Cedric’s face was calm, and Cory wore a similar expression.
Most people would find it hard to read his mood because of his twisted features, but Yuri, having known Cory for a long time, could tell he was pleased.
Yuri gave a wry smile.
“That kid’s really full of himself. Looks like he’s carved out a spot under Cedric’s wing. Not just any ordinary guy, huh? I wasn’t wrong about him after all.”
“Is now really the time for that?”
“What choice do I have?”
Yuri had no intention of blaming Cory.
“We all have our own paths to follow.”
Not only the two of them, but several other shadowy, black-cloaked figures—presumed to be dark mages—had emerged to watch the battle unfold.
Though the Anti-Empire Alliance was clearly winning, these figures showed no sign of agitation.
There had to be some kind of plan.
Yuri steadied himself and clenched his fist around Guilty. Thanks to Inariel, they had gained the upper hand for a moment, but the road ahead was still long.
He had to breach Zbeta’s fortress and kill Cedric and the otherworldly god lurking inside.
That would likely be an even tougher task than wiping out the imperial soldiers they had just subdued.
“Don’t look.”
Yuri said.
“We have a job to do.”
“But it’s hard not to care. They’re watching us with such hostility.”
“Should I warn them?”
Yuri glanced down at the five corpses of Hasan soldiers sprawled on the ground. Their bodies were torn to shreds, soaked in blood, but among the weapons they dropped, there was at least one sword still intact.
He picked it up.
“Yeah, we should pay our respects. They were brothers, after all.”
He tossed the sword into the air, spinning it a few times, then suddenly hurled it toward where Cedric stood.
The blade, imbued with his will, spun fiercely as it flew straight ahead.
The air tore with a sharp whistle.
But just as the sword neared the fortress wall, the sound abruptly stopped.
The ground beneath the wall shifted, and a massive tentacle, rooted deep underground like a giant root, shot up and blocked the blade.
Seeing this, Cedric and the others atop the wall seemed to shake their shoulders as if laughing.
Jared muttered, “Looks like we’ve earned their scorn.”
“Shut up.”
Yuri turned away. It was time to finish off the remaining imperial soldiers.
“Then let’s clean up the rest of the imperial forces—”
But something unexpected happened.
The imperial troops began to retreat.
A maw-like opening appeared in the fortress wall, swallowing the retreating monsters.
Yuri shouted, “Don’t let them get away!”
Momentarily caught off guard, the Anti-Empire forces roared again and pursued the retreating soldiers. Fueled by the enemy’s retreat, their morale soared, and the soldiers desperately chased after them, stabbing at their backs.
The ground was littered with the bodies of monsters.
Yuri himself chased down and killed every last one. His swordsmanship cut through multiple monsters at once.
“Don’t get too close to the wall!”
Yuri warned.
But some soldiers couldn’t contain themselves and pressed right up to the wall, attacking the monsters from behind.
That’s when the wall reacted.
Like before, tentacles rooted in the ground shot up and struck at the pursuing soldiers.
“Ah!”
“Fall back!”
The massive tentacles swept the ground in an instant, crushing everyone caught within their reach.
Countless bodies and bloodstains marked the large fan-shaped area.
Yuri clicked his tongue.
“Ugh…”
The loss of comrades was painful, but unavoidable.
It was already done.
He could only hope this would serve as a warning.
“What now?”
“What else?”
Yuri looked up at Zbeta’s fortress wall.
“We finish this.”
He headed straight to the magic corps watching the battle from the rear.
Among the mages, Inariel sat pale and exhausted in a chair.
“Are you alright?”
“Do I look alright?”
He weakly lifted a water flask, took a breath, and managed a few gulps.
“You should’ve taken it easy.”
“You all looked too weak. If I didn’t step in, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.”
“Haha…”
Yuri chuckled at the harsh words. Not entirely wrong, since Inariel’s intervention had saved many lives.
“Since you came to me…”
Inariel smiled faintly.
“You’re wondering what to do about that wall, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
They had to get inside Zbeta. But the wall was the problem.
Already transformed into something close to organic matter, the wall was a towering mass of flesh. As they had seen, it swung tentacles at approaching enemies, making it even harder to conquer.
“How do we land one more blow…?”
“Are you crazy?”
“No.”
Inariel rose to his feet, swaying slightly. Hernando and Marilose steadied him.
After a brief wobble, Inariel regained his balance and shook off their hands.
“I won’t be able to use magic for a while.”
“I see…”
“Of course, it’s only temporary.”
“Y-yes…”
“Don’t make that funeral face. It’s annoying.”
“Y-yes.”
Inariel gazed at Zbeta’s fortress.
Suddenly, a bluish light flickered in his eyes.
After studying the wall for a while, he said, “Creatures born of dark magic are entwined around that wall. They’ve almost fused into one. It won’t be easy to bring down.”
“Can we get over it?”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of silence, Inariel continued.
“It’s not just one creature holding the wall. That’s the only good news.”
“Huh?”
Yuri also looked around the wall.
“Though large, several creatures are lined up along the wall. So if we can take out one or two, the wall should collapse naturally.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
The light in Inariel’s eyes grew stronger.
“But the resistance will be fierce. I can feel powerful dark magic all around. Anyone who approaches will be pierced and killed in an instant. They won’t just let us pass.”
“But you said you can’t use magic right now. What about the magic you’re seeing…?”
“Don’t nitpick.”
Inariel frowned.
“What I’m talking about isn’t even magic to me—it’s a mere trick. When I say magic, I mean real sorcery.”
“Like the meteor earlier?”
“Exactly.”
The mages behind him exchanged uneasy glances.
“That’s a trick?”
“As expected of Inariel…”
For ordinary mages, even that would be difficult.
Inariel spoke again.
“Only those skilled enough should approach the wall.”
“You mean…?”
“Most knights will just die. Pick a small elite force to kill the parasites clinging to the wall. The core should be embedded in the center of the wall, like a heart.”
“The center?”
“See for yourself.”
Yuri focused his gaze like Inariel and stared at the wall. When he still couldn’t make it out, he entered the realm of spirit and observed the fortress.
The world turned white, and dark waves of black magic shimmered from all directions.
Just as Inariel said.
Several black cores were embedded in the middle of the wall—likely the centers of each monster wrapped around it.
Estimating the size of the creatures, Yuri said, “Looks like we’ll have to kill at least two or three.”
“Can you see them?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Inariel nodded firmly.
“That place is literally a death trap. Until we bring down the wall, it’s too dangerous. Sending troops will only get them melted away. Only fighters around the level of the Ten Strong can handle it.”
“The Ten Strong…”
“Difficult?”
“What choice do we have? We have to do it.”
Having roughly sorted out his thoughts, Yuri nodded.
“Thank you.”
“Going right away?”
“Yes.”
Yuri looked up at the sky. Thanks to Inariel’s meteor, the clouds had cleared, and the sun shone brightly.
It was still high noon.
“We have to move before sunset.”
The Anti-Empire Alliance, having finished the first battle, regrouped and caught their breath.
Occasionally, the agonized groans of the wounded echoed.
Many had died.
Though victorious, the cost was high.
But there was no time to stop.
The screams of the injured being carried away rang out everywhere, yet morale did not falter. If anything, the soldiers fed on the sound, fueling their rage.
Yuri gathered the top fighters.
“Everyone, assemble.”
The best knights from each nation gathered. Yuri explained the plan. Francesco crossed his arms and asked,
“If you say fighters on par with the Ten Strong, does that mean it doesn’t have to be exactly the Ten Strong?”
“Those who can fight alongside us without dying immediately…”
“What level is that?”
Yuri counted the possible candidates.
There was himself, Francesco, Moyongchan, and Jose—all Ten Strong.
Then, those nearly at that level: Laurent, Jared, and Eto from Liberta.
The rest were uncertain. Taking them along would only mean quick deaths.
The numbers were fewer than expected.
“And also…”
Yuri’s gaze shifted to a scruffy man slumped in a corner.
“That guy too?”
Oliver Elgast. Once a noble of the empire, now part of the Anti-Empire Alliance fighting against dark magic.
Jared asked, “Will this number be enough?”
Yuri glanced back.
Mysterious monsters stood atop the fortress wall, ready to defend.
Already at a disadvantage, the siege made things even more complicated.
“It won’t be easy. It might even be impossible…”
About half of the people selected might die in this battle.
Thinking that, Yuri found himself at a loss for words.
Everyone standing here had a deep connection to him.
But there was no other choice.
This was the task they had to carry out.
As Yuri lifted his head with a resolute expression, Hose laughed heartily and said,
“Your Highness, don’t worry. Those who fear death never came here in the first place.”
“Of course.”
“That’s right.”
“Don’t worry, Yuri.”
They were all prepared to face death.
Yuri understood their resolve perfectly.
“Yes. Understood.”
Death held no fear for him. It had been that way ever since the day he returned to the past.
Yuri gave orders to the commanders of the Anti-Empire Alliance.
The moment the fortress walls fell, they would all charge into Zbeta at once.
Standing before the formation, Yuri took a steadying breath.
A pang of regret washed over him.
If only there had been a few more strong warriors.
A few more experts at the peak of their skill.
Or even if not quite that level, just a few more who could lend their aid…
Then, from behind, a murmur rose.
Following the noise, Yuri turned his head.
“Huh?”
On the distant horizon, something was approaching.
At first, he thought it was just a sandstorm.
But it wasn’t.
“A flag?”
A large banner was raised high into the sky, fluttering wildly in the wind.
Beneath it, countless troops stirred up clouds of dust as they advanced.
“What is this?”
Emblazoned on the waving flag were bold characters in an unfamiliar Eastern script.
As Yuri looked on in confusion, Moyongchan standing beside him murmured,
“‘Pasa Hyeonjeong, Sasaeng Chwiui.’”
“Excuse me?”
“It means to break what is wrong and establish what is right, to pursue righteousness even at the cost of one’s life.”
“What does that mean exactly?”
Moyongchan didn’t answer, only letting out a soft smile.
It was the first time Yuri had seen him so at ease.
“I thought the code of the martial world had fallen to ruin, but it seems that’s not entirely true.”
“So what is it, then?”
Just then, another dazzling banner gleaming with golden light appeared behind the first.
“‘Jeongdo Jeonghaeng.’”
Seeing it, Moyongchan fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.
“The heavens are not idly watching the tragedy unfolding on this land.”