Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 375

375―――――

Counterattack

“I’m sorry, Zion.”

The last to enter the new defense line were Zann and her warriors, who had been holding out against the Holy Prussen, the Celestials, and the Elves, buying time.

The soldiers who had left the defense line earlier, and the survivors who barely escaped the front lines afterward, joined Eos and did their best to safely retreat from the danger zone.

In the end, thanks to their sacrifice, most of them were able to safely reach the defense line.

However, there was bound to be losses, and Zann lost hundreds of warriors.

Fortunately, Zann herself was unharmed, but she grieved the loss of so many.

“…You’ve worked hard.”

A commander who had lost her cherished subordinates, yet volunteered to stay in the deadly battlefield for her sake, enduring and enduring.

This time, Zion embraced Zann with all her heart, not to gain something, but to sincerely comfort her.

“…”

Zann would normally have been embarrassed and struggled to escape her embrace, but this battle was so difficult and painful for her that she simply nestled quietly in Zion’s arms, resting her forehead on her shoulder.

“Did your brother return?”

“Yes.

Two days ago.”

“I heard he was injured.”

“It’s not serious.

He was shot in the thigh with an arrow, but fortunately, it didn’t go in deep.

He said he could return to the battlefield right away with a little treatment.”

“That’s a relief, that’s a relief.”

Afterward, Zann slipped out of Zion’s arms as if she was done.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“That, Zion.

About Marquis Volko Ledenen…”

“You were the one who fought a bloody battle behind the lines to save him and his soldiers, so you shouldn’t be apologizing. The one who should apologize is me, for ruining things with a moment’s carelessness.”

“It’s not your fault.

It was something that couldn’t be helped.”

The possibility of the enemies moving quickly, the possibility of a night raid, they knew everything.

However, they didn’t expect the fog to roll in at that timing.

No one in Nudia had ever warned to be careful of the fog.

That means either everyone was unlucky that day and the fog rolled in, or the enemies created the fog with some kind of trick and attacked.

“It’s something that couldn’t be helped, but I still have to take responsibility.

The person sitting at the top is there for times like this, because they’re the one who can take responsibility for things.”

“…Actually, one of the soldiers who joined us delivered this.

The reason I’m handing it to you instead is because that soldier also died in the chaos.”

What Zann handed over was the scabbard that had been tied to Marquis Volko’s waist.

Marquis Volko must have wielded his sword until the very end, so it seems that all the soldier could salvage was that.

“…”

The head of one of only three Marquis families in the kingdom.

A man who wouldn’t be outdone by anyone in terms of military achievements was the owner of this scabbard, but the scabbard itself was more modest than those of ordinary knights.

There were almost no common decorations, but the Ledenen Marquis family crest engraved on the outside was all that signified its importance.

“Of the warriors of the kingdom I have seen, he was the greatest man.

I hope you don’t grieve too much, as he probably fought as a warrior without any regrets until the moment he fell.”

“…What’s the situation with the enemies?”

As Zion tried to change the subject, Zann paused to collect her thoughts and spoke.

“We barely shook off the pursuit, but they didn’t seem like they were going to rest.

They’re probably going to keep pushing forward and reach the vicinity of the defense line within a few days at the latest.

Don’t you think they’ve completely changed since they burned down the entire royal castle of Nudia?”

Until now, the Holy Prussen had been doing their best not to provoke backlash while occupying various regions of Nudia.

After all, they were believers in the descendants of light, and this war was a kind of ‘holy war’ in which they, the light, were judging those who were evil and sinful, so they naturally had to avoid treating those who came under their rule carelessly.

However, after the battle at this defense line, they completely changed.

As if they had nothing to lose, they began to treat those who opposed them cruelly, as if they would not forgive even those who regretted and repented of their sins.

And at the culmination of that, as soon as they broke through the defense line and reached the royal castle of Nudia, they didn’t even enter it and immediately set it on fire.

Saradin, the king of Nudia, and key members of the royal family, and most of the kingdom’s people had already headed west, but there were still kingdom people left inside, and they caused a massive fire as if they didn’t care about such things anymore.

‘Are they now focusing on internal cohesion rather than encouraging betrayal from the outside?’

With that one attack, and that one arson, those who had taken a neutral stance on the doctrine of light all turned against it.

Now, all that remained were those who truly believed in them as the only good and light, and who proclaimed that everything they did was justice.

It seemed that the Celestials were trying to use those who had such firm loyalty to them to end this war in an instant and complete their task.

“It seems like they’re trying to create fear.

I saw some people and nobles of Nudia going to surrender to the Holy Prussen side, thinking that they might all die if they resisted.”

“They might be aiming for that.

Cruelty can unite the enemy, but it can also divide them.

They sent a message to those who would betray us and turn to their side.”

Whatever the case, the current situation was the worst it had been since the eastern and southern parts of Nudia had fallen.

Moving the defense line wasn’t a problem, and giving up the royal castle was also part of the plan, but the fact that the enemies inflicted devastating damage on the remaining forces with a single surprise attack, and that more than half of the commanders of Hispania and Nudia were killed in action, was something they hadn’t anticipated.

“For now, let’s rest a bit with the returned warriors.

It would be quite difficult if you moved unnecessarily and couldn’t move at the crucial moment.”

Zann, who would normally have shouted that such a thing would never happen.

Perhaps because the battle this time was so difficult, she nodded without a word and moved towards the place designated as her camp.

‘…With this, Hispania’s available forces are just over ten thousand.

Nudia’s situation is even worse than Hispania’s.

There are many available forces, but unlike Hispania, which carefully selected elites, there are too many ordinary soldiers.

In addition, they have to protect the Barura County [an administrative division] and its surrounding areas where the royal family is staying, so naturally the forces are bound to be dispersed.’

The gateway that had to be passed to advance to central Nudia had now become the path that had to be broken through to go to western Nudia and beyond to Hispania.

Originally, Zion was confident that she could hold out at this defense line for at least a month, but now she wondered if she could hold out for even a week, let alone a month.

‘The morale of our troops is too low.’

The top-tier Celestials who were literally slaughtering the allied forces of Hispania and Nudia, who had been victorious against the Holy Prussen until recently, they must still be approaching.

Now that they had drawn their swords properly, it was nearly impossible to retract them willingly.

Moreover, as the survivors returned, the fear they brought spread through the already uneasy atmosphere of the army, which was having a very negative impact.

“Vice Commander.

I heard you were looking for me.”

Ludwig, looking quite haggard, enters.

Zion paused to look at the young knight who had lost most of the people she knew, including her father, and the man who would become the new head of the Ledenen Marquis family, before handing him the scabbard she was holding.

“Marquis Volko Ledenen said that no one should retrieve their sword until they had pushed back the enemies.”

“Zion…”

“Now is the time for you to carry out and finish his will.

Ludwig Ledenen.”

“…”

Ludwig stared at it silently for a moment, lost in thought.

Soon, he grabbed the scabbard and bowed his head in gratitude.

“I will follow the Commander’s orders and the Vice Commander’s orders.

The sword will never be put into this scabbard until the moment of victory.”

With those words, Ludwig turned around and headed out.

He was trying to appear nonchalant after hearing the news of Marquis Volko, but if that were easy, no one in the world would be writhing in sorrow.

“…Will they come in a few days?”

As Zion looked at another day that was fading away, she muttered to herself.

If they couldn’t push back the enemies here, Hispania and Klausen would be a literal ‘highway.’

There was no guarantee that the disaster that had occurred at the defense line wouldn’t be repeated in Klausen.

Losing Marquis Volko, and losing countless excellent soldiers, was of course heartbreaking.

However, the enemy invading Klausen and causing an unbearable tragedy was a completely different matter.

They had to completely quell the fierce momentum before the flames spread further.

―

Exactly two days later.

The army of the Holy Prussen lined up in an orderly manner, emitting a brilliant light in front of the defense line.

As if the previous defeat had been completely erased by the great victory that followed, their faces were full of the confidence that they would win.

Conversely, the soldiers of Hispania and Nudia were not in good condition.

This was especially true for those with relatively little combat experience, and it was by no means a pleasant thing, as when one person wavered on the battlefield, the entire surrounding area wavered.

“…Zion Klausen.

I’m asking just in case.

Do you have any good ideas?”

After hearing about the tragedy at the defense line, Ive brought back all of the few elite soldiers.

If the defense line collapsed again here, the entirety of Nudia would fall into the hands of the light fanatics, so they thought it would be better to fight and die here.

In response to Ive’s question, Zion looked at the enemies for a moment and shook her head.

“Unfortunately, the current enemy is not at a level where any trick will work.

No matter what strategy we use, they will just push through with force.

That would only increase the confusion.”

“I heard that Zion Klausen’s strategy can bridge the gap in strength.”

“We can only bridge the gap if the difference is moderate.

All we can do now is somehow hold out and support the soldiers so that they don’t collapse on their own.”

Ive bit her lip at Zion’s words.

She was even more frustrated and pathetic that she couldn’t think of any other way.

According to the testimonies of the survivors who barely returned, the newly appeared enemy was incomparable to any other being, as much as the Wyverns belonging to Hispania.

No, they said it was even more terrifying than that.

No matter how much they attacked, they didn’t fall, let alone get injured, and they mercilessly massacred allies.

Every time the multiple pairs of pure white wings on their backs spread out, their bodies froze at the overwhelming majesty, and they trembled like weak herbivores in front of a beast, begging for their lives like sinners in front of a judge, and eventually lost their lives.

There were even high-ranking knights from Nudia and high-ranking knights from Hispania there.

Yet none of them were able to win against that being, nor were they able to inflict any injuries.

In this case, any soldier would waver.

What’s the point of holding out?

If that monster comes in again, it will be breached anyway.

They would face the most miserable and terrible end than any other death in the world.

“…According to the will of…!

…I will inflict a heavy punishment on…!”

In contrast, the Holy Prussen, who were full of morale, even sent a few knights close to the armies of Hispania and Nudia to shout strange things.

It wouldn’t have been strange if they had been hit by arrows right away, but no one ended up doing such a thing, and in the meantime, the Holy Prussen finished preparing for the attack.

‘Zion Klausen is…’

With Marquis Volko dead, she thought that he would step up and raise morale a bit, but he was just standing there, quietly looking at the enemies.

Looking at that figure, Ive had a foolish thought, even if only for a brief moment, that perhaps this man had given up now.

But at that moment, a knight who had been quietly waiting next to Zion approached the soldiers.

‘Who is that man?’

She heard that he was the successor to the Ledenen Marquis family.

Ludwig Ledenen, the only son of Marquis Volko Ledenen, who died in action this time.

The family’s power was great, but Ludwig himself had not achieved any particular fame or merit, so there was no proper evaluation, so Ive could only tilt her head when he stepped forward.

“That day, your comrades who were there were the same.”

“…?”

“They must have been scared and afraid.

They must have fought lonely, feeling the helplessness that comes when you know that no matter how you fight, no matter what you do, the ending will be the same.”

“…”

“So, did they step back?

Did they turn their backs and run away?

No.

In the end, everyone held their ground and fought and fought until the very end.

Not for an honorable death, but for the ugly comrade next to me, for the young guy behind me.

And for us, who were moving after retreating first.”

Ludwig wasn’t speaking in a particularly loud voice, nor was he giving a desperate feeling.

He was just speaking in a comfortable voice, as if he was talking to himself.

“Let’s not do anything shameful.

Heroes of Hispania, and heroes of Nudia.

We are already all heroes just by stepping up to fight without running away like this, so let’s fight proudly, befitting that title.

So that we are not ashamed of that name, so that we are honest with ourselves.”

At the same time as those words ended, cheers are heard from afar.

Finally, the Holy Prussen launched an attack, and those who were full of morale were approaching the defense line, flashing the light from their weapons.

Conversely, the soldiers of Hispania and Nudia did not shout.

But they didn’t get scared and shrink back, nor did they tremble.

They glared at the enemies who would soon rush in, staring straight ahead with eyes full of venom.

As the son of a nobleman who had lost his father a while ago said, if they had paid for their comrades’ lives, it was now their turn to take them back.

“Charge!”

“Waaaaa!”

“Shield!

Shield!”

In the meantime, the battle began from the front.

Shields collided with shields, and spears flew through the gaps, and the fight continued between those who were trying to find a gap and tenaciously cling to it, and those who were trying to shake off such enemies.

Shouts, screams, the sound of metal on metal, blades colliding – all kinds of noises were tied together and shook the heavens and the earth.

Since neither side was significantly advantageous, the battle naturally did not end immediately and gradually lengthened, and Ril, who was watching it from afar, sighed.

“I built up so much original sin in the last battle that I wasn’t going to step up this time.”
Ril was the most excited since the method of not stepping up had changed.

What could be more exciting than crushing the ant-like things that dared to block their way, she muttered, and headed to the battlefield with the two iron clubs that had turned hundreds of Hispania soldiers into mincemeat in the previous battle.

As multiple pairs of wings spread out and pure white light spread in all directions, the soldiers of the Holy Prussen shouted tremendous cheers, believing without a doubt that this battle would also end in their victory.

They poured in and poured in with all their might at the sight of them stepping onto the battlefield for their sake, and even staining their hands with blood, for the sake of the light.

“Uwaaa!”

“Keuk!”

“Kkeuaaa!”

As the top-tier Celestials appeared on the battlefield, leading the lower-tier Celestials and mid-tier Celestials, the defense line, which had been holding out well until now, collapsed at once with their appearance, and the formation was rapidly collapsing.

Just as the Celestials were massacring the soldiers of Hispania and Nudia, one of the mid-tier Celestials collapsed, spilling red blood, from a sword strike that flew in from somewhere.

At that sight, Ril twitched her eyebrows as if it was quite something, and quietly stared at the new ones who had appeared in front of them.

“…It’s not bad.

But it’s a shame.

It would have been better if they were followers of the light.”

At Ril’s words, Zann spat out, as if telling her not to talk nonsense, and Rishikida hardened her expression even more coldly.

At their reaction, Ril told the Celestials next to her to quickly clean up and join her, and then moved elsewhere to completely disrupt the front lines.

“Stop right there!”

Rishikida tried to rush towards Ril, but was immediately blocked by the attacks of the mid-tier Celestials.

Zann had already entered into battle with the higher-tier Celestial who had been aiming for her from the start, and the women were fighting a melee with the Celestials in the broken formation, trying to buy time somehow.

However, since their skills were similar, what was ultimately advantageous was the side that pushed with numbers, and unfortunately, Rishikida and Zann were outnumbered in the current situation.

“Push forward!

Slaughter the sinners!”

“Light to light!

Shadows into the shadows!”

“Due pain to those who have sinned!”

The Holy Prussen army is gradually gaining the upper hand, shouting fanatical cries from all directions.

In a battle that was already difficult, the Celestials who appeared with Ril completely destroyed the front lines, so the formation collapsed in an instant.

It was the moment when the soldiers of Hispania were losing their will to fight at the fanatical cries heard from all directions and preparing for the very end.

Uuung―.

The beginning was a very short resonance.

A sound that was delivered equally to everyone gathered here.

Most of the soldiers were focused only on the battle without even knowing what it was, but others were different.

Rishikida, Zann, the Celestials who were fighting them, and….

“…What.”

Even Ril, who was wielding her iron club, stopped wielding it and looked back.

Clearly, something very foreign had completely bisected the air and passed through.

This, this energy that the weak could not feel, but the strong definitely felt with goosebumps all over their bodies….

Kwagwagwagwagwa!―

With an explosion, a streak of long lightning is drawn, and a boundary line is engraved in the middle of the front lines.

As if the largest being in the world had swept through with a single fingernail, completely cutting and chopping up the soldiers of the Holy Prussen who were on that line.

“What, what?”

“Uwaaa!”

A huge blue flame rises, and the mana [magical energy] in the area fluctuates, completely tearing the heavens and the earth apart.

Ril, who was blankly staring at the sight, soon let out a sigh when she saw something flying in after that.

“A sword?”

What is a sword?

Something that is held and wielded by someone.

Isn’t that what you call a sword?

No one in the world could call what was flying through the sky like a living creature and flying madly towards this place like the sword right now a sword.

Peok!

Puk!

Puk!

“Keok!”

“Keuheok?”

“Kkeuaaa!”

The soldiers of the Holy Prussen, the Elves, and even the Celestials.

The higher-tier Celestials and mid-tier Celestials who had been overwhelming Zann and Rishikida had to retreat with fatal injuries or were killed on the spot by the sword’s strike.

The sword, piercing through everything equally, flew fiercely for a long time before suddenly stopping its movement.

And behind it, something black fell down.

Emitting a more terrifying and thicker murderous intent than any other being in the world.

The sword waited for the black man for a moment, then followed behind him and ran madly as well.

“…Ahahaha!

You’re all dead now!”

Zann, who was the first to recognize the identity, screamed, and Rishikida smiled after her.

And Zion sighed and silently stared at the monster.

The mana of the battlefield was raging even more, trembling at the appearance of an existence outside the norm, and the blue flames that were spewing out from the ground fluttered as if welcoming their master.

“…Bring the strongest guy.”

True counterattack was exactly this.

―――――――Author’s Note―――――――

I’m, I’m late…!

I brought 3 chapters because I was late!

If you give me a lot of recommendations, 3 chapters might come again…!