301 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Episode 301 “Is he in his right mind?” “That’s what I’m wondering.” “If it’s the Duke of Saxen...” Whispers began to ripple across the battlefield. It wasn't unusual for an Aura User to challenge someone to a duel. However, for an Aura User—a master of life force manipulation—to have noticeable wrinkles meant they were past their peak, their force dispersing. There were even rumors suggesting that the Duke of Saxen might not have much longer to live. Yet, he had challenged the sanctified heroes of various nations, who had already proven their power against the continent's most formidable mages. To those who were aware of his condition, this act could only be seen as madness or suicide. “Lord Gael, show them your skill! It's the perfect chance to make a statement!” Kahil and the rest of the command were shouting in excitement. “Alright.” Logan stepped forward with a curious expression. 'He must either be confident in his abilities despite the rumors or have some other ulterior motive.' It was best to watch and wait when something was suspicious, but if he were to ignore the challenge, the influence they'd carefully built up as Gael could weaken. Meanwhile, it appeared that Teronan's command had also urged their hero into action. From the opposite side, Armored, who housed Eilene’s essence, started moving forward on horseback. Catching sight of each other from afar, the couple exchanged knowing, amused glances. Without a word, they both rode slowly toward the lone old knight standing before the fortress. The sharp-looking old knight greeted them with gusto. “For two generals of the Alliance to come out at once, who will face me first? If it's difficult to decide, you're welcome to come at me together.” He spoke with such confidence, matching the overwhelming presence of Saxen Trumble when seen up close. His face, marked by the lines of time, demonstrated that he was at the twilight of his life, yet his evident aura shone brightly like no other. The brilliant red aura blazed visibly, flickering like flames. Upon seeing this, Logan and Eilene exchanged a glance that was somewhere between admiration and pity. 'Is he burning away his life force?' Indeed, he looked like dry kindling catching fire. The desperation of someone willing to shorten his own life to protect his nation was palpable. However. “I commend your resolve. Yet, we cannot back down either.” “Shall I handle this, Lord Gael?” “...Do they know each other?” The old knight's confused retort was met with silence as Logan stepped forward. “No, I'll do it. Out of respect for a veteran warrior's spirit...” Eilene nodded and stepped back, triggering a twitch in Saxen's brow. “...Young folks these days are too confident.” Standing at the brink of life’s last blaze. For someone like him, ending both of them here would be ideal for the sake of his nation. “I choose my opponent.” At the old knight's raised lance, red aura soared skyward. The massive Spear Aura, towering over 30 meters high, projected a dominating presence. “No matter the cost, I will protect my country!” As the words, imbued with desperate resolve, left his lips, Logan's expression turned steely. “Here it comes!” Boom! Boom! Boom! The Spear Aura exploded, showering the area with countless splinters of light. Instantly, Logan retreated out of range. Then, a heartbeat later, moving like a breeze, Eilene flicked away each shard. The old knight’s initial assault ended without consequence. But it was merely the beginning. “Ha!” Saxon, enveloped in flame-like aura, was suddenly right before Eilene, swinging his spear. Despite closing a 30-meter gap in an instant, reminiscent of a swordmaster from years past, it was hard not to be impressed. 'Was there a master of such caliber in the Alliance?’ Yet, for it to resemble a 'swordmaster from years past' was exactly the point. Such an attack couldn't penetrate Eilene’s current defenses. Boom! “What?” Armored drifted, feather-like. An unfamiliar sensation of striking nothing resonated within Saxen. And in that fleeting pause, a silver aura silently slipped in beside him. Clang! “Where do you think you’re going?” Bang! Whomp. After several exchanges of silver and crimson, both figures skidded away from each other. Logan winced with pain as he clutched his side where the spear had struck. Saxen, having taken an unexpected kick to the face, looked at Logan with a blank stare, seemingly unaware of the pain. Taking a long breath, Saxen lowered his stance, directing the flaming red spear at Logan. “I was the one who was overconfident. Both of you are beyond comprehension. You truly seem young.” Perhaps insight blossoms when a superhuman reaches life's end. Saxen peered through Logan and Eilene’s disguises with eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. Logan let out a wry smile, and in a split second, Saxen vanished, appearing right in front of him. “Strike!” With lightning speed, the spear attacks rained down on Logan, creating countless afterimages, battering him relentlessly. Bang! Bang! Bang! Rumble. Woom. The surrounding air trembled; shockwaves that preceded sound upheaved the ground, raising clouds of dust. And amid the blinding haze. “It’s over!” In the blink of an eye, amidst dozens of clashes, Saxen’s spear seemed poised to pierce Logan's head. But. Slip. Boom! The golden aura that emerged from Logan's blade, as he subtly sidestepped, wove like a whip, finding Saxen’s opening. “Gah!” "Heugh..." Saxen's body wavered. The aura that blazed like fire momentarily faltered, only to flare up more fiercely than before. It was as if he had squeezed every ounce of his life force, yet it still posed no threat to Logan. He could only admire Saxen's determination as he watched the man visibly age before his eyes. ‘His skills border on the advanced. Indeed, he's on par with my former mentor.’ Yet, with his full abilities revealed, Logan was unmatched within his rank. ‘I must end this quickly.’ The battlefield's vision obscured, creating a perfect opportunity. But Saxen, too, was biding his time. "Charge!" With a mighty shout, a giant phantom spear of flaming red aura surged toward Logan. And at that moment. "Ha!" A brief call echoed as a golden light erupted from Logan's sword, effortlessly erasing Saxen's spearing illusion and striking him silently. Vwoom. As the crimson aura, burning to the end of his life, collided with the golden light, its force dissipated. This was the power of the Sacred Sword Technique, Life Severance (생령참), capable of shattering the very source of aura and life's essence. Thud. "This can't be... You hid such strength?" Saxen looked at Logan with waning, incredulous eyes, each breath a struggle. His appearance had aged dramatically since the duel began, proving the old superhuman had indeed burnt through everything he had. Even Eilene, watching quietly from a distance, couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. As the dust settled around the battlefield, all eyes were on the now-visible scene. "No! This can't be!" "The Duke, your Grace!" A cry of desperation burst forth from the fortress walls. In contrast. – Uraaa! The Alliance, especially the Liberty Army, erupted into cheers from afar. Gael stood with his sword raised, and before him lay the defeated Duke of Saxen. The outcome was obvious to all witnesses. “I honor your valor.” Logan said, sheathing his sword. "I-I cannot... end it... like this." Stumbling, Saxen pushed himself up with determination, pitiful to anyone looking on. But there was nothing he could achieve in such a state. Logan and Eilene held a silent vigil, respecting the tenacity of the veteran warrior. However, when Saxen pulled a small dagger from his tunic, Logan's demeanor harshly shifted. The dagger was black, bewildering in its unknown material, prominently marked with the embossed image of a black serpent on the hilt. "That...!" Logan bolted toward the collapsing Saxen. But Saxen had a last reserve of strength, plunging the dagger into his own heart with lightning speed. Instantly, a sinister gray energy exploded from his body, forcefully repelling Logan. “Burk!?” Vwwoom. Whoosh! A raspy voice emerged from Saxen as he seemingly disintegrated in the ashen flames. "I offer... my life to the... #&@$..." Whoosh! The gray flames flared intensely. Logan gritted his teeth, raising his sword high to cleave through the blaze. 'Oh no, damn it...' Just as he fleetingly noticed the massed gaze of the battlefield. – Glory to Triara forever! Saxen's echoing voice roared from the collapsing ashes. Simultaneously, the ominous gray flames split and scattered throughout the fortress. While Logan meticulously tracked the sinister flow of energy with his gaze, everything changed. "Follow the Duke's will!" "Glory to Triara!" "Drive out the invaders!" Soldiers from the fortress abruptly leaped from the walls. Bang. Crash. Thud. Regular soldiers, not knights, leaped from heights of over 20 meters, meeting an obvious fate. The noises alone were unsettling, suggesting immediate death was certain. Yet remarkably, those soldiers who should have been reduced to broken bodies began rising to their feet. "For the Duke..." "Long... live... Triara." Cre-eak. Soldiers with eyes red to their whites and faces crisscrossed with dark, swollen veins had their shattered limbs unnaturally heal in an instant. – Drive out the invaders! They issued chilling voices and charged forward with the speed of seasoned force-users. Effectively, a horde of 10,000 soldiers transformed into monstrous attackers. Terrified screams erupted throughout the battlefield from all who witnessed this spectacle. "What, what's happening!?" "A devil's witchcraft!" "Those Triara bastards must have sold their souls to demons!" As panic swept through the ranks of the high-spirited Alliance forces. "Damn it!" Cutting down the soldiers charging at him, Logan bounded like a gust of wind onto the fortress walls. He had memorized where the gray energy had permeated and thrust his sword with precision. Crash. Feeling something shatter against his sword's tip, Logan collapsed part of the wall and retrieved a shattered, head-sized orb from within. "Eileen... I mean, Armored! We need to collapse the right side of the fortress walls!" Hearing his call, Eilene vaulted over the soldiers’ heads and soared into the air. ‘There are six spots where the energy has seeped in.’ The locations aligned with the most basic configuration of a magic circle, familiar even to those unversed in magic. “A hexagram! It’s a magic formation! Follow my lead and deduce the remaining points!” Targeting the scattered points along the fortress walls, Logan charged through, destroying each point marked by the ominous gray energy. Eilene mirrored his movements on the opposite side. Each time a jewel shattered, the troops of Triara, who were charging blindly at the Alliance, slowed. Crack. As the last orb was destroyed. “Kh..!" “Ouch... Why am I here...?” “Aaaah!” The chaos itself began to dissipate as the cursed soldiers regained their senses, bewildered and pained. Screams echoed from various directions as Triara's soldiers, clutching their heads in agony, began to collapse one by one. A hush fell over the Allied forces, who had formed a defensive formation, momentarily frozen by the change in tide. "Advance, all units! Mark the end of Triara! Bind those who have fallen." Staggering slightly, Logan, exuding a silver aura, shouted to signify the war's conclusion. "Uraaa!" Though the battle had been chaotic and many could barely comprehend what occurred, the boosted morale of the Alliance forces propelled them to move against the soldiers of Triara. The war ended almost too easily. Yet, the faces of the two superhumans who closed it were filled with weariness. "What kind of sorcery was that? How could they manage something so massive...?" Eilene inquired, her voice tinged with disbelief. Logan shook his head, his expression complicated. It was unthinkable magic, to sacrifice people—superhumans no less—for some grand scheme. It brought to mind the nightmares of his past life, yet the true nature of it remained elusive. One fact, however, was indisputable. 'It would've been disastrous if I couldn’t see the flow of magic.' The painstakingly preserved strength of the Alliance could have been decimated despite their disguises and subterfuge. Thus ended the war, rekindling awareness of the secretive group bearing the emblem of the black serpent.