Author's Reincarnation in a Fantasy Setting - Chapter 320: Last Job Before Collapse [4]

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“Are you actually an idiot? If licking the old man’s ass is what you want, then you can do it for way longer if you stay alive.”

“That is indeed true, but it is not the only reason,” Zoendoln said, looking toward the knights that were guarding the room. “I can’t just leave my comrades behind to die and escape like a sacred cat. I am a knight of the Zenith kingdom, and I will die like one.”

“Ah well, I guess there’s no helping it then,” Ryfin sighed, an exasperated expression on his face.

Zoendoln didn’t reply.

“Fine, just make sure to not die too quickly,” Ryfin added.

“Where are you headed to?”

“Me? I still have one last thing left to do, after that, I’ll be in the safe zone as well.”

“I see. I wish you luck then.”

“Well, well, aren’t you being too generous? That stingy personality suits you better.”

Once again, Zoendoln didn’t say anything.

“Anyway, goodbye…Zoendoln.”

With that, Ryfin used his teleportation magic upon himself and disappeared from the place.

Zoendoln kept staring into nothingness for a while, although he did not have the privilege to do so for much longer since soon after Ryfin left, the castle started shaking abruptly.

Debris and dust begin falling off from the ceiling, along with all the decorations that were hung up there—that included some big chandeliers as well.

The knights in the throne room who had come to escort Ryfin and Auciel to the throne room started to take their positions. They unsheathed their swords and raised them against the enemies that were soon to come.

Some clicked their tongue while some gritted their teeth and looked around with narrowed eyes.

The castle was continuously shaking, and the shrieking and roaring of the demon beasts were echoing through the empty halls and chambers.

However, since no one knew exactly when the demons would break through the walls and make it inside, it created an eerie atmosphere of anticipation and fear.

“My Men,” Zoendoln said, his voice loud and clearly audible despite all the ruckus. “Are you scared?” he asked.

The knights exchanged glances and were unable to decide on an answer, in the end, no one said anything. However, Zoendoln continued.

“If you are scared, then you are free to get your ass out of here and make a run for it. However, one thing I guarantee you, and that isyou are going to die still. It does not matter whether you stay here to face those monsters or try to escape out of here. You are going to die, that much is certain.

“Those fucking monsters out there,” he said, looking toward the walls. “They are simply too much for us to handle, I can’t even see myself winning against them. They are monstrous beasts that are not of this world. They will come, and they will kill you.”

He paused and observed the look on the faces of his men. They were terrified.

It was not as if they were not aware of this fact up until now—deep down, each and every knight present there knew that today would be their last day—it’s just that they were trying not to think about it.

But Zoendoln spelling it out for them made the ignoring impossible. Once confirming the condition of the knights, he spoke again.

“You are going to die here, that is your destiny—you cannot change it. However, the thing that IS in your control is the way you die. You can either die like a warrior while fighting against them till your last breath, or you can die while trying to run away from them.

“The choice is yours. Death is our destiny now, and while we can’t change that, we for damn sure can choose the way we die,” after a slight pause, he continued.

“If you want to run away you can run, if you want to stay and fight then you can stay and fight. It is entirely up to you and I’m not going to force you for either. And for myself personally,” he looked back at the now-empty throne.

“I’m going to give those bastards hell before entering one,” he finished.

The knights yet again looked at each other, but each of them had already decided what they were going to do.

Now, of course, not everyone was as courageous as Zoendoln. More than a few knights sheathed their swords and took the back way out, while the others decided to stay and fight with him.

Just after that, a few more groups of knights who were patrolling to look for the demons came and united with the rest when they saw Zoendoln.

After that, no one said anything. They had gone completely quiet. Only the rumbling of the castle and the screams of the demons could be heard.

Zoendoln was under quite a pressure, more than he had ever experienced in his entire life. And it was understandable. After all, he was standing there knowing that in the next few moments, he was going to die. However, that did not decrease his strength or resolve.

In fact, it had quite the opposite effect. ‘Since I’m going to die anyway, I might as well give this everything I have in this last fight’ was the thought that he had.

He started to build up his mana and was ready to activate his magiken at any time now.

As he furrowed his brows, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead. Sliding down from there the bead of sweat fell from his cheek and splashed on the floor.

Right after, an extremely loud explosion-like sound met their ears as the wall in front of their eyes blasted into pieces, and in came an enormous horde of demon beasts.

And they were not the only ones that came, one after another walls from all directions started breaking and crumbling, letting loads and loads of demon beasts inside the castle.

The knights went into action instantly. Raising their swords they charged toward the beasts while screaming their throats out.

Zoendoln also assumed a battle stance while unleashing all the mana he’d built up till now at the same time as his magiken.

His blade shone, his muscles expanded, his veins popped up, and the blood and mana circulation in his body peeked.

“DIE YOU FUCKERS!!!” he said while screaming.

He bent forward a bit just as he spotted a demon beast coming toward him. His body felt light, his vision was clearer and his senses had been enhanced. Right now he was at his full potential, he felt like he could win the world.

A slight yellowish aura surrounded his body, and just as the demon beast ran toward him. He blasted himself off the ground, propelling forward toward the beast and raising his sword.

“Die!” he screamed.

Reaching close he brought the sword down with all his physical and magical strength, delivering a slash right at the center of the beast’s chest.

According to him, the attack was powerful enough that his sword should have sliced through the beast like butter. He knew he would die, but he wanted to at least kill a few of these monsters before that.

However…

“Seriously…? Are you kidding me…?” he whispered to himself.

The sword had not even pierced the beast’s skin, there was no blood spilled either. All his attack did was give the beast a single small scratch.

At the same time, the screams of his men filled his ears. He didn’t even have to look at them to know how brutally they were getting murdered. And he could not look, he didn’t have the courage to do so. All he did was look down at the ground.

‘I guess we never really stood a chance,’ he thought to himself as he let out a heavy sigh.

The demon beast before him raised its hand up and smacked Zoendoln in the head.

The next second he saw the world spin at a high speed, then with a loud THUD sound his vision blurred, and soon blacked out completely.

His body fell on his knees, while his head went flying and crashed on a pillar before rolling away on the ground.