Chapter 253: The Devil’s Choice (3)

Just because they killed David didn’t mean they were completely out of the woods. 

“Your Majesty, you must retreat into the inner city.”

“I know.”

Under Duke Palan and Marquis Catel’s protection, Queen Leila retreated to the inner city. 

Truthfully, even if they sought safety in the inner city, it wouldn’t last long. The walls around the inner city were nothing like the sturdy outer walls that were meant to be used by the army. The inner city walls were more for security, not protection. They were built to block invaders from entering the royal palace, not to stop enemies during a war.

But right now, there was no other choice. Even if it was only a day… No, even if it was only an hour more, they had to hang on until Milton got back.

“The queen’s over there!”

“Get her!”

The Republican soldiers saw Leila and the royal family. They tried to capture them, but…

“Piss off!”

“Anyone who blocks our way will die!”

As long as Duke Palan and Marquis Catel were escorting them, ordinary soldiers had no chance. Cutting down any enemies in front of them without hesitation, the group finally reached the inner city.

Duke Palan and Marquis Catel tried to escort them further and into the royal palace, but…

“You’re not going any further.”

Jake, who led the elite Ghost members, was waiting for them.

‘They’ve come here just as my master predicted.’

As soon as the walls had crumbled, Jake had obeyed Siegfried’s instructions and ran towards the inner city. He believed that if they weren’t going to run away, then they would most likely try to hide inside the inner city. That was why he had run ahead of them.

As soon as they saw Jake blocking the inner gates, Duke Palan and Marquis Catel exchanged glances. Then, right after…

“Hup!”

“Take this!”

Both of them charged towards Jake at the same time.

Clang!

Although two Masters attacked him, Jake held them off easily as his giant two-handed sword blocked both attacks. Then…

“Hup!”

He exerted his strength and pushed off both men at the same time. 

“Are you going to meaninglessly struggle? Is that what you’re saying?”

Even if Duke Palan was missing an arm, Jake was very relaxed as he faced two Masters. Now that General Barron had died, no matter who said what, Jake was the strongest man in the Republic. However...

The two men stood in front of Jake without any hesitation. It didn’t matter whether they could or couldn’t. They had to.

“If it’s your wish to die, then I’ll grant it.”

Jake walked forward without hesitation.

At that moment, Duke Palan made a quick decision.

“Tommy! Rick!”

“Yes, teacher.”

“We’ll fight till the end.”

The two of them stood behind their teacher to assist him. Unfortunately, their skills weren’t enough to help him, that was why Duke Palan told them something else.

“Escape with the royal family while Marquis Catel and I are blocking him.”

When they heard that, Tommy and Rick wondered, to where? But they didn’t ask it out loud. It didn’t matter where they escaped to. Anywhere was better than where that monster was at.

“Your Majesty! Please come this way.”

“We will be escorting you, Your Majesty.”

Leading the Royal Guard, Rick and Tommy began to evacuate Queen Leila and her family.

“Do you think I’ll let them go?!”

Jake charged towards Leila as he roared. 

Truthfully, even if they escaped here, there was no way out. However, Jake had no intentions of letting Queen Leila slip out of his hands. That’s why he charged at her.

‘It’ll be enough if I cut off one of her legs...uh!’

CLANG!

Jake was rushing towards Queen Leila when a sudden blow came from the side and pushed him off course.

“You Republican brat. Do you really think I’m that easy?”

Duke Palan had thrown himself to stop Jake. 

“This old geezer…”

Jake was feeling murderous. Queen Leila was already being escorted away under the protection of her knights. When he had tried to capture her, Duke Palan and Marquis Catel stood in his way, determined to stop him even if they died. It wasn’t that he couldn’t beat them, but he also couldn’t ignore and avoid them. 

“Ghost Group 2! Group 3! Chase after the queen.”

In the end, Jake decided to send his subordinates after the queen while he dealt with Duke Palan and Marquis Catel. 

Of course, the Ghosts weren’t able to chase after the queen easily. 

“Let me show you the will of the Northern Knights!”

“Come at me, you Republican bastards!”

While Rick and Tommy left with the Royal Guards, the Northern Knights that had been raised by Duke Palan stayed behind. Although they wouldn’t be able to beat the elite Ghosts Group 2 and 3, the Northern Knights could still buy their allies time.

Jake frowned as he spoke to the two men in front of him.

“How annoying. You just won’t let it go.”

“Think whatever you like.”

Duke Palan gripped his sword with one hand as he stared at Jake. Marquis Catel was with him, but frankly, he didn’t think they’d be able to win. He glanced sideways at Marquis Catel as he spoke.

“I’m sorry, Catel.”

“I’m already a knight of a fallen country. You have given me the chance to be a knight again, so it is my honor to be able to die as a knight of the Lester Kingdom.”

“Honor… glory…”

Duke Palan smiled bitterly. Had he lived his life for honor? Glory? No. Although he was a duke of a nation, he had never wanted glory. There had only been one thing he wanted in his life.

‘I’m coming to you, Irene.’

Briefly, Duke Palan had a look of yearning on his face before he started shouting as he glared at Jake.

“I’m coming, you bastard!”

Resolved to die, Duke Palan and Marquis Catel rushed at Jake.

Jake swung his sword with bloodthirst shining in his eyes.

“I’ll kill you.”

CLANG!!

Duke Sean Palan.

Marquis Ryan Catel.

The two Masters gave it their all against the ultimate enemy of their lives.

***

“Let’s use this carriage!”

Tommy had found an abandoned carriage by the side of the road. And then...

“We’re escaping the royal capital! All of you, guard the carriage!”

He decided they should escape on it. 

“Hey! That’s too reckless! How can we escape in such a conspicuous carriage!”

Rick tried to dissuade him, but Tommy was determined.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s dangerous either way if the enemy took over the inner city too.”

“Well, that’s…”

“I have an idea!”

Rick began to weaken when Tommy shouted at him.

“Fine. Then let’s do it.”

***

“Over there! Get that carriage!”

“The royal family of the Lester Kingdom is on that carriage!”

“Get them! Don’t let them escape!”

A shout drew in Republican soldiers from all directions and Rick and Tommy worked like mad to cut them all down. The Royal Guards, who followed behind them while guarding the carriage, all fought desperately as well.

However…

“This is the end.”

They had reached the front of the gates when Siegfried appeared in front of them, blocking the exit with Ghost Group 1.

“Damn it…”

Rick gritted his teeth while Tommy hurried to find another way. But…

“Do you think I’ll let you go?”

Siegfried raised his hand. Both Ghosts and Republican soldiers appeared from all directions. And it wasn’t just the Ghost members of Group 1, all the remaining Ghosts had been waiting.

“Form a circle! Protect the carriage!”

Tommy immediately gave out the order and the knights surrounded the carriage and assumed a defensive position.

After watching Tommy’s actions, Siegfried spoke to him.

“I remember you. You’re Tommy Croix, Milton Forrest’s aide.”

Then, he turned to look at Rick.

“And you’re Rick Storie.”

“It’s truly an honor that you recognize us, you son of a b*tch.”

Rick responded boldly to Siegfried, raising his middle finger at him.

Siegfried took the provocation in stride.

“I guess it wouldn’t matter if I told you that if you surrendered now, I'll let you keep your lives?”

“I’d rather die than lick your boots.”

“Same here.”

In response to Rick and Tommy’s answer, Siegfried raised his hand and gave the signal.

“Then, I guess there’s nothing more I can do. Keep the royal family alive. As long as it’s possible, we must capture them alive.”

“Yes, sir!”

And with that, Ghost Group 1, the Republic’s strongest force, rushed toward Rick and Tommy’s group. At that moment, Rick and Tommy took out a small vial from their breast pockets and drank it without hesitation. 

“Keugh…”

“Guh…”

Aura burst out from their body. Although it was only for a short period of time, these two intermediate Experts began to show a power that was comparable to those who were advanced.

‘Damn it… this is more than I thought…’

Tommy clenched his teeth in agony as he broke out in cold sweats.

What the two of them had drunk was the elixir they had taken as a trophy after killing the Ghosts. Most of them had been handed over to Bianca to research, but they had each kept one. They had heard from Bianca that those who took it without slowly getting used to it would die because they wouldn’t be able to control the energy. Even knowing that, they had still kept one because they were afraid a moment like this would one day come. 

Cold sweating, Rick turned to speak to Tommy. 

“Haha… you wanna make a bet? How about the first one to die has to address the last one to die as older brother?”

“You psycho. In this situation?”

“Why? You scared? If you’re too scared…”

“Damn it… Fine. I’m doing it. Let’s do it!”

“Hahahahahaa!”

Even on the verge of death, Rick laughed childishly and lifted his sword. Tommy was grateful that he had a friend who was willing to be playful and play pranks for his sake.

‘As long as it’s with you, the road to the underworld isn’t bad.’

And so, Rick and Tommy greeted the enemies coming from all sides.

***

“...They’re going beyond what their skills are capable of.”

Siegfried spoke as he looked at Rick and Tommy with mixed feelings.

They had taken the elixir without an adjustment period and were currently using up their vitality both recklessly and resolutely. It was impossible for them to avoid death, but thanks to that, the destructive power of their Aura was much stronger. And they used their overwhelming power unsparingly.

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

Their bodies felt like it was breaking; their souls felt like it was burning. But the two of them took that agony and rage, and used it to raise their fighting spirit. They truly looked desperate. Even the Ghost Group 1 was wary about attacking them for fear of being hit with a reckless blow and couldn’t win easily against them. 

There were already several high ranking Ghosts at Rick and Tommy’s feet. Because Rick and Tommy had abandoned defending themselves and were only focusing on attacking, the Ghosts had been defeated by their overwhelming attack. 

Of course, they hadn’t gone down easily. Tommy had lost an eye and his right wrist while Rick suffered a deep wound in his waist and lost his right arm, from shoulder down. 

However, their fighting spirit was still high. They continued to fight as if they planned to stay fighting until they spilled every last drop of their blood on the floor.

In the end…

“This won’t do.”

Siegfried had been watching from the side, but now, he stepped forward. Thinking that he could no longer meaninglessly drag things out, he stepped out and attacked Rick first.

“Why don’t you go rest.”

“Keughhhhh!!”

Rick’s remaining arm was cut off by Siegfried’s attack. Regardless of the fact that he could no longer hold a sword, he screamed as he charged towards Siegfried. However, there was no spirit or discipline. He was just throwing himself at Siegfried, 

“Impressive.”

Siegfried couldn’t ridicule him. 

Rick was sacrificing his life in order to achieve his goal. It was both desperate and noble. 

Slash!

Just as Siegfried’s blow was about to cut Rick’s head off his neck…

“Guh…”

The sword stabbed someone else before it could reach Rick. It was Tommy. He had stood in front of Rick and blocked the sword with his own body.

“Tommy!!!”

Rick wailed as he saw his friend slowly falling in front of him. The tears that hadn’t flowed from his eyes when a blade had struck his body and when his arm had been cut off, was now blurring his vision.

Tommy looked at Rick as he fell down.

“Ke… ugh… I don’t need… a younger sibling… like… you…”

“Hey, you…”

Seeing Rick unable to talk, Tommy smiled as he closed his eyes. 

Siegfried kicked Rick in the chest and neutralized him. Then, he turned to give an order to his subordinates. 

“Open the carriage and secure the royal family!”

The Royal Guards had already been dealt with. Now that Rick and Tommy had fallen, there was no one protecting the carriage.

However...

“Your Excellency, the carriage is empty.”

“WHAT?!”

Siegfried was startled.

‘Did they…’

“Kuh… kahahaha…”

Just as Siegfried was questioning it, Rick burst out into laughter under Siegfried’s feet. 

“You psycho… what genius? Ha. How does it feel to be fooled by a hick knight’s tricks…”

Squish.

When Rick provoked him, Siegfried stabbed his sword through one of Rick’s eyes. 

“So the carriage was bait? Where is the real royal family?”

“F*ck you… keugh…”

Squish.

Siegfried dug out Rick’s remaining eye. 

“Keugh…”

“I don’t have time to mess around. Tell me if you want to die easily.”

“Her Majesty, Queen Leila is…”

“......”

“Is so beautiful. I think she’s wasted on My Lord… Guh!”

Siegfried trampled Rick’s intestines that had leaked out of his side. 

“You insignificant little…”

“Yeah… you… to… insignificant little… me… keugh…”

Despite the pain of having his guts being crushed when it was still attached[1]Rick didn’t stop mocking Siegfried. 

“Fuhrer, are you all right?”

At that moment, Jake joined Siegfried. 

“Jake, did you find the queen?”

“Yes, sir. But unfortunately, they escaped. These two intervened…”

Jake showed him the heads of Duke Palan and Marquis Catel.

“So they were alive? I see. So that’s why you lost the queen.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

Siegfried frowned.

He had even allowed Eliza to summon the great mythical demon, but things weren’t going his way as something kept getting in his way. It was almost as if fate itself was rejecting him.

‘What bullshit. Fate has never been on my side.’ 

1. The raw said when the guts were still alive/fresh, but that didn’t make sense to me or in English, so I changed it a bit.