Chapter 127: Childhood Friend – Rotation
The Kingdom of Orun was abundant in mountains.
Since the Lognum mountain range stretched along the coastline, the Kingdom of Orun lowered in altitude as it moved northeast, eventually reaching a vast plain near the Holy Jerome Kingdom.
That plain was called Anatolea.
It was known as the place where the first saint, Saint Azra, defeated evil for the fourth time.
Coincidentally, after thousands of years, fierce battles between humans and apostles were once again unfolding on that plain.
Sir Colin alternately looked at the ground and the sky with a desperate expression.
The land that had been moist with morning dew was stained red, and a huge trumpet pattern appeared in the clear sky, emitting a loud trumpet sound.
The massive hunting party that had gathered on the Plains of Anatolea to defeat the apostle of the evil god was now stuck in their tracks.
All because of a single boy.
The command sent the cavalry to charge toward the apostle. The knights from the Holy Kingdom and the Conrad Kingdom, along with the crusaders of the church, charged bravely, and the semi-knights formed ranks and rushed in.
There was no room for carelessness. They all knew that, in appearance, he was a boy, but he was a monster that had devoured the capital of an entire kingdom.
The priests blessed the semi-knights and knights with all sorts of blessings. They also blessed the horses they rode on.
And the priests from the Conrad Kingdom… It was said that they were not from the central church, and they sang sacred songs as if to counter the trumpet sound of the evil god. The divine musical notes instilled courage in everyone in the hunting party.
Moreover, Bishop Berg performed a sword dance.
The priests and retired crusaders in the rear watched him in bewilderment, but soon they couldn’t help but gape in astonishment.
Remarkably, he possessed immense divine power. Every time his sword swept through the air, it inscribed glowing white characters in the sky.
Eventually, everyone gathered on the plain realized what Bishop Berg was doing.
It was a ‘Descent Ritual’.
Also known as ‘Possession Ritual’, it was a rare ceremony that had been performed only a few times in the long history of the Church of the Cross.
A holy being appeared faintly above the sword-dancing Bishop Berg. Although only its upper body was visible, it resembled a giant human figure…
It was Lord Ratchar.
One of the four incarnations of the main god, wielding a sword and shield, he governed battle and honor. No crusader could fail to recognize him, for they prayed to him daily.
As the figure of Lord Ratchar appeared, the swords and armors of the elderly crusaders in the rear and the young crusaders charging towards the apostle began to shine even brighter.
Naturally, everyone in the hunting party cheered and felt greatly encouraged.
But,
“There, there he is!”
The apostle of the evil god, who was charging on horseback, drew his sword. A massive aura blade blazed forth, beginning to slaughter the cavalry.
Cavalry Battle.
Sir Colin, being a crusader himself, was well aware of how challenging it was to fight on horseback.
Horses did not always move as their riders wished. Furthermore, the rider had to control the reins with one hand and wield a weapon with the other, so only those highly skilled in equestrian arts could become cavalrymen.
The weapon that evolved due to this inconvenience was the lance, a large spear for cavalry.
Holding the reins with one hand and gripping the lance with the other, the rider would bend their elbow at a 90-degree angle to aim forward, charging ahead to trample down unmounted foes and spear mounted enemies.
If they lost their lance in the collision, they would switch to wielding their sword, but due to the height of the horse and the short reach of the sword, cavalrymen who lost their lance usually retreated to regroup.
In essence, the key to cavalry battle lay in focusing all their strength forward. The maneuver hinged on the powerful impact force and rapid mobility of the head-on charge.
However, the apostle of the evil god did not adhere to these principles of cavalry battle.
He picked one of the three split cavalry units and charged at them, cutting through them as if parting a stream.
His horsemanship was astounding.
It was impressive that the horse seemed to move in perfect sync with its rider, but the speed of his black horse greatly outclassed all others.
“Ah! Get out of the way…!”
The cavalry commander urgently warned, but it was a futile cry. The apostle of the evil god held the massive aura blade with one hand, severing the heads of the passing cavalry from their bodies.
[Swordsmanship.3v: Bart Style]
Even when the other two cavalry units charged hastily, the apostle of the evil god displayed incredible horsemanship, evading the tips of their lances.
It was a one-sided fight.
The apostle of the evil god switched his sword to his other hand, wielding the aura blade in all directions. Swiftly maneuvering his black horse, he rampaged across the battlefield.
Some knights, unable to stand it any longer, threw their lances. However, he easily dodged by maneuvering his horse, and teasingly distanced himself when the semi-knights rushed in.
In the end, the cavalry commander made a decision.
“Retreat! Join forces with the infantry!”
They abandoned the cavalry battle.
The disparity in mobility was too severe, leaving them no choice.
The number of the five thousand strong subjugation force dwindled slightly, and they retreated into a tight formation. Now it was the evil god apostle’s turn to be in trouble. As he rode into the dense formation, fearing being surrounded or wary of the Ratchar incarnation summoned by Bishop Berg, the apostle circled the subjugation force for a moment.
“Now is the time! Priests, recite the holy incantations! Wizards, do not miss your chance!” shouted Cardinal Mihaer.
Around fifteen hundred priests knelt and prayed in the center of the subjugation force. The five wizards brought by the prince also began to cast their spells. The holy incantations poured down.
The body of the apostle turned dazzlingly white and then began to emit crimson steam. However, it was all in vain. Somehow, despite being hit by magic, the evil god apostle remained unscathed, and even amidst the barrage of blessings, he exclaimed, “It’s ticklish!” before urging his black horse forward again. His exclamation wasn’t just bravado as he leisurely circled around the subjugation force, swinging his sword at its edges like peeling the skin off a potato.
If only they had archers…
It was a stark moment showcasing the helplessness of an army composed solely of knights, paladins, priests, and crusaders without the aid of archers. Who could have known that the apostle would possess such remarkable mobility and could completely ignore long-range attacks like holy incantations and magic?
The subjugation force was in disarray. With no way to counter, their morale inevitably began to drop, even for the knights, paladins, and crusaders.
“Sir Colin? Where are you going?” asked Priest Ophelia. However, the old crusader did not reply and left the formation. Telling them to clear the way, he pushed through the panicked crowd. He abandoned his sword midway.
Sir Colin emerged outside the subjugation force. Someone yelled that it was dangerous, but he did not hear it.
All this was my fault.
That trumpet symbol floating in the sky… I have seen it before.
The apostle’s horse running along the outskirts came into his view. The massive black horse, with its muscular chest and legs as thick as a human’s waist, charged at the reckless old man who stood there empty-handed.
The evil god apostle. The face of the young man, drenched in blood, was clearly visible.
I have seen that face before. The boys hiding in the rock-covered jars, peeking out. I couldn’t bring myself to kill them.
Even though I knew they believed in a misguided god, I let them go.
“O God. Do not forgive my sins. I… I have no regrets!”
Sir Colin faced the oncoming black horse. In his final moment, he did not realize his body was burning brightly white.
Thud! The sound of flesh being torn apart echoed horribly.
* * *
– Crash.
Lev tumbled clumsily.
The elderly man named Sir Colin, who had taken Lena, was blocking his path, so he ran him over without much thought.
If the old man had a weapon, Lev might have reacted differently, perhaps cleaving him with an aura blade or dodging around him. But the man just stood there blankly, as if wishing to die.
If dying was his wish, there was no reason not to grant it.
But at the moment of impact, the old man’s body emitted a holy light, as if honoring a sacred martyr, and a message appeared before Reb’s eyes.
[Achievement: ‘Life of Dop Bizan’ Quest Completed – Dof Bizan escapes the yoke.]
[The ‘Life of Dof Bizan’ Quest is dissolved.]
“What… What is this?”
As Lev, having fallen off his horse, looked back, he saw Bante collapsed.
Ignoring the message and the splattered Sir Colin, who flew away in a bloody mess, Lev sprinted toward Bante.
He had no doubt that Bante, strengthened by Barbatos’s divine power, would quickly recover and get back on his feet…
– Neigh.
Bante let out a mournful cry. The once-black horse, now brown again, looked at his master reproachfully.
“…”
Upon examining him, Lev saw that Bante had broken his leg in the fall. While he would soon recover if he received more divine power,
“Now! Attack!”
The five thousand troops were rushing toward Lev, their eyes blazing with rage, aiming to tear apart the apostle of the demon who had tormented them for so long.
“Hah! Ridiculous!”
Feeling a surge of irritation, Lev scoffed.
It might be a somewhat profane evaluation, but the power bestowed by Lord Barbatos was not suited for large-scale battles.
[Trap Hunting] was closely related to hunting, while [Barbatos’s Hunting Ground], though affecting a large area, had no killing power. And both [Eye of Enchantment] and [Targeted Hunt] were useless against those with divine power or blessings.
He had to fight off his foes one by one using nothing but the strength of his aura blade, boosted physical body, and divine power.
If Prince Eric were here…
Had he acquired the power of Oriax that summoned the ox-headed beast, these mere five thousand troops would have been annihilated by now.
However, thinking that losing Bante would give his enemies the upper hand was a grave miscalculation.
Lev unleashed Barbatos’ endless divine power onto the red earth. While massacring the citizens of Nevis, he had discovered a hidden function in the [Barbatos’ Hunting Ground] ability.
“Something’s coming! Dodge!”
“What is this…? Trees?”
Black trees began to quickly grow in the blood-stained hunting ground.
Not a single tree grew straight, all were twisted and covered in sharp thorns.
Startled by the thorn bushes sprouting from the ground, Lev dashed towards the disordered hunting party whose formation had already broken.
None shall escape this forest alive.
The avatar of the main god cutting down the thorn bushes over there… I’ll deal with them last.
Lev easily pushed aside the thorn bushes and slaughtered the knights one by one. As soon as the priests recited divine spells to purify the land, he poured an overwhelming amount of Barbatos’ divine power to revert it back.
Though qualitatively inferior to the main god’s divine power, after offering the lives of hundreds of thousands of Nevis’ citizens, no one on this continent could stop him.
Honestly, Barbatos’ divine power did diminish slightly due to the thousand and five hundred priests’ blessings. But there was still plenty left, and there were numerous humans to offer.
As long as I protect my frail body from getting hit by a sword, there’s nothing to fear.
– Yes. Now you’re finally listening.
A whisper, weary and yet satisfied, echoed from somewhere, but Lev, lost in the thrill of cutting and slaughtering every visible person, did not hear it.
It’s enjoyable.
The blood bursting from the heart is beautiful, and the desperate struggles of those fearing me are amusing. The eerie satisfaction of slowly breaking a cherished toy is delightful.
Why did I ever hesitate to do something so fun? It’s impossible to know.
After killing my father, I was momentarily confused. Feeling as though I had committed a grave sin, I shut myself in Marquis Guidan’s mansion and did not move.
I only regained my senses after returning and killing Marquis Guidan, who had rushed over in shock leading his army, and reclaiming the divine power I had instilled in him.
I realized I had been acting foolishly.
“Uh-huh. Uh-huh-huh… Uh-huh-huh-huh-huh.”
At the moment when Lev unconsciously let out a chilling grin,
“Leo! Over here. Are you alright?”
He heard a familiar voice. Surprised at the voice calling his name, Leo, Lev pushed through the thorn bushes and approached…
“Let me help you. You’re not hurt, right?”
It was Lena Einarr. A stubborn, courageous warrior who couldn’t hide her robust curves even with her thick armor.
She was struggling to pull down the large Leo Dexter caught in the thorn bushes.
“Leave it. I can get down by myself.”
Leo rudely rejected Lena’s assistance, his eyes meeting Lev’s.
[Achievement: Met Another Leo, 1/3]
In the seemingly somnambulant and hazy eyes of Leo Dexter, the mist faded. Looking around in momentary bewilderment…
“You! You bastard! Lena, I’m sorry. What should I apologize for first? I’m sorry I couldn’t help when you fell from the horse before, sorry for hunting secretly, and sorry for turning my back that time. I didn’t mean it. I was awake back then. No, I wasn’t asleep. I heard everything…”
Leo Dexter, on the brink of tears, began to apologize to Lena Einarr while still hanging onto the tree, and Lev dumbfoundedly watched the scene.
His mind began to feel clear.
