The allied forces stopped their advance and began withdrawing troops from the northern front.
From the duchy’s perspective, it was the perfect opportunity. With the two grand dukes leading the way, the vampires sprang onto the backs of the retreating allied forces, refusing to let them go.
Even though the elite of the allied forces were holding the rear, the limits were glaringly obvious.
While the vampires of the Sahelrn Duchy, now integrated with the elite of the Helraig Duchy, had completely shed their anxious appearance from just yesterday, the allied forces were still reeling from the unexpected damage caused by their defeat on the western front that very morning.
If they had been able to secure two days for reorganization, it might have been different; however, as it stood, they were merely buying time to retreat with their lives.
But the bad news didn’t stop there.
“Report! The support unit was annihilated by a vampire presumed to be the Progenitor! A special task force led by the Progenitor is advancing towards us!”
“What?! Didn’t you say the task force was small in number? How can they be crushed that quickly!!!”
Behind them was the main force led by the two grand dukes, while on the flanks was the fourth Progenitor commanding a special task force.
Hearing the successive ominous tidings, Jeref Parvian had a gut feeling.
‘Is this where this war ends?’
Not this battle, but this war.
He judged that this retreat would not merely lead to a slight setback on the northern front.
The mobilized troops were assembled with the war against the Sahelrn Duchy in mind. Who could have dared to predict the support from the Helraig Duchy?
Moreover, above all, the variable that the Progenitor represented had exceeded what he could manage.
From the very start, the war had been initiated in a hurry to secure the Sahelrn Duchy due to the reports of the Progenitor’s survivability from the elves, fearing that such a thing might occur.
Yet, the Progenitor’s response had been excessively swift, surpassing expectations. With the Helraig Duchy also mobilizing their influence and the emergence of an unidentified magic that blotted out the sun, the chances of victory had already diminished considerably.
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion drowned out all the noise of the battlefield, diverting the fleeing humans and even the pursuing vampires’ attention momentarily.
“Faster!! If you don’t want to die, hurry!!”
A human was flying in the sky. Soldiers clad in heavy armor were hurled like bundles of straw caught in a typhoon, while a blood-colored mist slashed through their bodies as they fell.
Chunks of flesh rained down from above. The horrifying spectacle unfolding from the flanks quickly drew closer and finally reached the main force of the allied troops.
“The Progenitor has arrived. Do not show a shameful appearance.”
With blood-stained silver hair and a black dress that seemed out of place, the Progenitor appeared, her presence so chilling that it could not be ignored. As Martini issued her warning, the morale of the duchy’s vampires soared.
They did not even entertain the possibility of defeat. Sensing the atmosphere had turned completely upside down within the day, Jeref instinctively recognized it was time to use his last resort.
“Lord Rakel. Focus support from the priests.”
“Are you going to use it?”
In response to the question from the knight, Dave Rakel, who had been covering the rear with him, Jeref nodded silently.
In the next instant, a pure white lightning ripped through the night sky.
Wrapped in the sacred lightning, Jeref swung his sword.
A brief moment of silence, as if even sound had been cut off.
Moments later, a tidal wave of light surged forth and cut down all the vampires in front of him.
“Retreat! Buy time.”
The knight’s secret weapon, their last resort.
If the ability to embody explosive physical enhancement by harboring a spirit of light is what makes a knight, then the skill to wield it effectively determines their rank.
In most cases, the measure of proficiency is the conversion rate—the extent to which one can harness the enormous energy provided by the spirit of light without loss to their body. This is both the knight’s skill and their knowledge.
At its peak, in theory, it would be possible to confront vampires above the rank of duke without assistance, manifesting that combat power in a human body.
However, due to the burden from extreme conversion rates, the time that the body could endure this ability was approximately 15 minutes. Furthermore, once used, they would be unable to use sacred magic for about a day.
A trump card that should never be discarded until the very last moment. There were two knights capable of this on this front.
Jeref Parvian and Dave Rakel.
Jeref decided to use this secret weapon to buy time for the main force’s retreat.
A battle not to win, but to escape.
Even so, the white light surged forth.
Slice through the darkness, slow down the duchy’s pursuit, and split the brooding clouds above.
As one sword swung, the heavens trembled.
This was the final act to prove why knights are the natural enemies of vampires.
Just before Jeref’s sword could slash through the vampires again, Aria shouted without hesitation.
“Focus on the pursuit. I’ll take care of the knight.”
Thud, blocking Jeref’s path without giving him a chance, Aria’s sword, imbued with holiness, gleamed even brighter.
“Yes, at least the Progenitor.”
This woman was undoubtedly the greatest variable. Even if it meant a retreat, if they didn’t kill the Progenitor now, she would return as an even greater disaster.
“How can someone who serves the gods speak such impossible words?”
Aria mocked with a laugh as she parried Jeref’s sword.
Spark, the sacred energy wrapped around the sword sparked and stripped away the shadow surrounding Aria’s hand.
Even so, Aria managed to halt Jeref’s sword. She absorbed a strike that could sever sound and space entirely, using only her strength.
Jeref’s sword kept moving.
What he possessed was not just a reinforced body. The swordsmanship honed over decades, the experience amassed from countless battles against vampires and beastmen found the optimal trajectory.
Aria’s body accumulated wounds. Her arm was severed and regenerated thirty-six times; Jeref’s blade hit her shoulder and belly numerous times.
The shadow scattered in the dazzling light, and the tidal wave of blood raging to engulf them was deflected by the sword’s wind.
Yet, the one laughing was Aria.
“Are you getting anxious?”
Jeref gritted his teeth.
It wasn’t landing. Despite using his last resort and exerting himself more than ever, his sword couldn’t reach the Progenitor’s heart.
Even if he severed her limbs a hundred times, it would be useless. If he couldn’t pierce her heart, he couldn’t kill the Progenitor today.
Only 11 minutes remained for Jeref. Since he had no intention of throwing away his life here, calculating the time to retreat meant the grace period was even shorter.
If he could devote all his time and energy solely to the Progenitor, there might have been hope; however, even if the majority of the vampires focused on the pursuit, in a situation surrounded by enemies, that was impossible.
The Progenitor seemed aware that the urgency did not lie with her, maintaining a defensive posture even while responding, leading Jeref to conclude that defeating her within the allotted time was impossible.
“…I won’t forget this defeat today.”
As Jeref withdrew, Aria tried to pursue him while maintaining a suitable distance.
Yet she didn’t press in deep. It was as though she was protecting the surrounding vampires, merely restricting Jeref’s actions with the minimum necessary distance.
Likewise, Dave Rakel and the other knights who scattered waves of white light covered the retreating main force of the two kingdoms, but the situation had already tilted completely against them.
That night, the allied forces composed of four human nations completely withdrew not only from the northern front but also from within the territory of the Sahelrn Duchy.
The casualties incurred just in the effort to join the main force retreating from the north until they merged with the eastern and western frontline troops already numbered in the tens of thousands.
The vampires, who relentlessly pursued the allied troops and swiftly slaughtered those who couldn’t move quickly enough, only ceased their chase as dawn approached.
Many stragglers who failed to retreat were captured, and most supplies were left behind.
The moment the order to halt the pursuit was given, the vampires gazed at the retreating figures of the defeated soldiers.
Their faces flushed from the heat of battle, half of them still bore an expression of disbelief, as if they couldn’t grasp the dramatic results that had flipped overnight.
Tap, Aria, leading the charge, lightly licked the blood from her hands and turned around.
Amid the watchful eyes of the vampires belonging to the Sahelrn and Helraig Duchies, she declared her victory with both dignity and pride.
“It is our victory.”
Immediately, a roar erupted like thunder.
The cheers, intoxicated by the joy of victory, soon turned into praises for the Progenitor, who had turned the tides of war, heavy with the scent of defeat.
Thus, the re-encounter between the allied forces and the duchies, which occurred after three years, came to a complete end in the form of a total defeat for the allied forces.
A new wind began to blow across the continent.
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