The red glow from Ghislain's greatsword surged, its sharp energy slicing through the air and creating a violent vortex. He moved once more, this time targeting the approaching monsters.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
His movements were like lightning. With each swing of his greatsword, the flesh of monsters was cut and their bones severed.
Before his sword, the monsters were nothing more than powerless scarecrows. However, the Cyclops still remained. With a sound that tore through the air, its massive club came crashing down toward Ghislain.
BOOOOM!
The Black King twisted its body to evade the attack. The aftermath cracked the earth, sending up a storm of dust and debris. Within that cloud of chaos, Ghislain's silhouette emerged.
Whoosh!
He had already leaped from the Black King's saddle.
Hiiiiiinnng!
The Black King neighed loudly as it brushed past the Cyclops.
ROAAAAR!
The Cyclops let out a deafening roar, raising its club again. In its singular eye, the glint of confidence shone—it believed victory was certain this time. A small foe leaping high into the air was an easy target.
The massive club cleaved through the sky, its trajectory unerringly aimed at Ghislain.
But in that instant, the flow of the world shifted.
Rumble!
Ghislain's greatsword twisted reality. His will bent time and space.
To the Cyclops, Ghislain still appeared to be suspended mid-air. In reality, he had already left that spot. Moving through the cracks of time, Ghislain swung his greatsword toward the Cyclops' head at an unprecedented speed.
Crackling!
By the time the Cyclops regained awareness, its head had already been split in two. A fountain of blood erupted skyward. Before it could comprehend what had happened, its life was extinguished.
THUD!
The massive body collapsed to the ground, shaking the earth and stirring up another storm of dust.
Drip.
Blood flowed more freely from Ghislain's mouth and nose.
Yet, he didn't care. His physical condition no longer mattered. The smaller monsters could be left to the Fenris Knight Order and Vanessa.
BOOM!
Another Cyclops swung its massive club, but Ghislain was already climbing up the weapon toward the Cyclops' head.
Rumble!
The Cyclops raised its other hand to grab Ghislain. Its massive fingers reached for him, certain of its catch.
Kaaaaaa...
But it was a mistake.
Once again, the flow of the world twisted. Ghislain's form blurred and vanished like an illusion, only to reappear elsewhere.
Grind!
The sound of something being sliced briefly filled the air.
Moments later, the Cyclops' head began to separate from its body. Before it could even register that its neck had been severed, its consciousness faded into darkness.
THUD!
The headless body of the Cyclops fell to the ground.
"Cough!"
Ghislain dropped to one knee, blood spilling from his mouth. Using the power of his will any further was impossible.
"Urgh…"
Even maintaining his fifth-stage core was a struggle. He was forced to lower it to the second stage, facing the surrounding monsters in a weakened state.
Hiiiiinnng!
The Black King, which had retreated to a safe distance, returned swiftly. Ghislain mounted the horse again and swung his greatsword.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Many monsters still remained. They swarmed toward Ghislain and the Fenris Knight Order. Thanks to Vanessa, they held their ground, but precarious moments were growing more frequent. Everyone was exhausted.
Ghislain, too, could no longer kill monsters as quickly as before. His strength was nearly depleted, and the tide of monsters began to push him back.
The Black King, sensing Ghislain's fatigue, continuously moved backward to create distance.
ROAAAAR!
Two more Cyclopes remained. Gillian and Kaor held them at bay, but unforeseen variables could arise at any moment.
From atop the fortress, Marquis Alperen made a decisive call.
"Everyone, charge out of the fortress! Rescue our allies! Cavalry, mount up and move out immediately!"
BOOOOM!
Finally, the gates of the fortress opened. The infantry charged out first, driving back the remaining monsters near the gates.
"WAAAAAHHH!"
The monsters' roars faded, replaced by the triumphant cheers of the soldiers echoing across the battlefield.
With reinforcements from the fortress joining, Yulian, Belinda, and Jerome were freed up. They abandoned their positions near the fortress and raced toward Ghislain.
Mounted mercenaries and cavalry also poured out of the fortress.
"Rescue the captain!"
"Move quickly!"
"We're almost done here!"
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The soldiers shouted as they charged toward the remaining monsters.
Yulian, Belinda, and Jerome, upon arrival, immediately focused on rescuing the Fenris Knights. While thousands of monsters still remained, the regular soldiers could handle them. The exhausted Fenris Knights needed aid first.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
Together with the Fenris Knights, they concentrated on defense. None were in any condition to push forward recklessly. Reinforcements from the fortress would arrive soon.
"Push them back quickly!"
After a short wait, reinforcements finally arrived. Mounted soldiers didn't take long to join them.
BOOM!
ROAAAAR!
Thousands of cavalry overwhelmed the remaining monsters. Though the reinforcements were also fatigued, their sheer numbers made it easy to dominate the monsters.
The monsters' numbers rapidly dwindled. With the area secured, Belinda rushed toward Ghislain.
Swoosh!
Daggers flew, skewering the monsters attacking Ghislain.
"Young master! Are you alright?"
Hiiiiinnng! Snort!
The Black King greeted Belinda with a wide, toothy grin, though even the horse looked exhausted. Beneath its sunken eyes, it was smeared with dirt and blood.
Ghislain, covered in blood from head to toe, gave a weary smile, his eyes hollow but determined.
"Well, I'm always fine."
He didn't look fine at all. Even while sitting on the Black King, he wobbled. His core had already dropped to the first stage. The toll of pushing himself to dispatch the Cyclopes had left his body in shambles.
Belinda shook her head. No matter how often she scolded him, he refused to stop taking such risks. She had long given up trying to dissuade him.
Though tired herself, she was in better shape than Ghislain. Now that reinforcements had arrived, dealing with the monsters wasn't difficult.
Swoosh!
Belinda's daggers flew in all directions, skewering the remaining monsters. Her mind was occupied with getting Ghislain to safety.
ROOOAR!
BOOOM!
On one side, the Cyclops swung its massive club, narrowly missing Gillian, whose body was drenched in sweat.
The Cyclops' attacks were so powerful that even a single hit could render someone incapacitated. Gillian couldn't afford to let his guard down for even a moment.
Fortunately, the nearby monsters had been crushed flat by the Cyclops' club, so there was no need to worry about them. However, his body was already covered in wounds from dodging the relentless attacks of the other monsters earlier.
The Cyclops, too, bore a few wounds from Gillian's attacks, but none were fatal. The sheer difference in size and strength made it difficult to inflict significant damage.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The Cyclops was growing increasingly enraged. Gillian focused solely on dodging, making it nearly impossible for the Cyclops to land a direct hit.
As the stalemate dragged on, Yulian finally intervened.
Slash!
KAAAAHHHH!
The Cyclops turned its head sharply as its shoulder was slashed. Another human had appeared.
BOOOOM!
The Cyclops swung its club furiously, but Yulian dodged with ease. Enraged, the Cyclops roared and wildly swung its club.
Boom! Boom! BOOOOM!
Dodging the Cyclops' attacks, Gillian and Yulian seized every opening to launch counterattacks. Even Yulian's sword couldn't easily pierce the Cyclops' thick skin and bones. Exhausted, he struggled to keep up with the towering foe.
Despite the challenges, the two superhumans methodically chipped away at the Cyclops. Yulian's presence allowed Gillian to launch more daring offensives.
KAAAAAHHH!
Before long, the Cyclops was a bloodied mess, screaming in pain. Its ankle had been torn so badly that it could barely move. Each step it took sent waves of agony through its body.
THUD!
Finally, the Cyclops collapsed, unable to endure any longer. Even as it fell, it continued swinging its club.
BOOM!
But the attack missed yet again.
Before the Cyclops could regain its bearings, Yulian moved first. There was no need to approach closely—he could attack from any position.
Seizing a brief opening, Yulian aimed his sword at the Cyclops' lone eye.
Slash!
KAAAAHHHHH!
The Cyclops howled in pain, clutching its eye with both hands. It even dropped its club, writhing in agony. Now, it was nothing more than a massive, helpless target.
Yulian paused his attack briefly to look behind him.
"WAAAAAHHH!"
The monsters had been almost entirely wiped out by the fortress troops' charge. With fewer threats to handle, the Fenris Knights were gathering around the fallen Cyclops.
"Now, strike!"
At someone's shout, the Fenris Knights, who had been waiting for an opportunity, rushed toward the downed Cyclops.
Stab! Slash! Splat!
Their weapons pierced the Cyclops' body, eliciting pained thrashing that forced some knights to retreat momentarily. Yet they quickly resumed their assault.
Gillian and Yulian continued slashing and stabbing the Cyclops without pause.
KAAAAAHHH!
The Cyclops, still clutching its wounded eye, flailed its arms wildly. One knight failed to dodge in time and was struck by the massive hand.
BOOOOM!
The knight was sent flying but, fortunately, escaped serious injury thanks to Vanessa's hastily conjured shield.
"Phew..."
Vanessa was pale, dark circles under her eyes, and blood trickled from her nose as her mana reserves were nearly depleted. Nevertheless, she continued casting low-circle spells to protect allies and attack the Cyclops.
KAAAAHHH!
The Cyclops thrashed in pain, but its efforts to kill anyone were futile—it only accrued more wounds. As the number of monsters dwindled, more knights joined the attack on the Cyclops.
Slash! Stab! Pierce!
KAAAAHHHH!
The Cyclops' body was in tatters, drenched in blood. There wasn't a single uninjured spot left.
Meanwhile, Yulian and Gillian's attacks grew more ferocious. Though both were utterly exhausted, they didn't let up.
With most of the monsters dead, the battle was nearly over. Only the remaining Cyclopes needed to be killed to secure victory.
THUD.
Covered in wounds, the Cyclops collapsed, curling its body inward. It had lost too much blood to rise again.
Yulian and Gillian climbed up the Cyclops' arm.
Whirr!
Gillian's greatsword swung down powerfully, stabbing into the Cyclops' temple.
CRACK!
KAAAAHHH!
The Cyclops screamed and tried to grab Gillian, but he leaped to the ground, leaving his sword embedded.
Looking up at the Cyclops' exposed throat, Yulian swung his sword with all his strength.
Stab!
The blade pierced the Cyclops' throat and stuck. Gritting his teeth, Yulian pushed harder.
Crrrrack!
Krrrk!
Feeling its neck being severed, the Cyclops flailed its hands, trying to dislodge whatever was clinging to it. But its trembling, weakened movements were too slow to catch Yulian.
Slash!
Before the hand could reach him, Yulian's sword sliced through the Cyclops' neck. Though the blade didn't completely sever the neck, the weight of the Cyclops' head caused the remaining flesh to tear.
Thud!
The Cyclops' massive head fell to the ground, followed by its collapsed body.
"We did it!"
A knight shouted triumphantly. At long last, the monstrous Cyclops was defeated.
Everyone turned their attention to the lone remaining Cyclops. Jerome and the other knights had gone to assist Kaor, but the group agreed it was best to join them quickly.
However, upon seeing the scene, they all frowned.
"Ugh, that lunatic is at it again."
Someone muttered, and the others nodded in agreement.
In the middle of a clearing, Kaor was battling the Cyclops alone. The rest of the knights were handling nearby monsters or simply watching.
As Jerome arrived to assist, Kaor shouted.
"Don't! This one's mine! I'll take it down myself!"
Jerome hesitated, casting a single spell before retreating.
Frustrated, Jerome called out, "We need to kill it quickly!"
"It's mine!" Kaor retorted.
"I'm not trying to take it from you!"
"Then get lost!"
The other knights who had approached hesitated at Kaor's outburst.
"Stay back! I'm taking it down! Don't interfere! If you do, I'll kill you!"
Kaor's eyes burned with desire—a desire for the title of 'Cyclops Slayer'.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]