Chapter 82: Black Aura (2)
Gigants charged from three sides. Halrit, the battalion commander, still had plenty of leisure. Would a lion fear wolves? He had to thoroughly toy with the enemies, crush their morale to rock bottom—that was the key to an easy siege.
First, take out one!
With a sharp rattle, whoosh! The 8-meter Magic Knight hurled its sword at the lead Gigant.
Curtis saw the pitch-black blade flying straight for his chest, and a throbbing pain shot through the scar on his back, flooding him with momentary fear. But he didn't dodge or retreat. He trusted Wayne would protect him!
[Come on!]
Maintaining his forward charge, he dropped to one knee, lowering his stance. As the sword arced toward his head, he raised his blade on one side.
Clang!
He deflected it sideways. Normally, the black aura would have shaken his heart to its core... but nothing happened.
Curtis rolled forward, completely escaping the sword's range.
What? He blocked it?
Halrit, retrieving his sword, wore a stunned expression.
[Die!]
Then Sera's Gigant barreled in from behind. Halrit swung his sword backward at the approaching Gigant.
Clang! Screeech!
Sera leaned her body back the instant their blades met, letting it graze past. Taking a 2nd class Magic Knight's sword head-on was too risky—she deflected it.
[I'm the real deal!]
As Glen's Gigant rushed from the flank, Halrit hastily slashed.
Slash! Tang!
"Huh?"
He felt no impact on his sword. Yet he heard the sound of something being sliced?
Posar's thigh armor clattered to the ground, severed by the enemy's blade.
When?
[Hey now! No daydreaming in battle!]
Curtis's Gigant swung low at his waist. Clang! Halrit blocked with his sword. Even so, the 2nd class Magic Knight packed real power and speed. The black Magic Knight tried to counterattack, but the Gigant had already darted aside.
[Hey! Don't forget me!]
Tang!
Sera Raudi's blade, arriving in a flash, sheared off Posar's shoulder armor.
"What the hell? These guys!"
Thud thud thud thud! Hearing heavy footsteps from behind, the black Magic Knight spun, slashing vertically downward.
Boom!
The sword struck the ground.
[Fake-out!]
Glen had rolled his Gigant's foot to mimic the sound and lure him. And then—
Boom!
"Urk!"
Curtis's Gigant launched itself, slamming its shoulder into the Magic Knight's back. The black Magic Knight staggered, and in that gap, Sera from the side slashed at the knee armor.
Boom! Thud!
The knee armor flew off too.
A lone wolf is fierce, but a pack is deadly. They couldn't match him one-on-one, but three veteran pilots ganging up turned the wolves into lions' hunters.
"What? Battalion Commander Halrit's getting pushed back?"
"A 2nd class Magic Knight losing to 3rd class Gigants?!"
The Tarun Kingdom forces erupted in shock. Even outnumbered three-to-one, a 2nd class magic weapon should overwhelm 3rd class Gigants. Seeing the reverse was unbelievable.
[You bastards! How dare you!]
Posar extended its iron chains, whipping them wildly.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The black blade spun with a vicious whine, blocking the Gigants' approach. It drained a ton of power, but he had no time to care. He hurled it at one target.
Rattle! Boom!
Dodged?
Curtis's Gigant leaped back. In that instant, Sera and Glen charged in unison as if on cue.
Halrit whipped the chain, sending the embedded sword flying. Clang! Clang!
The two Gigants raised their blades to block.
Damn, why are they fine?
Retrieving his sword, Halrit looked puzzled. Normally, they'd slow down or retreat. The Gigants hit by his sword six years ago had faltered, and even the final 1st class one had hesitated. In the end, its arm was severed by his overwhelming aura power, forcing retreat—but his sword worked on all Gigants.
So why? Why isn't it working?
Up on the wall, Wayne was busier than anyone. He couldn't shield all three Gigants at once with accelerated white aura, so he selectively boosted the attacking or defending ones—his focus was shot.
[Yaaah!]
This time, Sera's Gigant led the charge. Halrit flung his sword in haste.
Tang! Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Sera didn't retreat, taking the hit—her blade arm snapped and flew off.
[Gotcha!]
[Gotcha my ass?]
Whoosh!
Glen barreled in from the side, swinging. Halrit urgently stepped back his Magic Knight to dodge.
Crack!
"Urk!"
Curtis stabbed the shoulder joint from behind. But the black Magic Knight didn't go down easy.
Whoosh! Boom!
It swung its arm, sending Curtis's Gigant flying. Then it yanked the chain to finish with the sword.
"What?"
But Sera grabbed the chain and held firm. Then Glen charged from the side again.
Slash!
The blade grazed the knee joint. Whirr! Thud!
The black Magic Knight wobbled, then dropped to one knee.
[Now! Swarm the bastard!]
Sera released the chain and lunged. Stab! She plunged her blade into its side. Curtis rose and smashed the shoulder joint again, severing one arm.
Glen's Gigant charged and body-slammed it.
Boom!
The lion sank!
Rumble!
"Urk!"
The black Magic Knight collapsed. It couldn't withstand the wolves' wheel tactics.
Sera slashed the wrist gripping the chain—severed in two strikes. Glen relentlessly stabbed one thigh joint. The armor pierced, then the joint.
"Urk! I can't lose! Something's wrong here..."
Halrit struggled, but it was far too late. The three Gigants tore into the Magic Knight like wolves ripping prey.
Both Imperial and Tarun forces watched in stunned silence.
[Enough of this pest! It's over!]
Sera climbed atop the Magic Knight, aiming her blade at its heart. The nightmare of the past six years was about to vanish.
[Don't kill him! Drag him here!]
Wayne's voice rang out. But Sera was already thrusting.
Clack!
[Huh?]
Glen grabbed her arm.
[It's done! The boss wants him alive.]
[What?]
[We've got tons to ask him! Bring him!]
Sera Raudi swallowed her regret. But the fight was over.
Curtis said, [Glen! Drag him. Sera, grab the sword!]
[Got it!]
The Gigants hauled the fallen black Magic Knight away.
"Full assault!"
[Attack!]
Tarun Kingdom forces swarmed the walls. Twang! Boom!
[Argh!]
An arrow struck a Magic Knight's head, toppling it backward. Sabina's Artemis had fired from the wall.
[Raise shields!]
[Breach the gates!]
[Scale the walls!]
The siege resumed. Tarun forces pressed relentlessly, thinking this was their last stand—gates and walls alike.
But the Imperials held, and held again.
[Hold the line!]
[Just hold a bit longer—reinforcements from the south wall are coming!]
Wayne shouted. To fool the enemy, fool your own first. The northern wall Imperials believed reinforcements truly waited south, so they endured.
And!
"Commander, what now?"
Commander Goergen bit his lip. Fallen and wrecked Magic Knights littered the wall's base. What of those that breached? No word.
"Commander, it's over."
"We must retreat."
To block southern reinforcements, all 100 Magic Knights were committed north. Yet the walls held, and losses mounted.
They'd done nothing wrong. Bad intel. The "mere 100" Imperial Gigants numbered nearly 300, plus the 1st class and the monstrous mace-wielder—too many variables.
"More losses, and retreat will be hell too. Commander!"
"Decide!"
Goergen, who'd achieved zilch here, finally nodded.
"All units, retreat!"
[Retreat!]
Tarun Kingdom forces fell back.
"We won! They're running!"
"Long live Wayne Stein!"
"Woooah!"
Victorious cheers and chants for Wayne Stein echoed through the Imperial lines.
[Former Captain Rakins! It's not over. Take your men, hit their rear!]
[Yes sir!]
Rakins led Gigants in pursuit of the retreating foe.
Descending from his Gigant, Curtis's eyes were hollow.
"Aigoo, I'm dead. Feels like I aged ten years."
"I can't even speak..."
Sera was wiped out too.
"Boss, congrats on the win!"
Only Glen still had energy.
Wayne nodded with a grin. "You all did great!"
"Thanks for letting us get revenge, boss."
"Thank you. I can finally sleep soundly now."
Sera flashed a shy smile. Curtis asked, "Boss, how'd you block that black aura?"
"Too complicated to explain. Better news first."
"Better news?"
"Gather round!"
Wayne called Bastian and all the pilots sorting wrecked enemy Magic Knights.
"I've found a way to heal your wounds."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Curtis and the pilots tilted their heads.
"You can gather Odd normally now! With the Odd Holes I made, you'll have more than before the injury."
"R-Really?"
"Yes! At most a month. You'll all be healed."
Sera Raudi burst into tears. Not just the tough warrior. Bastian, recalling his wandering days after losing Odd and his wife's death from grief, wept bitterly. Most pilots shed tears like shedding chest-deep grudges.
Wayne hugged Sera and Bastian. "You all suffered so much!"
The squad swarmed, embracing Wayne and each other in cathartic sobs. Years of rage and sorrow exploded.
Wayne comforted them one by one. "Thanks for trusting and following me all this time."
"Thank you!"
"Thanks, boss!"
Sabina's chest tightened seeing young Wayne soothe his men.
They'd become top-tier pilots now.
"Back home, we start treatment right away. Move south wall Gigants through Valhalla Gate first."
"Yes!"
"Let's move!"
The pilots' voices boomed. Revenge taken, victory won—and a cure for their wounds and Odd recovery. Perfect.
"Boss, what about this guy?"
Mark dragged Halrit over.
"Take him home too. Questions for him."
"Yes."
"What about the black Magic Knight and sword?"
"Scrap the Magic Knight. Leave the sword—too dangerous."
"Yes!"
Wayne stood before the sword blazing with black aura. Surely a Dark Soul weapon forged by Necrosiccas.
Absorb that Odd too?
Wayne pondered gravely. He'd stayed out of the fight partly to let his men claim revenge and build confidence—but also to avoid absorbing black aura himself.
Black aura differed from normal Odd—the ether of Great Forest, monsters, nature. Black aura was cursed, forged from Necrosiccas' life force, untrainable.
Absorbing it risked clashing with other auras, nullifying all but white—too risky.
Just use it as a sword?
Among Gigant pilots, only he could wield it. Coat with white aura, swing without absorbing—maybe. Deadly against Odd-using foes or Great Forest monsters.
Another thought: Absorbing black aura gets Necrosiccas' experience and memories?
More black aura knowledge, west continent intel. Even craft black monsters, his specialty.
Issue: Unknown memory strength and influence.
Weighing risks and gains, Wayne leaned toward absorbing—but hesitated at the danger. Could lose Brass King's Odd too. Even if recovered, might not activate King's Hammer, sealing Valhalla Gate. Critical time—losing other auras crippled ops.
Wayne swallowed regret, turning away.
"Shall I help?"
Sabina stood beside him.
"What?"
"Black aura, right? If worried, put it in me."
"Pardon?"
Sabina had gained massive Odd absorbing queen ant's—saving her life. She knew Wayne could absorb monster Odd, spotted his dilemma.
"I can't heal black aura, but you can. Even if mine vanishes, heal it later."
"But you could lose all your built-up Odd."
"Fine. Start over."
Solid idea. He could heal her black aura wounds with white, recover fast with his help. Just time-consuming. Gain Necrosiccas' memories first; reabsorb if needed.
"Then, I owe you."
Sabina smiled—happy to help Wayne.
She gently placed her palm on his hand's back. Wayne would touch, divert incoming Odd to her.
"Ready? Tell me if anything feels off."
"Yes!"
Wayne reached for the black aura. It surged instantly.
Odd flowed through his palm into Sabina. Necrosiccas' memories and experience absorbed into Wayne too.
Gasp! So that's black aura!
Wayne's face lit with shock. But the black aura was fully in Sabina.
Her face and skin grayed, hair turned white. Black aura poured from her eyes.
"Sabina, you okay?"
She cracked her neck and joints.
Crack! Creak!
"Feels... good!"
"Huh?"
"Fuck! Feels amazing!"