Chapter 586
Annihilate the Enemy. (3)
Dududududu!
The Fenris Mobile Corps launched their charge.
With Ghislain at the forefront, wielding his crimson spear, the Fenris Mobile Corps surged toward the Atrodean Army like a living river of steel.
The scene was nothing short of a grand masterpiece. Anyone who witnessed it would have felt an overwhelming shiver run down their spine.
“Waaaaaaaah!”
The Ritania Army, led by Gillian and Tennant, let out a battle cry as they rushed forward. The garrison forces from the fortress also stormed out in unison.
The Atrodean Army, trapped from all sides, was at a complete loss. Their once-unshakable confidence had vanished without a trace.
Gartros, seething with frustration, turned to Count Biphenbelt and shouted.
“What are we supposed to do?!”
“……”
“Count! Speak up already!”
But Count Biphenbelt only stood there, gazing at the oncoming forces.
There was no way out. No one could turn the tide of this battle.
“It’s over.”
At his murmured words, the nearby commanders and strategists wore expressions of utter despair.
Even Count Biphenbelt, the Atrodean Army’s greatest strategist, had given up on the battle.
Gartros’ face twisted with fury as he pressed on.
“Are you telling me… there’s truly no way? Then I’ll use that power again! We just need to hold out until reinforcements arrive! Everyone, get ready! Now!”
He turned to the priests, shouting orders. His strength had barely recovered, but he intended to gather whatever power he could for one last fight.
But Count Biphenbelt shook his head.
“……Our reinforcements have already been wiped out.”
“That’s ridiculous! How could they have been defeated so quickly?!”
“……”
Count Biphenbelt did not bother to explain.
They had waited anxiously for their allies, but no one came.
Even if the 3rd Legion, which had moved separately, was unaccounted for, the 2nd Legion led by Aiden and the 4th Legion under Count Zyrus should have arrived long ago.
Yet, even as the scattered Ritania Army regathered, not a single sign of them appeared. Not even a messenger.
There was only one possible conclusion.
The 2nd and 4th Legions had also been annihilated.
Gartros, unable to contain his fury, roared.
“Uwaaaaaaah! How?! How could the heavens do this to me?!”
Victory had once been within his grasp. But at some point, everything had begun to fall apart.
He had endured and prepared for decades, finally amassing the power to sweep across the continent. Just a little more, and he would have seized everything he desired.
But ever since the failure in the Ritania Kingdom, things had taken a strange turn. And now, the war he had staked everything on had ended in failure. The forces he had spent a lifetime preparing had been utterly destroyed.
All that remained were a few scattered rebels at the far edges of the continent and some surviving priests. But even they would soon be hunted down.
And it was all because of one man.
“Duke of Fenris!!!”
A violent surge of black energy erupted from Gartros’ entire body. His mind was now consumed by nothing but rage.
Even if he had to die here, he had to kill that man only then would his fury be appeased.
The other priests also released what little energy they had left, combining their strength to aid Gartros.
Kwaaaaaaang!
Meanwhile, explosions of magic began erupting all over the Atrodean Army’s camp.
There was no need for Vanessa to intervene. Now that the Ritania Army’s mages had joined the battle, the Atrodean spellcasters simply couldn’t withstand the assault.
“T-This…!”
“Magic! Stop the magic first!”
“Raise the barrier!”
Gartros and the priests had no choice but to redirect their energy to block the incoming spells.
But they couldn’t protect the entire army. At best, they could only shield the command center where the officers were gathered. Their power had already been significantly drained.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaaang!
“Aaaaaaah!”
The Atrodean soldiers, struck by the magical bombardment, were blown apart, their formations utterly shattered.
And then, the barrage suddenly stopped.
Kwaaaaaang!
The Fenris Mobile Corps crashed into the Atrodean Army. Already disoriented and in complete disarray from the magical assault, the Atrodean soldiers were helplessly overwhelmed.
Then, Parniel charged into their flank, wielding a massive mace.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
“Aaaaagh!”
There was no one who could withstand her devastating strength. The Atrodean soldiers struck by her mace were sent flying in every direction.
The Ritania Army, led by Gillian and Tennant, and the fortress garrison under Marquis Gideon also clashed against the Atrodean Army.
Kwaaaaaang!
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
It was a flawless encirclement. Surrounded by a force nearly four times their size, not a single Atrodean soldier could escape. All they could do was scream in terror.
But there was one person who still had a chance to flee.
Count Biphenbelt turned to Gartros, who was desperately gathering his energy, and spoke.
“You must escape.”
“…What?”
“Think rationally. You must survive, High Priest.”
“Ugh… Uuuugh…”
“Take His Majesty and flee.”
“Flee?! What could I possibly do after losing everything and running away?!”
Everything he had built was gone. The scattered rebel forces would be crushed before they could regroup.
The Salvation Church was finished.
Now, every kingdom on the continent would stop at nothing to root them out completely.
There was nothing left for him to do. If he fled now, he would live the rest of his life as a fugitive.
“Me?! I have to live such a miserable existence?!”
As Gartros wept tears of blood, Count Biphenbelt spoke slowly.
“Didn’t you say you had to find the King?”
“……”
“Didn’t you call it your mission?”
“……”
Gartros bit his lip. He had not forgotten that mission.
But how could he possibly serve his king in such a pitiful state?
Even if they did find him, the thought of having to flee together for the rest of their lives was even more concerning.
Yet Count Biphenbelt, his expression as emotionless as ever, continued speaking.
“To be honest, I was never particularly invested in the Salvation Church’s goals. I simply wanted to make His Majesty the ruler of the continent. But since we have failed, our only hope now lies with the King of the Salvation Church.”
“What hope do you speak of?”
“Revenge, of course. Didn’t you say that once we find the King, anything would be possible?”
The goal of the Salvation Church was to find the King and create a new world. If they found him, they would inevitably wage war against the allied forces once more.
But despite his words, Count Biphenbelt wasn’t truly hopeful. Even if they did find this so-called King, what could he possibly accomplish without an army or any power?
In truth, he simply wanted to save Duke Leinster, who had never even properly ascended the throne. No matter what, he had to ensure his lord’s survival.
And so, he pleaded.
“Please, escape. His Majesty… I entrust him to you.”
Duke Leinster still held the legitimate claim to the Atrodean Kingdom. There might still be nobles who remained loyal to him.
Right now, the Salvation Church was desperate for any forces it could gather, even mere rabble. They couldn’t afford to discard Duke Leinster so easily.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!
“Aaaaaagh!”
The screams of Atrodean soldiers echoed from all directions. It wouldn’t be long before enemy troops reached the heart of their camp.
“Ugh… Uuuugh…!”
Gartros trembled with rage and despair. He had suffered this humiliation too many times to bear it any longer.
Kwaaaaaang!
Just ahead, the bodies of his soldiers exploded and were sent flying.
“Gartros!”
A man had spotted Gartros and flashed a savage grin, his crimson eyes gleaming. A fearsome black warhorse thundered toward him with terrifying momentum.
“Duke of Fenris!”
Gartros knew at a glance the Duke of Fenris had lost a significant amount of strength.
If that weren’t the case, he would have already reached him by now. Even though Gartros’ forces had collapsed, Duke of Fenris hadn’t broken through as quickly as he should have.
That made Gartros all the more tempted. If he gathered the remaining priests’ strength, could he kill that bastard?
But Count Biphenbelt’s desperate cry snapped him out of it.
“Run! Now!”
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
From the flank, Parniel charged forward, wielding her immense destructive power. She was moving even faster than the Duke of Fenris.
“The Saint of Battle…”
And she wasn’t alone. Other superhumans were shoving aside his soldiers as they closed in.
If he gathered his energy, he might be able to kill one superhuman. But he would certainly die in the process.
If he didn’t run now, the Salvation Church’s long-cherished cause would come to an end today. That was something he could not allow.
He needed to stay rational. They had not yet found the King.
“…I will repay today’s humiliation without fail.”
Tears of blood streamed down Gartros’ face as he retrieved an Orb of Life from his robes one of the last two remaining.
There was no way to create any more Orbs of Life. He needed to conserve them, but at this moment, it was the only way to escape.
Crack!
Fwaaaah!
As he shattered the orb, black energy erupted and engulfed his body.
Seeing this, Ghislain clenched his teeth and hurled his spear.
Fwang !
The spear seemed to move in slow motion.
No, it was as if time had stopped, with only the crimson-glowing spear piercing forward.
It skewered through every soldier and knight in its path.
Yet its momentum remained unchanged. It moved as if nothing had ever obstructed it, maintaining its original speed.
Wrapped in black energy, Gartros gritted his teeth.
Drdrdrk!
‘Again!’
The spear was flying straight at him. He could clearly perceive its existence.
But once again, his body refused to move.
“Kugh…!”
The flow of the world had slowed down. His body still couldn’t break free from its grip.
At this rate, the spear would pierce his heart before he could escape.
“No… no, I can’t!”
His body had not fully recovered. Though his strength had returned somewhat, the restraints binding him were even stronger than before.
When had that monster learned such a technique?!
His enemy was reaching greater heights of power with each battle. He should have killed him long ago, no matter what it took.
“Graaah!”
Summoning all his strength, Gartros barely managed to twist his body, breaking free of some of the restraints. But the spear was still hurtling straight for his heart.
He couldn’t block it. He might actually die.
If only his body were in perfect condition he could have dodged it somehow!
“T-The orb…!”
He desperately reached for the remaining Orb of Life, intending to shatter it. If he could harness its power, he might be able to break free of these restraints.
Drdrdrdrk!
Gartros forced his hand to move with every ounce of strength he had. But even his own fingers wouldn’t obey him.
“Th-This can’t be happening…!”
Terror twisted his face. Though he had managed to shift his position slightly, the destructive force imbued in the spear would not only pierce his chest but obliterate everything around him.
He was going to die this time, he would truly die.
Fwaaaaaah…
All Gartros could do was watch, helplessly, as the spear inched closer in slow motion.
And just before it struck him—
Once again, the bracelet of the Saintess radiated a blinding light.
Fwaaaaash!
The spear collided with the burst of divine power.
Kwaaaaaang!
“Aaaaaagh!”
A thunderous explosion erupted as Gartros let out a scream. The force of the detonation engulfed his body.
But the divine energy from the bracelet had blocked the spear before it could reach him. That was the only reason he survived.
Even amidst his pain, Gartros let out a euphoric laugh.
‘This is truly the will of God!’
The Saintess’ Bracelet had protected him twice now. How could he dismiss this as mere coincidence?
This was undoubtedly a sign from the divine, an undeniable command to fulfill his mission.
Kwaaaaaah!
Black energy wrapped around Gartros’ injured body, and he vanished. In the end, he had managed to escape.
Still frozen in the stance of having just thrown his spear, Ghislain watched the scene unfold.
That divine power… it felt different from any other.
A dream.
It was the same divine energy from the dream he had seen the Saintess’ sacred power.
Even though Ghislain was no priest, he could recognize it. He didn’t know why he felt so certain, but he did.
He had suspected that Gartros had obtained a holy relic. But to think that it would unleash its power at such a critical moment…
As the divine light burst forth from the bracelet, Ghislain felt the will embedded within the sacred energy.
It wasn’t an illusion. He was absolutely sure of it.
In a daze, Ghislain murmured to himself.
“…Could it be… that bastard was…?”
Fwaaaaagh!
Before he could finish his sentence, Ghislain coughed up blood from his mouth and nose and collapsed backward.