Chapter 324 : Chapter 324
Chapter 324. You’re in the Way (4)
‘It's done. I can win.’
Count Tyrone, fighting bravely at the forefront of the counterattack, could not contain his excitement.
When the enemy launched a large-scale night raid, he had charged in with anger reaching the top of his head.
And once he actually started the counterattack, the enemy was much weaker than he had thought.
As he seized the momentum and pressed the attack, the Yusef Kingdom's army was collapsing helplessly.
‘I've won. If I can crush the enemy like this and take the Hegemon King's head, I can end this war with my own hands.’
Although Count Danihel Tyrone was a 7-Star knight, he was one of the less prominent ones.
Since the Magellan Kingdom was such a peaceful country, he had no notable achievements, and he hadn't played a conspicuous role in this war either.
But now.
At this moment, he was leading the charge to victory in a war that had gathered the attention of the entire continent.
If he could just lead this battle to victory, glory and honor beyond his wildest dreams would await him.
‘At least a Marquis. Or even a Duke…. Perhaps I could even become a Grand Duke and establish my own duchy.’
Just imagining it was thrilling.
Grand Duke Danihel Tyrone, the first Grand Duke of the Tyrone Duchy.
He was already contemplating what middle name to choose when he became royalty.
He had become that blinded by glory.
But he didn't know.
That on the other side of the coin of glory was engraved defeat and downfall.
RUMBLE!
A terrifying aura swept over Count Tyrone, who was swinging his sword in a state of self-forgetfulness at the front.
“Kugh….”
He hastily raised his Aura Blade to its maximum to block the attack.
A destructive attack that he, a 7-Star knight, could barely block.
This meant that the opponent was an enemy of a level equal to his own.
“Who is it?!”
Before him, who shouted gallantly, appeared a woman with white hair tied back, recognizable even in the darkness.
The identity of this woman, who still maintained her youth except for her snow-white hair, was….
“Sword Queen.”
It was Sword Queen Leona Maybus.
She had stopped Count Tyrone with a single blow.
Count Tyrone tightened his grip on his sword and thought to himself.
‘The Sword Queen…. This is tough.’
He had already fought the Sword Queen once in this war.
He had managed to hold on for about 100 exchanges, but honestly, there was a clear difference in skill, to the point where he had to admit that his opponent's skills were superior.
She was truly worthy of being called the strongest female knight on the entire continent.
He had managed to escape somehow back then, but she was a burdensome opponent to fight one-on-one.
Moreover….
‘What is that? That black Aura Blade?’
A black Aura Blade that revealed an even more jet-black presence in the dark night.
It was just like the Aura Blade of the Black Knight, the Hegemon King's right-hand man who was now missing.
Considering that the Sword Queen's aura was previously pure white, it was strange.
‘No, that doesn't matter.’
Count Tyrone pointed his sword at her and said.
“Step aside, Sword Queen. If you do not withdraw, I, Danihel Tyrone, will punish you!”
“……”
Normally, given the Sword Queen's personality, she should have responded to Count Tyrone's words with a sneer, saying, 'With those skills?'
But the current Sword Queen was just maintaining a blank expression in silence.
She, who showed no emotion, silently raised her sword towards Count Tyrone and….
SHIIIIIIK!
“Kugh….”
She brought down a powerful blow.
A fierce black Aura Blade, reminiscent of a raging torrent, swept over Count Tyrone.
Count Tyrone maximized his own Aura Blade to counter it, but….
“Ugh… ugh….”
‘I'm… being pushed back.’
It was impossible.
The opponent's Aura Blade was much more powerful.
Why was this?
When they fought before, he had been pushed back and defeated by her sword technique, but he hadn't felt that he was being pushed back in terms of strength.
But now, he was being pushed back in a pure contest of strength versus strength.
He was desperately unleashing his Aura Blade to survive, but the opponent's power was too overwhelming.
On top of that….
“Huh? You all are?”
From behind the Sword Queen, other 7-Star knights began to appear.
Adolph Raines, David Kaikara, Clabin Taerion, Vector Bridges, and Marius Shuraiman….
All the 7-Star knights of the Yusef Kingdom, except for the captured Dustin Robski, had appeared before his eyes.
And….
RUMBLE!
The moment a jet-black Aura Blade bloomed from their weapons simultaneously, despair settled on Count Tyrone's face.
“W… wai… wait! Wait a min—”
Before he could finish his words, terrifyingly powerful jet-black Aura Blades rained down on him.
Faced with the Aura Blades unleashed by six 7-Star knights simultaneously, Count Tyrone despaired.
However….
“Oliver!”
“Yes, Big brother!”
It seemed it was not yet his time to die.
From behind him, Sanson and Oliver leaped out at the same time.
They collided with the fierce, jet-black Aura Blade with their own Aura Blades raised to the maximum.
[ Twin Dragons Eight Sword Forms: Third Form: Flashing Dragon Strike ]
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
It was a terrifying clash.
After all, seven more had joined the two 7-Star knights who were already clashing, unleashing their full power in a collision.
In the face of that terrifying impact, those who lacked the strength to withstand it, regardless of whether they were friend or foe, could only be torn to shreds.
“Arrrggghhh!”
“Kuaaack!”
And after that massive collision ended.
“Kugh…. Oliver? Count Tyrone!”
Sanson quickly checked the condition of his allies.
Even as blood streamed down his entire body, he first confirmed the survival of his allies.
Then, Oliver, who was breathing a little heavily behind Sanson to his right, answered.
“We're alive, Big brother.”
Oliver's voice was heard.
Although one of his arms was dangling as if broken, it didn't seem like his life was in great danger.
“Thank goodness. What about the Count?”
“He's…. out cold.”
At Oliver's words, Sanson shifted his gaze slightly and saw Danihel Tyrone, lying there covered in blood and not moving an inch.
“He's not dead, is he?”
“Unfortunately.”
Oliver said, grinding his teeth.
Sanson wanted to say something about that, but he didn't have the luxury right now.
Before his eyes….
Rumble… rummmmmble….
Were six superhumans, slowly approaching while emitting jet-black Aura Blades.
“This is crazy. Suddenly they're all using the Black Knight's Aura Blade?”
Next to the lamenting Sanson, Oliver came to stand and said.
“I guess it's a trend in the Yusef Kingdom.”
“Are you joking right now?”
“Ahem!”
“……”
The Young Master really has ruined a lot of people, he thought.
No, he felt like this kid was like this from the beginning….
Sanson, letting out a short sigh, said.
“I'll buy some time…”
“I'll do that, so you escape, Big brother.”
“…What?”
“Quickly. Take that old man and run.”
At Oliver's words, sparks flew from Sanson's eyes.
He spoke sternly, his voice full of anger.
“That's an order, Sir Oliver A. Follow my instructions obediently.”
“No!”
Having shouted that, Oliver shot forward before anyone could stop him.
CRASH!
And he began to attack the enemies fiercely.
“That foolish bastard….”
Sanson gritted his teeth and joined Oliver.
Anyone could tell that retreating here was the wise thing to do, but….
CRASH!
In the end, Sanson also joined Oliver in a battle with no visible chance of victory.
6 against 2.
Logically, it was an impossible battle to win.
Still, Sanson and Oliver charged forward.
They knew that if they didn't hold them here, the damage to their allies would become uncontrollable.
Six 7-Star knights deployed on a single battlefield?
This was no different from releasing six wolves among a flock of sheep.
Their allies would be massacred without any meaning to strategy or anything else.
‘At the very least, buy time for our allies to retreat….’
“Kugh!”
CRASH!
Sanson raised his sword and barely blocked the attack flying towards him.
The jet-black Aura Blade was as heavy as its color.
In a battle with no visible chance of victory, Oliver and Sanson dragged it out by fighting as defensively as possible, but eventually, a limit was bound to come.
“Keoheok!”
“Big brotheerr!”
Seeing Sanson vomit blood and be sent flying by a blow from Marquis Marius Shuraiman, Oliver shouted urgently.
The strongest of the former Flame Kingdom.
A powerful man who had been called the Giant Killer and had been active in battles against the monsters of the Great Forest for over several decades.
That was Marquis Shuraiman.
With an emotionless expression, he raised his sword to deliver the final blow to the fallen Sanson.
Oliver tried to charge to block that sword, but Count Bridges and Count Raines stood firmly in his way.
“Get out of the way!”
Oliver, almost convulsively, drew an Aura Blade on his single sword and swung it.
But for a dual wielder like him, launching an offensive with only one sword was tantamount to creating an opening.
His opponents easily blocked Oliver's fierce assault and successfully landed attacks wherever an opening was visible.
“Kuaaaaack!”
Still, Oliver pushed forward like a cornered mad dog.
But no matter how much he struggled, the enemy's sword descending on Sanson was faster.
The moment the jet-black Aura Blade fell upon the downed Sanson….
“Noooo!”
With Oliver's scream, a golden flash of light shot forward.
And that flash accurately struck the side of Marquis Shuraiman's sword, which was about to confirm the kill on Sanson.
CRASH!
A terrifying explosion.
And not missing the moment Marquis Shuraiman staggered and took a step back, the owner of the golden flash accelerated forward once more.
[ Twin Dragons Eight Sword Forms: Third Form: Ultimate Star Flashing Dragon Strike. ]
A flash-like strike that relentlessly attacks the moment the opponent shows an opening.
At this distance, there was no way to dodge.
CRRAAAAAASSSHHH!
“Keoheok!”
For the first time, a cry of pain erupted from Marquis Shuraiman's mouth.
It was not an outburst of emotion, but a physiological reaction that came reflexively due to the pain inflicted on his body.
In other words, the blow just now had inflicted no small shock on him.
However….
“I couldn't finish it.”
The hero who had achieved that result frowned, as if dissatisfied.
April Schneider.
On this battlefield, she was the only one who could neutralize Marquis Shuraiman in one blow.
Having saved Sanson's life, she then quickly swung her sword.
The Aura Blade unleashed from the tip of her sword attacked the surrounding enemies, and as a result, Oliver, who was able to catch his breath, could save his life.
“Vice-Commander…. No, Your Highness. Are you alright?”
“I believe that is my line to say.”
April let out a sigh.
Both Sanson and Oliver were in a terrible state.
“Ha… haha….”
“I have no words… cough…. to say.”
Looking at the two of them, April frowned.
‘If I had known it would come to this, I shouldn't have hesitated.’
At that time when the night raid began and their allies started a reckless counterattack.
April had spread her senses to their maximum and was feeling the enemy's presence.
And the moment the enemy's main force appeared and began to attack Oliver, Sanson, and Count Tyrone, she ran quickly.
Where to?
To the enemy's rear.
If this night raid was a prepared trap, and the 7-Star knights of the Yusef Kingdom were concentrated in that trap, it meant….
‘The Hegemon King is defenseless.’
She knew very well what needed to be done to end this war.
It weighed on her mind that Sanson and Oliver were in danger, but if not now, she didn't know when another opportunity to aim for the Hegemon King's neck would come.
Silently wishing for the two of them to hold on until she took the Hegemon King's head, she ran.
Running past both allies and enemies, she reached the rear of the Yusef Kingdom's forces, and finally, a presence presumed to be the Hegemon King was caught in her senses.
And at that moment….
“……?!”
She stopped in her tracks.
And after a brief daze, she said quietly.
“No way.”
As she spoke, her face was filled with the emotion of astonishment.
For her, who rarely showed emotion unless it was related to Patrick, it was an unusual occurrence.
But it couldn't be helped.
“This is the Hegemon King? You're kidding.”
Because the power of the Hegemon King caught in her senses far surpassed her own.
If she had never seen the Hegemon King, she wouldn't have been so surprised.
But she had seen the Hegemon King.
Not only during his fledgling days at Arcana, but also when he grasped the edge of the 8th Star in his duel with Patrick, she was there.
The Hegemon King she knew was definitely not this strong.
In the first place, the very act of infiltrating the enemy camp alone to take the Hegemon King's head was based on the calculation that it was possible with her skills.
But now, the presence of the Hegemon King caught in her expanded senses was incomparably larger than before, and above all….
‘It feels bad.’
It was ominous.
It felt like this was not the Hegemon King she knew.
Could she win?
She didn't know.
The outcome of a real battle is not decided by the superiority of power alone.
She would probably have to try.
But the important thing was the original plan.
To take the Hegemon King's head in a short time and lead the war to victory was absolutely impossible.
“…Hmph.”
It couldn't be helped.
April let out a small sigh and immediately turned back.
And running as fast as she could, she was able to join her allies before they died.