Chapter 94 : Chapter 94

Chapter 094 : Moving Forward Together (3)

Their numbers rivaled those that had surrounded Sylphiroa.

They were commanding a pack of Mist Fang Wolves like a true legion.

How on earth did they end up colluding with an Imperial sorcerer?

‘Forget it. Don’t think about it now.’

Today, I would exterminate that mosquito-like nuisance, Yeats, once and for all.

Grrrrrr!

I was about to step out of the Mana Field.

The unsettling growls of the Mist Fang Wolves made me turn around.

The pack had surrounded the hemispherical shield Linda had created.

Their red glints were densely packed in the hazy air.

“Sir Bihen! Don’t worry about us! I can hold out for a bit!”

My eyes met Linda’s as she shouted with all her might.

I heard her mutter “probably” at the end, but I pretended not to and turned away.

I wanted to honor her spirit and dignity to the end.

Boom!

I stomped the ground and leaped upward.

In an instant, I was eye-level with him.

As the shadows peeled away, his smirk, suddenly stiffening, came clearly into view.

He seemed startled.

I swung Zahara Toxeed upward from below with my left hand.

Clang—!

His conduct was worse than a street thug’s, but objectively speaking, he was a Sword Master.

He wasn’t so incompetent as to fall to my sudden first strike.

Clash!

The moment our blades met, I wrapped my right arm around his sword-wielding arm while gripping Toxeed.

Kampringen.

I’d learned a good technique before.

The moment he realized something and tried to react, I threw him down.

We tumbled onto the pile of fallen trees, with him below and me above.

Thud!

The impact reverberated through my arm as his body hit the ground.

Nice, it’s exhilarating.

That was one breath.

Even if he somehow blocked the first strike, he was far below my level to handle the follow-up combo.

“Urgh!”

“Think you can look down on me, you cocky bastard?”

I mounted his chest and taught him the proper eye level.

With my knees pinning his arms firmly, I raised Toxeed.

Roarrrr!

My hairs stood on end.

It was as if a chilling gust scraped past my ears.

The overlapping howls of multiple beasts sounded like that.

Tch!

I sprang backward like a coiled spring.

At that moment, a pack of Mist Fang Wolves lunged from both sides, slashing through where I’d been.

Not a metaphor—their gleaming fangs were sharper than blades.

The wolves, crossing from opposite sides, left long trails of red glints before vanishing into the dust like mist.

As shapeless creatures, their movements truly looked like afterimages.

“Damn it! I almost died! Give me a heads-up, you filthy…!”

He still had some composure.

I rushed at him immediately.

Whoosh! Whish!

It was called a demonic blade.

The sound of Zahara Toxeed slicing through the air was eerie.

Yeats twisted his body, dodging with all his might, and put some distance between us.

“Kampringen. Did Kana teach you that?”

“She didn’t teach me. I learned it.”

“…The hell? Isn’t that the same thing? Anyway, that cunning wench is no help to the end, tch.”

I tilted my head.

“Not on the same side?”

“Same side? Heh heh. Why so naive? You already know. Back in Easton.”

Yeats stood at an angle, slightly bending his knees.

He pulled his sword back, aligning it horizontally with his extended left arm, clearly preparing for a thrust.

It reminded me of Destreza, but it was slightly different from what I knew.

If Eugene’s Destreza focused on counterattacks, this one was geared toward overwhelming with an initial strike.

“If we were all on the same side, would you still be alive?”

He charged straight in.

His swordplay, uncharacteristically, was quite straightforward.

A series of rapid thrusts based on swift swordsmanship.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

That wasn’t all.

The afterimages of the Mist Fang Wolf pack, flickering in the dust, suddenly lunged.

They flew in as if assisting Yeats’s attack, stealing my counterattack timing.

Exaggerating a bit, it was a combo reminiscent of a supreme master’s sword control.

Boom! Crash—!

The situation grew increasingly chaotic due to the debris from the exploding wolves.

Annoying.

As Yeats’s outline blurred again, merging with the wolves, I spoke.

“No wonder you were so confident. You had something up your sleeve.”

“Heh heh. Feeling the pressure now?”

“Marian, was it? Where’s that Imperial sorcerer now? I need to catch and interrogate them. Why would someone like that team up with a lowlife like you? It’s degrading.”

Yeats shrugged, cackling.

His laughter was strange.

He was so used to insults and contempt that he now seemed to revel in it.

“Don’t get cocky, Bihen Benkou. How about you read the situation?”

His relaxed eyes gradually sharpened.

Then, something I’d overlooked hit me.

‘Worst-case scenario.’

I turned around.

Only then did I hear the rupturing sound.

The Mist Fang Wolf pack was ferociously rubbing against Linda’s Mana Field, ready to break through any moment.

Boom! Boom! Crash—!

I didn’t hesitate and cleared out a few of them.

The explosions up close nearly deafened me.

“Linda!”

“I’m still holding… No, honestly, I don’t know! They just keep coming…!”

Through the bluish barrier, Linda’s face looked like it was about to collapse.

She was at her limit.

‘She didn’t even know how to use magic in the first place. This was improvisation.’

It clicked.

She must have instinctively released the mana she’d been wrapping around herself like a protective aura, and it turned out impressively.

‘…The realm of genius.’

No time to admire.

The problem was what came next.

Crack—!

As if waiting for it, cracks began spreading across the shield.

The people huddled inside let out cries of shock.

Linda gritted her teeth, but holding on any longer was impossible.

She’d done well to last this long.

Then it happened.

“Now, everyone, to your positions!”

“Don’t improvise, or it’ll be trouble! Just reinforce Linda’s mana flow! Keep it uniform!”

Shouts erupted from the crowd.

Like moles popping out of the ground, heads sprang up here and there.

Their ages varied, but many were young faces.

Some were tiny children.

“Sylphinus! Everyone, focus!”

The standing children raised their hands almost simultaneously.

Mimicking Linda’s stance, some waved their hands as if drawing something in the air.

Faint glimmers from their fingertips began seeping into the shield.

Grrrr! Kack! Kack! Kaaaa!

The Sylphinus children faced the Mist Fang Wolf pack across the thin barrier.

Staring down Demonic Beasts at such close range wasn’t easy, even for adults.

These were Imperial Demonic Beasts, practically unknown to them.

Where did their courage come from? It could only be described as a miracle of Sylphinu.

“Don’t get too comfortable—!”

Behind me.

He was charging at ferocious speed, with the wolves.

Like will-o’-the-wisps, red glints swirled fiercely around him.

Whirl!

Gripping both Zahara Toxeeds downward, I spun rapidly.

The twin blades, spinning like a high-speed windmill, sliced through the wolves.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Yeats, in a defensive stance, was pushed back far, then spun in midair and charged again.

It was like he’d stepped on an invisible platform, an acrobatic feat.

“Bihen Benkou! You persistent bastard!”

He raised his sword with both hands.

The blade, held vertically above his head, was turning white.

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

The white light bursting from the blade began expanding rapidly.

It seemed ready to burn through the flickering wolf pack entirely.

In the midst of this, he was looking at the people behind me.

He knew I’d read his gaze—no, he wanted me to.

The distance, stance, Aura’s density, and his eyes.

Everything told me.

A full-force strike, completely disregarding defense.

‘Yeats is betting his life on this one.’

It was far stronger than the Aura in Easton.

If I countered with Sword Aura like before,

I might be fine, but there was no guarantee the people of Sylphiroa would be safe.

The clash of Sword Aura and Aura could swallow the entire area.

On the other hand, if I sacrificed them—

To be precise, if I sacrificed some of them, I could end Yeats with one counterattack.

Right here, easily.

Uncertainty versus certainty.

The choice was obvious.

The old me wouldn’t have hesitated for a moment.

But not now.

The struggle of the Sylphinus children just now was pushing me forward.

Wooong!

I infused Sword Aura into Zahara Toxeed.

Punishing Yeats didn’t have to happen right now.

Instead, I fervently wished.

At this moment, may Sylphinu’s blessing fall upon them.

Clang—!

A blinding white light engulfed my vision.

As if the world exhaled, a tremendous storm raged.

The clash of Sword Aura and Aura.

Something unexpected happened. Amid the violent tremors and gusts spreading in all directions, dark red shapes shot up in droves.

As if Demonic Beasts had no place in the sacred clash of sword essences.

Whoooosh!

The aftermath was short and intense.

I slowly opened my eyes.

The light that had swallowed the area was gone, leaving only patches of transparent glow.

I quickly turned around.

“Ha…!”

A gasp escaped me.

The Mana Field was gone.

It seemed to have fulfilled its role and burned out gloriously.

Thanks to that, the people seemed unharmed.

They looked bewildered, unsure of what had just happened.

“Huh? Just now…”

“Something flashed…”

The line between life and death is decided in an instant.

It comes suddenly, without warning. Fleeting, indeed.

They didn’t need to faint from relief or gratitude. I, who witnessed it, could be thankful for the miracle. That was enough for now.

“Ugh… Damn it.”

A faint groan came from ahead.

Through the hazy view, I saw him.

Far off, leaning on his sword, Yeats’s shadow staggered.

The impact must be hard to bear.

It was a strike that threw everything into it.

Click.

I regripped Zahara Toxeed.

Now it was time to finish it.

“Huff, huff… Bihen Benkou. Not so easy, huh.”

“You were tenacious, Yeats. Now die quietly.”

The dust and debris from the clash made it hard to see.

As I took a step forward—

“Puhahahaha!”

He burst into laughter out of nowhere.

Well, some people lose it when their end is near.

‘…!’

Suddenly, the front darkened.

The area around Yeats was being swallowed by blackness.

A mix of smells stung my nose.

The metallic scent of weapons, the fishy breath leaking from helmets, and heavy footsteps.

They pressed in on me.

“Remember this for a long time. Your struggles, your flailing. No, you won’t forget.”

As soon as he spoke, the dust clouding my vision began to clear.

The blurred shadow gradually took shape.

Soldiers formed a semicircle around Yeats.

“…Wipe them all out.”

When did they even—

“Raaaah!”

A black tide surged in.

It was as if it would swallow the forest whole.

They trampled over the scattered debris and fallen trees from the earlier clash, pouring in.

At least my reason hadn’t fled yet.

When it felt like time was slowing down…

I shook my head.

“Everyone, run—!”

I couldn’t finish.

My pupils dilated.

Beyond the frozen, terrified people of Sylphiroa.

Crackle—!

A white bolt of lightning flashed across my retinas.

It was brief.

It shot into the air instantly.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It struck the ground mercilessly.

It reminded me of the fierce battles of my past life.

Like artillery shells dropping from the rear to stop an enemy charge.

“Bihen!”

Amid the explosions and enemy screams, someone approached me.

In the chaos, it was the only warmth I felt. Clyde.

The clear warmth from his hand on my shoulder.

“You okay? A bit later, and it would’ve been bad. Leave it to us now.”

Did he rush ahead alone?

No, there was more.

“Who dares touch Theodore’s prized pig—!”

A booming shout approached rapidly with fierce hoofbeats.

Even in this chaotic battlefield, his presence stood out.

He charged through the people of Sylphiroa on horseback.

“The rising sun of Theodore, Declan Theodore! Has arrived on the battlefield!”

Then it happened.

A sound that snapped my fading consciousness awake came from above.

It was like the soar of a hawk.

Whiiiiii—!

Starting with one, they followed in succession.

A volley of arrows traced arcs in the sky.

It felt like the sky was closing in.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

An indiscriminate barrage. Like black rain falling.

“Your lord has arrived, great warrior!”

I let out a hollow laugh.

Anderson Homer.

He led a force of archers twice as large as before.

It wasn’t over.

“Charge, charge! Crush the enemies of the alliance!”

Now from Yeats’s rear.

I recognized the emblem on the high-flying banner at a glance.

It was etched vividly in my mind.

How could it not be?

It was the first domain I set foot in after crossing the snowy mountains, reborn.

Belmont.

Where the Sword Fiend announced his return.

‘Viscount Mosfield.’

All kinds of noise and shouts flooded in.

Tearing screams, the clash of metal, cries of life and death crossing.

They grew louder.

The desperate sounds boiling in this pandemonium seemed to awaken even the Dragon in the Fog from my past life.

I suppressed it. But I shouldn’t.

My comrades were telling me.

The third rule of Bihen Benkou’s chivalry.

‘Moving forward together.’

The trajectory of this life, circling back to me.

‘Sword Fiend Bihen Benkou.’

I move forward again.

I felt warmth at my back.

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