Chapter 265: Beyond the Mist (3)

“Are you sure this is Imperial territory?”

“I don’t know.”

“It doesn’t matter! Let’s just fight! As long as we kill Imperial bastards, it’s fine!”

“Right? Let’s go!”

“For Briol!”

“For Briol!”

The Briol army always kept extremely high morale.

The reason was simple.

The noblest blood was the one leading the charge and facing the enemy head-on.

Yuri Briol never hid nor prioritized his own safety. Nor did he allow the enemy to pass by without confronting them.

He always advanced directly into the line of fire.

If a member of royalty was willing to risk his life, how could the troops fear death?

“Leave none alive!”

Yuri’s roar was followed by a war cry.

The Imperial army could not organize a true counterattack. Even under the emotional suppression imposed by black magic, their movements were chaotic and disordered.

They clearly had not expected such an attack.

Yuri’s stratagem had worked to perfection.

As he ran a black-armored knight through with Guilty, Yuri smiled.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“H-how… how are you here…?”

“Surprised?”

A gush of blood escaped the knight’s mouth.

“What’s wrong? Your friends too busy holding the defense in there?”

“Keugh…”

“I know everything, bastard.”

Yuri kicked him in the abdomen, knocking him down as he pulled his sword free, and advanced toward another knight further back.

This one was retreating, swinging his sword blindly. Yuri stayed just outside his reach, following without rushing, until the man, panicked, shouted:

“It’s Yuri Briol! Gather here! Surround him!”

Knights in black armor began to close in.

Yuri also shouted:

“They want to kill me! Come protect me quickly!”

But only one person appeared at his side.

“Why is it just you, Jared?”

“How should I know?”

Yuri had advanced so far that the Order of Vengeance was locked in close combat behind him, and Laurent, who was nearby, didn’t even flinch at hearing his request.

Jared shrugged.

“Two are enough, aren’t they?”

“Yes, let’s say they are.”

Although several Imperial knights had surrounded them, the two broke through on opposite sides and shattered the formation in an instant.

“I’ll take the front! Everyone follow me! We’re going to crush the Empire!”

“Yes, sir!”

With his shout, Yuri unleashed his Whirlwind Sword Technique, shredding everything around him.

Imperial soldiers were reduced to dozens of pieces, slaughtered mercilessly, and the Briol army surged forward like an unstoppable wave.

The Empire could not maintain its formation and began to collapse. Briol, for its part, took advantage of the breach Yuri had opened and drove deep in, annihilating the enemies.

From time to time, monsters created by the Empire appeared, flailing tentacles, but Yuri slammed them to the ground and tore them apart, spraying their fluids everywhere.

“We don’t need prisoners! Leave no survivors!”

The entire Imperial formation was collapsing.

By this point, Yuri had already fulfilled his role—he had cracked open the enemy’s shell and left the soft flesh exposed for his allies to tear apart.

But he did not stop.

In the middle of the battlefield, he walked calmly, observing each enemy.

No average Imperial knight now dared to even approach.

“They’re all so boring.”

He saw no one truly strong.

Until—

“Yuri Briol!”

“Oh.”

Just as he let out a disappointed remark, someone shouted his name and rushed at him. Yuri turned, expectant.

A knight in a black helmet was charging toward him.

“Die!”

“All fine, but your line is way too cliché.”

The knight leapt and brought his sword down hard. Yuri blocked it sideways with Guilty.

Sparks flew.

Yuri frowned—each strike was heavy, a sign that this was not a weak opponent.

In fact, he was among the strongest he had faced.

As they exchanged blows, Yuri asked.

“What’s your name?”

“Jesquil!”

“Your rank?”

“Knight Commander!”

“Of which squadron?”

“That’s none of your business!”

“For someone who doesn’t want to talk, you answer quite a bit.”

“Shut up!”

Jesquil used centrifugal force to launch fierce, almost acrobatic attacks.

Although he wasn’t large, his control over his center of gravity was excellent, and each strike came down with the force of a bear’s swiping claws.

Yuri blocked repeatedly, then stepped aside and drove his sword into the opponent’s abdomen.

Jesquil arched backward, letting himself fall.

“Huh?”

Before Yuri could react, the knight pushed off the ground with his hands and launched both legs at him.

An unexpected counterattack.

Yuri took the blow to the chest and fell.

“Tch.”

To make matters worse, he tripped over a rock and ended up on the ground. Jesquil brought his sword down to finish him.

“Wait!”

Yuri rolled across the ground to dodge. Jesquil pursued.

Rolling like a stone, Yuri slipped out of the enemy’s reach and, in a brief breath, got back to his feet.

“Phew…”

Then he saw it clearly—Jesquil’s face was grotesquely distorted, not from the strain of battle, but because his facial muscles were deteriorating.

His body was decomposing in real time.

“Is this also a black magic trick?”

“Shut up!”

His voice was horrible, with destroyed vocal cords and skin sagging like that of an old man.

“Pathetic.”

Jesquil was burning his own body to extract power, a sight as tragic as it was revolting.

Yuri curled the corner of his lips, with a new hatred toward Cedric.

“I understand you, Jesquil. I’ll give you a quick end.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

Ignoring his screams, Yuri opened his eyes wide. His vision entered the domain of the soul.

The field was saturated with black magic, and Jesquil’s was the densest and most repulsive of all.

“Disgusting.”

Gripping Guilty tightly, Yuri unleashed his Cut of the soul and the heart, raising a blade of energy.

“Rest already, Jesquil.”

And then, a flash of sword light crossed the air. The black magic energy controlling Jesquil was split in two; the lower half sank into the earth, and the upper half faded into the sky.

Yuri closed his eyes and opened them again.

His vision returned from the domain of the mind to the real world.

Jesquil’s body, cut in two, shot upward. Blood and entrails rained down like a storm.

It was a brutal scene, but on the battlefield it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Even the common soldiers barely glanced at Jesquil’s body flying through the air before resuming the fight as if nothing had happened.

Yuri walked past the lower half of the body lying on the ground. There were many more like him who would continue to fall.

Until he killed Cedric.

“Wait for me, Cedric.”

Spitting the curse in a low voice, Yuri roared and rushed forward.

Not even the Imperial soldiers, who had lost their fear, dared to stand in his way.

Each time he swung his sword, blood and flesh fanned out.

“Leave no one alive! Kill them all!”

***

“The flowers have withered. Better plant new ones.”

“I will.”

“Remove that tree.”

“Where should I move it?”

“Anywhere, as long as I don’t see it.”

Cedric strolled through the Imperial Palace alongside Emperor Ivar.

The palace servants, controlled by black magic, showed not the slightest suspicion toward him.

It didn’t even seem strange to them that he acted as though he were the true master of the palace.

“Let’s leave the garden, Ivar.”

“Yes.”

He treated him condescendingly, as if calling for a servant.

“Explain to me what happened.”

“Pardon?”

Cedric reprimanded him, showing for once some emotion in his voice.

“I want you to explain why the Briol army is at the eastern front.”

“I… I don’t know…”

“If you don’t know, then who will?”

Ivar lowered his head.

“They were supposed to enter deep into the Empire. What are they doing in the east?”

Though he asked, Cedric already knew the answer.

Yuri had deceived him.

Upon discovering Asana’s betrayal, he had used her against him, leaking false information.

While the Imperial army erected unnecessary defenses, Yuri moved to the eastern front to launch a surprise attack.

Cedric didn’t need a report to guess how many casualties it had caused. They might even have been annihilated.

If that were the case, it meant a third of the Empire’s forces were dead.

Recruiting more humans was not difficult, but losing the creatures he had created with black magic was something he found truly regrettable.

“I’m sorry.”

Ivar, controlled by Cedric, kept bowing his head.

“It’s all my fault.”

“At least you know.”

“Yes. It’s my failing.”

When Ivar knelt on the ground, Cedric lifted him up.

“Stand.”

“Forgive me.”

“In the end, it’s not like you could have done much. I didn’t expect Yuri to notice Asana’s betrayal either. He’s worthy of being my brother, don’t you think?”

“That’s right.”

Ivar responded mechanically to his words.

“But there’s a limit to patience. If I leave it like this, that man could truly get in my way.”

Cedric murmured to himself.

“I can’t keep tolerating him.”

He had planted Asana as a spy to hinder Yuri, but he had ended up being the one outplayed.

Now that it had come to this, he had to crush him, even if it meant forcing the situation.

Then Ivar spoke.

“That’s why I sent Hasan for you.”

“Hasan? Where?”

“To where you had instructed me earlier…”

“Ah.”

Cedric nodded. He remembered an order he had given Ivar some time ago, and it seemed he had carried it out.

“Well done.”

As much as he valued his brother, he could no longer take blows without striking back.

That was why Cedric decided to target another goal—the royal palace of Briol.

“Hasan and his group of assassins must have already infiltrated the royal palace. They should be executing the plan as we speak.”

“Perfect.”

At that moment, Briol was defenseless—its main forces had departed to attack the Empire.

Cedric took the opportunity to send Hasan and his assassins, strengthened with black magic, to the royal palace.

Their mission was to kidnap Joshua, and if anything went wrong, to kill him to complete the objective.

“Everything will be decided soon.”

Cedric smiled calmly.

Although they shared blood, he felt no affection for Joshua.

There was only one person he cared about—Yuri Briol, the only one who escaped his calculations.

He was curious to see Yuri’s face upon receiving the news of Joshua’s “accident.”

Finally, in good spirits, Cedric placed a hand on Ivar’s shoulder.

“Well, good work, Ivar. This is the best one could expect from you.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then, how is that matter going?”

“Which one?”

“The statue.”

“Ah… yes.”

Ivar’s eyes trembled, and he began nodding repeatedly, almost convulsing.

“It’s going well, very well.”

He seemed frightened.

Who could imagine that the emperor who ruled the Empire would make such a face?

Cedric nodded.

“Good. When Hasan finishes, inform me immediately.”

“Understood.”

***

Hasan observed the royal palace of Briol as he adjusted his mask.

“Begin.”

“Yes.”

When he spoke, the assassins hidden in the shadows replied in unison.

“Our target is the king, Joshua Briol. It won’t be difficult.”

Neither Fiore Briol nor Yuri Briol was in the royal palace anymore. There was no one capable of stopping them.

It seemed the mission would be easier than expected.

Hasan murmured to himself.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

When he was still an apprentice, he was chosen as a great warrior by Georg, and had a trial by combat against the young Yuri Briol.

He lost.

It was a defeat he would never forget.

Every time training became unbearable, he remembered that day and clenched his teeth.

Today, he finally had the chance to return the humiliation.

Hasan smiled maliciously.

He was curious to see Yuri’s expression if he kidnapped his brother.

“We’ll see each other soon, Yuri Briol.”

As soon as he moved, the assassins followed like shadows.

The royal palace of Briol was shrouded in mist.