Chapter 340

Ryu-rik, scattering fresh blood, rolls on the ground.

Even though the situation was perfectly defenseless, I had no choice but to roll on the ground instead of delivering the finishing blow.

Even though I channeled the force through rotation, it wasn’t like there was no damage at all.

The dizziness was so intense that I felt like vomiting, spinning faster than a carriage wheel.

By the time I steadied my staggering body, Ryu-rik was also wobbling but getting back up.

“Damn, you’re tough. Still planning to fight?”

Looking at his tattered leg, it was obvious he couldn’t fight properly anymore.

“Ha… Ha… Why don’t you just give up and die? You can’t even run away now.”

“…I can’t do that. My subordinates are still fighting, risking their lives, believing in me alone. How can I, their king, give up the fight…!”

The sight of him spilling blood yet still determined was truly heroic.

Except for the fact that he brought this upon himself.

“Oh, is that so? Well, aren’t you just great?”

If your subordinates are so precious, why didn’t you just live peacefully in your homeland instead of coming down to the Empire to get yourselves killed!

I forced my trembling left arm to grip the sword hilt, weaving Life Force threads.

Hersela’s technique, Falling Meteor.

Unlike him, whose movements were restricted the more he was injured, I had a way to move even if my bones were broken.

Though it was more like a puppet on strings… but it was enough for now.

“With your limbs shattered, how long do you think you can last!”

I charged at him with Durandal in hand. The blade, glowing brightly, transformed the accumulated energy into a fierce attack.

With those legs, he couldn’t even move properly. It was time to finish this.

“As long as I live, I will never stop fighting. That is the duty of a warrior!”

The beast’s roar echoed through the sky.

—

About twenty minutes later.

Ryu-rik had stubbornly endured, using every means possible.

Kicking the ground to send snow flying, scattering flowing blood to blind me, even rolling on the ground to throw rocks.

If I lost sight of him for even a moment, he would immediately charge, swinging his claws.

It was a desperate, almost pathetic fight.

Well, he wasn’t a strongman from the start. In his weaker days, he must have fought like this, using any means necessary.

Thanks to his endurance, unfortunately for me, the reinforcements he was waiting for finally arrived.

“Your Highness is in danger! Charge—!”

“There’s only one Beastman Devourer! Now is the time… no, now is the only time! We must kill him here!”

The roars of the wounded polar bear and the elephant beastman with its trunk cut off echoed.

Behind them, less than a hundred beastman warriors charged, shouting in unison.

[Those guys…]

The beastmen who had fled south from Ryu-rik. Had they shaken off Valdemar’s pursuit and returned north?

Their numbers were drastically reduced, but their fighting spirit was as fierce as ever.

Of all times, they had to show up now…!

My expression twisted in frustration.

Normally, they would be nothing.

But I was also exhausted from chasing and fighting Ryu-rik, and the addition of two Paladins was a burden.

“Kheu… How about it? Doesn’t the situation seem a bit different now?”

Spilling blood from his mouth, Ryu-rik bared his fangs with a triumphant smile.

“…Who cares about those guys? They’re just stragglers who couldn’t beat Valdemar and ran away. Bring it on. I’ll tear them all apart.”

I boasted, raising my sword.

Now, it was my turn to buy time and hold out.

I didn’t know how long it would take for Valdemar’s northern army to arrive.

…Surely, they wouldn’t not come.

—

The only saving grace was that I was much better at buying time than Ryu-rik.

In short, just don’t engage head-on.

I gave up on attacking halfway.

Having no allies meant that if I didn’t engage, they had no one to attack either.

All I had to worry about was Ryu-rik and the Paladins.

I just had to avoid them thoroughly, leaping around, and slashing any beastman warrior within reach.

If Ryu-rik’s legs were intact, he might have caught me, but with his tattered legs, he couldn’t keep up with my evasive maneuvers.

“How dare you come out like this…!”

“Running away without fighting! The name of a warrior is crying out—!”

What are they talking about? They’ve been doing the same thing in the forest all along.

Laughing at the Paladins venting their frustration, I leaped aside again to avoid them.

– Whoosh!

The axe of a wolf beastman grazed past my head.

I tilted my head slightly to let the axe blade pass, then slashed the beastman’s side with Durandal.

“Kyahak…!”

The wolf beastman, half of its body sliced open, fell clutching its spilling entrails.

With Jin’s Sword’s wound, there was no hope of survival.

I rolled on the ground and leaped up again.

Victor’s curved sword struck the empty ground a moment too late.

—

After dozens of minutes of relentless fighting, the number of beastman warriors had dwindled to less than twenty.

“Haak… Haak…!”

My breath was at my throat.

Steam rose from my overheated body.

The intense movement had caused blood to soak my armor.

How long had I held out…?

My head was spinning. My vision was blurring.

Though Durandal supplied vitality, it couldn’t heal my damaged body.

But I wasn’t about to collapse yet.

And finally, my expectations were rewarded.

“The beastmen are over there! Charge! We must end this here!”

Valdemar, leading the northern army, was charging towards us.

—

======[ Ryu-rik ]======

About forty minutes ago.

When the strike force had just arrived, Ryu-rik, hearing from Vasiliy that the northern army was pursuing, immediately sent a beastman warrior to the northern wall.

He believed without a doubt that Oleg’s reinforcements would be there.

Given the timing, they should have already arrived.

‘If the reinforcements arrive on time, we have a chance against the northern army. I’ll end it here!’

Originally, the final battle would have been near the northern wall, but under these circumstances, they had to fight here.

With his damaged leg, it was impossible to rush to the northern wall.

Ryu-rik took a final gamble.

If they could defeat the Beastman Devourer before the northern army arrived, that would be ideal.

Even if not, if their reinforcements arrived, they could turn the tide.

‘The northern wall isn’t far. If Oleg hears of this, he can arrive within an hour.’

One hour to decide fate.

If the northern army arrived before the reinforcements… then they would have to hold out with just him and the strike force until the reinforcements arrived.

For some reason, the mobile force, which should have arrived before the strike force, was nowhere to be seen.

‘Did Nazar fall? No way, that can’t be…!’

Chasing Hersela, who was leaping around to avoid the warriors’ attacks, Ryu-rik tried to suppress the rising unease.

Nazar, Ryudmila, Abigail.

Among his subordinates, aside from Oleg, they were the fastest.

It was hard to believe that such warriors could have been caught and killed by humans.

‘…They must have taken a detour and are late.’

Suppressing the creeping unease, Ryu-rik leaped towards the Beastman Devourer, fighting alone.

At least, he thought, if they could eliminate the most threatening enemy first.

One-on-one, he couldn’t win, but with two Paladins and himself, they could take down the injured opponent.

However, Hersela, who had given up on fighting and focused solely on evasion, was an opponent he couldn’t catch with his tattered leg.

Forty minutes passed futilely.

The final act was not hope, but a death sentence.

“Kill all the beastmen! Never let them set foot on northern soil again!”

Valdemar had arrived.

—

======[ Hersela ]======

Valdemar and five masters.

Though one was missing, likely lost in battle, the outcome was all but decided at this point.

Behind them, the northern knights charged in unison.

Their numbers weren’t large. Perhaps only about thirty. They must have left the stragglers behind.

Like me, they were determined to end it here.

“Hold them off! It won’t be long! Just a little longer! Oleg will arrive soon!”

Ryu-rik urgently rallied his warriors.

So, he had called for reinforcements…!

From now on—no, it had always been this way, but in the end, it was just a battle of time.

We had to defeat Ryu-rik before Oleg’s reinforcements arrived.

Without Ryu-rik, even if the reinforcements came, we could handle them.

Vasiliy and Victor roared fiercely at the approaching northern army.

The five masters, excluding Valdemar, charged at them.

“We’ll assist you, Count Median! We must slay Ryu-rik here!”

“I know!”

Valdemar, who had charged towards me, swung his greatsword at Ryu-rik.

Considering the difference in their strength, it was almost suicidal, but Ryu-rik couldn’t recklessly counterattack.

Durandal was aiming for his head from the opposite side.

Thus, the final battle began.

—

======[ Beastman Strike Force ]======

Facing nearly double their numbers, the beastmen endured stubbornly and desperately.

For a full fifteen minutes.

And nothing happened.

“Why…!”

One warrior, spilling entrails, desperately fought on before collapsing with a sigh.

The reinforcements didn’t come. They wouldn’t come.

They all sensed it.

If they were really coming, they should have appeared on the horizon by now… or at least a few minutes ago.

Despite buying so much time, Oleg’s reinforcements showed no sign of appearing.

Despair filled the beasts’ eyes.

—

“Uoooooh—!”

Vasiliy, holding off three masters, let out a sorrowful roar and unleashed his final punch.

The blade mixed with Jin’s energy slashed across his belly, tearing open a wound. He kicked his opponent away, but the injury was already fatal.

“I’ll show you Pailoon’s lightning!”

Ain-gen, leaping into the air, charged his sword with mana.

– Crackle!

Lightning wrapped around the blade, emitting a golden glow.

The sword swung horizontally, and the lightning extended in a long arc.

Thunder swept over Vasiliy.

“Kreeeeek!”

The polar bear beastman screamed as the lightning tore through his body.

The wounds themselves could regenerate, but the momentary paralysis was unavoidable.

“It’s over!”

Pailoon’s master, Richard, thrust his saw-toothed greatsword through Vasiliy’s heart.

“Kehek…!”

Vasiliy’s mouth gaped open. Blood gushed from his throat.

“To think it would end like this…!”

The blade tore through his blood vessels, splitting his heart in half.

It was more than enough to sever the thin thread of life he was clinging to.

“How tragic…!”

His knees buckled. Tears of blood streamed down his cheeks.

Vasiliy Cheslav, once called Valdemar’s nemesis.

His end was far from the honorable death he had desired, but a pitiful, tragic conclusion.

Like a crumbling iceberg, he exhaled his final breath filled with resentment,

And Vasiliy collapsed.

—

With Vasiliy dead, Victor’s fate wasn’t much different.

The number of masters he had to face increased from two to four.

“To humans…!”

The elephant beastman, with both arms severed, charged at Ain-gen in a final desperate move.

– Thud!

The tusks pierced through Ain-gen’s armored torso, protruding from his back.

But not a drop of blood stained the tusks.

“Kuh…!”

Ain-gen, having let the tusks pass under his armpits, spat blood and raised his right arm.

His ribs were half-shattered from the collision with Victor’s head, but it was better than being impaled.

“The north belongs to Pailoon…! Remember that even in death—!”

Lightning wrapped around his longsword as he reversed his grip.

Ain-gen thrust the sword down.

His blade pierced the elephant beastman’s skull.

The lightning cooked his brain and spine.

Victor’s consciousness faded.

—

======[ Hersela ]======

“Why aren’t you coming, Oleguuuuuuu!!”

Ryu-rik, battered and broken, roared in bitter anger.

The gauntlet on his left arm had long since shattered, and a deep sword wound marked his chest.

Despite his injuries, Ryu-rik had resisted to the end, but the moment his last hope was betrayed, even his fighting spirit seemed to crumble.

“Wasn’t it your mistake to trust a cat?”

I mocked him, aiming Durandal at him.

The Life Force’s power was only enough to move my limbs now, but I still had enough strength to activate the Reverse Heaven Sword.

Unlike me, he had no way left to win or survive.

For some reason, the reinforcements weren’t coming.

Judging by Ryu-rik’s actions so far, they should have arrived by now. Did something happen?

Or maybe Oleg had betrayed him.

Thinking about it, Ryu-rik must have existed in the original story, but in the original, Ryu-rik’s name never appeared.

Given that the original king was Oleg, perhaps Ryu-rik was killed by Oleg in the original.

“How beastly, only knowing how to tear each other apart. How fortunate.”

Valdemar, also judging that Oleg had betrayed him, sneered as he raised his greatsword.

Though one of his arms had been torn off by Ryu-rik, he remained calm, as if it were nothing.

“…In that case, I’ll take you with me…!”

Gritting his teeth and growling, Ryu-rik raised his remaining arm and charged at me.

A desperate, all-out charge.

It was a suicidal, last-ditch effort.

But it was just a final struggle.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be together forever!”

It was time to say goodbye to Boris.

I charged at him, pouring all my strength into the blade.

Crossing killing intents.

Seven arcs of light intertwined, releasing a flash.

In that fleeting moment, Ryu-rik’s claws clashed with Valdemar’s greatsword, which had interjected to block.

Valdemar’s right arm broke and bent.

The impact was too much for even a master to withstand. Valdemar groaned as he was sent flying.

Though Valdemar couldn’t hold out for even a moment, it was enough.

Thanks to him, I wasn’t injured.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

Taking advantage of the gap Valdemar created, I stepped forward and raised my sword.

“Kuh…!”

“Try to dodge if you can—!”

Ryu-rik’s eyes twisted as he sensed his end.

Bound by the Life Force chains, he couldn’t even move his right arm.

Durandal accelerated.

The Reverse Heaven Sword, with the last of my strength.

The blade, emitting a golden glow, soared towards the wolf beastman’s neck.

Carrying an unstoppable killing intent.

.

.

.

Winter has ended.

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