Ch.629The End of Waiting

I had been fighting for about seven minutes, cutting down the enemies as they came. Around me, the bodies of warriors had already piled up.

This section was defended by only myself—hiding my true abilities—and a dozen or so archers, so the warriors had been climbing the wall with ease, grinning confidently, only to pay for their easy ascent with their lives upon facing me.

After cutting down twenty-five warriors, they seemed to finally realize that the human guarding this position—that is, me—was no ordinary soldier or knight. They began deploying their proper elites.

“Kagagak!”

So, a Champion has arrived.

I slashed diagonally with my temporary black iron longsword, deflecting the war blade swung at me. The blade that could have split rock in a single strike slid harmlessly away, only cutting deep into the innocent wall.

“You deflected that? Quite impressive!”

“……”

The Champion standing before me laughed heartily and thrust his right foot forward. What’s so impressive? Weakling. I blocked the tip of his foot with my left arm hidden under my robe sleeve and stepped back a couple of paces.

If I wanted, I could grab him and throw him away or slam him to the ground, shattering his body. But given my position—needing to conceal my identity while drawing in as many enemies as possible—it was too early to show overwhelming power against a Champion.

So I was only displaying Master-level combat ability as I stalled for time against him.

“He’s matching Doro!”

“That Imperial bastard must be Champion-level after all!”

Meanwhile, warriors who had struggled to climb up expressed admiration at the battle between Doro and me, throwing down a dozen or so rope ladders over the wall.

The archers who had been shooting arrows alongside me had retreated right after Doro appeared, so there was no one left to stop the warriors. Soon, the Ka’har soldiers who had been merely shooting arrows from below the wall would climb up like ants on those ladders.

Add to that the soldiers from the siege tower approaching nearby, and over a thousand Ka’har would gather in this section alone.

According to plan.

“Let’s see if you can block this too!”

I twisted my cloth-covered lips upward as I repeatedly deflected and redirected Doro’s war blade, a man unaware of the fate awaiting him.

“Kagagagang!”

Each time sword and blade collided, sparks flew in all directions. Deflected blades cut roughly into the surroundings. Blood puddles pooled on the wall splashed up like red spray, and the flesh and entrails of the dead were torn and flung by the blades.

—-

Several minutes later.

“What kind of man is this…!”

“He blocks everything…?”

Doro’s expression had hardened, unlike before. He seemed to be realizing that I was no ordinary Master.

Well, it made sense. Unable to break through my defense, he had even resorted to coordinating with another Champion, yet they had only managed to cut the edge of my robe.

Without responding, I continued swinging my black iron longsword while glancing sideways at the battlefield.

While I had been buying time, the area had become packed with warriors and soldiers, crowded like a store during a going-out-of-business sale. Imperial knights were engaged in chaotic battle alongside infantry, preventing the Ka’har from taking complete control of the wall.

“Don’t retreat! Each step back will cost two comrades their lives! Hold until the end!”

“Move as you were trained! Push with shields, thrust with spears!”

“Ooooooh!”

“Damn yellow bastards!”

The knights’ commands, soldiers’ battle cries, and somewhat racially discriminatory curses all mixed together.

The Imperial soldiers thrust their spears with fierce hostility, like 19th-century Westerners who claimed it was the white man’s duty to stab and kill people of color.

“Kieeeeeet!”

“Stinking western scum!”

In response, the Ka’har soldiers who had climbed up the ladders swung their spears and war blades with bizarre battle cries, displaying their barbarism.

Death swept through like a wave.

“Crumble and fall!”

Beyond, Joshua Blake was swinging his sword at a siege tower that had approached within close range.

“Haaaaaaap!”

His swung longsword, imbued with a hero’s soul, grew enormous like a temple pillar. A great sword ten meters in length aimed for the side of the siege tower—

“Did you think I’d let you?”

It was blocked by an ice wall that rose instantly. Ibamei’s Tale of Heroes, Sky-Piercing Ice Peaks, covered the side of the siege tower. The layered ice wall blocked the great sword and burst apart like a kicked snowman.

“Kwajik!”

Wooden fragments sprayed up like a fountain. Ice shards shattered by the sword strike hammered the side of the siege tower like artillery shells. Along with the bodies of warriors positioned inside.

Dozens of warriors instantly became human shaved ice, but compared to a direct hit from the Giant Slayer sword, the damage was minimal.

“Ibamei…!”

Joshua’s brow contorted as he enlarged his sword again and continued swinging. The pillar-sized sword and rising ice mountains repeatedly clashed, shredding the area around the siege tower into debris.

…I knew this would happen.

From the looks of it, that siege tower would become half-destroyed junk before even reaching the wall, but with the Warrior Commander holding him back, it seemed unlikely he could destroy the other siege tower too.

“Damn it, at this rate…!”

Frederick was in charge of that siege tower. He was continuously hurling explosive javelins at it, but unfortunately, not a single javelin had hit the tower.

“Kwang! Kwaang!”

The “Flash of Einfeld” that had been shooting straight toward the tower was intercepted and exploded in mid-air. It looked like a fireworks festival.

Probably Orhan’s doing, protecting the siege tower as it advanced. There couldn’t be two humans capable of withstanding Frederick’s Tale of Heroes with their bare bodies.

They weren’t the only ones engaged in fierce battle.

“I am Champion Giahun!”

“What are you saying? Speak Imperial.”

Leonore was facing a Champion, substituting the lack of communication with somewhat aggressive body language, while the Swords of Landenburg, including Nigel, had surrounded a Warrior Commander in black armor who had climbed onto the wall.

“Giran Glar! This will be your grave!”

Heinrich, the second Sword of Landenburg, shouted in somewhat awkward eastern language. The warrior commander called Glar raised the corners of his mouth and drew two curved swords, gripping one in each hand.

“The Swords of Landenburg. Insects with preposterous dreams. Do you think you can defeat me with just seven Masters?”

“We won’t know until we try!”

Spears and longswords, axes and war hammers, even a massive halberd—weapons wielded by seven Masters descended upon the Black Banner Army’s warrior commander.

—-

Anyway, it seemed like it was about time to begin. This siege tower was also close enough to reach the wall in about thirty seconds, and my vicinity was already filled with enemy soldiers.

Besides, if I delayed any longer, Frederick might end up killed by Orhan. Though he seemed busy protecting the siege tower now, once it reached the wall, he would start rampaging in earnest.

It was a bit disappointing that I had only drawn in two Champions… no, more accurately, about five. It seemed that two or three more Champions were waiting inside the approaching siege tower, ready to spring out at any moment.

I had originally planned to lure in at least one of Aishan’s warrior commanders, but it appeared that Warrior Commander Hatan hadn’t even participated in this battle. He probably went to the Dane side.

Lucky bastard. He miraculously avoided his place of death.

Well… I’ll get a chance to kill him someday.

After those thirty seconds.

“Kuuung!”

Finally, the Ka’har siege tower arrived right in front of the wall. The drawbridge at the front of the siege tower opened wide and extended over the wall, and countless Ka’har poured out like sperm searching for an egg.

It begins.

“Kyaaaaat!”

I unleashed all the power I had been suppressing, throwing my black iron longsword at Champion Doro and drawing Durandal to swing at the Champion beside him. Superhuman strength combined with a hero’s karma. It was not a power that mere Champions could handle.

“Kwaang!”

Doro, startled and trying to block the black iron sword, fell below the wall with his shattered war blade, while the Champion who tried to block Durandal was split in half along with his sword.

With my more violent movement, the hood I had been wearing came off, and my black hair tied back fluttered like a horse’s tail.

“W-what!”

“That hair, could it be!”

Seeing two Champions perish in an instant, the Ka’har who had been rushing toward me stopped in their tracks, startled.

Though I had covered my face with cloth to hide my identity, the skin color visible above my nose and my black hair would have been enough for everyone to guess who I was.

“The Patricide Wolf, Haschal…!”

…What’s with that nickname.

I let out a hollow laugh and extended twelve crimson tentacles to sweep the area around me. As flashily as possible. So that Orhan, who had been blocking explosive javelins in the distance, would notice my position.

“Haschalllll! So you were thereeeee!”

The next moment, with a sound like the air itself was rupturing, a mountain-like mass of battle aura began flying toward me.

Yes, he’s charging right in as expected. He knows well that he’s the only one who can face me.