Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 139

7. Into the Trap

1

Luke and Grand Duke Gregory, leading three Undead Legions and 10,000 elite troops, separated near Bremen. Luke’s mission was to enter the city and rescue Archbishop Antero, while Gregory and Reina would remain outside.

“Absolutely no reckless actions, understand?” Luke cautioned.

“Of course. You be careful as well,” Reina replied.

After a quick, secret kiss with Reina, Luke entered Bremen with his Royal Knights, including Hwangbo-sung. Using flight magic, Luke lifted himself and his men into the air to scout the city.

“It’s eerily quiet. It’s as if time has stopped here,” Luke observed.

“I agree, my lord. It doesn’t feel like a city of this world,” a knight responded.

From above, Bremen was a desolate city, completely devoid of people. There wasn’t a single person or even a stray dog, and the expected swarms of zombies were nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm, that’s strange,” Luke muttered.

“I have an ominous feeling. This is too different from the information Grand Duke Gregory provided,” Hwangbo-sung added.

Luke inwardly agreed. The calm before the storm seemed to perfectly describe the situation.

“What are your orders, my lord? Should we retreat?” a knight asked.

“That would be the safest option… but I can’t abandon Archbishop Antero, who is likely inside the Great Temple,” Luke replied.

Archbishop Antero was believed to possess a clue to solving the zombie plague. If that was true, he was worth rescuing, even at a risk.

Having made his decision, Luke moved towards the Great Temple. Unlike other areas, a considerable number of zombies were gathered in front of the temple. A single magic spell could easily wipe them out, but Luke, with an ominous feeling, decided to conserve his strength as much as possible.

‘After all, that many zombies are easily handled by the Royal Knights,’ Luke thought.

He opened the subspace of his bracelet and summoned the Royal Knights’ Gigantes [giant magical constructs].

Thump! Thud!

As a dozen Gigantes landed in the plaza, the Royal Knights, lifted by Luke’s flight magic, climbed into their respective machines. Hwangbo-sung also chose a Gigante. His wooden ox had been damaged in the previous battle with Hiros and was currently being repaired by Jegal Soha. Since she was doing the repairs alone, it was taking time, and in the meantime, Hwangbo-sung had begun learning how to pilot a Gigante. He knew he couldn’t always rely on his wooden ox, and as the commander of the Royal Knights, he needed to be familiar with the weapons his subordinates used.

“Commander Hwangbo-sung, is this your first time piloting a Gigante in actual combat?” Luke asked.

“I’ve practiced enough to not make mistakes. I vow not to disgrace you, my lord,” Hwangbo-sung replied.

“Then I’ll leave it to you,” Luke said.

Hwangbo-sung nodded and turned his gaze to the zombies approaching the Gigante unit.

Keeeee!

Kikikiki!

The zombies that had been circling near the Great Temple charged at the Gigante unit as if sprinting. “Poor souls, may you find peace,” Hwangbo-sung briefly prayed for the zombies and immediately unleashed the Three Thunder God Fist.

Kwaaang!

The Three Thunder God Fist, unleashed with still unfamiliar Gigante controls, didn’t produce its full power. However, it was more than enough to send the non-Gigante zombies flying in pieces. Not only Hwangbo-sung but also the other Royal Knights in their Gigantes easily annihilated the charging zombies with a swing of their greatswords. Soon, the zombies near the Great Temple were completely wiped out.

With a satisfied expression, Luke spoke to Hwangbo-sung and the Royal Knights. “I will enter the Great Temple, so you all stay outside and guard it.”

“It might be dangerous, my lord. I will accompany you,” Hwangbo-sung said with a worried expression.

Luke waved his hand. “You don’t need to worry about me. I know as much as anyone about the undead.”

“Still…”

“Frankly, I’m more worried about Reina outside the city. I’ll quickly look around the Great Temple, so Commander, secure a retreat route with the other Royal Knights.”

“Understood. Please be as careful as possible,” Hwangbo-sung replied.

Leaving Hwangbo-sung and the Royal Knights behind, Luke entered the Great Temple. He had already learned the detailed structure of the Great Temple in Bremen from Grand Duke Gregory, so he went straight down to the basement where the secret room was located without getting lost.

“Archbishop Antero! Where are you!” Luke shouted.

He entered the maze-like warehouse on the second basement floor, looking at the walls as he went deeper. According to Gregory, following the blue wooden cross tiles on the wall would lead to the secret room. Finally reaching a dead end, he shouted towards the wall. “I have come on behalf of His Holiness to take you. So open the door and come out now!”

Despite shouting loudly, there was no response. Not only that, but he couldn’t sense any presence.

‘Are they all dead? Or did they escape somewhere else?’ Luke wondered.

Just as Luke was about to forcibly open the hidden door, he heard footsteps and a presence from beyond the wall.

Thud thud thud!

After a moment, with a low noise, the stone door blocking the secret room opened slightly. People in shabby priest robes cautiously peeked out and asked, “Who are you?”

“Didn’t you hear me? I am Luke de Rakan, the King of Symphonia, who has come to rescue you,” Luke replied.

At Luke’s words, an old priest with dirt all over his face asked with a moved expression, “Oh! Is it truly Your Majesty Luke?”

“Yes, it is. Who are you? Are you perhaps Archbishop Antero?” Luke asked.

At Luke’s question, the old priest fully opened the stone door. Then, he came out and bowed to Luke as he answered, “I am Antero, the Bishop of Bremen. But where is His Holiness? Is he outside the temple?”

“No, His Holiness is outside the city of Bremen. The city seemed dangerous, so I came alone to rescue your party,” Luke explained.

“Oh, dear! I specifically asked for His Holiness to come in person!” Antero lamented with a distressed expression.

Luke, tilting his head, asked again, “Why did you want His Holiness to come here in person? What is this clue about the zombie plague?”

“It’s a very simple yet difficult method. The cause of this plague is due to imposters pretending to be God’s messengers. The disaster will disappear if we eliminate those imposters,” Antero explained.

“Eliminate the imposters… that’s certainly true,” Luke mused.

If there was one thing Luke had clearly grasped since coming to the Saxon region, it was that someone had artificially spread this plague. And it seemed to be deeply connected to Constantine, who was pretending to be God’s messenger. So, Archbishop Antero’s words made some sense. However, Luke didn’t know that the person he considered an imposter and the person Antero considered an imposter were completely different.

“His Holiness said that the woman staying in Bless is a witch disguised as him. The disaster will disappear if we kill the witch,” Antero stated.

“What? What are you talking about?” Luke asked, confused.

“Don’t you understand? The person who should have come here is not Your Majesty Luke. It’s the witch pretending to be His Holiness. I contacted you to lure that witch here,” Antero said, his eyes gleaming like those of a fanatic.

‘Could it be…!’ Luke thought.

He hurriedly examined Antero’s condition with magic. He had thought Antero was just haggard from being chased by zombies, but upon closer inspection, his mind was twisted by mental magic.

“This is a trap!” Luke exclaimed.

“There’s an old saying, ‘a chicken instead of a pheasant.’ It wouldn’t be a bad deal to eliminate the descendant of a foolish hero who was deceived by a witch,” Antero said.

No sooner had Antero finished speaking than dozens of magic circles appeared on the walls of the underground warehouse with an eerie light. Luke’s expression changed when he saw the magic circles.

‘This is definitely the explosion magic I improved about 500 years ago?’ Luke thought.

Why was it set up here? Before he could find an answer, a huge explosion occurred from the magic circles with an enormous light.

Kuaaaaaaang!

The powerful explosion that started on the second basement floor completely pulverized the Great Temple of Bremen.

2

“Hehehe. They fell for it!” Archbishop Constantine, who was in the underground plaza, smiled triumphantly as he felt the shockwave that shook the ground as if an earthquake had occurred. He knew very well what this explosion meant. In the basement of the Great Temple of Bremen, there was a mana bomb made of an enormous amount of gunpowder, pitch, and magic stones. It was disguised as the supplies that were stored there. Furthermore, Beymon, the leader of the Gray Order, had set up explosion magic circles on the walls to amplify the power. Those magic circles were designed to activate when someone came to rescue Archbishop Antero.

“They must have been completely pulverized along with the temple. Who got blown up? Was it that witch, or Grand Duke Gregory?” Constantine wondered.

He thought that one of the two would definitely come to rescue Archbishop Antero. The most likely candidate was Gregory. Since he cherished Veronica III so much, he wouldn’t let her approach a dangerous place.

“Even if it’s Gregory, it’s not a loss. If we’re going to eliminate them anyway, it would be good to take care of all the lackeys and then finally crush the witch miserably,” Constantine thought.

He couldn’t just let the woman who had dared to betray him, or rather, blasphemed against God, die peacefully. Using the hidden zombies and the Undead Legion members brainwashed by Beymon to wipe them all out. That was Constantine’s plan.

“Brother, the fox woman’s army is waiting outside the city. How about we start soon?” Count Markes asked.

Constantine nodded and gave the order. “Immediately inform Beymon and the loyal followers to deploy the zombies!”

As his order was given, the zombies hidden in the underground waterways began to rush to the surface all at once. The explosion of the Great Temple of Bremen was clearly visible to Reina and the others stationed outside the city. As black smoke and a flash of light filled the sky, the mage who had gone to scout returned with a pale face.

“The Great Temple has been destroyed!” the mage reported.

“Ahhh, then he is…” Reina’s legs gave way in shock.

Grand Duke Gregory, who was supporting her as she was about to faint, asked instead, “What about His Majesty Luke and the Royal Knights?”

“The Gigantes that seemed to be ridden by the Symphonia Royal Knights seemed to have survived the explosion. But His Majesty Luke was nowhere to be seen. It seems he went inside the Great Temple…” the mage replied.

If so, he must have been caught in the explosion and flames. The problem was that the explosion just now was too powerful.

Could a human body have survived such a massive explosion that obliterated the Great Temple without a trace? Even if he was riding a Gigantes [a large, humanoid war machine], it seemed unlikely he would have escaped unscathed.

“I… I will go and see for myself,” Reina said, regaining her senses from a semi-dazed state.

Grand Duke Gregory reacted sharply to her words.

“Your Holiness! We have yet to ascertain what is happening inside. How can you possibly…”

Now that it was clear that this was an enemy trap, entering Bremen was akin to courting death.

Gregory tried to dissuade her, but Reina remained firm.

“His Majesty Luke is not only a steadfast ally of our Holy Empire but also my husband. How can I prioritize my safety when his life is in question? If something has happened to him, at the very least, I must recover his remains…”

It was then, as she spoke, that the troops suddenly stirred, and the soldiers began to murmur.

“What is the matter!” Grand Duke Gregory, already in a foul mood, roared.

The adjutant, who had been speaking with a messenger to grasp the situation, replied with a grave expression.

“Zombies! They are pouring out endlessly from the city in front of us, as well as from the forests and valleys to our left and right!”

“What?!” Grand Duke Gregory looked momentarily bewildered.

Just a short while ago, he had sent scouts to check for zombies in the vicinity of the troops.

However, according to the reports from the mages and knights who had returned, there were hardly any zombies to be seen in the city of Bremen.

The same was true for the forests and valleys near the troop’s encampment.

Yet, suddenly, zombies were pouring out!

“Whether they were buried underground or summoned by magic circles, they must have hidden the zombies using some method we are unaware of,” the adjutant advised, causing Grand Duke Gregory to grind his teeth.

“Tch, they deliberately set a trap for us!”

If that was the case, then the magical communication from Archbishop Antero was likely a fake.

“Your Highness! If we hesitate any longer, we will be surrounded! Please issue the order to retreat immediately!” the adjutant urged, causing Grand Duke Gregory to look troubled.

Zombies.

And an uncountable number of them.

Although they had 10,000 troops and three Undead Legion detachments, fighting here would be a foolish choice.

Even if they won, the losses would be significant, and if they were to lose, it would mean annihilation.

He, too, wanted to retreat immediately, but the problem was Reina.

If the Pope continued to insist, they would be stuck in a stalemate.

Perhaps sensing the Grand Duke’s concern, or perhaps having a clear grasp of the situation, Reina issued an order.

“Grand Duke, move the troops to a safe area for now. If a battle breaks out, not only the soldiers but also the citizens who have become zombies will not be safe.”

“Understood, Your Holiness.”

With a pleased expression, Gregory immediately ordered a retreat.

Thanks to the quick order, the Holy Empire’s forces were able to withdraw before being completely surrounded by the zombies.

However, the crisis was not completely over.

The zombies that had emerged from the city continued to pursue them, and those that had sprung from the forests and valleys were closing in from the left and right.

And then, another enemy appeared.

“Reporting! An unidentified Gigantes unit has appeared, blocking our retreat!”

“What? Who in the world…” They must be the ones who set this trap and are connected to this zombie outbreak.

As his anger flared, Grand Duke Gregory gripped his sword hilt, but Reina gave him instructions.

“Lead the vanguard and quickly secure a retreat route. And try to capture the riders who attacked us alive. We need to find out who is behind all of this.”

“But if I leave…”

“You are the fastest way to secure a retreat route. And I have Sir Victor by my side, as well as the other Undead Legion members. So, you don’t need to worry.”

Gregory looked at Victor, who was standing beside Reina.

Though old, he was a reliable knight who had been escorting Reina since the fall of the Volga Kingdom. He was also experienced and seasoned.

He judged that at the very least, he would not put her in danger.

“Sir Victor, I entrust Her Holiness to you.”

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

Having entrusted Reina to Victor, Gregory boarded the Hero-class Gigantes, Veda, and set out to eliminate the enemy Gigantes unit.

The enemy’s combat power was more formidable than expected, and by the time Gregory arrived, the vanguard of his forces had already suffered considerable damage.

Not only had hundreds of soldiers been slaughtered, but more than a dozen Gigantes had also been destroyed.

“You bastards, I will never forgive you!” With flames blazing in his eyes, Grand Duke Gregory roared and charged at the enemy.

Clang! Bang! Clang, clang, clang!

With a series of rough and loud metallic sounds, the enemy Gigantes unit began to be swept away in an instant.

The enemy riders were skilled enough to block the Holy Empire’s retreat.

However, the situation quickly reversed when Sword Sage Gregory and the Undead Legion members he led joined the fray.

After a brief battle, nearly a third of the enemy had fallen, and the remaining enemy Gigantes began to retreat, exchanging hand signals.

“Cowardly bastards, where do you think you’re going!” Gregory immediately pursued them.

However, the fleeing enemies had collapsed the narrow mountain path with pre-planted explosives, forcing him to abandon the chase.

It was difficult for the Undead Legion’s Gigantes unit, composed of large Hero-class and Knight-class units, to enter, and there was also the risk of encountering an ambush.

Moreover, what was important for them now was a quick retreat, not the annihilation of the enemy.

Turning his unit around, Gregory returned to the site of the battle.

He called over the commander who was investigating the enemy Gigantes and clearing the retreat route and gave him an order.

“Bring the prisoners here immediately.”

“Um, that is…”

“Why? Is there a problem?” Gregory asked, and the commander sighed with a regretful expression.

“They all committed suicide when it seemed like they were about to be captured.”

“What? They are truly ruthless.”

The best way to prevent secrets from leaking is to eliminate everyone who knows them.

That is why some kingdoms and knightly orders instruct their riders, who are high-ranking soldiers with a lot of information, to ‘commit suicide if they are about to be captured by the enemy.’

However, this is not always followed.

Because people want to survive at all costs, rather than die for their mission.

This case was very rare.

“We suspect they were brainwashed.”

“Have you investigated their belongings and Gigantes?”

“Yes, the Gigantes were a mix from the 10 Magic Towers, and there was nothing in their belongings that could identify their status.”

“Hmm…”

As Grand Duke Gregory frowned in distress, a messenger rushed towards him from the rear.

“What is it?”

“Y-Your Highness, Her Holiness…”

“What happened to Her Holiness?” Gregory pressed, feeling a sense of foreboding.

The messenger, grabbed by the collar, replied with a terrified expression.

“Her Holiness has disappeared.”

“Disappeared? What do you mean…” Gregory’s expression hardened like stone as he questioned the messenger.

He remembered how Reina had insisted on entering Bremen to confirm Luke’s safety before the retreat.

He also recalled her calm demeanor when she ordered him to secure a retreat route.

It seemed that Reina had already planned to disappear at that time.

“This is… This is unbelievable! She’s truly impossible!” A roar of anger erupted from Gregory’s mouth.

He immediately issued orders to the bewildered adjutant and several commanders.

“The retreat is canceled! All troops will advance into Bremen!”

“But Your Highness, Her Holiness clearly ordered us to retreat…”

“That Her Holiness has gone into Bremen! Do you think this country has a future without Her Holiness?” Gregory’s question was met with silence.

They all knew how much the Holy Artenia Empire had changed since Reina took the throne.

As Grand Duke Gregory said, if they lost her, all reforms would be halted, and the country would fall back into ruin.

“I will not punish those who do not follow.”

There was no point in dragging along those who did not want to go.

Having made that judgment, Gregory led the Undead Legion towards Bremen.

The central army commanders, who had hesitated for a moment, followed behind them, and the knights and soldiers, who had been looking at each other, also turned their steps towards Bremen.

They were afraid of the undead, but no one wanted to lose hope in the Pope.

3

Kuaaaang—!

Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights, who were on guard outside the Great Temple, were swept away by a sudden explosion from behind.

The tremendous force sent their Gigantes flying dozens of meters, crashing into the ground or nearby buildings.

Crash! Bang—!

“Kuh-euk!” The Royal Knights felt as if their internal organs were being torn apart by the unexpected impact.

However, thanks to the Gigantes’ thick armor and defensive magic circles, they were able to avoid the worst-case scenario of their machines being completely destroyed.

No riders were killed.

Hwangbo Seong, who was the first to get up, turned towards the Great Temple and wore a look of utter despair.

“M-My Lord…”

The Great Temple was gone.

Where the large, magnificent building had stood just a moment ago, there were only stone fragments.

“Kkeueung!”

“Keung!” The Royal Knights, who had risen one by one, looked at the ruins and asked in bewildered voices.

“C-Commander!”

“What should we do now?”

“What do you mean, what should we do! We’ll search the rubble and find His Majesty!” Just as the Royal Knights, following Hwangbo Seong’s orders, were about to approach the ruins.

Thud! Crack!

Suddenly, several large buildings nearby collapsed, and Gigantes poured out from within.

Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights were startled by the sight.

“What, what is this? An ambush?”

“To think so many Gigantes were hidden!”

The gray Gigantes, their emblems removed to obscure their affiliation, quickly began to surround the Symphonia Royal Knights.

However, Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights weren’t simply panicking.

As the elite chosen by Luke from the Symphonia Kingdom, they quickly formed a circular formation and blocked the attacks of the charging enemy Gigantes.

Clang! Crunch!

Boom! Boom, boom!

The battle situation turned unfavorable for the Symphonia Royal Knights.

Although their Gigantes had superior performance and output, most of them had lost their greatswords and shields in the earlier explosion.

It was only thanks to Hwangbo Seong, who was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and continuously unleashed the Three Thunder God Fist [a martial arts technique], that they were able to keep fighting.

“Don’t panic! If you don’t have weapons, pick up the ones the enemies drop and fight!”

Despite the valiant efforts of Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights, the situation did not improve.

The ambushing Gigantes were far greater in number.

Watching his allies fall one by one, Hwangbo Seong let out a sigh.

To be on the verge of annihilation when he didn’t even know the whereabouts of his lord!

Crack!

“Damn it!”

Hwangbo Seong, having knocked down an approaching Gigante with the Three Thunder God Fist, looked dismayed as the right hand of his Gigante was destroyed.

Unlike wooden puppets, Gigantes were not designed to fight barehanded.

Even with aura imbued, the hands were only made to hold weapons, so it was no wonder they were damaged after repeatedly striking the steel armor of enemy Gigantes.

“Now’s our chance! Finish him off!”

Enemy Gigantes rushed in, seeing that Hwangbo Seong’s Gigante was damaged.

Just as Hwangbo Seong hastily switched to a defensive stance, the ground they were standing on suddenly cracked and exploded.

Boom!

“Kuaaaak!”

The sudden explosion caused Gigantes to fall, friend and foe alike.

However, Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights were delighted.

Slowly rising from the cracked ground was none other than their lord and king’s Gigante, the Avenger.

“Heh heh heh! You’ve been thoroughly caught off guard.”

Luke looked at the enemies who had managed to put him in a difficult situation for the first time in a while, a manic smile on his face.

Then, Hwangbo Seong approached and asked worriedly.

“My lord, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere…?”

“I’m fine. I summoned and boarded the Avenger at the same time as the explosion.”

The moment Archbishop Antero activated the explosion magic.

Luke used Blink [a teleportation spell] to create as much distance as possible while simultaneously summoning the Avenger from the subspace of his bracelet.

He judged that it would be safer to be aboard a Gigante than to be on foot.

As soon as Luke boarded the Avenger, he activated multiple layers of shield magic.

The shield magic, amplified by the core engine, protected him safely even amidst the massive explosion.

“Hmph. I feel refreshed after being caught off guard for the first time in a while. Even a priest who has served God for a long time is still human… I’ve learned that they can be brainwashed.”

Luke’s tone was cheerful, but Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights could feel that he was incredibly angry.

The aura emanating from the Avenger was terrifying.

It was as if they were looking at a demon summoned from hell.

“I’ve had a very good experience. How should I repay these grateful friends who have given me such a unique experience?”

Luke turned his gaze towards the enemy Gigantes, who were still reeling from the shock.

He had never imagined that Gigantes would be ambushing around the Great Temple before he fell into the trap.

He had been focusing all his attention on the zombies and any survivors, and Beymon had installed special magic circles around the ambush site to conceal the mana emitted by the Gigantes.

Anyway, while Luke was pondering how to deal with them, the enemies, having recovered from the shock, reorganized their ranks.

“The enemy’s leader has appeared! If we kill him, the true apostle of God will give us a great reward!”

“Attack! Warriors of God!”

The shouts of those who seemed to be squad leaders echoed through the communication devices.

The enemy Gigantes charged at the Avenger all at once.

As Hwangbo Seong and the Royal Knights tried to counterattack, Luke stopped them.

“You all stay put.”

“My lord, why…?”

“They are the ones who gave me a good experience. In that sense, shouldn’t I show them my true power? That way, they can accept their deaths more easily.”

Luke, who was extremely angry, was planning to wipe out the enemies with all his might.

‘If it’s my lord’s true power…’

Hwangbo Seong, who knew well what power Luke usually concealed, was startled.

However, the Royal Knights who heard those words were merely curious.

‘If it’s His Majesty’s true power, is he perhaps going to use black magic?’

‘Was it true that he mastered the essence of the Demon King Seymon?’

They had also heard about the commotion that occurred when the Dark Moon black mages came and Luke’s revelation.

They were taken aback by the shocking story.

However, they decided to wait and see for now.

Since even the Holy Empire, which should have been the most shocked, was silent, and considering Luke’s behavior they had seen by his side, they didn’t think he had learned black magic with bad intentions.

Moreover, they had seen the Dark Moon black mages helping in various ways, such as controlling and isolating the zombies, so their hostility towards black magic was weaker than that of the senior knights.

‘If he even uses black magic, how strong will His Majesty’s combat ability be?’

‘Considering he caught a high-ranking demon before…’

They had seen the sword masters of the Symphonia Kingdom spar with the king several times.

Although he fought against multiple opponents, they had never felt that Luke was using his full power.

So, they had roughly estimated that he had reached the level of a Sword Sage [a master swordsman].

As everyone watched, Luke took a step towards the charging enemy Gigantes and raised the Avenger’s right hand.

“Black Bind!”

Thud!

The ether globe in Luke’s heart transformed into a black circle.

The moment the black magic was amplified through the Avenger’s core engine, black plant root-like things surged from the ground.

Those tendrils entangled the legs and torsos of the enemy Gigantes that were charging in the lead.

“Ugh! What is this!”

“I, I can’t move the Gigante…”

The panicked enemies struggled, but the more they did, the more the core engine’s output decreased, and the rider’s aura also diminished.

The Symphonia Royal Knights looked at the immobilized enemies with a slightly disappointed expression.

‘What is this, is this black magic?’

‘I thought it would show some great destructive power, but it’s no different from a hold magic, is it?’

It was not unreasonable for them to think this way.

The fact that the enemies’ aura was being absorbed by Luke through the Black Bind was only visible to one person.

While the captured enemies were floundering, Luke activated black magic once again.

“I will grind every last one of you into dust. Dark Grinder!”

As the incantation was spoken, a purple mist gathered above the heads of the enemy Gigantes.

The mist, swirling like a whirlwind, began to envelop the enemy Gigantes.

Then, sounds like metal breaking and grinding echoed continuously from within the mist.

Crack! Crack!

Along with the gruesome sounds of destruction, the screams of the riders could occasionally be heard.

The Dark Grinder was a new black magic that Luke had recently created by combining Dark Gravity magic and Dark Impact magic.

The particles of magical energy, gathered like a purple mist, were accelerated faster and more violently than a storm, crushing and grinding everything caught inside.

Once caught in this magic, not even a hero-class Gigante could withstand it.

Thus, the enemy Gigantes that had charged in first were reduced to metal dust without being able to do anything within the black mist.

Unlike before, the Symphonia Royal Knights couldn’t help but tremble.

‘T-This is the black magic of the Demon King Seymon!’

‘Was this it? The power that waged war against the continent in the past!’

Just as much as the Royal Knights were surprised, the enemies were also horrified.

Their fighting spirit was instantly broken.

They had seen the prowess of renowned knights and mages while experiencing wars both domestically and abroad, but they had never seen a Gigante unit wiped out in such a way.

“This can’t be…! Am I dreaming right now?”

“R-Run away!”

The enemies, terrified, hesitated and retreated.

Towards them, the Avenger, having drawn its greatsword, charged in like lightning.

Swoosh! Shuga-gak!

The Avenger moved like lightning, following Luke’s control.

Afterimages flickered everywhere as if dozens of Avengers were sweeping through, and the dazzling trails of aura cutting through the air spread like a net.

The enemy units caught in that net were invariably destroyed, cut in half.

“Damn it, our escape route is blocked!”

“Don’t stand there like idiots, block them! Smash them to pieces!”

The enemies also screamed and tried their best to resist.

However, with Luke activating the 3-stage build-up and using the Scudd [a high-speed movement technique], the fallen angel’s high-speed movement ability, the Avenger’s movements became impossible for most knights to follow with their eyes.

In an instant, most of the enemy Gigantes were destroyed, and the rest threw away their greatswords and shields and fled in a panic.

Some were so terrified that they even abandoned their Gigantes and ran away.

“Heh heh heh. You were free to charge at me, but you need my permission to run away!”

Krrrrrr!

With a thunderous roar, Thunder Bringer [a lightning-based attack] was activated from the Avenger’s hand.

A thick purple spark formed at his fingertips, and then lightning spread wildly in all directions.

With that, the remaining enemies were completely reduced to ashes.

Luke’s terrifying divine power, which annihilated every last one of them, made not only the Royal Knights but even Hwangbo Seong, who already knew his power, widen his eyes in surprise.

‘I thought it would be a one-sided fight… but this isn’t a fight, it’s a massacre.’

‘He has obtained the power of the Demon King on top of the swordsmanship of a hero!’

‘Emperor Rudolf might not even be His Majesty’s match anymore.’

While everyone was thinking various thoughts, Luke gave an order.

“Everyone, tend to the wounded and prepare to move out.”

“Prepare to move out? My lord, isn’t the battle over?”

Luke shook his head at Hwangbo Seong’s question.

“No, the zombies’ movements have become more vigorous than before. They are clearly targeting the Holy Empire army outside the castle.”

There was worry in Luke’s tone as he said that.

The Royal Knights, who knew well what he was worried about, quickly cleaned up the surroundings and followed him.