Ch.218217. Starting Point (3)

# 217. The Starting Point (3)

Dark, gloomy clouds.

Those clouds filling the entire sky of the Empire were flaunting their ominous energy with blatant audacity.

Thanks to them, the Empire was instantly dyed in shades of gray.

However, this did not last long.

“Aaaaargh…!!”

“De… demons…!!”

“Pl… please spare me…! Please!!”

The desperate screams and pleas of an ordinary man of the Empire.

Behind the man shouting at the top of his lungs stood a small girl.

The girl had an appearance that made one wonder if she had barely entered high school, if at all.

But it was unlikely they would consider such things.

Whatever the circumstances, from their perspective, she was merely a citizen of an enemy nation—an enemy.

“Then… at least spare this child..!”

“Fucking noisy.”

His voice didn’t reach them, and the man swung his sword as if to make a show of it.

-Swoosh!!-

His sword, capable of slicing most objects in two with just a touch, rushed forward at a terrifying speed.

And finally, it reached the man’s neck.

-Slash!! Thud!!!-

The man’s body collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his head flying off into the distance.

The space between was stained with blood, and there stood the girl.

The girl, covered in the man’s blood, was caressing the lifeless corpse.

Her pupils, lips, and hands were trembling madly.

The one who had killed the man looked at the scene and spoke.

“You all, if you don’t want to end up like this, you’d better run away now. Though it probably won’t make much difference.”

Contrary to his words, Fenex wore a bright smile—completely different from his usual demeanor.

Then he pointed his sword at the girl in front of him and said.

“Aren’t you going to run? I could spare someone like you.”

“Just kill her, don’t do anything weird.”

“We could take her as a prisoner of war, why are you being so rigid? It’s not like you have to do it yourself…”

After checking his expression, Fenex scratched the back of his head.

“Just kidding… kidding… I’ll kill her… tch, what a waste.”

Fenex swung his sword toward the girl.

The girl, as if accepting death, squeezed her eyes shut.

Fortunately, however, the sword never reached her.

Instead, another sword intercepted it.

-Clang!!-

The one who blocked the sword with relative ease apologized to the girl for some reason.

Even though it wasn’t his fault at all.

“I’m sorry, I arrived too late…”

He pushed away Fenex’s sword and guided the girl toward where other survivors were.

Then he looked at the bodies strewn across the ground, including the girl’s father, who had already lost their lives.

Some with severed heads, others with pierced hearts, and some with limbs cut off.

The sight made his face contort.

“I should have been here sooner…”

Hearing that whisper, Agareus looked at him, who had joined much faster than expected.

Crimson hair, pitch-black dagger, and a face full of determination and anger, yet calm.

The image was so contradictory, but since he was standing right there, Agareus had no choice but to believe it.

“Still, be glad. According to our predictions, you would have arrived after this city turned to ruins.”

“Your mouth is still working, I see. Haven’t you changed at all?”

“You?”

That somewhat disrespectful remark was bound to anger Agareus, who roughly knew his age.

Yet he showed a confident expression and attitude as if there was nothing wrong.

“Yeah, you.”

“Do you want to die? I was planning to spare your life at least, because of His Majesty’s orders…”

“What are you saying… you’re just an old man about to die, yet you talk too much?”

“You’ll regret that foolish judgment soon.”

The “old man about to die” comment hit critically, and the angered Agareus frowned as he drew his sword.

-Shing!!-

The sword that emerged from its scabbard with a neat sound.

That sword exuded a presence no less intimidating than his own.

Of course, in terms of actual strength, it was somewhat different.

‘Obviously, I’m lacking.’

That’s what he thought.

Yet he didn’t try to escape the situation; instead, he pointed his sword at his opponent just the same.

Despite being at a disadvantage both in skill and numbers.

In that situation, he boldly swung his sword toward Agareus’s left shoulder.

-Clang!!-

Agareus caught that sword with just his left hand.

Red blood flowed from that hand.

Agareus endured the pain and swung the sword in his right hand.

The sword rushing in a straight line toward him eventually collided with something.

-Crack! Clang!!-

But it wasn’t his arm or shoulder.

Agareus’s sword was blocked by an ice chunk that appeared from nowhere, and naturally, he didn’t miss this opportunity.

He planted his fist right in the middle of Agareus’s face, as if to make a point.

-Thud!!!-

An explicit impact sound.

He must have hit quite hard, as Agareus flew back like a mosquito hit by a fan and tumbled to the ground.

Everyone there was shocked by the sight.

Except for him and her, who slowly revealed herself behind him.

***

“It’s been a while, Agareus.”

Like me, she was also acquainted with him.

In fact, she had seen him on the battlefield before and had almost killed him.

Almost, but didn’t.

“Seeing you so intact makes me regret that time even more. Anyway, Aelin, please evacuate the people here.”

“Yes…!”

Aelin, who had already arrived with a small number of soldiers, began evacuating the citizens.

She left Aelin behind and approached right behind me.

Then she murmured in a low voice.

“You probably know, but our goal isn’t to annihilate the enemy forces.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I looked at him.

At him rising from the ground, wiping the blood flowing from his face, looking at us with eyes full of anger.

“What a malicious gaze.”

“Kill that uncivilized human…!!”

After giving that order, he was the first to approach me.

Then he swung his sword somewhat erratically.

That sword had no weight to it and was incredibly light.

Yet, ironically, it was strong.

Strong enough that I couldn’t have blocked it all if I were alone.

‘What kind of monster is this…’

It was fortunate that he couldn’t use his unique skill in this situation.

If he could, it would have been twice as exhausting.

I blocked his attacks together with her.

While doing so, I dealt with the small fry hovering around him one by one.

-Slash!! Clang!!!-

No matter how they were demons and specially selected, they were still just ordinary soldiers, and they could never withstand my sword.

Especially now that I was with her and had activated all my unique skills—the strongest state I could create.

That was enough to create a miracle.

“How long are you going to fight so cowardly?!”

He seemed quite angry as we kept dodging to the sides or behind while gradually reducing their numbers.

It was understandable since he had suffered several attacks, resulting in various wounds, large and small.

Of course, we were in the same boat, but the weight of the wounds was different.

I swung my sword in an arc toward his angry face.

He had no choice but to take a step back.

He probably didn’t want his nose cut off right before his eyes.

I cut off the heads of two small fry who were left exposed when he stepped back.

-Slash!! Splat!!!-

Red liquid flowing from those severed heads—I was covered in that liquid as I spoke.

“This is the way of us ‘uncivilized humans,’ but isn’t it much more fair than overwhelming with numbers?”

“Your mouth runs well…”

“By the way, Fenex. Aren’t you as aggressive as this old man?”

At first, it seemed like he had no intention of fighting me at all.

It was a bit different now, but he wasn’t as aggressive as Agareus.

Fenex looked alternately at me, her, and behind us.

Even at someone located so far away that they were barely visible from Fenex’s position.

Then he spoke with a trembling voice.

“Could you be enthusiastic if you were in my place…?”

If she were tied up like that with a sword at her neck…

I would probably look no different from him.

Of course, from my current position, that wasn’t my concern.

“If it were me, I’d try even harder, because I’m different from you.”

“Shut up…”

“If you come to our side, I’ll spare you, specially.”

“Don’t be swayed by such words!!”

His cry—that cry seemed so desperate.

And that made it pitiful.

An army of thousands was being blocked by just the two of us.

I paused my attack briefly and asked them as they were chatting with the enemy.

“Don’t you realize that this benefits us? You must be quite stupid.”

I looked at him as he was about to resume movement and asked.

“Is that what your precious ‘Majesty’ taught you?”