Chapter 567
If You Run Now, You Might Live. (4)
“Huhek!”
Sensing something amiss, another priest swiftly dodged to the side.
Only then did he realize it.
“Keuk… when did—?”
His own side had also been slashed open.
Fortunately, he hadn’t died. The priest mustered his strength and pressed down on his wound.
Half of his side had been cut away. Had the attack been just a little deeper, his body would have been split in two.
Julien gazed at the priest indifferently.
‘Still not enough.’
The fleeing priest was of a slightly higher caliber than the one who had died. That was why he hadn’t been cut down in a single strike.
Julien had once sliced a superhuman in half in an instant. Even though that opponent had been exhausted from fleeing and had let his guard down while facing Julien, a superhuman was still a superhuman.
And yet, a priest of lesser strength had managed to survive. That meant Julien had yet to reach the level he sought.
Even now, his skill seemed absurd to anyone else.
“W-Who are you…?”
The priest clutched his wounded side, his voice trembling.
Julien didn’t answer. Instead, he moved his sword again.
Swik!
“Kuaaaah!”
The priest’s arm was severed and fell away. He had barely managed to dodge.
In truth, the priest hadn’t consciously sensed the attack and reacted. The moment his opponent lifted his sword, his body had simply moved on instinct.
Julien raised his sword again.
“……”
This one was certainly superior to the previous opponent. As a result, the battle consumed far more mana.
The technique itself required a significant amount of mana. This was something he would need to refine further in the future.
Julien focused a little more and slashed through the air.
Swik.
The third strike was not avoided. The priest’s head tumbled to the ground.
Without even sparing a glance, Julien spurred his horse forward.
Dudududu!
Briefly scanning the Atrodean cavalry spreading out on either side, he raised his sword to his opposite shoulder.
As if gathering power, he held that stance for a moment before swinging his sword in a wide horizontal arc.
Paaak!
The impossible happened once again.
The soldiers in the middle of the Atrodean formation suddenly collapsed, their bodies sliced apart.
“Hiiiiiing!”
Horses toppled over, and severed bodies fell to the ground.
“Uwaaaah!”
The cavalry charging from the rear recoiled in horror and halted.
“W-What is this?!”
The middle of their formation had been completely severed. They had been struck down by an attack they couldn’t even comprehend.
As a result, only the front row of cavalry continued to advance.
At that moment, the allied cavalry spread out wide, moving in to engage the enemy.
Dudududu!
Julien drove his horse forward at full speed, heading straight for the enemy commander.
Seeing him approach, Count Sroque shouted, his face drained of color. Having witnessed Julien’s power something that made him question whether the man was even human he was visibly shaken.
“M-Mage! That bastard! Kill him first!”
The mages recoiled in fear, hastily unraveling their magic fields and thrusting their hands forward.
They, too, understood that something beyond comprehension was unfolding before them.
Overcome by mounting terror, they poured all their mana into their spells, without holding back.
Dudududududu!
Julien’s horse, wrapped in his brilliant blue mana, surged forward at an astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance between himself and the mages, swinging his sword through the air in a grand arc.
Ssscak!
The mages’ faces went blank in shock.
“Huh?”
“The magic… Why…?”
“He cut through mana?”
The spells that had been on the verge of distorting the laws of this world simply dissipated. The flow of mana they had been channeling was severed.
Magic was the act of a mage completing a formula using their knowledge and mana, then manifesting it into reality.
Thus, until a spell was fully cast, it was nothing more than the mage’s intent. Even anti-magic techniques worked by dismantling an already formed spell.
But Julien had just cut through something invisible, something intangible, something that shouldn't be cut.
It was no wonder the mages were in utter disbelief.
“Wh-Wh-What is this…?”
Their minds reeled with confusion, rendering them unable to react even as Julien raised his sword once more.
Ssscak.
Heads fell like autumn leaves. The mana they had gathered scattered wildly into the air.
Success.
In war, mages were dangerous adversaries. If not dealt with properly, they could inflict devastating damage on allied forces.
That was why Julien had constantly pondered how to neutralize enemy magic.
Closing the distance quickly and killing them wasn’t difficult. But if he was even slightly too slow and their magic activated, his soldiers would suffer.
Amid his contemplation, he had conceived of a method.
He was capable of imbuing his will into his mana. It was that very ability that allowed him to cut down enemies beyond the constraints of space.
Then…
If his will was strong enough, could he not cut through anything?
Even if it was something that had no physical form just a mere concept?
It felt possible. No, it felt as though he had already done it before.
And so he swung.
And succeeded.
‘For now… it seems like 4th to 5th-circle magic is within my reach…’
As mages advanced in rank, their wills also grew stronger. A 6th-circle mage, perhaps, would be much harder to deal with.
Moreover, he had expended far more mana than usual. Having cut down an entire infantry unit along the way, Julien’s mana reserves were now less than half.
That technique required an immense amount of mana.
But it didn’t matter. He had gained new insights today and even found a way to refine it further.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
As Julien slowly approached, Count Sroque trembled.
At first, he hadn’t recognized him, but once he saw his face, he knew. He had checked his portrait multiple times.
‘The Prince of Turian.’
A transcendent being rumored to possess martial prowess on par with the Duke of Fenris. That alone was reason enough for caution but that was all.
After all, a war couldn’t be won by a single transcendent alone.
‘I thought the Duke of Fenris would be the biggest obstacle...’
The Duke of Fenris was renowned as one of the strongest on the continent. His martial skill was formidable, but his ability to conduct war was considered even more terrifying.
Even so, Count Sroque had thought they stood a chance. They had a powerful army, other transcendents, and skilled strategists on their side.
They had been filled with confidence, believing they wouldn’t know the outcome until they clashed.
But the man before him was on a different level entirely. He wielded a power beyond comprehension.
“You bastard! Die!”
All of Count Sroque’s knights rushed at Julien.
Yet the moment Julien swung his sword, their bodies were cleaved apart in an instant. There was no one left to stand in his way.
Count Sroque swallowed hard.
‘This man…’
There were countless powerful figures across the continent, but no one knew who among them was truly the strongest.
That was why the title Continent’s Strongest Swordsman no longer existed.
But Count Sroque was certain now.
‘This man is the true Continent’s Strongest Swordsman.’
His mind was drowning in chaos.
A part of him wanted to kneel, to bow his head before this overwhelming existence.
Count Sroque was even more terrified than his soldiers. Having reached a far higher realm than them, he could see much more.
Grit!
But he clenched his teeth tightly. To think he had been so scared that he nearly submitted to the enemy!
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
Julien walked toward him at a slow, deliberate pace, his gaze fixed on Count Sroque.
As Julien drew closer, Count Sroque inhaled sharply.
‘Those eyes…’
At first glance, they seemed devoid of emotion. But the longer he stared, the more he felt something indescribable stirring within him.
That abyssal gaze it felt as though it carried a darkness beyond his comprehension.
The realization sent chills down his spine.
‘What… are we even fighting against?’
No matter how strong or exceptional the Duke of Fenris was, their battle was still a battle between humans.
That was why he had struggled to find a way to defeat him, using every ounce of wit he had.
But the being standing before him now…
‘A monster…’
No, even the word "monster" couldn't properly describe it. That was something human, yet not human.
Who could possibly withstand that absurd strength? Perhaps he alone could end this battle.
Did war, did armies, truly hold any meaning before him?
Julien's overwhelming might was so astonishing that it instilled an indescribable fear in Count Sroque.
But just because he was afraid, he couldn’t simply offer up his neck.
Unlike the other legion commanders, he was a devout believer of the Salvation Church one who was always ready to lay down his life for the faith.
Count Sroque leaped from his horse and retreated.
This life, for the Church!
Kwaaaaa!
Suddenly, a violent black aura erupted from his body.
Crack! Crackle! Crack!
His body grotesquely twisted as it began to swell.
“Khrrrrr…!”
A Crusader created through the Salvation Church’s secret techniques. Once their power was ignited, death was inevitable.
However, in exchange, they could unleash strength several times greater than their original power.
He was an exceptional knight to begin with, but now, he had just attained near-transcendent strength.
“…Kill…”
He never thought he could win. His only goal was to land even a small wound anything to aid his allies.
“Kraaaargh!”
Letting out a beastly roar, Count Sroque lowered his stance.
The moment he gathered explosive power in his legs to lunge forward—
Julien lightly swung his sword.
Slice.
Thud.
The head of Count Sroque, who had transformed into a Crusader, tumbled to the ground.
Fwaaaaah!
The black aura that had engulfed his body lost its anchor and surged outward violently.
In the end, Count Sroque's body withered and collapsed.
“Crusader.”
Julien murmured to himself, an unusual sight for him.
He had seen them a few times before during Turian’s civil war. But after meeting Ghislain, they felt different.
The Crusaders wielded power in a way unlike the priests. Rather, it felt more similar to the power Ghislain used.
“……”
After staring silently at Count Sroque’s corpse for a moment, Julien turned his head.
Kwaaaaang!
The allied cavalry was crushing the Atrodean cavalry.
With their central formation broken, the cavalry in the rear could no longer maneuver properly.
Only a few of those at the front remained in motion.
The Atrodean forces had been vastly outnumbered from the start. Unable to withstand the allied cavalry's assault, they were completely overrun.
“Uwaaaagh!”
“Form up! Hold formation!”
“Move!”
Atrodean commanders shouted in desperation from all directions, but recovering their lost mobility was nearly impossible.
The 6th Legion of the Atrodean Army, with its formation utterly shattered, was gradually cut down until it was annihilated.
Barely any managed to escape.
Despite their recent victory, they had ultimately lost without inflicting any damage on the allied forces.
It was only natural Julien had single-handedly eliminated all threats.
"……."
Julien, who had been quietly observing the corpses, turned his head.
Dark was flying toward him.
“Haah, haah, I found them! They’re still a fair distance away, but it looks like they’re heading this way too.”
Julien nodded.
Their own casualties were not insignificant. It was a battle they shouldn’t have been able to win with just the forces they had.
Based on the traces left behind, he suspected another legion was coordinating with them. Ghislain had mentioned the possibility as well.
The enemy's objective was obvious. Ghislain had deliberately fed them false information through a spy.
‘…How unpleasant.’
Until now, everyone had fought together under the belief that they were on the same side.
A spy was nothing short of a betrayal of that trust.
For the first time since joining the allied forces, Julien felt a tinge of discomfort.
The feeling was unfamiliar. He hadn’t expected himself to still care about such things.
Perhaps it was because of the painful memories of his childhood when everyone had shunned him.
Or maybe it was because he felt a sense of camaraderie, fighting alongside the allied forces to protect people.
Perhaps…
Dark's voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Geh! Julien, I don’t think I can last much longer.”
Dark No. 28 had shrunk considerably. The more he moved, the more his mana was depleted.
It was inevitable. Dark’s duplicates could only be sustained if Ghislain replenished their mana.
Julien suddenly wondered could he replenish it himself? For some reason, he had a feeling he could.
"Hold still for a moment."
“Why? I can’t stay still, you know. The world won’t let me!”
Ignoring Dark’s complaints, Julien simply grabbed hold of his body.
“Gyaah! How dare you! Unhand me this instant!”
Julien slowly infused his own energy into Dark. The foreign energy was quickly repelled from Dark’s body.
Still, Julien didn’t stop. With firm intent, he willed their energies to merge into one.
At some point, Dark’s body started growing.
“Huh? Huh? What’s happening?”
Dark was completely bewildered.
He could only exist through his master’s energy. His very being was formed by their shared consciousness, and his energy was something Ghislain controlled.
And yet, the energy he had been losing was now being restored.
“W-Whoa! Julien, what the hell?! What are you?!”
Julien stopped transferring energy once Dark had grown larger than expected.
"That should do it."
“How did you do that?! Huh? Why does this work? This doesn’t make any sense!”
“Let’s go.”
Julien offered no explanation.
He had simply believed he could do it and so he did.
As if their energies had always been one to begin with.
Dududududu!
Julien and the allied forces moved to their next destination. Since they hadn’t exerted much energy, the horses only needed a brief moment to rest.
Dark perched on Julien’s shoulder and chattered non-stop.
“Wow! This is insane! Julien, is there anything you can’t do? Like being ugly? Uncool? Weak? You can’t do those things, right? I can, though.”
"……."
“But really, this energy is so strange! It’s like we were originally one and the same! No wonder I always feel comfortable around you. Maybe we were lovers in a past life?”
"……."
“Listen! There was this one time I was inside this brat named Edwin! It was comfy then too, but—”
Dark continued to babble without pause, rivaling Claude in sheer talkativeness.
"……."
Julien didn’t respond. He simply ignored him.
For just a brief moment, he thought maybe he shouldn’t have done that.