"He's really good at fighting…"
Jared muttered.
Just moments ago, Yuri had charged in, shouting, "You think you're that good at fighting?"
And then he immediately got hit and was sent flying again.
"That must've hurt…"
Every time Gert swung his sword, a shockwave powerful enough to topple mountains swept through the area. If hit directly, you'd die. Even narrowly dodging meant getting flung far away.
There was an overwhelming gap in power.
But then again, he was the Third Prince.
Though Gert beat him senseless—no other way to put it—he kept getting back up, like a roly-poly doll, defiantly charging back in.
Moved by that unyielding spirit, Guinness muttered blankly,
"Running on pure guts…"
Then, with a roar, Guinness charged.
With that as a signal, everyone from Briol's group except Cory surrounded Gert and began attacking.
It was a many-against-one fight.
It wasn't the most elegant display, but for those involved, it was a desperate struggle.
Gert, clearly annoyed, exploded with energy. Those surrounding him were all blown away at once.
Only Jose managed to endure it.
"As expected of one of the ten strongest, ahahahaha!"
Rather than backing down, he seemed invigorated, charging even harder at Gert.
Every time the blue and black auras clashed, it sounded like thunder.
Laurent, now back in position, looked for Yuri.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Yuri caught his breath and watched the duel between the two knights.
"For now, let's leave it to Jose."
With that, Yuri and Laurent approached Pierre.
He called out to him in a friendly tone.
"Oh, thought you were just a knight. You're a prince?"
"Shut up."
While Yuri's group had been holding off Gert, the others were preparing to run. Yuri had noticed and come because of that.
Pierre scratched his cheek and gave an awkward smile.
"Well, you see…"
Meanwhile, Jose let out a laugh as he was knocked to the ground.
There was no time.
Yuri called out to him.
"Hey, dark mage."
"Yes?"
"Short for black magic-user. Just call it 'dark mage.'"
"Yes."
"I'm Yuri Briol, the Third Prince of Briol."
"Wait, what…?"
His eyes widened.
"Of the Allied Army?"
"That's right."
Yuri stepped up to Pierre and placed a hand on his shoulder. He then locked eyes with Ivan standing beside him.
"The moment you try to run, I'll ignore Gert and shove my sword into you first."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll kill you. I hate dark mages. And there's one thing I hate just as much—traitors. If a dark mage turns traitor too, how much do you think I'll hate them? You'll be the first to die. Keep that in mind."
"Y-yes…"
"You weren't thinking of running, were you?"
"Of course not. We've already been targeted by Gert, how could we possibly…"
"So it was a misunderstanding?"
"Yes. A total misunderstanding."
"Knew I could count on you, Pierre. We're in a temporary alliance, right?"
"Y-yes…"
"Then act like an ally."
"Of course."
"And Ivan."
"Yes?"
"You sure you're a mercenary?"
"Y-yes, I am."
"Doesn't look like it. You registered with the mercenary guild?"
"Yes, I have."
"Then you know the mercenary code, right?"
"Yes…"
"I'll believe you."
Yuri slapped both of their backs and shoved them toward Gert.
The other four mercenaries also flinched at Yuri's glance and stepped forward.
It was the moment when Briol's group of seven and the six dark mages formed a joint front against the Death Knight Gert.
A 13-to-1 battle.
"It couldn't be helped."
No one pitied Gert.
He was the criminal who led his own nation to ruin.
Unlike the nameless progenitor they met in Erich's dungeon, or himself who was seeking redemption in his second life, Gert was still wandering through Adelvine, taking lives.
Someone had to stop him.
While Yuri prepared to fight, Cory cast a spell on him from behind. His body felt lighter.
Yuri gave Cory a thumbs-up, then leapt into the chaotic battlefield.
Gert, like a human cannon, was wildly launching sword aura in every direction.
Very few could withstand it. At best, Jose and Yuri—maybe Laurent, Jared, and Ivan if being generous—could handle it.
The rest were too busy dodging, and even a graze sent them tumbling far away.
"Jose!"
"Yes!"
"Hold him!"
"Understood!"
While Jose locked Gert in place, Yuri circled around from behind.
"This time it's my turn."
The plate armor Gert wore deflected most attacks.
But Yuri had a technique that amplified his power.
A whirlwind began to stir within Guilty. Yuri's first technique—Whirling Vortex Blade.
He began twisting his mana toward Gert. The twisted mana twisted again, and again, and again.
The resulting vortex interlocked like gears, shredding everything within its radius.
The air itself began to distort.
"Jose, move!"
"Yes!"
The moment Jose pulled back, Yuri slammed the swirling storm of sword aura from Guilty onto Gert's back.
A spiral crack began to form on his plate armor.
Only then did Gert turn his eyes from Jose to Yuri.
"Too late!"
As Yuri drove Guilty in, he amplified the mana surging from its core.
Explosions rang out in succession.
He could feel the hit connect.
Even the stingy Moyong Chan had acknowledged the power of this technique.
The whirlwind swallowed Gert's entire body. A cloud of dust billowed high, obscuring him from view. The sound of crushing and tearing echoed out.
Jose gasped in admiration.
"Your Highness, you've grown stronger."
Yuri grinned. This much should've at least damaged Gert. Maybe they could even end the fight here.
But it didn't go that smoothly.
As the thick dust settled, Gert appeared, clutching his half-destroyed armor, glaring at Yuri.
Where the sword aura had struck, spiral-shaped gouges were etched into the armor. In deeper cracks, you could see the inside. Black smoke rose from every hole.
Gert's murderous aura grew even stronger.
"So he is one of the ten strongest…"
"We're in trouble now."
"Jose. You just gonna watch?"
"Of course not."
Jose swung his sword at Gert's head. But Gert bent backward to dodge and immediately lunged at Yuri.
He seemed furious from the earlier attack.
Jose shouted,
"Ahh, dodge it!"
"You think I don't want to?!"
Yuri clenched his teeth.
His meridians weren't in good shape to begin with, and using Whirling Vortex Blade had only worsened it. He couldn't escape in time.
Then—
Simon and Guinness leapt in front of him.
"Your Highness! Get back!"
"We'll stop him!"
"You two…"
Trusting them, Yuri pulled back.
The two clashed head-on with Gert.
They had also grown a great deal, so they didn't fall immediately.
They desperately parried Gert's sword, buying time. Cory continued to support the two of them with magic.
"Just a little longer!"
Yuri stepped back briefly to stabilize his inner flow.
Then suddenly, a dark energy approached him. Turning around, he saw Pierre casting black magic on him.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping."
"I told you I hate black magic, didn't I?"
"Think about the situation. Whether it's magic or black magic, we have to take Gert down first, don't we?"
"Damn it, fine."
He'd fought against black magic countless times, but this was the first time he let it into his body.
As Yuri lowered his guard, the black energy flowed in.
His heartbeat quickened, and his mind sharpened. It felt similar to when he had taken mandragora. Yuri could sense the faint madness coursing through his meridians.
But the heart-soul slash was stronger.
The black magic couldn't contaminate him at all.
"Not bad."
Yuri smirked as he felt the strength surging within him.
The sensation was unpleasant, but the power boost was undeniable. Many of his injuries were already healing.
"Well done, Pierre."
"Hmm…"
But Pierre didn't look particularly pleased.
"What, got a problem?"
"No."
"Surprised I'm still sane?"
"A little…"
"We'll talk later."
Just then, Simon and Guinness were knocked away, and Laurent stepped in to take their place.
Yuri jumped in immediately.
"Laurent!"
"Yes!"
"Let's go together!"
"Understood!"
The two clashed with Gert.
Yuri and Laurent were sharp enough to read each other's intentions through just a glance, and their understanding of swordsmanship was equally high.
That's how they overcame the power difference through teamwork.
Gert continued swinging his sword, but they dodged with hairbreadth precision and struck his body. The damage piled up. Light flared in Gert's eyes.
Angry, Gert launched a powerful swing.
But his blade sliced through empty air.
The two split in opposite directions along the sword's shaft, and stabbed into Gert's abdomen.
Two swords skewered him like a spit.
Black smoke billowed from the cracks in his shattered plate armor.
It didn't feel like striking living flesh, but the black energy that composed his body was starting to thin.
Yuri called out.
"Jose!"
"Yes!"
"Now!"
As Gert flinched, Jose leapt high into the sky.
Then, with gravity at his back, his massive frame began spiraling downward.
It looked like a comet crashing.
"WahahaHAHAHAHA!"
Letting out a sound that was half-laughter, half-scream, Jose dove toward Gert, who was pinned in place by Yuri and Laurent's swords.
Light burst from his body, illuminating the area.
Right before impact, Yuri and Laurent pulled their swords and scattered.
Gert and Jose collided.
An explosion erupted, shooting beams of light in every direction. The ground collapsed and dirt flew, forming a crater-like terrain.
Watching the scene, Yuri marveled.
"Sir Jose…"
Yuri had been searching for a third technique to follow Whirling Vortex Blade and one-point thrust. Watching this collision, he felt he might've found a clue.
Yuri fixed his eyes on the point of impact.
It was impressive, but since it was a full-body collision, the recoil on Jose must've been immense. Yuri prayed Jose was unharmed.
"Uh…"
But then—
The one who emerged from the smoke wasn't Jose.
It was Gert.
His armor had completely shattered, leaving only the left breastplate protecting his heart. He walked out dragging his sword, his skeletal frame exposed.
A trail of blood marked the path carved by his dragging blade.
Whatever had happened, one thing was clear.
Gert had survived.
Even with his armor destroyed, his natural aura remained unchanged. In fact, it was growing stronger.
A fierce wind blew, clearing the dust.
At the center of the deep crater, Jose lay motionless, covered in blood.
"Jose!"
A faint voice reached them.
"My apologies, Your Highness…"
Thankfully, he wasn't dead.
In his previous life, Jose had defeated Gert, but maybe this time it had been too early. Yuri looked at Gert and tightened his grip on Guilty.
"No need to apologize."
Gert's steps turned toward Yuri.
Yuri didn't back down.
Laurent and Jared flanked him on either side.
Simon and Guinness stood a bit further off, forming a perimeter.
Even Ivan and his mercenary band, who had been watching the fight, stepped in with their swords drawn.
The two mages continued to form hand seals.
"Hoo…"
Yuri could feel both Cory's magic and Pierre's black magic flowing through his meridians. With Guilty resting on his shoulder, he aligned his senses.
The two conflicting energies were becoming entangled under the mediation of heart-soul slash.
"Gert."
Perhaps it was because of this.
The madness of black magic might've influenced him slightly—Yuri opened his mouth on impulse.
"Aren't you ashamed? You destroyed Adelvine, and instead of seeking redemption, you're still going around hurting people. And you call yourself a knight? Huh?"
Pierre looked at Yuri.
"Um, provoking him might just…"
"Guys like him don't understand nice words."
At this point, it was do or die.
Yuri decided he might as well vent.
"A piece of trash who destroyed his own country. A murderer who takes innocent lives. That's what you are. If you have any conscience left, try making an excuse, you damn skeleton."
"Um, Your Highness…"
"I'm not done. You were a proper knight once, right? What happened to you? Did black magic blind you so badly you lost all sense? Did you really want to live that badly? Aren't you embarrassed?"
"He's not going to understand anyway…"
"You damn skeleton bastard. Who the hell do you think you are, killing people? You think Adelvine belongs to you? Huh?"
"Your Highness, that's enough."
"I haven't even started. Look at him. He can't say a word. You know why? Because I'm right. You conscience-dead, garbage heap of a skeleton."
"Ugh…"
"Hey, Gert. I bet even your parents made seaweed soup when—"
That's when it happened.
Gert opened his mouth.
[Your words… are too harsh.]
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