442 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 442 "…Luspelheim." The sight of Luspelheim, which I hadn't seen in what seemed like ages, was strikingly different from before. Unlike the once ever-bustling city, whose gates stood wide open amidst colossal walls akin to those of the capital Gran, the gates were now tightly shut, manned only by rows upon rows of armed soldiers. It was a stark contrast to Luspelheim's reputation as the largest trade city in the eastern continent. The tense atmosphere was so palpable that it reached our allied camp, more than a kilometer away. "It's… huge." "A city that large…?" "Of course! Haven't you been to Gran?" "I have, but still…" Amid the murmurs of the lined-up soldiers, Logan tilted his head in puzzlement. "Strange…." It was impossible that the results from the battle on the plains hadn't been relayed yet. According to the intelligence, the remaining forces inside numbered 150,000, including three legions. Although that was an enormous force even for a city with a transient population of a million, we were superior both in quantity and quality. Moreover, their superhuman powers were down to only two individuals, and it wasn't like Aserion with any great magical formations in use. Even if they tried to control information, seeing the Maclaine forces lined up outside the walls should have incited anxiety among the Empire's troops. Yet, the imperial soldiers atop the walls remained extraordinarily calm. It was a peculiar atmosphere that mere training couldn't explain. Among the visible auras, those of tension were predominant, and traces of fear were rare. This could mean only one thing. "Reinforcements must have arrived." Given the time, it couldn't be a large force — rather, an elite few. The most likely possibilities: a group of powerful superhumans, or perhaps even the Emperor himself. Or possibly... "Those black knights coming in droves." And Logan's hunch wasn't far off the mark. "Hear, oh insolent King of Maclaine!" A voice echoed from the top of the wall, resonating across the fields. The voice, clearly amplified by magic, accompanied the sight of a middle-aged man clad in a white robe emerging atop the eastern wall of Luspelheim. A handsome face resembling that of a young man, hair mixed with blond and white streaks. An arrogant expression, performing to capture attention with a swirling display of blue and white wind within a vast radius. "Gallen Decade." A cool smile crept across Logan's face as he confirmed the enemy's identity from afar. "Dare you encroach upon the lands of the great Empire…." As Gallen's nonsensical speech continued, waves of various-colored magic began to surge from different spots along the eastern wall. Aside from Gallen, there were four others. Two of them exuded the familiar ice and tidal energy seen in Kyle, but the other two were unfamiliar. One seemed cold and solid, the other dark and grim. It wasn't hard to guess whose aura they were. "Steel and Shadow. It seems even the remaining mages embedded in Aserion have emerged." An accompanying voice agreed, echoing Logan's thoughts. It belonged to his master, who stood beside him. His master, with his clear blue eyes, had managed to somewhat recover from his soul's wounds, though the minor corruption was irreversible. Despite this, he could still wield some semblance of power, though he would never reach the rank of an Aura Master in his lifetime. "Five mages aren't as many as I'd thought… This is why they say words are binding. My apologies, Your Highness." His master's sudden lament had its reasons. "And to mete out that severe punishment, the elite of our Empire have gathered here…." Between the rising magical energies, a multitude of red auras erupted. There were seven in total. These enemy superhumans, showing off their might as if to bolster their soldiers' morale, narrowed his eyes in distaste. "The other two commanders of the Eastern Legion must be present, and that silver one is undoubtedly Jerome Decade... Hah, they've deployed even the Imperial Royal Guard's superhumans. Have they abandoned the Western front entirely?" Logan couldn't help muttering in disbelief. All of the Empire's superhumans, aside from the Emperor and the Western Legion commanders, were gathered in Luspelheim. "Presumably, the Emperor and those black knights are heading toward the Western front." Though the number was greater than anticipated, it was still manageable. On our side, the sheer number of superhumans included himself, his master, Aylin and Ronian, the Victor siblings, Luther and Wikan, Burdel, and two from Terronan, totaling eleven. With Tyr as well, even in terms of numbers, they were even. Considering the overwhelming variables of himself, the sword master, and Tyr, our side had the upper hand in superhuman capabilities. Excluding ambiguous allies like Louisa and Jay Pearson. Thus, "Prepare your necks and await your judgment! Tremble at the wrath of the venerable Emperor!" The blustery threats were merely laughable. "It's a pity the Emperor isn't here." Such jokes flowed easily from his lips. Though, naturally, we couldn't be entirely complacent. "Indeed. Yet, bear in mind, this excessive deployment of superhumans hints at the possibility of forces from the Northern and Southern Kings not being here but rather on their way." As his master pointed out, what Maclaine needed to beware was not the superhumans but the Empire’s overwhelming might. The sustaining power of the Empire, possessing repeating crossbows, could threaten even knights in defensive battles. One of Maclaine's former advantages had shifted into the hands of the enemy. If the forces known to be legion-sized from the Northern and Southern fronts joined, this battle could become exceedingly difficult. However, put another way, until then, it would still mean Maclaine held the advantage. "There may yet be more to this." No matter how certain they were, the unusual eagerness of Gallen Decade from the outset was baffling. The blatant power display by the superhumans before the battle even began was also suspicious. Focusing his aura on his mind, Logan amplified his spiritual energy. Soon, there was a euphoric sensation, as if his enlarged soul surveyed the battlefield from above. And in that instant, "As expected…" Amidst the fierce military banners, a group of individuals was spotted moving hurriedly, trying to stay hidden. A distant observation revealed mages, barely discernable, spreading a myriad of mana-infused papers on various segments of the wall. "Scrolls." And these weren't ordinary but appeared to be at the level of fifth-circle scrolls. "They squeezed every last bit out of their mages…" Even if they exhausted and used up all their mages, the fact that there were at least hundreds of fifth-circle magic scrolls, each costing tens of thousands of gold, was astounding. Even for the Empire, this would likely ravage an entire year's budget. If they continued such actions, the Empire might end up bankrupting itself. It began to make sense why the Emperor didn't come personally. Yet even that... “…I’ll share the positions.” Now that he had detected them, their effectiveness was bound to diminish drastically. Logan swiftly executed the necessary measures and then, with a cold smile, gestured behind him. “Burdel." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Knock it down." "Yes, sir." On that command, Burdel raised his longbow and took aim at the mages of the gusts. Three arrows, glistening with a sinister red aura, nocked onto the bowstring. *Whoosh* With faint noises, three streaks of red lightning raced through the sky, piercing over a kilometer above the ground. *Crash!* – “Such insolent...!” The magically amplified voice still reverberated, but the continuous onslaught of red rays no longer allowed him to utter freely. And soon after, “Advance, all forces!” Logan’s thunderous shout signaled Maclaine’s grand army to charge toward Luspelheim's walls. Leading the charge was a lady knight, her entire figure suffused with a vivid crimson aura. [“Eileen, I'm counting on you.”] “Leave it to me!” The female knight charged ahead, far beyond the vanguard of the knights, like a bolt of lightning. In some ways, more refined than a ghostly shadow, the feather-light steps propelled her body straight onto the fortress wall. – “Even for a superhuman, she’s got a lot of gall. Kill her!” Gallen’s enraged howl echoed as soon as he saw her. An iron rain of quarrels, blackening the sky, descended upon her. A weapon emblematic of Maclaine, ironically fired from the enemy. Yet, the female knight who became the initial target transformed into a red gale, piercing through the rain of death that engulfed her vision. *Tak tak tak tak!* The helplessly deflected quarrels left not the slightest mark on her. Witnessing their expected tactic being thwarted so easily, Gallen ground his teeth in frustration. – “Stop her!” At the sharp cry, a formidable figure clad in a silver robe confronted her head-on atop the wall. Though it was Logan’s first time seeing the man directly, all Maclaine’s superhumans memorized the Empire’s elite figures by heart. ‘Vixen Holstein, the Mage of Steel.’ One of the imperial mages who hadn’t shown up in the last war now brandished a giant steel staff at her. "Let’s see if you can block this." *Buzz* Instantly, as silver magic surged, some of the quarrels that had rained down outside the wall turned back toward her. *Snap snap snap snap* The sharp, metallic arrowheads, shining with a cold silver hue, poured in as if they would obliterate everything in their path. Simultaneously, a thorn-like silver barrier, formed by distorting the soldiers' spears and swords at her front, came flying. In a battlefield brimming with weapons, the Mage of Steel displayed his power openly, famed for being the strongest amid such a setting. Yet all of this was... ‘Within expected range.’ Logan hadn’t brought her to this position without reason. Encased in layer upon layer of aura, the invincible fortress that was Eileen was ceaselessly vibrating, ready for the impending collision. At last, when the silver steel and her body clashed, a tremendous roar made it seem as though the fortress wall itself was trembling. *Ka-boom!* “That’s the price for acting above your station!” A self-assured smile formed on Vixen’s chiseled face. And at that moment. *Flash* A red beam pierced through the silver thorn-bush that had enveloped Eileen, striking his abdomen. “Gah!” Though he tried to evade rapidly, he couldn’t prevent a coin-sized hole from being punctured in his side. That expertly exploited gap in the steel thicket had allowed the red ray to penetrate him. Beyond was the female knight who had withstood the previous explosion with mere flesh and bone. “You damned woman!” She chuckled lightly. "Queen of Maclaine, Eileen Floyd. Remember the name of the one who takes your life, you damned man." Having blocked the Mage of Steel and opened a breach in the enemy’s first offensive, Eileen, her role as the vanguard executed flawlessly, spat a thin stream of blood while smiling savagely. ["Lia, now."] “Yes, Your Majesty.” Though Victoria knew she wouldn’t hear the response, she still voiced it as she unleashed her magic. And in that instant, a segment of the fortress wall collapsed as three golems, each towering nearly three meters, emerged. *Rumble* “Golems…!” “Argh!” “Stop them!” Though the chaos atop the fortress wasn’t audible, the enemy’s movements, transmitted through stone and earth, were clearly sensed by Victoria. – “Your golems can handle even aura users, but it’s more tactical to target mages. You know why, don’t you?” A piece of advice from her lord and benefactor not long ago. It provided a refreshing answer to her pondering over combat power. ‘…Now I understand, Your Majesty.’ Her golems, being especially adept at elemental reinforcement, possessed strength, speed, and resilience comparable to aura users at their peak level. Moreover, having reached the 6th Circle Mastery, she could command up to three at once. Considering that, one might think she could contend with three top-level aura users… – “Because you don’t know swordsmanship…” ‘Exactly.’ Victoria, replaying her conversation with her lord in her mind, quickly focused, closing her eyes as she coordinated with her golems to locate the targets her lord had designated. Fighting knights without the skills of swordsmanship was akin to a physically powerful yet untrained man taking on a knight barehanded. In a one-on-one, it was defeat, and even in a three-on-one, victory wasn’t guaranteed; it was an inefficient battle. – There’s no need for that. Instead... ‘Focus on the mages.’ Not far from one of the golems, she sensed an aura of extremely cold magic alongside a surge of water-like mana. ‘The Tower Lord of Ice, Nelly Korda, and the Tower Lord of Tides, Lexy Linderman.’ Recognizing this, the golems, which had leaped from the fortress, swiftly charged toward the two mages. – Unlike Eileen, you can be the nemesis of other mages. Because... ‘...other mages don’t know swordsmanship either.’ This meant when a golem with aura user level powers confronted a mage, they stood on equal footing as an aura user would with a mage. Feeling the surge of combat energy anew, Victoria drew upon her full strength. She could clearly sense the pained, distorted expressions of the two mages, akin to crumpled paper, in front of her golems. ‘They must feel like they're facing three aura users a notch above them.’ Her prediction was spot on. “This feels like that time, that...!” “This, damn it! She’s become much stronger. Find her first!” As the mages’ cries echoed atop the fortress wall. Off to the right, a giant knight of Maclaine had taken a detour and was demolishing the northern gate of Luspelheim. *Boom!* *Crashhh.* “I am Duke Luthor Kyle. Come, dogs of the Empire!” Imperial knights charged toward the charging superhuman who shattered the gate, yet their efforts were no better than moths flying into flames. Moreover, accompanying him was his ally, who propelled him with the power of wind as the battle commenced. *Whoosh!* “Stop flaunting and focus on clearing out the knights, you brute!” “Quit nagging! Don’t worry about it!” *Crash!* [Duke Wiken, proceed to the north gate with Duke Luthor. I'll assign the 1st Legion to you. As there are no superhumans expected there, feel free to wreak havoc. However, watch out for the magic scrolls...] A silver gust and a mighty warhammer devastated the unguarded northern gate of Luspelheim in an instant. What seemed to be the most heavily fortified northern wall crumbled with surprising ease. This was a testament that illusions and formations held no value in the eyes of an Aura Master who could perceive essences through the eyes of the soul. "By the way, it’s not because we’re weaker that we were given this easy task, right?" "Shut up, you brute! Let's get this done quickly and head east!" In the opening phase of the battle, Luspelheim’s imperial forces began to crumble swiftly.