Regressor of the Fallen Family - Chapter 151

Regressor of the Fallen Family Chapter 151

No!! Logan also witnessed his father’s crisis. Yet, he could not easily extricate himself from his own predicament. The swirling silver wind aura before him wasn’t lenient enough to forgive rash movements fueled by overwhelming emotions. Consequently, Logan could only look on helplessly as Heinckel suffered severe injuries. The aura inflicted wounds so grave that even vomiting blood seemed insufficient to describe the severity, indicating that internal injuries were also likely extensive.

A warrior collapsing with such injuries in the thick of battle, with a Supersoul confronting him, was tantamount to death. Logan’s eyes nearly rolled back in fury, seeing his father barely evade the Supersoul’s attacks while carrying the wounded Heinckel.

“I must go…!” But a moment’s distraction came at a swift cost. Dammit! A mere brush with the aura was enough to slice through plate armor and the chainmail beneath it, leaving a slight but significantly long wound on Logan’s side. The shock brought his mind sharply into focus.

With a heart spitting blood, Logan summoned forth the power entrenched in his beloved sword, Lux. Time Acceleration, a high-level magic he could use only once a day, was a trump card he’d hoped to save for a critical moment to sever the thread of the Supersoul’s life. Longing for an opening in his opponent, the Stormsword, Logan finally activated the power he had conserved.

Whoosh. To himself, Logan’s movements didn’t seem much faster than before, but to his adversary, it would undoubtedly appear as an inconceivably rapid burst of speed. A shocked expression painted the enemy’s visage. The golden-hued force blade, thrice accelerated, elegantly curved to avoid the wind’s aura, grazing the side of Wicken.

Craaack. Wicken’s face turned to stone with fear. Despite the bloody battle, this was the first time he had suffered a serious injury. Nonetheless, despite his success, Logan’s own expression was far from pleased. Dammit. I should have exploited the opportunity when I had the chance. Although he had returned his injuries manifold, he couldn’t find a more significant opening. Moreover, now that Wicken had fallen for it once, he would surely prepare a countermeasure against the Time Acceleration.

There was no choice in the matter, though. Saving his father’s life took precedence over slaying the enemy. Logan vanished from that spot, ghost-like, as if in pursuit of the retreating Wicken. When he reappeared, he was amongst the tumult of incoming quarrels and magical bombs, maneuvering to secure Heinckel while evading tighly behind his father, Patrick.

Wooong. “Not…”. Patrick, pale in the face and barely evading the Supersoul’s onslaught, widened his eyes when he saw his son taking a stand to confront the flame aura. Wicken Callian and Jorden Valdermaine were of a different caliber. If Logan, who had struggled against the Stormsword, were to…

“Can…!” However. Crack. With a light noise, the onslaught of flame aura split to either side, scattering. Kaboom. Patrick realized the effort his son had demonstrated before the battle, only when he saw the distinct shake of the snake-like eyes through the diminishing flame aura; evidence that Logan was surely capable of handling a Supersoul. The astonishing sight brought some peace to Patrick’s tumultuous heart. And more so, when he saw a quarrel penetrate through the waning red aura and sink into Duke Jorden’s shoulder, followed by the staggering effect of the subsequent barrage of bombs.

Seeing the ignoble retreat of Jorden, who had been famed across the kingdom as the Blaze Sword, brought Patrick a measure of relief, reminding him of the pressing necessity at hand. “Heinckel! Pull yourself together! Do not lose consciousness! Do you understand?!” “Huh. My lord…”. “Father…?!” Ignoring Logan’s attempts to calm him, Patrick sprinted with all his might to the safety of the castle walls.

Upon securing a relatively safe spot inside the fortifications, Patrick poured one of the few highest quality potions his territory possessed into Heinckel without reservation. “Sorry, so sorry…”. “What blame is there on you! It’s my fault! Focus solely on healing your wounds! Move the Force!”

The sudden absence of the lord and captain of the knights caused a fatal disruption in the McLaine’s forces. “The Blaze Sword is retreating! Sweep them all away!!” Logan’s booming shout beneath the walls had an even more significant impact. Jorden Valdermaine’s retreat meant a drastic drop in morale for the entire Second Prince’s army.

Indeed, the Second Prince’s army began to retreat bit by bit, and with that, the morale of the McLaine soared immensely. “Fire!” “Kill them all!” The sheer power of the mighty McLaine, still hale and hearty, forced significant casualties upon the Second Prince’s forces, exploiting the void left by the Supersoul.

“Jorden has moved out of range! Don’t waste arrows needlessly! Focus on intercepting the knights below the walls!” Knight Commander Caisseron’s voice hinted at the imminent victory. In response, the First Prince’s army, too, began to retreat hastily, despite having suffered considerably less damage than their counterparts.

As Patrick gazed upon the scene, a bitter voice filled with resentment escaped him. “All because of those unruly rabble, Heinckel has…”. What good is a mighty soldier, what good are numerous troops if the enemy doesn’t cooperate under a guise of alliance? Witnessing the enemy’s lack of collaboration, the sacrifice of his friend seemed all the more grievous.

“They can’t trust each other. Fortunately, not the case for us. Father, are you alright? Sir Heinckel is…?”. “…He lost an arm, and his Force’s foundation has been severely damaged. I am uncertain if he can survive.” For Patrick, Heinckel was more than a subordinate; he was a friend who had spent almost a lifetime together. Heinckel’s life-threatening injuries brought Patrick’s spirits to rock bottom. ‘All because of me.’ Patrick covered his face with his palm, unwilling to show his disheartened state to his son.

Yet, it was as if he could see more clearly the moment he covered his eyes. – New knight Heinckel reporting. My lord, I look forward to your guidance. – Ah, same here. A pleasant exchange from their radiant youth. – Lord! Please rise again! You mustn’t stay down! The McLaine territory, the family must be maintained! Logan can see you! The voice that had lifted him from the despair of his wife, Raina’s death. – Ah, for heaven’s sake, help my son instead. – No matter what you say, I will retire with you, my lord. – Ha, such a man…Hehe. A silly yet heartwarming dialogue from when their bright future felt within grasp.

In an instant, those memories raced through his mind. “Never. I will never let you die like this.” “Yes. Heinckel is a strong man. He will rise again.” “Yeah, I know that. But I can’t rid myself of this anger until I’ve given that bastard Jorden a piece of my mind.” The once anxious lord, dreaming of retirement, had disappeared; replaced by a man harboring a cold fury.

Before him, Logan had no choice but to bow his head in silent consent.

* * *

“The faction army won’t keep making these same foolish mistakes. They will come to an agreement and then they won’t be retreating as they have so far; they’ll be here to see it through to the end. But!” Bang! Logan slammed his fist down, drawing everyone’s attention. “We have already pushed them back perfectly three times. Even considering the accumulated damage, the difference in military power has significantly narrowed, and even if they march against us as expected, we can hold our ground. Holding on invites reinforcements; time is on our side!”

Logan’s declaration didn’t completely buoy the gathered chief knights’ faces. The captain of the knights was incapacitated with grievous injuries, and the arrival of reinforcements was uncertain. They weren’t unaware of the reality that Logan’s emphatic words intended to conceal. Although the assault had temporarily ceased, everyone present had been awake for days on end. While the Force users among the knights were barely holding on, many of the soldiers, having engaged in nearly nonstop shifts of battle, were collapsing due to exhaustion.

Logan wasn’t oblivious to this, yet he had no special words of reassurance to offer. ‘I did say they would hurry, but no exact date…’ Recklessly promising would only lead to irreversible collapse once that time passed. As Logan bit his lip, pondering what to say next, Patrick quietly stepped forward.

“Does it feel heavy? Is it daunting?” “…” “It’s alright. I feel that way too.” “Father!” “My lord…?!” Murmurs began among the knights. “I’m not negating Logan’s words. Indeed, time is on our side and we have been formidable thus far. The problem is that the remaining challenges ahead will be far riskier and more strenuous than any we’ve faced before.” “Father…”

Patrick stopped his son with a raised hand and turned to face the knights with outstretched arms. “It’s possible that after the next battle, many here may no longer grace the battlefield like my fallen friend, Heinckel, and the many others who have already fallen to enemy blades.” A solemn silence fell over the room. “Faces of deceased comrades haunt my thoughts, their memories continually surfacing. I feel the same way. Even when facing the enemy, sad memories permeate my mind.”

‘He seemed fine, but the wound to his heart caused by Commander Heinckel’s situation was clearly deeper than I thought. I should intervene…’ As Logan was about to step forward to interject, yet again, Patrick started speaking with an unexpected shift in his tone. “But then I considered something. What would my fallen friend think of me, consumed by sorrow for his fall? Would he want me to collapse under the weight of that grief? Or would he want me to fight?”

“He would want you to fight.” Logan’s subconscious response was echoed with nods from the majority of the knights. “Yes. Were I in Heinckel’s place, I would want the same. Is the enemy strong? So what? Who has come out on top thus far?” “We have, my lord!” The knights’ clenched fists and spirited reply brought a smile to Patrick’s face. “Exactly. We have triumphed. Against the majority of the kingdom’s military might, no less.”

Smiles began to spread across the knights’ faces. “Within this kingdom, only five Supersouls exist, and four of them are outside these walls right now, leading the troops of two duke and two marquis families, all arrayed against us. Let’s not forget the border lords from the east and the west. Oh, except of course for Bifrost, who already met their end with us. Viscounts? Barons? Has anyone even counted them?” “No!”

Henderson’s resonant voice fueled the fiery atmosphere. “Exactly. We have resisted the irreconcilable military numbers not once, not twice, but three times. Thanks to you! And our fallen comrades, who cannot join us today.” As the serious sentiment ignited the knights’ burning gazes, Patrick continued. “I eventually want to tell our comrades in the afterlife, whom we cannot accompany today, that when we were nothing more than a minor baron family a few years ago, we shattered the kingdom’s elite alliance.”

The room fell silent. “The very fact that we have already achieved such remarkable feats is something I take great pride in! Don’t you agree?!” “Yes, my lord!” The shouts filled the command tent. With that backdrop, Patrick nodded slowly. “I wish I could tell each of you that you have done enough—that I wish to praise you endlessly. Well done, extremely well done. That you all have far surpassed any limitations I could have imagined.”

Patrick’s voice rose further. “But I also want to ask if you’ve done enough and want to stop now. Is that truly the case?!” “Absolutely not!” “Far from it!” “We will fight to the very end!” The quiet tent once again became fervently animated. Patrick took a deep breath of the heated air, his face slightly flushed with a smile. “Yes. I too believe that the end is not yet upon us. The end is ours to define. Let’s go to the very end, to see who outlasts whom—them or us—until we can verify with our own eyes!”

“Yes!” “And if we must face the unfortunate event of closing our eyes in death, let us convey to our comrades what end we witnessed!” “Yes!” “For my part, I hope the end we witness is not ours, but theirs. Are there any objections?” “No, my lord!” “That’s right. We have won until now and we will continue to win. And I wish to share all that glory with everyone here. Let us show them—our strength, our resolve!”

Following Patrick’s echoing call. Thump. Thump. “Glory to McLaine!” “For the undying flame, we pledge our lives!” The knights took a knee, one after another, bringing their fists to their hearts. The dark energy was now completely gone, replaced by a roaring blaze of vitality.