章節 367: Chapter 526
Thud!
There was a dull noise as Kevin's body slammed into the ground. After falling, he died after a few convulsions.
The final order to receive the emperor's edict became Kevin's last words.
The warlord of the vanguard, who came to attack the Sword emperor castle, met his death with a single sword.
The emperor's vanguard soldiers couldn't take their eyes off Kevin's corpse for a while. It was hard to accept his death even after seeing it with their own eyes.
It wasn't because there were many people who usually respected Kevin, or because he had a deep friendship.
More than 90% of the vanguard soldiers did not understand why Kevin died.
'What just happened?'
'Did the warlord really die? Seriously...?'
At the moment when the rank-file knights had doubts, two beams of light flashed again on the walls of the sword emperor castle.
The second sword shot spread wider than the first, slashing both wings of the red dragon and leaving a glowing trail in the sky.
[Roar-!]
Eventually, even the red dragon lost its wings and fell to the ground, and all the vanguard soldiers realized that it was Dante's sword technique that killed Kevin.
"Did the dragon not heed my words? I told you not to dare look down at the sword emperor castle."
He seemed to be speaking in a low voice, but the voice filled with energy spread throughout the plain.
Now those who dared to look down upon the Sword Emperor Castle were all gone. Instead, Dante looked down on all of the vanguard soldiers from the top of the castle walls.
It was only then that the vanguard soldiers could feel that the place they came to attack was the sword emperor castle.
At that terrifying awareness, the rank-file knights froze for a moment. Some primal fear, derived from the name 'Hairan,' was piercing their minds.
"From that wall... he shot the sword? With this speed and power?"
Scott Harlow, the commander of the Central Knights, spoke, and other key knights shook their heads as if shocked.
"It's no joke, he is the successor to the Sword Emperor."
"Dante Hairan. I always remember him as dignified and gentle, but seeing him like this, he's truly a formidable beast….."
Not only the rank-file knights, but also the commanders felt a chill run down their spines.
Dante had become one of the most famous figures in the Empire, skipping generations and becoming the young patriarch of Hairan.
From the moment he became young patriarch, various rumors followed Dante. Such as his small physique, weak stamina, and handsome face, which did not look like a naturally boneless man, made people doubt Dante.
Moreover, Dante did not frequently participate in the Empire's martial arts competitions. Even those were mostly private contests, so few people knew Dante's true skills.
But those who had seen Dante's sword, witnessed his growth, unanimously gathered and said:
The next World's First Sword has already been decided.
In the midst of the cold silence, only the screams of the fallen red dragon filled the plain.
Mages hurriedly casted healing magic and tried to attach its wings, but it was not enough.
"I am Dante Hilan, the young patriarch of Hairan and acting lord of Sword emperor Castle. Explain why the Imperial Army has come to seek the Sword Emperor Castle."
Scott Harlow stepped forward.
"Scott Harlow of the Central Knights! Sir Dante, don't do this. You are going down an irreversible path. His Majesty has ordered the war to stop as soon as Hairan returns the White Stone!"
"There is no such stone, Sir Scott Harlow. Even if there were, the emperor can not treat Hairan like this."
"Sir Dante! You still have a chance. As a martial artist who has always admired Hairan, I hope that the Sword Emperor castle will return to the arms of the people and His Majesty!"
"Chance? Do you not know that the emperor is blinded by power and intends to break the pillar of the empire? If that's really the case, I will give you one last chance. Drop your swords immediately and surrender. I will spare everyone. But if you choose to join the emperor knowing his intentions...."
Dante raised his aura and continued his words.
"Not a single one of those who put their swords on Hairan will survive. The fact that you are merely compelled to obey orders cannot be considered as any excuse. All of you...… are knights."
Even if they were just ordinary people, there was no room for leisure against more than a thousand knights.
Rather, they needed to be eliminated as quickly as possible before the main force arrived to make the next battle less burdensome.
From the moment the emperor's purge began, Dante was determined to kill and die. Even if he had to kill a thousand, ten thousand, or more people, Dante had no intention of stopping before the emperor.
'Damn it, I don't know about Sir Ron, but I thought Dante Hiran would give me a little room for conversation. There will be no answer to this. In the end, does he choose to perish...…'
It was then.
One of the rank-file knights standing in the formation dropped his sword on the floor.
Clatter!-!
In an instant, everyone turned their heads toward it.
"I... I can't fight Hairan. If Hairan hadn't stepped up in the Shuka battle, our entire clan would have been annihilated."
"What is this...!"
Clatter, clang!
Starting with him, the rank-file knights dropped their swords to the ground like paper soaked in oil catching fire.
"I can't fight Hairan either. The reason I was able to become a knight as an orphan was because of Hairan's knight scholarship support."
"I was also supported by Hairan's scholarship…."
"I'm also indebted to Hairan…."
More than half of the rank-file knights dropped their swords like that. It happened in less than a minute.
"Pick up your swords immediately!"
"You madmen! Do you all think you can defy the emperor's orders and still survive?"
The commanders of the vanguard were at a loss for words in the face of this sudden turn of events. The rank-file knights who had discarded their swords even went so far as to kneel.
Dante killed the warlord of the vanguard with a single sword, and with just a few words, the vanguard's morale was completely demoralized.
Commanders such as Scott, Marvin, Gloria, and Roya had never imagined a case like this.
They didn't know what to do, and just looked at the knights who threw away their swords and the Sword emperor castle alternatively.
'This is insane!'
Scott gritted it.
It was because he knew better than anyone that if they showed this kind of appearance when the main force arrived, the commanders as well as the rank-file knights would not end up with simple punishment.
Squeak-!
Scott swung his sword and struck the neck of a knight who had dropped his sword. The decision had been made.
"What kind of insolence is this in front of the traitors? All those who have abandoned their swords will be promptly executed!"
The knights of the sword emperor castle hadn't even drawn their swords yet, but blood fountains were spreading throughout the camp of the emperor's vanguard.
The knights who abandoned their swords did not resist. Therefore, the vanguard knights found it difficult to suppress the uneasy feeling in their hearts as they wielded their swords to kill their fellow knights.
"You fools! Do you think anything will change by doing this? When the main force arrives, Sword Emperor Castle is doomed anyway!"
In fact, the commanders of the vanguard army had been uneasy from the moment they set foot in this place.
Kevin Perral of the Dragon King Knights lacked the skills and virtue to assume the role of warlord, and most of the 1,000 rank-file knights were composed of those who received the grace of Hairan.
The results were evident: Kevin Perral rushed forward like a lightning bolt and met his death, and the knights, refusing to fight, were now offering their necks.
When the situation reached this point, the commanders couldn't shake off the feeling that the emperor's intentions were hidden in the composition of the forces and the selection of the warlord from the beginning.
"Damn it, pick up the sword...!"
Already, the necks of more than fifty knights had been severed.
The commanders of the vanguard army and the squad leaders who did not throw away their swords seemed like they were about to lose their minds.
The words "irreversible" seemed more fitting to them than to Sword Emperor Castle.
"Sword emperor castle!"
When Dante shouted, the knights waiting in the castle climbed up the walls all at once.
"Rescue those who have not forgotten the grace of Hairan. And cut down those who stand in the way."
As soon as the order was given, the knights on the wall threw themselves into the plain.
At the same time, the castle gates opened and knights poured out from there. Those who came out of the gate were in charge of breaking through, and those who jumped out were in charge of the siege, and a formation was established in an instant.
Just as Dante was about to step forward, Shuras Helter grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Young patriarch, don't step out. The main force will arrive soon, so you should save your stamina until then. Excluding the five sword saints, the only one who can handle the top knights of the main army is you, young patriarch."
Both body and mind.
Dante was barely keeping his cool. He tried to run right away to save the people who remembered the grace of Hairan died in front of him, but he, who was weak by nature, was already exhausted from the meeting.
And Dante is the strongest knight and the acting lord of the Sword Emperor castle along with the five sword saints of Hairan, who are currently Ron's henchmen.
"... I see."
The Five Sword Saints of Hairan were not currently in the sword emperor castle.
There is hope as long as they all return safely and Dante can fight at his best. All the knights of the sword emperor castle thought so.
In Dante's place, half of the patriarch of the thirty clans threw themselves to the ground.
The battle with the vanguard army was flowing into a one-sided victory for Hairan. Although there are dragons, mages, and war equipment, there is too much difference in the number of knights.
However, the goal of Hairan's knights was not to annihilate but to rescue the knights who had abandoned their swords, making the suppression less quick.
Hairan currently lacked an outstanding knight capable of overwhelming the battlefield. If Dante played that role it would be an instant, but considering the main unit Shuras' judgment was 100% correct.
"For the glory of Hairan!"
"Those Imperial dogs dare not speak of honor!"
By the time the evening battle was over, the suppression was coming to an end.
All that was left was a few key knights, one dragon, and about ten mages including Roya.
On the other hand, there were only a handful of casualties among Hairan's knights. Over a hundred rank-file knights who abandoned their swords were rescued, and the battle with the vanguard is a complete victory.
However, around that time, the knights who were guarding the side and read gates of the sword emperor castle were checking the main force of the Imperial army that had begun to appear in the distance.
"The main force of the Imperial Army is approaching!"
"About 20 Golden Dragon-class artillery pieces have been confirmed! We will activate the defense equipment!"
Not only at the side and rear gates but also beyond the main gate, the support of the main force of the Imperial army was approaching.
The earlier report of at least ten times the size of the vanguard seemed to be true.
At first glance, the number of knights narrowing the siege of sword emperor castle is well over 10,000.
"... The rescue operation is over. From now on, we will begin the annihilation operation."
Dante said as he looked at the newly appeared enemies.
章節 368: Chapter 527
Enemies were taking positions everywhere. Knights on guard continuously reported the scale and dynamics of the enemy, communicating swiftly.
"Activate the defense equipment!"
"Helter clan, draw out your sword!"
"Lofermos supports the rear. Assemble!"
Whoa-!
The defense artifacts installed in the sword emperor castle activated, causing vibrations and resonant sounds. The blue shield of the artifacts and the white sword shield casted by the knights quickly enveloped the entire Sword Emperor Castle.
Dante was watching the reinforcements that appeared at the main gate.
More than 5,000 knights and mages, and about 20 dragons. And more than four fifty cannon of the Golden Dragon-class or higher.
Even though it calls itself an 'Empire', it was pushed back by Runcandel and Zipfel, and now it fall behind even Kinzelo.
Still no one denies that Vermont was one of the four major factions. Regardless of the quality of troops, the Empire was the only force that could mobilize so many people in a short period of time.
Dante's eyes looking at the emperor were filled with bloodlust.
Even though the Imperial Army was surrounding the Sword Emperor Castle with well over a unit of ten thousand soldiers, Dante and the Hairan's knights were not at all intimidated.
Since the appearance of knights and mages in the world, there has never been a war where the number of heads was the most important factor.
In front of a superhuman, even thousands of rank-file knights below the 5-star were no different from fallen leaves and bugs.
Although Dante is not yet a superhuman, he possesses a sword comparable to that. With the five sword saints, including Dante, and other Hairan knights, suppressing those numerous rank-file knights was not a difficult task.
The crucial factor was the enemy commanders. If all the knights and mages who could shake the battlefield alone were eliminated, they could win even if the numbers were overwhelming.
And Dante estimated that there would be around a hundred such individuals.
The main force of the Imperial Army entered the plain in front of the main gate.
And among them, there was a huge cannon led by five dragons and a hundred knights.
"Young patriarch, that's...…!"
The main cannon of the Imperial Guard.
It was the 'Dragonlance', a war equipment exclusively for the emperor, which only existed in the empire. Originally installed at the center of the Imperial Palace, the cannon had firepower comparable to Zipfel's battleship Kozec.
Since it has been removed from the imperial palace, the dragonlance cannot exert its full power.
However, the appearance of the dragonlance meant that the emperor himself had stepped forward.
"Confirm the loading of Dragon Lance!"
The voices of the knights watching the dragon lance were trembling. It was only a matter of time before it could break through the current defense artifacts of the sword emperor castle, which were still not fully restored even though they can't face the Golden Dragon-class cannons properly, but the dragon lance was on a completely different level.
Dante silently gazed at the rear of the dragon lance.
Somewhere across the plain, it seemed as if he could see the Emperor, with a face soaked in greed and arrogance, waiting for the victory report while sitting on a high platform.
"Young patriarch! Dragon lance soon...…! Avoid it!"
"To them."
Dante slowly drew his sword.
Ching...…!
The moment Dante's sword was wrapped in brilliance, the ominous noise of the dragon lance covered the battlefield. A slight earthquake occurred across the area, and those who were fighting turned their gaze towards Dragon Lance.
"I will show you the dignity of Hairan."
Kwaaaa-!
The dragon lance spewed out a huge mana projectile. The place where the projectile landed was exactly on the top of the castle wall where Dante was standing.
The layered shields of the artifact shattered like glass.
It was so fast that those who did not reach the level did not follow it with their eyes, and the cannonball of the dragon lance seemed to destroy the sword emperor castle in one blow.
Dante did not dodge.
The moment the projectile from the Dragon Lance approached dangerously close, he swung his sword.
Sword emperor Secret Technique
Heavenly flash - Dante Hairan
The cannonball of the dragon lance split in half.
Even the knights standing right next to him couldn't perceive the moment Dante swung his sword.
All they could do was watch the cannonball split in half follow the trajectory of Dante's sword that soar into the sky and disappeared.
And, true to the name of the secret technique, a long and radiant streak remained in the darkening sky.
Everyone on the battlefield looked up at the light for a moment.
The sword of Hairan, which everyone in the empire looked up to, was right there.
For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still, and those on the battlefield felt only the beating of their own hearts.
Awe.
Recalling the word that Hairan symbolizes in the Empire.
Wow-!
The knights gathered under the flag of Hairan shouted in unison. Then, as Dante jumped off the wall and stepped out onto the plain, the approaching enemies hesitated and stopped moving.
"I have no intention of showing mercy to those who have forgotten their honor. So if you're afraid, run away. Hairan will not pursue those who back down."
The knights gathered behind Dante.
"Young Patriarch... Are you okay?"
The assault squad leader said as he looked at Dante's face. Blood dripped from his blue lips. However, Dante nodded his head rather lightly.
'Even with the technique my grandfather tailored for me, to think that it would come to this after using it only once.'
While everyone around him was in awe, Dante knew better than anyone that the true power of the Heavenly Flash was not something he had fully displayed.
It was regrettable.
It wasn't the regret of not being able to execute a better sword, but the sudden realization that he could no longer devote himself to this land, to his grandfather, to the knights and retainers.
'For some reason, my body feels lighter….'
Perhaps it was because he carried everything that his ancestors and grandfather had built and protected, accepting the prospect of death, that Dante entered a kind of awakened state.
Until the war was over, he felt confident that he could maintain the best sword he could execute, even at the cost of his life.
"First, I will destroy the dragon lance. I will break through to the front, so the assault squad follows me."
As the knights of Hairan began their charge, the Emperor monitored the battlefield in real-time from the rear.
"Oh, oh oh…! Indeed, Sir Ron's successor is truly remarkable!"
Standing next to the Emperor was Jonsina Perral, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army and the leader of the Dragon King Knights of the Imperial Army. Unlike the emperor who was very excited, he had a dark face.
Jonsina Perral was the reason the Emperor appointed Kevin Perral as the warlord of the Vanguard Army.
He believed that the death of his kin was necessary to alleviate the guilt of the Imperial Sword of Justice.
"You must have just heard the report, Sir Jonsina Perral. Dante Hairan killed your younger brother, and killed even the rank-file knights who tried to keep his faith in Hairan...."
Jonsina nodded heavily.
He was not a fool.
The reason why the emperor put his younger brother in the vanguard, the fact that Dante couldn't have killed the rank-file knights, and how unreasonable this purge was. Jonsina Perral never knew.
"I definitely gave Hairan a chance. However, what returned was the neck of your younger brother and the betrayal of the faith. If we don't finish this today, that venomous, arrogant wolf will plunge the entire empire into death and terror."
Yes, Jonsina followed the Emperor not for personal reasons. He followed because it was a path for the Empire, or more precisely, for the people of the Empire.
"Your majesty."
"Tell me, Sir Jonsina."
"Please keep your promise. Also, ensure that they keep theirs…..."
In response to those words, the Emperor smiled slyly.
"Certainly!"
As Jonsina stood up and headed towards the battlefield, the Emperor waved his hand in farewell. And as soon as Jonsina disappeared, he erased his expression.
Dante and the knights of Hairan were already moving toward the dragon lance with blood all over their bodies. All of that blood belonged to the rank-file knights who threw themselves in their way.
Except for the vanguard, all the knights of the main force believed that Dante had killed the knights who were trying to keep the faith with Hairan.
There was no time to correct misunderstandings and reveal the truth in the midst of brutal and ruthless battle.
The rescued hundred or so knights ultimately couldn't survive the onslaught of sword strikes and magic. In the new battle that started as soon as the main force arrived, the knights of Hairan couldn't afford to carry them all. It was because the main force arrived earlier than expected.
In the eyes of the Imperial army's main force, it seemed as if Hairan had indiscriminately massacred the vanguard.
If disobeying the emperor's order was death, and fighting against Hairan was death, then the latter was better. In order to avoid a future in which all of their relatives and kins were executed as traitors later.
Blood and war create madness. The knights who blocked Dante's path, even while facing imminent death, had chosen madness over fear.
So did Dante, who was cutting them.
The path of righteousness.
The words that summarized the humanity of the character Dante were dyed red and dark.
'How many have I cut down already?'
Even at the moment of sudden doubt, Dante's sword dropped the necks of those who rushed. The burden of guilt, heavier than blood, pressed on his back, yet he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge it.
Like many others swept up in the war.
Dante was naturally replacing that huge guilt with hatred.
'I can't turn back now. Me and my clan and grandfather never betrayed the Empire. Why do you try to stab us with your swords...!'
Swish-!
Dante paused for a moment, taking a breath, when there were about five hundred paces left between him and the Dragon Lance. Until then, the assault squad following Dante was unharmed.
However, as he attempted to move forward again, someone infiltrated their flank.
"Argh!"
"Stop them!"
Golden-armored, they were members of the Imperial Guard. As soon as they appeared, they swiftly cut down the two Hairan knights who were at the rear.
Dante stared blankly at the dead knights of Hairan for a while.
"There's no devil like you, Dante Hairan. Was everything you've shown so far fake? I never knew you'd be so familiar with killing innocent people... Huuk!"
Dante rushed at him like a shot and thrust out his sword. The opponent showed no sign of panic, but as Dante increased his speed, his arm was soon severed.
The Imperial Guard knights, who had appeared confidently, could not help but flinch at that moment.
The knight that Dante crippled in just a few seconds was 3rd division leader.
"Shut up. I have nothing to say to trash like you."
Dante said in a cold voice as he beheaded him.
"You bastard!"
"Young patriarch, we will take care of this place. Go to Dragon lance!"
Without hesitation, Dante stepped forward, leaving the knights of Hairan behind.
He realized that if he hesitated even a bit, the Hairan knights would die faster.
He also seemed to be able to hold on to the spirit that was on the verge of going insane if he continued to cut through those who got in his way.
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