Chapter 565
If You Run Now, You Can Live. (2)
The priest’s scream tore through the air as the bones in his arm shattered completely, sending him flying backward.
The priest beside him was unable to hide his shock. It was as if the massive mace had never even struck his companion the weapon's momentum hadn’t diminished in the slightest as it barreled toward him.
He had the instinct to dodge rather than block, a sign of his learning ability, but his hesitation cost him precious time.
Thwack!
“Gaaah!”
Crunch!
The priest took a direct hit to his side, his ribs breaking on impact, and was sent flying.
Parniel halted mid-attack, shifting her focus. In the distance, cavalrymen were charging toward her.
Thududududu!
As the cavalry thundered forward with fierce determination, she surged ahead to meet them.
The fact that the superhumans of the Salvation Church had broken the allied forces’ formation meant that she, too, could break through the Atrodean Army.
“Hmph!”
Veins bulged across Parniel’s forearm as she pushed her power to the absolute limit. A blinding radiance erupted from her mace.
She swung the massive mace downward with tremendous force.
KWAHAAAAANG!
The ground trembled and split apart. Even those who witnessed it firsthand struggled to believe the sheer magnitude of her power.
Neigh!
“Aaaargh!”
The charging cavalrymen were thrown off their horses as they toppled over.
The ones behind them had no time to react and were caught in the chaos, tumbling over one another.
Count Defrodon gawked at the sight, his mouth hanging open.
He knew exactly who this woman was.
“The Saintess of War?! Why is the Saintess here?”
She was supposed to be with the main Ritania forces why had she appeared here of all places?!
Count Defrodon frantically turned his head. At the very least, the priests of the Tenth Legion needed to succeed in their assault.
The priests of the Tenth Legion, who had departed slightly later, clenched their teeth and pushed forward with all their might. They, too, had realized that the situation ahead had turned dire.
Fwoosh!
But suddenly, someone leaped in from the flank.
“The One-Armed Man?”
A masked warrior with only one arm. The priests quickly searched their minds for any relevant information.
Though he wore a mask, his missing arm was an unmistakable identifier.
A man whose shame for his past sins his failure to protect an unworthy lord and the atrocities he had committed had driven him to hide his face.
“Tennant, that bastard!”
Fwoosh!
Blue mana surged powerfully from Tennant’s sword. Having reached the level of a superhuman thanks to Ghislain, he had grown even stronger through the countless battles he had endured.
KWAANG!
“Urgh!”
A priest raised his arm to block Tennant’s strike but was forced backward from the impact. Another priest tried to exploit the opening, but Tennant easily parried the attack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thus began a fierce battle between Tennant and two priests.
Tennant was not only gifted with natural talent but had honed his techniques to a remarkable level. Unlike Parniel, he didn’t overwhelm his enemies in an instant, but against two half-baked priests with inferior combat skills, he was more than capable of holding his own.
Thududududu!
The 10th Legion's cavalry was charging from behind. However, Tennant didn’t pay them any attention.
The cavalry positioned on both flanks of the allied forces suddenly pulled bows from their waists.
They were none other than the Ritanian horse archers.
The elf, Lumina, gauged the distance before giving the order.
“Fire.”
Fwoooosh!
A massive volley of arrows rained down upon the cavalry.
Ordinary arrow attacks didn’t inflict much damage on cavalry. They could either swiftly close the distance or deflect the arrows with their armor.
The Atrodean Army cavalry also attempted to casually knock the arrows aside.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
That was until the arrows pierced through their shields and breastplates.
Neighhh!
“Arghhh!”
The cavalrymen who had been struck by arrows tumbled down, entangling with one another. Even as they collapsed, their faces showed disbelief.
It was true that, as light cavalry, they were not heavily armored. But the arrow attack had been far too powerful.
It felt as if an entire unit had fired crossbows at close range.
“Don’t stop! Keep riding! Hurry!”
The cavalrymen at the rear desperately tried to leap over their fallen comrades and pick up speed. They had to close the distance before the next attack arrived.
However, before the first volley had even finished falling, another rain of arrows darkened the sky.
Papapapapak!
“W-What the—?!”
The rate of fire was unbelievable.
The Atrodean Army had only heard rumors about the prowess of Fenris’s horse archers. They had assumed they were just moderately skilled mounted archers.
But they had never experienced firsthand the devastating power and rapid-fire capability of the new bows they wielded.
These were the very bows that Ghislain had poured his heart into crafting for the sake of his territory. The same bows that had nearly cost Gillian his life during their battle against Count Desmond.
However, once the bows were completed, Fenris’s horse archers had risen to become the terror of the battlefield.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Arrows continued to fly relentlessly, skewering cavalrymen one after another. Unable to even approach, they were swept away by the relentless storm of arrows.
And the assault didn’t stop there.
Among the Ritanian forces, there was a 6th-circle mage, along with several 5th-circle and 4th-circle mages.
The Atrodean Army also had mages accompanying them to counter enemy spells, but their role was limited to magical suppression.
Even then, they weren’t capable of completely negating the overwhelming magic of the Ritanian forces.
Kwoooom!
A pillar of fire erupted where both cavalry units had fallen. The Ritanian mages had finally broken through the enemy’s magical interference and successfully unleashed some of their spells.
Boom! Kwoooom!
There weren’t many spells cast, but those that did land on the already fallen cavalry were devastating.
Meanwhile, Parniel had once again returned to mingling with the priests of the Salvation Church. Despite being beaten by her an extraordinary being, as they called her they were holding out surprisingly well.
The captured superhumans, the nearly fallen cavalry.
Tennant, who had been fighting the priests, shouted loudly.
"Strike!"
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Soldiers armed with shields and spears began to move in an orderly fashion. They bypassed the priests who were engaged in combat with their allied superhumans and charged forward.
Then, they effortlessly drove their spears into the fallen cavalrymen, killing them instantly.
Squish! Squish! Squish!
The Atrodean Army cavalry lost their lives without even being able to put up a proper fight.
At the same time, the mounted archers began to spread out widely.
Fwip!
Encircling the panicked enemy, they unleashed a hail of arrows. The few surviving Atrodean Army cavalrymen were helpless against them.
Count Defrodon trembled as he watched the scene unfold.
"Th-That army is…."
Neither in numbers nor equipment could they match. Such overwhelming combat power was not something just any army could possess.
It was a strength that only the Ritania Army had on this continent.
The escorting knights attempted to flee with Count Defrodon. Some of them charged toward the mounted archers.
The archers immediately fired arrows at the knights.
Kang! Kang! Kaang!
The knights repelled the arrows, exuding mana. However, there were simply too many archers.
Puk! Puuuk! Puk!
Arrows began to pierce their bodies. Though they fought fiercely, deflecting a significant number of arrows, they were not superhuman.
Puhk! Puhk! Puhk!
One by one, the knights, their bodies riddled with arrows like porcupines, collapsed.
The knights supporting Count Defrodon as they attempted to escape met the same fate.
Puuuk!
In the end, even Count Defrodon was struck in the calf by an arrow and fell. They hadn’t killed him they intended to take him captive.
“Khrr… you bastards…”
Count Defrodon bit his lip in frustration.
He had been certain of success, yet he had been utterly outmaneuvered. He never expected the Duke of Fenris to uncover the existence of a spy and react this swiftly.
‘No matter how suspicious someone may seem, this isn’t something easily done.’
If they had targeted the wrong person, it could have led to even greater losses. That was why it was so difficult to capture high-ranking spies.
Yet the Duke of Fenris had pinpointed the traitor with precision. This was proof that he had been suspicious for some time.
‘Still, it won’t be easy for him. Some of the legions are remaining idle in preparation for when the traitor is exposed.’
Count Defrodon clenched his lips tightly.
In the Atrodean army, there were legions that deliberately remained inactive, monitoring the situation. They were meant to respond to sudden developments.
They were the ones truly controlling this war.
If their regular communications ceased, they would quickly grasp the situation.
Kwoooom! Kwooom! Kwaaaang!
As Count Defrodon was being captured, the two priests fighting Parniel were being reduced to shreds.
True to their superhuman nature, they had endured for some time and even landed a few blows on Parniel, but that was all.
She simply took their attacks head-on and retaliated in kind, pounding them with her mace.
Kwaaang!
Crunch!
“Kuheok…”
One of the priests, his spine shattered, could no longer endure and breathed his last. Even with sheer willpower, there was a limit to how much he could withstand.
“S-stop…”
The other priest was in the same condition. His body was so battered that even standing was a struggle.
One more hit, and he would die. Raising his hand, he spoke.
“I-I surrender.”
Parniel responded with an emotionless face.
“Will you repent for being tainted by heresy?”
“Y-yes, I will. So please, stop…”
“Cleanse your sins with death first.”
Kwaaang!
Parniel’s mace crushed the priest’s head.
Having exhausted all his strength, he had surrendered, unable to evade or block the attack. His skull shattered instantly, and he died.
The overwhelming strength displayed left the surviving enemies staring in fear. To think that two superhumans had been beaten to death like that.
Parniel paid no heed to those gazes and turned her body. On the other side, things were not wrapping up as quickly as they had for her.
Slice!
"Ugh! You bastard!"
Tenant's sword tore through a priest's chest. Yet, they continued to fight.
Tenant had the upper hand, pushing back two priests, but he was not completely overwhelming them.
Given enough time, Tenant would eventually win. But it was a waste of time and stamina. Parniel had no intention of standing by and watching.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
She charged forward without hesitation and swung her mace at one of the priests fighting Tenant.
Kwaang!
"Keoheok!"
The priest staggered from the sudden blow. Though he had wrapped his body in energy to block it, the impact was too great.
Parniel grabbed the priest by the collar and flashed a fierce grin.
"Goddess, I send another one to you."
Kwaaaang!
Parniel slammed the priest's neck into the ground.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
She brought her mace down upon the ground relentlessly.
"Kuugh! Kkeok!"
The priest took every hit as it landed.
Already exhausted from fighting Tenant, he could not withstand the repeated impacts and lost all sense of his surroundings.
Crunch! Crack! Crackle!
He should have counterattacked or dodged, but his bones were already breaking in multiple places. Even when he tried to gather his energy, the divine power burrowing into his body obstructed him.
"Guuhhh..."
With fading consciousness, the last thing the priest saw was Parniel's merciless gaze as she lifted her mace.
Kwaaang!
Parniel's mace crushed the priest’s face. His head burst open, and he perished on the spot.
She straightened her back and looked to the side.
Slice!
Tenant's sword severed the throat of the other priest. Already weakened and disoriented by Parniel’s sudden interference, he failed to block the strike.
"Hah, thank you."
Tenant gave a slight nod toward Parniel. She accepted the gratitude with ease.
"Think nothing of it."
"Waaaaaaah!"
The soldiers erupted into cheers. Parniel’s overwhelming strength stirred something primal in them every time they witnessed it.
Not only that, but she had utterly annihilated two enemy legions with her sheer combat power. There was no reason not to celebrate this victory.
Tenant mounted his horse and addressed the soldiers.
"No need to clean up the battlefield. We move immediately to the next location."
With that, the victorious Ritania army began moving once more.
* * *
Count Sroque, commander of the 6th Legion of the Atrodean Army, which had been pillaging a city, received new intel.
"Hm? Is that so? They’ve confirmed the changed stronghold?"
The allied forces had already suffered a defeat at his hands. Realizing that their information had leaked, they had devised a new strategy.
Now, two legions were stationed closer together, working in coordination. It was a strategy similar to their own.
Of course, his side played the role of the aggressor, while the enemy played the role of the defender.
"Hmm..."
Count Sroque sank into thought. Excluding the Ritania army, the allied forces had four legions in total.
One of them had defected, and two had been annihilated and scattered. That left only one remaining legion.
"That area isn’t under my jurisdiction."
The advancing allied forces would likely be handled by the 9th and 10th legions. Even without direct communication, such matters had to be judged independently.
His task lay elsewhere.
"It's time to hit their supply lines and incoming reinforcements."
If reinforcements gathered, it would become troublesome. The scattered soldiers from the allied forces would also regroup.
As per their original objective, they needed to sever supply lines and intercept additional troops.
"Just a little more, and it'll be done. We’ve reduced the allied forces faster than expected."
Atrodean Army’s goal was to thin out the allied forces as much as possible and fortify key locations. That would leave the Ritania army isolated.
Besides, the Duke of Fenris had already agreed to cede the supply lines, meaning reinforcements would be minimal or nonexistent.
Thus, they only needed to ensure that additional troops did not accumulate.
"The Duke of Fenris and the Prince of Turian have started moving, so we must leave this area quickly. Contact the 5th Legion as well."
He was already aware of the routes through which reinforcements would arrive. Since they were coming in separate groups, dealing with them individually would not be difficult.
With that, the 6th Legion of the Atrodean Army began to move once again.
But Count Sroque failed to notice.
High above in the sky, a single crow was circling.
The crow soon flew off toward a destination. After a long flight, it arrived at an army encampment.
The crow perched on the shoulder of the man standing at the forefront and spoke.
"Found them. They’re moving as expected."
The man, Julien, gave a cold nod.