CH 268

First Continental War (6)

a few days ago from now.

At a meeting of Western Front leaders, Flora Lawrence spoke of the 'what-if' possibility.

"We are fully prepared for the war against Kronos. An astronomical amount was invested in strengthening the walls, and Cairo and Dmitry's forces were gathered here. The problem is the situation when you can't hold out for a while even with all your might. If that happens, it would be pointless to hold on to the end to defend the shattered Western Front."

"But the moment the West is lost, it is only a matter of time before the Kronos Imperial Army will attack Kairos."

It was Baron Noel.

At an appropriate point, Flora Lawrence looked at him.

Yes. When Kairos falls into the enemy's grasp, from then on, it cannot be prevented from disintegrating one after another. But this war has to take risks in the first place. To realize Roman Dmitry's plan, it is very important to preserve 'as much power as possible' until then, rather than winning on the battlefield. But what would you do if you put all of your effort into protecting the battlefield that was defeated, but the power needed for the situation after that was insufficient? It takes choice and focus. By giving up the West and conserving power, we buy time, not by giving up the West for nothing."

"It makes sense. Flora. Have you come up with a detailed plan for that?"

Yes.

The Marquis of Vandenberg reinforced the opinion.

Flora Lawrence was once a key resource in the West, so her words were worth following.

????????

unfolded the map.

Flora Lawrence said, pointing to the front-line defensive positions of the West.

"The land we are in right now is a strategically important place. In fact, if this place is breached, the Western Front will inevitably collapse in a chain, so there is a high probability that the Kronos Empire will try to destroy it in the first battle. Plan B, which I will explain now, is an option if you can't stand their attacks. No, there is no other option than that."

eyes were focused.

You could say it was a crazy decision.

With all your preparations for Mercury, going with Plan B creates a lot of trouble.

However.

The experience of the past gave Flora Lawrence the determination.

"Plan B is to leave the castle and run. If defeat is obvious, the adversaries will not find it strange that we are leaving this place sooner than we think. Besides, if you give up even the war supplies, there's no room for doubt. That's your chance. When enemies come into the castle, we can give up a lot and get a clear advantage by exploding this place."

Be prepared.

On a battlefield with many variables, it was the role that staff had to play.

* * *

made a decision

The Marquis of Vandenberg cried out as he cut down the advancing enemy.

"All troops retreat! We will abandon the castle and move to the rear!"

"Retreat!"

The order was dropped.

The lieutenants delivered the Marquis Vandenberg's order to burst their throats, and some ran quickly and blew their drums to signify retreat.

The battlefield collapsed in an instant.

Ordinary soldiers did not know exactly what Plan B was, but they were told by the leaders that the castle could be abandoned in case of emergency.

The soldiers retreated.

The leading soldiers could not escape to deal with the Imperial Army, but the other soldiers had to follow the orders of the leadership.

It was suicide to remain on the battlefield with everyone running away.

Cairo, as the soldiers of the Dmitry Union retreated, the enemy broke through the vacuum of the battlefield and rushed into the castle.

"Attack!"

"Kill them all!"

Screams echoed from all directions.

The Imperial Army of Kronos slaughtered the soldiers of the Kingdom Union, and they were horribly trampled by the advancing troops, and even their bodies were shattered.

It was a war that was completely over.

The tight balance was irreversible from the moment the Kingdom Union took a step back.

most leading.

Chris was there.

In a position that is now in the rear, Chris bought time for the soldiers to escape.

flash.

All the rushing enemies were thrown out.

Even with the enemy forces filling his sight, Chris properly retreated and swung his sword, and the head of the Kronos Empire's army fell sharply in one or two counterattacks.

Many versus few. It was a familiar situation.

This time, experiencing extreme situations in Valhalla, Chris' skill reached a level higher than before.

puck!

penetrated the neck.

Then, as he was about to join the army again, Chris tilted his head in a moment of cool sensation.

Quiet rumble.

A blazing aura flashed past my eyes.

The skin was itchy.

It's still too early to be certain, but Chris instinctively knew that the power of the aura reached six stars.

"You are Chris!"

Quang!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

A mysterious existence pushed me like a dagger.

Without encountering the sword with the enemy, Chris quickly stepped forward and let all the attacks flow.

Still, Chris's body was pushed back violently. The waves of the aura strongly pushed Chris' body.

over your head.

A bright beam of light fell.

Chris rolled on the ground, avoiding the attack with a short delay.

Quang!

Curl rumble rumble.

"What the hell is Roman Dmitry? To rise to the level of 6 stars at the age of only 20, and to nurture a swordsman like you in a wasteland like Dmitry. amazing. It makes me want to hold you alive, peel off the flesh one by one, and ask the truth."

looked ahead

The pale-faced man was impressed with the scars from his eyes to his nose.

Moment.

There was a person who came to mind.

2nd place in the Chronos rankings.

3rd place on the continent.

It was the demon Hannibal.

His long curly hair, pale face, and scars across his face were symbols that expressed Hannibal's appearance.

I got goosebumps.

If he, who was in charge of the 2nd Knights of Kronos, had stepped forward, there was virtually no way to defeat him in this place without Roman Dmitry.

'Damn it.'

good.

straightened the sword.

himself at this place.

will die

Chris knew he was on a limb, but he couldn't turn his back on Hannibal.

The moment you turn your back.

It was clear that Hannibal's sword would cut his back.

To die poorly, Chris wanted to do his part.

'Sorry. It seems that the dream of surpassing the master will not come true.'

It caused an aura.

When you want to show off your power and run.

"I will take over this place."

Count Nicholas.

He stopped in front of Chris.

* * *

It was an unexpected situation.

In response to the remarks he could not readily accept, Count Nicholas spoke out forcibly.

"In the war to come, in order for the Kingdom Union to win, we need you, who have worked together with Roman Dmitry. So leave this to me. I will defeat Hannibal, and I will follow you soon."

" Count!"

hurry!

Count Nicholas shouted.

Both knew the truth.

In a short period of time, the Imperial Kronos army was rushing in, and even if he hesitated for even 10 seconds, the retreat would be completely blocked.

Knowing this, Count Nicholas made a sacrifice.

Experiencing the new talents of Roman Dmitry and Chris, he knew what he had to do for the kingdom.

Hesitation will make sacrifices meaningless.

At Count Nicholas' resolute eyes, Chris clenched his teeth.

"Today, I will not forget."

took a step back

As Chris tried to escape, Hannibal drew out his sword like lightning.

Quang-

Quiet rumble rumble.

Count Nicholas stopped.

In the intensely burning six-star aura, even Count Nicholas exploded the five-star aura as if he would not lose.

There was a huge shock.

Count Nicholas laughed at the rising blood.

"I wanted to fight a top-ranked player like you at least once."

far away

Chris was disappearing.

When Hannibal showed a slightly annoyed expression on his face, Count Nicholas calmed his shock and focused.

'I'm a lifetime. I wanted to reach the level of 6 stars.'

Cairo's best sword.

It was his own name.

However, he knew that the title of being the strongest in a weak country means nothing while dealing with the swordsmen who had risen to the continent's rankings.

He was only at the end.

Even against the same five-star swordsmen, it could not be said that they were superior, and the existence of the continental twelve swords that had risen to the six-star seemed like a sky that could not be reached.

The day I fell to Roman Dmitry.

Count Nicholas saw a new world.

The intense swordsmanship that cuts through his body was the realm outside of heaven he had longed for and longed for.

immediately after defeat.

locked up in the training room.

While recuperating his body, he struggled to resemble Roman Dmitry even a little.

reputation in the past.

The age at which gray hair began to appear.

nothing mattered

Count Nicholas, who returned to the heart of a beginner, has succeeded in achieving some success until now.

Kwareung.

Curl rumble rumble.

"I am Richard Nicholas. And I, Cairo's first sword."

The Principality of Dmitry is formed.

The first place was again given to him.

Count Nicholas raised an aura that burned fiercely so that his name would not be ashamed.

Chloride (炎fire).

It was a huge fire.

The appearance of its existence itself burning and becoming a single sword clearly meant that he had also entered the beginning of the six castles.

Cairo's first sword was not weak.

In the six-star state of the Empire, where only 12 people were produced, with the exception of Roman Dmitry, he was the first in the ranks.

kicked the ground

Surrounded by an aura, he ran towards Hannibal.

That moment.

"You bastard who doesn't even know the subject."

flash.

The fire broke.

The aura that exploded like an active volcano erupted was torn apart in one blow as if it were splitting the sea.

Hannibal.

The third strongest being on the continent.

Just as there are differences between swordsmen of the same 5-star, he was a monster with no rival even in the 6-star.

poof.

spit blood

Count Nicholas's body was torn to shreds, and he fell to the floor after less than a minute against Hannibal.

I'd rather focus on evasion like Chris.

He might have been able to hold out longer than he is now, but his intention to compete head-on against Hannibal produced the result he is today.

body trembled.

As if not to go, he grabbed Hannibal's feet with bloody hands.

OK.

He squatted down so that Hannibal made eye contact with Count Nicholas.

"Can I tell you some interesting facts?"

"Cool."

blood was spilled

The blood that flowed from Count Nicholas formed a puddle with excitement.

first. There are a lot of people stronger than me in Kronos. So, if you can't survive even this much, it means you have no chance of winning in the first place. And the second."

Heck, he laughed.

"Your plan to explode the castle was anticipated in the first place."

got up from his seat

And then.

Kwajik.

The face of Count Nicholas in despair was trampled on as it was.

* * *

It was a perfect job.

The soldiers come out.

At a tight moment, Flora Lawrence set off an explosion as intended.

Quang!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

Quiet rumble rumble.

There was a huge explosion.

I thought that the soldiers of the Kronos Empire would be swept away by the explosion, but the white-haired wizard generated magic and formed a black hole.

The explosion that was about to devour the castle was sucked into the black hole at once.

When the first explosion was suppressed, the device that was intended to explode in a chain became meaningless.

series of situations.

Duke Bamford showed an expected expression as he entered the castle.

"It's obvious what the weak guys have to choose."

8 circle wizard.

And the 2nd Knights of Kronos.

It was overwhelming power.

Based on his experience, the Duke of Bamford was convinced that he could bring down the Western Front in the first battle.

Then there was only one worst case.

If even Roman Dmitry could not create a variable, the only variable was to abandon the castle itself and make this place a trap.

Back Warlord.

or.

A man called the maestro of the battlefield.

The fame of the Duke of Bamford was not an illusion.

Against the weak countries with limited options, he was not an easy-going existence.

he.

He said looking at the white-haired wizard.

"Sefir. You suffered."

no.

White-haired wizard.

Shefir responded calmly, then pressed down his robe again.

OK.

Duke Bamford turned his gaze and shouted at the soldiers.

"Listen, soldiers of the Kronos Empire! Enemies are now at a corner! Let's drive this momentum and turn Kairos and Dmitry into a sea of fire!

Enemies will have to remember today.

What does it mean to face Kronos?

Enemies still.

I have not experienced the hell of this world.

* * *

a few days after that.

Contrary to the expectations of Duke Bamford, the Kronos Empire did not catch the tail of the Kingdom Union.

"Evil guys. You have prepared everything to pass the time."

Explosions are only the first operation.

The second and third ships were prepared to block the advance of the Kronos Empire.

As a result, the pursuit had to be delayed.

The opponent's intention to slow down somehow caused a question for Duke Bamford.

'Why are you wasting time like this? Despite the fall of the Western Front, Roman Dmitry did not appear.

If so, then there is a connection between the time they earn and the absence of Roman Dmitry.'

If you look at the past steps.

There was a possibility that Roman Dmitry would infiltrate the capital and directly attack Emperor Kronos.

But it was impossible.

The Imperial Family of Kronos was guarded by the First Knights, and above all, unknown monsters guarded the emperor.

No matter how strong Roman Dmitry. It was not realistic to break through the borders of the capital and assassinate the emperor.

If he had planned such an operation, he could not be described as a strategist.

A fool who only believes in his strength and runs wild

Such an existence is bound to be broken by a stronger force.

'It's best for us to march forward like this. If you're trying to buy time, you'll just break it down without time to accomplish what you intended.'

But that day.

Received disappointing news.

The soldier, who rushed in, gasped for breath, said:

"Commander! Roman Dmitry has captured Cortas!"

Cortas.

At the name, Duke Bamford showed a surprised expression.

I had no choice but to do so.

Cortas, like the Western Front, was a strategic point in Eastern Kronos.

And right there.

There was a Warp Gate.