Chapter 408

While advancing cautiously, wary of ambushes or traps, a piece of good news arrived.

The forces that had been assigned to the south, including Hiresia, had safely rejoined us.

With this, our forces were once again fully assembled.

“Did you notice anything unusual or concerning on your way here, Senior?”

“No.”

“That’s a relief. We can focus solely on what’s ahead.”

I dismissed the assumption that the enemy was plotting something in our rear.

The situation became simple.

The enemy was now only the group ahead of us.

If we could annihilate them, victory would be ours.

If not, the world would probably end.

“Wait, that’s.”

It was then.

Elf Senior’s vigilant eyes narrowed.

She had spotted something.

I saw it too.

A faint, dark barrier-like thing in the distance.

An ominous aura emanated openly from it.

As if everyone felt it, they reflexively raised their weapons and shields.

“Savior, this is…?”

Milia sought an answer from me.

Of course, I didn’t know the identity of that thing either.

However, the situation was obvious.

The Heavenly Lord was no fool.

No, he was one of the smartest humans in the world.

Though, now that he had become one with the Dark God’s aura, it was unclear if he was even human anymore.

Whatever the case.

The Heavenly Lord would surely know that his armies were being annihilated and that enemies were advancing from behind.

Naturally, he wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

That was why I had advanced with caution.

And eventually, we had encountered that.

“Should we break through?”

Dunken’s confident question.

It was commendable morale.

“Something’s coming out.”

Riviera’s words.

As she said, something was slithering out from the dark barrier.

“What’s that?”

“Shadows…?”

“Creepy as hell.”

The combined forces made uneasy expressions.

Because it was a being unseen in this world.

Monster? Creature?

Unknown.

All they could tell now was that those things had a form similar to shadows.

Things clinging to the ground like black shadows, slowly crawling towards them.

Then, suddenly.

*Slither, slither, slither, slither, slither!*

“Woah?!”

“W-Why are they suddenly rushing out like crazy!”

As if sprinting, the shadows approached at high speed.

The combined forces were flustered.

But even faster than that.

*Thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack, thwack!*

Elf Senior’s arrows accurately shot and embedded themselves in the shadows.

“Oh, as expected!”

“The High Elf Elder’s archery skills are the best in the world, I tell you.”

Residents openly saying things that would cause Elf Senior internal damage.

Normally, they would have been concerned about Elf Senior’s complexion, but now was not the time.

Because they had seen it clearly.

The shadows, pierced by arrows, were approaching rapidly again, as if nothing had happened.

“Huh?!”

“W-What?!”

The residents’ surprised screams.

“It’s not the main body!”

Elf Senior shouted, her eyes narrowed.

As soon as I grasped the situation, I immediately gave an order.

“Everyone, scatter and evade for now!”

Disperse.

An order I rarely gave.

But now, that order was the best option.

Why?

Because enemies approaching while clinging to the ground would be impossible to block even with our vaunted shield wall.

Moreover, if it was also impossible to inflict damage…

‘We have to find the main body.’

My gaze quickly scanned the surroundings.

If the essence was hidden within the ordinary, it wouldn’t be easy to notice.

But I had a hero’s intuition.

I activated my hero’s intuition and quickly scanned the surroundings once.

However, nothing particularly suspicious was caught.

Only one thing was caught in this vicinity.

That ominous barrier.

If so…

“The barrier is the main body! Everyone, evade those things and attack the barrier!”

I had pierced through to the essence.

That dark barrier was indeed the main body of those shadow creatures.

Only by shattering it could we eliminate them.

The problem was.

That until then, we couldn’t stop their attacks…

‘No, it’s not a problem.’

The combined forces, especially the resident unit, were veterans who had survived against even more atrocious enemies than this until now.

“Alright, Savior!”

“Let’s go, everyone! To shatter that damn wall!”

“We’ve dug so many tunnels, we’re sick of construction by now. We’ll demolish it thoroughly!”

Reliable.

I grinned, kicked off the ground, and rushed towards the barrier in an instant.

*Kick!*

-Form of the Swift Slash.

*Slice!*

My swift swordsmanship scraped the barrier with its blade.

And.

-Kuooooooar!

A bizarre scream of pain echoed from the writhing barrier.

As if it were a living creature.

“Correct.”

My conviction was right.

Now, all I had to do was shatter this barrier.

At that moment.

Sharp, thorn-like things instantly shot out from the barrier towards me.

If it had been the old me, I would have been hit.

But the current me was different.

Because my skills were at their peak.

I reacted immediately, leaping back and retreating before I could be impaled by the thorns.

“As expected, it won’t be easy, huh.”

I let out a smirk.

A threatening means of counterattack.

Well, it was unlikely that such a thing wouldn’t exist.

Since this barrier was the main body.

“That wall counterattacks with thorns! Everyone, watch out for the thorns!”

My appropriate warning.

Now there should be no problem.

I raised my sword again.

* * *

“To the 6th defensive line!”

Alfred shouted urgently.

They had already abandoned five defensive lines.

It meant the enemy’s attack was so fierce that it was difficult to withstand.

Now, there weren’t many prepared defensive lines left.

At this rate, a situation might arise where they couldn’t retreat any further and had to forcibly hold out at the last defensive line.

If that happened, the worst-case scenario, where the 4th years would lay down their bones here, could occur.

Because they had to buy time for the juniors to retreat, no matter what.

“Pull!”

*Creeeeak!*

The sound of a trap being activated.

But this time.

*SWIIIIIIIIISH!*

*Crunch!*

The heavy object they had painstakingly prepared was instantly and powerlessly shattered.

“You’ve prepared a lot of troublesome things.”

“Ugh?!”

A heavy groan escaped Alfred’s lips.

It couldn’t be helped.

Because the Dark Elf who had shattered the main gate’s defensive wall in a single blow had appeared before his eyes.

“Everyone, faster!”

Leon, his eyes narrowed, urged his classmates on with an unusually loud voice.

Because he knew better than anyone.

How terrifying a being Natasha was.

It was natural, as she was an opponent against whom no technique had worked when he faced her in the underground dungeon of Diotess Island, an opponent who had given him a bone-chilling sense of powerlessness for the first time.

*Clack, clack, clack, clack, clack!*

“Pant, pant!”

The 4th years ran with all their might, drawing out even the last dregs of their strength.

However, a situation that would forcibly stop their feet soon occurred.

*SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!*

A sharp noise, as if the air itself was being torn, was heard from behind.

It was Camian who reacted first.

Because it was a scene he had experienced before.

It wasn’t just Camian.

Slain, Lucia, Leon.

Everyone who had experienced that event shouted urgently almost simultaneously.

“Everyone, get down!”

That shout saved everyone.

An invisible blade slashed above the prone 4th years.

Even those who didn’t know the situation could quickly grasp what had happened.

*Slice! Thwack!*

Because the iron fences erected in various places were cut down and fell like scarecrows being slashed.

“H-Huuuuh?!”

“W-What?! What is it?!”

“It’s an invisible sword! Everyone, be careful!”

“W-What kind of ridiculous…!”

Though their hearts nearly leaped out of their chests in fright, all the 4th years somehow survived.

However, a problem had already arisen.

Because they had stopped their feet to get down, the distance had completely closed.

“D-Damn it!”

“W-What should we do?”

“What do you mean, what should we do? Everyone, block!”

Though they were steeling their resolve for a desperate, life-risking battle, Alfred shouted as if coughing up blood.

“Are you all crazy, you bastards? We can’t hold out here! Retreat to the next defensive line immediately!”

“How are we supposed to retreat in this state!”

“Leon and I will buy time!”

“W-What?!”

Buy time.

That meant sacrificing their lives for their classmates.

The 4th years’ eyes wavered.

“Go now!”

Leon also shouted with strong determination.

For him, it might have been a situation where sacrifice was forced upon him.

But it wasn’t.

He had already discussed it with his close friend, Alfred.

That in case of an emergency, they would save their classmates even if it meant sacrificing their own lives.

“Hurry!”

Their classmates felt their resolve all too clearly.

And that if they delayed any longer, even their noble resolve would lose its meaning.

Therefore, the classmates had no choice but to move.

While holding back the tears of blood that threatened to burst forth.

“Damn bastards! Acting all high and mighty! Let’s definitely survive and see those annoying faces again!”

Slain moved first.

Words that sounded like curses, but words that wished for their survival more than anyone.

As if Slain’s movement was a signal, everyone began to retreat again with all their might.

“Hmph, until the very end.”

Alfred chuckled and threw off the mask he had never once removed to hide his burns.

A face, half of which was hideously disfigured by burns.

That bare face signified.

That Alfred had resolved to fight to the death.

An action filled with the will to remove anything that would hinder the battle even slightly, even if it was a mask that hid a hideous face.

Alfred’s twin swords blazed with Sword Ki.

That aura was even fiercer and stronger than his usual aura.

Drawing out all the strength he had saved for an emergency.

“It’s an honor to go with you.”

Leon, thrusting out his spear, was also exuding an aura sharper and more refined than ever before.

“Hmph, likewise.”

The two close friends exchanged a final glance and smiled.

The final communion of friends who truly acknowledged each other.

“It won’t change anything anyway, will it?”

Natasha said coldly.

“You will die, your friends you tried to protect will die, and everyone will die.”

“I will never allow it.”

Leon imbued his spear with Sword Ki.

“Hmph, says who.”

Alfred also gathered all his strength.

“Do you think you can buy time?”

Natasha’s aura exploded.

* * *

“Kuuuh!”

Alfred groaned, rolling on the ground.

His appearance was already bloodied.

To this extent.

No way, to this extent.

…Even if the two of them combined their strength, it was difficult to hold out properly.

He felt a bitter sense of frustration.

“Hehe, as expected of Dark-nim.”

The messenger sneered from behind.

If he, who was enjoying it like a game, had joined in, this battle would have ended much sooner.

The problem was.

Yet, they hadn’t even managed to buy proper time.

One minute…?

Had they even properly bought one minute?

Alfred’s face contorted as he barely managed to get up.

“…”

Leon’s complexion, with blood dripping from cuts here and there, also hardened.

For him, who had felt a great wall in Natasha and had made relentless efforts, the shock must have been even greater.

He had thought he had become strong enough to exchange blows, but his opponent had also become stronger.

No, perhaps his opponent back then hadn’t been fighting with all her strength.

But Leon, even in his shock, tried his best to maintain his composure until the end.

This was a battle for everyone.

His emotions couldn’t be shaken.

He had to use all his strength until the very end to buy even one more second.

“Come at me as much as you want!”

Leon’s final, will-filled shout.

However, Natasha didn’t even blink.

“That’s your last words.”

Natasha’s Formless Sword was raised upwards.

“Crescent Moon.”

The name of the technique, uttered like a habit.

The technique that had shattered the main gate’s defensive wall in a single blow.

The current Leon and Alfred did not have the strength to block it.

*SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH!*

The transparent blade tore through the air.

“Ugh!”

“Until the very end!”

The moment Alfred and Leon tried to fight back with all their strength.

*CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!*

A sharp sound of metal colliding echoed.

“H-Huh?!”

“Y-You are…”

Alfred and Leon, frozen in astonishment with wide eyes.

On the other hand.

One of Natasha’s eyes narrowed.

Because she had been interrupted.

At the moment she was about to cleanly end their lives.

“Hehe, sorry. I’m a bit late, aren’t I?”

A gentle laugh, unbefitting the situation.

If it was her, she could.

The monster princess, no, the current Empress.

“Now, I’ll join in like a proper 4th year.”

Empress Oscar.

The butterfly effect brought about by Max’s connections had delayed Red Rain’s advance at a crucial moment.