Ch.261Chapter 261. The Second Magician (7)

* * *

“Haaaah!”

Clang!

“Well, well! Quite the big shot has graced us with her presence!”

The ones crossing blades at the vanguard were—

Saad Astron, the Commander-in-Chief of the Karelia Army.

And the commander of Lunarian Army’s interception unit and sovereign of the Lunarian Army, Lunarian herself.

On horseback, they clashed weapons several times without exchanging words.

After trading a few blows, Saad easily discerned one thing.

Lunarian Ineanne was—a formidable warrior!

‘At first, I thought she was mad for charging to the front lines as a sovereign…!’

Now he understood. For someone of Lunarian’s caliber to rot away in a command room rather than leading from the front—that would be the wrong decision!

Of course, this was the judgment of Saad, a warrior to the bone. In reality, it would be proper for a sovereign, no matter how powerful, to refrain from rushing to the frontlines—but regardless, the experience of crossing weapons with such a powerful woman greatly pleased him.

Clang!

As those ruby-red eyes glared intensely at him, Saad momentarily shuddered and sighed.

His trembling wasn’t from fear.

It was the opposite emotion—exhilaration. The excitement unique to battle-maniacs when facing an overwhelmingly powerful opponent!

“With such strength, how did you manage to stay hidden for so long! You must have been itching for a fight, eh?!”

“…!”

Instead of responding to his taunt, Luna silently and swiftly pressed her attack against Saad.

‘…Tch!’

Saad… began to be pushed back at an unprecedented speed.

Since joining the Karelia Army before losing his eye, throughout his renowned career as a warrior until now—not a single person had ever pushed him back so one-sidedly!

Even Chel Brans, perhaps the only person who might have been able to defeat him, never faced him in his prime.

But now!

‘This looks dangerous…!’

Although his body was burning with excitement from the pure desire to fight a powerful opponent, Saad wasn’t someone whose brain was made of muscle.

Slowly distancing himself from Luna, he turned his horse to retreat into the midst of his soldiers.

“Are you running away, Saad Astron?!”

“Think what you want! I’d rather not become a skewer in a place like this!”

At this rate, he couldn’t defeat her.

The moment he realized he couldn’t possibly subdue Lunarian with his skills, Saad unhesitatingly abandoned their one-on-one duel.

Most warriors would have fallen into deep despair at the realization they couldn’t defeat someone, especially a young woman much younger than themselves—

But Saad wasn’t the type to prattle on about a warrior’s honor; he was the type to seize practical advantages when they presented themselves.

The absolute truth he had experienced many times while running a mercenary group was that victory in one-on-one combat didn’t necessarily mean victory in battle or war.

Reinforcements had suddenly appeared on both sides.

From what he’d heard, their army wasn’t in such a disadvantageous position, but to recover the morale that had dropped due to the unexpected appearance of enemy troops, they needed to take at least one enemy general’s head.

In such a situation, as if on cue, the enemy sovereign had appeared and was wreaking havoc on the battlefield—it seemed like a golden opportunity, but his attempt had failed.

Capturing the sovereign would have been an overwhelming victory. At that point, they would have essentially won the battle—

But focusing solely on capturing the “sovereign” wasn’t always the best strategy.

Now… yes. Saad judged it was time to deal with another general at the vanguard of the interception unit—Tifa. Finding her wasn’t difficult. She was a woman who couldn’t help but announce her presence to everyone by shouting at the top of her lungs.

Saad naturally joined in her fight.

“Having fun with these small fry, you brute of a woman?!”

“Well, well! With that one missing eye, you must be Saad Astron!”

“Oh? You seem to know me?”

“Of course! Aren’t you that garbage loser who couldn’t properly control Karelia, got kicked out, and now runs a pathetic mercenary group while indulging in self-justification that you weren’t wrong?!”

“Ha!”

Hearing Tifa’s words, Saad laughed loudly as if finding it extremely amusing.

“Listen, woman. That’s not how you provoke someone. No, actually, the fact that your intentions are so transparent…!”

Clang!

“Makes you rather cute!”

…Good. This is manageable. I don’t feel that insurmountable wall I felt when exchanging blows with Lunarian.

This woman… I can defeat her.

Her head should be sufficient as a sacrifice to boost our army’s morale.

“Shut up, you worm who crawled back to serve a master who once abandoned you!”

Saad smiled on his face and shouted with an unpleasant metallic voice.

“Even if I’m a dog who fights for my master again despite being abandoned, woman, I’m still far better than you!”

“What did you say?!”

“I’m talking about your lord Lunarian! Despite sitting on the throne, she has no choice but to fight at the front lines… If you were even a tiny bit stronger than that pathetic master you serve, she wouldn’t have made such a stupid decision!”

“…!!”

In that moment, Tifa’s eyes went white with rage.

Then, she charged at Saad threateningly with her axe!

Their weapons clashed powerfully again…

With their faces close enough to feel each other’s breath, Tifa spoke with trembling lips.

“You… what did you just say?”

“Did I say something wrong? If you were just a little stronger, your master wouldn’t have to risk her life fighting! In other words! If Lunarian dies in this battle…!”

Clang!

“It’s all your fault! Tifa! You killed your own lord! You murderer!”

Tifa, who had been making thunderous noise throughout the battle, suddenly went quiet.

After pulling back slightly, she glared at Saad as if to burn him alive… then spoke in a low, muttering voice.

“You damned bastard… Today, either you die or I die… Someone will die here. And… it will be you, Saad…!”

‘She’s completely fallen for it.’

Saad smirked and shouted.

“Come on then! Kill me, Tifa!!!”

And the two clashed weapons again.

* * *

How much time had passed?

The one-on-one combat was so fierce that the soldiers fighting in the chaotic battlefield couldn’t even approach the two—this duel between Saad and Tifa, which seemed like it would continue until one of them lost their life… as time passed, the scales were gradually tipping toward one side.

That person was…

“Give up and accept your fate, you stupid woman!”

The one who was clearly being pushed back, little by little—was Tifa.

‘No…!’

She was being pushed back.

She couldn’t win.

In fact, she had known for quite some time that she couldn’t win with her own strength.

However, she had no choice but to continue fighting. If she fled now, it would truly seem as if what he said was right.

Though she fought as a general to help Luna, if she performed far worse than Luna on the battlefield…

In the Lunarian Army, she was the closest thing to a warrior after Luna, the sovereign.

Though Francis and Charlotte were there, they were still rookies whose contributions as generals could hardly be expected. At times like these, she should be the one holding the center on the battlefield.

Because she couldn’t do that, Luna, who should rightfully be commanding from a safe place as the sovereign, had to come out personally… that thought.

“Haaaah!”

‘Tch!’

With Saad’s strike, she almost lost grip of her axe.

Though she barely managed to maintain her posture and avoid dropping her weapon… that gap.

The small opening that inevitably appeared while she was “readjusting her stance.”

“Got you!”

It couldn’t escape the eyes of Saad, who had made his living roaming battlefields.

As Saad’s sword thrust toward her body in that moment.

‘No…!’

Tifa… sensed her own death.

In that very brief instant, she experienced time slowing down, as if to inform her that this was her final moment before death.

Am I… dying here?

She had prepared herself to die in battle. But just now… just now the Lunarian Army’s flag had been raised over the castle again.

She hadn’t even made a proper contribution yet.

She had undergone harsh training every day for this moment, and finally, when the time came to rise up, in the first battle she faced…

She would die? Die without having been of any help?

‘No…!’

She wasn’t afraid of dying.

She just wanted to leave some mark.

Anything would do. She would have been fine with any role that helped lay the foundation for the Lunarian Army.

Tifa herself knew that her current ability was essentially her limit, and she was old enough to understand that.

Francis and Charlotte had talent. They were outstanding talents who would become great figures, standing at the wings of the Lunarian Army as Luna’s swords.

So, at least until those kids became proper generals… she wanted to live and somehow fight to achieve merit…!

‘I can’t… die here…!’

In her final moment.

Numerous faces quickly flashed through her mind.

Lunarian, her childhood friend and sovereign.

Old man Cain, who was actually an extraordinary person, and the children he brought.

The people she met and formed bonds with after coming to the Karelia Army.

The strategist Swen, who had performed an impossible miracle but was now far away.

And in the last moment.

Ridiculously, the face she recalled in her final moment was—

“Listen. I’m saying this for your own good, but if you don’t want to die, you should give up soon.”

“…Shut up… you bitch…”

“Recklessness isn’t courage, friend. What a shame. If you had been on my side, I could have taught you so much more.”

The person who looked down at her from the saddle, clearly showing “mercy to the weak.”

She still… hadn’t repaid her debt to that woman, the red-haired female knight—Irene…!

She couldn’t die without properly returning a blow to her—

—No!!!!!!!!

—Crack.

“…?!”

Saad, who thought he had won, frowned in confusion and hesitated for the first time.

What?

What just happened?

The sword he had thrust at Tifa for the final blow—had been cut.

This wasn’t some metaphorical meaning. Literally, the sword had been cut in half when it collided with her axe.

Saad looked at Tifa in shock.

‘Wh… what…!!’

A blue light was leaking from Tifa’s axe.

And it wasn’t just the axe.

She herself… was glowing.

Like a blazing blue flame.