Ch.845Breaking the Palace

– BOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed.

The imperial palace of Ordos, which had never been invaded since Aishan-Gioro Orhan, the clan chief of Aishan, established the clan’s territory beside the Barun River, was now trembling as if in agony, scattering broken bricks and roof tiles like splashes of blood.

The palace was being violated at the hands of mere ten intruders.

To the warriors rushing desperately into the inner fortress, wouldn’t this scene have appeared as the death throes announcing the fall of the Aishan?

Such thoughts crossed my mind, as the panoramic view of the palace below was nothing short of utter chaos.

– RUMBLE…!

Halls collapsed with thunderous sounds.

Demian must have been smashing every pillar he could find after entering the palace, because buildings that looked sturdy enough to withstand earthquakes were shattering into pieces like osteoporosis patients hit by cars.

The wide plaza paved with white flagstones was stained red with the blood of warriors who had been defending the palace, while court ladies and eunuchs who had fled outside in panic were running in all directions, screaming like cats with their tails stepped on.

“KYAAAAA!”

“UWEEEK! What, what in the world is…!”

Terror, confusion, and fear were consuming the palace.

“What are you doing?! Charge in! The enemy is only seven in number!”

“Lord Feichuen! What was that water snake just now?! Why would such a thing be in the Barun River…!”

“Is this the time to worry about that?! Western barbarians have invaded to target Lord Meiharin and the Khan!”

The champions of Ordos tried desperately to gather the panicked warriors and enter the palace, but how could it be easy to control warriors who had lost their minds in this unprecedented situation?

The Aishan warriors failed to form orderly formations and were being sent in chaotically as numbers gathered, dying meaninglessly.

In contrast, our allies’ performance was dazzling.

“Never thought I’d live to see this day. To think I’d have the chance to destroy Ordos, the detestable capital of Aishan, with my own hands!”

Joshua was literally crushing and pulverizing everything before him with his enlarged greatsword.

“Western dogs who belong in stables, how dare you come here…!”

“What are you saying? I can’t understand your monkey screeching.”

Frider van Faelrun was hosting a gut-spilling party with racist remarks while swinging his chain-attached throwing axe and saw-blade sword.

“Astraea, I offer these necks to you!”

“Landenburg—no, Hestella forever!”

Adamante was shattering warriors’ skulls with streams of golden holy light, while Nigel was impaling three warriors at once with his lightning spear.

“GAAACK…!”

“Weaker than I expected. Last time was quite a struggle… there’s quite a difference in level even among warriors.”

Leonore Wittelsbach was slicing through enemies with a flurry of attacks like rainfall while spinning gracefully like a dancer.

“Jahan…! Not only did you betray Aishan, but you even stole the Khan’s heirloom! Are you still calling yourself a warrior, you shameless bastard!”

“Do I know you? I don’t recognize your face.”

There was also Jahan, overwhelming a raging champion who seemed to recognize the Red Blade, and Millia, who was sniping enemy commanders one by one with her bow from the airship’s deck.

Though the real enemies hadn’t even appeared yet, everyone was fighting better than expected.

“Damn it…! Don’t just charge in blindly! These bastards are all at least champion-level!”

“Where are Lords Garun and Hadar? What are they doing?! Without them, we can’t possibly…”

The enemy commanders were anxiously watching the palace buildings being demolished one by one by Demian’s greatsword, hesitating and retreating instead of charging in mindlessly.

It was around then that I reached the airspace above the palace.

“Where did these bastards come from…”

“Where do you think?”

A sneering mockery.

When the warriors flinched at the familiar voice and looked up at the sky, I had already unleashed my Karma and was plummeting toward the ground, my body wrapped in the tentacles of Murder Karma.

“Could that be…!”

“Evade! Fall back somehow!”

The warriors who recognized me turned pale and tried to create distance, but it was already too late.

Before they could throw themselves backward, a red comet mercilessly violated the ground of the imperial palace.

– BOOM!

Fragments of flagstones scattered with the explosion.

The tentacles of Murder Karma, which had been curled like flower buds, spread wide with the impact of the fall, becoming a storm of blood-colored blades that swept in all directions, cutting everything they touched.

“GYAAAAH!”

“GUBOOOK!”

“KAHACK…!”

The whirling whips of Murder Karma. Warriors caught in their path were dismembered with death cries. Waves of entrails and flesh forming concentric circles drenched the overturned ground with a foul bloody stench.

“Phew…”

In the center of the now-silent palace courtyard, I cooled my heated body under the downpour of blood and gave a smile filled with murderous intent toward the enemies staring at me with dumbfounded eyes.

– Shing.

Durandal, which I had drawn, emitted a piercingly pale light.

“Wh…what…?!”

“It’s Haschal! The Patricide Wolf Haschal, killer of the Khan!”

“Heavenly Demon…!”

Panic spread in an instant.

“We must flee…! That’s not human! It’s a disaster! A disaster!”

I wondered what meaning the title “Heavenly Demon” held for the Ka’har. Seeing how their morale completely collapsed before even crossing swords with me, I almost couldn’t help but laugh.

A race of warriors who know no fear and never retreat… where exactly?

Faces gripped by terror. Trembling eyes. Bodies slowly backing away. The warriors before me were no different from any other race I had encountered.

Therefore, the fate awaiting them would be no different either.

‘So… where might Meiharin be? What about the other sorcerers?’

While the palace was being demolished in real-time, only the warriors defending Ordos were struggling to stop it. Meiharin, Sahakal, and the other sorcerers were nowhere to be seen, as if they were hiding somewhere.

[Well, I don’t know about that either… but if we keep tearing down the palace, won’t they show themselves? Even snakes hiding in burrows have no choice but to scurry out when faced with a forest fire.]

‘That’s true. Then for now…’

“Joshua! I leave this area to you! If you can’t hold out, retreat to the airship!”

I turned my head back and shouted, taking in the sight of another collapsing palace hall.

“Yes! Don’t worry!”

Joshua nodded while swinging his great sword, dismembering twenty warriors in a single strike.

Right. Holding back the incoming warriors was Joshua and the others’ role.

What I needed to do now was not to show off my strength against terrified warriors, but to help Demian demolish the palace and search for Meiharin as originally planned.

After briefly surveying my comrades who were fighting well, I hurled myself like a cannonball toward the inner halls of the palace.

—-

Since Demian was enthusiastically demolishing the outer palace halls where external affairs were handled, I decided to search the inner palace chambers.

The Khan’s sleeping palace where Orhan had resided, the Golden Flower Palace where Imelia de Median and Aishan-Gioro Hersella had stayed, and similarly, three other sleeping palaces where other empresses lived with their attendants.

“Meiharin! Sahakal! Where are you hiding?! You haven’t fled, have you?!”

After breaking into the sleeping palace, I rampaged like a drunken father swinging a belt at his child, hitting and breaking everything in sight.

I kicked through walls, split pillars with the edge of my hand, and pulled out crossbeams to flatten the warriors trying to stop me.

Most of the warriors remaining in the palace were weaklings who looked like they would burst if poked, perhaps because the elite troops had gone to stop Demian and been annihilated, but I had no intention of showing mercy.

Showing mercy to enemies who swing swords at you only brings not gratitude, but blades aiming for your back.

“KYAAAAA!”

The Ka’har hiding in the palace weren’t just warriors.

Court ladies who hadn’t managed to escape and were trembling in corners. Though they were Ka’har, they were servants who had never held a sword in their lives, so there was no reason to kill them.

“G-ghost…!”

They were terrified whenever they encountered me. Well, of course—a blood-soaked monster whose features were barely distinguishable was breaking through walls like they were reeds. The fact that they hadn’t fainted showed they had stronger nerves than typical court ladies.

“Do you know where Meiharin is hiding?”

“Hiiieek! Please spare me! I don’t know anything!”

Whenever I encountered court ladies, I asked about Meiharin’s whereabouts and then kindly advised them to leave as it was dangerous here.

“If you don’t want to fight, get out of the palace! You’re in the way!”

“HIIIEEK!”

…How is that kind advice, you ask?

Well, I think it’s kind enough. Even if they’re civilians, they’re enemy civilians, not allies, so they should be grateful for just this much.

Besides, there was a reason I had to be rough and threatening like this. A reason born from my experience.

If Meiharin was hiding somewhere here, she would surely be watching my actions.

In such a situation, if I showed kindness by trying to spare mere court ladies, what thoughts would that woman harbor?

It’s obvious without even having to think about it. Such people’s thought patterns are generally similar.

Meiharin would certainly think:

‘I can use this’—that’s what.

Use it for what? Obviously as hostages.

If you show even the slightest care for others in front of terrorist-like people, within a week you’ll reunite with them in a video letter with a gun pointed at their head after they’ve been kidnapped.

That’s why, instead of advising the court ladies to leave because it’s dangerous, I had to threaten them harshly to get out because they were annoying.

Being kind would only get them captured by Meiharin and used as hostages, which would force me to kill court ladies who could have survived otherwise.

Anyway, after killing or chasing away all the people hiding in Orhan’s sleeping palace, I burned and demolished the palace itself.

I also completely burned down the First Empress Biyashen’s sleeping palace.

[Ahaha. It burns well. Very well! Yes, this is the sight I wanted to see!]

Having apparently accumulated much resentment, Aishan-Gioro Hersella burst into uncontrollable laughter as she watched Biyashen’s sleeping palace crumble to ashes.

Her laughter was so loud it made my head ring.

—-

The Third Empress Dahamei’s palace had already been demolished before I could even touch it. It seems the entire family was ruined because of Aishan-Gioro Amin alone.

That’s a shame. I would have liked to see what state it was in.