Chapter 743

Chapter 743

Let's Show Them (3)

As the Death Knights began to move, the air on the battlefield shifted.

Like a black veil descending upon the land steeped in the aura of death, the march of a hundred Death Knights commenced.

Fwoooosh!

A black wave surged forward, rushing toward the enemy.

From the tips of their swords, a mist of death billowed out, and their glowing red eyes pierced through the battlefield, brimming with murderous intent.

They said nothing. No breath, no shouts.

Only the overwhelming aura of death they exuded and their heavy footsteps pressed upon the earth.

KWAANG!

The Death Knights charged into the orcs. With each swing of their great-swords, orc heads were smashed, and their bodies burst apart.

KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!

The Death Knight Legion was like a massive wave. In their wake flowed blood, and only fear remained.

But the orcs were also known as a warrior race.

Though stunned by Ghislain’s appearance, they quickly reignited their fighting spirit.

KRAAAAHHH!

Soon, the battlefield echoed with frenzied roars.

The orcs lived solely on battle instinct. They might be startled by unfamiliar foes, but they never retreated.

On the contrary, as if enraged by the intrusion of such alien beings, every orc snarled and charged as one.

KWAANG!

The battlefield quaked violently. The orc formation crashed into the Death Knight Legion like a massive iron hammer.

However—

KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!

The moment both sides collided, the Death Knights’ greats-words shattered orc weapons and pierced through their chests.

They cleaved shoulders, severed legs, and lopped off heads.

Blood exploded, screams rang out but all of them were the orcs’. The Death Knights carried out their slaughter in grim silence.

No matter how fiercely the orcs attacked, it was futile. The Death Knights rose again and again after falling, and their shattered armor absorbed darkness to restore its original form.

The Death Knights, who would never die, became the nightmare of the battlefield.

KWAANG!

Even without a single command from Ghislain, they moved by their own judgment, following the order of death.

The black mages, upon witnessing the Death Knights’ overwhelming might, froze.

“N-No way… That many Death Knights, being used like that?”

“Those aren’t just ordinary Death Knights. H-How can each one be that strong…?”

“The deathly aura we created… it's giving power to the enemy…?”

The black mages trembled. This battlefield had originally been their domain.

In a place saturated with the aura of death, undead beings grow immeasurably stronger, and the power of black magic peaks.

And yet, it wasn’t their undead who absorbed the most of this deathly aura and swept through the battlefield but the Death Knights.

Even when stabbed by orc weapons and their bodies torn apart, the Death Knights would soon rise again from the very spot, fully restored.

No matter how much the orcs attacked, there was no sign of pain. There was nothing to stop those who blazed like black flames.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

The great-swords of the Death Knights completely shattered the orcs’ formation. Yet the orcs were still many.

They continued to roar, blocking the path of the black knights.

Kuwaaaaaah!

The orcs charged relentlessly. By now, thoughts of the elves had vanished from their minds.

They merely twisted their faces in madness, targeting only the undying foes.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

The orcs rammed their armored shoulders into their enemies and tried to tear apart the Death Knights’ armor with hammers and axes. Even as they were cut down and their necks snapped, they kept charging the knights of death.

Sometimes, dozens of orcs would tackle a single Death Knight, overwhelming them by sheer force of numbers.

Then another orc would leap upon the pile, slashing wildly at both its kin and the Death Knight.

Puhk! Puhk! Puhk!

Kyaaaagh!

As such reckless resistance continued, the Death Knights' advance gradually slowed. No matter how strong they were, there were simply too many enemies, it was an inevitable outcome.

If this kept up, the deathly energy spread by the Black Mages would be exhausted before the orcs were annihilated.

It was then that a new wind began to blow across the battlefield.

Paaaah!

"We're here, you pathetic trash!"

A black sparrow screeched from high above. At the same time, a group of humans charged into the orcs.

The Julien Mercenary Corps had finally arrived.

Kwaaaang!

The flank of the orc formation suddenly exploded and collapsed.

Julien's sword, gleaming at the very front, severed orc heads in a single stroke. With each swing of Kyle’s sword, orc bodies were torn apart like paper.

"O Goddess! Protect us!"

At Deneb's cry, a faint light shimmered over the bodies of the mercenaries at the front.

As her divine power was weak, she couldn’t protect the entire corps. All she could manage was to barely shield those at the forefront.

However, there was one more person here who could wield divine power.

"…I’ll postpone the excommunication for now."

Lionel bit his lips several times. An excommunicated priestess was forbidden from using divine power.

But this was no time to argue over doctrine. The elves truly were at war with the orcs.

They had to help the elves if they were to demand the Sacred Stone. Gaining prestige for the Holy Empire was a nice bonus.

Having done the math, Lionel summoned all the divine power he could muster.

"Shield of Light, become a holy veil and drive away the darkness."

Paaaaaaah!

A white light rippled from Lionel’s body. That light unfurled like a shield before the mercenaries.

At the same time, Lionel dashed forward to the front lines.

He couldn’t afford to fall behind Julien and Kyle here. Lionel pushed even farther forward, taking the orcs’ attacks head-on.

If there was one thing he was confident in, it was his defense.

Kwaaaang!

With his shield raised, Lionel drove the orcs back. They swung their weapons at him, but the solid light that enveloped him prevented any real harm.

The other mercenaries whistled as they followed behind him.

"Hey! The young old man’s doing great!"

"I thought he was stiff in personality, but even his body’s stiff!"

"Yeah, that’s how a Temple Knight of the Holy Empire should be!"

The mercenaries moved boldly, trusting in the divine power that now surrounded them.

Thunk!

The orcs’ attacks bounced off the Shield of Light. Emboldened, the mercenaries let out a raucous cheer.

"Waaaaah!"

They swung their weapons wildly, paying no heed to defense. Their fierce assault began to scatter the orcs’ attention.

But there weren’t many mercenaries. The entire force gathered to capture Ismogen had only numbered 200.

No matter how surprised the orcs were by their attack, it was impossible for this small group alone to completely break the orc formation.

Their charge was soon halted, and they found themselves locked in fierce melee with the orcs.

At that moment, Ilaniel’s soft voice rang out across the battlefield.

"Go help them. They are our hope."

The elves, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, were momentarily dazed. In truth, they still didn’t fully understand what was happening.

No one knew why the Black Mage was now fighting for their side, who he was, or how he commanded such a powerful army.

Nor did they know why humans had suddenly appeared to aid them.

But one thing was certain.

Their chances of victory, their hope had returned.

"Push forward!"

Someone’s shout rang out, and that single cry spread across the battlefield like wildfire.

The elves once again took up their bows, grasped their swords and shields. Their broken spirits reignited, and the spirits regained their vigor.

"For the World Tree!"

"Reclaim the forest!"

"Drive out the intruders!"

Paaah!

Arrows fired by the elves filled the sky. They pierced through the wind, striking orcs squarely in their eyes and hearts.

The spirits scattered in all directions, assaulting the orcs. As the fury of nature erupted all at once, the orcs crumbled helplessly.

Before long, the Death Knights, mercenaries, and elves had united into one force, driving the orcs back.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

"Hold strong! Just a little more!"

"We can win this!"

"Osval the Man will crush the enemy!"

Voices echoed across the battlefield. No one needed orders. They all knew exactly what they had to do.

Their fighting spirit only grew stronger, and the orcs continued to fall one after another.

The flow of victory was shifting to the elves.

And among them, one elf burning with more rage than any other looked around in disbelief.

‘I thought it was truly the end…’

The forest was burning, her comrades had fallen, and the land was rotting away. Sinking into the depths of despair, she had believed everything was over.

But then, as if by a miracle, one man appeared.

"Astion…"

From Ereneth’s trembling lips, a name slipped out. Tears welled in her eyes once more.

He had been a human she had taken lightly. Someone she thought of as nothing more than a man who knew many amusing stories, who was fairly strong and sly.

But…

"My name is Astion. I am the Revealer, who has come to save the elves by the Goddess’s command."

"Not to brag, but I have done quite a few things."

"I’m that great of a person. That’s why I was worthy of receiving a revelation."

Ereneth smiled without even realizing it.

Yes, he truly was remarkable. Perhaps his claim of receiving a revelation had been true after all.

Right now, Astion… was shining so brightly that she couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

"It’s not over yet."

Ereneth steadied her breathing and drew upon what little energy remained.

The flame she had believed extinguished began to burn once more. She could not back down now.

Her mind was clearer than it had ever been. Her rage had faded, replaced only by cold determination.

Paaah!

The power of the spirits was revived at her fingertips. The spirits swept through the orcs like a raging storm.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

Kyaaaagh!

The tide of the battle had completely turned in favor of the elves. The number of orcs was rapidly decreasing, and with that, their morale was crumbling as well.

The one who had reversed the situation in an instant, Ghislain had in that short span of time already crushed all the Black Mages.

"You still need to be punished, don’t you?"

Kwahjeejik!

A Black Mage struck by Ghislain’s staff had his skull shattered in an instant.

Ghislain had swung with all his strength to ensure they couldn’t pull any more tricks.

The few Black Mages who had barely survived were killed just as swiftly.

The last remaining Black Mage, trembling, asked,

"Wh-who are you? W-why is a Black Mage helping the elves?"

"I am a Black Mage of justice."

"Th-there’s no such thing as a Black Mage of justice!"

A Black Mage grew stronger by cursing the world. Only those who had abandoned their humanity and gone mad could become Black Mages.

And yet, the one before him had clearly gone a step further deranged in a different way. A Black Mage, the very opposite of justice, was now shouting about justice?

And judging by the way he had beaten people to death with a staff, there was no doubt about it.

‘I can’t die to a lunatic like this.’

The Black Mage thrust out his hand just as Ghislain raised his staff again. For the first time in his life, he focused all his mental strength and cast his greatest spell.

"Die!"

Paaak!

A sharp surge of energy burst from the Black Mage’s hand. If it hit, it would burn away even a foe more powerful than the caster, a curse of utter destruction.

Sshk.

But Ghislain merely tilted his head slightly to avoid it. Seeing this, the Black Mage’s eyes widened in disbelief as he asked,

"Wh-why does a mage move like that!"

He had fired it from point-blank range. Even a Sword Master shouldn’t have been able to dodge it.

Yet his opponent had evaded it with ease.

Ghislain kindly answered.

"I’m good at everything."

Puhk!

The last Black Mage’s skull was shattered, killing him instantly.

"Phew! I overdid it for the first time in a while."

Ghislain planted his staff into the ground and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath.

In truth, his condition was far from normal. He had expended a great deal of mana fighting five High Priests and had sustained injuries as well.

He had managed to recover some mana with a brief rest, but it wasn’t enough. Yet with the battlefield situation so dire, he hadn’t been able to rest any longer. If he hadn’t turned the tide swiftly, the elves would have suffered great losses.

So, he had no choice but to intervene while still far from recovered.

"Haa… this is troublesome…"

After casting wide-area lightning spells and summoning the Death Knights, his mana was nearly depleted.

Had the Black Mages not already turned the area into a Land of Death, maintaining the Death Knights would have been nearly impossible.

On top of that, killing 6th-Circle Black Mages in one strike had pushed him even further.

"Tsk. What a sly one."

Ghislain turned his gaze toward a distant point. Like Ilaniel, he too sensed a lurking darkness.

If he fought that darkness in his current state, defeat was certain. The hidden presence was that strong.

"Well… I’m sure they’ll handle it."

But Ghislain had his own reasons for confidence, so he focused solely on reversing the tide of battle.

Kwaaaah!

Sure enough, it seemed the hidden darkness had sensed the sudden shift in the situation, it finally began to move.

A massive force surged forward. It was charging toward the center of the battlefield, as if to turn the tide once more.

At that very moment

Flash!

A bolt of light fired from Ilaniel’s hand, shooting towards the darkness.

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