The Black Duskroot 4

Doyun continued his charge, sword aura trailing behind him.

When spears thrust at him, he offered his body and drove his sword’s tip into the attacker.

Even as maces struck his brow, his neck did not bend. Boulders were smashed by his forehead as he cut down the dragonkin soldiers before him.

‘Not a single wasteful movement.’

He ran relentlessly, swinging his sword.

The Războlnic Style was a martial art taken to the pinnacle of pragmatism. With his sturdy body, Doyun did not waste a single move or breath on defense or evasion.

In the time it took to evade, he swung his sword once more. Every movement and judgment extracted maximum efficiency. He resembled a combat machine.

“The warrior is going that far…!”

“Huaaah—!”

Though engaging in grueling combat, the soldiers and commanders persevered, inspired by his valorous display. As the embodiment of valor, he continuously instilled courage in those who followed him.

“Haah!”

Intermingled with the Alliance ranks, Heineken and Rey cut down roots and dragonkin soldiers without pause. Yet even they could not help but glance towards the battlefield’s center in awe.

“Truly formidable.”

“But Brother, who is that skeleton? It’s almost on par with Lord Brudhild…”

Rey trailed off, for the suddenly appeared skeleton now seemed even stronger than Lord Brudhild himself.

‘Moreover, its swordsmanship looks similar too…’

An utter mystery. Having joined the fray by immediately confronting a Vanguard Commander was fortuitous – otherwise, its appearance and might would have led them to mistake it for one as well.

“Who knows.”

Heineken offered a noncommittal reply as he stoically wielded his spear. Though ignorant of its identity, it was likely reinforcements brought by Lord Enoch.

In historical records and the past year they had spent together, that person had consistently accomplished feats that had seemed impossible.

Unlike his impassive older brother, however, Rey could not tear his gaze away from them.

“Whoa… What kind of sword aura is that…”

Neither Doyun nor the skeleton used a sword aura that Rey could even fathom.

Both benefited from the enhancements of Level 9 Swordsmanship and had attained the enlightenment of the Visible Sword technique. The density and sustenance of their sword auras defied comparison.

Yet their manifestations differed.

For ordinary warriors like Rey, sword auras resembled mirages, typically described as billowing smoke.

But Doyun’s sword aura burned like tongues of flame, incinerating the dragonkin. Vyuskr’s, in contrast, encased the blade in a crystalline sharpness, like finely sculpted ice.

Their sword auras alone occupied entirely different realms. To others, their mastery truly seemed like a world apart from swordsmanship itself.

The Lion King and Dokkomuyoung, witnessing Vyuskr’s true form, could not help but be awestruck even amidst the battlefield’s turmoil.

‘Truly, the Sword Saint!’

This was the sword aura of the strongest swordmasters. Merely observing it provided inspiration as warriors.

‘To think an undead could reach such heights.’

Revived undead naturally possessed far diminished capabilities compared to their living selves. Yet to manifest such prowess…

Those unaware could only ponder, ‘Just what is the true identity of that skeleton?’

Even the Vanguard Commanders closely observed them.

[Hmm…]

Clack clack clack…

“Great Earth Mother… Razvolnic, must, stop him…”

At the mumbling Oz’s chattering jawbone, the Black Duskroot contorted its grotesque bark-like face.

[Strange, though…]

The martial arts and aura were undoubtedly Razvolnic’s. Yet there were many differences too.

The outward appearance and emanating spiritual aura were not even worth mentioning, but the mana reserves were also significantly lower.

Moreover, what was with that rugged combat style? Razvolnic had possessed a frail body that could only kill with a single well-placed strike.

But regardless, he was the enemy. And absurdly enough, he was currently charging straight towards them, aiming for the Vanguard Commanders’ necks.

Whether Razvolnic or not, he was a target to be subdued for now.

[Very well, then.]

“Ooh…! I shall, assist…!”

The Black Duskroot, looking down upon him, furrowed its brow as if exerting its power, while Oz waved his staff.

Creak—

The tip of Doyun’s sword, cutting through dragonkin soldiers as he ran, faltered. His senses, perceiving the earth below, rang an alarm.

‘Unavoidable.’

Roots erupted from under his feet, binding both ankles.

His [Seventh Sense] granted a wide sphere of perception centered on himself. However, an immense number of roots were charging towards him, not just from directly underfoot but from deep beyond his sensory range.

Roots shot up like spears from all directions, aiming to skewer him.

“Now’s our chance! Attack him! Full assault!”

The surrounding dragonkin soldiers and officers seized the opportunity, converging on him.

Simultaneously, black light flashed in Oz’s empty eye sockets.

[Earth Dragon]

Kaboooooom—!

At the profound incantation, the earth around Doyun violently heaved upward.

The ground rose with enough force to form two mountains, as if a massive subterranean dragon was swallowing him whole.

Ultimately, the gaping 20-meter-wide maw of the Earth Dragon engulfed the bound Doyun, the roots, and the dragonkin soldiers alike.

Kaboooom! The two “mountains” collided with a tremendous quake.

“The warrior!!”

A gut-wrenching scream rang out from the allied ranks. The triple binding and concentrated barrage from the combined Vanguard Commanders seemed enough to overwhelm even the warrior.

But as they prepared their follow-up, Oz and the Black Duskroot sensed something amiss.

Clack clack clack…

[Huh?]

From within the Earth Dragon’s sealed maw, an intensely flaring mana suddenly manifested.

[This is…!?]

The immense mana Razvolnic had once possessed.

Soon, light flickered between the Earth Dragon’s fangs before a golden blaze erupted forth.

Kabooooooooom—!

A razor-sharp rotating pillar of flames – no, a colossal vortex wreathed in holy flames – burst forth, shattering the Earth Dragon as it spiraled upward.

Clack clack clack clack…

“Oh, Ooooh…! Ooooooh!!”

“Wh, What is that?!”

[Kwaaaaaaaaah!!]

Oz and Lilith cried out in shock and awe, while the Black Duskroot shrieked in agony.

Until now, no matter how many roots were cut or torn, the main body had remained unscathed. But the sword flames, an attribute akin to the bane of the demonic, inflicted damage upon the Black Duskroot.

[Th, This is…!]

The Black Duskroot’s eyes flared wide, recalling the similar anguish it had experienced a hundred years ago.

[Could it be…?]

By now, the hellish root barrage that had ravaged the Alliance ranks had stopped dead, as if stunned.

The flames gradually expanded their mass, consuming the surrounding dragonkin as the vortex spiraled outward from its center.

“Ru, Run away! Uwaaaaaah!!”

The dragonkin fled in disarray. To them, the towering pillar of light that inflicted agonizing pain with the slightest contact was a veritable calamity.

At the vortex’s core stood Doyun, gripping the green-hued Hurricane Spear in one hand and a resplendent sword in the other.

Golden light blazed like flames from his eyes as he furiously ignited his second heart.

Clang!

Doyun crossed the wind-enveloped spear and sword in an X-shape before sweeping the long spear shaft with his blade. Sparks scattered from the friction between the two arms.

The Hurricane Spear’s winds transferred to the sword’s blade – the principle of Reversion he had absorbed from observing Heineken, fusing it with Războlnic’s Sword Wind style.

Flames flickering in his eyes, hair whipping in the wind, Doyun drew back his sword.

Here and now, Enoch Războlnic at his peak unleashed his swordsmanship.

[Războlnic’s Style Swordsmanship]

With a single swing cleaving the flames, the vortex swelled as if about to burst outward.

The golden fire-wreathed winds spread before gradually coalescing into countless blade-like shapes.

[Sword Flames & Sword Wind & Blooming Thrust]

The holy flames manifested as sword points that swept across the battlefield like a tornado.

Kaboooooooom—!

“Sa, Save me… Uwaaaaaah!!”

“Kkyaaaaaaah!!”

Each outward sword strike carried immense force, more than enough to annihilate the entire Demon Lord army in the vicinity.

The sword strikes even reached the two Vanguard Commanders battling Brudhild and Vyuskr, forcing them to hastily evade.

“Kyaaah! Wh, What madness is this?!”

“…”

The wide-range sword aura infused with Level 9 Sword Flames posed a threat even Vanguard Commanders could not ignore.

Witnessing this might, Vyuskr, who had momentarily retreated to a lull in the fighting, nodded his skull in affirmation.

‘Indeed, he has not perished.’

That was undoubtedly his friend Enoch Războlnic, the one who had once dominated an era and saved the world.

The immense power continuously gathering in Doyun’s core with every rampage was a stark reminder of his might.

But it did not end there.

From the golden blaze engulfing the battlefield, Doyun charged forth once more. His flame-like burning gaze and windswept hair trailed behind him.

A display of might entirely different from his previous single-minded path-clearing advance. The Vanguard Commanders could not simply let this continue.

Oz raised his staff while the Black Duskroot shone, shaking the earth and canopy.

[Inooooooom—!! Razvolnic!!]

[Summon Elemental Knights]

Their roars and incantations rang out simultaneously.

Massive serpentine roots, razor-sharp spear-like roots, and even branches extending from the now significantly closer main body all converged on Doyun in a unified assault.

Before him, flames gathered, frost condensed, light flashed, and the earth heaved. Knights of various elemental attributes raised their blades to behead him.

However, the situation had changed from when the two Vanguard Commanders had dominated the battlefield.

The one before them was Enoch Războlnic, who had fully regained his prime might, if only momentarily.

Before the one who had once pierced even the Demon Lord’s heart, the ‘mere two Vanguard Commanders’ could not pose an obstacle.

A sacred light shone from Doyun’s sword.