Kapitel 103: Chapter 103: The Last Hope of the Storm! The Threat Beneath the Deep Sea
[Concentration of Battle Energy]!
[Flow Acceleration]!
Clad in silver armor and a gleaming helmet, Caroline radiated a soft luminous glow as she deftly evaded a flurry of sword strikes, her spear darting forth with remarkable speed to impale one armored warrior after another, sending them plummeting from the city wall!
"One hundred and nine…"
As the acting captain of the Storm Knights, she had initially been tasked with holding the line against the beastmen of the Thunder Kingdom, engaged in relentless combat without rest. Now, she had received orders to guard the royal capital and confront the encroaching forces of the Divine Kingdom.
Along the way, assisting the elderly and caring for the young, Caroline had ensured the safety of the surviving civilians in the eastern regions, scarcely finding time to eat, subsisting only on two hastily consumed loaves of bread before rushing to the city wall to join the defense.
The fatigue in her body did nothing to diminish the resolute determination reflected in her gray-blue eyes.
Behind her lay over fifty thousand innocent civilians of the capital.
Even in death, Caroline would never allow a single enemy to pass her by!
"Move aside, lads! Watch me cleave her down!"
Frustrated by their fruitless assaults against the wall, Nalan Huazi, the commanding general of the Divine Kingdom, ascended to the battlements, wielding the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade.
"Ha… Ha…"
Caroline kept her gaze fixed on him, seizing the brief moment to take deep breaths, striving to restore her stamina as much as possible.
She could faintly sense the formidable aura emanating from the enemy general, yet he appeared to be nearing his sixties, his visage bearing the marks of age.
Unable to restrain herself, Caroline asserted, "A knight's weapon should not be aimed at the elderly or women; please depart!"
Nalan Huazi paused for a moment, then burst into raucous laughter, "Hahaha—what an amusing girl! I have heard of you from Sir Nicholas Gaiji; indeed, you are a righteous knight. Alas…"
He pointed the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade forward, "This is the battlefield; we are not merely a woman and an old man, but foes each serving our respective masters! Come!"
At this, Caroline ceased her attempts to reason further.
[Vital Point Perception]!
[Swift Wind Breakthrough]!
With a flash of light, she propelled herself forward like a streak of silver, her spear soaring toward Nalan Huazi's heart!
Clang!!
Nalan Huazi parried her thrust with a deft sweep of his blade, twisting it to slash diagonally at her neck!
[Dodge]!
Caroline nimbly sidestepped, retracting her spear for another thrust!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The clash of blade and spear sent sparks flying, as Nalan Huazi's every blow was heavy and forceful, while Caroline remained agile and alert—neither could gain the upper hand!
By Nalan Huazi's command, the armored warriors of the Divine Kingdom refrained from intervening in this duel, opting instead to maneuver to the inner side of the wall to confront the remaining forces.
The ordinary soldiers of the Storm Kingdom lacked the physical prowess to match even a single warrior from the Divine Kingdom, often requiring three to five of them to band together to withstand one.
As time dragged on, it was the Storm soldiers who began to tire first; any lapses in their defenses would be ruthlessly exploited by the warriors of the Divine Kingdom, leading to casualties among their ranks, followed by a collapse of their defensive formations!
Hearing the cries of her comrades meeting their gruesome fates only heightened Caroline's urgency.
If she allowed this elderly adversary to prolong the battle, the defenders on this wall would surely crumble!
[Ability Enhancement]!
Gritting her teeth, Caroline braced her spear against Nalan Huazi's blade, then swiftly adjusted her stance to thrust forward with renewed ferocity!
[Pierce]!
The aluminum breastplate buckled as blood seeped through, causing Nalan Huazi to grunt and stagger back a few steps.
Seizing the opportunity, Caroline bolted toward the precarious defensive line!
[Ability Super Enhancement]!
Blood trickled from her mouth and nose as her spear surged like a dragon, rapidly dispatching more than a dozen warriors from the Divine Kingdom!
Buzz—
A keening sound heralded a massive strike from behind; Caroline spun around in haste to defend herself.
Nalan Huazi's blade, fueled by anger, cleaved her spear in two with a resounding "bang"!
The sheer force sent Caroline hurtling backward, crashing from the wall and crashing through the roof of a nearby dwelling!
"You are a worthy opponent; it is a pity you chose to stand against the Divine Kingdom."
Nalan Huazi stood atop the wall, pointing his blade: "Do not linger in battle! Follow me directly to the palace!"
...
As night descended, the bloody struggle continued in the royal capital of the Storm Kingdom.
However, with Caroline's defeat and the collapse of the wall's defense, the third prince had no choice but to lead the remaining forces in a retreat toward the palace for a final stand.
Even King Chadton IX and the leading duke, both of noble stature, personally took up their swords to join the fray, embodying a defiant resolve to never surrender!
Their hopes did not lie in the present conflict but rather in the distant west.
If they could hold out for a few more hours, the chief court mage, Belmo, would successfully execute his plan, compelling the Divine Kingdom's forces to withdraw!
At that moment, deep beneath the northwestern sea,
A convoy of aluminum-clad warships sailed forth, delivering ample supplies to Windward Harbor. Inside the holds were groups of scaled steeds, armored for future cavalry engagements.
Fully equipped warriors patrolled the ship's edges; though none dared to defy the authority of the Divine Kingdom, they remained ever vigilant.
Wearing this aluminum armor symbolized the face of the Divine Kingdom, instilling a sense of spirited determination in each individual!
Yet, unbeknownst to them, far below in the depths of the ocean, a gathering of individuals was feverishly preparing for a significant event…
"Vortex retreat!"
"Water curtain barrier!"
Around an underwater cavern, nearly a hundred mages were tirelessly casting spells, maintaining a colossal dome-shaped water barrier, shielding the interior so Belmo and his companions could carve runes in the relatively dry underwater environment.
In the darkness of the deep sea, where the sky was unseen, they could only confirm the time using the pocket watches they carried.
After midnight, another group of mages arrived to relieve the outer personnel, allowing Tils-Merlin, the court mage coordinating the operation, a moment to rest.
"Mr. Merlin, if Miss Meg were still here, you would not have to endure such hardship."
"From what I see, Mr. Merlin's mastery of water magic is hardly inferior to that of Miss Meg; why has he not been deemed the chief mage of the court?"
"It's all due to lineage; Miss Meg hails from nobility, while Mr. Merlin is a commoner, much like us, and thus suffers unfair treatment…"
The young mages on their break murmured in low tones as they munched on food.
Meanwhile, Tils-Merlin, surrounded by them, wore a gentle smile.
"Enough! Instead of lamenting my plight, conserve your strength; when dawn arrives, ensure the balance of the [Sea Wing Technique] is maintained, and be ready to depart at once.
If you move slowly, it could cost you your lives! Do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement; the amiable Merlin was well-liked by the young mages, which made them resentful of his unjust treatment.
Merlin calmly replenished his magic power with mana stones while retrieving a small oil painting from his pocket.
The painting depicted him with his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and their recently born grandson.
Even with exceptional talent in spellcasting, he would forever be overshadowed by the noble mages.
As the fate of the Storm Kingdom hung in the balance, most noble mages cowered in safe havens, while this group remained at the heart of danger.
Should a commoner like him be condemned to die?
Merlin's grip on the small painting tightened, his knuckles turning white.
He wished to live.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein