Audin thought that in his current state, he couldn't counter his opponent with speed alone. He could tell just by watching them charge at him.
Even if others didn't know, Encrid and a few others were aware that Audin had remarkable insight and fought using both his mind and his skill.
At first glance, it might seem like he relied on brute strength for everything, but that wasn't the case.
'You're too fast.'
If he endured the pain and unleashed his Divine Power, he could easily capture them, but for Audin, that wasn't necessary.
Audin calculated and moved. In some ways, his fighting style was the closest thing to the Correct Sword Technique.
Two enemies rushed at him. One wielded a trident, and the other held a spear.
Both kept their distance, stabbing at Audin repeatedly, irritatingly alternating between lunging and retreating.
Their spear tips, faster than a bee's sting, tried to pierce and tear Audin's skin.
Audin compensated for his lack of speed by minimizing his movements. He reinforced his defense by deflecting the spear tips with the back of his hand.
Clang!
The ragged cloak draped over his body flapped wildly with his movements. It was close to a tattered rag, so its defensive capabilities couldn't be relied on.
Every time a spear tip grazed the cloak, it tore and shredded into pieces.
Audin endured, waiting for the right moment, and suddenly ducked low and dashed forward. In that brief moment, he seemed to stretch, moving so quickly that he almost matched his opponents' speed, if only for an instant.
"Hah!"
The one with the trident shouted a battle cry.
Due to Audin's low stance, the spear tip brushed against his back.
Though it barely touched him, the sheer force behind the strike caused the cloak to split in half, and even his skin was scraped.
But no blood flowed. Audin's skin was as tough as iron. It wasn't like ordinary human skin.
Audin, having charged in, grabbed his opponent by the knee. Even though the enemy was faster, Audin's strength would not lose.
And the essence of hand-to-hand combat was in close quarters.
As Audin grabbed the knee and lifted, the one wielding the trident's feet left the ground.
"What the!"
The trident wielder shouted in shock. His trapped leg was stuck as if wedged between massive rocks.
He reflexively tried to shake free, but it was useless, and there was no way not to be surprised when his body was lifted off the ground.
Seeing this, the spear-wielding opponent thrust his spear at Audin. Audin sensed the air vibrations and read the direction of the spear, slightly twisting his body.
Flick!
The spear slid off his side as if following the contours of his body.
It was a technique called 'Body Slipping'.
Audin was the one who had taught Encrid this skill. Naturally, he executed it with even more finesse.
His large frame moved as smoothly as a wad of cotton.
The spear that should have struck his back only grazed past.
By that time, the opponent whose knee Audin had grabbed was still suspended in the air.
The trident wielder dropped his weapon and stretched out both hands.
His claws, which had grown longer, tried to dig into Audin's arm, but Audin ignored him and slammed him into the ground.
Bam!
Crunch!
Naturally, slamming him down didn't end it.
Keeping hold of both legs, Audin rolled forward and flipped the enemy's legs over his head.
In doing so, he folded the opponent's waist in half and stomped his right foot down on his shoulder, snapping his spine.
Crunch!
The crimson-stained bones met the air as blood burst out violently.
The enemy's claws barely brushed against Audin's shoulder before the battle was over. Everything happened in an instant.
With one opponent dispatched, the spear-wielding enemy flinched.
Even though he'd lost his sanity halfway, this scene made him wonder what kind of monster he was dealing with.
"A monster?"
The word escaped the monster's mouth, and Audin smiled faintly.
"The Lord is waiting for you, my beastly brother."
The rest of the fight wasn't much different from before. The two enemies, who had been overwhelming, couldn't cope with Audin as he flowed through their spear attacks, closing the distance.
Though Audin's iron-like skin was scratched, and blood splattered here and there, his opponent's strength was considerable.
Even so, the distance between them shrank.
Audin grabbed his opponent, ripping off an arm and snapping his waist.
Finally, he displayed a gruesome skill, pulling out part of his opponent's cervical spine with just his fingers.
Encrid almost applauded.
Was the enemy's strength overwhelming?
Yes.
Yet, this was the result.
At a glance, the opponent seemed like a chimera human, almost like a Knight.
'But still, not a Knight.'
Meanwhile, the Count sitting on the unnaturally dark black chair still hadn't moved.
Jaxon quietly approached Encrid's side, exhaling softly.
"Troublesome spellcaster."
Jaxon's evaluation confirmed that the enemy was formidable.
Encrid turned his gaze toward Count Molsen.
The fury in the Count's eyes was so intense that 'murderous intent' seemed insufficient to describe it, as veins bulged from his forehead.
"I should have killed him sooner."
The Count regretted it genuinely. He hadn't expected things to reach this point.
To think this could happen without even a Knight getting involved—how infuriating.
But that didn't mean the plan had failed.
Besides, his reason for keeping them alive was clear enough.
He would implant a ghost in them and make them his servant.
If he couldn't keep them as humans beneath him, he would leave them as something other than human.
"I won't be able to sleep peacefully until they're all dead and gone."
"I'll make sure you sleep soundly in your coffin, folded up nice and tight."
Encrid skillfully responded to the Count's words.
His remark was a childish joke about folding the Count's legs, implying that he himself wouldn't die, but it came at just the right moment.
There was no need to say that it twisted the Count's insides even more.
If nothing else, Encrid's sharp tongue seemed almost as dangerous as a Knight's sword.
Of course, now even the sword in his hand had become a real threat.
"Fine, go ahead and run your mouth. I'll tear you to pieces and burn you alive. I'll make sure you stay alive long enough to see your own body torn apart and burned!"
And then, I'll take what's left of your soul, leaving you neither dead nor alive.
When the Count spat out, "I'll make sure", it sounded like two voices overlapping.
That echo sent a sharp ring through Encrid's skull.
Oddly enough, while listening to the Count's curse, Encrid felt his perception expanding.
It was similar to the heightened awareness he'd gained when he was trapped and unable to escape the grasp of Avnair.
This wasn't a view based on strategy or tactics, but a battlefield seen through pure instinct.
It was an expansion of intuition and the sixth sense, guiding him toward the path to achieving his goal.
This was not the realm of reason, but the domain of instinct.
Thanks to the advice from Esther, the realization came naturally.
'I have to kill him to end this.'
It was an instinct that told him the war would only end if the Count died.
Just as he was reflecting on that instinct, Rem spoke up.
"Are you going to leave that alone?"
Encrid looked straight at his barbarian subordinate.
Behind him, Ragna, Audin, and Jaxon also came into view.
Each of them looked a little fatigued, but none of them were the type to let it show outwardly.
Audin, with a slight grin, snapped a dislocated finger back into place with a loud crack.
"Brother, I'll offer a prayer for your journey."
It was an invitation to fight together.
Encrid glanced around at the four of them before turning his gaze back to the Count.
He was making his intentions clear through his eyes.
"Together?"
At the short question, the four of them nodded naturally.
Rem stepped forward, followed by Ragna, with Jaxon quietly taking position beside them. Audin moved behind them all, as if to encompass the group.
"I thought from the beginning he was a damned bastard."
Rem muttered.
"I agree. He must be killed."
Jaxon responded.
"There's no need to find a shortcut."
Ragna said, staring directly at the Count.
"My Lord, my Father. Here, I send you another soul with a feeble heart."
Audin prayed.
Encrid walked ahead of the four.
Sinar did not attempt to join them. To be honest, she didn't think she could be of any help right now.
She had just cut down a mutated Fairy, but her opponent's sword had slashed her thigh, making it difficult for her to run properly.
No matter how much she fought, even with the vitality of spring in her veins, it hadn't been an easy opponent.
She pulled out a bandage and wrapped it tightly around her thigh. Even if she couldn't be of help, at least she wouldn't be a hindrance.
Dunbachel and Teresa didn't dare to interfere.
Encrid had already told them to fall back.
It seemed like an excuse not to be here, but they faithfully obeyed the order.
As Dunbachel and Teresa withdrew to the rear, Encrid and his group continued forward.
In truth, none of them—Rem, Ragna, Audin, or Jaxon—were in perfect condition.
Jaxon was the least injured, but direct confrontation wasn't his specialty.
In terms of swordsmanship alone, Encrid was now clearly superior.
Nevertheless, the five moved forward.
They had a task to accomplish.
Encrid had lived every day of his life that way.
And so, they walked on, to mark the final moment of the civil war.
Krang and Marcus, who had joined late, also saw this.
"All the planning, worry, and hard work over these past months, and now it seems like a friend I made by chance will be the one to put a crown on my head."
Krang laughed as he spoke. He didn't look worried at all.
Marcus was amazed that Krang could laugh so brightly in this situation.
"You can still laugh?"
Even though their ally—specifically Encrid—had displayed overwhelming power, Count Molsen remained unmoved.
Without flinching, the Count exuded a dark, foreboding aura.
It was as if death itself sat on the throne of this battlefield, inside the Royal Palace.
One could believe the chair he sat on was named 'Death'.
Asia also approached with her Knightly order, moving to a place where she could see Encrid and his unit.
Her Squire, Lawford, saw Encrid and his group and quickly spoke up.
"I'll help them!"
He had come to respect and follow Encrid even more than the Knights.
Who else could fight like that and take such action?
Lawford was ready to rush out immediately, but his superior, with her fiery orange hair, stopped him.
"Don't be reckless."
"What?"
"They stepped into the battlefield to save someone like you. Just watch and see how they fight."
Even Asia felt a bit of discontent.
'Why didn't they ask me to go with them?'
She was a Junior-Knight. She was skilled in combat. Even though she had lost to Encrid once, weren't the others beside him currently injured from their fierce battles? Surely they couldn't be unscathed.
It would have made more sense to take her along, since she was relatively uninjured.
"It's frustrating."
A sudden desire rose within her to be among them.
She was part of the Red Cape Knights, a group unmatched within Naurillia.
Yet, at this moment, she wanted to stand beside Encrid.
Whatever the cost, she wanted to be there.
So, the words she used to stop Lawford were really directed at herself.
Even the Shepherds of the Wilderness, who had suddenly halted on the battlefield, began to slip away quietly, though Pel, unable to suppress his curiosity, approached under the pretense of guarding Krang.
'Huh?'
A familiar face caught his eye.
'That night under the full moon.'
It was the same crazy guy who had been slashed by the Idol Slayer and kept asking to be cut again.
He realized now that this was no ordinary man.
'Was he always like that?'
His back was visible. He had been involved in everything that had happened on the battlefield so far, now moving forward without engaging in any more fights.
'Is it a sense of duty?'
To fight and protect?
While Pel was lost in thought, Krang, with a gleam in his eye, spoke.
"Watch closely. He's my friend."
A friend, he says. So, this wasn't something bound by royal duty. Even so, he had stepped forward.
For what?
He had declared that he would end the war. So he had stepped forward purely for that purpose.
Such behavior didn't sit well with a Shepherd like Pel, who moved based on practicality and benefit.
"Pel, to lead others, you can't see the world purely in terms of gains and losses."
Pel recalled his father's teachings and gained a small insight.
Sometimes, you have to endure losses for the sake of an ideal.
At the same time, he made a decision.
He would temporarily leave the Shepherds' group.
It wasn't just because of the nagging elders.
'There's much to learn.'
As Pel sank into thought, Krang smiled, telling everyone not to interfere, while Marcus's frustration only grew.
He understood. He knew there was no stopping Encrid now. Even so, he wanted to resort to dirty tricks. Even if he were to be cursed for the rest of his life, he wanted to shoot an arrow at that Count's head right now.
Of course, it wouldn't work.
But he couldn't help feeling that way.
He wanted to stop Encrid from walking into the clutches of such a dangerous monster.
Seeing Krang laugh only irritated him further, and he asked,
"I find it amazing that you can laugh in a moment like this."
"Commander Marcus, if not now, then when should I laugh? Besides, if Enki dies, we'll all be dead anyway."
"…Don't we have a last resort?"
"We won't use it."
"Why not?"
"A crown isn't worth killing a friend."
Krang remained unchanged. He was still himself. Marcus found that frustrating, but that was also the reason he followed this man.
It was only then that Marcus could ease his mind.
If he placed all his hopes in Encrid, that was all there was to it.
"Very well."
Even Marcus, though feeling somewhat empty, let out a small laugh.
* * *
The Count wasn't even looking at the group approaching him.
His eyes were fixed on the rear of the battlefield. A special detachment he'd sent to slit the throat of that cursed witch was now striking from the back.
'Damn woman.'
The Count silently cursed Esther a hundred times over.
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