Chapter 299: Final Battle (1)
fdxjDawn broke.WOphj
2fxqThe sun’s rays, filtering through the mist, barely touched the ground.C0tWa
JgnEveryone opened their eyes.Zj4cb
eMT27eGIt was the day of the decisive battle.qxj
L2Ssd7“Everyone, prepare to depart.”QfYN
O23The Anti-Imperial Alliance troops did not pack up their tents.YQT1
fLWFor them, there was no tomorrow.1H7tTZ
4LoH2viEverything would end today.T0I
mEBw15Kill or be killed.WRRfm8Y
YO529LThere was no need to take anything with them.FM0
bt8eA[Did everyone sleep well?]wPmd
aT7sqThe eyes of all the gathered forces of the continent turned to a single person.O0C3
h9LuR2KYuri Briol.0wk
Thr8vqRiding on the magic of Maryrose, who stood beside him, his voice reached even the last soldier in formation.A8dH
BDib[Hmm…]ZS3Z
ozg2uUnusually for him, Yuri hesitated a few seconds before speaking.lpSdN72
GfNUThe silence dragged on, and in the Briol camp, laughter began to be heard.epX
xm0It was amusing to see the ever-eloquent Yuri suddenly struggling to find words.X330l8
Lh9One of the knights of the Order of Vengeance shouted:Nec
MDbyggd“Are you nervous, sir?!”8oBft
uErDLaughter erupted. Even Yuri ended up smiling.wf64pi
NxPMzThey should have been more tense than anyone, but it seemed their leader was the one who received the encouragement.jwB
5LTogpo[Well… uh… hmm…]rJ0
Rk9l2vAfter hesitating a little longer, Yuri cleared his throat and spoke.r7ro
eFm[Everyone, survive… and let’s meet tomorrow.]skm
V2PC4He said it calmly, but with sincerity.nLe
M0uCNo one knew if there would be a tomorrow for the Anti-Imperial Alliance. Most, perhaps all, might die today.9fmlk
Vs7sEven his own life was not guaranteed.OuL4VS
qd9yY[Understood?]2GacW
wjZjCIt wasn’t a speech, just a few words. But unexpectedly, it was followed by a deafening roar.2QKKz
fazNot only Briol’s forces, but also those of Liberta, Brusen, and the Holy Kingdom shouted with all their might.fcc5uw
9Bdg3dIt was the manifestation of their will to survive.5PxU1
N2B01There was no possible retreat.mpDY
wA6HIf they did not win here, the continent would fall into the clutches of black magic. Their families and loved ones would end up as will-less puppets or as living sacrifices.988
H8blLb2They had to win at all costs.vwKPt
8gATIJQThat conviction was what made them shout until their voices broke.aw5fUj
TP7OVThe roar of the Anti-Imperial Alliance rumbled all the way to the horizon.pLae1
DuFxFinally, exhausted, they stopped shouting.ornj2
BNUdSWith a smile, Yuri said.759LBiH
2gMAg[Let’s go.]pd9C6
eyWMounted on horseback, Yuri began to move forward. Tirbo, carrying the flag, followed him.iBm
XcIMWUntil the two of them stood at the vanguard, the army did not move.TX0ETSy
AaxTyqySoon, there was no one ahead of Yuri.JHl
ss3Tirbo raised the flag high and waved it.qFkiAuJ
cdRsxCUnited by a single will, the soldiers of the Anti-Imperial Alliance advanced as if they were one body, like a massive organism rising.OHeB
6rVtfDYuri moved forward with a spirit more solemn than ever. The wind striking him was heavy.y4DqrE
8Xl2The fog thickened, visibility was low, and the muddy ground made it difficult for the horses to advance.cMyR
jBw6Even so, he had to be at the front.zNUP8Y
CyAWRrWhy?2rrOz
HpQ4q6p‘Briol does not abandon its honor.’UPFswj
sNrRdThe day he returned to the past, it was his father’s voice that had awakened him.PPjz
GtAkUYuri believed that the reason that mysterious entity had sent him back in time lay in those words.9C9N
ELH“Honor, huh…” he murmured.2p6x
GBHO3“Pardon?”4tKRJ
x2uHTirbo’s sharp voice came from behind him.SCaKKIY
imv“What did you say?”Pu223p
LIaKm“Nothing, I was talking to myself.”CFO6pVe
EcTL“Ah, I see. Hehehe…”rW4tQ
cD3aKGlancing sideways at him, Yuri noticed Tirbo was tense, his nerves on edge.BEfmY
6dve“Hey.”ht6
yN2“Yes, Your Highness.”Wo1
3vGGk“Come here.”rZL4h
Sq6“Uh… I have to hold the flag…”GduSm
zow6NDA“And what good is that now?”vLX320
TwT6r2UYuri slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. With his arm still around his neck, he said:aXZCA
jY25T“What do you have to fear when I’m here?”kZ06k
r5zK“True…”orCkf
1Jvhk“Give it to me.”zbna
cho“Uh…”wUg
5VsdyCoYuri took the flag from him and waved it high.Gsssv
9Rl3j“Look, we…”3lHyTCX
j9CPTlSuddenly, Yuri leaned back and, as if throwing a javelin, hurled the flag forward.44IVsR
sR1The pole sliced through the fog with the banner fluttering in its wake, and a moment later, a dull sound of flesh being torn rang out.DhXGbl
oisPo58“Eh?”Zvl
bAjTirbo’s eyes widened.Qtc93aH
MkFBYuri let him go and smiled.FWgflZ
HrN4“We didn’t come to wave flags. We came to kill.”acstx
FGuBmoBefore Tirbo’s eyes, a massive shadow emerged from the fog and collapsed to the ground.Has1up
bWXF2rhEmbedded in its forehead was the flagpole Yuri had thrown.emrz
DCBaP“It’s time to begin.”QgHzY
xJ03A strange howl echoed up ahead.HkqCT
jGbCreatures with human-like shapes but grotesquely deformed bodies formed a living wall before them.hHz
ryYVThe battle had begun.EAZUqG
XSpDThe Anti-Imperial Alliance troops roared as one.O9aC2A
SOGi7tpThe ground seemed to tremble.JYNzK9
ymXVMNo matter how much they prepared, the moment they saw blood, all plans vanished.Sdsk
IixYjOnly the primal instinct to kill in order to survive remained.tADw
TEEHTAnd the same was true for Yuri.SPYgr
zs5op“Die!”mXxF
VZWThe giants that appeared were twice as tall and broad as an ordinary human, with overwhelming strength.XI4Rw
8aW1s9There was no need to clash head-on.1WX
MJv9U45Yuri dodged all their attacks, climbed up the body of one, and drove Guilty into the crown of its head.gsQg
7cvIts skull shattered and the body collapsed.aLmO8kD
YONJQAs he pulled the sword out, fluids splattered on him. The metallic smell of blood filled the air.34V7gNW
03Uw“Ha…”FeMLd
WtWsBefore the giant even fell, Yuri looked around. He could see far into the distance.qcn
GFRDozens, hundreds of giants were advancing toward the Anti-Imperial Alliance.yjdAE
TMFuwjSTheir shapes, halfway between human and monster, inspired disgust just from looking at them.k9GB
PiJUIdYuri twisted his lips into a smile and shouted with force.D8lfg
2tDD“Cedric!”oyO1yAF
LQOjHis voice, laden with mana, carried into the distance.GJra
WB7X“I’ve come for you!”xwn0udw
hR1bzwAnnouncing his arrival, he leapt from the giant’s corpse.nwg
mfuoSeveral more lunged at him. Though they looked slow, they were fast.tmLF
XSSwBut Yuri was faster still.iaRLGhI
8kaoxDiagonal marks appeared on their bodies. At first, faint cracks—and then, as blood gushed out, their bodies split apart and slid to the ground.vglAD
ROfjsIn an instant, Yuri had cut down several giants and continued forward. Even if his comrades could not keep up, he didn’t care.7NTD
85QHe would go as far as he could.aqx
0C5fLike a sharp spear, he would pierce through until he reached Cedric.czZoGv
J5hNzqAnd again he shouted:u02vE0T
6y2h“Cedric! I’ve come for you!”TLxk
zhdDYuri swung Guilty in a great horizontal slash. The sword energy spread in a fan shape, cutting down all the giants caught in its path.9jgRWF
4NDSGPyIn an instant, blood gushed and dyed the surroundings red.fU7
gIQvj6Since the enemies were so tall, there was no way to avoid the rain of blood. So Yuri simply let himself be drenched in it.ntNbOx
sqCUHe brushed back his now-red hair and smirked.aOY6mvp
eAGOOn the way here, he had thought about many things.gotV
N2lNbPWBut now, it was fine.2CS9
9QUHis mind was clear, and a shiver of exhilaration ran through his entire body.lyPVQXJ
KWTThe task he had to fulfill was obvious: kill the enemy and carve a path toward Cedric.hor
aOaDAnd he was a specialist in slaughter.WBQ3zh1
TxjThe memories of the ancient hunter he had gained in the ruins moved Yuri.8aS6H
O0FOSEBack then, his mission had been to massacre orcs—humans corrupted by black magic.bha8tD
IBOmAnd these giants.M6qfg4v
Zj5GThough their appearance and size were different, they were very much like orcs. They were creations of black magic, originating from innocent humans, so their nature was the same.jy2Tz
u9ul6CTherefore, these monsters were no different from orcs.VkY6
dWUnmzc“Cedric!”jNO
GrgQoHis voice carried far.v5UOj
ZnHL1ycYuri narrowed his eyes, trying to see Zveta beyond the giants, but it wasn’t easy. The fog, saturated with black magic, prevented him from making out the state of the city.R5Uh885
WePTKAt that moment, a light flared behind him.lx8
dDjInstinctively, Yuri turned.2BIAoy
zr0zavAt the rear of the Anti-Imperial Alliance army, a flash was rising toward the sky. That light began to dissolve the fog covering the battlefield.B5eo
aGcYuri murmured:oFFc
nQXVBzt“Lord Inariel.”vz4RK60
iyXThe field was full of dispersal spells that blocked mana concentration, preventing the use of magic.rLx1xK
UP9uIn such an environment, the only one who could use it freely was Inariel, wielder of the unique magical technique Immutable Mana Formula.H84
3jI3yXThe miracle he created purified the air in the entire area. Only then could Yuri see into the distance.zQVS
yNTHNQTBut what he saw was far from pleasant.Bp8hbG
f14JOVp“Damn it…”QeEaEm
eQvbHzXHe spun Guilty in the air.X3XxCAx
CyoWith the fog cleared, he could see the tight formation of the imperial army.y4x0tJJ
96ENot only were there more giants blocking the way, but also unknown creatures waiting their turn to attack.7IEEgO
vQcRuTheir numbers were overwhelming.Gp9KpJK
HBMTpAt the sight, Yuri let out an incredulous laugh.ji9gCBr
Y1Eb“Well, they’ve prepared well.”z6HLMS
SDwYuri killed a giant with a single slash, severing its head. Another giant caught the flying head, roared in rage, and charged at him, but was also cut down.fRxG4k
Sj52SFNThen he checked the situation of the Anti-Imperial Alliance.03L2fP
Kn7TU3“Fuu…”pvMhmq
qnscJbHe wrapped his sword in the power of Chaos. Fighting like this was pointless.gvyGY
G0oAAjnThere were too many.XqA
Kp2OfLIf he killed them one by one, it would take too long to reach Cedric. He decided to use the power of Chaos to reduce their numbers in one blow.T3QW
fAH02Mana surged violently, shining with an intensity that made the giants hesitate.QyrEhls
ci4UjfThen—daToU5
zX6D[It’s been a while, hasn’t it?]AtCR
Qm1A familiar voice echoed from somewhere.uZQY4
jrFkkiYuri looked up.DsrKM
BhQo6rAmong the giants in front of him, a human figure was slowly approaching.TkGej7
ChbQe8JFocusing his gaze, she seemed to be a woman.P2UTHIS
b8GHe immediately recognized who it was and called her by name.ouLoX
lZU1ZI2“Katrina.”gHMXaS
RnuyX0It was Katrina, a member of the imperial family and Cedric’s lover.h8plp7
alCPHe had known he would see her again, but not in the middle of a battlefield.UzhD
DoZpj[That’s right. It’s me. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?]F80
6r2From her back sprouted tentacles that moved in all directions, controlling the nearby giants. Each time they moved, the giants reacted.TEg0p
UTvPQ3nYuri understood that he had to kill her.VnwP8qy
611[I didn’t think we’d meet again like this.]ihs0
r8HMFKatrina maintained a relaxed expression, but Yuri rushed toward her immediately.F1piX
OI5[Will it be like that?]jXim0g
EEtHer tentacles moved, and the giants in between stepped in his way.0HoPo
NoaqzqtYuri swung Guilty, and the sharp sword energy cut them all down, opening a path to her.dxJX
N34KpBeyond the corpses of the monsters, Katrina smiled. When Yuri was right in front of her, her eyes curved sweetly.QMq6z3
JY77Pi[Too hasty.]6tsv
maMQA massive blow sent him flying back—the tentacles had lashed at him from the ground.SPNu
qrFQ3kThe sudden impact made him lose his balance for an instant. Supporting himself on Guilty, he spat blood.Cas
5aofV1KHe drew a deep breath and regained focus. Guilty vibrated in his hands.gUAwCJ1
bTByThis could indeed be called war.dsQ6aV6
bjCIn fact, it made things more interesting.bFQ62Qo
jB8He aimed his sword at Katrina. Perhaps she too was, in a way, a victim of black magic.QCo0i2
rMs0But that didn’t matter. If she stood in his way, he would kill her.Zb5n
W5O17LtThe sword energy surged powerfully, and with the power of Chaos, its destructive force increased exponentially.SEXcz
jtI6Just as he was about to charge at her, Katrina called out.akUD3xt
brjWgA9[Yuri Briol.]4GP
fbcmtHer voice was as calm as the day they had met in the imperial palace.Esjii
4WF[I have a favor to ask of you.]BIXm
2rIqML“What nonsense are you talking about?”d54qgTY
nFba[Oh, why so aggressive?]JePE
pUrShe smiled, her tentacles swaying.fA8lp
qFNbpN[You’ll grant it, won’t you?]OEE02ZA
4Hp2“What nonsense…”sNx
ibzYuri shook his head.7QiGo02
FeJ9AvBut then, her voice echoed inside his mind, soft and secret, like a whisper directly into his ear.80Mh
141[Kill Cedric.]cv7d2xX
4cOThe unexpected words made Yuri’s eyes widen.h3k
tfzvAKatrina smiled and added.lzVh4l
xtFs4[And of course me as well.]UE6G
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!