Chapter 193: Crossroads (15)
The trumpet sounded the charge. A magnificent sound. The nameless weeds under the black sky trembled.
The rider at the front spoke briefly.
“Charge!”
The rider, with a long spear in one hand, urged his horse forward. Six hundred riders trailed behind.
The march, which had started as a walk-in formation, quickly gained speed. The steady beat, which had been tick-tock, tick-tock, quickly changed into a rapid, continuous roar of tatata.
A wedge-shaped configuration was formed, with the rider who had dashed ahead as the apex. Spears were held erect and directed forward one after another. The sharpened spearheads were black. They had been treated with charcoal to decrease glare.
The moonlight was dim due to the clouds that hung over the night sky, but it was a necessary measure. The riders’ and horses’ armors were both painted black.
The prince’s troops were caught off guard by the sound of a horn echoing through the night and horseshoes shaking the ground. The camp, which had been in pandemonium since the city gates opened, erupted in cries and the sound of armor being donned when they realized the cavalry had charged.
An officer, more draped than helmeted, scrambled up to the watchtower behind the barrier. He cursed the plain, which was wrapped in darkness and could not be seen.
The cavalry, cloaked in the darkness with charcoal and magic, acted like ghost knights, making no sound but revealing their presence. It was certain that they were approaching, but because they couldn’t be seen, the anxiety was amplified. The officer issued the order.
“Archers!”
Archers who had run out of the barracks gathered in three rows. Each row was planned to include fifty soldiers, but it ended up with less than half that number. However, the officer did not hesitate.
“Fire!”
Arrows flew through the blackness. They were not arcing shots, but rather straight shots targeted at the front. And a tingling sound of arrows bouncing off something could be heard very close by. The officer’s face paled as the figures of the cavalry appeared under the camp’s torches.
“Smash them!”
Someone yelled, and it happened.
The princess’ cavalry smashed into the prince’s army’s clumsily arranged ranks with the force of a hammer. The terrified warriors were trampled by the horseshoes before they could even swing their swords once.
As befitting the cavalry, which was in command of the splendor of war, blood flowers bloomed wherever they went.
“Fight back! Fight back! You idiots, fight with your swords! I will not forgive those who run away!”
A knight rode his horse while shouting, his cheeks and neck heated. As the knight swung his sword, his troops who passed by were slaughtered, spewing blood. His battling spirit was great, but it was overdone.
The rider at the forefront of the cavalry, which was trampling the camp like a bamboo forest, and the knight exchanged glances. They were both wearing helmets, but they recognized each other’s gaze.
The knight let out a roar, while the rider charged her horse in silence. The two most often collided and shattered weapons in wartime history, the spear and the sword, were handled by two warriors whose superiority was contested by innumerable experts and professionals.
The knight infused his sword with magical power. Blue flames flickered. It was unrefined magic. It was a reckless act, wasting immense magical power in the air every second.
The blade sailed across the air. The knight noticed his arm, hand, and sword slowly changing. His horse’s back and tail were also drifting farther away.
The knight’s head, which had dropped to the ground with a thump, blinked twice more before closing fully.
The rider, who had subdued one knight, turned her golden eyes to the helmet.
“Break through!”
The cavalry, which had been going wild and slaughtering troops at their master’s orders, converged in one location. Princess Julia did not wait for them all to gather before spurring her horse forward. They’d congregate on their own.
Waaaah━
In the middle of the night, the soldiers’ voices shook the plain as they emerged from behind the camp via the city gate. They had grown weary after more than a week of combat, and their numbers were fewer than half what they had been at the start.
However, their gazes were more intense than anyone else’s. They now understood who they were fighting against. Their lord was fighting in front of and beside them. She was with them. It was something no other ruler would dare to attempt.
The soldiers, whose numbers had decreased to around 10,000, rushed across the plain. The air heated considerably.
The surroundings were brilliant. An oil lamp had spilled, and a torch had fallen on it.
The charm of a surprise attack stems from its unexpected nature. Count Claydos’ army, the prince’s army, had to withstand a surprise attack by the princess, who had rushed out of the city gate in the middle of the night.
It was when they got to the center of the camp, which was so spread out.
Wooooooong. . . . . .!
Princess Julia suddenly raised her head in response to the unusual sound that echoed all around her. This gloomy and spooky feeling raced throughout her body.
She hurriedly searched for the source of the noise, and she soon discovered it. A woman sits on one knee on the floor, her palms on the ground.
The woman with long, dark hair glanced up at Princess Julia from the floor. A cheeky smile appeared on her face.
“You thought you had won. Unfortunately, you didn’t.”
“You. . . . . .!”
Kyaaaaaaaaaack!
Princess Julia’s scream, which was about to erupt into a roar, was drowned out by another scream.
“Ugh!”
“Kyaaaa!”
The troops’ brains were utterly rattled by the strong demonic energy, so they covered their ears and crowded together. The thick evil energy and ghosts appeared in actuality moments later, guided by the witch Giselle’s intent and radiating a gray aura.
Haaaaaaaaak!
Heeeeeee!
The souls of the deceased people were all around them. And there were numerous corpses.
Princess Julia quickly spurred her horse and got up. A white aura of magical power emerged from the entire length of the spear shaft held in both hands, solidifying.
She swung the spear shaft, which grew three times its original size and resembled a pillar, as well as the spearhead, which had grown to the size of a guillotine. However, the gray aura that had formed in an instant became a shield, deflecting her strike and pushing Princess Julia away.
“Cough!”
“Your Highness!”
“Protect Her Highness!”
The knights shrieked and dashed forward as Princess Julia collapsed with a groan. Princess Julia, who had rolled over the fallen tent, was ready to stand up when she coughed blood.
“Ugh! No! Not me, that witch. . . . . .!”
It was an order to stop Giselle, but the surroundings were filled with screaming, so the knights couldn’t hear it.
Meanwhile, the bodies emerged from the earth on their own. The corpses, which had only recently died and still had fresh blood, turned in unison and began to cluster in one direction.
The dead, like mindless marionettes, forced their own flesh into the flesh of the other party. Flesh was crushed, bones were fractured, and a massive lump of flesh became tangled.
A few wizard combat mages who had barely comprehended Princess Julia’s orders launched flames and wind at the ball of flesh, but they only scorched a few of the outer corpses. The malevolent magical power ascended from the earth, as if with will, and gathered around the lump of flesh.
There was no human shape visible, only a flesh-colored mass with red and blue dots. However, the hair and fur that protruded here and there indicated that it had been the bodies of deceased humans only a few seconds before.
Pushiiiiii━!
At that point, a hole appeared on the surface of the lump of flesh, spewing black smoke. In an instant, the lump of flesh’s outer surface melted away, releasing a foul odor.
Dozens of soldiers collapsed, gasping and vomiting from the dizzying, stomach-churning odor. Some people lost consciousness.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
The melted lump of flesh revealed a human-like figure. But it wasn’t human. Its complexion was as pale as a corpse, its thin hair flapped in the wind even when there was none, and its mouth was ripped open, displaying sharp teeth. Its skin, covered in pitch-black calluses, was as glossy as an insect’s exoskeleton, and its red eyes opened.
“You were in a hurry, Giselle. Do you really need to offer so many souls to me?”
“There are rotting corpses overflowing here. Buy me some time. Slaughter.”
“An unexpected command.”
The monster, Deyron, smirked, squatted, and then jumped up. The enormous, membranous wings that had been hidden on his back then extended out to the sides, piercing two soldiers with their keen claws.
Before the screams and groans could reach the earth, the bipedal monstrosity vanished.
A massive blade materialized in Deyron’s right hand. A wide blade with a red streak rising from it. Princess Julia, who had seen its right arm morph into a single-edged sword, kicked the ground, trying to throw it off.
“Stop it!”
The massive blade cleaved through a knight’s chest and the horse’s neck in one breath. Because it was chopped diagonally from bottom to top, the horse’s neck and knight’s dismembered upper torso launched into the air. The corpse, which had been flipped up while waving both arms, quickly plummeted to the ground, splashing copious amounts of blood over the soldiers.
“Weak.”
The creature that spewed those words moved, extending the corners of its torn-open mouth. A chillingly destructive swordsmanship ensued. No soldier could take it again. The knight who had gone through it twice was also chopped in half on the third.
At that point, a powerful magical blow was sent from the heavens. Deyron, who had just thrown his right arm and cleaved three men in front of him, raised his scales at the overwhelming sensation.
Julia and Deyron clashed in a magnificent smash, accompanied by a burst of light. Dirt and grass were spread in all directions.
“What?”
Deyron, who was lying on the ground, gazed around with perplexed eyes before looking ahead. Princess Julia, dressed in dirty full-body armor, stood at attention.
“Oh, quite a strong human. My time will be greatly reduced.”
“Shut up, monster.”
Julia, who mentioned that, quickly scanned the area where Giselle had been. She was nowhere to be found, having escaped. Horseshoe dust was visible at the border of her eyesight. It was apparent that the nobility and lords were escaping.
“Where are you looking?”
Julia swiftly summoned her magical strength as she heard a voice nearby.
Wooooooong!
The magic power in her body violently rotated and spread throughout her body via the magical circuits. The limits of her strength were extended in an instant, giving her the might of a giant.
As Julia twisted her left foot on the ground, the ground dented to hold her greater weight. She was barely able to place her sword against the crescent-shaped blade that swung from the left.
A white wave rushed, and a hemispherical sphere was drawn.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Waaaaaaaaaak!
Flames rained down from all sides. The sky was not on fire, but the ceiling and surroundings were. The temperature increased to an uncomfortable level, and the air was thick with sulfur fumes, making it impossible to breathe.
Unexpectedly, a waterfall-like flame fell on Russell. Russell, who had deflected the flames by swinging Final Frost to form an ice shield in their route, quickly left the area. The ice shield, which could only withstand a few seconds, disintegrated, leaving behind dense vapor.
Crackle!
Russell’s right hand held a lightning bolt that radiated pure white light. It was an ice bolt. The lightning that had been writhing between his fingers pooled in the center of his palm, becoming a brilliant white spear.
Russell, who had grasped the sparkling white spear, fired it out.
Clang!
The excessive heat caused the air to expand for a brief instant, resulting in thunder. When the sound was detected, it was already too late.
Asharin bent his body like a gymnast. A circular shockwave erupted, sending Asharin’s body, covered in heavy armor, flying dozens of meters like a toy. The earth and walls it brushed against splintered, scattering debris as she slowed down and inserted the serrated greatsword she was clutching in her right hand into the ground.
Asharin violently shook her head to clear the shock and dust, then raised her head, smiling invisibly.
“That was hot. . . . . .”
Boom!
The ground exploded, unable to bear the weight and force, and Asharin’s new shape became fuzzy. She charged in at a terrible pace, swinging down her serrated greatsword, as Russell raised his axe to meet the serrated greatsword.
Cwaaaaaang!
In a single collision, the wreckage of the collapsed structure was hoisted into the air all at once, as dozens of meters were carried away, and the flames totally burned through the debris, enveloping Russell with a net of fire.
Russell summoned an ice bolt and fired it in all directions against the net of flames. The cold, which accelerated the speed of the electricity that touched everything, caused the magic power to freeze in the shape of flames and fall to the ground. The shattered magic crystals shone brilliantly.
“Ahahahaha!”
Asharin swung her serrated greatsword, making a sound that could not be distinguished as a cheer or laughter, but the magic power contained within it pushed away the air outside the serrated greatsword at the speed of sound, blurring the mana particles evenly distributed in the atmosphere.
Even Russell would not be astonished if one of his limbs was severed if he confronted it head-on. It did not appear to be a sword, but its blade was capable of severing Russell’s body in an instant.
Russell was able to slide across the ground, avoiding the sword’s stroke by a hair’s breadth and escaping from its path, thanks to the ice rink he had built out beneath his feet.
The serrated greatsword and the white axe danced in the air, and the guard between the greatsword and the handle emitted a sonic boom, attempting to split Russell’s head.
Russell pounded Asharin’s torso with his left hand, which was holding the hilt, because the distance between them was too short for him to use the axe’s blade against the other party’s body.
The two staggered back from the shock they had inflicted on each other. Asharin gasped at the jolt that had pierced her armor and swallowed the blood rising in her throat, while Russell battled to fix his shattered right finger bones.
There was no conversation exchanged. They weren’t even gauging each other’s strength. Honestly, their minds were focused on things far more important than those trivial matters.
‘This is fun.’
The thrill of life that can only be felt on the tightrope where a single misstep leads to death: a dragonkin who had lived for over 150 years and a human who would not live to be 100 years old shared the same emotion for a fleeting time.
Cooong!
Asharin raised her right arm; Russell’s magic power, which had raced through her insides, was still changing, but she could not stop it. A strong magic power swirled around her right arm, furiously twisting.
The serrated greatsword was accompanied by a massive flame cone that could grind the ground like a sheet of paper. As the magical power took on a physical form, it manifested itself as a spiral of burning flames with a high rotational force.
“Cough. Will you be able to withstand it?”
Asharin, who had coughed out the remaining blood, replied with a grin.
“. . . . . .”
Russell adopted a stance without responding.
Asharin’s body, which had lightly bounced her knees, vanished, and the debris on the floor that exploded served as an indirect proof of its speed. Asharin, who had shot out quicker than an arrow, collided with Russell, who was enveloped in frigid air and electricity.
Crackle crackle crackle crackle!
As the two of them swung their arms with all their strength, the serrated greatsword coated in flames and the axe wrapped in blue lightning collided like a tidal wave, sending shockwaves all around.
The shockwaves and blaze, which were already powerful enough to collide and destroy structures, spread across the ground, illuminating the surroundings.
The other person’s movements appeared to change with each blink. The movements and linkages were simplified and reduced, as if random photographs were selected from a series of continuous images. Sometimes they simply vanished.
Russell, on the other hand, saw everything with brilliant eyes and replied to every onslaught. The razor teeth of the serrated greatsword stabbed into Russell’s vital points from all angles, biting them off.
“Rush!”
In the midst of all this, Asharin, who had cast a spell, exuded magical strength over her entire body. Following that momentum, the magical power that had risen like a whirlwind formed clusters and shot them toward Russell with sharp points.
Asharin’s ability to cast many spells and use applied attacks while fighting at a rate of dozens of attacks per second demonstrated her great level of magic power control and martial arts proficiency.
Nonetheless, Russell faced all of those strong attacks square on. He was not only receiving them but also increasing his speed.
“Let’s end this.”
“Who says so. . . . . .!”
Asharin, who was eager, responded to Russell’s always calm voice. They were moving at a terrifying pace, so their voices were stretched out and broken in the middle, and the sound was twisted and odd, but they both understood.
crackling crackling crackle!
A polished lightning bolt stem rotated along Russell’s right hand, making a deafening roar.
Immediately after, a whirlwind of lightning detonated in front of Asharin’s nose, forcing her muscles and neurological system to contract.
“Keuk!”
Asharin, attempting to ignore the flare of light in her eyes and the shock that echoed in her head, set down her magic power and serrated greatsword and stepped back.
Russell’s left hand had Final Frost lodged in the ground at the time, turning the surrounding hundred-meter radius pure white. The flames that had been roaring around him suddenly stopped, and the frozen magic force dropped like hail.
Russell’s right hand reached into his coat and emerged. In his grasp was the dark greatsword Nahilnir, which he had been unable to remove during the heated struggle. When Asharin saw the great sword, her eyes widened in surprise.
Ssaaaaeeaaaak!
Nahilnir’s strike shifted sharply, piercing Asharin’s left shoulder.
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