic, they calmly countered the enemy's strikes. The reason Dmitry had been pushed back by Kronos before was not due to a difference in quality; it was purely a matter of numbers. In a situation like this, where the imperial army's numbers had severely dwindled, a slight numerical advantage was not enough to handle Dmitry's soldiers.
Ultimately, it all came down to the fight between Mystic and Chris.
Amidst the violently crackling bolts of lightning, Chris charged forward.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Blood splattered.
The imperial soldiers who crossed paths with Chris were slaughtered in the blink of an eye.
Necks were severed regardless of whether they were ordinary soldiers or Aura Swordsmen, and Chris's gaze remained locked onto Mystic.
For the past three days, Chris had suppressed his anger.
Unlike Kevin, who had gone searching for Ares like a madman the moment they arrived back in Dmitry, Chris had chosen the most rational path for Dmitry's sake. That meant leading the pursuit squad. He knew that if they decisively crushed the Kronos Empire's forces here, they could seize the initiative in the future.
"Lightning Rain."
Crash!
Rumble!
Mystic unleashed an explosion of mana.
Light flashed from the darkened sky, and powerful lightning struck wherever Chris moved. It was a spectacle that made a single human look utterly insignificant. The magic was truly a natural disaster, and under the continuous barrage of lightning, Chris's figure eventually vanished from sight.
Is he dead?
For a moment, Mystic thought complacently.
Chris was not a monster like Roman Dmitry.
If he was someone who had knelt before Ares, Mystic believed he wouldn't survive this storm of mana.
But then—
Whoosh! Boom!
Piercing through the lightning, Chris burst forth.
Mystic's eyes widened in shock.
Faced with this unbelievable situation, he frantically gathered his mana to cast Blink.
At that exact moment...
Flash. Single Flash.
A thin line appeared on his neck.
As his vision tilted, Mystic's pupils trembled.
* * *
It was a resounding victory.
The imperial army was completely annihilated.
While the soldiers rejoiced at the tremendous achievement, they also looked on in sheer awe at the martial prowess Chris had displayed.
Chris.
He had slaughtered thousands of soldiers single-handedly.
No one could block his swordsmanship, which was too fast to even track properly, and the scene of him dealing with Mystic left everyone utterly stunned. Chris's swordsmanship was fast enough to cut through Blink. People knew Chris was strong, but they had never imagined he was this powerful.
In truth, the reason Chris could subdue Mystic in a single blow was directly related to the training Dmitry had been conducting.
In this new world, Roman Dmitry acknowledged magic.
While bringing about a magic revolution by opening the upper Dantian, he had consistently trained his men on how to deal with mages.
An explosion of mana.
They learned how to react when their senses were sharply stimulated, and exactly where the blind spots of magic were. Through continuous training, Dmitry's swordsmen and mages complemented each other's weaknesses. The mages became skilled enough to prevent swordsmen from approaching through conventional means, while the swordsmen learned how to target their opponents amidst mana explosions—just as Chris had demonstrated.
Roman Dmitry was the natural enemy of mages.
And naturally, the swordsmen who received his teachings also grew into the exact type of existence that mages despised the most.
Flick.
Chris flicked the blood off his sword.
He had given his all just now.
Although his mastery of the Fast Sword Technique had allowed him to dispatch Mystic more easily than expected, it wasn't a fully satisfying result for Chris. If only I were stronger. He could have captured Mystic alive. However, knowing how the tide of battle could turn if he allowed the mage to Blink away, he had risked everything to sever his head.
Mystic dissolved into smoke.
Having achieved the goal of annihilating the imperial army, Chris issued orders to his soldiers.
"Clean up the battlefield quickly. As soon as Dmitry's repairs are complete, we will head to the Cairo Western Front."
"Understood!"
"And Volkan."
"Yes, sir."
Volkan stepped forward.
Drenched in blood from the fierce battle, he breathed heavily as he looked at Chris.
"Kevin is currently roaming the area looking for Ares. If he actually runs into Ares, even Kevin might not survive. Send troops to assist him."
"I was already worried about that."
Volkan nodded.
Ares.
He was a highly dangerous existence.
Had he joined forces with Mystic, the battle just now would not have ended so easily.
Early this morning, Chris and the soldiers had tried to stop Kevin from going out to find Ares. It was a decision made because they knew just how dangerous Ares was, but Kevin's eyes had been completely crazed. Although Dmitry had won, corpses were scattered everywhere. Had Ares not betrayed them, there wouldn't have been this much damage.
I understand how he feels, but Kevin's strength alone is definitely not enough to handle Ares.
It was a certainty.
Volkan organized a squad.
He planned to locate Kevin first, and Chris would join them once he finished wrapping up the situation here.
It was then.
"Kevin?!"
Stop.
Chris froze in his tracks.
Someone had shouted in surprise.
Chris looked toward the source of the sound.
In an instant, Chris's eyes shook violently.
"...What on earth did you..."
It was indeed Kevin.
And shockingly, Ares was being dragged along by his grip, his face beaten into a bloody pulp.
* * *
That afternoon.
The situation in Umberto was at its absolute worst.
Following the fall of their frontline defense post, they had suffered defeat after defeat, prompting them to call an Emergency Meeting.
One of the high-ranking officials spoke up.
"At this rate, there is no hope. Although Frank and Redford have sent reinforcements, that alone cannot stop Kronos's advance. We need a solution, a solution! With Dmitry, Cairo, and Hector all under attack, the time Umberto can hold out is short."
Umberto.
Their border was not far from their capital.
A fire had truly been lit under their feet, which was why they had to make a stand at the Frontline Defense Post at all costs.
It was a despairing situation.
Some even went so far as to regret their alliance with Dmitry.
"We have committed ourselves to something we cannot handle. Kronos is a great empire. What we see is not the full extent of their power, and with them attacking like this simultaneously, even Roman Dmitry won't have the leeway to look after other nations. What are we to do? Even if we wait for the Kingdom Alliance's support, if they are defeated, even the slightest shred of hope will vanish. And frankly... isn't it already difficult enough for Cairo and Dmitry to block Kronos's attacks on their own?"
The outlook was bleak.
Cairo, Dmitry, Hector.
All three nations were under attack.
They had formed the Kingdom Alliance to receive their support, yet not a single front offered a hopeful outlook.
Calderon Drake spoke up.
"We must not think of it that way. Following Dmitry was Umberto's only hope. Looking at how the Odelia Kingdom fell, choosing to follow the Empire was never a viable option in the first place."
"I'm just speaking out of frustration, sheer frustration!"
All of them knew the truth.
Although Roman Dmitry had given the Kingdom Alliance some breathing room, they couldn't help but feel anxious because he was their sole hope.
It was then.
In the meeting room, where despairing opinions had been clashing for some time, an entirely unexpected report arrived.
"It's a victory report! Dmitry completely routed the Kronos Empire's forces this morning!"
"What?!"
Instantly, everyone gasped in shock.
They had heard that Dmitry was attacked by hundreds of thousands of imperial troops, with even a 7th Circle mage joining the assault. Without Roman Dmitry, it was a highly disadvantageous war. They had thought Dmitry might collapse within a few days, so they never expected to hear news of them routing the imperial army so quickly.
The situation had changed.
The official who had been uttering nothing but despairing words spoke up.
"As expected of Dmitry! They are truly worthy of leading the Kingdom Alliance! This changes everything. If Dmitry sends reinforcements, we can put out the fire right under our feet for now."
"But wouldn't that be difficult? For Dmitry, the highest priority is resolving the issues of Cairo and Hector, which share their borders. Especially if Hector falls to Valhalla, Dmitry must prepare for a total war against Valhalla."
"...Oh dear."
His face turned pale.
It was one obstacle after another.
The two empires.
The alliance of the two giants was suffocating just to think about.
Yet, absurdly enough, they received an additional, truly shocking report that was even more unbelievable than Dmitry's victory.
"Just moments ago... Hector won their first battle against Valhalla! The war is not over yet. The Kingdom Alliance will not fall like this!"
Hector's victory.
It was an absurd result.
For the leadership of Umberto, it was impossible to comprehend what on earth was happening on the Salamander Continent.