Let's show it (3)
As the Death Knights began their march, the air on the battlefield shifted.
Like a black curtain falling upon the land overflowing with the aura of death, the advance of 100 Death Knights began.
Paaaaah!
A black wave surged forward toward the enemies.
From the tips of their swords, the mist of death rose, and their glowing red eyes pierced through the battlefield, filled with murderous intent.
They said nothing. No breath, no shouts.
Only the immense killing intent they exuded and the heavy thud of their footsteps weighed down the earth.
KWAANG!
The Death Knights plunged into the orcs. With each swing of their greatswords, orc heads shattered and bodies exploded.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
The Death Knight legion was like a massive tidal wave. In their wake, only blood and fear remained.
But the orcs too were known as a warrior race.
Though they had been stunned by Ghislain's appearance, the orcs quickly regained their fighting spirit.
KRRAAAHHHHH!
Soon, a mad roar filled the battlefield.
The orcs lived purely by their battle instincts. While they may be surprised by unfamiliar foes, they never retreated.
Rather, as if enraged by the sudden intrusion of these alien beings, all the orcs growled and charged as one.
KWAANG!
The battlefield shook violently. The orc formation crashed down on the Death Knight legion like a massive iron hammer.
However—
Kwaang! Kwaang! KWAANG!
The moment both sides clashed, the Death Knights' greatswords shattered the orcs' weapons and pierced their chests.
They cleaved shoulders, severed legs, and decapitated heads.
Blood splattered and screams echoed, but all of them belonged to the orcs. The Death Knights silently continued their slaughter.
No matter how fiercely the orcs attacked, it was useless. The Death Knights fell, only to rise again and again, and their shattered armor absorbed the darkness to regenerate into its original form.
The undying Death Knights became the nightmare of the battlefield.
KWAANG!
Even without a single command from Ghislain, they moved of their own accord, following the order of death.
The dark mages who witnessed the overwhelming presence of the Death Knights had their expressions harden.
"Th-This can't be real. He's operating that many Death Knights?"
"These aren't ordinary Death Knights. H-How can each one be so powerful…"
"The death energy we created… it's empowering them instead…"
The dark mages trembled. This battlefield was supposed to be theirs.
In a place overflowing with death, the undead grew infinitely stronger, and black magic reached its peak power.
But now, it wasn't their undead who absorbed the death energy and swept across the battlefield—it was those Death Knights.
Even when pierced by the orcs' weapons and their bodies were torn apart, the Death Knights soon rose again, fully intact at the exact spot.
No matter how they were attacked, they felt no pain. Like black flames, they burned on, unimpeded.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
The orc formation completely collapsed under the Death Knights' greatswords. But the orcs were still numerous.
They continued to roar, blocking the path of the black knights.
KRRAAAHHH!
The orcs charged endlessly. By now, the elves had vanished from their minds.
With faces twisted in madness, they aimed only at the undying enemy.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
The orcs rammed with iron-clad shoulders and tried to tear the Death Knights' armor with hammers and axes. Even as they were sliced and their necks snapped, they relentlessly hurled themselves at the death knights.
Sometimes, dozens of orcs would simply pile onto a single Death Knight to bring him down.
Then another orc would charge in and hack at both the Death Knight and their own kind indiscriminately.
Puhhk! Puhhk! Puhhk!
KRRAAAHHH!
As such reckless resistance continued, the Death Knights' advance began to slow. No matter how powerful they were, it was inevitable given the sheer number of enemies.
At this rate, all the death energy spread by the dark mages would be consumed before the orcs were annihilated.
And at that moment, a new wind swept across the battlefield.
PAAAH!
"We're here, you pathetic losers!"
A blue sparrow cried out loudly from the high sky. At the same time, a group of humans descended upon the orcs.
The Yulian Mercenary Corps had finally arrived.
KWAANG!
The orc formation's flank suddenly exploded and crumbled.
At the very front, Yulian's sword flashed, and orc heads flew off in an instant. Every time Kyle's sword moved like a storm, orc bodies were torn apart.
"Oh Goddess, protect us!"
As Deneb shouted, a faint light shrouded the bodies of the mercenaries at the front.
Her holy power was weak—she couldn't protect all the mercenaries. She could barely shield those at the front lines.
But there was one more person here who could use holy power.
"…I'll delay the excommunication for now."
Lionel gritted his teeth several times. A priest under excommunication was not allowed to use holy power.
But this was not the time to follow doctrine. The elves really were fighting a war against the orcs.
Helping the elves was essential if he wanted to claim the Holy Stone. Elevating the Empire's reputation would be a bonus.
With his calculations complete, Lionel drew forth his holy power.
"O shield of light, become a sacred veil and repel the darkness."
PAAAAAAAH!
A wave of white light surged from Lionel's body. It spread out like a shield in front of the mercenaries.
At the same time, Lionel charged forward.
He couldn't afford to fall behind Yulian and Kyle. He pushed further forward, taking the orc attacks head-on.
When it came to defense, he had absolute confidence.
KWAANG!
With his shield raised, Lionel shoved the orcs back. They swung their weapons, but wrapped in solid light, they couldn't leave a mark on him.
The other mercenaries whistled and followed behind him.
"Whoa! The old hard-ass is killing it!"
"I thought only his personality was stiff, but his body's just as solid!"
"Yeah, this is what a temple knight of the Empire should look like!"
Trusting in the holy power cloaking their bodies, the mercenaries moved boldly.
THUD!
The orcs' attacks bounced off the shield of light. Gaining confidence, the mercenaries roared with vigor.
"WAAAAAH!"
They swung their weapons wildly, paying no mind to defense. Their ferocious assault began to scatter the orcs' focus.
But the number of mercenaries was still small. Only 200 had been summoned during the Ismogen incident.
No matter how surprise-driven the attack, it wasn't enough to completely break the orc formation.
In no time, their charge stalled, and they became embroiled in a chaotic melee with the orcs.
Then, a soft voice echoed through the battlefield—It was Iraniel.
"Quickly, aid them. They are our hope."
The elves, overwhelmed by the sudden developments, hadn't yet regained their composure. In truth, they still didn't understand what was happening.
They didn't know why the dark mage sided with them, who he was, or how he commanded such a powerful army.
Nor did they understand why humans had suddenly appeared to help them.
But one thing was certain.
The possibility of victory had returned—hope had returned.
"Push forward!"
A shout rang out, and that single cry became the spark that set the battlefield ablaze.
The elves once again raised their bows, gripping swords and shields. Their broken will reignited, and the spirits began to stir back to life.
"For the World Tree!"
"Take back the forest!"
"Drive out the intruders!"
Paaaah!
Arrows loosed by the elves filled the sky. They tore through the wind, piercing orc eyes and hearts with precision.
The spirits scattered in all directions and crashed into the orcs. As nature's fury erupted all at once, the orcs crumbled helplessly.
Before long, the Death Knights, mercenaries, and elves had joined together to push back the orcs.
Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!
"Hold on! Just a little more and we can push through!"
"We can win this!"
"I, Osval the Mighty, shall crush the enemy!"
Each shout echoed across the battlefield. No one needed orders. They all knew exactly what they had to do.
Their rising momentum grew fiercer, and the orcs fell one after another.
The tide of victory was returning to the elves.
And one elf, burning with more rage than any other, looked around in disbelief.
'I really thought it was all over…'
The forest burned, comrades had fallen, and the land had decayed. Drenched in despair, she had believed it was the end.
But then, like a miracle, one person appeared.
"Astion…"
From Erenes' trembling lips, a single name slipped out. Her eyes welled with tears once more.
He had seemed like nothing more than a silly human. Just a smooth-talking, decently strong man who told amusing stories.
But…
— My name's Astion. I received a revelation from the goddess to come save the elves.
— Not to brag, but I've done a fair bit of impressive work.
— I really am that amazing. That's why I received the revelation.
Erenes couldn't help but smile.
Yes, he really was something. Maybe… maybe that whole "divine revelation" talk was true after all.
Because now, Astion—no, Ghislain—was shining so brightly, she could only acknowledge it.
"It's not over yet."
Erenes took a deep breath and summoned what little energy she had left.
The flame she had believed extinguished began to blaze once more. There was no turning back.
Her mind was clearer than ever. Her anger had faded, leaving behind only cool determination.
Paaaah!
From her fingertips, the energy of the spirits surged anew. The spirits tore through the orcs like a raging storm.
Kwaang! Kwaang! KWAANG!
KRAAAHHH!
The tide of battle had fully turned in the elves' favor. The orc numbers rapidly dwindled, and with them, their morale.
And Ghislain, the one who had turned the tide in an instant, had already taken down every last dark mage in that brief span.
"You should receive your punishment properly, shouldn't you?"
CRACK!
The dark mage struck by Ghislain's staff had his skull shattered and died instantly.
Ghislain had hit with full force, making sure there was no room for tricks.
The remaining dark mages, who had barely survived until now, were killed just as swiftly.
The last surviving dark mage trembled and asked,
"Wh-Who are you! Why is a dark mage helping the elves?!"
"I'm a dark mage of justice."
"Th-There's no such thing as a dark mage of justice!"
A dark mage grows stronger by cursing the world. Only those who abandon their humanity and go mad can become one.
But the man standing before him seemed to have taken that madness a step further. For a dark mage—something that should stand at odds with justice—to proclaim righteousness?
And seeing how he bludgeoned people to death with a staff despite being a mage, the proof was undeniable.
'I can't die to a lunatic like this.'
The dark mage extended his hand just as Ghislain raised his staff again. For the first time in his life, he focused completely, unleashing his most powerful spell.
"DIE!"
PAH!
A sharp surge of power burst from the dark mage's hand. It was a curse of destruction so powerful, it could incinerate foes even stronger than its caster if it hit.
Shhk.
But Ghislain merely tilted his head slightly and dodged.
Seeing that, the dark mage's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wh-Why can a mage move like that?!"
He'd cast it right at point-blank range. Even a swordmaster shouldn't have been able to avoid it.
But this man had dodged it effortlessly.
Ghislain responded kindly.
"I'm just good at everything."
THWACK!
The last dark mage had his head bashed in and died.
"Phew! It's been a while since I overdid it."
Ghislain planted his staff into the ground and leaned on it, letting out a deep breath.
Truthfully, his body wasn't in good condition. He had burned through a lot of mana and taken injuries while fighting five priests.
He had managed to recover a bit during a brief rest, but not nearly enough. And the battlefield's dire state hadn't allowed for a longer break. If he hadn't turned the tide quickly, the elves would've suffered great losses.
So he'd had no choice but to jump back in before he was fully recovered.
"Haa… This is bad…"
After unleashing wide-area lightning magic and summoning the Death Knights, his mana was nearly depleted.
Had the dark mages not turned the area into a land of death, he might not have been able to maintain control over the Death Knights at all.
And he had pushed himself even further by killing 6th-circle dark mages in one blow.
"Tsk. What a sly bastard."
Ghislain turned his head and looked off into the distance. Like Iraniel, he too sensed the lurking darkness.
If he fought that darkness in his current state, he'd surely lose. That hidden force was just that powerful.
"…Well, I'm sure someone will take care of it."
But Ghislain had someone he trusted. And so, he had thrown everything into reversing the tide of battle.
KWOAAAAH!
As expected, the hidden darkness, having sensed the shift in battle, finally moved.
A massive force was approaching, charging straight toward the center of the battlefield, as if to turn the tide once more.
And at that very moment—
FLASH!
A radiant arrow of light loosed from Iraniel's hand, shooting toward the darkness.
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