Chapter 55: El Maestre (10)

Chapter 55: El Maestre (10)

I picked up the sword that had lost its owner. The person who once wielded it was more like a beast than a human, with a size and appearance more suited to tearing beasts apart than humans. Although the blade was slightly twisted, there were no major issues with its overall durability. Should I really call it a titanium alloy, perhaps?

On the other hand, the appearance of the deceased Knight Commander, at first glance, resembled a knight from religious paintings. A knight of Christ who had fought devils and evil dragons. But the lifeless body he left behind was no better than the corrupt priests who called themselves drug lords.

As I looked closer, I began to feel a bit disgusted. The Knight Commander had a certain resemblance to the Masters. The Masters and the members of the Round Table shared a belief in being chosen by God. The latter was still an ongoing process.

After pushing the Knight Commander down with magic, I removed his armor and equipment. I also collected the weapons, shields, armor, chest rigs, and more from the dead henchmen. These were props necessary for the grand finale of this hunt.

Next, I ignited a fierce fire in the now-ruined cathedral. The fallen Jesus statue caught fire first, followed by the Virgin Mary statue, the angel statues, shattered or intact pews, the front wall with inscribed scriptures, the altar, and the lectern. The cathedral, collapsing in the heat, would make an excellent tomb for the knights’ corpses.

Since I was already at it, I decided to put in a little more effort.

Bang, thud, whoosh!

The deafening noise of what seemed like falling shells reverberated. My telekinesis, shimmering transparently, pounded the wretched corpses like a press. It would be challenging to even guess their original forms until they were completely obliterated and burnt in the intense heat.

Walking away from the brightly burning cathedral, I thought my dark shadow, swaying in the temple’s wavering light, resembled the silhouette of a dancing devil. This was probably the lingering ecstasy of an intense battle.

As I stepped out of the main gate, Kyung-tae nodded respectfully.

“You’ve been through a lot, hyungnim.”

“Hardly. It was an enjoyable and enlightening time.”

Rumble. A vibration from the corner of the cathedral collapsing behind me resembled the thunderclaps echoing in distant mountain ranges. As I descended the stairs, there was a loud shattering sound coming from high above, between the bell towers. When I glanced back, I saw that the clock embedded there had exploded due to the internal heat and pressure. I could see hot air escaping through the crack in the clock, emitting various colors of heat.

“What’s the situation? Has anything changed?”

“Yes. Half of Suyeon-noonim’s team is deployed along the Pitillal River Park. If you go down just three blocks from here, you’ll have a path to move anywhere in the city while avoiding the sky’s gaze. The plan is to use this axis as the center of movement. Also, the remaining reserve forces have attacked the city police and the Defence Army’s command nodes, securing their radios and destroying evidence. Based on the incoming communications, the estimated position of the British troops is...”

Kyung-tae’s communication was swift and concise. His memory in combat situations was as exceptional as Suyeon’s. I listened as he reported.

“...That’s all for the field command reports. Do you have any instructions?”

“No. Confirm and relay that I will follow as instructed.”

“Roger.”

Kyung-tae’s response included a message that I was unharmed.

I selected three subordinates under Kyung-tae, dividing the props for our performance. I took one for myself, while the Knight Commander’s full-body armor was assigned to Kyung-tae. Even though Kyung-tae was the largest among them in the security team, the height difference with the deceased Knight Commander was almost 10 centimeters, and their skeletal structures were quite different, making perfect disguise impossible.

However, we could overcome that with role distribution in the darkness and stage production.

A suitable means caught my eye.

“...A stable?”

Not far from the square we occupied, there was a stable not too far to the southeast. While residents fled gunshots and fires spread throughout the city, horses trapped in enclosures panicked, leaping around in fear amid the scent of burning and auditory chaos.

Mounted combat was actually a foolish act that consumed the awakened individual’s mobility and combat power. However, what we needed now was not Kyung-tae’s combat power alone but the presence of the Knight Commander.

“This way.”

“Bryn!”

Shouting the name of his fallen comrade, the wide-eyed sergeant aimed his gun at me. Bang! A close-range shot. The bullet, aimed at my helmet, bounced off with a dull thud. It was a shock that fell just short of smashing my head with the Knight Commander. Immediately, my counterattack strengthened with a force that could deflect attacks from easily defensible angles, struck.

Kagak! Kagagak!

I repeatedly slashed, the sergeant desperately defending against my attacks. Thanks to his efforts, his gun had its trigger guard broken off, and the magazine was brutally sliced away. Nonetheless, one round remained in the chamber, and the sergeant held the gun like a spear, pulling the trigger instinctively. Clang! I turned to face the point-blank shot. Tink! The bullet was deflected by the tilt of my armor. No matter how powerful the shot, if the angle of impact was off, what could it do?

The wall behind the sergeant collapsed. The recoil I felt through my shield was the violence I had just unleashed. The sergeant, impaled by concrete debris, was buried up to his waist. The screams and cries from behind me were the destruction and death my subordinates were causing. The ones following me now were the elite of the Round Table.

“Kuh...”

The sergeant, who had been mortally wounded in a single blow, looked at me with eyes full of disbelief. Blood dripping from his mouth was evidence that his organs were damaged, and the expression on his face, resembling that of a drunken person holding back the urge to vomit, depicted immense pain. It was the expected outcome. I hadn’t shown him the same mercy I had extended to Knight Commander.

I approached him and began stomping on his hand, which was holding a grenade, crushing it into a pulp. The sergeant, who had even been prevented from committing suicide, glared at me weakly. A camera was attached to the side of his ballistic helmet, signifying that the British military command was likely watching this scene in real time.

I made a change to the physical enhancement technique I had been using. A mage’s mastery of magical physical enhancement implied the ability to control muscles that wouldn’t obey the will, either directly or indirectly, when necessary.

The vocal cords are one of those involuntary muscles. Like when I played Huang, I was reciting a prayer with a voice that was not my own, digesting the role of a fanatic. The memorized prayer is the inspiration I gained from the showdown with the Knight Commander.

“Jehová, Dios de las venganzas, Dios de las venganzas, muéstrate. Engrandécete, oh Juez de la tierra. Da el pago a los soberbios. (Jehovah, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, reveal yourself. Exalt yourself, oh Judge of the earth. Render recompense to the proud.)”

“What... is this...”

The remnants of my master in my head contained the refinement of nobility, a twisted obsession with the Bible, and knowledge of three languages. Therefore, extracting a suitable passage from it wasn’t a difficult task. There might be some minor inaccuracies, but didn’t the Knight Commander do the same? Fanatics tend to distort doctrine.

Stab! Piercing through the bulletproof vest. The sergeant widened his eyes. I continued to stab without hesitation, imitating the fanatic’s role with a dry chant. Stab, stab, stab. With each thrust, fresh blood stained the blade. More blood flowed from the sergeant’s mouth.

“Oh, Jehovah. How long will the wicked be joyful, singing songs? How long will they boast with harsh words and display unfair deeds?”

“Stop. St-stop.”

“Oh, Jehovah. They break your people. They soak your heritage in violence.”

“.....”

Bang, bang! Along with the cries, new bullets flew. A bold attack from the enemy, thinking there were only four of us. Anger over losing comrades drove them forward. I began by using the refraction barrier to avoid the first three bullets, then quickly tilted my shield, altering its angle. Continually using the refraction barrier would reveal the presence of a technique controlled with precision. Such sophistication was far from achievable with primitive magic at this stage. After all, even the Knight Commander couldn’t surpass physical enhancement.

The shield, forming an acute angle with the ground, easily deflected the incoming semi-automatic gunfire. With each thud that reverberated through the grip and forearm, small deformations appeared on the shield. These were formidable firearms.

“¡Reúnanse! (Gather!)”

Three shields, bracing against obstacles, covered approximately 150 degrees around Kyung-tae. His dulled hearing was not startled by the noise of combat. Kyung-tae, perched high on a saddle, fired his hunting rifle in semi-automatic bursts. Bang, bang, bang! Each deadly accurate shot rapidly diminished the enemy’s firepower.

However, the odds were against them. A clear show of superiority increased the enemy’s density. Beyond that, amidst the heat of burning cars and buildings, and the smoke it generated, the sight of my subordinates leaping over obstacles and running across rooftops was visible.

As the encirclement closed in, I placed the lifeless body of the sergeant, his breath extinguished, on the shield and charged toward the enemy. An interval that disappeared in an instant. The enemies couldn’t easily open fire on a comrade whose life hung in the balance. It was a battlefield where there was still plenty of blood to be shed by the blade.

Author's Thoughts

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

Enjoy reading~!