Chapter 580
This Actually Works? (3)
The light extending from Kaor’s sword was unmistakably an Aura Blade.
“Huh?”
Even the very person who had created it wore a bewildered expression.
The onlookers all stood agape.
Even the usually stoic Gillian was no exception, while Belinda pressed her fingers to her forehead.
That Kaor had ascended to the realm of Superhuman? And he did it while boldly declaring he just wanted to have fun?
Was his resolve truly strong enough to shape his own world?
Alfoi muttered in disbelief, his face drained of all strength.
“Wow… So that guy’s ‘world’ is just about living without a single thought?”
It was so ridiculous that even cursing felt pointless.
Just how unwavering must his conviction to live thoughtlessly have been for him to break through the limit?
Alfoi also loved to play around, but he had never thought of it that way. Though he seemed similar to Kaor, he was, at heart, a man who deeply desired wealth and honor.
Kaor muttered as he stared at the Aura Blade extending from his sword.
“This actually works?”
Did it really happen with something like this?
He checked several times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, but it was undoubtedly an Aura Blade.
The one that had once accidentally manifested long ago he had finally called it forth again. And now, he even understood how to summon it naturally.
A moment later, Kaor burst into laughter, his face overflowing with euphoria.
“P-Puhahahaha! I’m a Superhuman! A Sword Master!”
There was one difference from other superhumans, though his Aura Blade was slightly less vivid. It felt as if something was still lacking. But so what?
What mattered was that he had cast aside his doubt and ascended to Superhuman.
And the moment he broke through the wall, he understood the world he had created.
“Live for today.”
To revel in the present that was his world.
With a feral grin, Kaor stepped forward.
His body was too exhausted, riddled with too many wounds. His Aura Blade flickered faintly as his fatigue weighed on him.
But his entire being brimmed with a confidence greater than ever before.
The priest’s face hardened.
“This bastard….”
More than the fact that his opponent had become Superhuman, what he couldn’t accept was that his own teachings had been proven wrong.
Even if he had to kill him, he would prove that his beliefs were right.
The two clashed once more.
Kwaaang!
Both were exhausted, so their attacks weren’t as sharp. But the priest still held the advantage.
Kaor had just reached Superhuman, and his wounds were far more severe.
However, unlike before, he was no longer helplessly overpowered.
Now, as a Superhuman, he could keep up with the priest’s time.
He was simply tired but when it came to pure combat skill, hardened through real battle, Kaor was the superior fighter.
Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Kwaaang!
It was now impossible to predict who would emerge victorious. Everyone watched the battle with bated breath.
Those who had placed bets, in particular, wore openly excited expressions.
Boom!
Kaor raised his sword to block the priest’s powerful punch. His Aura Blade flickered precariously, as if it would vanish at any moment.
The priest spoke through a twisted expression.
“Huff, huff… You may have barely stepped into the realm of superhumans, but you won’t last much longer.”
Kaor’s sword began to be pushed back. The priest was still in slightly better condition.
The priest gathered the last of his energy into his other fist.
His opponent no longer seemed capable of dodging. If he just crushed his head here, it would be over.
At that moment, Kaor’s eyes suddenly gleamed.
“Attack power, double.”
Then, supporting the sword he had been holding with one hand, he reached for the other sword hanging from his waist.
That blade, too, was enveloped in a blue Aura Blade.
Slash!
The sword flashed like lightning, slicing across the priest’s neck. Exhausted from the prolonged battle, the priest couldn’t even react.
“That… wasn’t just a spare sword…?”
The decapitated priest collapsed, spewing bloodied foam.
Thud!
Even in death, his eyes were filled with incomprehension.
So, he had been killed… by someone who had ascended to superhuman status merely out of a will to live without thinking too much?
That was the priest’s final thought.
“Huff, huff…”
Kaor, still catching his breath, looked down at the priest’s corpse and muttered,
“I’ve always used dual blades.”
He had deliberately kept his last trump card hidden. If one intended to fight a superhuman, having a secret weapon was a necessity.
The priest, who had already exhausted his strength, had no chance of avoiding such a sudden attack. Lacking even the necessary technique, he had failed to react at all.
Kaor, panting heavily, turned his gaze skyward.
At last… At long last, he had reached the realm of superhumans that he had yearned for so desperately.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Overcome with exhilaration, he let out a loud roar.
The spectators erupted into cheers and rushed toward him.
“Wooooo! Kaor has become a superhuman!”
“There’s another superhuman now!”
“Damn! The world really is going crazy!”
The knights were the first to reach him, hoisting him into the air and tossing him up in celebration.
“Hahaha! Cough! Ack!”
Every time his body was thrown up, Kaor coughed up blood. The knights tossing him panicked at the sight.
As droplets of blood spattered through the air, they hurriedly stepped back, causing Kaor to crash to the ground. His eyes had already rolled back, and he was spewing blood nonstop.
“Move aside!”
Piote rushed over and released a surge of Divine Power. Only then did the remnants of the priest’s energy within Kaor’s body dissipate, allowing his wounds to begin healing.
Feeling much better, Kaor slowly raised his hand and stared at it.
“This… This isn’t a dream, right? Hehehe…”
“It’s not a dream. Congratulations.”
Piote’s words made Kaor keep laughing.
As soon as his depleted stamina returned even a little, he stood up. There was something he had wanted to do first upon becoming a transcendent.
Staggering, he walked over to Gillian and stood tall, straightening his back.
"You saw that, right? Huh? I'm a transcendent too now. So don't ignore me anymore. I can take care of an old man like you anytime. If you want to fight, come at me."
His provocation, eyes gleaming, made him look just like a fighting dog.
"……."
Gillian said nothing.
Kaor, after throwing that challenging glare, turned away.
He had expected that reaction anyway. Gillian had always treated him with the same indifferent gaze, as if he were nothing more than a passing cow or chicken.
But then—
From behind, Gillian's voice rang out.
"Congratulations. You did well."
"Huh?"
Kaor’s eyes widened as he turned back.
Gillian let out a small chuckle before continuing.
"His Lordship... No, His Highness the Grand Duke will be pleased to hear this news."
Then, he patted Kaor’s shoulder twice before walking past him.
"Alright! The duel is over, so we move immediately! Everyone, get ready!"
At Gillian's command, the others quickly formed ranks and moved busily.
Belinda, passing by the dumbstruck Kaor, smiled.
"Is that all you wanted? Well, I guess everyone has their own little world."
Elena, dragging her hammer with one hand, raised a thumbs-up.
"You were amazing. Thanks to you, my money— I mean, anyway, congratulations."
Claude spoke in his usual arrogant tone.
"If you get cocky just because you're a transcendent, you know what happens, right? Military law. But still, congratulations. Strengthening our forces is always a good thing."
One by one, everyone had something to say to Kaor.
"Wow, never thought I'd see a day like this."
"Man, I was sure our commander would never become a transcendent."
"Must be nice, reaching transcendence and all."
They were envious, but also genuinely happy for him. After all, if Kaor could become a transcendent, it meant they had a chance too.
Only one person—
"Tch, how annoying."
—Alfoi, who merely shot him a glare before walking past.
Kaor couldn't say anything. He just stood there, dazed, watching the backs of those passing him by.
And it made sense.
This was the first time in his life that everyone had congratulated and praised him.
Scratching his head, Kaor turned slightly and pouted.
"Tch…"
It wasn't bad. In fact, it felt really good.
He wanted to experience this feeling more often.
Kicking at the ground absentmindedly, Kaor muttered to himself.
"Hmm… Now that I’m a transcendent, maybe I should try living with a little dignity?"
A new resolution began to take root within him.
He wanted to live a little differently from before.
But if there was one thing that wouldn’t change—
It was that he would enjoy today.
‘I want everyone to live today with joy. ‘
* * *
“Waaaaah!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The 1st Legion, led by Count Biphenbelt, launched a fierce assault on the fortress.
Although the 1st Legion lacked siege weapons, they at least had ladders. Having been stationed at the rearmost position, they had various supplies at their disposal.
The cavalry dismounted and rushed to the ladders. The priests of the Salvation Church led the charge, pouring out their power without hesitation.
As a result, each clash saw the Allied Forces soldiers falling like leaves in the wind.
Despite the Allied Forces having superior numbers and the advantage of the fortress, their casualties were far greater.
“Hold the line! We must endure no matter what! Reinforcements will arrive soon!”
Marquis Gideon shouted until his throat nearly tore.
But there were limits to his leadership. From the beginning, the Allied Forces were composed of troops from multiple kingdoms.
The longer the battle dragged on, the more their coordination faltered. The nobles leading each unit also clashed in opinions.
Had they been facing a different opponent, they wouldn’t have been pushed back this far, however, the difference in capabilities between Marquis Gideon and Count Biphenbelt was simply too vast.
The only thing keeping them holding on was their shared goal.
Boom! Boom! Booooom!
“The left flank is breached!”
“Send reinforcements immediately!”
“Push them back!”
Even though the enemy lacked siege weapons, the fortress was already on the verge of collapse after just a single day.
Without superhuman warriors, they couldn’t properly defend against the priests' wide-area attacks. The few catapults they had were targeted first and quickly destroyed.
Because of this, the defenders cowered within the fortress, unable to make a move.
The only reason they were barely holding on was because they had the superior magical forces.
Count Biphenbelt frowned as he gazed at the fortress.
“We’ll likely be able to capture it by tomorrow.”
Even with the priests, taking on nearly 50,000 troops was an impossible feat. They too needed time to rest after expending so much energy.
The lack of siege weapons was also a significant issue. The only reason they were able to keep up the pressure with just ladders was that each of their soldiers was far stronger than those of the Allied Forces.
As night fell, the Atrodean Army withdrew, only to launch an even fiercer assault the following day.
They needed to take the fortress as quickly as possible and reorganize. Only then would it be easier to rendezvous with the other legions.
Given that they had no idea what trick Duke of Fenris had up his sleeve, this was the best course of action.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“Gaaahhhh!”
The fortress was filled with the screams of the Allied Forces.
Their sheer numbers allowed them to barely hold on, but even that was dwindling rapidly.
Marquis Gideon looked around in despair.
“To think the difference would be this great…”
The Atrodean Army was strong stronger than expected. But this massive force was being utterly overwhelmed.
Even with the absence of superhumans, he hadn't expected them to be pushed back so easily.
Kwaaaang!
“Aaaaaagh!”
Screams rang out from all directions. The Atrodean Army soldiers climbing the ladders were being held back with great effort, but the real problem was the priests.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
Each time they attacked, hundreds of soldiers were wiped out in an instant. The Atrodean Army used that opening to swiftly climb up.
The reserve forces rushed in to stop them, but they were cut down as soon as they arrived.
It wasn’t just the priests the enemy soldiers were far superior. The only thing keeping them in the fight was the sheer number of knights, but even they were reaching their limits.
Marquis Gideon's hands trembled.
“This is the end…”
It seemed unlikely they would last the day.
This great army, entrenched within the fortress, had only managed to hold out for a single day against an enemy that lacked even siege weapons.
Kwaaaang!
The priests’ dark energy struck various parts of the fortress.
Blood-tears streamed from Marquis Gideon’s eyes.
“Aah… The enemy is far too strong.”
There was nothing he could do. The opposing side had too many superhumans.
Even if they surrendered, their lives wouldn’t be spared. The only thing left was slaughter.
He pressed his fingers firmly against his eyelids. He could endure no longer.
Chaaang!
Drawing his sword, he gritted his teeth.
The allied forces had already been in disarray. Their coordinated tactics had crumbled under the enemy’s relentless assault.
At this point, commanding was meaningless. If he was going to die, he would take down as many enemies as he could.
“My lord Julien, forgive me for failing to serve you any longer.”
With steely resolve, he bellowed.
“Fight to the end! The enemy will not spare us! Take down as many as you can! Others will avenge us!”
Chwaaak!
Marquis Gideon rushed to the fortress walls and began cutting down Atrodean soldiers himself.
Seeing their commander take up arms, the allied forces pushed themselves further. Even knowing they would die, they would struggle to the last breath.
Count Biphenbelt watched with an emotionless expression and muttered,
“It’s over.”
The priests had already breached the fortress gate. The allied soldiers were using their own bodies to block the opening, but they wouldn't hold for long.
Soon, the walls would fall as well. When that happened, the allied forces would be crushed from all sides, with no means of escape.
One of the priests, surveying the battlefield from the sky, narrowed his eyes upon spotting Marquis Gideon.
“That one looks like their commander.”
If they killed him, the battle would be over even faster.
There were knights guarding him, but the priest was confident he could break through.
Goooooo…
He gathered energy, preparing to strike hard and retreat quickly.
That would drive the allied forces further into despair.
“Heh… I can’t wait to see their hopeless expressions.”
He grinned and prepared to fly toward the fortress.
But then—
A massive energy surged, forcing him to halt midair.
“What…?”
BOOM!
A distant explosion echoed.
The battlefield was so chaotic that few noticed. Only a handful of priests those monitoring the battle closely saw it.
BOOM!
A brilliant light flickered in the sky. It blinked, drawing closer and closer to the fortress.
And then, within mere moments—
KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG!
With a deafening roar, a golden lightning bolt shot toward the fortress.
KWA-AAAAANG!
The lightning struck directly atop the fortress walls. The Atrodean soldiers near the impact site didn’t even have time to scream their bodies exploded instantly.
From within the Atrodean camp, Gartros, who had been recovering his strength, leapt up in fury.
“That bastard…!”
At the lightning’s point of impact, a solitary figure stood.
Marquis Gideon saw him and, with trembling lips, whispered,
“Y-you’re….”
A mischievous smile played at the newcomer’s lips as Jerome spoke.
“Shall we hold on just a little longer?”
One of the titles he had earned in his past life—
The One-Man Army.
Now, it was time to live up to that name.