Chapter 588
Annihilate the Enemy. (5)
By the time Julien began his pursuit, Leonard had already fled quite a distance.
“Huff, huff….”
Blood dripped from the wounds covering his body, but he had no time to care. His face was twisted with shock as he muttered to himself over and over.
“Crazy… He got even stronger in that short time? How is that even possible? What the hell is he?”
He had fought Julien once before. Even then, Julien was so powerful that Leonard had no choice but to retreat.
When they crossed paths again this time, he thought it was an opportunity. That was why he persuaded Count Kalmund.
— We need to kill him while he’s alone. Send the priests and your elite knights.
Count Kalmund was an excellent commander. He knew just how crucial Julien was to the allied forces.
That was why he readily accepted Leonard’s suggestion and dispatched priests and knights.
It wasn’t just sufficient, it was excessive. By Leonard’s judgment, no matter how strong Julien was, there was no way he could survive.
After all, with himself, four priests, and fifty of the finest knights, they had enough power to crush an entire territory in a single day.
But the result was disastrous.
“How… how could that happen? What trick did he use?”
That overwhelming force barely managed to hold out against Julien. With astonishing skill, Julien slaughtered the priests and knights.
Leonard fell into a state of panic and had no choice but to flee.
“That crazy monster bastard….”
He cursed repeatedly. Because of Julien’s sudden intrusion, their forces fell into complete disarray, their formation shattered.
And in that moment, the enemy cavalry charged straight through them. There was no way they could withstand it.
“Can anyone even stop him?”
The truth was, since their entire force had attacked him at once, even Julien must have struggled. No matter how strong a person was, limitless stamina was impossible.
And yet, Julien never showed the slightest sign of exhaustion. His restrained mana was difficult to sense.
This meant that his enemies had no way to gauge his true condition. That was why they lost their nerve, why they surrendered or fell apart.
“Huff, huff….”
Leonard, still gasping for breath, finally stopped running and surveyed his surroundings.
He had escaped to a mountain, far removed from the battlefield. He had fled like a madman, barely managing to get away.
“I’ll hide for a bit… then escape somewhere far away.”
No matter what, he had survived. The Revolutionary Group’s main force had been annihilated along with the Third Legion, but remnants of their troops were still scattered across the continent.
“I can always rebuild my forces.”
The world was full of bandits and outlaws in times of war. With his skills, he could gather them under his command.
He had to abandon his dream of taking over a kingdom and stepping into the light, but returning to his old ways raiding territories in the shadows wouldn’t be difficult.
After all, he was still a superhuman.
“Duke of Fenris... the Prince of Turian... let’s never cross paths again.”
Leonard was cautious by nature, which made him perceptive. He had fully grasped the situation those two were beyond his ability to handle.
“Phew….”
He concealed himself in a densely wooded area filled with rocks. As he sat down to catch his breath, a voice suddenly called out.
“Hey.”
“Wha—!!”
Startled, Leonard ducked low and frantically scanned his surroundings. No one was there.
Then, the voice came again.
“Over here, over here.”
Leonard raised his head slightly, and his eyes widened. A crow was perched on a tree branch.
“A crow…?”
“You actually managed to run this far. Ugh, chasing you was such a pain.”
“…A talking crow?”
Leonard shut his mouth immediately. He had seen this plump crow before it was the same one that always circled around Julien.
Now that he thought about it, even back when he had fled from the Duke of Fenris, he had destroyed a crow mid-escape.
There were even rumors that the Ritania army had talking crows, which was why their communication was so incredibly fast.
He never believed it. But now, he knew it was real. This damned crow was their messenger.
“…You were tracking me?”
“Of course. Did you really think you could escape me? Foolish human. Can’t you feel the gap between us?”
Dark lifted his beak arrogantly. His confidence was so overwhelming that even a legendary demon king might bow before him.
Clink.
Leonard pulled out a chain scythe. His location was compromised he had to kill it and flee immediately.
But just then, Dark spoke again.
“Hey, you. Become my subordinate.”
“…What?”
“Kneel before me right now and beg to be my servant, and I’ll grant you a chance to live. Julien and Ghislain they’re actually both my subordinates, you know?”
“…”
“They obey my every command. Keeping you alive? That’s nothing.”
Grit.
Leonard clenched his teeth and infused mana into his chain scythe. He had escaped death countless times, but now even a crow was mocking him.
A talking crow was interesting, sure. But that was it. He simply assumed it was some kind of spirit and lashed out immediately.
—Behind?
Just as he was about to attack, Leonard abruptly rolled to the side.
He had sensed a faint presence behind him.
Dark burst into laughter at the sight.
“Puhahaha! What was that?! I didn’t even do anything, and you just rolled away!”
Leonard ignored Dark and turned his head. As expected, Julien was standing behind him.
Julien hadn’t even attacked yet. But Leonard, having suffered at his hands multiple times, instinctively dodged the moment he sensed his presence.
He’s already caught up…?
Leonard clenched his teeth. It seemed that damn crow had led Julien right to him.
A one-on-one fight was impossible. His eyes darted around, searching for an escape, before he raised both hands in surrender.
“I surrender! I’ll do anything just spare me. You know full well that my skills are useful.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Leonard continued.
“That crow promised to spare me. I hear you’re all his subordinates… I expect you to honor his word.”
At that, Dark flapped his wings and hurriedly flew to Julien’s side, shouting.
“Don’t misunderstand! I was just stalling him!”
Dark was flustered. He had planned to convince Julien to accept Leonard’s submission, but he never expected Leonard to rat him out so blatantly.
Julien ignored both of them.
Shiiing.
He unsheathed his sword.
It didn’t matter what was said he had never planned on letting Leonard live.
Leonard took a step back and protested.
“Wait! I surrendered! Even the crow said you’d spare me!”
“I refuse.”
The Revolutionary Group had thrown the continent into chaos long before the Salvation Church’s rise. They had pillaged, rioted, and tormented countless innocents.
Julien was determined to end him here and now. That was why he had delayed rejoining the main forces he had been hunting Leonard down.
Without another word, Julien swung his sword.
Slash!
“Gahh…!”
Leonard twisted his body just in time, but a long gash ran across his chest.
He had faced this attack before, yet he still couldn’t figure out its mechanics.
All he could do was dodge before his body was completely sliced apart.
Boom!
Thick fog burst forth, covering the area. Leonard had detonated a smoke bomb.
As the smoke spread, he instinctively twisted his body and ducked. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder.
Slash!
“Ugh…!”
He was lucky. If he hadn’t moved, his throat would have been cut instead.
But he learned something. Julien could sense his presence but the fog interfered with his detection.
If he moved fast enough, he might escape.
Without hesitation, he hurled one of his chain scythes at Julien.
Clang!
As expected, it didn’t work. But it had never been meant to. It was merely a distraction to create an opening.
The other chain scythe had already been hooked onto a tree nearby.
Leonard yanked the chain and propelled himself away.
Boom! Boom!
Leonard detonated multiple smoke bombs, creating a thick fog that obscured his escape route.
The more bombs he set off, the denser the mist became, shrouding everything around him.
At the same time, he continued hurling his chain scythes toward Julien, keeping him in check.
Leonard had never fought this desperately before. His only goal was survival.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Julien deflected the incoming chain scythes while relentlessly pursuing him.
Leonard was, without a doubt, an exceptionally skilled warrior. Even when Julien sensed his presence and struck, Leonard somehow managed to evade fatal blows by moving swiftly.
And this damned fog against an opponent of Leonard’s caliber, it was proving to be a major hindrance.
“…Haa.”
Julien inhaled deeply as he ran.
First, he needed to clear the mist.
Lifting his sword with unwavering will, the air around him began to ripple and distort.
Even within the hidden currents of the unseen world, Julien could perceive the subtle flow of energy concealed within the fog.
And then he swung his sword.
Fwoooosh!
A thunderous roar erupted as the mist split apart.
The fog writhed as if alive, resisting desperately but against Julien’s will, it was powerless.
In an instant, the mist was obliterated, scattered to the winds.
A clear, bright world unfolded before them.
From above, Dark watched the scene and murmured in disbelief.
“…Are you even human?”
As a being without physical form, a mere concentration of energy, Dark could perceive what had just happened better than anyone.
Julien hadn’t simply dispelled the mist he had severed it from existence.
“That technique…”
It was different from what Ghislain had recently demonstrated, yet somehow, eerily similar.
Since Dark’s consciousness was shared across his clones, he had witnessed both firsthand.
Ghislain flowed with the world’s rhythm, drawing power from it.
Julien, on the other hand, forcibly defied that rhythm and imposed his dominance over it.
Meanwhile, Leonard panicked as his vision abruptly cleared.
“W-What the hell…?”
The fog the very mist that had spread so thickly had vanished in an instant.
Even a mage could disperse fog with magic, but to completely erase it in a single motion? That was impossible.
His hesitation lasted only a moment, but that was all it took.
Julien was already upon him.
Clang!
Leonard barely managed to swing his chain scythe in time to block the attack, immediately retaliating with his second chain scythe.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Two chain scythes and one sword collided at blinding speeds.
To an ordinary observer, this battle would have been nothing short of breathtaking.
Leonard gritted his teeth. His muscles were taut with strain, his nerves stretched to their absolute limit like a drawn bowstring ready to snap.
Leonard was fighting with everything he had, drawing even from his instincts to survive.
‘I just need one opening… Just one….’
But Julien’s blade moved as if it were alive, tightening around Leonard like a noose.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In mere moments, hundreds of attacks and counters had been exchanged.
Their speed and precision had surpassed the limits of human capability.
Leonard, despite being far stronger than the priests of the Salvation Church, was still being overwhelmed by Julien’s sheer dominance.
Clang!
Leonard crossed his chain scythes to block Julien’s sword, and hope flickered in his eyes.
Spotting an opening, he hurled one of his chain scythes toward a nearby tree in a desperate bid for escape.
But the instant he thought he had a chance became the very moment that sealed his fate.
Slash!
For a brief instant, time seemed to freeze.
Julien’s sword carved a brilliant blue arc through the air.
And in the next second—
Leonard’s arm flew through the sky.
“AAARGH!!”
His scream tore through the battlefield.
In that single moment, his concentration was shattered and Julien’s merciless blade tore through his flesh once more.
Shhhhk!
Blood erupted like a fountain, staining the ground.
Terror and despair flashed through Leonard’s eyes.
He knew it now.
This battle was over.
Shaking from the pain, he desperately tried to move his remaining chain scythe.
But his body betrayed him and it wouldn't obey his will anymore.
Julien moved with such absolute control, it was as if he ruled time itself.
His sword descended toward Leonard’s throat.
Slash!
A thin crimson line appeared across Leonard’s neck.
His eyes widened in shock. Blood foamed from his mouth.
As he took his final breaths, his trembling voice croaked out:
“Y-You… monster… You’re not human…”
His words carried a mix of fear, awe, and utter despair.
Clink.
Julien, his expression completely devoid of emotion, calmly sheathed his sword.
At the same time—
Thud.
Leonard’s severed head hit the ground.
Thus fell the leader of the Revolutionary Group, the man who once threw the continent into chaos.
Julien stood still for a moment, gazing down at Leonard’s lifeless body.
"…You’re not human."
It had been a long time since he had heard those words.
As a child, he had heard them often from his father, from the royal family.
Because of his unnatural growth and the ominous aura he exuded, they had whispered about him in fear.
But even as those memories flickered through his mind, Julien’s face remained emotionless.
Like a tool that had simply completed its task, he turned away from the battlefield without a hint of hesitation.
Dark flapped his wings excitedly and rushed to his side.
“Julien, you’re amazing! The absolute strongest, no question! If I had your skills, I’d be conquering the world right now. Seriously, how do you not take over everything? You’re way too disciplined, man.”
“…”
As always, Julien ignored him.
His thoughts were already on reuniting with Ghislain.
* * *
“Heh. I knew he’d pull it off.”
Ghislain chuckled as he received news of Julien’s battle through Dark.
Leonard had been a thorn in his side even in his past life.
With the war against the Riftspawn taking priority, hunting down a hidden rat like Leonard had always been a frustrating distraction.
That bastard had used those opportunities to build his forces, pillaging and plundering as he pleased.
But now Julien had finished the job.
It was incredibly satisfying.
“Well then… time to deal with the next one.”
The Kingdom of Sardina, along with the Allied Forces, would handle the general post-war cleanup.
But there was still one target left that needed to be dealt with personally.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
A group of soldiers marched forward, dragging a prisoner behind them.
The captive?
A traitor, someone who acted as a spy for the enemy during the war.