Aslan gazed across the battlefield before him, then subtly shifted his gaze to look straight ahead.
Far off in the distance, beyond the reach of either bow or arrow, lay the Supreme Divinity’s Sword.
Observing the situation as if preparing to command, Aslan knew his options were now limited to one clear choice.
Setting down his bow, Aslan sprinted directly toward the base of the fortress wall.
Upon arriving at the fortress walls, he found several horses and people gathered by the main gate.
Among them was Lumel, already mounted and waving to Aslan with a faintly tense smile.
“You’ve arrived, Lord Aslan.”
“Yes, are you prepared?”
“…Though I wish I could say otherwise, it seems we can’t prepare any more thoroughly than this.”
Lumel gave an awkward laugh. Clad in thick armor over the dress Anton had gifted her previously, now reinforced with Anton’s magic, she appeared every bit the knight.
“Fortunate indeed. Anton is… .”
“Right here. I was stretching my legs while waiting for you.”
Anton emerged between the ranks of cavalry. Familiar with handling horses, Anton approached as Aslan climbed aboard with a slight smile.
The horse, which had seemed on the verge of collapsing from the surrounding noise, became serene the moment Aslan mounted, exhaling deeply and pawing the ground with its front hooves.
In an instant, it behaved like a legendary steed, all thanks to Aslan’s ultimate level of horsemanship.
A special ability that traded the rider’s lifespan for an explosive increase in combat power. Though prolonged battles would be impossible, it would suffice for this fight.
Aslan glanced outward beyond the fortress walls.
The Supreme Divinity’s Sword had few options left.
With the martial artists suffering heavy losses and doubts arising about whether the fortress could withstand a direct assault, the Supreme Divinity’s Sword had no choice but to act personally.
Its most powerful move was itself.
This was what Aslan had been waiting for.
To achieve his goal, Aslan needed excellent horsemen. From the finest cavalry drawn from various nations to Lumel, a noblewoman skilled in riding, to Anton, who came from the stables—each played their part.
Glancing at those risking their lives for him, Aslan sighed as he drew his mace.
At that moment, the sound of earth splitting echoed.
“Sound Absorption Barrier!”
A familiar command rang out from the non-commissioned officer, and mana enveloped the front lines as roaring voices reverberated beyond.
Still, the voice brimming with malice persisted. The barrier shattered, and through the sounds of something massive approaching, Aslan shouted.
“Open the gates!”
He tightened the reins.
Swiftly, the figure of the horse shot forward. Twenty soldiers and two heroes followed closely as they galloped past the open fortress gates.
The battlefield outside was even more horrific than imagined. The remains of martial artists littered the ground, burned, pierced, and torn apart, turning the earth red, dark crimson, and green with blood.
Even those retreating were not unscathed. Swinging the reins sharply, Aslan raised his mace.
Beyond them stood the Supreme Divinity’s Sword.
KAGHAGHAGH!
The first martial artist charged with a thunderous roar.
Moving on dozens of limbs, wielding hundreds of swords, greatswords, and twin blades in wild swings, its face devoid of humanity yet contorted with overwhelming rage.
Its immense size reduced humans to insignificance, uprooting the ground wherever it passed, raising clouds of dust like mist.
The malevolence and fury emanating from its entire being pressed down on Aslan. With a twisted smile, Aslan urged his horse forward.
Dashing across the battlefield toward the Supreme Divinity’s Sword, cavalry and knights followed behind in a wedge-like formation.
KAANG!
Swinging his mace, Aslan sent the head of a charging martial artist flying, prompting the remaining mounted warriors to pursue him relentlessly.
Heavy infantry attacked from the sides, and dismounted cavalry blocked the path ahead.
“HAAAT!”
From the side, Lumel pierced and tore through the charging heavy infantry.
KWAANG!
At the forefront, Aslan crushed the head of a blocking martial artist with his mace.
“Die! All of you die! Die and repent!”
Behind, Anton’s flail punished the pursuing cavalry.
Cavalry, heavy infantry, archers—the army of martial artists surged past like a storm. Breaking through the battlefield and surpassing the martial artists, only the Supreme Divinity’s Sword remained ahead.
The monstrous creature, a mythic killer, loomed closer. As Aslan swung his mace in a wide arc, the cavalry and Anton, Lumel veered aside, leaving Aslan alone to charge straight toward the Supreme Divinity’s Sword.
Seeing Aslan approach without fear or submission, the Supreme Divinity’s Sword roared with unrestrained fury, accelerating toward him.
Perceiving this defiance, though Aslan had no such intention, the Supreme Divinity’s Sword took offense at the mere human daring to confront it.
Despite being a master, the fact that a mere human dared oppose it was considered an insult. Its face contorted with unbearable, seething rage.
Beyond the distorted centipede-like face, Aslan wiped away cold sweat with a twisted smile.
Encouraging the Supreme Divinity’s Sword to grow angrier, Aslan maintained the flow of purity while urging his horse faster.
Finally, when the surroundings began to blur.
KUGUGUGU…!
The Supreme Divinity’s Sword reared its body.
At the peak of its rise, similarly high above, a single sword rested in its hand.
A flaming greatsword, three meters long.
The favored weapon of war and knowledge.
Victory.
Upon seeing the raised Victory, Aslan recognized the Supreme Divinity’s Sword’s intent.
The second most powerful attack of the Supreme Divinity’s Sword wasn’t countless weapons or dazzling swordsmanship.
It was weight.
The sheer weight derived from its overwhelming biomass used in a downward strike.
That single blow could split mountains and cleave fortresses in half.
A mythical monster’s strike born of martial mastery.
The current attack by the Supreme Divinity’s Sword was precisely this.
The crushing weight of its massive frame, a blow impossible to block with mere tricks.
An overwhelming strike that could only be withstood by a miracle.
Which was exactly what Aslan hoped for.
A brief roar.
What followed descended like lightning.
A momentum so majestic even lightning might kneel before it. The displaced air screamed like thunder as the attack rushed forward.
KAGHAGHAGHAGHA!
Even without contact, the surrounding ground fractured and scattered.
Like a rising dragon, amidst swirling dust, Aslan raised the purity.
The moment the crimson streak vanished without a trace.
An expanding shockwave severed the swirling dust at its ankles, dispersing it.
A strike that would ordinarily pulverize everything upon contact, leaving not even a scorched handful of dirt behind.
KAK…
An ordinary human would have been crushed instantly.
KAGAK…!
But Aslan did not fall.
He steadfastly endured beneath the calm purity.
[Scale of Order – Can withstand any attack.]
The system message revealed itself in the corner of his vision.
As the horse Aslan rode neighed loudly, Aslan lifted the mace in his left hand.
The Supreme Divinity’s Sword’s startled expression lasted only a moment before Aslan whispered while striking the blade with his mace.
“Summon Thunder.”
KWURRRR!
The resounding thunder pushed back an impossible force.
KAAAAAAAAANG!
The ringing metallic sound slightly displaced the massive body of the Supreme Divinity’s Sword.
Not enough to overturn or send it flying, just a slight tilt.
But this was sufficient for Aslan.
For the Archer would surely hit his mark with this gap.
At the end of Aslan’s glance, a blue iron tent fluttered barely within sight.
The transparent tent set outside the fortress.
Within, Tiamat released the string naked.
-TWANG!
The sound of condensed air bursting rang out as the arrow flew.
Not just any arrow, but one forged from white steel, crafted for this exact moment.
It flew, striking one side of the tilted body, finding a gap in the carapace.
KAGAANG!
The arrow shattered the carapace, revealing pale flesh underneath.
The location of the vocal cords.
If the second strongest ability of the Supreme Divinity’s Sword was weight, its strongest was its roar.
A roar capable of easily killing humans. A ranged attack troublesome even in games.
Blocking this roar alone significantly increased the chances of victory.
Thus, Aslan planned for this single moment.
To shred these vocal cords.
The moment Aslan gripped the reins and retreated, Antons’ flail flashed between the scattering carapace pieces.
“That’s for my son, you bastard.”
TUTUTUTUTUTUT!
Through the violently oscillating spring mechanism, dozens of flail balls accurately navigated the gaps in the carapace, embedding themselves into the exposed flesh.
Splattered white bodily fluids matched the color of the flesh. An indiscriminate barrage emptying an entire magazine.
CHUNK, CHUNK!
As the flail ran out of ammunition and clicked, Anton set it aside and extended his hand.
“INCENDENT.”
A voice filled with hatred and anger. As he whispered, the flail balls inside swelled dramatically.
KWADDDDEEK!
The dozens of expanded flail balls inside the flesh pushed against each other, tearing the skin apart.
—, —…—!
The mythic martial artist let out a scream as its vocal cords were shredded, twisting its body.
Amidst the rain of falling bodily fluids, Anton laughed.
