Regressor of the Fallen Family - Chapter 154

Regressor of the Fallen Family Chapter 154

Long before the civil war erupted, rumors about the superhumans of the Grandia Kingdom were rampant. Perhaps it was precisely because the superhumans seldom used their powers directly on the frontline or battlefields that such rumors spread even more. Among the many rumors, there was always one that captured people’s attention the most:

– So, who’s the strongest among them?

Although it was said that even Aura Users have varying levels of skill, no one dared to directly ask a superhuman about their level. Among the kingdom’s superhumans, there were mages, which made direct comparison even more challenging. Therefore, debates over who was the strongest raged on until about a decade ago, when it eventually settled down to nearly one consensus. It was because the superhumans themselves generally agreed with this assessment, unlike the earlier rumors that had sparked much dissatisfaction. According to this accepted ranking:

The youngest Half Giant, Luther Kaihl, and The Storm Sword, Wicken Callian, were almost on par.

Above them, The Blaze Blade, Yordan Valtomyr, and the Ice Mage, Juan Douglas, were deemed nearly impossible to differentiate in terms of superhumaniority.

At the peak was The Sword Sage, Felix Esperanza.

Those on the battlefield now could somewhat sense the veracity of these rumors.

“The Grip of Frozen Disaster!”

Juan Douglas, his face going red from exerting magical power, bound movements with an instantaneous and unavoidable personal binding spell.

“Huaah!”

Wicken Callian, wrapped in white winds, struck with a lightning-fast barrage of attacks too swift for the eye to see.

“Uwah!”

And facing these intimidating superhumanhumans was The Sword Sage, who swung a war hammer as big as his own body at his cornered adversary.

Boom!

The earth exploded in a ten-meter radius around the point of impact. Amidst the dust-filled air, a streak of red light flashed.

And…

“Keuk!”

“Damn it!”

“Are you sure you are casting your spells properly?!”

Not just Wicken and Luther, who were fighting up close, but even Juan Douglas, who was about twenty meters away, sported a long gash on his body. Luther Kaihl fumed with irritation at the unbelievably severe wound, caused by just one swing of the sword.

“Would you even stand a chance against me if it wasn’t for this? Focus and quit getting distracted!”

Juan Douglas, his hand holding the staff now cut, exuded a murderous aura. Their situation was far from grim. Judging by Juan’s confident assertion and The Sword Sage struggling with a pale face, the tension was palpable.

A testament to how much their adversary had fatigued. But the looks on the faces of the three superhumanhumans were filled with anxiety. They hadn’t even considered the possibility of The Sword Sage holding out against their combined assault. The tide of battle was shifting against their favor, prompting unwanted changes across the battlefield. Especially Juan and Wicken, who kept glancing back worriedly towards their base.

“If the three of you together can’t handle it, why not call Yordan too?”

The Sword Sage’s voice carried ease despite the visible strain on his face, influenced by the turning tide in the battle. His meaningful gaze drifted towards the distant south.

* * *

“Follow me!”

“Break through!”

Thud, thud, thud…

Following intense clashes, only about 150 knights and 1,300 crossbow cavalrymen remained. For such a small number to penetrate the enemy’s main camp, boasting nearly 30,000 men, seemed like a foolish suicide mission.

Even without a superhuman leading the enemy, the assault formation was not advantageous for showcasing the full power of the crossbow cavalry, considering their strength in range. However, what seemed like a suicide run began to succeed due to several variables.

The first variable was the leading knight, Logan.

“Taah!”

With a mere extension of his sword, charging knights tumbled off their mounts, disrupting the enemy formation. Logan with his Golden Force Blade drew an elegant curve, cleaving the necks of mighty adversaries who managed to keep their horses under control amidst the chaos.

His monstrous aura went far beyond that of an elite knight. After Count Trumbel’s top-grade, Balton Oyle, was cut in two within three exchanges, no one dared intercept Logan’s path.

Logan’s sweep left a trail of destruction. Fallen and disarrayed knights were first subjected to a barrage of crossbow bolts and any survivors were handled by the blades or hooves of the McLaine knights.

The second variable was Logan’s McLaine knights.

“Die!”

“Perish!”

Clash!

Crossing blades, one’s armor split open while the other lost their life.

“K-k-kruck. Insane…”

McLaine’s knights dispatched their enemies with a striking zeal that belittled the threat to their own lives. Their steel-determined stance synergized with the Iron Sword, producing outcomes surpassing their own abilities.

The third variable was shocking to both the enemy and allies alike. With hammers in both hands, 30 golems, each displaying the power equivalent to knights, suddenly emerged in front of the McLaine knights following just behind Logan. Ignoring enemy attacks digging into them, they relentlessly hammered down foes. It was like offering their heart in exchange for taking limbs—shamelessly brutish attacks—but entirely effective, given that these monstrous golems lacked hearts.

Boom!

While some veteran enemy knights contrived means to deal with the golems…

“Dammit! They have no core! Go for the legs!”

“Aaagh! Blast it! Find the mage! There must be one nearby!”

—they were unaware that the golems would regrow their legs within seconds and that their master was far within the walls of the castle.

“This is an absurd spell…”

Despite Logan recognizing the benefits the golems brought to their desperate situation, he could not comprehend how such magic was possible. He could only guess something good had happened to Clayton.

‘A 6th-circle mage? But, what kind of attribute did he gain to make this possible?’

Although the spell didn’t exhibit overwhelming destructive power all at once, its range and duration sufficiently compensated for that shortcoming. In any case, Logan appreciated how much easier things got because of the golems.

“Increase our speed!”

Logan roared, infusing his horse with Force, enhancing the weary animal’s lungs, alleviating muscular fatigue, and fortifying power. His skin toughened to deflect enemy spears that barely left a scratch, a testament to the apex of Logan’s Force equestrian skills. Logan’s horse surged forward with incredible vigor, cleaving through enemy lines like a beam of light, bringing a grim smile to Logan’s face.

His prior concerns about exhausting the Libertatio and the loss of many knights now seemed laughably overcautious, as the enemy was split in two with unexpected ease.

* * *

‘That… That…?’

Juan Douglas, who concentrated his magic to bind The Sword Sage, felt his steady gaze waver as McLaine’s knights unexpectedly cleaved through his ranks. Caught off guard by an unforeseen turn of events, he felt his sentiments grow complex. However…

“Kuk!”

The near-miss of an aura blade jolted Juan back to the dire reality. An Aura Shot – evidence that The Sword Sage had reached an advanced level of Aura Usership, explaining the unexpectedly difficult fight they were having.

“Focus!”

Despite any frivolous talk of detestable in-laws, this was a critical situation. The true power he had felt during his son’s nuptials assuredly wasn’t as weak as this.

‘Old man. You’ve been hiding your true strength all this time, haven’t you?’

The slightest slip could mean the end of his life. There was no time to worry about his main camp. More importantly, he was confident that the worst-case scenario would not come to pass.

‘No ordinary individual, not even a superhuman, will be able to touch or even see my barrier for at least a day.’

If the prince was safe, the thought of being broken through by a mere knights’ charge seemed temporary and easily contained. Juan reassured himself while consciously ignoring the creeping sense of unease.

* * *

Thud, thud, thud…

With the front lines breached, the path beyond opened up clearly—a sign that the 1st Prince’s forces had entirely shifted strategy. Logan understood the enemy’s grasp at a surrounding tactic to snap the robust spear they couldn’t handle head-on. As an opportunity arose, he drove forward with increased speed.

‘I must find the prince.’

The prince was likely in the deepest, most protected area of the main camp, beneath the flags of the Grandia royal family—a phoenix for the kingdom and a crossed sword for House Douglas. Charging straight for them, he found the location surprisingly devoid of the prince and his personal guard. No presence of elite forces felt, just the sight of enemy soldiers moving to surround them.

Amidst this puzzling situation, Logan concentrated to his utmost, triggering his transcendental senses, where he detected something off. Dashing forward, his sword struck down harshly into an oddly energized space.

Boom!

While seemingly just an empty space to the eyes, Logan’s sword made contact with an intense sound, repelling off something.

“This is it! Smash it down!”

The defiant barrier must have been some trickery from Juan Douglas, but with the mage absent now, its destruction was inevitable… or so Logan thought. Despite numerous knights’ attempts, his heightened senses registered the unchanged foreign energy ensnared there.

Boom! Bang! Pop-pop-pop…

“Fall back!”

After bidding his knights retreat, Logan’s golden giant sword soared above only to strike at the invisible barrier.

Boom!

The peculiar energy rippled once, maintaining its intimidating façade despite the onslaught.

“Damn…”

A sense of defeat crossed Logan’s face when, suddenly, a golem approached and rapidly wrote on the ground.

[This is a mana barrier cast by the mage through immense exertion. Unless an attack uses aura or magic, it will not budge. Even I cannot break it from this distance.]

“What kind of nonsense…!”

The news was more shocking than Clayton’s newly revealed talent as relayed by the golem.

[The caster’s absence means there’s surely a time limit, but considering his deliberate absence, it’s unlikely to be a mere one or two hours. You should retreat.]

“Absolutely not!”

Logan ignored Clayton’s implication of withdrawal through the golem, stepping forward once more. Too much stacked in their favor had brought them here, but Logan had yet one more tactic he hadn’t yet tried.

Focused, he lifted his sword.

‘It’s still rudimentary but…’

Despite not yet reaching the heights of a superhuman and being weakened by enemy tricks, Logan had a force that allowed him to withstand Yordan’s fiery aura, brief though it was.

‘I can do this!’

Logan’s next move was the Divine Blade Secret Technique No. 4: Flame Cutter (暴炎斬, Violent Flame Slash)—a superhumannatural beyond previous techniques, meant to sever the source of formless energy.

Erupting from Logan’s beloved sword Lux in a golden blaze, the blur of light split the empty air with a terrible sound.

There, in the opened gash, bewildered knights and mages, along with a blond-haired, blue-eyed man, met Logan’s gaze. Sporting a feral grin, Logan saw his chance.