Chapter 530
It’s Been a Long Time. (1)
Kaaaah!
There were far too many Riftspawn. Most of them were crushed under Elena’s hammer, but a few that survived clung to her body.
Kwaaaang!
However, those too were instantly sent flying by her sweeping hammer. Not a single scratch marred Elena’s body.
Having divine power meant that her muscle density and structure were fundamentally different from an ordinary person’s. The more her divine power grew, the stronger her body’s durability became.
The Riftspawn couldn’t even leave a proper wound on her body, which had also been tempered by the Mana Refinement Technique.
“Uaaaagh!”
Elena had no interest in learning intricate techniques. Strangely enough, she had little talent in that area.
By now, she fully understood that her body was exceptionally unique. So, rather than dodging, she simply took most attacks head-on while swinging her hammer.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
Every time her massive hammer struck, the Riftspawn exploded and were sent flying like ragdolls.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the aftermath resembled a battlefield ravaged by a war machine.
Even the battle-hardened Fenris Knights couldn’t help but be in awe of her overwhelming destructive power.
“This is a great way to blow off some steam!”
Elena shouted fiercely, causing the knights fighting alongside her to flinch.
She paid them no mind and flashed a wide grin at Arel.
‘How do I look? Cool, right? I’m super strong, aren’t I?’
Arel averted his gaze and subtly took a step back. She was a little terrifying.
Day by day, Elena’s combat style was becoming more and more like Parniel’s. Watching her, Parniel smiled in satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Belinda shook her head as she observed Elena.
“Lady Annette never fought like that…”
It seemed that while divine power had been inherited by Elena, combat sense had gone to Ghislain.
If a single person had inherited both, they might have become the strongest on the continent. That was a shame.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
As always, the Ritania Army effortlessly pushed back the Riftspawn. The stronger Elena became, the more their overall strength increased.
When the battle ended, the Fenris Knights surrounded Elena and began cheering.
“Destroyer Princess! Destroyer Princess!”
“Don’t call me that!”
Elena’s face twisted into an ugly scowl, and the knights scattered in all directions.
She had always dreamed of being a graceful lady. But now, with such a ridiculous nickname, her dream felt further away than ever.
Ironically, the elegance she yearned for had gone to Rachel.
The daughter of Gillian was no longer the sickly child she once was. Years had passed, and she had grown into a formidable knight.
Clad in radiant white armor, she fought with a grace that resembled a swan in flight.
Thus, she was given the title—"Swan Knight."
With her upright character and ever-serene smile, it was a name that suited her perfectly.
“Swan Knight! Swan Knight!”
The knights turned their cheers toward Rachel, who waved her hands in embarrassment.
Watching this, the "Destroyer Princess," Elena, sulked and lowered her gaze.
Unlike Elena, Rachel had no divine power. Lacking raw strength, she had to compensate with skill.
Thus, Rachel devoted herself even more rigorously to her training. Fortunately, she had a natural talent for agility, allowing her to master exceptionally refined techniques.
“Hah, like father, like daughter.”
Ghislain was equally pleased with Rachel’s performance.
Her swordsmanship continued to improve at an astonishing pace. While her environment played a role, it was ultimately her talent and dedication that fueled her progress.
Ghislain spared no effort in teaching Rachel advanced sword techniques and Mana Refinement Technique, while her father, Gillian, corrected her stances whenever he had the time.
Watching Elena sulk, Ghislain shook his head.
“Wow, I’ve never seen someone so uncoordinated. Who the hell did you take after?”
Elena’s ability to learn technique was abysmal. Yet, strangely enough, this created an odd synergy with her divine power.
Since she never overthought things, she simply swung her hammer with reckless abandon. That sheer ferocity made her second only to Parniel, the War Saintess, in terms of raw destructive force.
She never hesitated. She never stopped to contemplate. She just attacked.
And with her absurdly durable body, she could afford to.
Against a skilled opponent, she might struggle. But when it came to mass slaughter, she had no equal.
“Destroyer Princess! Destroyer Princess!”
“Swan Knight! Swan Knight!”
The entire Ritania Army chanted their names, both celebrating their achievements and rejoicing in their growth.
Not just Elena and Rachel, but the knights and soldiers alike were growing stronger with every battle.
And as their strength grew, so did their brutality.
They had grown so accustomed to wiping out every enemy that now, their foes had begun calling them—
"The Army of Demons."
Kwajik!
“Krrrgh…”
Ghislain’s axe cleaved through the rebel leader’s neck.
Even in this kingdom, priests of the Salvation Church were hardly seen. No, the rebel forces were gradually thinning as well.
Brushing back his blood-soaked hair, Ghislain muttered,
“These bastards… what are they thinking?”
He had already suspected that the Salvation Church would consolidate their forces. The intelligence reports confirmed as much.
But for the rebels to be dwindling as well? That didn’t make sense. While the Salvation Church was gathering its main forces, the rebels should have been holding the line.
The more territory the Allied Forces reclaimed from the rebels, the easier it became to unite their strength.
Right now, the Allied Forces were advancing even faster. With both the Salvation Church and the rebels weakening, the forces heading to other regions could end the civil war far more efficiently.
“Are they aiming for a swift decisive battle?”
That wasn’t a simple feat either. With the conflict having escalated to the scale of a world war, a mere one or two victories wouldn’t bring it to an end.
Withdrawing troops just because they were at a slight disadvantage would only lead to greater losses. Eventually, they would have to reclaim key strongholds and reestablish supply lines.
It would be more strategic to let the rebels hold their ground while concentrating their main force on reinforcing other areas.
“Hah… they’re definitely up to something.”
Originally, Ghislain had been the one challenging them with knowledge of the future.
But now, the future had changed. Having suffered crushing defeats at his hands, they had been forced into the role of challengers.
This time, it was Ghislain who had to thwart their schemes.
“We move to the next kingdom. Let’s wipe out the remaining forces even faster.”
With their motives still unclear, the best course of action was to eliminate as much of the Salvation Church’s power as possible.
Once the Allied Forces gathered, they could launch an all-out assault on the enemy’s strongholds.
The Ritania Army, growing stronger by the day, was swiftly moving through various kingdoms, subjugating rebel forces.
And, surprisingly, the Turian Kingdom’s army, bolstered by Julien’s efforts, was advancing at a pace nearly matching Ritania’s.
---
The Kingdom of Sardina was also in crisis, struggling against the rebels. Being near the heart of the continent, it had drawn significant attention from the Salvation Church.
Amidst this chaos, Ghislain’s Ritania Army struck the rebels from the rear.
The rebels, who had positioned their frontline to avoid the Rifts, were caught completely off guard when the Ritania Army emerged from within a Rift itself.
In the end, the Sardinian rebels were forced to retreat and gather in one location.
Marquis Aldred, the leader of the rebels, ground his teeth in frustration.
“Damn it! We were so close to finishing this! Who would’ve thought those lunatics would tear through a Rift?!”
Though the superhumans of the Salvation Church had abruptly withdrawn, he hadn’t been too concerned. After all, his faction was the strongest in this kingdom.
However, he had made a fatal mistake by neglecting outside news while focusing on the civil war.
He had heard rumors of the Ritania Army rampaging across the continent, but he hadn’t thought much of it.
The consequences were catastrophic. Every frontline collapsed in an instant, leaving him with only a single fortress to hold.
“Your Excellency! We must retreat!”
“The Salvation Church has sent word for you to flee to the Kingdom of Atrode!”
“With our current forces, we cannot stand against the Ritania Army!”
Hearing his strategists’ pleas, Marquis Aldred made up his mind to flee.
He still had 80,000 troops, but the sheer presence of the enemy’s superhumans made it impossible to even consider a fight.
Among his forces, he had only one superhuman under his command, not nearly enough to counter the enemy.
So, Aldred made a ruthless decision.
“I will take 10,000 elite soldiers and escape this kingdom. The remaining forces will hold off the Ritania Army here.”
He was abandoning 70,000 soldiers as a sacrifice for his own survival.
As long as they held the fortress and bought time, he could make his escape. He didn’t care who lived or died—only his survival mattered.
Without understanding what was happening, the 70,000 soldiers remained in the fortress while Aldred, under the pretense of leading a counteroffensive, slipped away.
Thudududududu!
His forces galloped eastward, fleeing from the advancing Ritania Army.
Fortunately, the Kingdom of Atrode lay to the southwest of Sardina. If they passed through just a few more kingdoms, they would reach safety.
A day after Aldred’s escape, the Ritania Army arrived and surrounded the fortress.
“Just break it down.”
Ghislain gave the order without hesitation.
Hundreds of catapults launched their payloads.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The trebuchets of Fenris were renowned for their massive range and devastating power. The defenders inside the fortress had no means to retaliate and could only focus on desperate defense.
And that wasn’t all.
Ritania’s mages unleashed an unrelenting barrage of magic.
With Aldred having fled with his own mages, there was no one left to counter the spell bombardment.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Aaaaaagh!”
Inside the fortress, the ceaseless screams of the enemy echoed. They didn’t even dare to step outside to fight back and were instead relentlessly beaten down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With an endless barrage of stones and magic, the fortress crumbled in an instant.
However, Marquis Aldred, the leader of the rebels, did not return.
Before long, a white flag was raised above the fortress.
"Hmph, cease the attack."
At Ghislain’s command, the assault halted. Moments later, the fortress gates opened, and the remaining soldiers emerged, completely disarmed.
Realizing they had been abandoned, they had lost all will to fight.
Ghislain crushed his enemies mercilessly, but only those who resisted to the end. Those who surrendered were thoroughly investigated, and if nothing suspicious was found, they were accepted into the ranks.
These soldiers, too, would likely be reorganized into the Sardinian Kingdom’s army if no significant issues arose.
"Send a messenger to the Sardinian forces. Tell them to process the prisoners and take them away."
There was no need for Ghislain to handle them personally. All he had to do was keep them under watch until the Sardinian army arrived.
Though Ghislain spared those who surrendered, there were some who would never be allowed to live.
Namely, the leaders of the rebellion who had allied with the Salvation Church.
"I’m going after Marquis Aldred."
Upon hearing that Aldred had already escaped the fortress the day before, Ghislain immediately mobilized the Mobile Corps and set out in pursuit.
There was about a two-day gap. The enemy would be moving swiftly as well, meaning the distance between them had likely widened.
"Increase speed! We must capture and kill him before he crosses the border!"
Thudududu!
At Ghislain’s urging, the Mobile Corps drove their horses forward with all their might.
As expected, Marquis Aldred had managed to escape a considerable distance thanks to his decisive judgment.
At this rate, he would soon reach the border. There were factions in that kingdom that also had ties to the Salvation Church. Once he crossed, he could breathe easier.
But he didn’t know.
The rebel forces beyond the border had already been completely eradicated.
And by sheer coincidence, he ran straight into an advancing force of 20,000 Turian Kingdom troops, who had just finished securing the area and were marching toward Sardina.
Neither side could immediately tell if the other was friend or foe, leading to a brief standoff.
Marquis Aldred rode forward and shouted,
"Who are you?! This is the territory of the Sardinian Kingdom! State your identity!"
Marquis Gideon of the Turian forces stepped forward and responded,
"We are the Turian Kingdom's army, here to join the allied forces! And you, where do you belong?"
Aldred furrowed his brows at Gideon’s words. He couldn’t afford to get entangled in a battle here.
The enemy forces also outnumbered his own. So, he decided to lie.
"We are Sardinian Kingdom forces! We are in urgent pursuit of fleeing rebels, so clear the way at once!"
He spoke quickly and immediately moved his troops forward without giving the other side time to think.
Caught off guard, Marquis Gideon hurriedly ordered his men to step back. The enemy was advancing too boldly.
Just then, Julien suddenly spurred his horse forward.
Thudududu!
"Huh? Huh?! Lord Julien!"
Marquis Gideon shouted in alarm, and the Turian soldiers were momentarily at a loss.
But Julien ignored them all, his expression cold as he galloped ahead. A chilling blue glow radiated from his sword.
"T-That madman! Stop him!"
At Aldred’s cry, a knight beside him leaped forward.
He was the rebels' only superhuman warrior. Sensing Julien’s overwhelming presence, he stepped up to intercept him.
The two warriors charged at each other at full speed. The rebel superhuman jumped from his saddle and unleashed his Aura Blade.
"Die!"
It was a strike meant to kill in an instant. The sheer intensity of the attack warped the air around the Aura Blade.
But Julien made no special movements.
From atop his horse, he simply swung his sword with effortless grace.
Slice.
Thud!
The rebel superhuman, along with his sword, was cleaved in two and fell lifelessly to the ground.