Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 166

Thanatos Island.

The pier was a chaotic scene of constant explosions, with flashes of light and fiery blasts erupting everywhere.

Bang! Kaboom! Kaaa-BOOM!

“Aaaagh!”

“Krrk! My leg!”

The Veritas Magic Tower and Grain Company employees screamed and scrambled amidst the relentless shelling.

“Calm down! Calm down and pull the undead out of the burning ships and warehouses!”

“What are the black mages doing! Why aren’t they deploying defensive magic!”

The Magic Tower and Company executives on the pier initially tried to counter the bombardment.

However, just as they gathered mages to cast shield magic, their efforts were repeatedly thwarted by magical attacks from unknown sources.

Moreover, the power of the shelling was immense.

A single shell could instantly shatter large ships and warehouses.

It was impossible to block with any ordinary shield magic.

As a result, the damage rapidly escalated, and some began to flee in panic.

They were too disoriented to realize that there was nowhere to run on the island.

“When the hell is support coming?”

“Where is Former Master Nesta? If only he would step in, blocking this level of shelling would be easier than flipping his hand!”

Just as the faces of the Magic Tower and Company leaders were darkening rapidly,

suddenly, a gray cluster of light appeared in the sky and deflected all the shells flying towards the pier!

“Woah, a Wide Shield Field!”

“Master Nesta is here!”

As they exclaimed, Nesta, wearing a flamboyant robe, appeared behind a gray, translucent barrier.

He glared at the sea shrouded in mist and roared with murderous intent.

“You bastards! How dare you attack this place!”

The Hell Archipelago had long served as the secret hideout of the Veritas Magic Tower.

Among them, Thanatos Island, which they used as their base, was like a second home to the Veritas Magic Tower.

And now, there were those who dared to turn it into a sea of fire!

“You must have killed Alber too, right? I’ll make you suffer the same pain Alber did!”

As his magical power flared, a dozen huge dark spheres formed around Nesta.

It was the 8th circle black magic ‘Dark Moon,’ which was said to be stronger than most 9th circle spells in terms of raw attack power.

Just as he was about to hurl the dark spheres towards the direction from which the shells had come,

he flinched.

Suddenly, a powerful force swept over his body.

Nesta frowned and canceled his attack magic due to the sharp and intense energy.

He couldn’t afford to expose any openings while being targeted by an equally strong opponent.

“Who is it!”

His hoarse cry was met with a message magic that flew into his ear.

– Hehehe, curious? Come here if you want to see my face.

“This bastard!”

Nesta gritted his teeth in anger.

He didn’t know who it was, but how dare they order him around!

However, fighting on the pier would only increase the damage to the Veritas Magic Tower.

Moreover, he needed to buy time until reinforcements arrived from the pyramid, so he began to fly towards the location from which the message magic had come.

“Huh? Master Nesta, where are you going?”

“Please help us!”

The Magic Tower and Company executives shouted from below, but Nesta didn’t hear a word.

In the end, they were left to be battered by the continued shelling.

Luke, who was floating in the air using fly magic, smiled inwardly as the guy he had just ‘tagged’ took the bait.

It was a shame that the opponent wasn’t Arsen, but he was still a Master-level mage, so eliminating him here would inflict significant damage.

‘And if I destroy the Veritas Magic Tower’s secret base, Arsen, who is hiding somewhere, won’t be able to help but come out!’

He planned to crush him so that he could never resurrect again when they met next time.

But to do that, he had to destroy the life vessel that the guy had hidden somewhere. Otherwise, the fight would just keep repeating.

‘I need a clue about where he hid his life vessel. It would be great if this guy who took the bait knows…’

Just as Luke was harboring these expectations,

a flash of light appeared before his eyes, and Nesta appeared.

He was surprised to recognize his opponent.

“Y-you are… Luke de Rakan?!”

Seeing that the opponent seemed to recognize him, Luke smirked and asked.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course! How could I not know you, the one who mercilessly defeated the Progenitor!”

The Veritas Magic Tower had been investigating Luke extensively.

He had emerged as the Magic Tower’s greatest enemy.

Thanks to that, they were able to quickly recognize him through a portrait they had obtained.

“You should be in the Symphonia Kingdom, how did you get here…?”

Nesta believed that the fleet shelling the pier was the navy of the Holy Arternia Empire.

So, he thought that the person who had called him out was either Grand Duke Gregory, the Sword Sage of the Holy Empire, or a high-ranking powerhouse like an Archbishop.

But to think it would be Luke de Rakan!

“I was in the Southern Continent for a bit and heard that the remnants of the Veritas Magic Tower were hiding here.”

“What? Then, are you saying that it was your subordinate who killed Alber the other day!”

‘Alber? The current Master is dead?’

Luke couldn’t help but look surprised at Nesta’s furious reaction.

He hadn’t heard anything about that from Belpar.

‘Heh, that guy caught a big fish, unexpectedly.’

As he was thinking that he should give him a reward when he returned, Nesta said through gritted teeth.

“I will kill you and avenge my son!”

“Hehehe, you’re going to kill me? You think you can beat me when Arsen couldn’t?”

“Kuh! Just because you were lucky enough to defeat the Progenitor, don’t think you can easily defeat me!”

Nesta yelled at Luke, who was sneering at him.

Frankly, his strength was inferior to Arsen’s.

Unlike the Progenitor, who had transcended the 9th circle in both black and white magic and was well-versed in the sorcery of the Southern Continent, he was only at the 9th circle in black magic and the 8th circle in white magic.

Of course, that was enough to make him one of the strongest on the continent, but he wouldn’t be able to win in a one-on-one fight against Luke.

However, he had something to rely on.

It was the high-level undead in the pyramid.

A few days ago, he had finished the rapid creation of two high-level undead, and they were connected to him spiritually.

They would come running immediately when he called them.

He could already feel them approaching this place.

They had responded immediately to his need.

“Kekeke, you will soon realize that your arrogance has hastened your death. If you, who have been a thorn in our Magic Tower’s side, disappear, the Progenitor will be pleased.”

The high-level undead were monsters comparable to the guardians that Arsen had created in the past.

The corpses were from those who were considered the strongest in the Northern and Southern Continents for hundreds of years, and the amount of reagents and sacrifices used in their creation was no less.

‘Tch, if they were properly completed, the lich would be a 9th circle black mage, and the death knight would be close to a Sword Emperor, but it’s a shame.’

Nesta had fallen into despair after Alber’s death the other day.

However, he hadn’t just given up on everything and wallowed in alcohol.

Although Zehart and the elders didn’t know, he had awakened two high-level undead in preparation for the appearance of a possible strong enemy.

He was worried that he might die as absurdly as Alber.

However, this was an act that disobeyed Arsen’s orders. If the undead being created were awakened prematurely, they would not be able to exert their full power and abilities.

‘It can’t be helped. I have to survive first to serve the Progenitor well, right?’

And if he eliminated Luke in this place, he believed that the Progenitor would generously forgive him for disobeying his orders.

As Nesta was thinking this, Luke glanced towards the pyramid and said.

“Huh! I wondered why you were making such a fuss, but it’s because you’re relying on two rotten corpses? Fine, I’ll wait until they come.”

“Kuh! You’re mistaken if you think your arrogance will last forever!”

Nesta wanted to rush at Luke right away.

But he held back.

He could never win against him alone.

The high-level undead wouldn’t be at their full power because they were awakened prematurely, but they would still be stronger than most Sword Sages [a title for exceptionally skilled swordsmen].

If he attacked together with them, he would be able to take the arrogant Luke’s head.

‘Just wait a little longer, Luke! I will make you regret this here!’

2

While Luke and Nesta were facing off,

the shelling that had been pounding the pier stopped as if it were a lie.

“What happened? It was raining down just now?”

“It must be because the gun barrels overheated. Cannons can’t fire properly if they aren’t cooled down from time to time.”

Just as the black mages and company employees, who had finally caught their breath, were peeking out from their hiding places,

something seemed to be approaching from the water’s surface and then climbed onto the pier.

Thump, thump, thump!

“Wh-what is that? Is that a… ?”

“Damn it, it’s a Gigant! The enemy has landed!”

They were walking weapons that looked like large crabs but were clearly made of metal.

They were Gigants [large, humanoid war machines].

Their identities were the Tritons that had been on the Oster.

They had been loaded for ship-to-ship combat or coastal suppression during the Southern Continent expedition, and they were mobilized for this landing operation.

“Block them, block them at all costs!”

Swish!

“Kehk!”

A black mage, who was screaming and firing fire bolt magic, was cut in half and killed by the greatsword of the red-haired Triton at the front.

The red-haired Triton, who had subdued the black mage with a single blow, shouted through the communication device.

“I’m informing all units! Before the second wave lands, quickly seize the pier and secure a beachhead! Not a single unit is to be damaged!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Tritons shouted in unison towards the red-haired Triton, who seemed to be the flagship.

They quickly rushed towards the surviving black mages and company mercenaries.

Whoosh— Bang!

“Kuaaagh!”

As a large harpoon-like spear was thrown, a warehouse was destroyed, and a dozen company employees hiding inside were crushed to death.

“Eit, Dark Ball!”

“Fire Explosion!”

“Magic Sphere!”

Various counterattack magic flew from the ruins of the pier.

They were the black mages who had survived the shelling.

The Tritons staggered somewhat when hit by their attacks, but thanks to the defensive magic circles engraved on their shields and outer armor, they could easily withstand attacks up to the 4th circle.

“Two black mages in the half-destroyed building to the west! Take them out!”

“Yes, sir!”

“There’s one hiding inside the restaurant building to the east!”

“I’ll take care of it!”

The Tritons moved swiftly, throwing javelins or firing crossbows mounted on their shields to take down the black mages.

They ignored the mercenaries’ attacks.

From the riders’ perspective, the black mages, who could damage the Gigantes [large, powerful war machines], were more of a nuisance than the mercenaries.

Of course, there were exceptions even among the mercenaries.

“Captain, there’s a battery 100 meters away at 11 o’clock.”

“Scatter! Use the building debris as shields!”

Whether there were defensive facilities that survived Oster’s shelling, the mercenaries fired cannons at the Tritons.

Boom! Bang! Boom boom!

The Tritons, who had thin armor for naval and landing battles, were riddled with holes when hit by cannonballs.

However, they were much more agile because they were so light.

The riders, taking advantage of their mobility, were skilled enough to avoid the clumsy shelling.

“Damn it, reload quickly… Aaaagh!”

“Kuaaagh!”

The mercenaries clinging to the cannons were bloodied and fell to the ground.

A Triton had grabbed stones and pebbles from the ground and thrown them.

The mercenaries, hit by a hail of stones like buckshot, screamed and rolled on the ground.

“Good job, destroy the cannons so they can’t be used at all.”

“Understood.”

Three Tritons, following the order, stormed the battery and quickly turned the cannons into scrap metal.

In this way, the Triton unit worked in perfect harmony, steadily clearing the pier.

Meanwhile, a barge lowered from the Oster approached the pier, carrying infantry, cannons, and Gigantes.

Once they landed, they would be able to clear the entire island of Thanatos.

“Good, the landing is a success so far.”

Just as the Triton unit commander was smiling with satisfaction, figures in dark armor suddenly rushed out of the forest behind the pier.

They had a very different aura from the mercenaries, and they swung their swords at the Tritons without hesitation.

“Hmph, with those mere swords…”

The Triton rider at the very front scoffed at the enemies.

A knight would need to be at least a mid-level Sword Expert to face a Gigante barehanded.

Of course, being mid-level didn’t guarantee victory against a Gigante. It only meant they could scratch the Gigante’s heavy armor.

Therefore, it was impossible to win against a Gigante one-on-one unless they were at least an upper-level Expert.

But how many upper-level Expert mercenaries would there be among the Veritas Magic Tower guys who committed a great crime and fled from the Northern Continent?

Perhaps, there might not be even one.

Thinking this, the Triton rider immediately swung his greatsword. He expected to see blood splatter and the enemy cut in half, but…

Clang!

The greatsword was blocked by the sword held by the dark figure.

“W-what! It blocked that?”

While the rider was bewildered, the dark-armored figure let out a shriek and pushed the Triton back.

Kieeeeee!

“T-this is!”

The Triton was pushed back by the tremendous force.

It wasn’t just one that was being pushed back.

All six Tritons near the forest were either pushed back by the dark armor or had their knee joints broken, falling to the ground in a pathetic state.

“Be careful, those guys aren’t human, they’re Death Knights!”

The commander, having identified the enemies, warned his subordinates. His subordinates quickly retreated and reorganized their ranks.

“One, two, three… Thirty-two in total.”

“Captain, normal attacks won’t work against them.”

A rider who had briefly exchanged blows with the Death Knights frowned as he spoke.

“I know.”

The Triton unit commander had fought Death Knights in Lamer City during the undead attack last time.

Destroyers who could easily smash a Gigante barehanded.

Death Knights, who were even more skilled, were incredibly fast and strong.

Even normal Gigantes were no match for them, and it was impossible for the weaker Tritons to fight over thirty Death Knights.

“Of course, if we use normal methods.”

Death Knights were strong, but they were not invincible. They had a clear weakness.

“Do we use ‘that’?”

“Yes, it’s time to use it!”

At the commander’s words, the riders took out large glass bottles from the leather pouches attached to the Tritons’ waists and threw them at the approaching Death Knights.

Crash! Crash! Clang!

The glass bottles shattered, and the water inside poured over the Death Knights.

Chiiiik—!

Kieeeeeeeek!

The Death Knights, drenched in the water, thrashed wildly. Black smoke billowed from their bodies as if they had been burned.

“The holy water made by His Majesty works!”

“Even if they’re Death Knights, they’re still undead.”

Before attacking the island, Luke had discovered undead in coffins.

He had to prepare countermeasures in case there were powerful undead like the ones that attacked the southern coast of the Symphonia Kingdom.

So, he created holy water by pouring his divine power into it.

“Pour holy water on your greatswords! Weapons imbued with divine power will deal a great blow to them!”

At the deputy commander’s order, the Triton riders took out new holy water from their leather pouches and applied it to their greatswords.

Kieee! Kieeeek!

The bodies of the Death Knights drenched in holy water melted like candle wax.

The Tritons, with holy water on their greatswords, seized the opportunity and rushed in, cutting down or crushing the weakened Death Knights.

Just as they finished off the Death Knights, new enemies appeared.

They were liches [powerful undead spellcasters].

Five lower and mid-level liches, floating in the sky with Fly magic, unleashed attack magic on the Tritons.

The riders didn’t know, but lower-level liches could use magic up to the 7th circle, and mid-level liches could use magic up to the 8th circle.

Whoosh—!

Kukwakwakwang!

Flash! Flash flash—!

Black flames and lightning exploded everywhere.

The Triton commander, controlling his unit, shouted at the powerful magic.

“Damn it, don’t face them head-on, just dodge!”

But despite his warning, about half of his subordinates were hit by the attacks, their units completely or partially destroyed.

The Triton unit commander was speechless at the truly terrifying black magic and the carnage of his allies.

At that moment, more Death Knights and a group of black mages appeared from the forest.

“Kekekeke! How dare you come here!”

“We will kill all of you who attacked our Veritas Magic Tower and turn you into undead!”

The black mages who appeared were the elders of the tower and their disciples who had awakened the undead left in the pyramid and rushed over.

To stop the enemy’s landing, they thought it was urgent to wipe out the Triton unit that had taken control of the pier.

However, the riders of the Triton unit, who were at the forefront of the landing operation, were not easy to deal with.

This was because Luke had formed the unit with knights who had strong swordsmanship, guts, and adaptability.

“Detonate the flashbangs!”

The Tritons threw flashbangs, which were included with the holy water, in all directions.

Bang! Pop pop bang!

Blinding flashes of light burst one after another in the sky and on the ground.

When the black mages saw the bright light infused with divine power in the fog, they had no choice but to close their eyes tightly.

As those giving orders paused, the movements of the undead became momentarily simple.

In the meantime, the Triton unit quickly picked up their damaged comrades’ units and swiftly retreated from the spot.

“You rat-like bastards!”

“Do you think you can survive by using your tricks!”

One of the elder’s disciples became enraged and led two undead after the Triton unit.

But at that moment, a cannon fired in the distance, and a huge cannonball fell towards him.

“T-this is!”

The elder’s disciple tried to deploy a shield magic in a hurry.

But the cannonball was much faster than his magic.

The large-caliber cannonball from the Oster, which could smash a Gigante in one shot, instantly pulverized him and the two undead.

While the other disciples were stunned by this, the elder urgently shouted.

“What are you doing! Cannonballs are pouring down! Quickly deploy shield magic!”

The Tritons detonated the flashbangs not just to buy time to escape.

It was also to inform the Oster’s sailors of the location to bombard while tying up the enemy’s feet.

“Quickly deploy shield magic… !”

Sssseeeeeeek!

As the elder shouted again, cannonballs rained down from the sky.

As a result, the elder’s group had no choice but to temporarily stop chasing the Triton unit.

3

Around the time the Triton unit detonated flashbangs and retreated on the ground.

The high-level undead that Nesta had been waiting for appeared before Luke.

“Oh, you’re quite loud, aren’t you.”

Luke examined the high-level undead in detail.

The lich, exuding a dark and sticky aura from his whole body, was wearing a familiar and antique robe, perhaps a figure from a similar era to Luke’s when he was Seymon.

On the other hand, the Death Knight, wielding two curved swords, was exuding a sharp aura as if he were a sword himself, wearing armor similar to that of the Song Empire but more colorful.

“This lich is made from the corpse of Fleming, a renowned sage from 400 years ago, and the Death Knight is made from the corpse of Musashi, a first-class swordsman from Yamatai [an ancient Japanese kingdom] who was infamous as a sword demon!”

“Is that so?”

Nesta’s neck veins bulged as Luke didn’t seem very tense despite his boasting.

“Lich Fleming is almost a 9th circle black mage, and Death Knight Musashi is close to a Sword Emperor! With these two joining forces, you have no chance of winning!”

In fact, they were not as good as he boasted because they were not fully refined.

Still, he had no doubt that they could cut off Luke’s arrogant head if they worked together.

“They certainly look strong. If I fight them like this, it might be difficult to win.”

“Hehehe, it’s too late to regret it now.”

Nesta, with a triumphant smile, immediately unleashed attack magic.

“Dark Javelin!”

Dozens of spears made of mana were created above his head and poured down on Luke like lightning.

“This much is nothing!”

It looked terrifying, but it was an attack black magic that he had experienced in his previous fight with Arsen.

He already knew how to deal with it, so he dodged it with ease.

But as he dodged one, two, he felt an unpleasant sensation as if his whole body was entangled in a thick spider web.

In fact, a gray net like a spider web was hanging over his head, and it was Lich Fleming who had created the net.

It was the Dark Spider Web.

Kee ke ke ke!

As a bizarre sound echoed from Lich Fleming’s lips, the magical net tightened even more around Luke.

Taking advantage of the opening, Death Knight Musashi rushed in like a flash.

‘Fast!’

Startled, Luke hastily summoned his Gigant Avenger from subspace.

Clang!

The Avenger’s greatsword blocked Musashi’s sword strike, but the moment it did, Musashi’s blade, like a rapid current in a valley, slipped past the greatsword and flew towards Luke.

While the Avenger was blocking, Luke drew Valiant, hastily parried the attack, and then used Blink to create some distance.

‘Amazing! That quick sword strike was almost on par with the attack speed of Grand Duke Gregory or General Lee Yung-mu.’

Who were Grand Duke Gregory and Lee Yung-mu?

They were the Sword Emperor and figures who were approaching the absolute realm [a level of power beyond normal comprehension].

To be on par with those two was truly astonishing.

When one becomes a Death Knight, their physical abilities are enhanced compared to when they were alive.

However, their swordsmanship skills do not improve.

Judging from the fast and sharp sword strike just now, it seemed that Musashi’s skills were outstanding in his lifetime. And Luke’s thought was correct.

Musashi was revered in the Yamatai Kingdom as a master of dual-wielding swordsmanship, on par with the Sword Saint.

But if Musashi himself knew that his corpse was being used by evil people, what kind of reaction would he have?

Would he be furious, or would he be happy to fight a strong enemy even in death?

‘Well, now is not the time to think deeply about such things.’

While he and the two undead were exchanging attacks, he could feel Nesta gathering power from behind.

‘Hehehe! Can Luke really block this?’

Nesta emitted black and white light from both hands and fused them into one.

It was Chaos Strike, an 8th circle attack black magic [a high-level spell].

Chaos Strike, which recreated the state of the universe when it was first created, grew in power with terrifying momentum.

Whirrrrr!

The moment the sphere of chaos that Nesta had created became the size of a house, he sent it flying towards Luke’s back, who was clashing swords with Musashi.

“Die, Luke de Rakan!”

“Hmph, you think you can kill me with something like Chaos Strike?”

The power of Chaos Strike was indeed strong.

Although it was an 8th circle attack black magic, it could unleash power equivalent to a 9th circle depending on the amount of mana injected.

However, the problem was that the one who created this black magic was none other than Seymon in the past.

Sensing the attack coming from behind, Luke wore a sly smile and moved the Avenger.

Boom!

The Avenger, which had appeared behind Luke in an instant, struck the Chaos Strike with its greatsword.

“W-what? That Gigant doesn’t seem to have a rider, but how can it move like that…?”

“I can control a Gigant without a rider.”

As if to prove his words, Luke took out another Gaius that he carried as a spare from the subspace of his bracelet and attacked Lich Fleming.

Nesta was speechless at the sight of Luke controlling two Gigants while fighting Musashi.

‘Just what is this guy…!’

Luke, who showed new abilities the more he was peeled back like an onion.

Nesta felt a sense of crisis for the first time, but soon shook his head.

‘Still, if I go all out, I can kill him!’

He inwardly gritted his teeth and shook off his doubts, then yelled at the undead.

“Fleming! Musashi! Even if it means causing your mana to go berserk, kill him!”

For the undead, mana was like the life force that sustained their bodies. For the martial artists of the Southern Continent, it was like the essence of their journey.

But to make it go berserk meant that they were no longer thinking about the consequences.

Kieeeee!

Kikiiki!

Musashi and Fleming’s bodies, upon hearing Nesta’s command, turned a dark crimson.

They, who had become more than twice as powerful as before, began to launch a fierce attack on Luke.

The Gaius that was fighting Fleming had its armor shattered in an instant and crashed to the ground.

Nesta did not stand still either.

He also drew up his mana to the maximum and attacked the Avenger while simultaneously unleashing attack magic at Luke.

“Kuh! These bastards!”

Clang! Bang! Bang!

Boom boom boom!

Luke’s expression hardened at the tremendous black magic and storm-like sword strikes pouring down on him.

Nesta wore a triumphant smile as he watched Luke.

Although Luke was managing to block the attacks for now, he looked as precarious as a lamp in the wind due to the tremendous onslaught of attacks.

‘I can do it! If I keep attacking like this, I can kill him!’

Although he would lose two high-level undead, he thought it would be a worthwhile trade if he could kill Luke here.

“Kuh, this won’t do.”

As Luke barely deflected Musashi’s quick sword strike, a skeptical remark escaped his lips, and Nesta was certain of his victory.

In his mind, he pictured himself holding Luke’s severed head and bursting into a victory cry, and Arsen praising his achievements.

“The ground battle also seems precarious… I guess I have to take special measures.”

‘What?’

As the corners of Luke’s lips curled up slightly, Nesta instinctively felt a sense of unease.

However, before he could do anything, a change occurred on the battlefield.

Luke, who was thought to be on the defensive, suddenly manifested tremendous magic.

It was none other than…

4

The Symphonia Kingdom army, which had landed on the pier with the second wave, was engaged in a fierce battle with the undead.

As soon as the shelling ended, they began to clash with the Death Knights and Liches who had rushed to the pier.

Leonard and Shirley, each aboard their Orion, commanded the troops from behind.

“Riders, do not retreat! Gather in groups of three and deploy the combined formation!”

“Artillery, attack the enemies in the rear, and infantry, you’ll only be a hindrance, so retreat to the Oster immediately! Hurry!”

Lower-level Death Knights possessed the power of a Sword Master, and lower-level Liches possessed the power of a 7th circle mage.

Even if they were riding Gigants, it was too much for ordinary knights to face them one-on-one.

Therefore, they tried to face them with a three-man combined formation that applied the combined formation against superhumans.

“Damn it, there are more undead than I expected?”

“Indeed. If His Majesty hadn’t provided us with holy water, the damage would have increased exponentially.”

When they heard that Thanatos Island was a den of black mages, they had expected there would be undead.

However, they had not expected that there would be so many, and that the power of each one would be so strong.

With this level of power, it seemed like it would be easy to devastate a kingdom.

“Still, if we retreat like this, His Majesty will be very disappointed, right?”

At Shirley’s question, Leonard chuckled and replied.

“Of course not. For us Lycanthrope warriors, there is only charge!”

Kiiiiing!

Count Leonard injected a lot of aura into the core engine of his Orion.

Then, as befitting a hero-class [a high-ranking warrior], a sharp yet heavy sound echoed.

With the core engine running at full power, he ran forward with a thud.

“Pitiful humans who could not die even in death! I will grant you eternal rest with my own hands!”

Leonard, who had unfolded his Beast Sword, swung his greatsword at the two Death Knights in front of him.

Boom!

Kieeeek!

Kekekek!

The Death Knights blocked the greatsword with their respective weapons, but they screamed and their entire bodies exploded.

Unlike other knights, Count Leonard was an upper-level Sword Master.

In addition, the power of the Gigantic Aura amplified through the core engine of the hero-class Gigant was not something that the lower-level Death Knights, who were emitting white smoke from their bodies after being hit by holy water, could handle.

It was the same for Shirley.

She used a giant halberd filled with aura to cut off the heads of Death Knights and Liches.

“T-this! Control the mid-level undead and kill those two first!”

A high-ranking elder, who had been watching the fight between the undead and the Gigants from behind, screamed and raged.

Then, the black mages next to him moved the mid-level Death Knights and Liches to attack the two.

With this, Count Leonard and Shirley’s activities had to come to an end.

Unlike the lower-level undead, the mid-level undead were so powerful that it was questionable whether they could be defeated even with the combined power of a hero-class Gigant and their own martial prowess.

Kieeeek!

“What kind of monsters are these!”

“Be careful, Sir Shirley! These guys are faster than us!”

Leonard, who had warned Shirley, blocked the sword of a mid-level Death Knight that was rushing in to target the ankle joint of his Orion.

Claaang!

As he received the attack of the Death Knight, who was unleashing a terrifying sword strike that did not match its size, shockwaves spread in all directions.

Leonard, who clearly felt the vibration in the cockpit, shuddered.

“Damn monster!”

No matter how much of a Sword Master he was, his strength and power could not match even a Knight-class, let alone a hero-class Gigant.

However, the mid-level Death Knight was easily surpassing this.

Whoosh!

Leonard controlled the Orion and kicked the mid-level Death Knight.

However, the Death Knight, who quickly dodged the attack, jumped up and left a deep sword wound on the Orion’s vambrace and retreated.

If Leonard had not dodged the attack at that moment, the Orion’s arm holding the greatsword would have been cut off.

While the two were blocked by the mid-level undead, a mid-level Lich unleashed an 8th circle attack magic at the Gigant unit.

“Huh! That’s surely!”

“Damn it! Get out of the way!”

Hellfire, known as the flames of hell!

That enormous fireball covered the Gigants that were fighting the undead at the front.

Kwaaaang!

“Kuaaak!”

“S-save me!”

The anti-magic barrier engraved on the Gigants that were hit by Hellfire was destroyed in an instant, and the thick shields and armor melted like taffy.

Three were completely destroyed in an instant, and five were half-destroyed.

Including the units that had suffered minor damage, a total of fifteen units were pushed back.

The riders were able to clearly remember why they should never let a great mage run rampant on the battlefield.

“Kuhahahat! Well done! Kill the rest of them too!”

At the high-ranking elder’s cry, other mid-level Liches also began to cast wide-area magic.

The riders’ faces darkened at the sight.

To stop the mid-level Liches, at least Leonard or Shirley had to step forward, but the two were currently tied up by the Death Knights.

Whoooosh!

Two 8th circle attack magic spells, including Hellfire, began to form above the heads of the mid-level Liches.

Just as the attack magic that had just finished casting was about to fly towards the Gigants,

Flash!

A sun rose high in the dark sky.

And it was a sun made of divine power!