Academy’s Genius Swordsman - Chapter 294
#294
It didn’t take long for the past to be settled. Ahayute’s head shot up into the sky. Everyone on the battlefield was shocked and silent. Ronan watched the falling corpse of his nemesis with a calm expression.
“What the···!”
Abel’s face hardened. It was difficult even for him to cut down a giant with a single swing of his sword. Besides, Ahayute was one of the strongest of the two-winged giants.
『Ahayute···!』
“O arrogant one, stand still like a rock.”
The silence was soon broken. The giants near Ahayute rushed forward. Ronan, who had adjusted his posture, stuck out his tongue.
“Fuck it.”
He swung his sword as if he was brushing off dirt from his sleeve. He had no intention of fighting in the sky. Swish! The sword energy poured down along the sword path and struck the giants.
『Ugh···!』
The masses of aura reminiscent of water spray shattered the star’s protection and struck the giants’ bodies. Blue blood soaked the air. It was not fatal, but it was enough to stiffen their bodies.
“What the heck.”
Boom! Ronan landed on top of Ahayute’s fallen body. Normally, it would have been a height that would have crushed his body, but he didn’t care. As time passed, it felt like the curse was fading away.
The headless body of Ahayute was limp, like a wet sack. It was a simple conclusion, almost absurd. Blue blood flowed from the cut surface like a river.
“How does it taste, you bald head?”
Huh, Ronan spat on it. There was no chance of resurrection. Thinking about the grudge from his previous life, he wanted to chew it up and eat it right away, but he didn’t have the luxury of doing so.
Ronan turned around and walked briskly. His lover was sitting in the middle of the battlefield. Adeshan wiped his eyes and opened his mouth.
“Ronan.”
“I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Ronan twisted his lips. Adeshan was in shambles, caught in the blast. Blood was seeping out of the torn slits of his uniform.
Her trembling hands still held the crossbow. Without much effort, she could guess the struggle that Adeshan had waged. The only fortunate thing was that, unlike her previous life, her limbs were intact. Ronan took off his coat without saying a word and placed it over her shoulders.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“···ah.”
Tears flowed down Adeshan’s cheeks. The feeling of the cloth wrapping around her body was so sweet that she couldn’t bear it any longer. She opened and closed her eyes repeatedly, squeezing out the moisture before opening her mouth.
“···What happened?”
It was like seeing a different person. The aura emanating from Ronan’s shoulders was incomparably stronger than before.
It was too rapid a growth to have occurred in just three days. The huge rock that appeared with him was still firing rays at the giants. Ronan scratched the back of his head.
“Hmm. A lot has happened.”
There was too much to explain here. Ronan decided that his brain could not summarize it, so he turned around again. He pointed the tip of his sword at the giants and said,
“I’ll clean those up first. Just wait a moment.”
“Wait a minute, but I can’t do it alone···!”
“It’s okay. You’re not alone.”
Ronan chuckled. Adeshan was about to ask what that meant when a familiar cry echoed across the sky.
“Baaaaaaaaaah-!!”
“Sita?”
Adeshan hurriedly raised his head. Above his head, Sita was howling with her four wings spread out. The bloodstains that had spread across the battlefield were all rising in the form of drops.
A mist-like mana spread out from Sita’s body. The red mana covered the battlefield and enveloped the wounded Allied soldiers. Soon, exclamations began to erupt from all over.
“Oh, the wound is healing!”
“You’re back···.”
The blood that had been shed was returning to the body, healing the wounds. Some of the soldiers had already experienced the healing magic of Sita. The miraculous blood magic of the dream bird could heal any wound that was not serious enough to lead to death.
“This is… incredible.”
Lorhorn, who had been catching his breath, let out a laugh. People’s faces were brightening. I still didn’t know what it was, but I could instinctively feel that Ronan had returned and that the opportunity for a comeback had arrived.
Of course, the situation was still dire. Ronan and the giant boulder held the giants back, but there were still feather-born servants left on the battlefield.
“Keeheeeeeek!”
“Oh my!”
The colorfully-shaped servant horses were engaging the Allied forces. The sound of roars and screams could be heard from all directions. The soldiers, who had regained some of their morale, raised their weapons.
“Get in line! There’s still a chance of winning!”
“Don’t be afraid of our numbers! We won’t be defeated by monsters that don’t even exist!”
As Adeshan had said, there was no place to retreat now. The battle was about to begin in earnest. Boom. An elven woman landed among them.
“I will join.”
“All, you···?”
The soldiers looked puzzled. Her pure white hair and red eyes were impressive. Her long ears, which hung almost to her shoulders, were proof of her noble bloodline.
The servant horses made of light were charging forward with their teeth and claws out in front. The woman’s body looked so delicate in front of those hideous beasts.
“Oh, Miss. It’s dangerous!”
“damage!”
The soldiers who came to their senses belatedly shouted in confusion. But the woman did not dodge. She raised her hands toward the servants, humming a song-like phrase. Hwaaah! A strong wind swept through the enemy camp, enough to turn the ground upside down.
“Keeek···!”
“Kyaaaaah!”
The servant horses swept by the wind were torn apart and torn apart. In an instant, hundreds of servant horses turned into light and disappeared. The soldiers’ eyes widened.
“What, what is this···?”
Suddenly, something I had never seen before appeared. A huge eagle was blocking the woman’s path. Sharp winds like a knife were swirling around its translucent body. Elsia said, slowly stroking the eagle.
“Fight together with me. Hiran.”
“Pyuyooo!”
Hiran roared in response. Dozens of giant whirlwinds rose up from the midst of the herd of servants. Then, the surrounding air began to ripple, and various spirits emerged.
“Me, a spirit?!”
“Oh my god. This is such a large-scale summoning···!”
The soldiers were terrified. They had never seen or heard of so many spirits. The spirits, who had grown in strength in an instant, rushed at the servant horses.
As there were many giants, there were also many servant horses, but it was not difficult for Elsia, the best spirit master, to summon that many. On the contrary, the servant horses, overwhelmed by the number, began to be pushed back. Since the spirits were not afraid of death like them, the situation began to spiral into an even more uncontrollable melee.
“Hi, Ran.”
Abel frowned as he watched the scene. His gaze was fixed on the giant eagle. The eagle that was mercilessly tearing apart the servant horses was clearly the Storm Prince, Hailan.
I had cut off his wings before, but I didn’t expect to meet him again like this. He shifted his gaze and looked back at Elsia. Elsia nodded as their eyes met.
“Hello, Abel.”
“You betrayed the church, but now you look so happy. Are you not even calling me ‘Reverend’ anymore?”
“I never thought of you as a cult leader in the first place. You don’t look so good.”
Elsia smiled faintly. Abel laughed in vain as if he found it ridiculous. He swept his bangs back and looked at Ronan.
“···Yeah, you helped that kid. Then I guess it makes sense that you suddenly got stronger.”
“It’s not just me.”
“what?”
“I am only an advisor. There are other main characters. How about we at least say hello?”
Elsia turned her back after saying those words. Abel’s eyebrows furrowed at the unfamiliar voice. He was about to jump down from the watchtower with his hand on the hilt of his sword. A familiar voice was heard from not far away.
“It’s been a while, Abel.”
“older brother?”
Abel’s eyes widened. It was unmistakably Cain’s voice. He quickly turned to the direction from which the sound had come, and a boulder flying in the sky caught his eye.
The boulder was still blasting rays in all directions, keeping the giants in check. He could feel it instinctively. Cain was inside that boulder. Abel, who had calmed down his emotions, opened his mouth.
“···Were you alive?”
It was impossible. The wound from his own sword could never be healed by normal means. Cain’s reply came back soon.
“Yes. It was thanks to you that I raised my younger brother and son well. Your blood saved me.”
“My blood? Where did you get that…?”
Abel, who was about to say something, raised his eyebrows. The battle he had with Iril in the system flashed through his mind. He had shed a few drops of blood due to the sudden attack.
“Yeah… I guess I know what happened.”
It seemed like he knew the situation. That must have been why the location of the headquarters was revealed. Abel, who had grasped the situation in an instant, smiled bitterly. He stared at the rock and spoke as if he was astonished.
“But I never thought you’d bring that ship. Didn’t you say you’d use it as an ark when the stars were about to fall?”
“That’s right. But looking at the current situation, I think a battleship would be more suitable than an ark. Objects are meant to be used for their intended purpose.”
“This is a futile resistance, Brother. To waste the legacy of the most brilliant era in this way… Do you really think you have a chance, Brother?”
Abel said. The sky was still covered with a magic circle that called the giants. As long as the archbishops’ ritual did not stop, the giants would continue to descend.
Furthermore, the headquarters where the ritual was in progress was protected by the protection of the star that he had personally established. The strongest members of the Allied Forces were trapped inside, waiting for death. And if he stepped in right away, he could deal with the aged Cain or the old battleships in an instant.
“really?”
Abel asked back. A murderous aura flowed over his shoulders, making it difficult to even breathe. The unexpected had happened, but the situation was still favorable to the sect.
Cain didn’t answer. Abel raised the corners of his mouth. It seemed that he was starting to understand the topic.
I guess I need to crush this hope. That was what Abel thought as he grabbed the handle of his sword. Paaaaaaaa···! An intense sunset burst out from the middle of the battlefield.
“Ugh.”
Abel covered his eyes reflexively. The flash was so intense that it burned his retinas. Before he could say anything, the giants that had been circling the sky began to fall all at once.
“What is this···!”
Abel took a deep breath. It was an unbelievable sight to behold. Boom! Kwaang! A loud noise echoed as the huge body crashed into the ground.
He turned his gaze urgently and looked at the source of the light. A young man who looked exactly like him, with no hair, was standing there with his sword drawn.
The sunset glow was radiating from the blade. Bam! One of the staggering giants was slammed back into the ground. Cain’s reply came back.
“Yeah. I think we can win.”