Eternally Regressing Knight
Chapter 406 - 406 - The Allies Dance
Chapter 406 - The Allies Dance
Krais decided that reinforcements should be sent, but he didn't believe they had to be a large-scale force.
'Is it a lack of supplies?'
It probably wasn't.
The kingdom's army wouldn't have rushed in without sufficient preparation.
So, could a change in the number of soldiers alone turn the tide?
He didn't know.
The predictions were difficult. Count Molsan's forces couldn't be read.
Of course.
Count Molsan had prepared something that mixed magic and witchcraft, and was currently painting a bloody picture across the battlefield.
Nevertheless, Krais predicted that his opponent would bring out something unexpected.
Once again, his mind imagined the worst-case scenario, and it proved to be the right choice.
Thus, it was only natural that the fastest and most powerful forces would be sent as reinforcements.
Those with exceptional combat strength could overturn the battlefield's balance.
Audin, Shinar, and Teresa.
Krais had provided two strong, fast horses for each of them.
That was why Audin and Shinar were here.
Enkrid stepped back. It was because Audin had gently grabbed his shoulder and pulled him. There was no need for resistance.
"Now, enjoy the show. I watched earlier, so I'm returning the favor."
After seeing Audin step forward, Rem spoke up. He then slammed the weapons he held together, making a loud clash.
In his right hand, he held the long-handled axe he usually used, and in his left, he held a shorter-handled hammer he must have picked up from somewhere.
Enkrid knew that Rem didn't care about the type of weapon. So, it was safe to assume that Rem was in perfect form.
"Do I just cut them down?"
Ragna's voice was heard, dragging his sword's blade along the ground.
His blade had lost its edge; it looked more like a saw than a sword.
Still, it was menacing in Ragna's hands. Even if it were just a practice sword, it would still be threatening.
Especially today.
There was a clear will in his stance, a will to slice through anything that tried to stop him.
Audin, who had pulled Enkrid back, smiled slightly and said,
"Father, there are those here who need a scolding."
In a direct translation, it meant he would kill and send them away.
Audin's fists were the perfect tools for sending those who stood before him to the afterlife.
He wore leather gauntlets on both hands, meticulously sewn as if someone had spent hours on them. The finishing was flawless, and they looked sturdy.
The material appeared to be beast skin. Enkrid had seen it correctly.
More precisely, it was made from centaur hide.
Though the tanning and processing had taken time, the material was incredibly tough and durable.
Krais had ordered them made and sent them off with care.
Driven by curiosity, Enkrid asked,
"Leather gauntlets? Who made them?"
"We have an excellent seamstress in the unit. I don't know their name, but their stitching is exceptional. They once served as a squad leader, but now they are the supply officer. Brother."
A person suddenly came to mind.
"Red nose? Loves alcohol?"
"How did you know?"
Though the tension between the five monsters and this group remained palpable, Enkrid spoke, and Audin responded.
It felt as if they were reassuring each other that it was fine.
Of course, Audin's gaze never left the largest of the five monsters.
"I owe them a debt," Audin said, his voice casual.
Since they worked as the supply officer at Border Guard, they must have gained recognition for their tailoring.
Krais was involved in the supply work, so it was no surprise that only the best materials were used. It was proof that the person's stitching skills were excellent.
"My fiancée, who bothered you? Point them out."
Audin's side spoke, and Shinar's typical fairy-like teasing surfaced. Though his appearance was cold and his voice flat, the words held a light, carefree tone.
"The one who bothered me is already gone."
Enkrid spoke, pointing his finger at the sky.
"Sent to the Lord. Well done."
It was rare for someone to praise a killing, but perhaps this priest-like figure had a different perspective on death.
It seemed only Audin could talk like that.
Shinar, still without a smile, drew her sword.
"And there's a halfwit who dared to soil the fairy bloodline."
That was true.
One of the five was indeed a fairy.
Rem was secretly surprised. It was someone he had just met earlier. She had been hacked into pieces, running away in a panic.
But he never imagined she would survive. Even more, he couldn't have imagined she would still be standing so perfectly fine.
He had clearly seen her insides spilling out when he cut her with his axe. Yet, here she was, standing unharmed.
There was signs of blood slowly seeping from her stitched-up wounds, but it was still shocking that she was alive and moving.
He had been certain she was dead.
Shinar, holding the leaf-blade sword, stepped forward.
In this way, Enkrid was now blocked by Rem, Ragna, Audin, and Shinar.
Only Jaxen remained in the same position... No, he had already vanished. He had hidden his body.
That was when Enkrid realized.
Jaxen appeared beside the Count. Three spear-like swords shot toward the Count's head.
It was an unexpected strike. The tip of the sword went straight toward the Count's head, but Jaxen didn't achieve his intended result.
Thung!
It sounded as if he had struck a block of iron. Jaxen's sword bounced off.
Jaxen was shocked. The force was so immense that it seemed impossible to believe it was just human skin.
Yet, if he stayed still, it was like inviting death, so Jaxen leapt back immediately after the thrust.
The spot where he had been standing was soon swept by a black claw.
He instinctively thought that getting scratched by it wouldn't end well. The black claw was something ominous, likely enchanted.
Jaxen understood that the defense he had encountered wasn't some magic spell.
He had sensed the spell and targeted it with precision.
What he was facing was simply the toughness of the skin.
"Did you implant monsters into your body?"
Jaxen asked, transmitting the information to everyone.
The Count's skin was as tough as a monster's.
"Like a mayfly."
The Count waved his hand, and the black claw continued to taunt Jaxen.
Jaxen disappeared from that spot and reappeared five steps away, but the claw relentlessly followed him.
At the same time, despite the lack of blood relation, creatures that could be considered siblings of Rievart charged at him.
The leader was the fairy that Rem had almost killed earlier.
"Uuugh!"
She scratched her head before starting to run. She didn't charge directly but rather made a wide arc, running with terrifying speed.
In Enkrid's eyes, she appeared faster than Rievart.
And indeed, she was.
Had Rievart rushed forward, relying only on his physical abilities, he could have recreated the fairy's movements.
But he hadn't done so.
His human desires and the honor of a knight were his final restraints.
He truly wanted to become a knight.
Therefore, he didn't fight like a beast.
What if he only relied on his physical abilities and charged in?
The answer was right here.
In the blink of an eye, the enemy disappeared from his sight.
It was right after he thought he had missed them. His right cheek stung. Something flew through the air, cutting the wind. It was a powerful strike.
Enkrid noticed, but there was no need to react himself.
There had been a fairy muttering something earlier.
The words spoken before the opponent moved also reached Enkrid's ears.
"Such a disgrace to the tribe of the forest."
It was no joke; it was the real thing. The leaf-blade sword blocked another leaf-blade sword.
Thud!
The two swords clashed, and green light splattered.
The shock made the opponent retreat, and Shinar was pushed back two steps. They stood facing each other, maintaining a brief distance.
The swords were of a similar shape. However, one was a typical leaf-blade sword, and the other had veins bulging from the back of the hand, wrapping around the blade like twisted blood vessels.
"You can't even call us kin anymore."
Shinar reprimanded the opponent, but the fairy didn't completely lose her composure and responded.
"Shut up, bitch."
It wasn't a pleasant thing to hear. Shinar smiled faintly at those words. It was a smile that felt bitter, even though she was watching.
"Such foul words in front of my fiancé."
Shinar raised her leaf-blade sword with that remark.
Although she scolded the opponent, after just one exchange of blows, the difference was clear. The power, speed, and physical strength were all superior.
However, it still didn't make her feel like the opponent was a knight.
They were simply a monster trying to force themselves into being one.
Shinar had seen fairy knights before.
They were naturally beings deserving of respect and admiration.
But simply mutilating your body to become a knight was unthinkable.
Therefore, she would have to cut them down. She would free the foolish and ignorant fairy's soul.
"I will speak to the forest and the flowers."
Shinar said as she raised her sword. It was a strange sight. Despite both swords being leaf-blades, it almost felt like the blade itself carried the scent of leaves.
"The time is spring, the season of vigor."
Shinar murmured as she continued.
Her secret technique, enabled by the energy of the forest, could manifest itself.
Just like when she gave Enkrid joy during their previous sparring.
Using her ability to create multiple clones, she confused her opponent. By harnessing the energy, she could also deal physical blows.
Of course, it wasn't just that.
It was a bit of a trick.
She summoned spirits born from the energy she gathered from the forest and listened for their response.
Shinar gathered that energy into her body.
It was a fairy technique that had become forgotten, as no one could use it anymore.
By absorbing the energy into her body, she stepped into a similar world as her opponent.
A mutated fairy's sword came flying toward her. Its leaf-blade shape, resembling leaves, was closing in fast.
Having absorbed the energy, Shinar sent her sword flying with equal speed to match her opponent's.
Wham!
She didn't just parry it. With the downward swing, she twisted her blade from below, sending the strike flying upward.
Her sword glowed faintly green.
Leaf-blade swords transformed with a technique known as 'seasons.'
The sword in Shinar's hand was now spring.
Spring blades exuded vitality more than any other season. The shape didn't change, but the power contained within the sword did.
Afterward, Shinar's movements resembled a dance. If you took away the steps of striking, slashing, stabbing, and breaking, it was simply a dance.
By shattering and striking, she began catching up to the fairy chimera that had hoped to match the knight's pace.
Watching Shinar start the battle, Audin spoke up.
"It's getting late, so as punishment, I'll take care of both of them."
As soon as he finished speaking, the rest of the guards moved.
Like the mutated fairy, they started running, and were faster than Rievart.
However, there was no problem for Audin and the two beside him.
Hearing Audin's words, Ragna extended his sword.
'Faster, stronger.'
He focused on what he could do for that.
It was Will. An intangible power flowed into his arm. By adding his will to his intent to cut, he mixed it into his limbs, consciously sensing and guiding how the Will would move.
This was the answer Ragna had found.
He did just that.
In just two breaths, the energy would scatter, but that was enough.
In that moment, Ragna manifested the knight's sword.
It was exactly the sword shown by the Aspen knight.
It was simply fast, and sharp.
His gaze then turned to the last two standing.
On the surface, it seemed like Audin was barely holding on, but naturally, no one interfered.
Since he had said he would handle both of them, he should take responsibility.
Rem thought of Audin as a fanatic, but he also thought of him as someone who kept his word.
Compared to the opponent charging in, Ragna's movements—drawing his sword and changing stance—were significantly slower.
To anyone watching from the outside, it would seem like his heart or some internal organ would be ripped out and he'd be knocked out.
That was, of course, if they had the vision to see it.
Ragna's sword suddenly became faster.
It drew a line far faster than the opponent's charge.
Before they could even recognize the speed and strength, the false structure created by the opponent collapsed with no resistance.
Whoosh, crack!
It all happened in an instant.
The opponent charged in and then shattered into two pieces, falling to the left and right.
Rem, who was just about to strike with an axe and hammer, saw that.
'That crazy bastard.'
Was he getting even more insane?
Having fought off an opponent, it was clear how monstrous this opponent was.
Rem didn't hesitate.
He took out the things he had acquired while grabbing the indomitable berserker.
In the West, Rem's hometown, the word "Will" didn't exist. There wasn't even such a concept.
However, there was a way to hone the heart and move forward.
That was what they called magic.
For his tribe, magic was one of the natural weapons that they must possess to become a hero.
Even the downed weapon was derived from that.
"Watch carefully, you bastard."
Rem spoke as he faced Ragna, using his index and thumb to break a totem in his hand.
The totem was a small figure, about the size of two fingers. The effect was simple.
It enabled the caster to infuse the power of lightning into their body.
Next, Rem pulled out another charm, crumpled it, and put it in his mouth.
The effect of this charm was the Bear's Arm.
It was a magic that altered the power in the arms and legs, the strength in the limbs.
It wasn't originally Rem's magic, nor was it something he had created, but a trick that allowed him to use magic for a brief period.
That trick made Rem's body move faster and added strength to his muscles.
His opponent, armed with a thick sword in both hands, came charging at him.
No matter what, he would simply dodge and keep attacking.
His axe moved in an unprecedented direction.
It shot up from below, then fell down like a lightning strike.
Bang!
The opponent blocked, but was pushed back. The shock that ran through their body numbed them, naturally pushing them backward.
It was hard to show this kind of power, even with magic.
It was only possible because it was Rem.
He had a natural talent for using magic more than his body.
Using that, he was more adept at applying it to his own form.
The result?
With his hammer, Rem struck his opponent's side and quickly withdrew, while his axe distracted the opponent, eventually splitting the chimera's head in two.
Thud!
The thick, tough skull split down the middle.
Due to the monster's blood, bone, and flesh, the contents inside, including its eyes, dropped out in a cascade.
Rem dropped his arms, thinking to himself.
This would definitely have some aftereffects.
But it was inevitable, since he had borrowed someone else's magic.
His gaze then turned to the last two standing.
On the surface, it seemed like Audin was barely holding on, but naturally, no one interfered.
Since he had said he would handle both of them, he should take responsibility.
Rem thought of Audin as a fanatic, but he also thought of him as someone who kept his word.

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