Chapter 321 : Chapter 321
Chapter 321. You’re in the Way (1)
Year 1531. February 5th.
The Schneider Duchy led 20,000 troops and, at the request of the Magellan Kingdom, joined the war.
A mere 20,000 soldiers might seem too few to change the tide of war.
However….
“Let’s go!”
“Yes! Big brother!”
“……”
If three 7-Star knights and numerous 6-Star knights were at the forefront of those 20,000, the story would be quite different.
Sanson Kainel, Oliver A.
And April Schneider, the Grand Young Master's wife.
The moment those three stood at the vanguard, with the Double Dragon Knightly Order supporting them from behind, the army of the Schneider Duchy displayed immense destructive power.
In particular, April's performance, moving separately from the knightly order, was tremendous.
Once a battle began, she became a golden flash of light, roaming freely across the battlefield.
All by herself.
Enemies who tried to respond to the knightly order's breakthrough with an encirclement were unable to react to April's movements and were helplessly defeated.
“Re… reinforcements!”
“A dragon wrapped around twin swords? What is that?”
“It’s the Double Dragon Knightly Order of the Schneider Duchy!”
“Waaaaah!”
The soldiers of the Magellan Kingdom, who had been facing overwhelming odds and had prepared for annihilation, cheered.
The performance of the Schneider Duchy’s forces was just that overpowering.
With three 7-Star knights leading the charge, they defeated the Yusef Kingdom's army with the force of a wave washing away a sandcastle.
Of course, the enemies did not just stand there and take it.
A man leading a knightly order charged forward to block the man at the tip of the Schneider Duchy's assault.
“I am Marquis Robski, the Divine Spear of the Yusef Kingdom!”
Marquis Dustin Robski, charging with great vigor.
CRASH!
His thrust collided with Sanson's twin swords.
In that instant, the horses they were riding couldn't withstand the impact and their legs broke.
The two men then dismounted with agile movements before their horses could fall.
In a duel between 7-Star knights, a horse is nothing but a hindrance.
And after dismounting, Marquis Robski pointed his spear at Sanson and spoke.
“I am Marquis Dustin Robski, the Divine Spear of the great Yusef Kingdom.”
He was originally a Count in the Yusef Kingdom, but as a result of diligently accumulating achievements on the battlefield, he had become a Marquis.
Sanson raised his sword to him, showing a knight's courtesy, and spoke.
“Count Sanson Kainel of the Schneider Duchy.”
At that, Marquis Robski ground his teeth and said.
“What do you country bumpkins from the Schneider Duchy hope to gain by meddling in another's war?”
“Well, I don't know politics, so I can't give you a reason for that. However….”
Sanson vividly remembered the ravages of war he had witnessed on his way to this battlefield.
A land where everything was burned and destroyed.
A mountain of corpses with not a single survivor in sight.
Remembering that, Sanson's eyes burned with fighting spirit as he spoke.
“Even if it were not His Highness the Grand Duke's command, I doubt there is any justice in a war like this.”
“……”
“Therefore, as a knight, I will stop you. That alone is reason enough.”
At Sanson's words, Marquis Robski raised one corner of his mouth crookedly and said.
“Did you say Sanson Kainel?”
“That's right.”
“You talk a good game.”
“Thanks for the compli—”
“Dieeeee!”
Before Sanson could finish his words, Robski's spear lunged in a surprise attack, aiming to pierce him.
CRASH!
Sanson raised his sword and blocked Marquis Robski's surprise attack.
An Aura Blade exploded brilliantly between the two men.
But Marquis Robski's attack did not end with one blow.
“Die. You country bumpkin from the Schneider Duchy!”
Dustin Robski.
The Divine Spear of the former Decator Kingdom.
The current Divine Spear of the Yusef Kingdom.
And crucially, he was a man who held quite a grudge against Patrick.
Ferociously swinging the spearhead from which an Aura Blade extended over a meter, a series of attacks flew towards Sanson's entire body.
Sanson moved the swords in both his hands and calmly parried the attacks.
CLANG! CRASH! CLANG!
Robski's fierce assault.
Sanson cautiously received the attacks, focusing on defense for the time being.
‘He's fast, and his moves are concise.’
In truth, this was also Sanson's first time facing a 7-Star knight in a real battle.
On top of that, his opponent's weapon was a spear, which was unfamiliar to him.
Thus, he intended to focus on defense in the beginning to observe.
Seeing this, Marquis Robski thought he had seized the momentum.
“I'll finish you!”
CLANG! CLANG! CRASH!
A series of thrusts that gradually accelerated.
The power increased in proportion to the speed, and when the speed finally reached its peak, the tip of the spear vanished.
At least, that's how it looked to others.
Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!
Countless consecutive thrusts became a single torrent that overwhelmed the enemy.
The powerful thrusts and the continuous attacks of the emanating Aura Blade were like waves crashing one after another.
It was Marquis Robski's ultimate technique, one that had previously pierced even a fellow 7-Star knight.
‘This is a strike I created to land a blow on that damn bastard.’
It was an ultimate technique created with tenacity and resentment.
The problem was….
“That was a splendid move.”
His opponent had calmly received this ultimate technique.
Sanson had perfectly blocked all of Marquis Robski's consecutive attacks with his swords.
At that, Marquis Robski faltered and said.
“How did you block that?”
“...You just thrusted, so I just blocked.”
“You could see all of my consecutive attacks?”
“Of course. That's why I blocked them.”
“……”
Sanson's face clearly showed the sentiment of, 'Is there a problem?'
Marquis Robski ground his teeth at Sanson and said.
“Just like a subordinate of that damn bastard.”
“Huh?”
“You're infuriatingly annoying. Is that a tradition in the Schneider Duchy?”
There was no need to think about who 'that damn bastard' was.
Oliver, who was a short distance away from Sanson, approached him and said.
“It looks like he’s suffered at the hands of the Young Master before, doesn’t it?”
“Right? Seems that way, huh?”
“Who else could it be?”
“That's true.”
And the two of them looked at Marquis Robski at the same time.
The heir of the Schneider Duchy had been slandered.
In response, the two knights who had sworn allegiance to the Schneider family showed the attitude befitting of vassals.
“Well, we apologize for that.”
“I don’t know what it was about, but I agree that our Young Master was definitely in the wrong.”
Loyalty?
A knight's duty?
“……”
Marquis Robski was actually bewildered by their completely unexpected attitude.
It was the first time he had ever been pitied by an enemy in the middle of a war.
‘Are there no sane people in the Schneider Duchy?’
Just then, Sanson spoke to Marquis Robski.
“However.”
“What is it?”
“Our Young Master was surely in the wrong, but it would be in your best interest to take back what you just said.”
“You insolent fool!”
Marquis Robski struck the ground hard with the shaft of his spear and shouted in a dignified voice.
“Do you dare threaten me, Dustin Robski, the Divine Spear of the Yusef Kingdom?”
To the Marquis, who was displaying his full dignity, Sanson and Oliver spoke with pitiful expressions.
“It’s less of a threat and more of….”
“Advice. Advice stemming from truly pure goodwill.”
“To be honest, there's no need to give such advice to an enemy on the battlefield.”
“Hey, but there's such a thing as human compassion.”
“That’s true, isn’t it?”
Hearing their conversation, a vein popped on Marquis Robski's forehead as he spoke.
“Shut up! You damn subordinates of the Double Dragon! I'll kill you all.”
At those words, Sanson and Oliver sighed at the same time.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
“One should really listen to people’s advice.”
And from behind them, something was rushing forward at high speed.
That which ran like a golden flash of light was….
“Who dares!”
The woman who could never tolerate slander against Patrick Schneider.
It was April Schneider.
She, who had originally been penetrating the enemy's right flank for a flanking maneuver, sharply changed her trajectory the moment she heard Patrick being insulted and was now charging straight towards Marquis Robski.
Seeing this, Marquis Robski….
“How dare you.”
He swiftly thrusted his spear towards April, who was charging at him all alone.
Shiiiiik!
The thrust that cut through the air was completely flawless.
It was a thrust that had grown even stronger through relentless training after his defeat by Patrick.
It was perfect, as if it embodied the very word 'discipline'.
However….
Grab!
Her opponent was April.
She reached out and caught Marquis Robski's spear with her bare hand.
In that moment, Marquis Robski's eyes widened.
He hadn't expected her to just catch the spear instead of dodging or blocking it.
Moreover, that wasn't the end of it.
April, having caught the spear, did not kill her momentum and launched herself into the air while still holding it, leaping forward.
And then….
CRACK!
Her long, beautiful leg drew an elegant curve and kicked Marquis Robski squarely in the head.
‘Kugh….’
Marquis Robski felt dizzy for a moment from the shock, feeling as if he would lose consciousness.
But he was, after all, a 7-Star knight.
And a fairly high-ranking one at that.
“Hmph!”
Pulling his fading consciousness back together, Marquis Robski quickly extended one leg back to steady his falling body.
And he raised the aura in his body to its maximum.
Then….
Rip. Clang!
His forearm swelled to an abnormal size.
At the same time, the arm guard on his arm, unable to withstand the expansion of his muscles, fell to the ground.
And then….
“Haaaaaaap!”
Just like that, Marquis Robski swung the spear forcefully towards the sky.
As if yanking a fishing rod.
At that, April's slender body was flung high into the sky.
Marquis Robski was about to fire an Aura Blade at April, who was floating in the air.
But before he could, April, suspended in mid-air, had already taken a stance.
The moment they saw her cross her twin swords behind her back, Sanson and Oliver hastily took cover.
And….
[ Twin Dragons Eight Sword Forms: Second Form: Great Dragon Cross Sword ]
A massive cross-shaped slash fell to the ground.
Faced with that attack, which was like a judgment descending from the heavens, Marquis Robski hastily extended his Aura Blade to block it.
However….
KAKAKAKABOOM!
The Aura Blade he unleashed was too weak to block April's strike.
The cross-shaped slash completely crushed the spot where he had been standing.
“He’s alive.”
April, who had landed lightly, looked at the fallen and twitching Marquis Robski and said coldly.
A chilling coldness lingered on her face.
As she approached Marquis Robski with her sword raised, Sanson hurriedly shouted.
“Your Highness, the Grand Young Master’s wife. We must take him prisoner.”
At that, April frowned slightly and said.
“He insulted the Young Master.”
“The Young Master must have done something to deserve it.”
“……”
“Ah, no. That's not what I meant.”
Anyway, this mouth of mine is the problem.
Sanson was greatly flustered as he saw April glaring at him sharply.
Just then, Oliver, who was behind Sanson, spoke.
“Weren't there orders from His Highness the Grand Duke to end the war peacefully?”
“……”
“It is right to capture him if possible and use him in prisoner negotiations. A 7-Star knight is an important hostage, after all.”
At Oliver's words, April sheathed her sword as if she had no choice.
And so, the Schneider Duchy achieved a great victory right from the beginning of the war.