abcnovels
Chapter 98
Chapter 98
Chapter 98
The sword rebounded from an unexpected angle.
A pale but smiling face.
Clearly, the red-haired specter that had been pierced through the stomach with armor and all, stood unfazed in front of him.
You, you fiend?!
Moreover, what shocked Aslan even more was something else entirely.
Crrrk.
Now, lets switch weapons for round two.
The enemy ground his teeth, uttering these words, and Aslans face hardened.
In the enemys hand was his own beloved sword Velocitas, the artifact that granted him the title of the Knight of Swiftness and had penetrated the foes gut.
The strange red aura flickering around the enemys body was something Aslan knew all too well.
Even the retaliation just now had only been possible due to Velocitass abilities.
Aslans complexion turned ashen.
An artifact, huh. Still, something isnt quite right.
Logan held the red sword that had been stuck in his abdomen and glared fiercely at his opponent.
There was a certain disjointed feeling when wielding a different sword than his Lux, custom-fitted to him.
However, there were definitely benefits as well.
Vvuum.
The moment he infused the sword with his force, an alien power, mana, spread throughout his body, accelerating his consciousness.
Ho-how ow-could yo-you
Aslans voice stretched out strangely, as if time around him was slowing down.
Not an artifact like the Boots of Wind, boosting physical abilities but one enhancing cognition and thought dramatically.
So this was the power that made Aslan known as the Knight of Swiftness.
Logan understood why Aslan felt significantly faster and stronger.
And now, that power was his.
Lets finish this!
Despite the bracelet of regeneration struggling to heal his gutand a lingering pain that was still presentthere was no hesitation in his movements.
The enemys condition was far more critical than his own.
The royal treasure, the bracelet of regeneration, ranked alongside high priests holy spells, hed won meeting the king, had worked its precarious magic.
Clang!
Boom!
Snap.
With only three strikes, he cut through the side previously pierced by Lux, and the enemys distorted expression was clear to see.
Though unaccustomed to the accelerated cognition, making his movements awkward, this was negligible compared to its utility.
Begone, vile wretch
Thunk.
He had aimed for the heart, but instead pierced the other flanka mistake born from his inexperience with this new sensation.
But it was only a matter of time.
This time, I must catch it!
The golden force flared on the red blade, targeting the enemys staggering vulnerabilities.
No matter the effectiveness of the bracelet of regeneration, instant recovery from a pierced belly was impossible.
Though Logan himself wasnt in top shape either, the opportunity to eliminate Aslan of Bifrost, one of their greatest strengths, meant forcing himself to continue the onslaught.
Clash!
And as he saw Lux, held by the enemy, flung helplessly into the air after colliding, his determination seemed finally rewarded.
However.
ASLAN, DEFEND!
WHERE?!
CURSES!
Despite the slow passage of time, a peculiar chaos broke out around him.
During the clash, Bifrosts troops, who hadnt dared to interfere, now began to charge in.
Perhaps it meant that they, or Aslans movements, had become slower since the beginning.
The sight of bloody Eileen, struggling to fend off enemy knights and failing to stop some from reaching the other side, was perceived slowly yet clearly.
Damn it!
Just a little more and he could kill him.
A blade was already flying towards his nape.
Damn! Damn!
One gamble was enough; he couldnt accompany Aslan to the afterlife.
The bracelet wouldnt function for days.
Logans sword, aimed at Aslans heart, now turned towards the knights charging at him.
Crack.
Crrunch.
AAARGH!
AAAGH!
Wounded and fatigued, but borrowing the artifacts power, he consecutively downed three knights.
But in that moment, the others had already whisked the fallen Aslan away.
Bloodied belly, coughing blooda fatal wound for any ordinary man, but not enough to kill a high-grade knight.
More enemy knights appeared, obstructing him.
Logan, grinding his teeth in frustration, stopped.
Vvuum.
Ugh!
A sudden wave of dizzinessthe result of unconsciously retracting the force infused in his sword.
The cognitive boost faded back to normal, leaving side effects easily sensed, but blades were already flying at him from all directions.
Clang, clang, clang!
Ugh!
Fortunately, someone leapt in front of him in a flash, deflecting the falling blades.
Eileen.
Logan struggled to lift his head, and a pale-faced Eileen, wavering on her feet, was fending off the attacks aimed directly at him.
She looked strained even to block the enemies attacks, but that alone was enough.
Get lost!
His dizziness was temporary, and despite his wounds, a high-grade knight like Logan could easily overpower three average knights.
Whoosh!
With a bellow, Logan lunged forward, repelling their assaults with a single swipe of his sword.
Staggering Eileen then lunged again, burying her sword into the heart of one of them.
Thunk.
UGH!
Following closely behind, as if by magic, Logan struck, severing the necks of two wide-eyed knights.
Slash!
Well done!
Exhausted, Eileen collapsed, and Logan shielded her, raising his sword and shouting with all his might.
Ive felled the Knight of Swiftness!
The shout, reddening his own face, seemed pointless at a glance, but it was a necessary act.
From the east wall, where the troops had been consumed by the immediate battle, the message spread rapidly throughout.
The details varied but the essential message was the same.
Bifrosts strongest had fallen!
Bifrosts troops hesitated briefly, and MacLaines found new strengtha small shift.
But the resulting overall change in the tide of battle was significant.
What had been a tenacious hold on the east wall, now leaning toward Bifrost, reversedfeeling an utter rout after losing their strongest in the west and north walls.
The retreating front line began to hold its ground.
And with Logan helping his father corner the Lunar Knight Plantes, MacLaines mood surged even more.
We are winning.
In all places but the east wall, where MacLaines forces had been falling back, they started to gain strength in this illusion.
On the other hand, Bifrosts army began to panic.
Having boasted of two swordsone fallen and the other being pushed backwas enough to forget the previous advantage.
Could we be losing?
The two misconceptions from either camp interacting caused a drastic turnaround, which was visibly clear to one observer from afar.
Hows Aslan?
According to the knights hand signals, he seems to be unharmed for now. However, since Lord Aslan used the highest-grade potion earlier, for this battle, hes unable to
Ha. Its ridiculous. Stupid mice taking it too seriously. Theres no need to overdo it. Retreat!
Yes!
Hmm. Lets see how long they can hold out.
A touch of satisfaction faded from the confident face of Roger Bifrost, replaced by a twinge of irritation.
Theyre retreating!
HOORAY!!
From afar came the announcements of Bifrosts withdrawal, as all around roared with cheers.
Despite corpses scattered around the torchlit walls, those who stood on them managed forced smiles.
Among them, Logan looked at the rising moon, calming his restless heart.
Only one day. Its just a one-day difference.
The moon, full just yesterday, had waned much like his inner turmoil.
But he couldnt show that worry outwardly.
Everyone rest! Treat the injured and maintain vigilance, take turns for rest!
The only thing was to survive.
With that single thought, Logan shouted to his troops.
The next day.
An uncertain moment could bring another enemy assault.
Most of MacLaines soldiers, who had spent a sleepless night with their eyes wide open, were completely worn by fatigue.
The enemy! Reinforcements! Their flag The eagle atop flame Pheretta! Its the army of the Count of Pheretta!
Dismal news of the enemys reinforcement arrival spread.
MacLaines exhausted forces could have been easily invaded in their weakened state, but since all of MacLaines key figures were gathered in Tomodo Castle, defeat in this battle would effectively be the end for MacLaineit seemed Bifrost had opted to send their army here to make a statement.
Since then, a somewhat different battle had begun, not like the day before.
* * *
My lord! Its the east again!
Damn these wretches!
Logan ground his teeth yet had no choice but to respond.
Sprinting across the ramparts, he saw Bifrosts knights who were about to ascent instead hastily retreat.
Again!
They only feigned climbing before retreating.
Among them was even the Lunar Knight Plantes.
Their eyes met; he sneered and vanished.
This tactic had repeated for days, and Logan was exasperated with this nonsense.
After two initial all-out attacks and with reinforcements from Count Pherettas army arriving naively only to be repelled by the chain-bolts bitter tastethey now merely teased to test the waters without a full-on assault.
The issue for Logan and MacLaines forces was that they had to respond.
Casualties had ceased, but the situation was far from favorablenot just the mounting psychological fatigue.
My lord, the magazine is running low. At this rate, we wont have supplies within a day or two
Countless magazines, along with other resources brought in place of food, were showing their bottoms after just five days of battle.
Stored food in the fortress is also depleting, my lord. How dare those scoundrels leave us next to nothing, right after harvest?
Fury over the food situation was boiling over.
What weighed most troublingly on Logans mind was
Its been over four days already. What went wrong?
He agonized over the overdue news of the kings passing.
The slowly tapping sound was persistent.
Hold! Firm!
Thank you for your hard work.
No, my lord! Everyone knows youve not slept, working tirelessly
Enough. Save your strength rather than wasting words. Rest.
As the soldier, already strained, attempted excessive courtesy, Logan stopped him and gazed out at the now dark world beyond the burning torches.
Night attacks were common, at least once a day, so they couldnt afford to slack off tonight.
Any sign of weakness and the entire enemy force would advance immediately.
With a heavy heart, he looked up at the skywhere the waning moon could no longer be called full.
Has something variable occurred?
He wondered if it had been a mistake to rely solely on memories from his past life.
Anxiety continued to eat at him.
That bandage alright? Youve been shot by an arrow!
What can I do at a time like this? Be thankful its not the leg.
I wish I had been severely injured too
Oh, stop it! Youll be gone with that kind of talk. Nowadays, you cant just lay down with minor injuries. Do you know how much the knights press on?
A soldier on the ramparts reprimanded another softly who was on night duty.
But my crossbow string is broken. Ive run out of magazines. At this rate
Hold on, just hold on. Grab a spear and stab if you must. Do you think everyone else is fit?
Will we survive, us?
Thats the thing. Given the situation
Its an enterprise of the grand duke. Surely, theres a plan.
Despite saying this, the worry was just as deep in the soldiers eyes.
Does this look like theres a plan to you?
What other choice is there, kid! Especially now!
Why did the grand duke even start this war to begin with
Quiet, for heavens sake! The mood is already tense!
The soldiers, keeping a distance while on night duty, brought heavier gloom to Logans heart with their chatter.
Damn it.
Sensory enhancement felt like a curse at times like these.
Unable to approach them, he merely stood stupefied on the ramparts.
Logan. We should talk.
A tired but familiar voice reached his ears.
Father
You know as well as I do; we cant keep this up much longer. I want to know what your next plan is.
His father looked at him quietly with dark-circled eyes and a haggard face.
His conscience poked at him, but he couldnt possibly reveal his worry.
Just a few more days, we need to hold out just a bit longer. Its still too early to say
He repeated what hed said many times, unable to look his father in the eye.
A moment of heavy silence passed.
I see. Then well have to continue.
His father somehow accepted this absurd excuse, nodding his head again.
The hand patting his shoulder felt unspeakably heavy.
I must endure. If only we hold out
He simply brainwashed himself, clinging to a thread of hope.
And so, two more days passed, and both food in the fortress and the chain-bolts supplies were utterly exhausted.