CH 135

The two short swords that were flying became vanguards and headed for the enemy cavalries in a straight line. Together with the swords’ own momentum and the cavalries’ as they chased after the sole Kingdom soldier, the distance between the two shortened rapidly.

『Moon’s Blizzard』 passed the soldier who was being chased by the empire. Together with a ripping sound of the atmosphere, the Moon’s Blizzard was approaching one of the enemy cavalries‘ face.

(What?)

Just before Moon’s blizzard finished off the enemy, Ardis felt the interference acting on the sword’s trajectory.

(That’s the reason huh)

The same force that made Ardis’s 『Ice block』 miss earlier had pushed against Moon’s Blizzard in a similar fashion. But unlike the 『Ice block』 that Ardis can’t apply correction to its path after released, the flying swords that he controls with his mana actively can easily change its trajectory to chase after its targets.

Ardis readjusted the trajectory to the point he was aiming for originally, and accelerated the sword. An attack without miscalculations.

Cutting off the head of the enemy soldier riding on the horse, the white blade was dyed in fresh blood. The enemy soldier lost his posture, and fell of the horse the next moment.

Keeping its speed, Moon’s Blizzard changed its trajectory towards the next target. The enemy cavalries had lowered their speed and showed movements.

They probably thought to prioritize intercepting than chasing after the last kingdom cavalry. They had started reorganizing their fleets for a counteraction against the unknown attack. Thanks to that, the kingdom cavalry who was about to be caught up was saved by a hair breadth.

Ardis threw Moon’s Blizzard up in the sky, and from there aimed down at the center of the enemy group and catapulted the sword. At the same time, 『Springtime Mist』 was flying low on the ground, and caught the enemy’s foot that were distracted by the sword in the sky easily.

Being distracted by Moon’s Blizzard in the sky, one of the enemy calvary lost his head at Springtime Mist as they didn’t see it.

(Now that the second one is done――)

But the enemy cavalries’ carelessness stops there. Is it because that realizing two of their men had been taken down, the enemy hastened their preparation and became more alert.

Moon’s Blizzard attacked one of the enemies as its target but, the enemy reacted to the sword coming from above and parried it with his own sword.

(――They’re tougher than expected)

After exchanging a few swords with them, Ardis could grasp their abilities.

In the same fashion, Springtime Mist was also defended against by its target. Just the fact they can exchange blows with Ardis’s flying sword showed that the enemies’ strength isn’t to be underestimated.

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(A thousand or so of that level, huh……)  

Is that the riders’ strength, or an ability of the unfamiliar beast, in either case, it’s hard for Ardis to use magic to deal with them. Not just being able to change the trajectory of magical attack that comes at them, it’s better to think that all of them are able to deploy a magic barrier of their own.

It seems like they aren’t that unskillful to be taken easily by the flying swords either.

Of course, Ardis wouldn’t stop using the flying swords.

In any case, the opponents are breathing humans too. They will get tired, and blood will flow if they are cut. With those piling on each other, their movements will dull, and eventually call for fatal mistakes.

On the other hand, Ardis’s flying swords are 『Non animate objects』 that wouldn’t bleed. There’s no concept such as fatigue, nor injuries that can dull its movements. The flying swords that can disregard anything related to defense and put everything into offense are overwhelmingly strong against humans.

(Finally, five down)

Even though it’s a little harsh to face such resistance, Ardis is certainly dealing damage on the enemies.

But they are intelligent creatures too. They realized that there’re only two swords that continue attacking at them, as such, half of them had ignored the swords and galloped on their horses heading for Ardis instead.

The problem is the enemy had many more times theirs. An individual by themselves aren’t a problem. But the longer Ardis spends on a single individual, the more enemies will direct their attention here.

「The enemies are heading towards us! 」

One of the students from behind shouted.

(There’re not enough people to go against them)

Ardis turned around, and looked around.

「Eh? W-What’s the matter, Ardis-san? 」

Even though the enemies are riding on horses rapidly approaching them, Kyrill was surprised at Ardis’s action that turned his back to the enemies. Without answering that, Ardis started verifying the surrounding soldier corpses lying on the ground one after another.

(About twenty, or so huh)

Although the soldiers are now cold bodies, the weapons they used while alive are still the same beside them. The swords and spears that are just beside the corpses, and the bows.

Ardis had started picking up the swords, spears, axes and all kinds of weapons from them. Of course, not with his hands.

Ardis was using mana to lift the weapons. Lifting into the air mysteriously, the weapons that had no owner now suddenly moved on its own as if it had gained a life of his own.

「Uwah! T-The weapons! 」

「No way……」

Ardis turned around facing the enemies without responding to the students shrieks and whispers, and gathered the weapons he picked up. Trembles could be seen in the enemies’ eyes.

They might be feeling that their overwhelming upper hand had been turned around easily by something totally unexpected.

「Go」

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As if ordering the death of the soldiers, Ardis’s mutter signaled the twenty weapons to the enemy cavalries at once.

Parrying swords that came their way head on, making use of that gap, a spear trusts into the enemy. With the axes going for a wide swing for the head, the cavalries that tried to avoid it had their balance crumbled, and another sword for infantry use beside them slashed.

No matter how much they fend off and struggle against weapons that are inanimate, the weapons didn’t stop while the soldiers piled on injuries, and eventually they could do nothing but offer their lives.

After a short bloodbath, it was a scene of many weapons floating in the air, enemy soldiers on the ground, and the peculiar horses that had lost their riders.

At Ardis strength that had overwhelmed thirty cavalries in a short time, the students were taken by silence. Only one of them, Kyrill was able to make a dry and bitter smile.

The Kingdom cavalry that had survived somehow approached Ardis.

「I thank you for the support. You are all from which unit? 」

「These guys are the students from the left wing. As for me……, I’m someone from the mercenary unit. 」

After making it clear that Kyrill and the others are students, Ardis awkwardly introduced his identity.

In any case, since he came under the pretense of the commander of the mercenary unit, 『Support the left wing』, there’s no reason that he would get punished. Ardis was thanking Moore in his heart for expecting such development and had given him an excuse.

「Why is someone from the mercenary unit here? No, that’s not important now. Where are our soldiers? There’s a message from the headquarters to the left-wing commander. 」

Although the soldier seemed to be surprised, he didn’t pursue the matter.

That’s a given. Even though they had annihilated the vanguards, there’re a thousand of them approaching now. There’s no time to spare on little details right now.

「What is it? We don’t have much time here. 」

The soldier had an impatient expression as he hushed on Ardis. But there’s no answer to that question.

In the suffering atmosphere, it was Kyrill who broke the silence first.

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「Uhh, that……. Sorry to say but――」

Even though Kyrill seemed to try to put some thoughts into his words, Ardis beside him literally blurted out everything as is.

「The left wing no longer exists. Rather than a unit up ahead, it’s strange to even find anyone alive beyond here. 」

The messenger soldier was surprised at the sudden revelation.

「H-How could that……! 」

If what Ardis heard from Moore was the truth, then the message that this messenger is bringing to the left wing is probably a request for rescue. If the headquarters is in danger, calling the surrounding units for help is not a wrong decision.

But everything is too late. Certainly, when the headquarters was under assault, the left wing should be still around, but presently, there’re only remaining soldiers fleeing from the battlefield. Of course, they couldn’t do anything like rescuing the headquarters.

In the first place, at present time, there’s no one to guarantee that the headquarters is still standing.

「No way, something like that……」

A depressed messenger soldier. But Ardis had no thoughts nor obligation to console him.

「It’s up to you to trust my words or not. Well, rather than that ――」

Leaving aside the despairing soldier coldly, his gaze was set at the dust clouds.

The black dots that he could only see prior now had defined shape. He could tell that they’re wearing the same getup with the thirty cavalries just now.

They’re undoubtedly enemies. And if they’re all as skillful as the cavalries just now, they aren’t possible to intercept with just Ardis’s flying swords.

If just annihilation, it’s not a difficult task. It was the same as before when Ardis went on a streak in the Empire’s right wing but, Ardis has a limit on how many people he could deal with at a given time.

It will take time, and Ardis’s stamina is a concern but, it’s something he can accomplish as long as he made sure to finish every one of them off.

But there’re Kyrill and the other students now. If he took his time, the students would be in danger instead. Although he could do the same by protecting them with forming earthen walls again, he doubts that alone can guarantee their safety.

Even worse, the enemies are elite cavalries unlike the infantries he faced. Since the thirty advance vanguards could use magic barriers, it’s better to assume that all of the remaining ones can too.

If so――, Ardis made his resolve.

There’s a saying, 『The best defense is a good offense』. Just like how it sounds, if he crushed the enemies before they reached Kyrill and the others, it would make his troubles of protecting them vanish all at once.

Ardis four years ago would’ve chosen to avoid this way to avoid getting attentions. But Ardis has no reason to be hung up over that now. The moment he was known as the 『Three Great Demons Subjugator』, there’s no meaning for him to act ordinary any longer.

That’s why Ardis had no reason to hold back. He would now use his all to annihilate the enemies in front of him.

「――It’s a priority to deal with them now. 」