329. The Hawk, the Wolf, and the Sea Serpent (6)
[What… what is this…!!]
Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Yekaset’s wrath raged. The panicked beasts clawed and bit at themselves, descending into madness.
– Screeeeech!
– Kwaaaaang!!
Flames erupted everywhere across the battlefield. From Guimerin’s Flagship floating in the sky, cannonballs and arrows began to rain down like a storm. Fernandez, struggling to pull the greatsword embedded in the wolf’s chest, let out a laugh.
“Beastly, hoo… This is the end.”
[You bastard—!!]
The wolves lunged. Fernandez twisted his body to the side and swung the greatsword. The charging wolf was cleaved in half, scattering sticky entrails. However, the wolf’s claws managed to tear through his breastplate and into his abdomen.
It wasn’t a fatal wound, but it was far from light. Yet, Fernandez continued to roll and dodge, attacking and evading. It didn’t matter much. His body was already on the verge of being torn to shreds. It was harder to find a spot on him that wasn’t bleeding.
Excessive blood loss made his mind hazy. He swung his sword almost instinctively. Fortunately, the experience and training he had accumulated kept him alive.
“Your defeat is certain, Yekaset. After today, no mortal will fear you anymore. The reverence you once commanded will be taken by the elves in the sky above. You will become the dawn that banishes the last remnants of night’s terror.”
Forever. Even if Yekaset’s power doesn’t completely vanish now, it will never wield such influence in the Material World again.
“I will leave your seal intact. In the distant future, when you no longer have any power left. When the light of civilization illuminates even the darkest corners of this world… Then, we will open your seal and hang you, trembling in fear, on the gallows.”
That will be humanity’s final declaration to the unknown terror. It will become a symbol of an era. A symbol that night is merely a phenomenon, and winter is just a season. A symbol of steadfast reason, no longer leaving the understanding of natural phenomena to the transcendent beings.
By then, perhaps humanity will no longer need gods. And that will mean that humanity will no longer be threatened by demons. An era will come where the sovereignty of the Material World is entrusted solely to the beings of the Material World.
[You… you will fail. Your goal, the goal of you and your false gods, will never be achieved! Faijashi, you treacherous betrayer. Even if you survive today, you will eventually betray this world, even your false gods! This is not just a declaration, but a curse engraved by my very existence!]
Yekaset growled as if in a fit. Soon, the wolves, lost in confusion, suddenly raised their heads.
[The beginning of it all will be today. Today, you will savor victory. Enjoy it! But my minions will not fall here today, and you will surely die in this place!!]
With Yekaset’s proclamation, the wolves began to scatter in different directions. Fernandez narrowed his eyes and watched them.
Each one of them is at least a minor demon, with the larger ones being on par with demon generals. Yekaset’s power stems from the fear of beasts in the dark, and when they hide across the world and begin their indiscriminate hunting, his power will grow even stronger.
The ones who have reached this plain now are Queen Leia’s Legion. The ship’s cannons are undoubtedly powerful, but they cannot tread on the ground. They are at a disadvantage in a wide-area assault against the scattered beasts fleeing in all directions.
– Awooooo!!
Then, a pack of wolves stopped in their tracks and stared at him. Thick drool dripped from between their fangs. Their red eyes flickered, exuding a madness mixed with bestial ferocity.
[Kill him. Do not allow him to see the dawn after today!]
– Awoooo!!
The wolves charged at him all at once. Fernandez gripped the sword hilt tightly and raised the blade. He had tried to gather his strength during the conversation with Yekaset, but he was severely injured, to the point where collapsing wouldn’t be surprising.
This will be tough. Fernandez smirked. But what does it matter? This is literally just a desperate struggle.
Many demons will flee into the darkness of the Material World. But when has that not been the case? Isn’t this an era where demons laugh in every shadow?
As long as there are those who tread through the darkness with flames in their hearts, humanity will never be easily defeated. Yekaset’s plan is heading toward a long-term defeat today. With his fall, only two Great Demons remain.
As Fernandez swung his blade at the charging wolves, he thought:
‘Now, all plans are rushing toward the final act.’
– Even if we don’t survive?
‘Survival was never our goal.’
– Fernandez. Even if you never find your son’s smile again, will you have no regrets?
‘Once, my son’s existence was my world, and his death was my gallows.’
– Crunch!
The obsidian greatsword crushed the wolf’s skull and pulled free. The blade hesitated for a moment, stuck between the broken fangs. In that moment, another wolf lunged and bit into his shoulder.
‘Now, this world is my gallows, Faijashi. The laughter of this world is my son’s laughter.’
– Damn it. I can’t believe I’m saying this.
– Thud!
The blade swung around and cleaved the wolf’s skull. Soon, more wolves. Yet more wolves charged at him. Soldiers handpicked by Yekaset. Each one a powerful being, close to the level of a demon general, tearing at him.
The greatsword slipped from his grip and rolled on the ground. The sword of mercy trembled as it was embedded in the ground. The obsidian greatsword’s blade was already smeared with sticky entrails, blood, and fat.
This is the end, Fernandez sighed.
– You’ve worked hard. It’s not a satisfying conclusion, but our three years were the best we could show.
‘You’ve worked hard too, Faijashi.’
– After your body dies, will our souls become one again? If so, who will remain?
‘Are you afraid?’
– Haha, shouldn’t you be the one afraid? Did you think you, at barely twenty years old, could devour the soul of Faijashi of the Crimson Tower?
Fernandez chuckled at Faijashi’s words. He didn’t even lift a finger…
He had no strength left. Soon, a wolf with a gaping maw charged at him.
-*Crunch*.
* * *
“Damn, there are so many of them.”
“Doesn’t seem like hunting is as fun as you thought, Queen Leia?”
“Can you even call this hunting?”
Leia stood on the deck, arms crossed, gazing at the distant horizon as the rough wind howled around her. With each *boom* of the cannon fire, demons scattered in panic, illuminated by the flames.
“Still haven’t found him?”
-I can feel his presence somewhere over there. But… yeah. Still can’t pinpoint him.
A buzzing voice echoed from above. It was Abel. She was flapping her wings with all her might, bearing the weight of this massive capital ship.
A dragon’s senses are precise enough to pick out a single gold coin among hundreds. But now, the ground was teeming with the presence of tens of thousands of demons, and even the aura of a Great Demon could be felt in the sky.
Finding the presence of one human in all that chaos was nearly impossible. Abel barely suppressed the urge to breathe fire and burn the demons. If she lost focus and dropped the ship, the elves aboard would be annihilated.
“Wait. Over there…?”
“Good heavens…”
As the cannon fire lit up the ground, Leia managed to spot a dense cluster of demons. Countless demons were converging toward one point, swarming like a storm at sea.
At Leia’s gesture, Jerolen leaned over to inspect the ground. He let out an involuntary sigh.
“That’s no ordinary mortal’s power.”
“We can’t leave them like that. We have to save them.”
“I’ll go myself. Ragras!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!!”
“Lead the cavalry! Bring me my griffin! We can’t let that hero die!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!!”
Soon, griffins poured onto the deck. Jerolen leaped onto the largest and most magnificent griffin, gripping the reins tightly.
*Screech!* The griffin let out a sharp cry and soared into the sky. Jerolen’s cavalry followed suit, rising into the air behind him.
* * *
How long had she been fighting? A few seconds? Minutes? Hours? The sky was still dark, so it probably hadn’t been too long. But she couldn’t be sure. Her vision was almost gone—maybe that’s why everything seemed so dark.
-*Clang!*
Kirhas swung her broken, half-shattered sword at the wolf. The impact made her body shudder. There was no more pain now—just instinct. She didn’t even know how she was still moving.
But as long as she could move, she would do what she had to do. She swung her blade at the approaching wolf. It wasn’t enough. She still couldn’t see a way out.
In this moment of pure darkness, only the flickering red eyes in the shadows revealed the enemies. Her own eyes were clouded from exhaustion and shock. She swung her sword, threw her body, and swung again.
What she couldn’t see no longer posed a threat. Her senses, honed to their limits, had already perceived the optimal path and movement seconds ago. It was as if some transcendent intuition had been unleashed.
So, she threw herself toward the direction of the blue afterimage and moved as it guided her. That way, she could survive another second. She was performing a desperate, life-extending acrobatics, second by second.
She wouldn’t stop until her body or soul was completely worn out. And then—
-*Crash!*
A violent shockwave swept over the surrounding wolves. Kirhas, her ear half-torn, perked up and looked in that direction. The wolves’ movements froze for a moment.
“Don’t touch the ground! Just thrust your spears!”
Something was falling from the sky. It felt ridiculous, but it was like watching a cavalry charge head-on. A mounted force was pouring down from the heavens.
-*Crash!* *Boom!*
“Hey! Can you hear me?”
Something struck a wolf charging toward her. The wolf let out a yelp and fell away. Kirhas moved instinctively, dodging the impact.
“Stop! Wait! I’m not here to hurt you!”
-*Crash!*
“Damn it, she can’t hear me! Figures. She’s gone berserk!”
Kirhas swung her sword at the approaching figure. But it was too short. The blade, more damaged than she’d realized, shattered, leaving only the hilt.
Her collar was grabbed, and she felt herself lifted into the air. Quickly, she threw the sword and wrapped her legs around the arm holding her. Her legs twisted skillfully, bending the sturdy arm.
“Damn, she really is berserk! Haha, can’t believe someone like this still exists in this age!”
-*Whoosh!*
The arm swung her around violently. Kirhas, barely hanging on, gasped for breath. As she calmed down, the arm quickly set her down somewhere.
“Take a break. You’ve been through a lot.”
No more words reached her ears. Kirhas struggled briefly, then took a hit to the back of her head and slumped down.
* * *
“You were right. Follow the flowers. Clever trick. So, what’s your name?”
“Partak Blackfang, Your Majesty. It’s a method our chieftain used.”
“The Empire won’t forget the aid of you and your Beastmen Federation today.”
“The honor is mine.”
Dawn breaks. The endless night passes. The vast plains, once shrouded in darkness, are now bathed in light. The swollen moon still hangs in the sky, but its eerie glow fades under the brilliant dawn.
“Damn, what a mess. Your Majesty, do you see that? That looks like the ship of the Elven royal family.”
“Yes. It does, Lord Borua. Ah, King Vicente. Does that ship look like the one you saw in your lands?”
“…Similar. But Your Majesty, there’s something I must ask first.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Please, let us take the vanguard.”
The wolves were scattering in all directions. Under the blue-burning eastern sky, they looked like shadows retreating from the sunlight.
“May I hear your reason?”
“Our Great Mother is watching over us. As Knights of the Round Table, we cannot retreat.”
“Haha, right. That dragon was your great teacher. Very well. Proceed.”
On the northeastern ridge, a flag rose into the sky. An old banner depicting a dragon, a sword, and a round table fluttered under the blue sky.
-*Booooom!*
A horn sounded from beyond the east. Soon, dust rose along the horizon—
-*Thud thud thud thud!*
The cavalry poured down, each holding their banners high.
* * *
Kirhas Hearttaker succeeded in holding her ground alone in the midst of a demon legion for half a day.
The fleeing Federation of Beastmen Nobles joined the advancing Imperial Army.
Under Freya’s command, the Imperial Army reached the battlefield half a day earlier than planned.
This was the day Karadskar’s great northern campaign came to an end.
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