The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 263

184. White Bunker Battle (3)

“1st and 2nd Squads!! Gather the broken trees on the left!! 3rd and 4th Squads, circle around to the right and lure the enemy! This is the only instruction you’ll get.”

Miliana’s shout echoed through the forest.

Bang—!!

Crack, crackle――!!

Explosions erupted from the flames spewing out of the golems, and thick trees were crushed under the golems’ feet with loud, snapping sounds.

Miliana turned around.

After the commander unit of the Meister Unit’s 10 golems was destroyed, only 4 of the remaining 9 golems followed her unit into the forest.

“Tch… Only half were lured.”

The other 5 were running towards the front. Their target was, of course, Carryl’s main camp.

She clicked her tongue in disappointment and turned her head.

“I’ll have to leave the rest to him. A large-scale battle will break out soon. We need to take care of these 4 golems as quickly as possible and rejoin the main force.”

“But I wonder how well they can follow a hastily devised strategy, even with training… They are ordinary soldiers, not knights.”

Kinu Mukari followed Miliana’s orders, connecting ropes to the broken trees.

“Digon’s dragon hunt is simple. Break its wings so it can’t fly, then cut off its legs so it can’t stand. And this is no different from hunting other animals.”

Kinu couldn’t help but admire her nonchalant attitude.

It sounded simple, but actually catching a dragon would be impossible without skilled elites.

“But as you said, they are ordinary soldiers. Even my simple tactics will be hard for them to follow.”

“Then…”

“Before breaking their wings and cutting off their legs, we need to use a method to subdue the rampaging ones more easily.”

She said to Kinu.

“It wouldn’t work on a dragon, but golems are different. They don’t have wings, after all.”

Then, as if she had been waiting for this moment, she raised her sword.

“Start a fire!!”

As soon as her command was given, the 1st and 2nd Squads, who had been gathering wood, started a fire.

Whoosh……!!!

The piled-up conifers caught fire instantly, creating a fierce blaze.

“We were lucky to find a forest with sawtooth oaks growing here. Sawtooth oak leaves are not only easy to ignite, but more importantly, they produce thick smoke.”

As she said, it wasn’t long after the fire started that the smoke billowing from the leaves was carried by the wind to their vicinity.

“Even a giant golem is ultimately controlled by a mere human. If their vision is obscured, their movements will inevitably become sluggish.”

“Ah……!!”

Only then did Kinu understand her words that this was a strategy that could only be used on golems, not dragons.

Indeed, the golems chasing after the 3rd and 4th Squads had hesitated due to the smoke.

“Also, smoke not only obscures the enemy’s vision but also our own.”

She cut through the smoke with her sword.

As the sword passed, a gust of wind stirred, and the smoke billowed up, concealing her figure.

“All troops!! Attack the golems in a diagonal line!!”

Waaaaaaaah―――!!!

Waaaaa――!!

The soldiers’ shouts were heard.

“This troublesome method is not my style, but if ordinary soldiers can defeat golems, their morale will be indescribable. Of course, their attacks won’t work on the golems. Now you understand the other meaning of the smoke, right?”

Kinu felt a chill run down his spine at her words.

“You’re using the smoke to deceive even our own troops.”

She raised the corner of her mouth and nodded.

“That’s right. In this smoke, we can move without being seen by the soldiers. Besides, a master archer from the Bi-gung clan [likely a clan known for archery] can hit that large target without any hindrance from this smoke, right?”

“Leave it to me.”

Kinu smiled faintly at her words and drew an arrow.

“All troops!! Attack!!”

She gave the order and simultaneously ran towards the staggering golem, slashing her sword at an invisible speed.

“Hmph……!!”

Kinu Mukari took a breath and immediately took out the bow he had been carrying on his back, drawing the arrow.

Swoosh―――!!!

The smoke swirled in a spiral around the rotating arrowhead as it pierced through the smoke.

One arrow, two arrows, three arrows, four arrows, five arrows.

Clearly, he only drew the bowstring once, but five arrows disappeared into the smoke.

Tzzzzz…….

The blue bow trembled.

The ends of the bow were sharply protruding like snake fangs, and its size was almost as tall as Kinu himself.

The bow he was using was none other than the one Carryl had brought from the elves’ report before.

This bow, which looked similar to the artifact called Wind Poison in the Imperial Palace’s treasure vault, shone even brighter in Kinu’s hands.

He aimed and drew five arrows at once on the massive bowstring.

‘Incredible.’

Kinu wasn’t marveling at his archery skills or the bow itself.

Clang—! Clang! Clang, clang――!

Sparks flashed in the smoke. After the first collision, countless loud noises echoed through the forest. At that moment, Kinu Mukari couldn’t help but be amazed by the sight before him.

None of the soldiers in the forest could see Miliana’s attack.

“The golem has fallen!!”

“Charge!!”

With the sound of trees breaking, the golem fell backward with a crash.

Kinu’s arrows had broken the joints in its legs, but he was more surprised that Miliana’s strike had brought the golem down.

He was the only one who had seen her attack in the smoke.

The soldiers bravely thrust their spears into the smoke at the fallen golem.

Clang—! Clang! Clang――!

The sound of metal clashing still echoed from all directions.

But Miliana had already raised her finger, pointing to the second target.

Thud―

“…….”

She brushed past Kinu, dropping the arrow she had pulled out of the golem in front of him.

The battle had already ended after the first roar.

The soldiers were merely pointing their spears at the fallen golem in the safely obscured smoke.

Clang—! Clang! Clang――!

“Kinu, it seems we were merely lighting a beacon to announce the real battle.”

Miliana emitted two mana blades and stabbed them into the chest armor of the second fallen golem.

Scratch―

Without the sound of armor breaking, her sharp, thin blade slipped through the gap in the golem’s armor.

Drip― Drip―

Black oil, like blood, flowed from the golem’s body. At her words, Kinu raised his head.

Thump…… Thump…….

Thud, thud, thud…….

Unlike the Meister’s small golem unit’s rush from before, a majestic and intense tremor was felt.

“It has begun.”

At that moment, the sun disappeared.

No, it felt like it had disappeared. The only remaining light was the fire burning the coniferous forest.

“…….”

Kinu Mukari stood there with a frozen face, as if he had lost his words.

Sweat trickled down his back.

He hadn’t felt this way even when facing the giant Sand Serpent, the master of the hills.

“H-How can we…”

“…win against something like that?”

The soldiers who had cheered after destroying the first golem murmured anxiously from here and there.

“Truly a monster.”

Miliana stared at the giant golem in front of her.

Even though she had single-handedly disabled the Meister Unit’s small golems, she instinctively knew that it would be impossible to defeat Revol [likely the name of the giant golem], even if she gave it her all, without even fighting it.

A presence surpassing a Sword Master.

Its overwhelming presence was certainly worthy of being called the gatekeeper of the White Bunker.

“But if we catch it, we’ll be heroes.”

She trembled, seemingly thrilled in a different way than Kinu Mukari.

Waaaaaaaah―――!!!

Waaaaa――!!

Cheers echoed from the opposite mountain range in the distance.

Miliana looked at the place with her eyes shining with the swastika pattern and muttered.

“I see why he was waiting. The troops that came up from the middle reaches of Binfredo will soon join us. The audience watching this battle of the century will increase even more.”

Was it a cynical smile, or did it mean ‘as expected’?

“In the end, I was tricked again. Our battle was just a sideshow to make his battle stand out.”

Miliana laughed.

‘But the sight of him standing on top of the fallen giant will be known to all the world.’

Thump―

She couldn’t deny it.

‘I want to see that sight.’

She raised her head with an excited face.

‘Today’s battle will surely be recorded in history.’

Barely calming her pounding heart, she ran towards the third golem.

To witness the beginning of an unprecedented great battle with her own eyes.

* * *

“It’s still an enormous size, no matter how many times I see it.”

Carryl stood on the walls of the White Bunker, staring at the giant golem with shining eyes.

Crrrrrrrr…….

As Revol turned its head, a growling sound like a beast roaring was heard.

“Fortunately, it’s still in Battle Stance 1.”

Carryl muttered in a low voice, examining Revol’s equipment.

Revol had a total of 3 battle forms.

After the basic form, Battle Stance 1, there was Battle Stance 2, equipped with magical artillery to deal with multiple enemies, and Battle Stance 3, developed to catch giant Fallen Ones [powerful monsters].

If Armed Battle Stance 2 had been completed and Wingel had targeted the soldiers behind Carryl instead of Carryl himself, the damage to the allied forces would have been severe.

Nevertheless, Carryl felt a chill as he looked at the golem in front of him.

Clench―

‘I’m lucky. If it had been a year later, it might have been difficult to fight it.’

Carryl tightened his grip on the Ice Claw again.

‘Well, a year later, the Principality would have disappeared from the map anyway.’

He gave a bitter smile.

[Lucky, you say? How can you say such a thing when facing such a formidable enemy? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a large golem of this size. There weren’t many even in the Mythical Era. It’s truly amazing that humans created this.]

‘Were there more golems like Revol in the Mythical Era?’

[Of course, dwarves made golems back then. The dwarves had golems representing each clan. Among them, the Murga clan’s golem had power close to that of a Spirit King, which we also acknowledged.]

‘I see. This Revol was also made based on Enderus’s blueprints. It’s amazing that they were able to implement it to this extent.’

Carryl smacked his lips as he thought that.

‘Revol is definitely an amazing creation. But Wingel Hart, you and I might be able to create golems even better than that.’

A great achievement that he couldn’t achieve in his previous life.

Carryl recalled the incomplete golem blueprint he had obtained on the way to Heim.

Ascalon.

In order to complete Carryl’s other plan to prepare for the Holy War after his regression, he needed a man named Wingel Hart.

Crack―!!

Crack, crack, crack―――!!

Irregularly falling lightning bolts struck Carryl.

A roar erupted from the wall he was standing on, and he couldn’t help but admire the golem that was sprinting through the city.

Its overwhelming size, probably at least 20 meters tall.

The creature, covered in thick armor, held a giant axe and shield in its arms.

[…….]

The blade of the axe Revol was holding still had flashing electricity, scattering in all directions.

With a single blow, the inner wall of the White Bunker collapsed. The soldiers fighting outside the castle, regardless of friend or foe, stared in shock at Revol’s appearance with terrified faces.

The battlefield fell silent as if the battle was already decided.

But the lightning-infused giant’s attack did not stop and continued in succession.

Bang!! Bang, bang―――!!!

The fountain in the plaza exploded from the impact, and water soared into the air.

The water, rising with an invisible force, spread out like a scattering spray and fell into the streets.

“Agh……!!”

“Aaaaaagh……!!”

When Revol’s lightning touched the sprayed water, it spread like a net between the water droplets and fell to the ground.

When the electricity-infused droplets touched the puddles of water on the broken ground, a loud crackling sound echoed, and magic spewed out in all directions, engulfing the soldiers under the collapsed wall.

The soldiers, as if electrocuted, trembled and crawled on the ground with screams.

Black smoke rose from their bodies, and the inside of their armor burned even blacker than the smoke.

The condensed mana blade spewing out of Revol was more intense than that of a Sword Master, instantly annihilating hundreds of soldiers as if they were turning into charcoal just by touching it.

Waaaaaaaah―――!!!

Waaaaa――!!

The Tuli troops, their legs giving way at the sight of the creature swallowing their allies, collapsed, while the Fran troops cheered.

“R-Run away!!”

“Evacuate!!”

The surviving soldiers, terrified that they might become Revol’s sacrifice, screamed desperately and began to scatter, thinking that they might become Revol’s victims if they made a mistake.

The situation was reversed in an instant.

[Ugh!]

Wingel Hart frowned as he looked at the corpses beneath his feet.

So many had died because of his mistake.

Even though they were already dead, he seemed burdened by even stepping on them, and Revol’s movements were restricted, unlike before.

[……!!!]

But only for a moment,

Revol stepped back in surprise, as if startled.

Buildings collapsed every time it took a step, and black dust rose.

Red blood clots burst like balloons under its feet.

“Aaaaaagh!!”

“Aaaaaagh!!”

Wingel closed his eyes without realizing it as he heard the soldiers’ screams.

“You’re not suited for battle after all.”

A low voice was heard.

Tap―! Tap, tap―!

Carryl, who had been where the lightning had struck a moment ago, was now running under Revol, zigzagging between the golem’s legs and leaping up as if bouncing, although others couldn’t see it.

Flash―!!

Stepping on the armor attached to Revol’s waist, Carryl leaped up and instantly stood in front of the creature.

Whooooong―――!!

At that moment, Revol swung its axe horizontally at Carryl.

The giant axe blade cut through the air, creating a sharp tearing sound.

Kwaaaaaang……!!!

The electricity spewing from the blade scattered in all directions like evaporating in the air, emitting smoke.

“Ugh?!

“Aaaaaagh……!”

The soldiers on the battlefield around them covered their ears and collapsed at the tremendous roar.

Tzzzzzzzz…….

White steam began to form as the blizzard poured onto the heated axe.

[Impossible…….]

The soldiers who were running away also stared at the scene with surprised eyes. Wingel, who was riding Revol, also watched the steam and trembled, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Death is an inseparable bond on the battlefield. To be hesitant because you’re afraid of it is truly like giving a pearl necklace to a pig [a waste].”

Surprisingly, Carryl was standing on the horizontally placed axe blade, and Wingel could see him clearly.

It was a force that would have been enough to cut him in half, but Carryl in front of him had a calm face as if nothing was wrong.

Gulp―

He swallowed hard.

“Wingel, I’ll teach you how to use a golem when this battle is over. So…….”

As Carryl’s image zoomed in on the cockpit, Wingel clearly saw the corners of his mouth rising coldly.

“Giant God, I will take you.”