“Sa, save me… save me!”
*Hweik!*
The human knight, holding a torch downward, jumped in surprise and stepped back.
A subhuman soldier, who had lost both legs, was crawling desperately, crying out.
He had already witnessed more than ten such injured individuals with limbs severed.
There were many who were relatively unharmed, but—
“We have to run! Why do you keep crawling in?”
“Shut up and follow! If you escape, I’ll hold you accountable for desertion!”
*Hwaaaak! I’m dying! I’m dying!*
They were all in such a crazed state.
They couldn’t focus and flailed about wildly, making it impossible to restrain them.
What on earth had they witnessed…?
Had they been ambushed in the dark and suffered individual destruction?
Still, there should be no problem now.
Reinforcements had poured into the Great Forest, numbering over a thousand.
*Kyuuu… Take me with you. I don’t want to die.*
*…*
As they went deeper inside, the number of corpses and injured kept increasing.
It was not uncommon to see piles of bodies piled in corners.
What was most strange was that the injuries on the corpses didn’t exceed two.
They had all died instantly from a well-placed slash by a sharp blade.
Was the opponent not a magician…?
Before long, the soldiers had all shut their mouths, tensing up.
“Looks like Schlus Hainkel has some formidable guards with him. Everyone, be on high alert.”
“Yes.”
“The probability is high that Schlus Hainkel is supporting nearby with magic, so check the spell movements and report immediately—”
“Put the light out.”
*…*
The knight was interrupted by the low voice, and he gritted his teeth.
Even the subhumans acknowledged him as one of their own.
Up until that point, everything was fine.
But would those who had lived barbarically all their lives truly understand the concept of freedom?
Having been allowed to stand together and fight, they were disregarding the chain of command and interrupting their superior.
His anger was about to explode.
“You bastard, who just—”
Suddenly, darkness enveloped them all.
The torches went out simultaneously.
As they struggled to switch the torches back on, their vision blurred from the residual light.
*Ugh…!*
A blue beam of light shot out from the knight’s chest.
All the soldiers froze on the spot, staring at the knight.
*Wojak…*
With a brutal tearing sound, a metal blade pierced through his chest.
“Ah…! Aah…!”
*Pwah!*
As the knight, who was looking at the two swords drawing a cross above his chest began to convulse, the swords scattered to either side, ripping apart his upper body.
Flesh and blood splattered in all directions.
Only then could the soldiers finally face the monster that the deserters had been babbling about.
“If you want to live, run away.”
A man with a blood-stained face wore an expressionless look.
Schlus Hainkel stood there, wielding a sword of light and a steel sword.
The subhumans hesitated in fear, feeling the genetically engraved terror emanating from him.
“What’s so scary about that! It’s just a glowing sword! If one dies, two will attack! If two die, all will attack! Isn’t that how we fight?!”
“That’s right! There’s nothing to fear! For freedom!”
“Yes, for freedom!”
There was nothing to fear.
They could sacrifice their lives for the freedom of their sons and daughters.
Forcing down their terror, the subhumans charged—
“Huh…?”
The moment they witnessed the flashing light, they felt their vision spinning.
They realized with no time to comprehend that the sword of light was swung at an unfathomable speed.
But they couldn’t think beyond that.
They were already falling as they lost their heads.
“If one dies, two will charge!”
“Two, two dies, and… Ugh!”
They couldn’t stop it.
Is this what one calls a natural disaster?
It was hard to believe that it was just as fatigued, eating and sleeping as a person would be.
They knew that charging endlessly would bring victory, but their bodies refused to accept that fact.
“Don’t be afraid, you idiots! We’ve got the numbers; why the hell are you scared?!”
*…!*
Encouraged by the human knight’s shout, the soldiers advanced again.
They kept cutting and pushing forward endlessly.
As they pressed in from all sides, finally, Schlus showed a gap.
“Ugh! I can’t let you pull it out…!”
The greatsword that was lodged in the subhuman soldier’s abdomen was something he couldn’t extract for a while.
The idea that he could manage it without the twin swords started creeping in.
At that moment, one subhuman soldier threw an axe toward Schlus’s head.
It was on a perfect trajectory.
Schlus was immobile due to trying to pull out his sword.
All that was left was for the axe to slam into his head and burst his brain.
“Huh…?”
“Ah…?”
The axe stopped mid-air.
It hung in the air before Schlus’s outstretched left hand.
Only then did the soldiers realize.
That Schlus Hainkel had been fighting without magic all along.
Soon the pillar of light vanished, and darkness returned.
*Whoosh…!*
The wind howled, and air was sucked towards Schlus.
Then a beam of light shot out from his hand again.
But this time, its momentum was strange.
It was far brighter and larger than before.
The pupils of the subhumans reflecting the blue light began to shake.
An overwhelming fear began to grow inside them, truly one they could no longer resist.
The soldier who had thrown the axe had already collapsed, wetting himself.
“Ugh! It’s a monster!”
“Hey, where are you going! You cowards! Aren’t you coming back?!”
The subhumans fled in a panic.
No matter how hard the human knights tried to catch them, it was of no use.
*Ka-boom!*
At that moment, the light sword swung and grazed the base of a tree, scattering wood fragments everywhere.
Then came a thudding noise as the great tree fell, rumbling the earth.
The enormous tree of the Great Forest…
A tree that would require dozens of lumberjacks to fell was brought down in a single strike.
“Ah…!”
Before long, the faces of human knights turned pale as well.
As the lines of subhuman soldiers passed by, they too began to shuffle backward step by step.
Then, there was nothing holding them back.
Everyone was fleeing in the opposite direction from Schlus.
No matter how dark it was, it didn’t matter.
As long as they could get far from that terrifying light, it was all that mattered.
Thus, most of the subhumans were fleeing deeper into the Great Forest, where only darkness awaited, not the entrance.
“W-what’s wrong with you guys! Why are you running?!”
“Don’t catch me, damn it! I’m outta here!”
The following soldiers were left dumbfounded.
The faint light visible from afar posed no great threat, and they pressed forward, tense.
*Gwaaaah! Run away!!!*
*Hwee, hweik! It’s a monster!*
And just like that, they faced the same fate as those they had just seen.
As soldiers were helplessly cut down again and again, they began to flee in a stampede.
Soldiers began to scatter heedlessly, retreating in all directions.
“W-what is that?”
“What on earth is happening up ahead?”
Venturing forward out of curiosity was another tale when friendlies were running away from enemies.
With hundreds charging in a panic, the curiosity and will to fight evaporated.
Fear spread contagiously.
Even soldiers who had never encountered Schlus were terrified, joining the retreating throng.
They crawled on all fours, stumbling over fallen comrades to escape.
It was a scene of utter chaos.
*
“My goodness…”
At the hotel that served as the magician’s residence.
Sighs escaped from the knights as they reached the front door.
The corpses of subhuman soldiers lay scattered everywhere.
They were not mere rabble.
They were professional assassins armed with fine daggers or one-handed swords.
“Schulzenburg! Is everyone okay!”
Cain hurried inside.
As he went deeper in, the number of bodies increased.
The hotel entrance was littered so high with corpses that it was difficult to push through.
Finally, stepping over the bodies to enter further, Cain—
“Damn it!”
He started climbing the stairs with heavy thuds.
It seemed the enemy had dug in deep and fought even indoors.
The knights spread out, searching each room one by one.
“Miss Erica! Young master Aintz!”
ominously, there was no sign of anyone anywhere.
While they could find plenty of subhuman corpses caked in blood, the three university students were still nowhere to be seen.
Cain quickly made his way to the top floor.
“Wait! Gawayn’s daughter!”
A fully armored knight leaning against the wall.
Beyond the armor, he recognized the unique silver sword and rushed toward him.
Carefully removing the helmet, to no one’s surprise, the beautiful face of Trie with green hair revealed itself.
“Are you coming back to your senses, Schulzenburg?”
*…*
Even slapping his cheeks brought no response.
Suddenly lowering his head, Cain sighed.
Blood was flowing from Trie’s abdomen.
It looked like a sword had gone in through the gap in the plate armor and then out.
“Damn it, recovery potion. Recovery potion.”
In a rush, Cain pulled out a high-grade recovery potion from his pocket.
He poured it onto Trie’s abdomen.
He didn’t even have time to check if she was alive or dead.
If she were Gawayn’s daughter, he had to pour in high-grade recovery potions or whatever to save her.
*Cough!*
“Are you coming back to your senses?”
“Ah…! Imperial Knight Commander.”
As Trie opened her eyes weakly, she murmured.
So, the battle is over, she thought, feeling relieved just then.
“Hah!”
Trie’s eyes widened as she recollected her memories before she nearly lost consciousness.
She hadn’t finished off the enemies.
She collapsed just before she could take down the last five.
“No, don’t…! In there! In there…”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as Trie pointed toward a corner.
She had let the enemies go.
To her friends inside.
With gritted teeth, Cain leaped up and headed toward the last room in the innermost corner.
“—”
Corpses of subhuman soldiers lay sprawled out before the door.
Watching that, Cain cautiously opened the door.
*Gah! They’re here!*
“Charge in, Aintz!”
“Uah… Eh…?”
*…*
The two students were panicking in a commotion.
Thinking he must be seeing things, Cain rubbed his eyes.
But the sight before him remained unchanged.
Two magicians were alive.
They were absolutely unscathed.
“Trie!”
“You’re safe!”
Spotting Trie stumbling out from beyond the corner, the two students bolted out of the room.
“Uwaaaaaah! I thought you were dead, Trie! You were so quiet!”
“H-How did this happen?”
“What do you mean how? You fought right at this door! It was terrifying!”
*…*
While Ereka clung onto her, Trie looked puzzled.
Those corpses in front of the door.
She hadn’t killed those.
They must have been enemies she hadn’t finished off.
But if it wasn’t her friends who had killed them, then who…?
“Ughhh! It’s nice to see you again, chattering wizard!”
“Who are you looking at… Aaaah! My ribs!”
Ignoring that, Trie squeezed her arms around Ereka tightly in joy.
Seeing this, Aintz, who had been sneaking backward, suddenly bumped into something and stopped.
Rubbing his head as he turned around, there stood the large Imperial Knight Commander, smiling down at him.
“Hehe. Shouldn’t men also share a warm embrace?”
“Yes? No? No need—!”
“Hahaha! I’m so glad you’re safe, magicians!”
*Gack!*
The screams of the two empire students echoed throughout the hotel.
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