The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 436

264. Hekt Battle (1)

“Advance!!!!”

Viola shouted with all her might, drawing her rapier, Silver Wrath.

Though an extremely thin rapier, its blade shone like a star, distinctly revealing its presence as if illuminating every corner of the battlefield.

“Waaaaaaaah—!!”

“Waaaaaah—!!”

At her cry, knights led by Grace Panfiel began to charge toward the enemy.

“First Magic Corps! Deploy the barrier!”

Right behind the knights, mages riding in carriages driven by cavalry began to chant.

Despite the rough horsemanship of galloping at full speed, the mages of the Ulkas Magic Corps showed no signs of disarray.

Even with Thompson absent, they showed unwavering composure in battle, because they were not mages raised with spell training in the academy, but true veterans who had survived countless life-or-death struggles hunting monsters within the guild.

[Karak! Karararak!!!]

The frog-faced monsters screamed at the charging knights, thrusting their iron spears haphazardly.

“Do not slow down!”

The number of Hekt’s forces was immense, beyond counting. Even with thousands of monsters rushing toward them, Grace spurred his horse and shouted.

“Huu……!!”

Mana Blade surged from his sword.

Paat!!!

Grace leaped, stepping on his horse’s saddle, and plunged into the center of the monster horde with the speed of a raging wave.

Panfiel Family Swordsmanship – Stone Skipping [a technique that creates shockwaves].

At the center of the monsters, he laid his sword horizontally and struck the ground as if scooping it up, causing a ring of sharp shockwaves to erupt and spread rapidly around him.

Clang! Kwakakakakang……! Kwagang!!!!

The monsters trying to attack Grace were instead flung away in all directions by the shockwave. But only for a moment; the hundreds of corpses were instantly replaced, and they lunged at Grace.

“Captain!”

Simultaneous with the knights’ shouts, the Hekts’ sharp spears rained down on him.

Chang! Chakang! Chakakakakang……!!

Sparks flew and the sound of clashing metal rang out loudly. But none of their attacks landed. A blue barrier flickered around Grace each time a spear struck it.

Hwareureureuk! Pung!! Pung!!

At the same time, flames poured down on the monsters relentlessly hammering with their spears. Seeing the mages of the Ulkas Guild chanting in the distance, Grace shouted as if he had been waiting for it.

“All troops!! Trust the Magic Corps and advance!”

Dudududududu—!!

Dududu—!!!

The knights’ sharp spears, piercing the monsters’ flanks, instantly began to cut through their formation like waves.

[Karak! Karararak……!!]

“Die!!”

[Kereureureureuk……! Kak!!]

“Heup!!”

In an instant, the front lines became entangled, and flames erupted everywhere as blood and corpses piled up.

“Deploy the shields!”

Viola, watching the situation on the battlefield, shouted toward the entangled knights.

Tactic – Iron Wall [a defensive formation using interconnected shields].

Hwaaaaaak—!!

As the knights pulled the long cords attached to their waists, blades sprouted from the back of their armor like wings, and sharp shields unfolded like fans.

“Hap-!!!”

The knights, creating space by cutting down the surrounding monsters with the sharp shield blades, simultaneously formed a wall, and the completed shield wall, with one shield connected to another, divided the monsters on both sides.

“Grace! You and the right-wing knights prevent them from crossing the shields! Left-wing knights, follow me and annihilate them!!”

Viola shouted as if she had been waiting for it, wielding her silver rapier and plunging into the enemy lines.

“Hyah……!! Hyah!! Protect Lady Viola, everyone!!”

“Defend Her Majesty at all costs!!”

As she began to stir among the monsters, the knights hurriedly followed her, fighting.

“Not bad. I thought the sword was just a royal decoration. She has useful swordsmanship.”

“You call that useful? Can’t you see the knights rushing to protect her? Sister, you’re too lenient with the centrals.”

The youngest of the Digon sisters, a small and youthful girl among the three on the hill watching the Lanion Alliance’s battle, said with a sulky face.

“Look. There’s a huge one in the back. That’s probably the Hekt that Lord mentioned. No matter how many small fries we catch, it’s useless. In the end, they can’t do anything without us.”

“That’s why we came.”

“Yes, yes. That’s right. Someone rolled in the mud just for mentioning reinforcements, but they’re getting praised even though they’re receiving support.”

The youthful girl, shrugging her shoulders, was none other than Dig, the youngest of the Digon sisters.

Looking at Dig, the second sister, Kanocho, chuckled.

“She is a queen, and we are warriors, so naturally, the way we are treated must be different.”

“Queen? That word is only allowed for the leader of Digon. It’s not even worthy of such small fries.”

Dig scoffed.

But Kanocho said, looking at her.

“The Queen of Digon is special. Comparing her to them is ridiculous. Just as we are different from them, it’s foolish to simply call the leader of Digon a queen.”

She took out the two crescent-moon twin swords she was carrying on her back and said.

“Empress. That’s a word that suits the leader of Digon, the queen of absolute power.”

Taat-!!

Kanocho was the first to strike the waist of Kargon, called the southern horse [a type of mount], and tried to descend the hill.

“So, we must also be different from ordinary knights. Let’s go, we’ll be the first to behead Hekt.”

Her huge crescent sword shone.

“No need to say twice.”

Following her, Dig crossed her twin swords and stood on the saddle, placing one leg on Kargon’s head, and began to run upright as if performing acrobatics, without even holding the reins.

“Stop.”

It was then.

Miliana called out to the two who were just spurring their horses, and at her call, the sisters hurriedly stopped Kargon.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why?”

“As always, we open the gates of war. He said there are monsters like me all over the continent. We must be the first to cut off his head.”

At her words, the two looked at her with eyes that seemed to ask why she stopped them.

“It’s true that we’re fighting in the name of Digon, but this time, beheading Hekt is not our job. We’re just announcing the start of the war.”

She looked at a man standing behind the two of them and said.

“Beheading Hekt is your job.”

“M-Me?”

The giant man looked at Miliana and asked in a trembling voice. The thick heavy armor he was wearing was so heavy that ordinary people couldn’t even wear it, but the eyes inside the helmet still looked full of tension.

“Because you know that’s why Karil entrusted you to us. Be the first to raise Hekt’s corpse and show it to the sky. Your name will echo throughout the continent with this war.”

Miliana said, looking at him.

“Hawat Tashun.”

Gulp-

As his name was called, the giant man swallowed hard.

“Oh, geez……. Not like I’m a nanny.”

Dig said, tapping the huge hammer as tall as herself that Hawat was holding.

“Consider it an honor. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the three Digon sisters to clear the way for you.”

“Let’s go.”

Tat-!!

As soon as Miliana’s words fell, Dig climbed onto Hawat’s shoulder as if she had been waiting for it. Her small frame fit perfectly into the gaps in his armor as if it had been tailored.

She placed one foot on Hawat’s shoulder, just like when she rode Kargon earlier, and said.

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

Hawat looked at the small girl, who wouldn’t even reach his thigh, with a curious expression as she spoke so confidently.

“Let’s sweep them away.”

Kwaaaaaaaang—!!!

“……!!!”

He nodded and jumped down the hill with all his might, and Dig widened her eyes in surprise at the tremendous speed.

“Ha, haha…….”

The cold wind hit her face, and with each stride of Hawat’s legs, it felt like the Hekt, which had seemed so far away, was approaching in an instant.

“This is nothing compared to Kargon?”

The vast landscape of the battlefield came into her view, and the sight of countless troops entangled there was laid out beneath her as if she were looking at a map.

This was a first for her.

“So, this is the view a giant sees.”

Dig chuckled.

“Now I can look down on the battlefield from higher than my sisters.”

She nodded, biting her lip slightly as if satisfied.

Paat-!!!

Using Hawat’s shoulder as a stepping stone, she leaped up.

Digon Twin Swordsmanship 3rd Form – Flying Bird Wave [a swift, aerial sword technique].

A flashing light appeared between the crossed daggers, and she dashed towards Hekt, stirring through the monsters as if a bird were flying.

Swish……! Sasa삭……!!

Dig shouted, embedding her sword precisely in the monster’s nape.

“Hawat!!”

As she called his name, Hawat swung his huge hammer at the bleeding monster as if the two had planned it in advance.

Thud-!!!

His hammer, swung in a circle, felt like he was swinging it in the air, with nothing to catch on.

Trickle……. Pshoo……!!!

But above the heads of the monsters with crushed skulls around Hawat, blood gushed out like a fountain.

“Heuk?!”

Hawat was startled and almost dropped his hammer, but instead, he stepped back and stepped on a monster.

[Karak!! Karararak……!!]

Wooddeudeuk-!

The monster’s scream, like a cry, was only momentary as its body burst like a balloon when Hawat stepped on it.

“…….”

In an instant, all the monsters around Hawat disappeared. Dig stared at him, unable to close her mouth, and blinked in surprise.

“Sister.”

She looked at Miliana.

“??”

“I think I’ve found it too. I’ll cheer for you too, sister.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Miliana said, cutting down a monster’s neck with her sword, as if she was dumbfounded.

“Here we go again. You don’t have to worry about it. She always does that when she sees a strong person.”

Kanocho shook her head as if she knew it would happen.

“No. It’s different this time.”

But Dig said, her eyes sparkling.

“Not only is he strong, but he’s also tall.”

“……Isn’t he too tall?”

Despite Kanocho’s teasing, Dig raised the corners of her lips slightly and looked at Hawat.

“You.”

Hawat’s shoulders flinched as the blood-stained dagger pointed at him. But it was nothing compared to his hammer, which was covered in blood with chunks of flesh crushed and stuck to it.

“Be mine.”

“……Yes?”

His face was hidden by his helmet, but Hawat’s bewildered expression was evident.

“From now on, trust me and follow me. I’ll give you Hekt’s head as a token of our covenant.”

Dig thumped her chest, several times more slender than Hawat’s, with her fist and said firmly.

“Follow me.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Hawat’s golden armor, following behind her, was shining.

“The power of the sun isn’t just in the Ivory Tower [a place of scholarly isolation].”

Miliana chuckled, looking at the two of them with an endearing gaze.

“The giant’s sun has already risen on the battlefield. This must be the scene you were drawing, Karil.”

She murmured quietly, looking far away at the northern end.