414 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 414 - … Exterminate Them! "Wowwww!" The massive roar and the sight of the imperial army swarming over the horizon were truly overwhelming. The central army, now bolstered by five additional legions, far outnumbered the self-defense forces within the Castle of Kyle. Moreover, merely the knights at the forefront numbered almost twenty thousand—twenty times the mere thousand knights of Maclaine. Even amidst the tension, Victoria's face flushed red as she observed this. How could this be...? 'It's really gone!' Charging towards them, the imperial soldiers, whether knights or infantry, had erased the emblem of the Golden Dragon. She instantly understood why the imperial army had been so bustling the night before. "If the Empire realized the target of the magic circle, they would surely erase the emblem. And they'd do it right before the battle, presuming we wouldn't have time to reset the target." Once again, His Majesty's prediction was accurate. At that moment of realization, her fists clenched involuntarily. "Erase the target completely from the weakening magic circle so it applies to all living entities within its range." "Sire! That would result in extreme consumption of mana stones, not to mention affecting our allies too! The vitality magic circle can only cover so much..." "The vitality magic circle's effects are applied first, aren't they?" "Pardon? Well, yes, but..." "Since the grand magic circle is interconnected, if it falls under the influence of the vitality magic circle, it should be excluded from the weakening magic circle's effect. Confirm it." "...Eh?" "Isn't it possible to erase the target entirely even if it's difficult to change it? What about other mages with shields or armor?" "Uh...yes, it's possible, but..." 'How does he know such things?' The ancient grand magic circles still held many mysteries to be studied. Even for someone like her capable of applying it, it felt daunting. Yet, when they applied it, it worked exactly as His Majesty had claimed. Even for Victoria, celebrated across the continent as a genius of the century, it was bewildering. Of course, she didn't know that the information was simply a deduction Logan made based on records he had read. Nevertheless, it only provided a slight chance in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation. Recalling the most crucial task ahead still made her heart feel heavy. Could this also go as His Majesty predicted? "The greatest weakness of the enemy is the Emperor." "What?" "To lift low spirits, the Emperor declared personal command. That will be his biggest blunder." "That sounds quite ominous. Surely not..." "We will target the Emperor's life in this war." "What!? We, as in who..." "Given the structure of the Aris Empire, the moment the Emperor dies, all core policies and national systems—including the war—will grind to a halt. There will be a gap until the First Prince ascends to the throne." "Sire!?" Advertisements "At the very least, we can bring this war to an end." "No matter what, that's impossible!" "But it is possible. First..." Thump, thump. ‘Could it really work?’ She understood the strategy's intention. Yet, if the weakening magic circle works unimpeded and the rapid-fire crossbows and Liberatio are blocked, their odds diminish greatly. In truth, the disparity in numbers wasn't significant. But expecting the self-defense forces, who made up the majority of their own army, to face off one-on-one with the empire's central army was sheer delusion. "The role of the superhumans is crucial. Our secret weapon will pave the way. After that..." The only thing to trust was His Majesty's assurance. "But what could this secret weapon be? Is there a superhuman we don't know about?" The stares of the superhumans of the Maclaine army, including Victoria, were fixed on their lord standing in the center of the fortress walls. * * * The initial flow of battle went as predicted. The rapid-fire crossbows and Liberatio's bombardment were nothing compared to the enemy's mage battalion's Wind Wall, achieving barely 20% effectiveness. And yet, as the confident imperial knights scaled the fortress walls— The sight of their disarray and collapse bolstered the hope of the Maclaine forces. "Wha!" "What is this!?" "The Emperor...?!" Especially the vanguard knights, who were even more confused than last time. With their morale raised, the Maclaine forces fought even harder. "Die, invaders!" "We will defend our land!" "Perish!" Savage shouts erupted from every corner of the walls. Watching this, Logan clenched his fist. 'As expected.' "The issue is the civilians inside the Kyle Castle. If they are affected by the weakening magic circle, the force that should affect the enemy will be dissipated. No matter how many mana stones we pour into it, it would be too much." "Indeed, that is a problem." "And giving them flame symbols might just end up in the Empire's hands..." "That shouldn't pose too much of an issue." "What?" "The civilians are helping by carrying magazines and distributing supplies. Even the children." "Huh?" "In the worst-case scenario, if the wall falls, they intend to fight. They are even preparing various weapons. Moreover, it's becoming a trend for them to wear cloth with the flame symbol as a sign of their resolve." Advertisements The biggest concern was the dispersion of energy due to changes in the weakening magic circle, but even that was now superbly resolved. However, the celebration was brief. The moment Harmund, who was supposed to signal the start of the 'operation,' hesitated, Logan clenched his teeth. Despite the immense surge of divine power, he just stood there, stupidly. "Understood. Leave it to me." Was that calm response a lie? 'Could he truly be the traitor?' As the worst imaginable scenario was fleetingly feared to become reality, it seemed, fortunately, it hadn't gone that far. Logan's sharp gaze effortlessly read Harmund's face, distanced by the shock it had apparently taken. Why that was the case, no immediate judgment was made. '...On hold.' It seemed like he had to initiate the move himself. The additional effect of announcing the presence of a superpowered warrior using holy aura to the Empire, causing chaos, had to be forsaken. If that was the case... *Srrrng.* ‘I have to go all out.’ Even though he intended to conserve his strength. "An enemy!" "It's the enemy king!" "Kill him!" Logan took a step forward, a cold smile on his face as he advanced towards the imperial knights rushing at him. And with a swing of his sword— Simultaneously, a brilliant golden light wrapped around a section of the fortress wall. *Flash.* Divine Sword Art, Third Form: Earth Splitter. A mighty arc of golden light erupted from Logan’s beloved sword, Lux, slicing down the imperial knights climbing the walls in a singular sweep. *Schwick.* Locked in place, over thirty knights were cleaved in half without even managing a scream. Instead, it was the knights who came up on the wall afterwards that shrieked in terror. "Wha...!?" "Ahhh!" The scythe of death that grazed above their heads froze their feet with a power far exceeding that of the weakening magic circle. And with all eyes drawn towards him in an instant, Logan, with a lethal grin, gathered his power once more. If the initial strike was supposed to be done by Harmond, or rather, Heymond, the subsequent blow had to be his doing. The plan was to draw attention by showcasing overwhelming strikes from both sides of the wall. Though the original plan had fallen apart, the idea was to focus the enemy’s gaze solely on his position. ‘I can do it.’ In that moment of unleashing Earth Splitter with all his might, he was certain. Advertisements While he had sensed it vaguely for days, he hadn't mentioned it to the leadership due to a lack of conviction. Thus, he had only referred to it as a performance to break the enemy’s momentum. But now, feeling himself nearing the threshold of an Aura Master with each passing day, his skill had evolved far beyond the time when he had vanquished the sword spirit weeks ago. And now was the time to show it to the world with certainty. *Boom.* As Logan stepped forward, a golden aura surged up as though piercing the heavens within the eyes that had frozen. Normally a needless display of power, but in this moment, the explosive rise of aura dominated the battlefield. Accompanied by another swing of his sword, a golden sphere nearly as large as a grown man burst forth from Logan’s blade. Divine Sword Art, Sixth Form: Slash of Origin. ‘Variation: Collapse of Cosmos.’ The attack that had once destroyed the walls of a small castle was now fired with an incomparable force straight ahead. “Hu-rah!” "Ngh!" “Cha!” Some of the frozen imperial knights hastily raised their weapons. Even with the undeniable power of a supreme superhuman bearing down on them, they showed determination. Their bravery was commendable, but the golden sphere zipped past them and plummeted below the walls. "Huh!?" "…!? What is this!?" As the knights braced for death stood dumbfounded— Logan's eyes were fixed on the massive flow of mana visible only to him below the fortress. His target was the Wind Barrier created by the enemy's mage battalion. Even though it was a secret art capable of slicing the essence and reducing matter to dust-like existence, it was still a single person's power. Breaking through the grand magic sustained by thousands of mages was a daunting task. Yet Logan had a different view. ‘I can certainly do it!’ He wasn't engaging in a power struggle against thousands. Instead of shattering the force itself, he aimed to disrupt the flow that coordinated the varied mana emitted by the countless mages. That much was certainly achievable. Logan's soul, having surpassed the limits of an aura user, perfectly grasped the massive flow of grand magic. His power-infused strike directly hit the essence of that flow, following the nature of the Divine Sword Art. *Kaboooom!* With a deafening explosion, dazzling golden light spread across the sky. The imperial knights and soldiers, painstakingly climbing the walls, were swept away by the shockwave and tumbled back to the ground below. "Aaaargh!" "Aaahhh!" Advertisements While even the Maclaine forces atop the walls were sent rolling back, the impact on them was nothing compared to the imperial troops who fell from the walls. And the ones who suffered the most were not the frontline knights, but the backline mages. "Cough!" "This...this can't be!" "What on earth...!?" Among the mages forming a magic circle to sustain the grand magic in the rear of the imperial army, over a thousand coughed up blood and collapsed, unconscious. "How can such an outrageous feat…!?" When the mage of the Whirlwind severed the backlash on himself and turned to the battlefield in disbelief, a piercing shout erupted from the frontlines. "They have broken the magic! Bombard the enemy!" Along with that voice, the enormous golden aura surged once more. The sight of its owner standing valiantly uplifted the morale of the Maclaine forces to unparalleled heights. "Wowww!" "His Majesty the King!" "Slay the invaders!" In unison, the Maclaine soldiers resumed firing crossbows and hurling red stones. *Pavavavak.* *Kwakwakwakwang!* "Aaahhhhh!" "S-spare me!" The bombardment that resumed devastated the imperial forces gathered below the walls.