The 9Th Class Swordmaster: Blade Of Truth [EN]: Chapter 437

264. Hekt Battle (2)

“All troops!! Forward!!”

A hearty laugh echoed across the battlefield.

“Open all firing ports!!”

Woo-woo-woo-woong……!

Woo-oong!! Clang-!! Grrr-!!!

As Gordon Fabian’s voice boomed through the control room, the decks on either side of the airship opened, revealing massive gun batteries.

“Fire!!!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!! Fwoooosh—!!!

Flames erupted from the gun ports, and artillery fire rained down in all directions around the airship. The ground, scorched by magical bombardment, was engulfed in swirling infernos.

“Karril had something fun, didn’t he.”

Gordon Fabian chuckled, gazing down at the earth consumed by flames and thick black smoke. The magical gun batteries mounted on the airship were newly modified versions of those found in the Immortal Guild’s Anti-Theft Grand Library.

The firepower was incomparable to anything previously mounted on the airship.

[Kara-rack!! Crack……!]

[Kek……!!]

Lieutenant Jegan Luke, witnessing the Hekts writhing in agony from the flames through the control room’s magic mirror, sighed softly.

“A complete victory. It seems there’s nothing to it. This disaster is an easy one? They can’t do anything when we’re shooting from above.”

He shrugged, watching the Hekts turn to charred ash.

“Don’t let your guard down. Karril has deployed the entire army for this war. It won’t end this simply.”

“It’s hard to take that seriously coming from the person who’s the least tense.”

“Heh heh, is that so?”

Gordon Fabian grinned at Jegan’s words.

Indeed, it was a more perfect battle than he had anticipated. The enhanced gun ports didn’t just fire cannonballs; they launched magical projectiles crafted by mages.

“Be grateful. The Immortal Guild not only lent us the gun batteries but also provided the magic bullets for you.”

Nine Darhoon cracked his neck, looking weary.

“The Immortal Guild reduced to babysitting a mercenary company [团, tuán – a Chinese term for group or company]. Unbelievable.”

“Heh heh, if you’re so unhappy, why don’t you build your own airship? A once-renowned archmage is being quite petty.”

“Oh? I don’t need to build one. I could just turn you lot into corpses and use you as my puppets, couldn’t I?”

“Try it.”

“You two are amazing. But please don’t fight inside the airship. If we crash, the mercenary company and the Immortal Guild are both finished.”

Jegan spoke with a nonchalant expression, as if accustomed to such situations.

“Don’t worry. We’ll finish it before the airship crashes.”

“Indeed. And if you all die, I’ll resurrect you as undead, so be grateful.”

“…….”

Jegan shook his head, sighing at their unyielding responses.

‘Those powerhouses, honestly…….’

They were all extraordinary beings.

Arrogant and brimming with endless conceit, but they possessed the skill to back it all up.

‘The one person above those at the pinnacle.’

Jegan couldn’t even fathom it.

Sometimes, he thought it was fortunate that the Empire had fallen. He had secretly colluded with the Empire for the sake of the mercenary company’s survival, but the Empire was ultimately destined to lose.

It was a stroke of luck that the war ended before the mercenary company sided with the Empire, but thinking about it, it was Karril who cured Gordon’s illness, which was the main reason for colluding with the Empire in the first place.

‘They were never a match to begin with.’

Jegan smiled wryly and scanned the magic mirrors in the control room.

“Captain. I see the commander over there.”

“Hmm?”

At his words, the two who had been bickering simultaneously looked down.

A massive Hekt, having survived the airship’s bombardment, was shouting and waving a spear.

“Definitely looks like a leader. I’ll take that one. Have the boys ready the Mouter [likely a weapon].”

“Who said you could? Don’t do anything reckless.”

“……Are you planning to jump from here?”

“What about it?”

“Instead of turning into mincemeat since you can’t even use magic, just stay put inside the airship.”

Gordon Fabian and Nine Darhoon, forgetting their ages, raced towards the airship’s deck.

“Honestly, those two are out of their minds……. Looks like the captain isn’t the only one living on the edge.”

Jegan shook his head in disbelief.

But at that moment,

His gaze stopped on one of the many magic mirrors floating in the control room.

“……!!”

After staring at the magic mirror for a while, he chuckled and muttered to the two who had already fallen below the airship.

“Oh dear. You’re both a step too late.”

* * *

Kwaaaaaaaang—!!!!

The moment Gordon jumped from the airship and landed on the ground like a falling meteor, an enormous roar erupted, and debris flew in all directions.

The impact created a massive crater, and Gordon slowly emerged from the deep hole.

“Is that what you call your absolute defense technique?”

“It’s called Automata.”

“Typical of a brute using a technique. To withstand a fall from that height with just a shield. Is it the technique or is your body just monstrously tough?”

Nine Darhoon, landing gracefully with Fly magic, looked at Gordon with a dumbfounded expression.

“Any road leads to Rome, and to behead the enemy, you just need to get to the enemy’s front.”

Gordon, as if itching for action, swung the Mouter in a large circle above his head with a whoosh-!!

“You deal with the small fries. Black mage.”

“Crazy……. If you die, I’ll make good use of you, so don’t worry.”

Koo-doo-doo-doo……! Koo-doo-doo……!!

As Nine Darhoon scoffed at Gordon’s words and chanted a spell, the ground around him cracked open, and undead wrapped in bandages began to emerge.

[Kreu…….]

They were slaves.

Nine Darhoon’s undead army, with shoulders slumped like beasts, eyed the surrounding monsters as if they had found prey.

“Go.”

As soon as the command was given, the slaves scattered in all directions, tearing into the Hekts.

Kwang! Kwang……!!

Cha-cha-cha-cha-chak……!!

The Fallen and the slaves began to clash, and even when pierced by the Hekts’ tridents, the immortal soldiers tore apart the limbs of their enemies without feeling pain.

“Black Mist.”

Black smoke began to rise from Nine Darhoon’s hand. The smoke gradually took shape behind him, rushing forward like an evil spirit.

“Hmph!!!”

Gordon, seeing the black mist following behind him, gripped the Mouter even tighter.

[Kereuk.]

The Hekt frowned slightly, sensing the two distinct energies rushing towards it.

Skaang—!!

The massive trident pierced through the air with a sharp whistling sound, lunging towards Gordon. But Gordon, undeterred by the spearhead pressing down on him, instead charged into the Hekt’s embrace.

Ka-ga-gak……!!

The sound of metal scraping echoed as the Hekt’s spearhead was deflected. The creature looked at him in bewilderment, unable to comprehend why its attack hadn’t worked.

“Hmm.”

Gordon smirked at the sight. As if to show off, his absolute defense, Automata, began to protect his entire body even more thickly.

“I’m taking you down.”

The Mouter sliced through the air, aiming for the Hekt’s head.

Koo-kwang—!!

The massive Hekt staggered as it blocked his attack with its spear. At that moment, the black mist behind him coalesced, transforming into sharp spikes and targeting the creature’s back.

Ka-gang! Ka-ga-gang……!!

The Hekt twisted its waist greatly in the opposite direction, as if boneless, and deflected the black mist’s spikes with its trident.

[Heh heh……. Cute fellow. Did you perhaps create that magic after seeing me? My disciple.]

It was then.

“……!?”

Nine Darhoon hurriedly turned his head at the familiar voice. In that instant, a flash of light appeared, piercing through the smoke he had created.

Skaang-!!

With a crisp clash, the shaft of the massive trident the Hekt was holding was cleanly severed diagonally. At the same time, the creature’s head, still uttering a cry, was separated from its body and fell to the ground.

“…….”

Gordon Fabian, seeing the Hekt’s head rolling around, placed the Mouter on the ground and smacked his lips, looking ahead.

“Gordon.”

Karril sheathed his sword and called Gordon’s name.

“Did you like the newly installed gun batteries?”

“Of course! They were the best. Boom! Boom! They’re wiping out those guys.”

At his question, Gordon shrugged and answered the sudden uninvited guest.

“And even if it wasn’t you, that guy’s head would have been blown off by me.”

Gordon said, seemingly offended that he had been robbed of the kill.

“I’m sure it would have.”

Gordon felt a chill from the slight smile on Karril’s face at his answer.

“Saying it’s the best after only fighting one is not enough. Now, shall we really blow it up?”

“……What?”

“Boom from above!”

At Karril’s words, Gordon flinched without realizing it.

‘The great Gordon Fabian was startled by the sound of him saying boom?’

He was dumbfounded himself, but he was even more uneasy because he didn’t know what he meant.

Swoosh-

“From now on.”

At that moment, as if giving an answer to Gordon’s question, Karril raised the severed head of the Hekt to his eyes, looking at it as if face to face, and whispered.

“The sun is falling.”

But the severed head of the monster, its life extinguished, could not answer his words.

“Boom.”

At that moment,

Saaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!!

A massive light shot from the distant north, and the moment it burst like fireworks, intense bursts of light that seemed to blind the eyes erupted in all directions.

“……?!”

“W-what is that?!”

Screams were heard from everywhere.

“…….”

But Gordon Fabian stared intently at the bursts of light that seemed to blind him.

“Karril. You really are…….”

The moment his eyes, enhanced by Manhwan (卍環) [likely a magical enhancement], identified the nature of the bursts of light, he watched in a daze, as if he had lost his words.

“I was a fool to be satisfied with the airship’s bombardment.”

Koo-geu-geu-geu-geu……! Koo-geu-geu……!!

It wasn’t the earth that was shaking, but the sky. As the dark clouds, as if bursting, disappeared as if being incinerated by the burning light, hundreds, no, thousands of blazing flames began to fall like meteorites across the continent.

The power of Tosca’s sun.

As the spheres pouring out from the Ivory Tower spread out, the world began to shine as white as if a light had been turned on.

“……You really dropped the sun.”

Thud-

Karril threw down the Hekt’s head he was holding and stepped on it.

Pa-jik-!!!

The head of the creature, who had died without even realizing its death and without even closing its eyes, was mercilessly crushed under Karril’s foot.

Tweet–!!

As Karril whistled, red scales flapped their wings and appeared among the falling meteorites.

“Hekts are a disaster of reproduction. It doesn’t end just by catching them all. Only when all their clones are burned away will their main body appear.”

“The main body……?”

Gordon asked back in a tense voice at his words.

The fact that the main body would only appear after catching all the commanders leading the monsters across the continent meant that it was virtually impossible to annihilate them.

If Karril hadn’t fired the flames, this war might not have ended even after several months.

[In reality, the second disaster ended only after a grueling battle that lasted half a year. One-third of humanity was depleted by this war, and the lack of resources to prevent the upcoming disaster became a decisive factor in the downfall of humanity. But to end such a fight in just a few days…….]

Alrn, who knew Karril’s past life, still looked at the light of Tosca’s sun pouring down from the sky and lightly shuddered.

[Even seeing his eyes, I feel a real thrill.]

“We need to finish it.”

At Alrn’s words, Karril, with a nonchalant expression, grabbed the reins of the wyvern and said as he flew into the sky.

“But how do we find the main body?”

Gordon asked.

“We don’t need to find it. It will reveal itself. Before its clones are all incinerated, it will try to recover the remnants to survive.”

[Kereureureu…….]

The red scales growled softly, as if smiling.

“Not knowing that the moment it appears to survive is the moment its life ends.”