Let's Celebrate Today's Victory (1)
Crest's army formation had completely collapsed. Thousands of casualties lay sprawled on the ground, and despair filled the eyes of the survivors.
"T-This…!"
Only now did the realization dawn upon them. They finally remembered, as the allied forces charged toward them, that their opponent was not just a mere mage.
With their formation in shambles, there was no stopping the approaching forces. The commanders shouted again.
"F-Form up the ranks!"
"Shield bearers! Get to the front, now!"
"Get into formation, I said!"
The Crest soldiers hurriedly stopped pursuing Ghislain and scrambled to reform their ranks.
But it was already too late. A broken formation could not be restored in an instant.
Yulian dashed into the panicked Crest soldiers.
Slash!
"Arghhh!"
Yulian tore through the Crest soldiers without hesitation, his sword cutting them down like wheat in a storm.
Kyle and Tyrann soon arrived as well. Both displayed swordsmanship on par with Yulian, slicing through their enemies without mercy.
With the three of them wreaking havoc, the already confused Crest forces were thrown into complete disarray. Some tried to chase them, while others fled.
Soon, the rest of the allied forces crashed into the Crest army.
Boom!
The allied troops and mercenaries, their morale soaring, relentlessly drove the Crest soldiers back.
The Swipel forces, who had arrived as reinforcements, struck the Crest army's flank.
Ghislain had already taken down more than half of Crest's forces on his own. In other words, the remaining soldiers on both sides were nearly equal in number.
But with Crest's formation in ruins and their morale shattered, they had no chance of withstanding the attack. They failed to defend properly and were slaughtered helplessly.
"You bastards! We're the strongest mercenary band!"
"How's our vice-captain's magic taste?!"
"The Crest Count dies today!"
The high-spirited mercenaries shouted as they swung their weapons. The Crest soldiers, having lost their fighting spirit, crumbled with shocking ease.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Osval's massive war hammer proved devastating in the chaotic melee. Filled with unshakable confidence, he mercilessly smashed through the Crest soldiers, laughing heartily.
"I, Osval, will follow my hyung for life and achieve greatness together! Hahaha!"
Though normally timid, Osval was nearly unstoppable in battle due to his massive frame and overwhelming strength. Ordinary soldiers stood no chance against him.
Thanks to everyone's efforts, the Crest army collapsed rapidly. The knights scattered throughout the battlefield tried to hold their ground, but the Ironclad Lion Corps officers swiftly engaged them.
The knights held out for a while, but when the allied knights joined the fray, they too began to fall one by one.
Yulian, Kyle, and Tyrann were especially fast and powerful, leaving no enemy capable of stopping them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"I am Tyrann!"
Tyrann shouted, swinging his sword with unstoppable force. No soldier could withstand his strikes.
"I am Kyle!"
Kyle, unwilling to fall behind, swung his blade just as fiercely. His sharp swordplay was like a wolf's fangs aiming for the throat.
"I am the darkness! The mighty Dark!"
Dark simply shouted from Kyle's shoulder.
Yulian, leading the charge, surveyed the battlefield. The Crest army was failing to put up any meaningful resistance against the overwhelming assault.
'Not much left now.'
More and more enemies abandoned the fight and ran. No one remained to stand their ground with courage.
This was the perfect moment to end it.
"Surrender! Those who surrender will be spared!"
Hearing Yulian's command, the surrounding soldiers immediately dropped to the ground. They, too, realized the battle had already been lost.
Similar cries soon echoed throughout the battlefield.
"Surrender, and you will live!"
"Drop your weapons and lie down!"
"If you resist, we'll kill you all! Get down now!"
The vicious mercenaries' shouts had an even greater effect. Even the retreating soldiers threw away their weapons and collapsed to the ground.
Even the knights discarded their swords and knelt. After all, very few were truly loyal to a cruel noble like Crest's Count.
Seeing the enemy surrender so swiftly, Yulian clenched his fist.
Of course, he knew this wasn't the end. The enemy still had one last move left.
As expected, the dazed Count of Crest, watching the battlefield in disbelief, soon twisted his face in rage and roared.
"Mages! Attack! Use everything! Kill them all!"
The count's eyes burned red with fury.
His once-mighty army, the strongest in this region, was surrendering to mere riffraff. Even the knights he had trusted had fallen to their knees.
Unforgivable. He had to kill them all. Only their deaths would satisfy him.
Hearing the count's command, one of the mages hesitated.
"But, my lord! Our own troops are mixed in! If we use magic—"
"Then you want us all to die here?! The enemy mage is exhausted and has withdrawn! Just unleash all the magic! Kill them all! Every last one of them!"
The mages had done little in this battle besides using anti-magic barriers and protecting themselves. Yet, they had failed to stop the enemy's magic.
In short, they had accomplished nothing. But that also meant they still had plenty of mana left.
With grim expressions, the mages began gathering their magic power. Since it was the count's order, they had no choice but to wipe out both enemy and ally alike.
Whoooom…
More than ten mages began channeling their mana, causing the very air to tremble.
Once their large-scale magic was unleashed, the battlefield would be engulfed in devastation.
But before they could even complete their spells, something flew toward them.
"Huh?"
Clang!
One mage hastily summoned a shield. A small fireball struck it and exploded.
"A m-mage? Who did that?"
Shocked, they scanned their surroundings—only to see dozens of fireballs hurtling toward them from the same direction.
Ghislain had reappeared behind enemy lines, having circled around the battlefield.
"The enemy mage is behind us! Stop him!"
The mages panicked, halting their spellcasting and focusing on defense.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fireballs relentlessly struck their shields. With their attention now divided, they could no longer concentrate on casting their devastating magic.
The fireballs weren't powerful, but mages were physically frail—getting hit would be fatal.
As they floundered under the barrage, the mage commander yelled.
"You idiots! I'll maintain the shield! Just keep casting!"
Only then did the mages regain their composure. They had been so focused on protecting themselves that they forgot they didn't have to.
Ghislain, spinning his staff, smirked.
"Disappear."
Fwoosh!
The mage commander's shield vanished instantly.
Ghislain hadn't been avoiding magic nullification because he couldn't do it—he simply found it tedious. Doing it once was no problem at all.
It was a cheap trick, but ultimately, he had reached the level of a 6th-circle mage.
"H-Huh?! What?!"
The mage commander, a 5th-circle caster, couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
Even if his opponent was a prodigy capable of simultaneous casting, a battle of equal circles should have resulted in a drawn-out struggle.
More fireballs rained down on the mages. They tried to raise their shields, but then—
"I'm here."
A voice whispered from right in front of them.
Startled, the mages turned pale as they saw Ghislain standing within arm's reach, twirling his staff. Around him, dozens of fireballs still hovered, ready to strike.
The mage commander screamed in desperation.
"Nullify his magic! No, just cast the wide-area spell—just stop him first!"
Ghislain had rattled them so thoroughly that they had no idea what to do. Even though this time it was real magic, they hesitated, recalling how their magic nullification had failed just moments ago.
Focusing on wide-area magic was also out of the question, as fireballs relentlessly rained down on them. If one mage raised a shield, it was immediately dispelled.
These mages had only ever fought easy battles. Their hesitation and slow decision-making reflected that. Meanwhile, Ghislain was not only vastly superior in skill but also a master of psychological warfare.
A man who excelled at everything—except romance. That was Ghislain.
Boom!
"Gahhh!"
As Ghislain closed in, he swung his staff, sending a shielding mage flying.
The nearby mages flinched in horror and instinctively backed away, prioritizing their own survival over their allies.
Only the mage commander had the presence of mind to react, hurriedly raising his hand and unleashing a powerful surge of mana.
Fwoooosh!
Though hastily cast, as a 5th-circle mage, his spell packed considerable power.
Ghislain, fatigued from the prolonged battle, narrowed his eyes slightly but simply sidestepped the attack. There was no need to take it head-on.
"Huh?"
The mage, not expecting Ghislain to dodge, let out a terrified gasp. In the next moment, Ghislain was right in front of him, smiling.
"Nordhill and Lacus need more mages, so I'll let you live."
Whack!
Before the mage commander could even raise a shield, Ghislain's staff struck his head. Blood trickled down his forehead as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"I hope that didn't make him any dumber," Ghislain muttered, tilting his head slightly before darting toward the remaining mages.
Some outright tried to flee, but frail mages had no hope of escaping from him.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
"Urghh!"
One by one, the mages fell, knocked out cold.
Seeing this, Count Crest let out a desperate, enraged scream.
"Kill him! Kill that bastard now!"
At last, the count's royal guards sprang into action.
Ghislain scoffed and clicked his tongue in mockery.
"If you were going to move, you should've done it earlier. Too late now."
The elite escorts of a great noble were called the Royal Guard.
Count Crest's Royal Guard was composed entirely of high-level knights.
Among them, two were senior knights, while the commander himself was at the threshold of high-level mastery.
Had they moved from the start, even Ghislain wouldn't have been able to wreak such havoc.
But the count had kept them at his side, fearing for his own safety. He had assumed their overwhelming numbers would win the battle without needing his elite guards.
Now, even if they moved to capture Ghislain, it was far too late.
"I'm out."
Ghislain, drained from the fight, shamelessly turned and sprinted away as the knights charged at him.
"After him!"
Crest's knight commander, Simon, bellowed and led the pursuit.
However, he barely took a few steps before freezing in place.
"Damn it…"
The enemy had already encircled them. Their powerful mage had knocked out all the allied mages and vanished.
Step, step, step.
Yulian walked forward, brandishing his sword.
"Surrender. If you do, everyone except Count Crest will be spared."
For Nordhill and Lacus to thrive, they needed skilled knights. Having already discussed the matter with Ghislain, Yulian intended to recruit them.
Count Crest's eyes were bloodshot as he shrieked.
"Silence! Kill him! Kill them all now!"
The terrifying mage had retreated. A mere mercenary should be no match for his Royal Guard.
Or so he believed.
His army was in ruins, leaving him with no choice but to rely on his elite knights.
Simon stared at Yulian in silence before finally speaking.
"You're the captain of the Yulian Mercenaries?"
"I am."
"And that mage?"
"He's our vice-captain."
A vice-captain stronger than the actual captain? Ridiculous.
Still, this was an opportunity.
Simon's eyes subtly scanned the area. Yulian stood much further ahead than the others.
'If I can just capture him…'
Turning the tide was impossible. No matter how skilled they were, they were hopelessly outnumbered.
But if he took the mercenary leader hostage, he might be able to negotiate an escape.
He was a high-level knight. If he gave it his all, he could take down a mere mercenary in an instant.
Boom!
Without warning, Simon exploded forward with a burst of mana, aiming to slash Yulian's leg and take him hostage.
But Yulian's reaction speed was extraordinary. He blocked the strike.
Clang!
"W-What?!"
Simon was stunned. A mercenary had parried his attack?
But he was a high-level knight. He immediately adjusted his stance and swung for Yulian's throat.
Clang!
Yulian staggered as he blocked again. His opponent's skill was overwhelming—deflecting the attacks was already difficult.
"You…!"
Simon pressed the attack, determined to overpower him before others could intervene.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yulian retreated step by step, narrowly deflecting each blow. The knight's sword was so swift and forceful that counterattacking or evading seemed impossible.
The surrounding troops were frozen in place. The fight was happening too fast for them to process.
But this battlefield was full of warriors as strong as Yulian.
And unlike knights, mercenaries had no qualms about attacking together.
Slash!
"Argh!"
Simon, focused solely on Yulian, failed to notice Kyle's sword slashing his shoulder.
Though he twisted his body to avoid a fatal wound, Tyrann's sword came slicing toward his leg from the opposite side.
"This is dishonorable! A duel should be one-on-one!"
Clang!
Simon roared in anger, parrying the strike. But then, from the other side—
Clang!
Kyle's sword swung again.
Simon barely managed to block it. His reflexes were remarkable, but even he had his limits.
Thrust!
"Guhh…"
Yulian's sword pierced Simon's throat.
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