Chapter 560
Chapter 560: The Fight Is Just Beginning (2)
The most fundamental tactic for confronting superhumans without having one in your ranks is to use defensive tactics.
No matter how powerful a superhuman may be, if they overexert themselves and deplete their mana, they can still be taken down by soldiers.
The fortress commander was also prepared to face superhumans in this manner. Various obstacles and soldiers were positioned in anticipation of the castle gate’s collapse.
“They’re coming! Hold the line!”
The soldiers waiting behind the gate gritted their teeth and raised their weapons.
A cold-faced man stood alone before them.
It may have seemed reckless to come alone, but he was a being strong enough to slice through the castle gate in a single strike. They had to risk their lives to stop him.
Despite their terror, they attempted to muster the will to block Yulien.
“……”
Yulien glanced at them without saying a word. He had no intention of breaking through.
He merely opened the door in advance, making it easier for others to enter. This was just in case the enemies continued to resist.
Paf!
Yulien suddenly began to scale the fortress walls.
The soldiers behind the door could only watch as they had to guard the open door. The soldiers above were still stunned and unable to respond.
Thud.
With a picturesque landing atop the fortress, Yulien immediately swung his sword.
Slash.
“Ahhh!”
It wasn’t until the soldiers around him had their heads severed that the remaining soldiers snapped back to reality.
“Attack! Kill that guy!”
The fortress commander shouted from a distance.
A superhuman had climbed up alone. They had to somehow deplete his strength and inflict damage. Though they might suffer losses as well, it wouldn’t be impossible to overwhelm him with their full force.
If a single superhuman was capable of occupying a fortress, then superhumans would have ended wars all on their own.
“Waaah!”
The soldiers charged at Yulien, with even the knights protecting the commander rushing forward.
They all understood that now was their only chance to take down a superhuman who was alone.
Yulien swung his sword again toward the mass of soldiers rushing at him.
Slash.
The necks of the soldiers diving in a wide arc all fell simultaneously.
As soon as the necks of the soldiers in the front row fell, Yulien moved once more.
Slash.
Thud.
The soldiers’ necks fell again. Only then did those charging forward halt in their tracks.
“Uh? Huh?”
“What just happened…?”
“Why…?”
The heat of battle dissipated in an instant as they found themselves in an unreal situation.
The superhumans they had seen before were akin to weapons of war.
Thus, they had anticipated the destruction of the battlefield brought about by sheer power.
If Yulien had exhibited such outrageous might, the soldiers wouldn’t have been so shaken.
Even if they were battered and bruised, they would at least follow orders. The madness of war would not easily subside.
But this was abnormal.
There was no explosion, no destruction reached, and it was just his sword that swung, resulting in all those charging in from afar losing their heads.
Fear.
An incomprehensible terror froze the Atrode Army.
“I can’t win against this.”
“I can’t even get close.”
“How are we supposed to fight?”
These soldiers were already low in morale and inexperienced. Against Yulien’s blade, they could do nothing.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
At that moment, a group of knights following Yulien used grappling hooks to ascend the fortress.
“Lord Yulien!”
The knights quickly raised their shields and surrounded Yulien.
They were knights from the Turian Army and the Allied Forces. Over a hundred in number.
Though not an insignificant amount, it was still a stretch for them to wipe out all the fortress’s soldiers on their own.
However, there was no worry on their faces. They overflowed with confidence.
They believed that victory was guaranteed as long as Yulien was with them.
At the same time, Marquis Gideon, leading the Allied Forces, shouted.
“The door is open! Let’s go!”
“Waaah!”
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The waiting cavalry of the Allied Forces bolted out like arrows.
They would now attack the opening created.
The soldiers on the fortress had to utilize arrows and weapons to stop the approaching troops. Yet, with Yulien standing atop the castle wall, no one dared to do so.
The fortress commander yelled, veins bulging in his neck.
“What are you all doing!? Kill them! Fight already!”
Despite that, the soldiers couldn’t advance. The thought that they shouldn’t fight had taken control of their minds.
Yulien slowly extended his sword and spoke.
“Step aside.”
Yulien had come out into the world to save people. It wasn’t for nothing that he had gained the moniker of Savior.
He wanted to minimize damage as much as possible.
With his cold words, every soldier in the fortress unconsciously took a step back.
But not everyone retreated. Even if they were low-ranking, there were those who had sworn oaths as knights.
“Attack!”
The fortress knights shouted loudly and simultaneously charged toward Yulien.
They intended to raise morale, even at the cost of their own lives.
Though they were enemies, it was commendable behavior. They remained true to their duty as knights.
“……”
Yulien decided to show some courtesy to those knights. Even though he would have to exert himself more than usual.
Slash.
Pah!
Blood sprayed from the area near the hearts of the knights who charged at him. Their chests and hearts met the blade at the same time.
Thud! Thud! Whoomp!
The knights fell to the ground all at once. Their heads remained intact, allowing their bodies to be preserved.
That was Yulien’s tribute to worthy adversaries.
However, those watching the scene were so horrified that they retreated even further. They understood they could die without even approaching.
Swish!
Yulien said nothing more and simply jumped.
He launched himself at incredible speed by stepping on soldiers’ shoulders and heads.
The fortress commander drew his sword as he saw Yulien approaching him.
Slash!
Yulien spun in mid-air before landing on the ground.
The fortress commander fell, his body cleaved without ever being able to swing his drawn sword.
Boom!
Clang.
Looking down at the corpse for a moment, Yulien sheathed his sword. His fight ended there.
The knights who followed Yulien cheered loudly.
“The enemy commander is dead!”
“The commander is dead!”
“Surrender! Surrender and you shall be spared!”
A mere hundred knights were shouting for over ten thousand soldiers to surrender.
Atrode Army soldiers looked at their subordinate commander, who was to lead them.
The lower-ranking commanders were at a loss just as much. The atmosphere had completely changed because of one person.
Step by step.
As Yulien turned to walk, the fortress soldiers parted to make way for him. No one dared to touch even a hem of his clothing.
Thud thud thud thud thud!
The main force of the Allied Army approached the castle gate. They stood ready, exuding a sharp momentum.
If they refused to surrender and continued to resist, the slaughter would begin.
That was what had happened to the fortresses that held out until the end.
Right now, Yulien was giving them a chance.
Clink.
The nearest subordinate commander laid down his weapon. Instantly, everyone rushed to discard their weapons.
In truth, they had already lost their will to fight after witnessing Yulien’s strength. They could fight if they wanted, but they preferred not to die first.
“Everybody, lay down!”
At Marquis Gideon’s shout, all the soldiers of the fortress knelt.
“Waaah!”
“We won again!”
“Truly, Lord Yulien is amazing!”
The Allied Forces raised their weapons and shouted loudly. Once again, thanks to Yulien, they had quickly captured the fortress with minimal casualties.
Everyone had every reason to overflow with confidence and joy.
Marquis Gideon approached Yulien and bowed his head.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“……”
Yulien slightly nodded and returned to the formation. Now, once the battlefield was cleared, they would move toward the next fortress.
As he paused for a moment, Yulien looked up at the sky.
The Ruthania Army, traveling through the most arduous routes, was said to be advancing at the fastest pace.
‘Indeed…’
While it was thanks to their overwhelming strength, it couldn’t be underestimated. That strength had been cultivated by Ghislaine even while having nothing.
Having read the “Chronicles of Duke Penris” (revised version by Claude), he was well aware.
An equally formidable might, outstanding war execution ability, and administrative skills that had tremendously expanded their territory.
The more he thought about it, the more impressive a friend he was. Yulien felt he could never reach that level.
He recalled that day’s events.
‘A friend, huh…’
Becoming friends with someone and being together—was a rather unfamiliar concept for Yulien.
But it wasn’t now. Participating in this war, he was gradually feeling different emotions.
Unlike before, where he had to judge and fight alone, he could now share burdens with someone. That sense of relief was immense.
A friend who had approached him without reservation, despite his overwhelming loneliness that had left his emotions parched.
‘Ghislaine.’
This was even an emotion he hadn’t felt before. He had been someone who never needed help from anyone.
As Yulien gazed at the clear sky, Claude’s associates gathered around him.
Swish.
Rustle.
Creeping in like cockroaches, they eagerly recorded Yulien’s actions from the battle.
And Yulien…
“……”
Ignored them entirely and returned to his own spot.
*
“Waaah!”
The Ruthania Army captured Atrode Royal Castle and erupted in cheers.
They had finally succeeded in breaching and occupying all the castles and fortresses.
Of course, this didn’t mean the war was over. There were still Allied Forces fighting in the remaining areas.
However, since the capital governing all supply routes heading toward the Kingdom of Grimwell had been taken, it could now be said that the Kingdom of Atrode had met its end.
Ghislaine strode confidently into Atrode Royal Castle. The Allied Forces, having organized their respective regions, would gather here.
“Come on, let’s move quickly. Eat all you can.”
Claude and the administrators rummaged through the royal castle, collecting various documents. They would gather the remaining resources to use for the Allied Forces.
Of course, Claude was hiding the fact that he was raking in a substantial sum of money from the shadows.
“Hehe, just you wait. I’ll become the wealthiest man in the kingdom.”
Since he was a slave, he couldn’t receive a title during the last merit ceremony. So he planned to earn a ton of money and use it to assert his power.
With more covert methods than before, even Wendy hadn’t picked up on it this time.
While organizing the royal castle, Belinda asked Ghislaine.
“I don’t see Duke Reinster? Or should I say the King of Atrode now. He must have fled, right?”
“No, he probably wasn’t here from the beginning.”
“Really?”
“After all, their target was somewhere else.”
“Was it that sacred relic?”
“Right. It’s hard for us to comprehend.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. They couldn’t understand what could be so important that they’d give up the kingdom they had just worked so hard to acquire.
Ghislaine surveyed his close aides and said.
“The battle is only just beginning. The truly strong ones have gone to seize the Kingdom of Grimwell.”
Aiden, born with extraordinary talent that made him one of the seven giants of the continent, and the ominously ruthless leader of the Revolutionary Group, Leonard.
The brilliant strategists Count Bifenbelt and Count Kalmund.
And the High Priests of the Salvation Society and Gathros, who were pulling the strings behind all of this.
There were still many superhumans and renowned generals among the enemy ranks.
No matter how powerful the Allied Forces were, they could not afford to be lax. In war, a single mistake could change the tide.
Shortly after the Ruthania Army’s arrival, the Allied Forces led by Yulien arrived.
Ghislaine greeted Yulien warmly.
“Hey, everything go alright?”
“Yeah.”
Yulien answered curtly as always, but Ghislaine couldn’t help but grin.
Being alongside the continent’s greatest sword from his past life made Ghislaine feel secure. Yulien’s strength was indeed a tremendous asset.
He hadn’t expected to be able to team up with Yulien so soon. Ghislaine hadn’t anticipated Yulien would seek him out willingly.
Those encountering Yulien for the first time would surely be taken aback. Furthermore, even if word got out, no one yet knew the extent of Yulien’s power.
‘That will be a significant variable in this war.’
Of course, it wasn’t just that alone that made him feel good.
Ghislaine was always grateful to Yulien for sharing the burdens with him and the others.
It had been truly tough to fight while leading only mercenaries in his past life.
‘I should never mention that he showed up in my dreams.’
While he was curious about how that blank expression would change if he did, he couldn’t be a target for crazy people for just a moment of fun.
After waiting a little longer, the other Allied Forces began to arrive one after another.
Though some divisions were delayed due to fierce resistance from the enemy, none had suffered significant losses.
Once the Allied Forces regrouped, Ghislaine issued a new command.
“All forces, advance to the Kingdom of Grimwell.”
It was finally time to crush the remaining enemies thoroughly.