Ch.218Landing

“Are you insane?! What are you doing with someone else’s body…!”

Ignoring Hersella’s shock, I threw myself into the air.

There was no time to answer.

It takes less than three seconds for a falling human to crash 30m below.

– Whoooosh!

The rushing wind sounds like waves in my ears.

My tied-up hair whips wildly, and my flipped shoulder plates flutter.

A free fall of dozens of meters without even a parachute.

It was something that would be reckless even with ten lives.

In this life-threatening situation, my concentration peaked to the extreme, stretching time endlessly.

“Kyaah!”

I thrust my spear while turning my body, digging into the wall-

– Crack!

-only to bounce off instead of penetrating.

Huh…?

The spear tip did pierce the wall, but it couldn’t withstand the momentum of the fall and pulled right out.

[Did you really think that would work?!]

Hersella screamed hysterically.

Well, I suppose that was a possibility.

My speed decreased slightly, but I actually moved further away from the wall.

A move like that would be impossible now.

Until I become like a burst tomato,

2 seconds left.

Twisting my shoulders sharply, I thrust my spear again.

Not at the wall, but toward Havar.

– Thwack!

The javelin thrown with all my might.

Its recoil pushes my body toward the wall.

With an impact like a hammer striking my shoulder, my shoulder plate collided with the wall, sending fierce sparks flying.

Just as expected.

– Crunch!

The claws of Frosting sliced into the wall like tofu.

“Khaak!”

An involuntary scream escapes me from the impact that feels like my left arm is being shattered.

If I hadn’t secured my arm with the threads of Karma of Murder and dispersed the impact, my shoulder would have dislocated or been completely crushed.

– Crackcrackcrack!

Rock fragments shower down like rain.

Five claws carve long lines into the wall, leaving their mark.

Dark red energy continuously extended and dug into the wall, reducing speed as it burst forth.

Less than a second remaining.

In the distance, I glimpsed Havar turning his horse’s head to deflect the javelin as he tried to break through the heavy infantry’s rear.

Not yet. I need to close the distance more from here…!

I succeeded in getting his attention, but it’s still too far.

Too far to stop him if he breaks through the heavy infantry.

“Havaaaaaar-!”

Roaring to provoke him, I kick off the wall and leap.

A parabolic fall.

The ground approaches before my eyes.

Durandal, which I’ve drawn, emits a blue light.

[Ahahaha! Fine, I admit it. You’re ten times crazier than I am!]

Hersella burst into laughter.

She was panicking just moments ago. Perhaps she’s now confident we won’t die.

Gritting my teeth in preparation for impact, I throw Durandal downward.

Final deceleration. And then-

– Kuuung!

With a shock that penetrates my entire body, dust rises like a tidal wave.

======[Havar]======

Havar felt his words catch in his throat for the first time in years.

Is this how it feels to see a horse walking on two legs?

It was such a bizarre sight that it momentarily erased the joy of slaughtering enemies, his duty as a general, and even his anger toward the traitor.

Though Havar was brave enough to fight a tiger barehanded, even he couldn’t help but be astonished at the sight of a human who jumped off a wall as steep as a cliff and still lived.

It was questionable whether this was even a person made of flesh and bone like himself.

‘Ghost…!’

Amin’s habitual saying flashed through his mind.

As did who she, Aishan-Gioro Haschal, really was.

A girl who remained alive for two weeks without eating or drinking, half-frozen.

A once-in-a-generation genius who set foot on the battlefield at age eleven and reached Champion in just four years.

Superhuman strength comparable to Ser Khan, Orhan.

Being a woman, and a mixed-blood one at that, her position was low, but had she been a boy, she would have long been recognized as the Khan’s successor.

Blue flames flicker and burn through the dust rising like fog.

The eyes of a ghost.

Feeling a chill run through his heart, Havar turned his horse toward her.

‘No, don’t be bewitched. She’s just a traitor!’

Denying the creeping reverence as an illusion, Havar glared beyond the gradually settling dust.

Her left hand braced against the ground as if supporting a body about to collapse. The imperial sword embedded in the ground.

Haschal, kneeling on one knee, bared her teeth like a wolf threatening its prey as she glared at Havar.

She looked like a warrior who had collapsed from exhaustion.

However, the ominous aura spreading from her body like wildfire swirled around, signaling not the end but just the beginning.

Haschal, gripping the sword hilt, slowly rises.

Stone powder and sand dust covering her armor fall away in showers.

Despite performing the impossible feat of jumping off the wall with a human body, there wasn’t a single visible wound on her flesh.

Havar gritted his teeth.

Orhan’s daughter, Haschal.

The greatest genius born to the Aishan-Gioro…

A woman who betrayed her father, her country, her people.

Kill the traitor.

The long tradition revives the cooling hostility.

“Haschaaaaaal!!”

Roaring with anger, Havar struck his horse’s reins.

The warhorse, imbued with Karma, charged forward with a thunderous sound.

==============

“Aaaugh… this hurts like hell.”

Despite decelerating three times and finally landing by striking the ground with Frosting, every limb of my body ached.

My left arm, which had to bear most of the impact, was convulsing.

Thanks to Frosting, I managed, but if I’d done this barehanded, my arm might have been torn off at the shoulder.

While I successfully landed according to plan, this isn’t something I’d want to do twice.

[Did you expect it not to hurt? It’s already fortunate your limbs aren’t broken.]

‘That’s true…’

Gritting my teeth and enduring the pain, I grasped Durandal, which was half-buried in the ground.

I’d like to catch my breath, but this wasn’t the time.

Havar, who had been looking at me with an incredulous expression, was now charging toward me, yelling at the top of his lungs.

The sound of hooves thundered across the ground.

From a distance, I thought he looked like a truck, but up close, this was more like a tank.

Is this how infantry feels facing heavy cavalry? Overwhelming.

The scale armor ripples, reflecting sunlight like a school of silver fish.

Covered head to toe in heavy steel, attacking while charging at twice the speed of an ordinary cavalryman.

I can roughly guess how powerful it would be…

Not only would it be hard to block, but even if I did, I’d be knocked backward.

“Haschal! Give me your head!!”

‘…He seems really angry. Would he let this go if I offered someone else’s head?’

[Since you’re the traitor, you should offer your own head. Just cut the head off your original body and present it.]

That’s in another world, so I can’t give it.

I get up while joking around.

Havar, who had approached within striking distance, pulled back his curved blade.

The curved blade glistens, wet with blood. It doesn’t seem to be steel or black iron… but it looks strangely solid.

‘Could that also be made from some mythical beast’s scales?’

[Yes. Most Champion weapons are like that. They’re forged by mixing the corpses of mythical beasts accumulated in Ordos’ treasury.]

That means I can’t destroy it in one blow.

I grip Durandal firmly and take a breath.

The golden seal glows faintly.

First, I need to deal with that horse.

I recall in my mind.

The memories of what I did at the Renea estate not long ago.

All that remains is to actually implement it.

“Haaaa!”

Red spikes shoot up from the ground like awls.

An attack aimed at the belly unprotected by armor.

This should…!

“Futile attempt!”

Havar roared, kicking his horse’s flank.

With a sharp neigh, the iron mass with hooves leaped into the air.

What? A heavy cavalryman jumping?!

The dark red stakes pierce empty air uselessly.

– Kuung!

The massive warhorse landed, shaking the earth.

Dust billows up.

He turned his horse’s head and charged straight at me.

“Did you think such tricks would work on me?!”

“I was just trying it out!”

The curved blade flies toward me with mountain-like momentum. No time to dodge.

I grit my teeth and swing Durandal. At least his charging speed has decreased…!

– Kwaaang!

The two weapons collide violently with an explosive sound.

“Kuuugh!”

My body is pushed backward.

My heels dig into the ground, leaving long tracks.

I can handle the force, but the weight difference is too great to avoid being pushed back.

Still, his charge has stopped. This might be my chance.

“Kyaaaah!”

I charge at him with a fierce roar.

I can’t give him room to breathe.

I need to stay as close as possible to prevent him from charging from a distance.

“You dare fight me without even mounting a horse! There’s a limit to arrogance!”

“Are you unable to fight without a horse? There’s a limit to cowardice!”

I retort while swinging my sword.

The longsword and curved blade collide fiercely, sending sparks flying.

“What nonsense are you spouting! You treacherous woman!”

“You’re the ones who betrayed me! What right do you have to invade?!”

Gradually, metal fragments begin to fly.

His curved blade is slowly being pushed back.

Clearly, without the momentum of a charge, I have the advantage in raw power.