novelraw Chapter 56
Chapter 56
“I wonder how many will come?”
“Rumor has it there are over a thousand knights alone?”
“Really?”
“It’s the end for the House of Count Julius now.”
The soldiers, talking as they guarded around the barracks, tilted their heads for a moment.
“Hear that sound?”
“Uh, what is it?”
Both their gazes turned towards the border.
A moment later.
Dudududududu—
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
“What is all that?”
Horses were galloping like a flock of black clouds.
“H-horses…!”
Golden armor and blue armor!
It was the head of the House of Count Julius and the Phoenix Knights.
“Enemy!”
One quickly blew the emergency trumpet.
Buuuuuung—!
The other lit an arrow and shot it into the sky.
The arrow, steadily climbing, burst into a strong light with a ‘pang’ sound.
Simultaneously, the knights in the barracks rushed out.
“What?!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Look ahead!”
One of the knights pointed to the border.
The Phoenix Knights of the House of Count Julius were surging like clouds.
But something was strange.
Compared to the horses, their figures seemed too small.
As everyone looked bewildered and curious, Giant Wolves appeared.
“Th-those are…”
Someone shouted.
“Giant Wolves!”
And then someone else muttered to themselves.
“Then those guys are Brita… nniker…”
“……!”
The knights’ eyes widened.
They weren’t horses; they were Britannikers.
That’s why the knights had looked small.
“H-how could this be…”
Everyone was bewildered, not knowing what to do.
But they soon regained their composure and began to prepare to face the enemies.
“Set up the first defensive wall!”
At the knight’s command, the soldiers swiftly formed a wall with shields and pushed spears through the gaps.
“Prepare the assault team!”
Behind the barracks, the remaining forces of the Knight Order, who had gone to meet Count Yarve with Kapo, prepared for sortie.
“Draw swords!”
The moment about a hundred iron-armored cavalry drew their swords, the Steel Knights’ banners were raised everywhere.
Banners with a steel symbol fluttered in the wind.
They glared at the front with fierce eyes.
‘How dare they glare at us?’
‘We’ll show them what’s what!’
Europius, the Vice-Commander, gripped his sword tightly and focused on the front.
‘As expected!’
Kapo had left half of the Knight Order behind, just in case the enemies launched a surprise attack.
And sure enough.
As soon as the Captain left and darkness fell, they launched a surprise attack.
It was when a murderous intent flickered in Europius’s eyes.
Voices of knights panicking were heard from behind him.
“What are those things?”
“Aren’t they monsters?”
“Where did those guys come from?!”
The knights closed their eyes and looked again, wondering if they had seen wrong.
They hadn’t seen wrong.
Monsters that looked like Britannikers and Giant Wolves were with them.
Europius’s face was filled with dismay.
“H-how could such a thing happen…”
“Vice-Commander, what should we do?”
“The Captain must have seen the signal, so for now, buy as much time as possible.”
“Then, instead of a frontal assault, how about attacking the flanks?”
“Hmm.”
Europius wore a serious expression.
What they were riding were monsters.
And they were superior individuals called Britannikers, plus Giant Wolves, known among monsters for being fierce and agile.
It was alarming enough that monsters that had disappeared for decades had reappeared, but the fact that they were being ridden like horses was utterly bewildering.
“Vice-Commander, please give your orders!”
Europius shouted loudly, as if he had made a decision.
“We will jump over the defensive wall! We will preempt their landing points and attack, focusing on buying time until the Captain arrives!”
“Understood!”
The knights replied loudly and stared intently at the front.
***
“Skevin!”
“Yes, sir!”
Skevin rode close beside Arthur.
Arthur saw the enemies had built a defensive wall ahead and said.
“They’ve set up a defensive wall.”
“I’ve confirmed it too.”
“Seeing them set up a defensive wall, it seems the fellow named ‘Kapo’ isn’t there.”
“That’s right. If he were, he would have led the cavalry out.”
“This is our chance.”
Arthur’s eyes sharpened as he continued.
“Go! Show them clearly who we are.”
“We’ll sweep them away in an instant.”
Skevin moved away to the side, raising his sword high into the sky and shouting.
“Follow me!”
With him, the Phoenix Knights charged towards the enemies at a furious speed.
Dudududududu—
The ground vibrated with the sound of the Britannikers’ hooves.
Skevin scoffed, seeing the defensive wall built with iron shields.
“That’s nothing.”
He gripped the reins tightly and spoke to his Britanniker.
“Maktan, shatter it!”
The Britanniker, called Maktan, howled as if it understood.
Then, it snorted roughly and charged towards the defensive wall.
“Set spears!”
The soldiers set their spears, pushed out between shields, at a 45-degree angle and firmly fixed them into the ground.
“Hold tight!”
“They’re coming!”
They gritted their teeth and gripped their spears tightly.
“Foolish fellows!”
Skevin shouted.
“Go!”
Hiiiiing—!
Maktan charged straight towards the defensive wall.
Crash!
“Aargh!”
“Aargh!”
Spears and the defensive wall were flung away, shattering into pieces.
The enemies were also thrown back by the impact.
The Phoenix Knights following Skevin also charged towards the defensive wall.
Crash! Crash!
It was no different from a runaway train.
They smashed through the defensive wall, then rampaged through the barracks, knocking down enemies.
“Aargh!”
“Save me!”
In an instant, it became pandemonium.
Europius’s face twisted as he watched the scene.
He had expected them to jump over the defensive wall, but they had charged straight into it.
“Damn it!”
“Vice-Commander, quick, give orders!”
Europius thrust his sword powerfully and shouted.
“Charge! Kill them all!”
Waaahhh!
The Steel Knights shouted with all their might, their voices tearing, and rushed at the Phoenix Knights.
To this, Skevin shouted.
“Assault team!”
Excluding the assault team sent to the castle with Hellot, the remaining 30 cavalry lined up behind him.
Skevin glared at Europius, who was charging at the front, and shouted.
“Our enemy is!”
Thump!
All members of the assault team raised their swords high into the sky.
“Death and nothing else!”
Skevin charged at the enemies.
The assault team followed, radiating a terrifying murderous Aura.
Europius frowned, seeing the Phoenix Knights charging with intense momentum.
“You think you can face us with just that many? We’ll crush you mercilessly.”
He extended his sword to the side.
Then the knights following him spread out to both sides, swiftly moving forward.
What was an I-formation turned into a V-formation.
Skevin looked at their changed charge formation with a scornful expression.
“They still don’t know how terrifying these guys are. Then I’ll have to show them.”
Watching Europius, he shouted to the assault team.
“Frontal assault!”
“Agh—!”
They replied with burning eyes and clashed directly with the enemies.
Crash!
The Britannikers flung away the charging enemies along with their horses.
Then, splitting into two, they charged and swung their swords mercilessly.
The Steel Knights were helpless against the powerful attack.
The knights were panic-stricken, bustling about, not knowing what to do.
“Attack!”
Skevin appeared before Europius, who was shouting.
Meeting the eyes of Maktan, who was exuding a ferocious murderous Aura, he was seized with fear, and his mind went blank.
Seeing him like that, Skevin uttered a word.
“Now you understand, why your subordinates are like that?”
“A-adherents of the Demon…”
Whoosh—.
Skevin’s sword moved like lightning.
“Cough…”
Europius’s head fell, his eyes wide open.
Maktan stomped his head with its front hoof.
Thud!
It burst open like a watermelon.
Skevin stepped over Europius’s body, which had fallen to the ground, and coldly uttered a word.
“How dare you insult anyone…”
He quickly scanned the surroundings, radiating a fierce murderous Aura.
Arthur was not visible.
He saw Giant Wolves running towards Aslan territory in the distance.
He must have gone to face the main force with them.
‘Young Master…’
Skevin, his face a mix of worry and various emotions and thoughts, shouted to the Phoenix Knights.
“Don’t leave a single one alive!”
***
At that moment.
Kapo, seeing the signal flare shot into the sky by the Steel Knights, was leading his Knight Order, charging fiercely.
“As expected.”
It was when Kapo was increasing his speed.
Dududududududu—
The ground shook with a cloud of dust ahead.
A golden flash was seen within the hazy dust.
At the same time, a mighty Aura was felt.
‘What is it?’
He put strength into the hand gripping his black spear.
Something massive burst out of the dust.
“……!”
Kapo’s eyes widened instantly.
It was a giant horse wearing golden lamellar and breastplate.
And a man in golden armor was riding it.
House of Count Julius!
Judging by the armor, it had to be him.
But something was strange.
He had clearly left 150 knights at the main camp.
But for him to appear here…
‘They were attacked, then.’
It was rumored that only its old reputation remained, barely maintaining the family’s lineage, but he didn’t believe it.
Because a Knight Order that once commanded the empire wouldn’t disappear so easily.
And aside from the family head’s request, there was a reason he came here.
Adherents of the Demon King!
The House of Count Julius was a family that had achieved distinguished service by fighting on the front lines in the war against the Demon King.
He couldn’t believe that the place all knights looked up to was now adherents of the Demon King.
So he wanted to see it with his own eyes.
And if they were confirmed to be adherents of the Demon King, he intended to execute them on behalf of the knights.
But looking at the horse ridden by the man in golden armor, that creature suddenly came to mind.
Britanniker!
‘No way?’
It was then.
Dududududududu—
Giant Wolves appeared from within the dust.
“……!”
Not one or two, but dozens, ridden by men in raven-black armor.
And what they held in their hands caught his eye.
Black spears!
“Th-those are…!”
The weapons symbolizing the Phoenix Knights.
Kapo’s face was horribly contorted.
Being able to command monsters meant they were adherents of the Demon King!
The confirmation was complete.
Disappointment washed over him that a place he once held in awe had fallen so far as to follow the Demon King.
At the same time, his respect turned into surging fury.
The monsters that had disappeared from the world must have been summoned by them.
“I will eliminate them all with my own hands.”
Kapo raised his right hand, gripping the spear, above his shoulder and gathered Mana.
A deep blue Aura flared around the black spear.
The Aura quickly enveloped the spear, emitting an immense force.
“Die!”
Kapo hurled his spear with all his might towards the man in golden armor.
Paa-pang—!
It flew with a tremendous tearing sound, as if ripping through the atmosphere.
Arthur, on the other hand, noticed Kapo was a Sword Master the moment he gathered Mana.
He felt an Aura as powerful as he had expected.
But he hadn’t expected him to throw the spear immediately upon seeing him.
He looked at the spear flying at incredible speed and shouted loudly.
“Scatter!”
As soon as his command fell, the Giant Wolves following him split to both sides.
It was when Arthur also turned diagonally to the right to avoid the spear.
The flying spear, like a guided missile, was following him?
Moreover, the spear seemed to have gotten faster.
“……!”
Arthur’s face twisted.
Hiiiiiing—!
Suddenly, Khan roared as if letting out a cry. Then it increased its speed and charged forward.
‘Why are you doing this?’
The distance to the spear was only 10 meters.
Khan sped up even more.
Arthur didn’t know what Khan was thinking, but he decided to trust him.
He gripped its red mane and lowered his posture, pressing his body tightly against it.
“Do as you wish!”
Hmph! Hmph!
Khan snorted roughly as if in reply.
Ahead, the spear, enveloped in a deep blue Aura, flew in with a terrifying momentum.
Not to be outdone, Khan charged with fierce, glowing eyes.
7 meters, 5 meters…
Now, just before impact!
Khan pushed off the ground and leaped over the spear.
“……!”
Arthur’s eyes widened at Khan’s incredible jumping power.
In an instant, he outran the spear and charged towards Kapo.
“Well done!”
Arthur praised Khan and glared at Kapo.
He had no intention of wasting time here.
He planned to end it in one swift blow.
He summoned his Sig Sauer to his right hand and aimed the barrel at Kapo.
‘Alright, come!’
‘Avoiding the spear isn’t the end.’
Kapo drew his sword. Enveloped in a deep blue Aura, blue flames intensely blazed.
Arthur waited until the distance to Kapo was as close as possible.
30 meters.
15 meters.
Now 5 meters.
It was when Kapo, wearing a black helmet, raised his sword high with a terrifying Aura.
‘Now!’
Arthur pulled the trigger.