Ch.332332. A Single Victory (7)

“Damn it!”

Thud!

Despite his body being covered in wounds, Dusen realizes he must stand up. Somehow, using his sword as support, he forces himself up from the rock he was impaled on and immediately heads toward the sinkhole.

“Phew, that’s a relief. I was worried I might have needed to hold out a bit longer.”

Although he hadn’t lasted as long as expected, the commander’s plan hadn’t been compromised. After all, he had witnessed with his own eyes Ashpern falling deep into the sinkhole.

It was time to move on to the next phase.

However, his body refuses to move. Having spent several minutes at full strength against Ashpern, who had been firing magical bombardments like a bomber, his body was reluctant to cooperate.

Seeing Dusen’s condition, Michelle hurriedly rushed over.

“Let me help you up, Sir Dusen.”

“…Well, thank you. But could you prioritize the commander’s next instructions instead?”

Michelle nodded at Dusen’s request and shouted toward the Imperial army.

“All troops, lure the monsters to the second battle line!!”

-We must separate Ashpern from the monster horde at all costs. Like humans, monsters are not much different. Even Ashpern cannot command troops when they’re separated by a distance where signals cannot reach.

Junon had said it. Separate Ashpern and the monster horde as much as possible.

Why?

Among all the behaviors Ashpern had shown, the biggest difference from other named monsters was undoubtedly that he led and directly commanded the monster horde, organizing them into formations.

Humans communicate through language, supplementing with signals or magic as distance increases. For organizational movements to expand this synergy, communication was ultimately the most important factor.

So how had the monsters been able to break through human formations?

The answer was Ashpern.

Through a single entity possessing intelligence. The conclusion had been reached that they had been helplessly defeated because Ashpern had been giving instructions to the monsters through combat-based learning.

“Sir Dusen. What do you plan to do after breaking the connection between Ashpern and the monsters?”

“Obviously, we should go rescue the commander, shouldn’t we?”

Dusen adds that they should now divide the Imperial army in half and reverse the situation. Since Junon had bought enough time to separate the monsters from Ashpern, he argued it would be right to eliminate their leader, Ashpern, in the meantime.

“No, you can’t.”

Michelle firmly refused.

“What do you mean I can’t?”

“Was that the next instruction given to you, Sir Dusen?”

“…Well, no.”

“Unless Junon specifically told you to come rescue him after the split, we cannot send the Imperial army there.”

“So you’re saying you’ll go instead? Well, it wouldn’t be strange if Tembris went.”

“…No. We won’t move either. No one should enter that pit. Those were the instructions we Tembris received from Junon.”

Dusen jumps up in protest.

“What nonsense is this! To provide no support whatsoever to the commander in that hole!”

From his perspective, Michelle’s claimed instructions were nothing short of madness. Even in the few exchanges he’d had with Ashpern, he could tell this was no ordinary opponent.

The magical bombardment unleashed from Ashpern’s overflowing magical power was truly astonishing. While it was possible to hold him off briefly by forcing close combat—the typical weakness of mages and sorcerers—Ashpern was no amateur at handling frontline fighters either.

Moreover, this was an entity with enough intelligence to mimic human battle tactics or disrupt formations through learning.

No. Setting everything else aside, being a named monster alone was reason enough. Against such a formidable enemy, humans must fight together and strategize collectively.

In other words, Ashpern was the worst kind of enemy—one that might be barely defeatable even with everyone’s combined strength.

Yet Michelle said that Junon had instructed them to leave him alone to face the isolated Ashpern in the sinkhole.

“Don’t tell me the commander told you he would stall for time by facing Ashpern alone…?”

He could face Ashpern again after repairing the Peltibourgos sealing formula and buying time. However, this method had already been attempted by the previous commander.

Stalling for time.

Unable to face both threats at once, they had to accept sacrifices to prepare against Ashpern.

But… if that’s the reason, a major problem arises.

“If we sacrifice him too, there will be no one left to lead this country, this army. The situation is different from before!”

“Junon went to face Ashpern, not to sacrifice himself.”

“To face him… Fine, let’s say that’s true. Perhaps his brilliant mind has come up with some strategy. But wouldn’t he need reinforcements all the more?”

Michelle immediately shakes her head. She explains that Junon’s reason for separating the monsters from Ashpern wasn’t simply a tactic to buy time.

—Look, look at that person…!

—It’s Lady Renias!!!

Meanwhile, a white flash appears on the wavering frontline, sweeping away hordes of monsters at once.

Renias, who had gone with Junon, had returned alone.

Yet she too doesn’t head toward the sinkhole, despite repeatedly hearing from soldiers that Junon is there.

‘So that means.’

Dusen’s gaze naturally turns to Michelle.

“Is it because he can face Ashpern? Because he’s confident enough that neither you nor Lady Renias went with him?”

Michelle finally nodded.

‘This is absurd.’

Just a day before, Dusen had accepted a sparring match with Junon to warm up.

However, it wasn’t in the style of academy student duels but a real sword match, with the simple rule of continuing until one party declared surrender or admitted defeat.

When asked why, Junon had replied that he too needed to warm up his body for the upcoming battle, so there was no particular reason to refuse.

Though it was a brief match, Junon was solid. His well-honed fundamentals, efficient movements, sturdy physique, and robust muscles built through diligent training explained everything.

His flawless combat techniques, the sense to fill gaps and weaknesses, combined with precise and meticulous mana control would likely overwhelm most soldiers.

He’s certainly strong. No, there are few in this Imperial army who could gain an advantage against him.

But he’s a frontline fighter.

Junon, like Dusen, is a frontline fighter, meaning he’s not well-suited to counter Ashpern’s magical bombardments.

With a weapon, it might be possible to deflect them, but his weapon is a chain gauntlet. With such a short reach and a single chain making direct hits difficult, he would definitely need someone else’s support. Especially against an opponent who attacks from a distance.

In other words, considering all conditions, Junon would inevitably be at a disadvantage facing Ashpern alone. It was a complete contradiction.

‘But is it really a contradiction?’

If there was a way.

If there was a way to win despite those disadvantages.

If his unpredictable mind had determined this strategy was the best option.

“I judged this to be a gamble. I thought he would somehow proceed with a diversion.”

But would Junon really think that way?

Dusen asks:

“Did the commander… perhaps tell you something else?”

With a strange expectation that the young commander might be envisioning a completely different scenario.

Michelle responded with a slight smile:

“For the sake of a single victory, give them a hollow victory. That’s what he said.”

The strategy she had heard, or rather, that only Tembris and Renias had heard.

It was absurd just hearing it.

Was this what all their defeats against the monsters had been leading to?

Dusen let out a disbelieving sigh before breaking into a smile.

***

-Thud, thud, thud, tock.

Floating rocks at the bottom of the massive sinkhole. The flaming rocks, their surfaces ignited with fire magic, had all been directed straight at Junon by telekinetic magic.

Those rocks now lay shattered on the ground from Junon’s hand, and he emerges once again from the rising dust and ash smoke.

-Thud.

‘Why?’

Ashpern couldn’t understand. He couldn’t comprehend what motivated Junon’s inexplicable behavior in confronting him.

The humans’ fighting methods were utterly simple.

Those who convert mana into magical power as a consumable resource to use magic, and those who surround their bodies with mana to move directly.

Neither was difficult to deal with. For magic users called mages, he could nullify their attacks without a trace using his innate magical power, and for those who charged with weapons while cloaking themselves in mana, he could make them acutely aware of close combat’s limitations through carpet bombing with numerous spells. Keeping them from even closing the distance.

Typically, this would cause some to lose their will to fight and attempt to flee.

Because they can’t win against this opponent. Because they can’t even touch him with a fingertip if they charge in. Because there’s absolutely no way, humans gradually lose their fighting spirit and choose to flee.

With faces contorted in horror, they back away screaming. They turn around and run away disgracefully without even making eye contact.

Ashpern never let such humans escape, chasing them down to erase their existence, or sometimes giving them to his subordinates as prey or toys.

But why?

This man before him clearly maintained eye contact and showed no intention of bending his will. How many spells had he shown in this brief moment, and what was their magnitude? With such pitiful magical power, it was obvious he wouldn’t last long before dying miserably.

Occasionally there were those with somewhat exceptional skills, but he was far weaker than them. He was the type who couldn’t even use magic to begin with, and though his body was somewhat sturdy, his skills were inferior to Dusen’s from earlier.

Of course, he wasn’t entirely without threat.

This man’s intellect was beyond imagination. Unlike other humans, he creates variables from unexpected places.

For instance, borrowing the power of the river, or the unexpected existence of a magic spear. Those aspects certainly warranted caution.

However, all that remained now was that the pit was somewhat deep, but unlike the Ripol River, there were no other tricks in sight, and the unexpected magic spear was now in a state where it could no longer be used.

He seemed to have a technique that interfered with magic use, but even that was inadequate as he couldn’t destroy many spells. If the number of spells was increased dramatically like now, he could only dodge around without being able to respond.

In conclusion, Junon was much weaker than expected.

‘But why? Why doesn’t he retreat?’

Despite being an important figure as the Imperial army’s commander, no one was by his side.

He hadn’t brought even a single person into this pit. Yet. Yet he showed no signs of retreating.

‘Could it be, he thinks the same as them?’

The two men who had invaded Levrant alone, activated the object, and sealed Peltibourgos while deliberately drawing attention.

In a way, Junon’s actions were in a similar environment to theirs.

Recovering the war situation was impossible. Morale had been broken by successive defeats, and there were no means to reverse this unfavorable situation.

Even trapping him here was identical to their actions in Levrant when they deliberately tried to stop Peltibourgos’s movements.

It meant that since it wasn’t easy to even confront the situation, let alone recover it, they were trying to buy time.

Yet.

-Why can’t I do it alone? I think I’m sufficient by myself.

Sufficient by himself? Junon’s incredibly arrogant words now felt like unpleasant vanity.

‘In the end, it was just a trick to buy time.’

It became shameful that he had felt fear, even for a moment, from being deceived by such a weak being, that he had experienced a defeat.

“I’ll end this now!”

Dense magical power envelops Ashpern’s body.

Against a human with only his body, Ashpern unleashes all the magic circles he can cast within this sinkhole.

All the spells that humans had used. Spells acquired through the power of oblivion.

Magic circles that would have been originally weak and slow are now compensated for by the sheer volume of magical power.

And he adds to this the knowledge gained through learning and thinking.

With the certainty that a weak human body could never withstand it.

The spells begin to activate one by one.

But.

‘Is he smiling?’

Junon, about to have his breath cut off by the targeted magic, was raising the corners of his mouth in this situation.

“As I thought. That’s what it was.”

-Clang.

“!!”

-Tick, tick-tick! Tick-tick-tick-tick! Clang! Crack!

All sorts of breaking and destroying sounds assault Ashpern’s ears.

Ashpern turns his head at the strange sound, but no such objects existed here. This place was just a pit dug by humans.

Moreover, what was even more ironic was:

-Crackle!

“Ugh?!”

The magic he had used began targeting Ashpern himself one by one, rather than his intended target.

───.

When he tries to activate magic again, the strange breaking sound occurs once more, and the magic deployment fails.

Unlike before when he could simply mimic their power by drawing circles and flowing magical power, now everything was breaking apart, getting tangled, and magic circles were attacking other magic circles in a bizarre situation.

And simultaneously, Junon began approaching one step at a time.

Very, very slowly.

As if tightening a noose.

“It’s because you chose the human way. Despite being a monster. That is your only weakness, Ashpern.”