Chapter 152: Even if Mount Tai is high (2)

“Who are you guys?”

“Us?”

Yuri signaled with his eyes before responding.

“I’m Yubi, the mat seller!”

Laurent chimed in.

“Lou, the schoolteacher!”

And Jared shouted.

“Javid, the butcher!”

Then all three spoke in unison.

“Sworn brothers!”

The situation might have seemed ridiculous at first glance, but Yalta immediately sensed that the appearance of these three was not ordinary.

“Grrr…”

To begin with, their voices were perfectly synchronized. That revealed they had worked together for a long time and were experts in coordinated attacks.

It was already difficult enough to face that bastard Hopper, and now three more showed up. Even for him, it was an uncomfortable situation.

Jose, who didn’t take his eyes off Yalta, spoke.

“Hey, savage. Don’t tell me you’re chickening out?”

“What did you say?”

“Is one of the Ten Greats thinking of running away, scared, because of a simple mat seller, a rural schoolteacher, and a mountain butcher?”

Yalta’s face turned red.

He was practically immune to mockery, because until now he had killed everyone who laughed at him. But in reality, he was very easy to provoke.

And that trait of his, in combat, was more a strength than a weakness.

“You think pissing me off gives you an advantage…”

His mana began to boil.

“But it’s the opposite.”

Yalta’s muscles swelled. He was someone who grew stronger the angrier he got.

Refined techniques were not his thing. He fought by instinct. So the more he ignited, the more explosive his offense became.

Yalta launched like a bullet, raised his huge sword, and struck down with fury.

His movements were so wide that any sensible knight would avoid them, but he didn’t care.

Even if he left openings, his brutality was enough to compensate. That was his way of fighting.

Jose raised his sword to block, but was sent flying and crashed into a tree. Several thick trunks fell on top of him.

“Kuhahaha!”

Yalta burst out laughing and rushed in to finish him off, but at that moment, the three sworn brothers appeared behind him.

Yalta reacted immediately, swinging his sword violently.

“Get lost!”

Any average knight would have been crushed by the air pressure. But these three, though they pretended to be ordinary men, were anything but. Quite the opposite.

“Impressive, Yalta.”

Yalta’s eyes narrowed. His sword was stopped by a massive guandao.

Laurent, who had switched weapons to hide his identity, spoke.

“But that won’t be enough to beat us.”

As Yalta paused, a snake spear curved like a viper and aimed straight for his throat from the side.

“Are you losing focus?”

Yalta stepped back to dodge, only to be met by a pair of twin swords waiting for him.

Each moved as if it had a life of its own. Yalta barely managed to defend while continuing to retreat.

“To block my twin swords… not bad.”

The three wore slime-like masks and wielded weapons different from their usual ones to hide their identities.

Yuri used twin swords, Laurent a guandao, and Jared the snake spear.

As the saying goes, “All streams lead to the same source,” the three, who had mastered the sword, were also proficient with unfamiliar weapons.

Maybe not at the level of their primary ones, but enough to hold their own.

Even so, the enemy was Yalta.

“You lot…”

His face grew even more sinister. One would think he couldn’t get angrier, but Yalta was someone capable of surpassing even that.

His body burst with burning mana like fire.

“Joachim folks really know how to piss me off…”

“The opposite for me. You cheer me up, Yalta.”

“What?”

Yuri smiled sideways.

After exchanging a few blows, he understood what Jose had told him.

Yalta was strong. But he had merely clung to the edge of the Ten Greats. He couldn’t go beyond.

As Jose explained, he lacked depth.

“Seeing you only reaffirms that I was right.”

Yalta, blinded by emotion, killed mercilessly. He would never understand. Or maybe he did understand, but lacked the will to face that truth.

Not everything in life is about doing what one wants.

Advancing toward a goal can be exciting, but also means enduring unpleasant processes.

Even for Yuri, wielding the sword every day wasn’t always enjoyable. And fighting against fate to change the future was sometimes a torment.

But if you want to achieve something, you have to do it. Yuri dropped one of his twin swords.

Behind him, Laurent and Jared also dropped their fake weapons and drew their true swords.

Jose, recovered, joined them.

Yuri said.

“That’s why you have to strive.”

“What are you talking about?”

“A sword moved at random only gets you so far. And no more.”

Yalta grew angry. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that kind of sermon.

One of them came from the so-called Black Knight, also one of the Ten Greats.

He was stronger than Yalta. And he often gave similar advice. If he weren’t, Yalta would’ve smashed his head long ago.

‘Don’t kill just to kill,’ ‘the sword that advances only through brute force has limits’… he was sick of those speeches.

“All of you…”

Yalta shook his shoulder as he laughed.

“Sure. Words can say anything.”

They could talk all they wanted, but he was still alive. And his enemies were all dead.

This time would be the same. Yalta raised his sword.

That’s when several imperial knights watching the battle approached.

“Sir Yalta! We’ve come to help!”

“Help?”

“Yes, you—”

The speaking knight’s neck was severed. A sound like air escaping from a slit throat was heard before blood spurted.

The sudden action startled not only the imperial knights but also Yuri.

“You’re in the way. Out of my sight!”

Yalta growled, throwing them a murderous glare.

The knights, having just lost a comrade in the blink of an eye, nodded in terror.

After driving them off, Yalta turned his eyes to Yuri’s group. He instinctively knew how to gain the advantage in combat.

The most effective strategy against multiple enemies eliminate the weakest first.

With his target chosen, Yalta charged at once.

“You’re done.”

Yuri murmured, rushing to intercept Yalta, who headed straight for Jared.

But Yalta completely ignored him and kept his focus solely on Jared. Wounds began to accumulate on Jared’s body.

“Focus!”

“Yes!”

Jared dodged as best he could, relying on his reflexes, but physically, Yalta vastly outclassed him.

He tracked his movements like a shadow, mimicked his rhythm, and launched precise attacks.

Blood flowed from Jared’s arm.

“Gah!”

Yalta’s sword came down mercilessly. Jared rolled on the ground to evade, and an explosion erupted where he’d been.

Yalta changed direction and launched at him again.

The other three attacked from the sides, but Yalta didn’t even bother dodging.

He took the hits while continuing his assault.

“Javid, just dodge!”

“Yes!”

Jared focused on evading while the others tried to restrict Yalta’s movements with their attacks.

But his tenacity defied all logic.

“I’ve got you.”

Bleeding from his side, Yalta managed to grab Jared. He had risked exposing vulnerable parts of his body to catch him.

Jared counterattacked with his sword, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Yalta’s strength.

A direct blow to the abdomen left him vomiting blood and collapsed on the ground.

Yalta lifted Jared’s body and used it as a shield. The others were forced to stop their attacks instantly.

“Hopper!”

“Yes!”

Yuri exchanged a glance with Jose. Then, both of them launched forward.

Yalta threw Jared’s body. Yuri and Jose dodged at the same time, while Laurent caught him and pulled him away.

Yuri and Jose attacked together. Now that it was just the two of them, they could use the space more freely.

Both had reached mastery. Their attacks were so fast and precise that even Yalta was overwhelmed.

In particular, Yuri’s swordsmanship was almost an antithesis to Yalta. His technique, even deeper than Jose’s, allowed him to control an opponent who relied solely on brute force.

Yalta was so focused on blocking Jose that he couldn’t react properly to Yuri.

“Gghh…”

Confusion showed on his face. One was down. Three remained.

One was tending to the wounded. The other two were just as dangerous. Yalta swung his sword violently, but the two moved like the wind.

His body began to accumulate small cuts. They were minor for now, but if it continued, the outcome would be disastrous.

Yalta considered an option. Flee.

But his pride wouldn’t allow it.

“Aaaaaah!”

He let out an inhuman scream and swung his sword. One of the two was launched into the air.

Yalta raised his weapon to finish him off, but the other appeared to intercept.

“Die!”

This time he targeted the second. But his sword was wrapped by the opponent’s, like a snake, and he ended up with a wound on his arm.

“Ghh!”

The larger one returned and counterattacked. Yalta, with his feet planted, had to withstand the blows from both.

Finally, his chest was slashed deeply. Blood gushed out.

His body was in shreds.

His enemies were also bleeding, but their wounds were minor compared to the gash across his torso.

“Y-you…”

Instinctively, Yalta looked back.

He had to retreat. But his pride wouldn’t allow it.

“Damn it!”

With another scream, he lunged again. It was a terrible decision. A slash tore across his face.

His cheek split open and blood splattered. His field of vision turned red.

Yalta fell to his knees. Enemy swords descended toward his neck and he rolled desperately on the ground.

He had to survive.

That was his only priority.

Yalta turned his back and fled. He ignored the taunts and slashing gusts behind him and ran out of the forest.

“Are you running away?”

“Yalta!”

Seeing their leader retreat, the Imperial troops panicked and began to withdraw as well.

Although the army maintained a loose formation, everyone depended on Yalta’s leadership. His retreat affected the entire force.

In the end, the entire Imperial army retreated.

“The Imperial army is retreating!”

“They’re falling back!”

“Attack their backs!”

Alloy Brigade arrows rained down on the fleeing soldiers.

Amid the chaos, only the unit led by Graham maintained composure.

***

“What happened?”

Graham, who was calmly advancing, stopped abruptly. He could feel the disorder spreading through the forest.

A messenger brought unexpected news.

“Lord Yalta has begun a sudden retreat! It’s causing a wave of panic and everyone is abandoning the forest!”

Graham immediately realized something was wrong. If Yalta had acted on his own, there was no turning back.

He sighed and looked beyond the forest.

He had thought Joachim was a weak kingdom of no importance, but it seemed they had been sharpening their sword all this time.

He didn’t know Joachim’s knights were so skilled in guerrilla warfare.

With a country like that covering their backs, the Empire would face many difficulties in the future.

“There’s no helping it.”

They couldn’t advance alone. Graham decided to pull back his forces.

“We’re returning.”

“Yes, sir.”

They advanced slowly, but in retreat they left nothing to chance. Graham guided them out of the forest.

There, he saw Yalta standing, visibly furious.

Graham approached him.

“Yalta.”

“Lord Graham.”

“You retreated suddenly. What happened?”

“It was nothing.”

Yalta’s bloodshot eyes gleamed with rage.

Up close, it was clear he was covered in wounds. A priest was trying to heal him, but hadn’t finished yet.

That alone hinted at the intensity of the battle.

Suddenly, Yalta spoke.

“Lord Graham.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s burn that forest.”

He panted heavily as he continued.

“Let’s not allow them to keep hiding there. If we set it on fire, they’ll come out on their own. And if they don’t… they’ll burn to death.”

A sinister murderous intent emanated from Yalta.

Something had definitely happened. His whole being radiated bloodlust.

“No.”

Graham shook his head.

“We won’t.”

Yalta stood still with his head down. Graham sensed that this wasn’t typical of him.

And in that instant…

Yalta suddenly raised his arm and grabbed him by the neck. Graham felt the air leave his lungs.

Yalta’s bloodshot eyes drew near, and through clenched teeth, he said,

“Listen carefully, Lord Graham…”