417 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 417: "These Guys, Something's Strange" From the very first encounter, there was a peculiar aura about them. It was as if their bodies were shells made to mimic human form, forcibly filled with souls that didn't quite fit, giving an impression of unnaturalness. It was vividly apparent that the very moment they unleashed their aura, their souls seemed to flicker and diminish with each passing second. Could souls be 'expended' in such a manner? While it was fascinating as much as it was unsettling, it didn't feel particularly dangerous. They seemed like the type who would eventually perish on their own if one could just hold out. Thus, Logan wasn't particularly fazed even when surrounded by these fifteen individuals, who appeared to be mid-tier aura users. Their attack, however, was peculiar from the outset. They charged abruptly, as if about to swing swords imbued with dark crimson aura. Then, the five at the forefront halted, unexpectedly pointing their blades at him. *Wuung.* "Huh?" Logan was momentarily taken aback by this sudden maneuver. The aura shrouding their blades began to take on the vague outline of a mirage before unraveling like threads, eventually enveloping his entire body. It felt less like aura and more like magic. Simultaneously, the other ten forming the encirclement extended their blades, emitting beams of dark crimson aura in straight lines. "Ha!?" There were no vocal cues or gestures. Yet, the coordinated movement, as if from a single body, caused Logan’s eyes to slightly widen. However... *Chachang!* *Crash!* The torrent of dark crimson aura from all sides failed to penetrate the golden barrier encasing Logan. Neither the shadowy bindings nor the lethal force of the crimson aura blades were effective. The increasingly formidable whip blades he had honed recently were reigning supreme over an area of 20 meters around him. The serpentine undulations in mid-air were hardly visible, like golden lightning striking around Logan, effortlessly deflecting the enemies' assault. "This...?" Though the potency of the attack was indeed formidable, the movements of these black knights were irking Logan. "Sword Art of the Sword Soul?" The foundational swordsmanship of the empire's greatest swordsman he had faced not long ago was seamlessly integrated into the black knights' techniques. And yet, something was unquestionably off. "No adaptability?" From the footwork to the angle of their reaching arms, everything was flawless. The dark crimson aura surging from their twisting blades was certainly powerful. It was a complete, efficient swordsmanship with no wasted motion. But that was all it was. *Swish.* *Chachachang!* The golden, whip-like blades twisted freely, deflecting every assault from all directions. Yet, when Logan refrained from retaliating and simply observed them, the opponents merely regrouped, attempting the same attack once more. The ones trying to bind him, employing methods indistinguishable from magic or aura, were no different. These black knights relentlessly emitted crimson threads of aura as if it were their sole mission, pressing against Logan. They seemed utterly oblivious to the ineffectiveness of their attacks. "Resorting to the same tactic in the same situation? Are they puppets?" Of course, with this level alone, even novices wouldn't stand a chance, likely dying instantly. Nonetheless, these were not humans but combat puppets. "Weapons imitating superhumans. But with such limited combat effectiveness and time constraints... Is this really the empire's secret weapon?" Curious if they could be mass-produced in overwhelming numbers, Logan scanned his surroundings but saw no more black-armored knights or crimson aura. If this truly was all there was, in a way, it was a relief. "Let's end this." While their unified sword assault was powerful, it wasn't invincible. These puppets, incapable of adaptation, could potentially be dismantled without a scratch. Convinced he had figured them out thoroughly, Logan shifted from a purely defensive stance. *Pa-pa-pabak.* *Bang-bang-bang!* As the golden barrier and lightning dissipated from the air, leaving the whip blades deflecting the assaults, the crimson aura blades pierced through Logan at the center. When his form began to fade into a ghostly silhouette, the black knights briefly paused. "As expected..." *Snip.* With a mocking laugh, two of the black knights' heads and one arm fell. It was a calamity that suddenly befell those trying to bind him using their peculiar aura techniques. However. "Behind!" Though no cries of anguish followed, the others merely positioned to indicate an enemy. It was fascinating how the remaining three responded almost instantly as the two heads dropped, but that was all. "Truly, puppets." Even with the loss of comrades, they appeared unfazed, adjusting their targets with eerie indifference, yet Logan felt no tension. These were foes he could easily toy with, even with mere ghostly shadows, inflicting no harm upon him. But then, the demeanor in the eyes of the black knights shifted. "Even with fifteen..." "Impossible." "Let's finish this." Simultaneously, Logan sensed their souls diminishing rapidly. In contrast, their energy levels began to soar. *Wuung.* The remaining thirteen, forsaking direct assault, emitted concentrated dark crimson aura that enveloped Logan. It was a mesh so dense that even the striking sword or flash of the whip blade found it hard to tear through. "Damn!" In that moment when Logan's expression twisted slightly. Advertisements [Self-destruction. Beware.] A familiar voice he had heard not long ago drilled into his mind. "Harmon?" Questions about how he communicated from afar were swiftly dismissed. Logan recalled a particular memory from his past he had momentarily shelved. The specters who resorted to self-destruction without hesitation when death closed in. Back then, they were undoubtedly threatening. But the Logan of yesterday was not the same as the Logan of today. "This level is... nothing." Even taking their numbers into account, there was no threat to him. Or so he thought. [Almost died myself.] Harmon's following message changed Logan's expression to one of severe gravity. And at that very moment, Logan noticed the armor of the black knights swelling alarmingly, all while they maintained their hold and advanced steadily towards him. "Tsk!" Simultaneously, a golden radiance burst forth from Logan's body, briefly mingling with the dark crimson glow. – *KABOOM!* Following the explosion, a colossal sound wave rippled through the battlefield, capturing the attention of everyone present. Even those engaged in skirmishes along the south and north walls—both the imperial and MacLaine forces—turned to look. Those near the epicenter were torn apart by the shockwave, unable to even scream, and shortly after, with a rumble, the central part of the expansive western wall crumbled down. "Ahhh!" "The wall is collapsing!" "Take cover, run!" The explosion's damage resulted in a V-shaped collapse of the wall, creating an entryway into the fortress. This was a calamity for the MacLaine forces, yet an opportunity for the empire. In that moment, as fortunes diverged for the two sides: "His Majesty was there...!" A horrified exclamation from a MacLaine knight drew fearful pallor across the majority of the relieved MacLaine troops stationed at the unaffected sides of the wall. However, soon after, a golden, auspicious light shot up from the collapsed area of the wall. "Damn it." Logan spread his aura, instantly dispersing the rising dust and debris. His force surged like an ebb tide, and though his pulsating force core seemed to protest against such wasteful exertion by humming incessantly like an irritated drum, Logan knew: "If morale crumbles, it’s all over." To Logan, this was a deliberate display. Fortunately, his effort paid off as a thunderous cheer erupted from atop the wall. "Uwaaaah!" "His Majesty stands unharmed!" At the same time, not too far from the explosion's origin, numerous fallen knights began to stagger to their feet. Advertisements Though countless mangled corpses of vigilantes and soldiers lay scattered about, MacLaine forces found renewed morale knowing Logan was unscathed. Of course, the person himself held a slightly different perspective. "If my timing had been off, I might have genuinely died..." Goosebumps prickled across Logan’s skin as he shivered involuntarily and gritted his teeth. Had his skills not improved so rapidly of late, and had he been unable to fully employ the power of Spatial Cleave through his entire body, he really might have perished here. And above all: "Harmon." Without his voice, Logan might not have gauged the ghostly self-destruct threat and employed Spatial Cleave. "So, Viktor's worries were exaggerated after all." Logan stole a glance towards the right-hand wall where Harmon was positioned before refocusing on the scene ahead. Through the dust he had cleared, he glimpsed the fierce gazes of the Imperial forces. "It's the enemy commander!" "Kill him!" "The wall has fallen!" "Charge!" The shouts erupted chaotically. In the wake of the collapsed wall, the brief pause in MacLaine’s bombardment allowed the Imperial soldiers to surge through the wall’s breach. Before them stood Logan, who met their gazes unwaveringly, raising his sword high. "Knights, form up! I will lead the charge!" The golden light ascended into the sky once more. That light drew the focus of the MacLaine forces back to him. Unlike the common soldiers, the surviving knights managed to arrange themselves behind Logan despite their stumbling from the fall. "The imperial scum shall not set foot inside the fortress! Block them with all your might!" "Yes, sir!" The knights responded fervently. Tens of thousands of enemy soldiers poured in. Facing them were merely Logan and a hundred knights. Despite a third of the upper wall collapsing, the breach was only as wide as the main gate, creating the image of a massive sea of soldiers flooding through a gap in a dam. Yet... – We have Lord Logan with us. – The Continent’s Greatest Sword. – The Sun of MacLaine. The knights fixed their gaze upon their leading sovereign. Though the wall was breached, they stood within the Great Magic Barrier's range. The enchantment infused their bodies with vitality, accelerating recovery for those shaken by the shock. Moreover, additional means were at their disposal. Despite the crash and corresponding shock, every knight bore low-circle artifacts. These artifacts activated, enveloping their bearers and bolstering confidence. Advertisements The continent’s strongest lord stood upfront, alongside the reinforced magic array and artifacts. – We can hold them off! Reckless confidence began swelling within the knights. But then, among the advancing enemy ranks, figures garbed in various colored robes emerged. "Speed up!" "Armor!" "Sharpness!" *Wooooooom.* It resembled a flood of azure light. The spells they unleashed showered the forefront of the Imperial troops. Their speed increased even further as earth mana bolstered armor defense, and each weapon began to glow pure white. That alone could nullify the artifact and magic circle’s benefits. The MacLaine knights' once-confident expressions darkened slightly. Meanwhile, the Empire’s mages, pushing aside knights, charged towards them. "I will avenge Lord Sword Soul!" A handsome blonde mage donned in a silver robe. His surging mana swiftly transformed into a frigid gale tightening around Logan. "This time, I will crush you for sure!" A silver-haired and emerald-eyed beauty, eager to avenge past grievances, unleashed a frigid white power that threatened to freeze the entire front line. "Just die like that!" The ground trembled violently as a stout middle-aged woman inched forward, sliding across the terrain with harsh words, shaking the earth beneath Logan’s feet in an attempt to trap him. "It ends now!" A middle-aged woman with a fierce expression summoned a vast torrent of water from thin air, augmenting the physical force of the icy wind and glacial magic. *Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!* The joint spell cast by the Empire's four most formidable mages was flawless. That is, until two unexpected figures intervened from above—a mysterious silver-haired mercenary, Harmon, and a young blonde aura user. "Ha!" "Where do you think you're going!" The moment the silvery and crimson auras shattered the combined spell from above. *Crash!* Logan slammed his sword down onto the ground, disrupting the earthquake spell. "Gah!" Ignoring the plump mage, who coughed up blood, Logan lifted his sword towards the sky. Soon, the golden aura, resembling sunlight, radiated brilliantly through the chaotic mingling of the icy wind, glacier, and tidal wave, disrupted by the silvery and crimson auras. *Tear.* Advertisements *Boom!* As the joint spell disintegrated and the mages were thrown back, their faces contorted in frustration. "No way!" Led by the mage of icy winds, they quickly began incanting new spells, renewing their assault on Logan. White and blue lights wildly intertwined before Logan, unleashing another powerful spell that spread across the entire front. By this time, the massive advancing imperial army loomed ever closer, almost upon them. Just then. 'Now.' Logan decided to unleash his long-preserved ultimate move. *Wuung.* The eight force cores nestled in his heart vibrated, producing yet another core, and now, with nine cores in total, they orbited in unison, amplifying his nearly depleted force to its maximum once more. His elevated spirit gazed over the battlefield with a sense of unmatched mastery and eminence. '...I can do this.' As Logan was overcome with an overwhelming sense of omnipotence, ready to accomplish anything. *Flash!* A pillar of light erupted from the main camp of the Imperial forces, brightening the entire battlefield. It was a massive and magnificent blue light, reminiscent of a column supporting the sky itself.