291 – This is the end.
The knight who handles mana displays a power that is on a different level compared to ordinary cavalry, especially if they’re an elite knight serving a grand lord.
Thud thud thud thud!
A storm-like momentum surged from the 50 royal guards charging forward.
Desmond’s soldiers quickly cleared out as the royal guards approached. It seemed they were already trained for such situations.
“Lord!”
“Captain!”
The knights of Penris were also taken aback by the opponents’ momentum and tried to rush out. But Ghislaine shouted while lowering his spear.
“Don’t worry about me, keep pushing forward!”
The battlefield, except for the area around Ghislaine, was still packed with Desmond’s soldiers. Killing even one more would make it easier to advance.
At his resolute command, the Penris army decided to focus solely on the enemies in front of them, ignoring Ghislaine.
Thud thud thud!
The knights of Penris felt more and more burdened as the fight went on. There was no leisure to fight while being distracted right now.
In times like this, all they had to do was trust their lord and focus on their own battles.
That attitude was irritating to the royal guards. Their leader, Rones, shouted with an expression filled with displeasure.
“How arrogant!”
They were the elite knights of Desmond. No matter how high-ranking Baron Penris was, he couldn’t handle 50 opponents at once.
Yet here they were, trying to fight alone—that felt like the height of hubris.
Wooom!
The royal guards all gathered their mana with intensity. They were intent on stomping down Ghislaine.
Ghislaine also charged forward, kicking the Black King’s belly.
Thud thud thud thud!
Rushing alone towards the 50 elite knights seemed reckless. Desmond’s soldiers were all convinced that Ghislaine wouldn’t last long.
But with the first blow, that thought changed.
Boooom!
Rones, in the lead, swung his halberd fiercely. Ghislaine didn’t slow down, ducked to dodge, and continued to rush forward.
Two other knights following Rones swung their halberds at the same time towards Ghislaine.
Kwaaang!
Their halberds bounced off into thin air. Ghislaine ignored them and pressed on.
Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
The royal guards trailing Rones swung their weapons in succession, but all failed to hit Ghislaine.
Ghislaine was busy deflecting the knights’ halberds while continuing to advance.
‘Just a little further.’
In cavalry battles, when one attack fails, it’s not easy to strike again. If one has to turn their horses’ heads, the more followers there are, the further they need to advance.
So when the royal guards finally turned their horses’ heads, Ghislaine had already surged past them all.
Rones saw this and turned pale, shouting.
“Stop him!”
To make way for the majestic royal guards, thousands of heavy infantrymen split to the sides.
The soldiers who had been blocking the center were already pulling back to trust the royal guards. They had changed positions to attack the remaining Penris army.
However, since the royal guards had failed to deal with Ghislaine, Desmond’s army had effectively opened a path for him.
The soldiers realized this fact and hurriedly tried to reassemble their formation, but it was quicker for Ghislaine to push his way through than for them to find their places again.
Kwaaang!
“Uwaaaah!”
With his red eyes shining and teeth bared, Ghislaine unleashed an overwhelming power again.
In a situation where even the defenses were layered, he couldn’t be stopped in the chaos.
The royal guards that had turned their horses’ heads rushed after Ghislaine, but they got tangled up in the frantic re-enforcement from both sides.
“Get out of the way! I said move!”
Hearing Rones’ shout, the soldiers tried to step back, but those trying to enter clashed with those attempting to exit, resulting in even more chaos in their formation.
Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
“Uwaaaah!”
While the soldiers were in disarray, Ghislaine pushed forward, sending enemies flying in all directions.
‘Just a little further.’
Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
Thud thud thud!
He felt his bones twist. His third-core level had reached its limit.
Ghislaine swallowed the blood boiling within him, gritting his teeth.
‘Just a little further.’
The enemies’ defenses had thinned, and the royal guards were busy following behind. There would be no better opportunity than this.
It’s busy to arrive. There won’t be another opportunity like this.
He ignored everyone except the enemy charging at him. He simply moved forward steadily.
Kwaaaang!
When he broke through the last layer of the formation surrounding the center.
Ghislaine could finally take in the figure he had aimed for.
“I found you.”
Not far away, he saw an unusual formation surrounded by heavy infantry and knights.
Willow was looking at the sky, capturing the rising magic from afar.
Vibrant red and blue energies, like mirages, swirled into the air. They rose heavily, repeating the cycle of appearing and disappearing.
It was as if energies that should not exist in this world tore through the space.
Willow, chasing the alien sensation that defied the laws of the world, waved his hand. This was magic, and it was the world seen by mages.
Though each mage had a slightly different approach, they all recognized mana as an object.
By capturing each change in mana and restoring the twisted laws to their original state, the world would regain stability. If left alone, those alien energies would take shape.
Vanessa and Willow were concentrating while keeping each other in check.
‘Guess Vanessa is doing well.’
Seeing Willow, who was so focused on blocking magic that he wasn’t paying attention to himself, Ghislaine wore a devilish smile.
As he drew all his remaining mana, the spear became engulfed in a fiery red light.
Kuwung!
The soldiers, who had been protecting Willow without a gap, thrust their shields forward.
Ghislaine dashed out, fending off the remaining enemies around him.
Dududududu!
As the Black King approached the formation, suddenly the shields parted, and dozens of spears shot out from within.
In that moment, Ghislaine grabbed the reins and twisted his body to the side. The Black King mirrored his movement.
Dududud!
The Black King’s body, having turned sideways, left long marks of hooves on the ground and halted. At the same time, Ghislaine leaped off the saddle.
Paah!
The soldiers, tracking him with their gazes, involuntarily raised their heads. Before they could react, Ghislaine threw the spear toward Willow without hesitation, filled with mana.
Swaaaaz!
The spear shot out with a sound that seemed to tear through the air.
Willow was shocked as someone suddenly jumped up in front of him, blocking his view.
‘Oh no!’
Willow had known all along that the enemy was approaching with the intent to target him. Still, he had only focused on suppressing the opposing mage, trusting his allies.
But the fact that the enemy had come this close meant that he could no longer trust his allies.
He couldn’t afford to use his mana elsewhere. He didn’t know who the opposing mage was, but their ability to control mana surpassed his own.
He was barely holding on when he should have been overwhelmed already, thanks to the opposing mages’ unstable mana, whether due to his allies or some other issue.
If Willow let his focus slip in this precarious situation, the opposing mage’s attack would follow immediately.
But it would be the same even if Willow died.
“Shield!”
In the end, Willow redirected his mana to protect his own body.
A solid shield of mana enveloped him.
Ziiing—!
Kwaaaang!
In an instant, a powerful explosion rocked the ground around him. A cloud of dust rose around Willow, obscuring everyone’s view.
Saaaaaaaaak…
When the scene finally cleared, everyone gasped in astonishment.
“W-Willow…!”
“How could a 6th Circle Mage be taken down just like that…?”
“This can’t be happening…”
Thud.
Willow’s body, with his head completely blown off, shook a few times before collapsing.
Landing on the ground, Ghislaine slowly straightened up and spat out the blood he had been holding in his mouth.
Even until that moment, the enemies around them could not act. They could hardly believe what had just happened.
Hiiiiiing!
Paah!
Taking advantage of the enemies’ daze, the Black King leaped over them and landed before Ghislaine.
Ghislaine immediately mounted the Black King, grabbed the reins, and used threads of mana to lift the spear that had fallen to the ground.
“Phew…”
Ghislaine lowered the core activation to the second stage. If he maintained the third stage any longer, his life would be in danger.
The amount of mana that had filled his body rapidly decreased, but he still wore a confident smile.
The numbers were drastically dwindling, but he still wore a confident smile.
“It’s about to end.”
Dududududu!
In the meantime, the Royal Guards closing the distance were once again rushing toward Ghislaine. Leading the group, Rones shouted, filled with rage.
“You coward! How can you still call yourself a noble!”
“Who says I care about that?”
“You shameless brute who doesn’t even know honor!”
“Is it honorable for fifty of you to gang up on one person?”
“You scoundrel!”
Unable to contain his anger at Ghislaine’s taunts, Rones swung his halberd fiercely.
Clang!
Ghislaine deflected the halberd and immediately stabbed the spear into the body of another Royal Guard who had approached him.
Thud!
“Gah!”
Bam!
Then, he swung the spear again, cleanly slicing the neck of another Royal Guard.
Laughing as he danced like a puppet under the Black King, Ghislaine exclaimed, “If you want to play, then let’s play! I’ll kill you and go meet Harold.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just as Ghislaine and the Royal Guards began their battle, Vanessa, who had been keeping an eye on Willow, sensed a change in magic and her eyes lit up.
“The lord has succeeded.”
Though dozens of mages remained near Desmond’s main force to keep her in check, their interference meant little now that Willow had disappeared.
Vanessa, who was about to cast a wide-area spell, quickly changed her mind. While a large-scale area spell could deal significant damage to Desmond’s army, it could also harm her allies.
Dududududu!
The target she set her sights on was Emerson’s cavalry, who were pursuing Penris’s archers.
“Fire Lance.”
Vanessa gently incanted and waved her hand, creating dozens of flaming lances in the air.
The fiery lances struck directly into Emerson’s cavalry.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Ughhh!”
The cavalry, just turning to redirect, couldn’t avoid the sudden attack and fell. Horses and riders tangled together, and the previously organized formation was now a chaotic mess.
Thanks to Vanessa’s magic, the archers who had been shaken off quickly moved to support Perdium and the Kingdom Army again.
Vanessa turned to Kaor and shouted, “The lord has succeeded! We need to move now!”
“Got it, let’s go! But hey, are you okay?”
Her face was covered in blood, but Vanessa shouted back as if it didn’t matter.
“Hurry!”
“Ah, okay. No need to get mad. You look like you should be fine, but you seem to have a bit of a temper.”
Kaor quickly mounted his horse and lifted her onto his back. A few hunters also collected the remaining mages and moved out.
The rest of the hunters moved to deal with Emerson’s cavalry. Only about ten hunters remained behind to move the fallen mages to safety.
So far, the mages had been too far apart on the battlefield due to mutual interference. To protect their allies more delicately while attacking the enemy, they needed to get closer.
Dududududu!
Kaor and Vanessa galloped towards Desmond’s main army. As she moved, the battlefield began to shift dramatically.
As they closed the distance, she aimed her magic at the area where Desmond’s mages were gathered.
“Explosion.”
Kawaaaang!
Flame magic from the 6th Circle erupted all across Desmond’s formation. The mages and soldiers at the epicenter of the blast couldn’t even scream before bursting apart.
Although some mages attempted to shift their focus and retaliate against Vanessa, it was futile. Some targeted Penris’s troops, while others aimed at Vanessa, leading to disarray in their assault.
There was no way that those with a lower circle could possibly disrupt Vanessa’s magic with just a few members.
Kawaaang! Kawaaang!
“Ughhh!”
“Save me!”
“Enemy mage is approaching!”
Vanessa unleashed her magic recklessly. Despite vomiting blood from a lack of magic, she assimilated the energy from the pursuing mages, moving without pause.
Thanks to her, the rearguard where Desmond’s mages were located quickly collapsed.
The elite knights were occupied with Ghislaine, and Willow had perished. There was no one left capable of withstanding the attack from a 6th Circle mage.
Kawaaang! Kawaaang! Kawaaang!
As magic erupted from all around, the distracted Desmond forces struggled to fight back. More soldiers were scrambling to evade.
As a result, the Penris army was able to push the enemies back with much greater ease.
Amidst the ongoing battle with Ghislaine, Rones sensed the worsening situation and felt a rush of urgency.
Rones, in the midst of the battle, grasped the dire situation and felt a surge of urgency.
“This guy! Die already!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
No matter how fierce the attack, the opponent wouldn’t fall. The enemy had already endured several assaults, covered in blood but still standing. Rones felt he could take them down, yet he couldn’t.
Instead, every time he exposed an opening, one of his comrades fell for it. From the initial fifty attackers, only about thirty remained.
“Zing!”
“Ugh!”
Just when he thought he could land a successful strike, a spear flew from somewhere. The power behind it was nothing special, but it was enough to scatter his focus.
Ghislaine had disrupted their attacks countless times with this peculiar skill of hers.
Clang!
As Ghislaine deflected the approaching halberd, he acknowledged the Royal Guards’ proficiency. Clearly, they weren’t foes he could defeat all at once with his two-star core.
On top of that, Ghislaine himself was exhausted, having drained much of his mana from forcing breakthroughs. His limit had become merely to dodge and endure while preventing fatal blows.
He bore cuts and bruises all over his body. If it weren’t for the Black King showcasing remarkable movements, he would have sustained even more injuries.
Though he was picking them off one by one, their combined techniques were too formidable to ignore.
At this rate, he might expire before taking down all the Royal Guards.
Nevertheless, he kept a smile on his face.
“I’m not alone in this.”
Clang!
As Ghislaine successfully blocked another enemy attack,
Woosh!
“Gah!”
The backline of the Royal Guards, who had been attacking him from behind, started to collapse one by one.
The bloodied Knights of Penris had arrived.
“Lord! Are you alright!”
“We’ll handle the rest!”
“Kill those bastards!”
They swiftly mounted the Royal Guards’ horses and swung their swords. Caught off guard by their focus on Ghislaine, they were effortlessly decapitated or pierced through.
With the Knights of Penris closing in, the Royal Guards under Desmond had no choice but to face them.
Now the numerical advantage had shifted. Although the Knights of Penris were in a worn-out state, they far outnumbered the Royal Guards.
Rones gritted his teeth and scanned the surroundings. Soldiers were falling in waves, and even the Royal Guards were immobilized.
“Looks like you’re all alone now?”
Ghislaine grinned wickedly as he lowered his spear. Rones fell silent and drove his horse forward.
“Here I go!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Rones raised his halberd high. He poured out every bit of his mana, even burning his life force in desperation.
He had to kill the enemy with this strike. The opponent might be a skilled fighter above him, but right now, they were both so wounded and fatigued that a blow that usually wouldn’t work might just succeed.
If he could just take care of this guy, everything would end. That’s why he risked his life, pouring all his strength into the attack.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Ghislaine, facing him, spurred his horse forward. The Black King charged ahead, blowing air through his nostrils.
As Ghislaine entered his attack range, Rones shouted and swung his halberd.
“Die!”
Whoosh!
A mighty strike sliced through the air. Ghislaine activated his three-star core in an instant.
Crackle!
Suddenly, an explosion of mana twisted his bones and muscles. Ghislaine gritted his teeth to bear the pain.
He hunched low and lunged forward with his spear.
Swish!
Rones’s halberd barely missed Ghislaine’s head. Ghislaine’s spear pierced through Rones’s neck.
“Gurgle…”
Their horses brushed past each other in opposite directions.
Rones sputtered blood as he slowly turned his head. With a look of indignation, he gazed at Ghislaine.
If only he had a little more time.
If the Penris mage had arrived just a tad later.
He could’ve slain the bastard and ended the war.
That was his final regret.
Thud.
Rones’s lifeless body slumped off his horse. Ghislaine turned around, briefly observing the scene, then raised his head.
Far in the distance, at the rear command post, Harold sat. The remaining troops of Desmond were engaged with Perdium and the Kingdom Army.
Now, no one stood in his way.
Following his past life.
It was time to kill Harold once more.
“Harold—!”
Ghislaine’s shout reverberated through the battlefield like thunder.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The Black King charged towards Count Harold Desmond.
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