Chapter 170 – The Strategic Turnaround (4)
As if turning in slow motion, the flow of time slowed down.
Spears and swords aiming for vital points gathered from all directions.
Bang!
The spear that collided with my sword shattered into pieces like sorghum stalks.
Without giving the thrower time to be surprised, his entire body disintegrated into dust.
Containing my burning and hot body, I continued to exert force.
"One alone won't be enough."
The high-ranking commanders of the order's army were gathered like a complete set.
This moment was undoubtedly the best opportunity to change the course of the battle.
"In one strike."
A blue light stopped at the blade of my sword.
It was the same dazzling glow I saw when I cut through sea dragons and golems at the same time.
Conqueror's Sword Spirit.
A deadly technique that releases all the latent potential in Exceed state.
Of course, there would be a backlash proportional to the force used, but I wouldn't worry about controlling it.
"Hah!"
I inhaled so strongly it felt like my lungs would burst, and the flow of time returned to normal.
The next moment, weapons aiming at my head, neck, heart, and lungs rushed towards me.
And then.
Bang!
With an impact sound, everything around me shattered and dispersed.
After the sword attack, a dust storm swept through the hill where the headquarters was located.
With difficulty, I managed to move my creaking arm to plunge my sword into the ground.
Soon, the dust cloud dissipated.
Through it, the view of the headquarters was revealed.
"…?"
The eyes of a nearby soldier clouded over.
Everything, from the weapons and armor elaborately enchanted and intricately manufactured, to the heavily trained bodies of the warriors, and even the high tents and flags, as well as parts of the hill terrain, were devoured without a trace.
The top of the hill was sunken as if a meteorite had fallen.
There was no trace left of the imposing headquarters.
Naturally, there was no one else intact besides me. Most didn't even leave a body behind.
Cough.
Dark red blood spurted from my mouth.
I faltered for a moment, but managed to regain my posture.
"What, what the hell happened…?"
"Brother!"
Jenna, surpassing the soldiers who stood astonished, ran towards me.
Leaning on her sword, Jenna whispered to me.
"Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?"
My reflection appeared on the sword blade.
My face was covered in blood. My legs, firmly planted on the ground, were trembling slightly, and my leather armor was torn all over. It was a total mess.
Then, Kishasha hurried towards me.
She was the image of a young woman with her enchantment undone.
"Is he… a demon?"
A knight standing at the base of the hill sighed.
A common emotion surged in the eyes of the soldiers of the Order Army, including the knight.
It was fear.
In the eyes of an ordinary human,
I was a monster who had laid waste to tens of square meters of space with a single sword strike.
However, now I couldn't even stand properly.
Leaning on my sword was all I could do. I was just pretending to be okay.
Even now, my vision was blurring. However, the hundreds of soldiers surrounding us didn't dare to approach easily. They just watched us from a distance.
"Hahaha, impressive, Han! You truly are the best!"
Kishasha laughed heartily and slapped my back.
Control your strength. If you hit any harder, I feel like I'll fall over.
"Ugh…!"
A groan was heard.
In a corner of the headquarters, shattered like a wasteland.
A knight covered in blood lay fallen.
[Commander-in-Chief of the Order Army]
[Valention of Iron Blood Lv.56]
He wasn't dead.
That man was relatively in the rear.
It seems he was saved because those in front acted as human shields.
From his state, it seemed he would die soon anyway.
"I should make a statement."
I used my sword as a cane and approached him.
Nothing was left of the majestic air the knight had at first.
"You, you damn…!"
"It's good you're not dead. It feels more real this way."
I stepped on the man's face and then lifted him by the neck.
"Look closely. This is the condition of your leader."
With a squeeze of my hand, the knight's neck broke and his body slumped.
Given his title and level, he was one of the most powerful characters among the named ones. According to the original mission plan, we should have had a fierce battle with the heroes, but that didn't happen.
It was an insignificant death.
I tossed the man's body down the hill.
The soldiers and officers staggered in unison.
It was a spectacle to lower their morale, and it seemed to have worked.
"Heh."
"Brother, you're totally a demon. Your laugh is evil."
"We have to break their morale. Prevent them from daring to approach. Cough."
"God, this hurts."
I almost gave myself away.
I immediately communicated with Katio.
The recipient was the commander on the opposite side. The headquarters was on a high hill on the battlefield, so they must have clearly seen the scene.
<You, you're…?>
"It happened as I said. I got rid of their heads. Will you be able to win now?"
<I'll try!>
"It's not 'I'll try,' it's 'I will.' Speak clearly."
I looked towards the battlefield.
The troops of the Order Army, who had been launching a fierce attack from three fronts around the Lion Army, hesitated.
The news of the annihilation of the command must have spread. I made a spectacle on purpose to maximize the effect.
Meanwhile, the first attack team led by Edith was dismantling the right flank of the Order Army with a continuous offensive. They advanced unhindered under the magical cover of the twin Magas.
"That was a good move."
They were concentrating their efforts on destroying one of the flanks of the enemy encirclement.
I communicated with the leader on our side.
"The enemy has no commanders. They're not an army, just a group of soldiers. If you can't win this, you're worse than garbage. Understand?"
<Don't provoke me. I know.>
"Then, that's good news."
<Since you've set the stage, we'll try it.>
With those words, the communication was cut off.
Shortly after, the movement of the Lion Army troops, who had only been retreating since the beginning of the battle, changed. The cavalry, which had been only in the rear rushing to escape, was now advancing.
It seems they somehow managed it.
Of course, given the objective force was at a disadvantage, this was only the beginning.
If the commanders of the Lion Army troops couldn't seize this opportunity, that would be it.
"What are they doing standing there!"
A young knight drew his sword.
As expected. It seems some have recovered.
"But, still…"
"Don't you see? Even those villains are not in good shape. If we join forces, we can easily defeat them. Are you going to send them back unscathed? Are you really not going to avenge the injustice suffered by Lord Valention?"
Inspired by the knight, some began to move.
It seems a turning point for survival has arrived. Kishasha and Jenna stood by my side with tense expressions. Although we had taken out the named ones, we were still surrounded.
"Can you fight? Don't force yourself if it's too difficult."
"Hahaha! We'll be fine, we can fight."
"Don't be foolish."
I drew my dagger.
Although the frantic movements were challenging, I could still fight.
I could handle at least ten ordinary soldiers.
'The problem is... how long can we hold out?'
Clearly, the situation had shifted from defensive to offensive.
But that didn't mean the mission was over. Down the hill, they were closing in on us with murderous intentions. We have to hold out until the situation resolves itself.
If they abandoned me, Jenna and Kishasha might have a chance to escape.
But it seems they wouldn't leave me behind.
[Order Soldier Lv.21] X 643
[Order Knight Lv.25] X 87
"Avenge your commander! The goddess is watching us!"
"Uwaaaaah! Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The soldiers began to advance like a tide.
Silently, I gripped my dagger, shoulder to shoulder with the two.
We were about to collide with the first row of soldiers.
[Ding!]
[The Ladasteri Knight Squadron joins your forces!]
"Everyone forward! Protect the heroes!"
Something emerged from behind the hill and joined the formation.
With no time for words, they positioned themselves in front of us and began to fight the soldiers.
"What is this?"
Jenna, firmly holding her bow, blinked in surprise.
"Han, you're safe!"
A familiar voice was heard.
Turning around, there was the person I hoped to see.
"I ran here as soon as I saw you. Luckily, it seems I arrived in time."
Priacis, wiping the sweat from his forehead, walked towards us.
It wasn't a short distance. It seemed like he had run with all his might.
On the other hand, the ten knights who had joined the formation stood in line, fighting against the soldiers.
As I looked at them with a doubtful expression, Priacis smiled uncomfortably and began to speak.
"They are the escort force that House Asynis provided me. They willingly accepted my request to help."
"My name is Adele Ladasteri."
The young man who seemed to be the leader greeted me with a bow.
Red blood dripped from the tip of his sword.
"Go. We will buy time. The retreat path is secured."
Jenna and Kishasha looked at me at the same time.
Well, there's no need to reject their kindness.
We followed Priacis along a path behind the hill. It seemed like they had cleared the area before, as there were countless bodies of soldiers scattered along the way.
"We have a lot to talk about. But I don't think this is the time. I'll save my words."
Priacis murmured this as he quickened his pace.
I agreed. In the midst of a battlefield full of blood and death, it was not a time for trivial conversations.
'Well, it seems like my role is over.'
Even if I were to join the fight now, I wouldn't be able to do my part.
It seems like I'm fine, but my muscles and skeleton throughout my body are severely damaged. No one knows my condition better than I do. Right now, I can't contribute as a hero.
"Han! We're pushing through!"
Edith's voice rang out.
Always calm, her tone was now full of energy.
She seemed to be enjoying the combat at the front.
"We've defeated the enemy commander!"
"That's good, well done."
"Hehe, I'll keep going."
Anything wasn't just watching idly either.
He was actively using tactical tools. Pointing out critical areas of the battlefield or places with high-ranking enemy officers to move the attack squads. Anything's attention was focused not on me, but on Edith's first attack squad.
Then I looked to the right side of the battlefield.
"Break the lines! Show the power of the empire's finest knight order, the Knights of Asynis!"
Knights in heavy plate armor, along with their mounts, were crushing the enemy ranks.
The knights on the order's side tried to keep up, but were effortlessly pushed back. It seemed like the lion forces had advantages in certain areas after all. That advantage was the strength of their knight order.
'Finally.'
The right flank was being dominated by the lion knights.
On the left flank, Edith's first attack squad was wreaking havoc.
Both flanks of the order army had been broken.
Although in numbers and quality, the order army had enough margin to counterattack.
But that would only be possible if there were capable personnel to calm and reorganize the troops. With all the senior commanders out of action, the order army was fighting in disarray, dispersing. Forces were already seen leaving the ranks from the rear. They were fleeing.
'We got... lucky.'
If we had arrived on the battlefield a little later, the shortage of troops would have made a change of fortune impossible.
Furthermore...
If we hadn't had a Mage in the group, if Anything hadn't played his role, if by chance the enemy commander hadn't been in one place...
If any of those assumptions had been true, the mission would have taken a completely different turn.
It was such a high difficulty.
It made me face countless frustrations, even more than Niflheim had made me feel.
I alone wouldn't have been able to overcome it.
"I'm glad I could help. I almost committed a sin that would have weighed on me for the rest of my life."
"What sin?"
"If I can't help my benefactor, what would that be, if not a sin?"
Priacis turned to me with a smile.
"I thought they only existed in books. But here you are, a true hero. That only a few can reverse fate, it truly has been a revelation. Truly, worthy of being called a messenger of the gods..."
"You don't need to say those things. It embarrasses me."
"Really?"
We had reached the middle of the battlefield.
The vast plain was covered with countless corpses.
I sat on a convenient rock.
"We won! We did it!"
"To those bastards! Kill them all!"
"Waaaaah!"
The morale was sky high.
The lion infantry soldiers were regrouping and charging.
The outcome of the battle was decided. It was irreversible.
"It seems like this is the end."
Jenna raised her arm.
Her slender forearm began to fade.
It was the signal that the mission was done and we would return to the lobby.
"Will they return to that place?" Priacis murmured.
"Probably. But we'll be back soon. We can talk then."
There are many questions.
Where we are. Who they are. Why we are fighting.
We decided to leave those questions for another time.
"See you later."
In the next mission.
This is just the beginning.
I closed my eyes.
[Stage cleared!]
[Han (★★★), Jenna (★★★), Kishasha (★★★★), Belkist (★★★), Katio (★★★★), Level up!]
[Edith (★★★), Anan (★★★), Benik (★★★), Rain (★★★), Main (★★★) ...….]
[Reward - 40,000G, Broken Sword of the Black Knight X 3…….]
[MVP - Han (★★★)]
