Episode 563
“Zeke Draker!”
Alicia was the first to spot Zeke as he emerged onto the battlefield. She had ventured deep into the heart of the monster’s stronghold to eliminate the dark sorcerers, and the sudden burst of light had signaled his arrival, prompting her to rush over.
Zeke greeted her with a smile. “Duchess, it’s good to see you again.”
But the smile quickly faded. While he was glad to see Alicia, there were more pressing matters at hand. “I’ll leave the situation here to you.”
Alicia rested her sword on her shoulder, considering his words. “Hmm? The gate’s collapsed, and the monsters are scattering. Wouldn’t it be better to regroup and head to the stronghold together?”
Zeke shook his head. “I’ve heard about Jupiter’s current state. This is Castro Pollock’s ploy. The real threat isn’t him.”
Alicia’s expression hardened. “You mean the enemy king used Castro as bait for something else?”
“He’s the kind of man who held off the mighty Murk Empire’s army with just a rundown castle. This won’t end so easily.”
As Alicia nodded gravely, a shadow rose beneath Zeke’s feet, lifting him into the air. He called down to her, “Tell Duke Sir not to advance to Jupiter. Hold the line here.”
With that, Zeke shot forward, cutting through the sky. Alicia watched him go, shaking her head with a wry smile. “He changes every time I see him. I wonder if I could even withstand a single strike from him now.”
She sighed briefly, then gripped her sword tightly, readying herself against the scattering monsters. “Crystal clarity! Every move precise! Old Sword King, I’ll do as you taught me—make me stronger than Zeke Draker!”
With renewed determination, Alicia swung her sword, and the area where the monsters had been was left in ruins.
The sudden gate that had been created to disrupt the allied forces was swiftly dealt with by the Black Sword Knights and the Himonas Knights. The battle seemed to be resolving more easily than expected.
Just as Alicia wondered if Zeke had been overly cautious, something caught her eye. “What on earth is that?”
Dark shadows filled the sky, heading straight for the allied camp.
Boom!
Castro Pollock slammed his fist onto the sturdy parapet of Jupiter Castle as he watched the battlefield through a telescope. “Damn it! What are those abyssal fools doing?”
His plan had been to open a gate at the rear to throw the allied forces into chaos, then send in the Dracul Knights and mercenaries to completely dismantle them. But contrary to his strategy, the rear monster wave had been too easily repelled by the Black Sword Knights and the Himonas Knights.
Castro turned to the dark sorcerer beside him, shouting, “Contact the sorcerers immediately! Tell them to summon stronger beasts!”
The sorcerer, with his pale face and blackened lips and nails, shook his head. “Summoning beasts isn’t so simple. We’re already pushing our limits, expending a great deal of magic.”
Frustrated, Castro stomped around, his temper flaring. “Damn it! What’s the point of using up magic if all those monsters are just lying dead out there?”
He turned to his lieutenant, who wore a troubled expression. “Damn it, we have no choice. Tell the Dracul Knights to prepare for deployment.”
The lieutenant hesitated, then nodded, understanding the urgency. He left to relay the order, but soon returned, his face grim. “Commander!”
He panted as he reported to Castro. “I checked below… the Dracul Knights have already left the castle.”
Castro’s face turned crimson with rage. “What?”
Even though the enemy king’s reputation surpassed Castro’s, he was the one in charge of Jupiter Castle. The fact that the enemy king and the Dracul Knights acted on their own meant they were completely disregarding him.
Trembling with anger, Castro ordered his lieutenant, “Bring out Nero’s secret weapon.”
The lieutenant was taken aback. “Commander, that’s…”
As he hesitated, Castro grabbed him by the collar. “The monsters are dead, the enemy king has vanished! What else is there to lose?”
The lieutenant, knowing that if they had just stayed put in the castle, none of this would have happened, felt a deep sense of injustice but had no choice. “Understood.”
Simultaneously, Castro turned to the dark sorcerer with a fierce glare. “The monsters failed. We need to summon something stronger to crush their lines.”
The sorcerer, his face as expressionless as wax, replied, “Summoning more monsters is impossible. But… we can call upon the beasts.”
The lieutenant, shocked, turned to Castro. “Commander! The monster wave is like a natural disaster, so we can deny any involvement. But if we use the beasts, the entire continent will condemn us. We might lose what little justification we have.”
Castro pointed beyond the castle walls, his eyes burning with intensity. “The whole continent has already turned against me! Are you telling me to worry about their condemnation now?”
Despite his prejudices, Castro was a shrewd and rational leader. But as the situation grew dire, he lost his usual composure and was desperately trying to resolve the immediate crisis.
The lieutenant, realizing it was futile to argue, nodded. “As you wish.”
Resigned, the lieutenant descended the castle to carry out Castro’s orders. Left alone, Castro anxiously bit his nails, muttering to himself as he stared beyond the walls. “I must destroy them. I must bring them down quickly.”
The dark sorcerer, observing Castro’s deteriorating state, sent a magical message. [Castro’s mind is nearly broken. Report to the enemy king and release the beasts.]
Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, Helen found herself facing an unexpected challenge.
“As knights, how can we retreat from the enemy before us? For the honor of knighthood, we cannot do so!”
The central noble knights were stubbornly refusing to move to the rear, despite the orders from the supreme commander. It was a matter of pride; since other nobles weren’t moving, they wouldn’t either.
As a guardian knight of Draker and a renowned knight of steel, Helen found the situation incomprehensible. Yet, with so many noble knights behaving this way, she felt like the odd one out.
“I knew the central nobles were arrogant and pretentious, but to act like this on the battlefield…”
Normally, when monsters appeared at the rear, the knights should have been the first to engage. But they left it to the Black Sword Knights and the Himonas Knights, remaining idle in the main camp, rendering the alliance’s purpose meaningless.
The deputy commander of the Steel Knights, standing beside Helen, wore a troubled expression but seemed to make a decision. “Commander, if you give the order, we’ll force them to move.”
Even the central nobles couldn’t resist if the Draker Knights intervened. However, doing so might further destabilize the already fragile alliance.
“Though the rear is holding, the enemy king won’t miss this opportunity.”
Helen knew the enemy would attack the alliance, so she needed to mobilize the central nobles to prepare. Reluctantly, she dismounted.
“I’ll persuade them myself. Move those sympathetic to the alliance to the rear quickly…”
As Helen calmly laid out her plan, she sensed something amiss in the sky. Looking up, she saw hundreds of dots hovering above. No, they weren’t just hovering—they were descending toward the allied camp.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Moments later, hundreds of projectiles rained down, exploding around the allied camp.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The projectiles obliterated the barricades, supply depots, and barracks in an instant.
“Argh!”
The central noble knights, who had been lounging in their luxurious tents, were caught off guard by the sudden aerial assault. They scrambled to their feet, finally spurred into action.
“Fall back! Retreat to where the projectiles can’t reach!”
The artillery shell launched from Jupiter Fortress had an unbelievable range. It soared across what should have been an impossible distance, penetrating deep into the heart of the Allied forces’ encampment.
This long-range cannon was the secret weapon that the mad emperor of Rom, Nero, had been developing, as ordered by Castro. In collaboration with the Siemens family, they had created a weapon that could strike far beyond the reach of conventional artillery, with unparalleled accuracy. It was perfect for catching enemies off guard from a distance.
They had kept it hidden, intending to unleash it at a decisive moment to dismantle the Allied forces. But with the situation as it was, they had no choice but to reveal their secret weapon first.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Helen, alongside the Steel Knights, worked tirelessly to control the panicked central nobles and riders, trying to minimize the damage. It was their fault for ignoring the warning signals and not staying in the trenches, but there was no time for blame. Every rider was crucial now.
Raising her Dragon Buster, Helen deflected the incoming shells from the sky and shouted, “Fall back, armor up, and raise your shields! More attacks are coming!”
Despite her loud commands, the central nobles failed to heed her words. In truth, they couldn’t. Having rushed out of their tents, most hadn’t even managed to grab their armor or shields. They spoke of knightly honor, yet showed none of it on the battlefield.
Then, more shells began to rain down from Jupiter Fortress.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
This time, the shells arced higher, and their behavior was different. Astonishingly, they exploded mid-air.
Boom!
Shrapnel burst forth, scattering in all directions. Those who had heeded Helen’s warning and armed themselves managed to block the deadly fragments, but those who hadn’t were pierced through, falling lifelessly where they stood.
“Ugh!”
Cries of pain erupted as sharp fragments embedded themselves in flesh, causing blood to spill and bodies to collapse.
Surveying the chaotic scene, Helen shouted orders to the disoriented troops, “Move the wounded to the rear! The monsters have been scattered, so it’s safer back there!”
They needed to relocate the injured before the next wave of shells hit. Yet, the wounded nobles only groaned and hesitated, failing to move quickly.
Then, another barrage came.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
This time, there were even more shells. Gritting her teeth, Helen channeled power into her Dragon Buster.
Crack!
Her armor disassembled, forming a massive shield.
“Haaah!”
Unleashing her special technique, the Steel Wall, Helen created a barrier of iron to block the shrapnel from the exploding shells.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
But it was impossible to stop every fragment. To save as many as she could, Helen transformed every piece of her armor into a shield, yet still, some shrapnel found its mark, embedding in her flesh.
“Ugh.”
Blood trickled from the wounds, but Helen gritted her teeth against the pain, gripping her sword and rising once more. She shouted, “While I hold them off, get the wounded to the rear, quickly!”