164. Battle of the Black Forest (2)
Hundreds of numbers tangled together, spattering blood and exchanging swords reminded me of the swords of hell. Neither side was pushed unilaterally. There was no orderly front line, just those who wielded their swords without formation, using the dense forest as cover.
“Catch him! Kill!”
The soldiers of no man’s land were used to fighting like this. It was an unfamiliar environment rather than the open field of the no-man’s-land where they were engaged in battle, but the warriors, who were accustomed to melee with demons, who did not have human common sense, immediately adapted to the situation. As always, they swung their swords with minimal communication and created a perfect joint attack. The knights of Leon Benning fell one by one.
“For the glory of no man’s land!”
The soldiers did not hesitate to throw themselves. Everyone shouted the glory of the no-man’s land and the kingdom, received the knight’s sword, and offered one arm and one leg, trying to slow down the knight’s movements even a little. If the movement had stopped even for a moment, the hooves of the still mounted soldiers would mercilessly trample the knight’s head.
Ugh.
The crushed knight’s neck was decapitated by the soldiers who dismounted, and the soldiers who killed the knight like that threw themselves at their next target. As if dealing with a high-ranking beast, they hunted Leon Benning’s knights very skillfully and swiftly.
Like that, the number of Knights of Leon Benning was gradually decreasing. Of course, it was much faster for ordinary soldiers to fall to the swords of knights than for knights to die. The adjutant who knew this became urgent. The number of soldiers overpowered the troops sent by Leon Benning, but the number of knights Leon Benning mobilized was not enough to offset the superiority in numbers, so he began to lead little by little.
bang-!
Sparks flew into the air of the Black Forest. The fight that started in the vacant lot gradually destroyed the surrounding scenery and widened the pupil in all directions.
“You will regret touching us.”
The lieutenant growled as he clashed swords with Leon Benning’s knight. The adjutant’s horse was snorting as if sympathizing with the adjutant’s anger. Leon Benning’s knight pierced the sword downward, parrying the lieutenant’s wrathful sword. The sword attack aimed at the leg was canceled by the quick response of the adjutant, and the bounced knight’s sword slowed down his movements.
“under-!”
The adjutant stabbed his sword without missing a moment. The tip of the sword slashed through the falling snowflakes and aimed at the knight’s neck. The knight tilted his head as far as he could to avoid the sword attack, but he couldn’t prevent a sharp sound from wounding his neck. The knight tugged hard at the reins and moved away from the adjutant. The adjutant couldn’t chase such a knight and his face was distorted. While he was focused on the attack, the knight’s sword cut through his side.
“Like a rat.”
When I took my hand away from my waist, dark red blood came out of it. The adjutant forcibly stretched out his wriggling fingers and clench his fists, opening and closing them repeatedly to relieve the trembling. The knight he was dealing with was strong. It made me wonder if only black shadows like ghosts lurked beyond the visor where I couldn’t see anything. There was frost between the bars of the visor. The adjutant clicked his tongue in displeasure.
“Damn you bastard.”
It’s hard to deal with opponents who can’t see your eyes. How much more would it be great if the opponent was a person with skills equal to or higher than his own.
The exploration of the knights was getting longer. The adjutant judged that he would not be able to read the gap any more, and rushed at the knight with Merle first. The aura could not be taken out right away. Unlike Marquis, he wasn’t skilled enough in mana control to be able to fight while scattering auras like that.
Chan-!
Waves of air spread out around the swords that collided with a large swing. It was an image to push forward with a power struggle, but it did not hang as intended. With swordsmanship on horseback, he would not be able to lead the fight the way he intended. The adjutant slackened the reins and tightened the legs holding the horse.
“sorry.”
A brief apology was given to the horse mounted by Leon Benning’s knight. The adjutant jumped off his horse and slammed his sword straight into the horse’s neck.
hook-!
I couldn’t even utter a cry, and the words stopped breathing. The knight of Leon Benning seemed to protest against such a fighting style that was not like a knight, but the first thing to do was to catch up with his falling body. The knights are entangled between the fountains of blood spurting from the horse’s severed neck.
bang-!
Snow piled up on the forest floor and exploded as it spread like mist. Leon Benning’s knight forcibly pulled his body to avoid being crushed by the falling horse.
“Are you trying to talk… !”
The knight, who had not been vocal, howled low as if in anger. The adjutant frowned when he noticed that the voice leaking through the crack in the visor was not a harsh male voice, but a female voice. So, does that mean that he has maintained an equal level with that female knight in the battle of strength?
“You’re not even a knight, you’re a dirty bastard. Is there no honor!”
The adjutant shrugged his shoulders as if something was wrong. He felt sorry for the horse, but he was prepared to kill a hundred or a thousand if killing a horse could save the lives of his comrades. Confronting the malevolent demons of the no man’s land was a much rougher task than killing a horse. And, a knight wielding a sword under the one who is trying to usurp the throne, discussing honor? The adjutant raised a corner of his mouth at a remark that was not worth replying to, provoking him.
“Don’t be too sorry.”
The adjutant raised his strength. It wasn’t that it was a little early, but it was this way that I would regret conserving my energy. Leaning against the raging blizzard, the adjutant spun mana. Her body heated up with the recoil of her power, and white steam spewed out of her mouth as if she were exhaling cigarette smoke. The adjutant’s eyes shone with the same blue color as his aura.
“I’ll see you again in the underworld soon.”
soft. The violently spinning mana contracted the adjutant’s muscles. On the other hand, the knight dealing with the lieutenant calmly raised an aura from his sword. As if it had been there from the beginning, the knight’s bright red aura confronted the lieutenant’s aura, his tongue flicking like a flame burning a blade.
burst of power. The lieutenant’s sword collided with the young aura and the knight’s aura. The adjutant looked for the Marquis with a sidelong glance.
‘… No, it’s not a situation where you can rely on the Marquis. now.’
He had to defeat the knight in front of him as soon as possible and join her or help the soldiers. While the battle between the two knights intensified into a battle of life and death, the Marquis quietly listened to the knights confronting him on a horse. At the feet of the horse lay the corpses of the knights who had been cut down by the Marquis.
“Marshal Camilla Fay, if you just calmly defeat the soldiers and return to the no-man’s land, the Count will not hold you accountable for your sins. The palace has already been secured by Count Leon Benning, and you have no further options. All that remains is for us to either die here or accept reality and deal with it wisely.”
The Marquis looked at the four knights standing in front of him. It looked like frost was all over his body because of the falling snow. The soldiers and knights were already engaged in a melee behind him. Limbs were severed, throats pierced, and warm blood and flesh spilled over the frozen ground.
“If you accept this decision, we will immediately stop all attacks and retreat. I will definitely pay the price for your support. The No Man’s Land will once again be populated with countless knights and elite soldiers. The collapsed walls also regain their former status… No, it will stand taller than that and stand tall as a shield protecting the kingdom from monsters.”
While listening to the knight’s first speech, the Marquis’ expression did not change at all. Hair of the same color fluttering in the fluttering snow. The knight opened his mouth again to persuade the Marquis in an accentless tone.
“Even for us, there is no good reason to run into you. The former Marquis, Count Octave Fay, was a very good friend of Count Leon Benning. Marquis, think of a cause. We are by no means moving for personal reasons to make Your Highness the 2nd Prince the King. The Count… ,”
“In the last Behemoth battle.”
As if he wasn’t even listening, the Marquis interrupted him and left.
“Where was the Count?”
The knight, who was giving the Marquis a final persuasion, stopped talking and began to refute.
“The Count has sent his only daughter. Count, have you really forgotten about the Jackdaw Knights, who are active under the second prince?”
“I’m sure the Count didn’t send the Raven Knights. Sir, do you think that I am deaf to news of the kingdom because I am stuck in the east?”
The knight creaked in disbelief and shook his head.
“… No, but I just want you to know. Count Leon Benning no longer seeks to enmity with you. I formally apologize for the rudeness in the past.”
Conversation was interrupted. Several sounds are heard in the sound of the lonely blowing wind. The Marquis tried to explore the gaze of the knight covered by the visor. I just wanted to take a peek at that face that just uttered words like a parrot.
“It’s not possible that the story that Kyung has told me so far, he didn’t mean it.”
“Count Leon Benning doesn’t like to play. You’re just going to listen to me jokingly.”
Marquis Baek let out a laugh. Enough of the stupid conversation. The atmosphere emitted by Marquis Baek changed.
“The dead don’t come back.”
The Marquis muttered so. The knights seemed taken aback by the sudden words of the Marquis.
“It is one of the most painful and cruel lessons I have ever learned in my life. Maybe it was a lesson I had better not learn.”
The Marquis raised his sword. The knights raised their swords as if disapproving of the Marquis’ boiling fighting spirit.
“Does your master know about this?”
“… In the end, this is how it works.”
The Marquis looked at the knight aiming his sword at him and asked in a sarcastic voice.
“By the way, you’re pretending to be relaxed, but you’re in a hurry, aren’t you? The Count Leon Benning I know would never try to conciliate others like that. If Benning had enough strength to stop me, there’d be no reason for him to talk so badly.”
“That is none of your business now.”
The knight raised his sword high. Of course, changing the words was tantamount to affirming the margrave’s sarcasm, but it was better to just let it go rather than forcefully refute it.
“Marquis, I’m repeating this, but it’s a decision I’ll soon regret. Don’t forget that this is your last chance from Count Leon Benning.”
“You talk as if the king of this country is Leon Benning. Well, from what you’re saying, it doesn’t sound like you’re wrong.”
“… Be careful with your words. The Count doesn’t like that very much.”
Marquis Baek burst out laughing. The laughter soon hardened into a cold expressionless expression, and a haze rose from his feet. Numerous battles in the no-man’s land, the slayer who cut down tens of thousands of monsters with his own hands was awakening his power.
“He is a knight within three fingers of the kingdom. be careful.”
The knights formed formation as if they were about to join forces. As the Marquis stepped forward, the snow evaporated as it was in the blooming aura, creating steam.
“It’s a decision you’ll regret.”
The Marquis muttered. On the other side, the knights of Leon Benning also radiated auras and confronted the Marquis.
“We will soon find out who will regret it.”
The Marquis flew a new model. Rather than responding to the sword attack all at once, the knights of Leon Benning seemed to have decided to spread out and attack the Marquis one after another. Like a wild dog hunting a deer, it was a strategy to slowly reduce his stamina.
“-Not like that!”
However, they knew better than anyone else that the target the knights were hunting was never a deer. The Marquis cut down even the trees blocking his way and aimed at one of the four knights. It was too late to dodge, a blow that came at the perfect moment. The moment the knight quickly lowered his sword, the Margrave’s sword blew the knight away.
bang-!
couldn’t break through
The Marquis intended to break the blade, but the knight’s resistance was stronger than expected. In the meantime, the two knights flew at once, aiming for his back. Rather than forcibly strike back, the Marquis twisted his body and let out a sword strike, and occupied a good position for a one-sided attack.
“-!”
And, the margrave’s sword attack was directed not at the two knights who rushed towards him or the knight who had already flown away, but at the knight who was standing by and keeping a distance. Perhaps it was because he did not anticipate that he would rush at him, but the knight’s response was slower than expected. The Marquis swung his sword, thinking that he would pay for that arrogance with his supply and demand.
Kang-!
However, it got stuck.
Although he noticed that it was burdensome, the margrave’s sword attack failed to blow the knight away and was blocked while drawing a sword.
“-Kuh.”
A painful moan flowed from the mouth of the knight who was forcibly holding on. It was not the time to hold on. It was because the presence of the two knights was rapidly approaching behind the Marquis.
Tung-!
Marquis breathed and received the knights’ sword attack. Before long, the three knights’ pincer attack began. As if they had been in sync for a long time, they deftly thrust their swords into the gaps that the margrave sometimes exposed, without interfering with each other’s sword strikes.
“-these bastards.”
Marquis narrowly avoided the sword attack. The knight’s movement collapsed in an instant, as if he had not thought of avoiding the aura-infused sword at such a narrow distance. The Marquis changed his sword into reverse and thrust it into the stomach of the knight who had stopped moving.
“Cheuk-!”
The knight coughed up blood. The Marquis did not stop at this, and after gripping the sword in the forward direction again, split the knight’s body in half. Even as their comrade split in two from the top of their heads and collapsed, the knights of Leon Benning stepped back and regrouped without a moment’s agitation.
‘… Damn it.’
I was able to clean up one guy quickly, but the aura grazed my thigh and left a deep cut. The Marquis’ blood flowed down his legs, making the already reddish snowfield even more red.
“-You are much stronger than I thought, Marquis.”
In exactly the same composition as at the beginning of the battle, the knights raised their swords and aimed them at the Marquis. When did the knight who flew away after receiving the first blow joined the ranks, unstable but raising an aura.
“But if time drags on like this, you will all perish in this forest anyway. Marquis, Buddha, why don’t you come to your senses and think calmly?”
At the knight’s words, the Marquis glanced back. The numbers on both sides were noticeably reduced. The adjutant seemed to have defeated the knight he was dealing with at first, but he was surrounded by several knights again, holding his sword, and the soldiers still bravely charged the knights, but those who could use the aura in earnest As it spewed out, it seemed too difficult to hold on to its feet.
“It’s a waste to bleed any more than this.”
“… Noisy.”
The Marquis gnashed his teeth and drove the sword into the ground. three. Those who remain are probably the strongest of the bunch. The leg bleeding was uncomfortable, but not enough to interfere with combat. If you only defeat them by assisting with physical discomfort with mana,
“If we defeat it, do you think there will be a next one?”
As if reading the Marquis’ thoughts, the knight asked in a calm voice.
“It’s not like we’re under the foolish illusion that we’re the count’s strength. Even if you miraculously defeat us all here and enter the capital, what will greet you will not be the encouragement of your allies, but the cold blade of punishment that Count Leon Benning will drop.”
The Marquis grinded his teeth softly. Seeing that appearance, the knight didn’t even smirk and spoke calmly.
“Change bag. You made a really bad choice… .”
bang-!
Silence fell again. Between the three knights and the Marquis, something like a gray stick fell like a meteor and stuck.
Kwajik.
A drop of blood flowed down the knight’s cheek, revealed through the shattered helmet. The knight didn’t even think about cleaning the wound on his cheek, just staring at the weapon that had made a huge hole in the ground. Rough handle finished in leather. A smooth body with all sorts of minor scars following him. And at the end of it, a heavy lump of iron. It was neither a sword nor an axe. The knight muttered after recognizing the weapon with a confused voice.
“mace… ?”
Sabakin, Sabakin.
The sound of footsteps was getting closer. It was not one, but the footsteps of many. And what came next was a voice that was quite familiar to the Marquis.
“I was about to smash your head, but I guess I’m old too.”
Paola Simon appeared with the Raven Knights.
“So, who made the wrong choice?”
A grin, with a grin on his face.