Chapter 330 : Chapter 330
Chapter 330. Kill the Sword Saint (2)
The moment the Sword King's palm touched his body.
The Imperial Sword Saint recalled the blow he had once received from Patrick.
And he reflexively twisted his body, avoiding it as much as possible.
As a result….
“Cough…. A little better than last time.”
He was not yet at a point where he couldn't fight.
Although he was vomiting blood.
But the problem was from now on.
Before his eyes were the still-standing Hegemon King and the newly appeared unknown swordsman.
“This sucks.”
It was a good thing his disciples were not around.
For a statement coming from the mouth of someone who could be called the idol of all knights on the continent, it was quite cheap.
But it was also an accurate judgment of the current situation.
The Imperial Sword Saint could tell.
The Hegemon King was a tough opponent, but not to the point where he couldn't handle him.
But that newly appeared swordsman….
‘Where in the world did such a monster….’
He couldn't even make an estimate.
Let alone winning, it was questionable whether he could even properly buy time.
He, the Imperial Sword Saint.
It was like looking at a huge mountain.
A distant mountain whose peak was not even visible, shrouded in clouds.
In fact, if it were a personal defeat, he could just accept it.
But this was a battlefield.
Here, his defeat meant the defeat of the entire allied army.
The Imperial Sword Saint glanced around and then….
“Garcia!”
“Yes. You called?”
Garcia, who came running at his call, raised his sword and stood in front of the Imperial Sword Saint, guarding against the enemies.
Looking at his grandson's back, the Imperial Sword Saint had a wistful expression.
‘You've grown so much.’
His own flesh and blood, and the precious successor who had fully inherited the family's sword.
The little boy who hadn't even reached his thigh was now showing him his back on the battlefield.
At this moment, the Imperial Sword Saint was certain of his decision.
And he said to Garcia.
“Lend me your sword for a bit.”
“Yes?”
“Hurry.”
At his grandfather's stern demand, Garcia hesitated for a moment before holding out his sword.
And the Imperial Sword Saint took his grandson's sword and in its place….
“Take this.”
“Grand… No, Your Grace?”
What the Imperial Sword Saint held out was his beloved sword and the national treasure of the Empire, Venator.
It had been damaged in the duel with Patrick and had been difficult to repair.
He was handing that to his grandson.
Realizing the meaning of this, Garcia's face turned white.
And the Imperial Sword Saint said.
“Lead the entire army and retreat. Since the true power of the Yusef Kingdom is stronger than we thought, we must aim for the next opportunity.”
“Grandfather, then….”
“I will buy time.”
“……”
“So go.”
Hearing the Imperial Sword Saint's words, Garcia shouted back.
“I would rather fight. So please, grandfather, escape to safety.”
“……”
“What the Empire needs now is the Imperial Sword Saint, not me. If you analyze it strategically, isn't it obvious who should stay?”
“Garcia.”
The Imperial Sword Saint looked at his grandson with gentle eyes and continued.
“At the moment of death, what a person should leave behind is not their achievements, but the future.”
“……”
“So go.”
Having said that, the Imperial Sword Saint pushed his grandson aside and walked forward with firm steps.
A path of certain defeat.
He walked on, knowing it was a path to death.
Garcia wanted to reach out and grab his grandfather, but….
Grit.
He couldn't.
Knowing what his grandfather was thinking when he made such a decision, he had to do what he had to do.
Garcia raised the national treasure of the Empire that he had received from the Imperial Sword Saint high and shouted.
“All forces, retreat!”
It was Garcia, shouting the Imperial Sword Saint's last instructions as if spitting out a voice tinged with blood.
* * *
“Thank you. For waiting.”
Having finished his farewell with his grandson, the Imperial Sword Saint once again faced the enemy before him.
The Hegemon King and the unknown swordsman.
Neither of them showed even a fragment of emotion on their faces.
‘They must have had something done to them by the black mages.’
It was just a pity.
It would be an honor for such a great swordsman to be the one to mark his end, but it was truly regrettable that his mind was not sound.
‘It can't be helped.’
Still, he had to do what he could now.
The Imperial Sword Saint raised the Aura Blade on his sword to its limit.
Then he suddenly smirked and held out one hand in front of him.
And then….
“Now, then…. Come on in.”
It was a little embarrassing to imitate the young kids.
No, was the problem that he was imitating a complete scoundrel?
But he wanted to try it at least once.
And the moment the Imperial Sword Saint's words ended, the unknown swordsman and the Hegemon King charged forward at the same time.
The Imperial Sword Saint also did not hesitate and shot forward.
CRRAAAAAASSSHHH!
And the Imperial Sword Saint poured out everything he had to face them.
* * *
“Retreat…? Why are we being told to retreat?”
“It is the Imperial Sword Saint's command.”
“The Imperial Sword Saint's?”
“The soldiers of the Empire are already withdrawing. If only we remain, we will just be surrounded by the enemy and annihilated.”
“Damn it…. It can't be helped.”
The commander of the allied forces shouted in a loud voice.
“All forces, retreat. The knightly order will guard the rear!”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
As the order was passed down, the allied forces withdrew like an ebbing tide.
Honestly, there was a question as to why they had to retreat at this juncture when the aspect of the battle was still even.
But with the Imperial army withdrawing, continuing to stay and fight would only lead to death.
As the entire army withdrew, they placed strong forces in the rear to preserve their strength as much as possible.
Naturally, among them were the Tower of Truth and the Schneider Duchy's forces.
“Retreat….”
April, who received the order, thought for a moment before immediately moving.
At this moment when the retreat order was given, the first thing she had to take care of was her own family.
The knights and soldiers would withdraw well according to the chain of command.
As for the elves….
“Retreat! We are retreating!”
“Push them back with spirits. Respond to the enemy's pursuit with bows.”
They were doing very well.
But the most worrying ones were….
“Uwoooooooar!”
“Wooooooar!”
“Uooooooh!”
The 80 percent of Orcs and the 20 percent of human soldiers mixed in and fighting with them.
Despite having received the retreat order, they were continuing to fight fiercely.
It even seemed like they were trying to push deeper.
In the first place, calming down Orcs whose fighting spirit had been ignited was no different from calming down a beast that had gone berserk.
“Tsk.”
April clicked her tongue and ran quickly.
Becoming a single streak of light that passed both friend and foe, her destination was….
“Uwoooooooar! I am Tutan, the great warrior of the Red Rock Tribe!”
The place where Tutan was, fighting like a madman even while surrounded by numerous Red Knights.
When April arrived, Tutan was facing three Red Knights, and at his feet were two Red Knights who had been torn to pieces.
‘You've gotten really strong.’
Compared to when she first saw him… no, Tutan had become so strong that a comparison was impossible.
But no matter how much Tutan had evolved and grown stronger, it was foolish to continue fighting here without retreating.
“Sir Tutan.”
“I am the brave warrior Tutan!”
“Sir Tutan.”
“Today's battle will be remembered in my lifetime.”
“…Sir Tutan.”
“Uwoooooooar!”
This wasn't working.
There was no sign of communication getting through.
April decided that she first had to stop his combat actions.
And that was an easy task for her.
Deploying Unlimited.
CLANG! CLING!
A terrifying Aura Blade was generated from the twin swords in her hands.
And then….
“Die.”
[ Twin Dragons Eight Sword Forms: Second Form: Great Dragon Cross Sword ]
A massive cross-shaped slash, as if it would split the entire battlefield, flew towards the Red Knights Tutan was facing.
And although it was slight, Tutan was also caught in the range of that attack.
“Uwooooar. Kuweeeek!”
Just like that, the three Red Knights and the great Orc warrior Tutan were all caught up in the attack.
CRRAAAAAASSSHHH!
April, who had neutralized the enemy in an instant, approached Tutan, who was lying on the ground, having been driven headfirst into it.
POW!
Tutan, who had been stuck, pulled his head out of the ground as if pulling a radish.
And spitting dirt from his mouth, he said.
“Ptooey! Who is it? Who dared to sneak attack me so cowardly?”
“It was me.”
“How dare you…. Sister-in-law?”
“……”
As he looked at April, the fighting spirit and craziness that had filled Tutan's eyes suddenly began to rapidly turn gentle.
And April said.
“We are retreating.”
“Sister-in-law. A true warrior does not retreat.”
Tutan protested vehemently.
His blood had already boiled once.
But to be told to pull out of a battle where the victor had not yet been decided?
This was a serious… to the identity of the Orcs, a race of warriors.
“Do you want to retreat? Or do you want to die?”
“Retreat! Retreat!”
Identity be damned, one has to live first.
The Orcs also withdrew like an ebbing tide.
And April was left alone behind them, staring intently at one side.
The place where her gaze landed was….
CRASH! CLANG! POW!
Terrifying energies were exploding and clashing.
Each one was the energy of a powerful individual that even she could not easily look down on.
But one of them was in a precarious situation, as if it would be extinguished soon.
No, it wouldn't be strange if it had already crumbled and collapsed.
However….
BOOOOOOM!
It was holding on.
As if burning its last bit of life, putting everything on the line.
“I will not let it be in vain.”
April slightly bowed her head in that direction and she too took her leave.
The battle that took place on July 1st, 1531.
On this day, the allied forces were defeated by the Yusef Kingdom and the black mages and retreated greatly.
However, despite such a large-scale battle taking place, the total number of deaths was not that high.
This was thanks to the Imperial Sword Saint, who had accurately grasped the enemy's strength, quickly gave the retreat order, and stayed behind, sacrificing his life to block the enemy.
But in exchange, the continent lost a great knight.
The Imperial Sword Saint of the Empire.
Duke Carlos Dante Reynardo.
Died during the First Outer God War.
* * *
The high volcanic region of the Pavera Great Forest.
There, Patrick was looking up at the stars in the night sky with a frown.
Patrick, who was watching the movement of the constellations that collided and disappeared repeatedly.
And the moment one particularly large star among them fell to the ground, he slowly closed his eyes.
“Sword Saint….”
He could tell.
Just by looking at the constellations in the night sky, he could clearly see what kind of chaos was unfolding on the continent and how those with whom he had a connection were struggling against a desperate fate.
Because, the current Patrick was in a state that was practically no different from a demigod.
“Damn it, there's not a single good thing about this.”
What good was it if he could read the constellations to grasp fate and the situation?
He himself was tied down here.
“Master.”
Just then, from behind Patrick, his disciple Persona appeared and said.
“They say the preparations are complete. It seems you can go in now.”
“It took a damn long time.”
“It seems my uncle couldn't help it, given the nature of the work.”
“What do you mean he couldn't help it? Anyway, he's so laid-back…. Ugh, even nagging is a waste of time.”
Patrick scratched his head irritably.
Then, as he walked into the cave where the Four Calamities originally resided, he said.
“Let's hurry. We're short on time.”
“Yes. I understand.”
At this moment when everyone was fighting desperately.
Even Patrick was not just playing around.
“Wait for me. I'm coming soon.”