292 – This is it, huh? (2)
The situation quickly tilted in favor of Penris and the allied forces.
The archer cavalry, having shed off Emerson’s pursuit, constantly rained arrows down on the rear of Desmond’s army, which was split into two.
“UAAARGH!”
Caught between attacks, Desmond’s soldiers began to crumble helplessly.
The Perdium army, who had long established superiority despite being outnumbered, had now completely seized the advantage with the help of the cavalry.
“Now’s the time! Push them hard!”
Especially Zvalter, leading the charge, was slaying enemies left and right. A usually calm person becomes terrifying when enraged, after all.
“WAAAH!”
As the Perdium army gained momentum, Desmond’s troops led by Baron Garein could no longer hold on.
Fear is contagious. One by one, Desmond’s soldiers began to flee, and their ranks fell apart with an alarming ease.
“Don’t run away! You fools!”
Despite Baron Garein’s fervent encouragement, the tide of battle was already irreversibly against them.
The knights of Perdium, even while spitting blood, maintained their focus. They realized victory was so close.
This phenomenon was mirrored on the side of the Kingdom Army. They pressured the outnumbered Desmond’s soldiers who were now missing Emerson’s unit.
Though they didn’t fight as recklessly as Perdium, they steadily pushed the enemy back, following the classic strategy.
As their flanks crumbled, the center of Desmond’s army found itself encircled.
The central forces could no longer send support to either side. They were already in disarray thanks to Ghislaine and Vanessa’s performances.
The knights and cavalry of Penris charged against the central forces, utilizing their overwhelming defense to take down enemies.
Among them were three outstanding individuals.
“Phew! It’s boiling hot!”
“Just hold on a bit longer! We’ve completely got the upper hand!”
“Those guys are all running away!”
Against the collapsing enemy, numerical superiority no longer mattered. The three, part of the Labor Assault Team, lifted their face masks to catch a breath.
“I think I can live!”
Yelled the middle-aged man, who was actually the spy leader that had entered Penris Territory under disguise as a member of Desmond’s army.
The other two also opened their masks, expressing that they felt alive. All three of their faces were drenched in sweat.
No matter how good the armor’s defense was, it wasn’t magically treated like that of knights, so the internal temperature inevitably rose as time passed.
Though their bodies felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton, their faces were filled with joy.
“Hehehe, I never imagined ‘our Penris’ would defeat Desmond.”
The two nodded at the leader’s words.
“I was planning to sneak away or reattach to that side, but this turned out great.”
“Come on, let’s quickly take care of the ‘enemies’. We’re almost there. This armor is truly remarkable.”
These three had skills that were originally superior to regular soldiers. With Galbarium Full Armor on, they were not going to easily die.
The leader brandished a spear and cheerfully whispered.
“Alright! It’s tough, but let’s push a little harder! Then we’ll start anew!”
They had completely made up their minds to switch sides to Penris.
In Penris, there were houses and plenty of accumulated money. Once they smashed the mighty Desmond, no one would threaten them anymore.
Raybold might be comparable to Desmond, but they were also dealing with rebellion and internal strife, so their condition was poor.
Not good.
If Penris conquers Desmond, the family in Desmond will be safe. This was definitely a solid opportunity for a fresh start and a clean slate. If they miss this, they’ll be fools.
As they were eager to charge into battle again, an officer from Desmond recognized their faces and shouted.
“You, you guys!”
The heads of the three quickly turned. Recognizing their opponent, they shouted in panic.
“W-what about that bastard?”
The three hastily pulled down their helmet visors, but it was already too late.
The officer pointed at them with a finger.
“What the hell are you doing here!”
He was an instructor training and managing spies at Desmond. Harold had brought along all the guards, which was why he found himself participating in this war.
He was partaking in his role leading some troops, but he was shocked to find spies he had trained and sent to Penris right here.
When their identities were revealed, the lead spy shouted in urgency.
“We have to kill that bastard before he talks!”
Screaming would only bring them trouble. Their dream of a fresh start could crumble. The lead adjusted his stance and yelled.
“I’m hitting him with a stream attack!”
With a loud shout, the lead quickly threw his spear.
Kwang!
“Ugh!”
The officer, taken by surprise by the sudden attack, knocked the spear away. But that wasn’t the end of the assault.
Taking advantage of that moment, another team member rushed in and stabbed with a spear.
Spear!
Yet, the officer, who still had decent skill, hurriedly repositioned to block the second attack. But that was his last resistance.
“Hah!”
Crack!
Another team member pulled an axe from their waist and struck the officer’s neck.
The officer, already out of position after blocking two consecutive attacks, could not defend against the third.
A perfect combination of long-range, mid-range, and close-range attacks. This was the trio’s special move, ‘Stream Attack.’
“Gurgle… traitor bastards…”
The officer couldn’t utter another word and collapsed, spewing blood.
The three looked around nervously, confirming that no one else was present, and let out a big sigh of relief.
“Phew… thank goodness. Things could have gotten messy if he had talked more. This bastard tormented us during training; it feels so good to get him back.”
Just then, Gordon, who had taken down the Royal Guards and was pushing back the enemy line, approached the three. He checked the fallen officer’s attire and was taken aback.
“Wow! You three killed an enemy officer! It must have been no easy task considering he was from Desmond—amazing!”
The higher-ranking the person killed, the more credit gained. Gordon chuckled and said to the trio.
“Going this hard and even taking out an enemy officer! I mistook you for a spy in the Labor Assault Team and doubted you! I’m sorry for the suspicion! I’ll make sure to tell the higher-ups about your achievements!”
“Hahaha…”
“We’re not bad people, you know…”
“You really don’t have to tell the higher-ups…”
The three awkwardly laughed. They didn’t want to be exposed trying to grab credit. If they ever met a prisoner who knew their true identity, it would be a disaster.
But Gordon, oblivious to their true feelings, shook his head and said.
“Our lord is sure to reward you! Don’t worry and keep fighting hard! There isn’t much left!”
“Hahaha…”
The three continued to laugh awkwardly and press on with the battle.
“That guy is just building muscles, and now he’s sticking his nose in everywhere!”
“Why don’t you take care of that, you busybody!”
A determination to kill anyone who recognized their face was blooming anew.
Including the position where the Labor Assault Unit was active, Desmond’s Army was collapsing from all directions.
Harold, watching the situation from the highest and safest place, was biting his lip until it bled.
“My army… my army…”
He couldn’t believe it. His army, known as the strongest in the North. There wasn’t a single soldier who wasn’t elite.
With such elites brought down by overwhelming numbers, defeat was already evident. No, it was as if they had already lost.
The formation was completely shattered, and fleeing soldiers were emerging from all sides.
The cavalry led by Emerson, which was holding out, was now unable to escape and was dying as the Perdium Army and Kingdom Army successfully encircled them.
And the person responsible for all of this was rushing towards him.
“Harold—!”
Ghislaine shouted with a mix of rage and ecstasy, charging forward like a storm.
“Ghislaine! You rascal!”
Harold rose in anger. It was because of that guy. The one who had always been victorious, now ruining everything because of him.
Despite pouring all the power of his territory into what he thought was the final battle, even that ended in failure.
Now it was over for him. He would no longer be called a great lord of the North.
Everything he had built up was collapsing today. And all his wealth and towering fame would be taken by that guy.
He, who had walked the path of the strongest since birth, had lost to a brash punk who was rumored to be the most pathetic guy in the North.
His name would forever be mocked in history.
He absolutely could not forgive this. How could he endure such humiliation!
“Uaaaaah!”
Harold screamed, bloodshot eyes blazing.
His aides beside him grabbed his arm, shouting.
“Count! It’s over! You must surrender!”
“There are no Royal Guards left! You need to escape!”
“You can go to the nearby Duke’s territory!”
Slash!
“Gurk!”
The aides speaking of escape and surrender all had their heads severed by Harold’s sword.
Then other aides and a few soldiers slowly retreated.
Harold, blood-soaked and teary-eyed, was not in his right mind.
What had sustained him until now was his pride and honor as the great lord of the North. With that all lost, life held no meaning for him.
There was only one way to recover. The only thing he needed to do was remove that brat approaching him.
Thud.
Ghislaine approached Harold with sword in hand after stepping down from the Black King.
“Harold.”
“Ghislaine.”
The two called each other’s names while glaring at one another.
Though it was an order from the Duke Faction, Harold had attempted to destroy Perdium, and in his past life, he had indeed destroyed it.
Thus, Ghislaine and Harold were bound to clash. Just like Ghislaine’s connection with the Duke Faction, the bond between Ghislaine and Harold was one that could only end when one of them was dead.
And now, the time had come to sever this bond again.
Covered in blood, Ghislaine spoke with an ecstatic smile.
“It’s finally time to kill you.”
“Hehehe…”
Harold responded with a crazed laugh, saying nothing else. His gaze was filled with intent to kill, just as much as Ghislaine’s.
Just looking into each other’s eyes was enough to understand. They knew how much they hated each other.
Taking a step forward, Harold finally opened his mouth.
“Back then, instead of targeting your younger sibling, you should have just led your army and trampled over Perdium.”
“At that moment, I should have just led the army and trampled Perdium instead of targeting your younger sibling.”
That was the first regret.
“When you acquired the Runestone, I should have led the entire army myself, casting aside any justification or anything else.”
That was the second regret.
“When I struck Count Cabaldy, I should have pushed aside the Kingdom Army and come to kill you.”
That was the third regret.
Harold had opportunities—several times to kill Ghislaine—but he had too many things to consider: the Duke Faction’s orders, justifications, and the surrounding situation.
In the time it took for him to hesitate in such circumstances, Ghislaine had grown strong enough to bring him down as well.
“But I can’t let the last opportunity slip away.”
Ghislaine ran alone, drenched in blood. After a long battle, it was clear he was not in normal condition. His breathing was irregular, and injuries were visible all over.
Harold was also a top-notch knight. He had mastered the high-level swordsmanship passed down in the House of Count Desmond, and his talent was unmatched.
He had grown less diligent in training since taking the lordship, but he wasn’t weak enough to fail in catching a wounded beast.
Boom!
Harold summoned all his mana. That wasn’t all; he even began drawing on his life force, to the point of destroying his mana core.
Now, he had only one target left.
To kill Ghislaine and salvage his wounded pride.
Even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
“Die.”
With those words overflowing with hatred, Harold charged straight at Ghislaine.
Clang!
The momentum Harold unleashed, burning all his strength, was no joke. Ghislaine, who blocked the sword, staggered for a moment.
But Ghislaine still couldn’t wipe the ecstatic smile off his face. Blocking Harold’s sword, he opened his mouth.
“I still can’t forget how it felt when I killed you.”
“Hehe… I knew you were crazy, but this is more serious than I thought. You’re going to die today.”
“I wasn’t satisfied even after dissecting your corpse hundreds, thousands of times. If anything, the emptiness just deepened. Even if I kill you, no one is coming back. It was just venting my anger.”
Harold twitched his eyebrows. It was clearly nonsense, but the deep emotions behind it felt almost like truth.
Ghislaine continued speaking, still smiling.
“I’m sure this moment is different from back then. That’s why I’m happier than ever.”
Kaboom!
In that instant, a storm of mana spread out. Harold stumbled back, unable to withstand the shock.
Ghislaine unleashed the third phase of his core. As he drew mana more powerfully than ever, even his hair began to flow with the current.
Thud thud thud!
Ghislaine’s body had already reached its limit. Just by opening the core, blood burst out from various places, and his body twisted, but even amidst that pain, Ghislaine smiled joyfully.
This pain was nothing compared to the agony of losing everything in his previous life.
“I won’t leave a corpse this time, just like in my past life. Count Harold Desmond.”
“Yeah, you should. Going crazy like that will only make me even happier when I kill you.”
Harold smiled brightly, just as Ghislaine did. What filled his mind was nothing but an overwhelming rage and hatred.
The two of them, smiling at each other.
Kaboom!
With no one to call it first, they swung their swords simultaneously.
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