Chapter 195. The Arrival of Despair

Except for the recently joined werewolf Rorn, the rest of the party had already experienced facing opponents far superior to themselves through numerous incidents.

In that process, they had achieved self-awareness and had ingrained in their bodies the attitude of engaging in battle while recognizing the gap with their opponent.

Of course, the twin knights Lec and Luc they encountered this time were not beings they could not dare to approach, unlike the overwhelming monsters of the past.

If the two were together, it might be a different story, but their individual strengths were not at that level.

Nevertheless, the problem was that there were no openings to be seen.

The one who felt this most keenly was Gaiard, who had fought against the powerful figures of the kingdom long ago.

‘This bastard…… there is no gap between his offense and defense. If that Evan fellow shows an unpredictable battle style by handling all sorts of weapons, these guys are the exact opposite. They have mastered a near-perfect unity of offense and defense.’

Although he had faced numerous knights, this was the first time he had directly experienced Robern’s swordsmanship.

And Gaiard’s attacks never once properly penetrated, merely scattering as a meaningless wave of assaults.

The situation was similar for Rorn, who had hardly experienced real combat against a strong opponent.

He pushed forward with his overwhelming physical ability and instinctive combat sense, but he could only repeat frustrating attacks in front of a swordsmanship that strangely stole the flow of battle.

‘I don’t think I am weaker than this person. But why do my attacks not land even once? Is this…… a human technique?’

Then, were the fellow humans Anton and Jack in a better situation than them?

On the contrary, they were pushed back by Luc and couldn't even manage a proper counterattack.

Especially the knight Anton, who had some expertise with the sword, was in a position where he was precariously parrying Luc’s sword as if walking on thin ice.

‘If I slip for even a moment, either my neck or Jack’s will fly. Is it fortunate, if I can call it that……. that he is not using his full strength against us right now. But if he shows his true power, we will be killed instantly.’

The fact that their necks were still attached because the opponent was not giving his all was, above all else, a terrifying reality.

“What? You suddenly popped out, so I thought you were something special, but you’re just chaff?”

Unlike Lec, who wielded his sword with an interested expression while facing the non-human species, the younger brother Luc did not even try to hide his blatant boredom.

“I should have switched places with my brother.”

Luc consistently deflected Anton and Jack, who charged at him, as if they were nothing.

That disregard was an insult and an act of trampling on their pride for the two, but at the same time, a petty sense of relief that they were barely staying alive thanks to that disregard also brushed past them.

However, they were warriors in their own right.

What the wolf god had bestowed upon them was not just simple strength, but also an indomitable fighting spirit that made them never give up.

“I am……”

“Not chaff!”

Along with Jack and Anton’s shout, their movements had changed from before.

“Hm?”

It wasn't that they had become particularly heavier or faster.

There was just one thing that had changed.

There was no future in their movements.

The steps of men who had resolved to die, having given up even the thought of survival, were now set upon thin ice.

‘These bastards…… they intend to land a single blow on me, even if it means having their limbs cut off?’

An attack made with death as collateral was distinctly different from before.

Although it might not be able to defeat the enemy, the momentum of intending to leave at least one wound was sufficiently threatening.

‘Alright. Then I’ll accept. Starting with cutting off one arm!’

Luc re-gripped his sword and launched a strike at Jack, who had stepped deep into his range.

At that moment, Jack’s arm would have been cut off without a doubt.

“Ugh?”

Luc’s movement stiffened for a moment.

It was due to a strange force that seemed to be pressing down on his body.

In that gap, Anton kicked Jack away, barely allowing him to escape the crisis.

‘That damned mage woman?’

The commander of Remshait, Luise, who had briefly left the battlefield, had cast a powerful debuff magic on Luc while holding one of her eyes.

She had stepped forward once again to be of some help to those fighting in her stead.

“Until I avenge Karin and my fallen mage comrades, I will never lie down!”

While Luise was holding back Luc, the commander of Solaid, Omar, once again charged towards Lec.

Although he had already lost an arm, he did his best to help Gaiard and Rorn with his remaining arm.

“Following Solaid, now they are here to fight for us! Even if I die, I will protect them!”

That cry became a catalyst.

Flames were rekindled in the eyes of the soldiers who had been backing away in fear.

When even strangers, who had nothing to do with them, were fighting with their lives on the line, how could they alone be scared and retreat?

“Uuaaaah!!”

“Let’s drive them out!!”

Their unified shout was still faint, but it spread with a momentum that even Lec and Luc could not recklessly ignore.

Although it was highly unlikely their weapons would reach, that persistent charge was gradually suppressing the momentum of the twin knights.

“Tch!”

“These vermin!”

Lec and Luc relentlessly swung their swords at the swarming soldiers.

Each time a sword passed, three or four men were cut down, armor and all, and fragmented corpses scattered on the ground.

However, the soldiers charged on undaunted.

They even threw their lives away, flinging themselves to capture the two knights.

That tenacity eventually made even the twin knights flustered.

“What, what’s with these guys?”

“Have these things really gone mad?”

Even they, who had been mentally at ease, showed displeasure for the first time.

However, the swords in their hands still moved without rest, chipping away at the charging soldiers.

To them, they were ultimately just like pebbles to be kicked away, beings they thought they just had to cut down.

But.

“Ugh!”

His balance was momentarily thrown off by stepping on a scattered piece of a corpse.

Not missing that opening, the allied soldiers swarmed him all at once.

“Wha- what is this!”

“Let go, you vermin!”

Arms, legs, waist, neck…… they clung to the twin knights wherever they could.

And on top of them, other soldiers threw themselves in layers.

Eventually, dozens of men piled on, finally pinning down their bodies and restraining them.

“Now!”

Simultaneously with the soldiers' shout, the blood that had pooled thickly on the ground gathered and formed a sword in Gaiard’s hand.

“Wolf bastard! Take it! It's harder than your claws, so pierce that bastard’s heart!”

“……It’s filthy, but I accept.”

Rorn gripped the blood sword and charged towards Lec at the highest speed he could muster.

“Grrrr!”

A collaboration between a wolf and a vampire.

The werewolf, holding a sword made of blood, pierced the torso of Lec, who was held down by the soldiers and unable to move.

“Kahak!”

As if properly stabbed, blood poured from Lec’s mouth.

“Brother!”

At that moment, Luc, trembling with rage, opened his eyes wide and caught sight of Anton charging at him.

“You sons of bitches! Let go! All of you will die too!”

Luc struggled like a madman, but the soldiers held on, gritting their teeth.

“We know!”

“Let's die together, you filthy imperial bastard!”

In their eyes, there was no longer even the fear of death.

Only the final resolve to not let this sacrifice be in vain was burning.

Taking that opportunity, the knight of the swift sword, Anton, thrust his sword with all his might.

However.

“Do you think I will die so easily!”

Luc, gritting his teeth, stretched out his arm and grabbed the blade itself.

Blood burst from his palm, but his gaze did not waver.

“Jack!”

The moment Anton shouted, Jack, who had charged from behind, grabbed Luc from behind.

“Uuuuuaaaaaah!!”

Jack gripped the sword with both hands and pulled with all his might as if his life depended on it.

Luc’s monstrous strength resisted, but Jack held on, gritting his teeth.

—Crack!

With a resolve as if his teeth were shattering, the blade moved little by little and reached Luc’s neck.

As a red line was drawn, Anton twisted the sword as he pulled it out.

—Psh!

Then, red blood burst out from Luc’s neck as if exploding.

“Heok…… heok……”

Jack and Anton gasped for breath.

And all the soldiers surrounding the battlefield finally realized on what a brutal price this victory they had finally obtained was built.

It was a fruit full of painful scars, too much to be called a victory.

“We can win too.”

A low murmur from a soldier spread like an echo.

Those words soon became morale, making them forget even the smell of blood that filled the battlefield for a moment.

Hope sprouted that even Robern’s Knight Order, who had seemed like monsters, could be defeated if they joined forces.

“Everyone, give it your all……”

It was then.

—Swish.

The body of the soldier who was about to continue his words was cleanly cut in half at the waist.

Those behind him also fell like dominoes, and in the end, even the castle wall cracked and split.

—Crack!

William, who was watching from above the castle, opened his eyes wide and screamed as if in agony.

“All personnel, retreat to the inner castle!!”

The moment he screamed, it was already too late.

While all eyes were stolen by the effort to stop the twin knights, dozens of knights led by the Second Sword, Justia, had broken down the castle wall and poured into the castle.

“Look at these things.”

Justia looked down at the corpses of her former comrades, the twin brothers, and her lips curled into a sneer.

“Stupid fools. I knew they’d die messing around.”

With a cynical smile, her eyes turned towards the allied soldiers.

“Still…… since you were comrades who moved under the same flag, I will avenge you.”

Soon after, a blood-red energy enveloped her sword, and the space trembled.

And the moment she was about to swing.

—Clang!

William threw himself from the castle wall and blocked her sword.

With cold sweat running down his entire body, he shouted as if squeezing out his voice.

“Go! Retreat now! I will block this one!!”

Like Luise and Omar, he too was a knight who had long since retired from the front lines.

He would have a hard time even holding on against Justia, let alone defeating her, but he wanted to block her for even a little while to buy time for the allied forces to retreat.

His resolve was clear, but in Justia’s eyes, it just seemed like a ridiculous struggle.

“Get lost, old man.”

She batted away William's sword and moved her own in the air as if drawing a picture.

—Crack!

William’s sword shattered into pieces.

And soon after, his upper body quietly slid down.

“Keuheuk……”

As the corpse of the fallen commander was etched into their minds, the morale of the soldiers, which had been reviving just a moment before, disappeared without a trace.

“Commander……”

“Heok……”

Instead, a frantic despair pushed them from behind.

“Uwaaaaah!!”

“Run!!”

The battlefield was once again engulfed in chaos.

The spark of hope they had believed in was mercilessly trampled, and a deeper, colder despair blocked their path.

“Why did you die to things like these? Daring to bear Lord Robern’s name?”

Looking at the already cold bodies of the twin knights with a pathetic expression, her sword turned towards the allied forces fleeing to the inner castle.

“Go and kill even one more. Don't follow them into the inner castle.”

“Yes!”

And the small number of knights she had brought with her charged at the allied forces to hunt them down.