Kaaang!
The air cracked and sparks flew as the spear and falchion struck each other like lightning bolts.
However, at this point, Delkur’s superiority was absolute. A spear thrust required the use of one’s shoulders, elbows, and wrists, but the time it took to attack and recover the weapon was short. It might be different if Randolph’s legs were free, but in this situation of limited mobility, he was always late by half a beat.
In the time that Randolph slashed twice, Delkur had stabbed three times.
The forehead, philtrum, throat, solar plexus, thighs… This was one of the Seven Swords of the Empire, capable of grasping the essence of the whole body and attacking without a single error. Randolph kept deflecting the flexible tip of Delkur’s spear with his blades. However, his slowed swings weren’t the only reason Randolph was simply defending.
So far, this has been the 123rd time. I should be able to gradually see the pattern, but… I still can’t catch it.
At a certain level, experienced warriors would start noticing every combatant’s unique pattern of movement. It might be a habitual flick of a spear, but once it was repeated so many times, it formed a strange consistency that allowed the opponent to read the incoming attack.
Randolph, in particular, was excellent at finding and reading these patterns. It was a different kind of ability than Theo’s super sensitivity or Lloyd Pollan’s Pathfinder. It was a skill Randolph had developed and honed by submerging himself in the mud of battle over and over again.
However, he couldn’t read anything from Delkur. If she wanted to stab him in the stomach, she looked down. If he looked down, she would come from the side. It was a puzzling and tricky trajectory. He tried to blindly read ahead, but her blows simply caught him off guard. Instead, Randolph avoided the spear that was aiming at his body and returned twelve strikes.
Neither of them could win with normal attacks. As soon as the thought occurred to them simultaneously, Delkur took action first with her Delkur Style Snake Shadow Spear. At first glance, it looked like the shadow of a snake slipping through the grass.
Poisonous Snake. Flow Change Technique. Double Snakes.
The tip of the spear suddenly split in two and aimed for both sides of Randolph’s neck. One of them was fake, or maybe both were real…
However, Randolph didn’t have time to worry about it as he instinctively raised both his falchions, blocking both thrusts at the same time.
Jeeeong!
Delkur’s green aura and Randolph’s blue aura clashed as he countered.
“Kuk!”
“… Tch.”
This clash had ended in a draw. Blood was flowing from Randolph’s hand, but Delkur’s wrist had been cut deeply. Randolph’s strike had cut right down to the bone.
“Hey. Aren’t you great, Lady? A year ago, my head would be flying away. This is why I dislike geniuses.”
In Randolph’s eyes, Delkur looked like a woman in her late twenties. She had actually become a sword master in her thirties and was talented enough to be a monstrous genius even in Andras. That tricky thrust wasn’t something that one could obtain through training alone. Delkur’s innate talent, thoroughness, and instincts put her opponent in an unfavorable position.
Delkur scoffed. “Haa? Aren’t you also a genius? This is the first time I’ve seen a swordmaster using twin swords, so I can’t seem to beat you. Wouldn’t it be better if you just die?”
She was correct. The reason Randolph had lasted so long against her spear’s speed and slipperiness was because his twin swords could easily defend from any direction. A normal aura user would have been under incredible pressure. Randolph could block her spear even half a beat late, showing that his dual wield style was something Delkur was having difficulty with.
Randolph stared at her slightly disheveled figure with a curious look on his face. “You have a fairly complicated story.”
Delkur looked at him askance. “What?”
He pointed at her spear. “That hidden technique gave you away. That wasn’t a spear technique from the West Continent; it originated from the Eastern Spear technique, Seizing and Penetrating. There are many parts that have been rearranged, but your overall style is close to the Pear Short Spear. Why is there an Eastern spear technique in the Andras Empire?”
“Hrmm.”
Randolph’s stay with Theo at the Baek Family home had brought him in contact with various Eastern techniques. However, Delkur didn’t confirm his guesses one way or another. She just looked disgruntled, like she had lost the heart to fight.
“…?Tch, it ends here.”
Delkur tightened her grip on the spear and lifted her right foot, which had been on his shadow. Randolph realized that he could move again. However, rather than relief, he looked at her suspiciously. Delkur’s skills were certainly very polished, but her superiority was only guaranteed when she blocked his movements. Now that he could move, Randolph was sure that he could kill Delkur within three hundred blows.
“Did you think I would let you go?” Randolph warned as he started walking forward with his falchions at the ready.
Delkur tsked, “An obsessive man isn’t popular with women.”
Randolph replied without a second’s delay. “I’m sorry, but I am a persistent wolf.”
Delkur smiled slyly. “What, calling yourself a beast? Then I should throw you a bone before leaving.”
What?’
Before he could ask, people rose from the shadows behind Delkur. They were covered head to toe in black armor, and held black swords. The mad dogs who would throw their lives away for the empire, the Shadow Knights, had arrived on the battlefield.
Delkur waved as she turned to run, “I will see you later! I will kill you then!”
“Annoying!”
But as soon as Randolph stepped toward the fleeing Delkur, the Shadow Knights threw themselves forward. Of course, they weren’t a match for Randolph. Randolph only needed three breaths to kill all five of them, each receiving one strike per sword. However, it was long enough for Delkur’s presence to vanish.
No, there is the possibility that she hid herself somewhere to ambush me.
He hadn’t been able to plumb the depths of her shadow ability, but there was no guarantee that she couldn’t use the ability that allowed her to appear behind him again. It was likely he would just waste time chasing after her. Randolph decided to take a step back and return to Meltor’s headquarters. In a battlefield where a minute or a second could take thousands of lives, hesitation was a luxury.
***
The knights’ assault was the starting point, as Andras and Meltor threw themselves at each other. The knights might have been annihilated without showing great success due to the mercenaries, but Andras had yet to show even half their power.
There were still a hundred thousand troops waiting in the rear, and the symbol of the Empire, the Seven Swords, had yet to commit to a battle. Meltor had to force their hand in order to reveal their cards. However, the magic kingdom was being pushed back in this phase when they should be taking advantage of the flat terrain.
Their strategy wasn’t bad, but the difference between the troops couldn’t be overcome. The Empire’s soldiers had been rigorously trained for more than five years, and kept in shape by three months of training every year. That level of blood, sweat, and tears wasn’t something Meltor could easily overcome.
One member of the general staff muttered, “… We need the tactical-class spells.”
The other nodded, “Yes, we can’t wait anymore.”
Even though they weren’t enthused, Metlor’s commanders prepared a tactical magic bombardment that they had postponed until now. If the previous attack had eliminated the shields, then they could kill thousands of enemies. The destructive power of tactical-class spells was one of the reasons why Meltor had never been defeated on the plains so far.
However, this war was different. The titanium shell was severely limiting their options. If that damned thing destroyed the tactical magic circle, then they would be down two tactical magic units, and Meltor would lose their equalizing force multiplier against the hundred thousand troops.
We can instruct the magicians to intercept the shell, but…
Andras had revealed several catapults, safely stationed to the rear of their army and beyond the range of spells. Meltor’s troops might be able to destroy three or four of the catapults… Two in the worst case scenario, but it still wouldn’t be enough.
Benedict’s expression twisted darkly. What should they do? It was the role of the commanders to find a solution in the face of enemy action. Benedict was on the verge of jumping into the battlefield with his old body when he received an unbelievable message.
“What?”
However, it wasn’t just him, as the eyes of all the advisers also widened. Benedict ordered the reporting magician to repeat his message. After confirming the message, Benedict asked incredulously, “Someone infiltrated behind enemy lines and destroyed a catapult?”
At that moment…
Kukukung!?
The sound of thunder rumbled in the clear sky, and the ground beneath three catapults collapsed. An earthquake? No, that was impossible. How could earthquakes only occur around the catapults?
Benedict hastily cast a vision spell and looked at the ruins of the catapult. He started to laugh uproariously. “He did it! He really is a reckless hero!”
He was half concerned and half full of admiration. On the far side of the battlefield, beyond the eyes of incredulous and disapproving advisers, Theo climbed out of the crater he had created. He used magic to move underneath the catapult and collapse the ground.
Why are my ears tickling?
He looked around as he scratched his ears. “Is everybody safe?”
[2nd unit! There are no casualties.]
[There are no problems with the 3rd unit!]
The voices he heard from the communicator were crystal clear. Despite being in the middle of enemy formations, they expressed absolute confidence in their victory after moving with Theo. Theo laughed and connected the communicator to someone else.
It was the man who he had nominated as his deputy.
“Thanks for the hard work.”
[Yes.]
He had been instrumental to the success of this ambush. Theo had noticed the empty space beneath the surface of the ground with Mitra’s ability, but he didn’t have the ability to discreetly move thirty magicians there.
There was only one person who could do that…
Unsurprisingly, William’s voice quivered as he heard the voice transmitted over the network, [C-Captain. S-Surely that wasn’t…?]
“Got it in one, William.”
[Hiik!] William was so surprised that he hiccuped, as enemies started to approach Theo.
Theo spoke into the communicator, “From now on, pull out according to plan.”
[Understood. How will you get out?]
Theo replied to his new deputy, “I have my own way out. Even if I can’t destroy all of them, I can escape before the resistance becomes severe.”
[… I wish you luck.]
There was no time to explain. Orta broke the communication network first. Theo also cut off the communication spell, briefly organizing his thoughts before he implemented the strategy he had envisioned a few days ago.
What was the best way to obtain the greatest achievement on this battlefield? It would be nice if he could show off his firepower with a great spell. However, he would need to recover after consuming a large amount of magic power, which would leave him vulnerable to attacks. Additionally, the presence of the titanium great shields would block all great spells, unless it was something like Fafnir’s Breath.
The biggest problem was the shields known as a Magician’s Despair. It was difficult to destroy them with magic, and it was the single greatest reason why Meltor was struggling. Thus, Theo decided to deal with the shields directly.
Gluttony, I will ask you once again. Is this really possible?
– Of course.
Theo had the power to break the shields. However, if he broke them, there would still be enough debris left to make new shields. Meltor couldn’t exert their full firepower unless the titanium was removed from the battlefield. If Theo couldn’t use magic attacks or physical attacks, he needed another way to remove the titanium from the imperial army.
It was a tactic that wouldn’t occur to any strategist, but Theo had a way.
“Okay, I will let your tongue play.”
– Don’t make it sound so dirty.
Inventory was a passage which led to the dimensional space that was Gluttony’s stomach, unlike the other dimensional pockets which were maintained with magic power.
It could already contain something like a pirate ship, so Theo had already confirmed that it could accommodate large shields. Theo decided that he would approach the great shields in the middle of the hundred and fifty thousand strong army and allow Gluttony’s tongue to make contact with them.
“I have to take at least half the shields!”
Perhaps Theo was being influenced by his deepening contract with Aquilo, but the red-robed magician glared avariciously at the enemy as he plunged into their confused ranks.