“You really know how to fight…”
Jared muttered under his breath.
Just moments ago, Yuri had charged at him, saying, “So you’re that good at fighting?” But he was immediately struck and sent flying far across the room.
“That must’ve hurt…”
Every time Gert swung his sword, shockwaves powerful enough to topple mountains rippled through the area. A direct hit meant death; barely dodging it sent you tumbling far away.
The difference in strength was overwhelming.
But, after all, he was the third prince.
Though Gert had beaten him mercilessly, he kept getting back up like a stubborn toy soldier, defiantly refusing to yield.
Moved by that unyielding spirit, Guiness muttered in a daze, “With sheer grit and guts…”
Then Guiness let out a battle cry and charged forward.
From that moment, the entire Briol group—except for Cory—surrounded Gert and launched their attack.
It was a fight of many against one.
Though it didn’t look impressive, to those involved, it was a desperate struggle.
Gert, clearly annoyed, unleashed a burst of energy. Instantly, those surrounding him were thrown backward.
Only Jose held his ground.
“So this is the Ten Strong, huh? Hahaha!”
Instead of backing down, Jose seemed energized and pressed the attack against Gert.
Every clash of their blue and black auras sounded like thunder.
Laurent, regaining his stance, looked for Yuri.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Yuri caught his breath and watched the duel between the two knights.
“Let’s leave this to Jose for now.”
Then Yuri went with Laurent to Pierre.
Pierre greeted them with a familiar tone.
“Oh, I thought you were a knight. So you’re the prince?”
“Shut up.”
While Yuri’s group faced Gert, Pierre and the others were preparing to flee. Yuri had come to stop that.
Pierre scratched his cheek awkwardly and smiled.
“Yeah… about that…”
Meanwhile, Jose laughed as he collapsed to the ground.
There was no time to waste.
Yuri called out.
“Hey, Black Mage.”
“Yes?”
“Black Mage for short.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Yuri Briol, the third prince of Briol.”
“Wait, you’re… from the Alliance Army?”
“Yes.”
Pierre’s eyes widened.
Yuri placed a hand on Pierre’s shoulder and locked eyes with Ivan, who stood nearby.
“The moment you try to run, I’ll be the first to chase you down and drive my sword through you. Got it?”
“W-what?”
“I’m going to kill you. I hate black mages. And there’s one thing I hate even more—traitors. If a black mage betrays me, I’ll hate them even more. And then, you’ll be the first to die. Remember that.”
“Y-yes…”
“You’re not planning to run, right?”
“Of course not. After becoming Gert’s target, how could we…?”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“I knew I could trust you, Pierre. We’re temporary allies, right?”
“Yes…”
“Then act like it.”
“Of course.”
“And Ivan.”
“Yes?”
“You’re a mercenary, right?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Really? Are you registered with the Mercenary Guild?”
“Yes.”
“You know the mercenary code?”
“Yes…”
“Good. I believe you.”
Yuri gave both of them a firm pat on the back and pushed them toward Gert.
The other four mercenaries stepped forward at Yuri’s signal, startled but ready.
The seven Briol men and six black mages were now fully united against Death Knight Gert.
It was thirteen against one.
“Can’t be helped.”
No one sympathized with Gert.
He was a criminal who had led his own country to ruin.
Unlike the nameless ancestor Yuri met in Erich’s dungeon, or himself, who was living a second life seeking atonement, Gert still wandered Adelbine, taking lives.
Someone had to stop him.
As Yuri prepared to fight, Cory cast a spell on him from behind, lightening his body.
Yuri gave Cory a thumbs-up and plunged into the chaotic battlefield.
Gert was slashing his sword wildly in all directions, like a bombardment.
Only a few could withstand it—Jose, Yuri, and if you stretched it, Laurent, Jared, and Ivan.
The rest scrambled to dodge, and even a graze sent them tumbling far away.
“Jose!”
“Yes!”
“Hold him off!”
“Understood!”
While Jose kept Gert occupied, Yuri moved in from behind.
“This time, it’s my turn.”
Gert’s plate armor deflected most attacks.
But Yuri had a technique to boost his offensive power.
A whirlwind began to stir around Guilty—Yuri’s first technique: the Spinning Whirlwind Sword.
Yuri twisted his mana, coiling it again and again.
The resulting vortex, like interlocking gears, shredded everything within its radius.
The air itself distorted.
“Jose, move back!”
“Yes!”
As Jose dodged, Yuri drove the swirling sword energy down onto Gert’s back.
Cracks began to spiderweb across the plate armor.
Gert finally tore his gaze away from Jose and looked at Yuri.
“Too late!”
Yuri pushed Guilty forward, amplifying the mana at its core.
A series of explosive sounds followed.
It felt like a solid hit.
Even the notoriously stingy Moyongchan had to admit the technique’s power.
The whirlwind engulfed Gert’s body. Dust billowed, obscuring him. The sounds of crushing and breaking echoed.
Jose marveled.
“Your Highness, you seem stronger than before.”
Yuri smiled slightly. Surely, even Gert had taken damage. Maybe this could end the fight.
But it didn’t go that easily.
As the dust settled, Gert glared at Yuri, clutching his half-shattered armor.
The sword clashes had carved spiral scratches into his armor, and in places where the cracks were deep, the inside was exposed, black smoke rising from the holes.
Gert’s murderous aura intensified.
“So, the Ten Strong, huh…”
“This is bad.”
“Jose, are you just going to watch?”
“No.”
Jose swung his sword at Gert’s head, but Gert leaned back to dodge and immediately charged at Yuri.
He seemed furious from the earlier attack.
“Ah, dodge it!”
“I wish I could!”
Yuri gritted his teeth.
His meridian channels were already unstable, and using the Spinning Whirlwind Sword had worsened his condition. He wasn’t confident he could escape in time.
Then—
Simon and Guiness leapt forward.
“Your Highness! Dodge!”
“We’ll hold him off!”
“These guys…”
Yuri trusted them and pulled back.
The two collided with Gert.
Having grown stronger themselves, they didn’t fall immediately.
They desperately parried Gert’s sword, buying time. Cory continued supporting them with magic.
“Hold on just a little longer!”
Yuri stepped back briefly to steady himself.
Suddenly, a black aura approached him. Turning around, he saw Pierre casting black magic on him.
“What’s this?”
“I’m helping.”
“I told you I hate black magic.”
“Think about the situation. Magic or black magic, shouldn’t we take down Gert first?”
“Damn it, fine.”
Though he’d fought black magic daily, this was the first time he’d accepted it into his body.
Lowering his guard, Yuri felt the black aura being absorbed.
His heartbeat quickened, his mind sharpened. It was similar to when he’d eaten mandrake root. He sensed a faint madness flowing through his meridians.
But his Soul Slash was stronger.
The black magic didn’t corrupt him at all.
“Not bad.”
Yuri smirked, feeling the added power.
It was unpleasant, but undeniably stronger. Many of his wounds had also healed.
“Well done, Pierre.”
“Hmm…”
Pierre didn’t look too happy.
“Got a problem?”
“No.”
“Surprised I’m still in one piece?”
“A little…”
“See you later.”
Just then, Simon and Guiness collapsed, and Laurent took their place.
Yuri immediately stepped in.
“Laurent!”
“Yes!”
“Let’s finish this!”
“Understood!”
The two faced off against Gert.
Yuri and Laurent’s sharp minds and deep understanding of swordplay allowed them to overcome the power gap through coordination.
Gert swung wildly, but they narrowly dodged and struck his body.
The damage piled up. A fierce light burned in Gert’s eyes.
Enraged, Gert made a wide, powerful attack.
But his sword cut only empty air.
The two split, flanking him from opposite sides, and stabbed their swords into his abdomen.
Two blades pierced him like skewers.
Black smoke poured from the gaps in his broken armor.
Though there was no direct damage like tearing flesh, the black energy that made up his body was fading.
Yuri called out to Jose.
“Jose!”
“Yes!”
“Now!”
As Gert hesitated, Jose leapt high into the air.
Then his massive body spun like a comet, gravity pulling him down.
“Uahahahaha!”
Jose let out a sound that was somewhere between a scream and a laugh as he lunged headfirst toward Gert, who was pinned in place by Yuri and Laurent’s swords.
A brilliant light radiated from his body, illuminating the entire area.
Just before impact, Yuri and Laurent withdrew their blades and scattered.
Gert and Jose collided.
An explosion erupted, sending beams of light shooting out in all directions. The ground cracked and crumbled, dirt flying everywhere, carving out a crater-like formation.
Yuri watched the scene unfold, awe filling his voice.
“Sir Jose…”
He had been searching for a third technique to follow the Whirling Tornado Slash and the Focused Strike. Watching this clash, he felt he’d found a clue.
His eyes fixed on the point of impact.
It was impressive, no doubt, but since they collided full force, the damage Jose would take himself couldn’t be small. Yuri silently prayed that Jose would come through unharmed.
“Uh…”
But then—
The figure stepping out wasn’t Jose.
It was Gert.
His armor was all but gone, with only the left breastplate left to shield his heart. His skeletal frame was fully exposed as he dragged his sword along the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Whatever had happened inside, one thing was clear:
Gert was alive.
Even though his plate armor had been shattered, his natural fighting spirit remained unchanged—if anything, it had grown stronger.
A fierce wind swept through, clearing away the dust.
At the bottom of the deep crater lay Jose, bloodied and motionless, as if dead.
“Jose!”
His weak voice reached them.
“Sorry, Your Highness…”
Thankfully, he wasn’t dead.
In his past life, Jose had captured Gert, but this time, perhaps he’d acted too hastily. Yuri clenched his fists, guilt tightening around him as he looked at Gert.
“There’s nothing to apologize for.”
Gert’s footsteps moved toward Yuri.
Yuri stood his ground.
Laurent and Jared flanked him on either side.
A short distance away, Simon and Guiness took their positions.
Even Ivan and his mercenaries, who had been watching the battle, raised their swords against Gert.
The two mages continued weaving their spells.
“Phew…”
Yuri felt the flow of magic coursing through Gert’s veins—the cold magic of Cori and the dark sorcery of Pierre—both energies intertwining under the mediation of the Soul Slash technique, with Guilty resting on his shoulders.
Two opposing forces tangled into one.
“Gert.”
Maybe because of that.
Perhaps the madness of the dark magic had some effect on him, because Yuri spoke impulsively.
“Aren’t you even ashamed? You brought down Adelvain, yet instead of atoning, you keep hurting people. And you still call yourself a knight? Huh?”
Pierre glanced at Yuri.
“Um, provoking him might just…”
“Guys like this don’t listen to reason.”
At this point, it was do or die.
Yuri decided to let out all the anger bottled up inside.
“You’re a piece of trash who destroyed your own country. A murderer who harms innocent lives. That’s who you are. If you have any conscience left, try to explain yourself, skeleton.”
“Um, Your Highness…”
“I’m not done yet. You were a fine knight once, right? How did you end up like this? Enchanted by dark magic, blinded to everything else? Did you want to live longer no matter what? Aren’t you ashamed?”
“You probably won’t understand anyway…”
“Hey, you damn skeleton. Who do you think you are, killing people? Is Adelvain yours to do as you please?”
“Your Highness, please stop.”
“I haven’t even started. Look at him—can’t say a word in his defense. Everything I’m saying is true, you shameless, conscience-less pile of bones.”
“Ugh…”
“Hey, Gert. Even your parents must have cooked seaweed soup when you were born…”
Then—
Gert’s mouth opened.
[Your words are too harsh.]