Fidesz saluted Yuri and immediately started running toward the rear.
His body was light.
"Be careful!"
Yuri waved his hand at the man's back and then turned his gaze.
It was time to hunt the shaman.
He could feel the flow of mana stiffened by a dispel.
Tracing the origin of this stagnation might lead to the shaman.
It would be impossible for a regular person, but Yuri sensed a possibility.
He closed his eyes and heightened his senses.
He felt the point where mana was being blocked from combining and where its flow was being suppressed. It was blurry at first but gradually became clearer.
"There, there, and there."
"Yes?"
Laurent and Jared, who were standing nearby, looked at Yuri.
Yuri said,
"There are shamans in three spots. I'll take this side."
"Uh…"
There was no time to explain.
As Yuri dashed off, Laurent and Jared glanced at each other, then ran off in different directions.
He looked toward Okua.
Moyong Chan stood in front, blocking it, and the other knights stood behind him, occasionally supporting with attacks.
They looked like knights from old tales, fighting against an evil dragon.
He never knew Okua was such a monster in his past life. In fact, it was only in this life that he learned the creature was connected to black magic.
What other truths lay hidden?
"Kuar!"
Yuri shouted. It was the orc word for 'shaman' he had learned from Cory.
"Kuar!"
He shouted over and over.
Then the orc group, which had been observing from the rear, reacted. An orc shaman with covered eyes was hiding between guards.
Yuri leapt and immediately brought down Guilty.
Though tired, his senses were sharper than ever. He could see even the slightest tremors of the spears and blades flying toward him.
Yuri twisted his body and slipped past like an acrobat.
The blindfolded shaman, as if accepting his fate, calmly received the blade. His chest split vertically, and blood and entrails spilled out.
As soon as the shaman was killed, orcs rushed at him from all sides.
Yuri targeted the spot where the formation was weakest and dashed forward. Multiple axes flew toward him.
There was no room to dodge.
Then he would simply deflect them.
Yuri raised Heart-Soul Slash and swung it in an instant. Several axes flying at him were knocked away all at once.
He slipped between two orcs standing side by side and swiftly swung Guilty.
Blood burst from both their flanks at the same time.
As soon as he broke through the encirclement, Yuri turned around with his sword pointed. The orc horde hesitated, unable to approach.
He had grown incomparably stronger compared to when he first joined the Allied Army.
But there was no time to bask in his growth.
"Got one…"
Yuri turned his gaze as he moved away from the orcs.
Laurent and Jared had not gone alone; they had assaulted the shamans with other knights.
Shamans were killed one after another. He could feel that all those interfering with magic were now dead.
Now all that was left was to rain down fireballs.
Though easily dispelled, a mage's firepower support was devastating.
But no response came.
Yuri, half-crouched, looked toward Okua.
The form made of corpses that was Okua swung its massive limbs, driving Moyong Chan back. Moyong Chan and the remaining knights fought back against the monster.
Yuri realized.
"Ah…"
There were still shamans left.
The very form of Okua, created by gathered corpses, was black magic itself.
At the moment he realized that, Okua's massive arm swept across the ground.
Several knights were caught in the attack and flung away. Even the 3rd Knight Order Captain and Graham, who had shown great strength until now, were slammed to the ground like insects.
How could they stop that being?
Yuri gripped Guilty.
"If I can just break the dispel…"
Due to the nature of magic that constructs mana from the outside, it is easily dispelled.
He only had to eliminate that limitation.
Ernando was an outstanding mage. It wasn't for nothing that Moyong Chan acknowledged him as a great swordsman.
If such an Ernando gathered mages and unleashed magic, they might have a chance.
Yuri took a deep breath.
His mana had already dried up. His core was cracking like a drought-stricken field.
If he drew more power now, his inner energy center might be damaged.
But Yuri did not hesitate.
The small remaining force of Heart-Soul Slash responded to his will and lifted its head.
His vision desaturated once again.
He peered into the world beyond—the flip side of the physical world—which he had named himself.
Around the monster that was Okua, black strands writhed.
That was the true form of the black magic disrupting the cohesion of mana.
At the vast scale of it, Yuri nearly dropped Guilty.
It seemed impossible.
But he had to do it.
Only he could do this.
He raised Guilty.
A chilling voice whispered in his ear.
'Never fear your enemy.'
He nodded.
'Do what you believe in.'
He gripped his sword tightly.
'Fulfill your duty to Briol until the end.'
Yuri wasn't foolish enough to ask what that duty was.
He felt the battlefield with his whole body.
Soldiers staggered and swung their swords, knights fought enemies they couldn't defeat.
No one turned away from their given role.
And he was Yuri Briol.
There was something he had to do.
"I made an oath."
Yuri murmured, squeezing his core.
White energy flowed from Guilty's blade.
All his mana was spent. In its place, he forcibly drew on the inner energy remaining in his body.
Blood trickled from his nose and mouth, and his legs wobbled.
With trembling hands, he raised Guilty high. The tip of the sword continued to quiver.
But he never stopped.
He saw it.
The souls of the sacrificed were screaming. Even in death, they were not saved, becoming part of the black magic, unwillingly polluting the world.
"Cut."
The trembling gradually subsided.
His breathing stabilized.
He fixed his gaze on the enemy.
And he cut.
A streak of sword light split the sky in two.
***
The mages were standing by in the rear, under protection, ready to cast dispels.
"Amazing."
Ernando watched the battle with his arms crossed when the Empire's mage, Aizen, approached and spoke.
"Me?"
"No, I mean the third prince."
"Ah…"
Yuri, standing at the vanguard of Briol, was breaking through the enemy and collapsing their formation. His breakthrough power was as incredible as ever.
"He's young, but his accomplishments are extraordinary. His swordsmanship, and his judgment as well."
"He is brave."
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"This battle."
"The Allied Army will win."
"Will there be many casualties?"
"I hope not."
Ernando replied to Aizen's words with indifference.
He didn't particularly like the Empire's mages.
Magic towers were built across the continent, but the one in the Empire was overly worldly. Rather than a tower, it was more like a direct training center for imperial mages.
It was far from Ernando's idea of what a mage should be.
"By the way, Sir Ernando, which magic tower are you from?"
Aizen asked cautiously. Ernando shrugged.
"The main branch."
"Ohh…"
The main branch was the origin of the magic towers, where only the most talented could study. Though the Empire's branch had grown significantly, it still couldn't match the original.
"Incredible."
"Not at all. Sir Aizen, you're impressive as well."
"May I ask your rank?"
A mage's personal information remains confidential unless revealed voluntarily. Only a few knew that Ernando was a Grand Mage.
Ernando answered modestly.
"Master Mage."
"Pardon?"
"Master Mage."
It wasn't a complete lie.
A mage who reached the level of Master Mage and obtained a unique magic path would be promoted to Grand Mage.
"Is that true?"
Aizen looked Ernando up and down. His eyes hinted at suspicion.
"That's correct."
"Amazing."
"Yes."
When Ernando didn't say anything more, Aizen cleared his throat loudly and continued.
"I'm an Expert Mage."
"Your accomplishments are impressive."
"Would you consider coming to the Empire once the Allied Army disbands?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The Empire welcomes outstanding mages. If you're a Master Mage, you'll be treated very well."
"I'm fine."
"Are you satisfied with Briol?"
"That too, but…"
Ernando shook his head.
"The war isn't over yet. I don't think it's the right time to talk about things like that."
"It doesn't matter how the Allied Army ends up."
"What do you mean?"
While they were conversing, a loud sound suddenly echoed.
Both turned their heads.
Out of nowhere, an Ancient Wyrm and a wyvern appeared. Just when they thought victory was within grasp, the battle began to turn again.
Then, Yuri did something, and Moyong Chan appeared to face Okua in a decisive duel.
The situation rapidly escalated.
An anomaly occurred.
It looked like Okua had died, but then a pitch-black monster began to rise.
Aizen seemed unable to see well, but Ernando could tell.
"Corpses."
"Excuse me?"
"Corpses are rising together."
"That's absurd…"
"That absurd thing is happening."
Ernando let out a groan.
How many lives must have been sacrificed to do something like that?
Okua must have grown stronger in proportion to the number.
He was worried about Yuri's safety.
If they couldn't kill Okua, the Allied Army wouldn't be able to win this battle.
"It might be better to retreat…"
But of course, they weren't the type to do that.
Ernando clenched and then opened his fist.
The tide of battle was steadily worsening.
"A Grand Mage does not interfere with the history of mankind."
Bound by that restriction, he couldn't overcome the dispel.
"Don't worry too much."
Aizen was unconcerned.
"Even if we lose, it's not a big problem for us. The orcs will take heavy losses too."
"Many people will die."
"That's what war is."
Just then, a soldier came running to the rear. He seemed to be using a mana method of some sort—his speed was quick.
"Sir Ernando! Sir Ernando!"
The soldier called out his name.
Ernando stepped forward. He vaguely recognized the face from the barracks.
"Sir Ernando!"
"Me?"
"His Highness the Prince asks that you drop the fireball!"
He stood in front of Ernando, panting heavily.
"F-fireball. His Highness said, fireball. Said you'd understand…"
Ernando tilted his head. There's no way Yuri wouldn't know about the dispel.
"With a dispel in place, a fireball's difficult. His Highness must be mistaken."
Ignoring Aizen's remark, Ernando turned his eyes toward the battlefield.
When it came to battle, Yuri never spoke thoughtlessly. If he had said such a thing, there must be a way.
Ernando raised his telescope.
He could see Yuri talking to Laurent and Jared. Soon, they scattered in three directions.
Where they were heading, there were orcs with blindfolds over their eyes.
They were trying to eliminate the shamans.
If they really could find and kill them all, casting magic wouldn't be impossible.
Ernando floated mana into the air. Across the area, the dispel was preventing mana from combining properly.
Aizen said,
"Oh ho, His Highness intends to eliminate all the shamans."
"Yes."
"Still, it won't be easy. Even if they kill all the shamans, it won't work."
"And why is that?"
"Don't you see?"
He pointed at Okua as if he knew everything.
"Look at that form. Okua has already become the source of the black magic."
"You mean…"
"Yes. The Empire knows a fair bit about black magic."
Aizen raised two crossed fingers toward Ernando.
"Okua is generating his own dispel."
"I see."
Ernando calmly looked at Yuri again.
Aizen's words were right, but for some reason, Ernando felt Yuri would somehow pull it off. Was it because of the unbelievable things Yuri had done so far?
To a mage of Heavenly Insight, a feeling sometimes carried more weight than mere instinct.
"Sir Ernando?"
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?"
"Preparing."
Ernando was sketching a formation of mana in midair.
"As I said, the dispel…"
"Just for a moment is enough."
Ernando said,
"If I can have even a brief moment where I can control mana, it'll be possible."
"And that brief moment…"
It was then.
Ernando and Aizen's heads turned at the same time. Even those who had been standing by got to their feet and looked toward the battlefield.
At that moment, the mages could feel it—something abnormal was happening.
"C-could it be…"
Aizen pointed blankly.
At the end of his finger stood Yuri.
From his sword, a brilliant sword aura rose, as if he were holding a beam of light.
He stared at the empty sky for a long while, then slowly raised his sword.
And he slashed.
The stagnant mana suddenly surged like a dam breaking.
A miracle had occurred.
"The dispel is broken."
Ernando kept his word.
The moment the dispel vanished, he immediately formed hand signs and began chanting an incantation.
His speed was so fast that Aizen, standing beside him, was stunned.
The magic constructed in an instant lit up the sky with brilliant light.
"My god…"
As Aizen admired the sight, Ernando shouted at him.
"What are you doing?"
"Excuse me?"
"Just going to watch?"
"Ah, understood!"
Startled by Ernando's energy, Aizen quickly formed hand signs. The mages waiting behind also began constructing their own spells.
It was a wondrous sight.
Another sun was born above the noonday grasslands.
Around it, countless stars large and small began to rise.
"Ahh…"
Humans and orcs on the battlefield stared at the sky in a trance.
And then,
The sun began to fall.
[T/L: Read more chapters on Ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]