Chapter 94

The Duel's Climax

The opponent's left arm was severed.

"Ilya-style secret technique, Flowing Water!"

Originally, this technique aimed to slash the neck while digging into the opponent's side, but blocking Fischer's spear had reduced its scope. Cutting off his left arm was still a significant victory. For a spear user, losing one hand was a fatal flaw.

Consider billiards as an analogy: striking the cue with only one hand disrupts balance, making a proper stroke impossible. The same applied to wielding a spear. Unless Fischer had trained to handle a spear one-handed, his movements would be severely compromised.

"I'll end it here!"

I resolved to drive in the final nail. From behind Fischer, I swiftly rotated my spear, gripped it in reverse, and thrust it toward my side.

"Ilya-style secret technique, Trailing Inhalation!"

This was the technique I used against the bandit leader to save Erina in the past—Master Ilya's signature move.

"You know about the Chester style? Then I'll use the technique my master created!"

But whoosh! Fischer twisted his body, dodging the attack.

"What...!?"

Stunned, I was caught off guard as his spear swung behind me. Having chained big attacks without proper preparation, I tumbled after the spear shaft struck me.

"Kuhuk!"

Though I blocked with my arm, sparing my ribs and organs, the pain in my right forearm was excruciating.

"My arm is broken!"

While a broken arm was better than shattered ribs piercing vital organs, it was my main weapon arm—the right arm, used for my spear. In a way, this was a greater setback than Fischer's injury. The mental shock outweighed the physical pain.

"You want to ask how I avoided it?" Fischer said, breathing heavily. He wrapped cloth around his severed left arm, tying it tightly with his right hand and teeth to stem the bleeding.

"That's simple. This isn't the first time I've faced Ilya's techniques. I didn't realize until halfway through—only after taking the Flowing Water did I recognize you as Ilya's disciple. That's how I avoided the Trailing Inhalation."

"...!?"

Why did he know my master's name and her technique names?

"You... What is your relationship with Ilya Anfei?"

"You know this isn't the time for friendly chats. Ask Ilya after you die. Or kill me now and go back to ask her."

For some reason, his gaze softened slightly.

"Haha... Ilya's disciple. There couldn't be a more fitting person to take my head. Come on! Try to take it!"

"Kuk!"

Our injuries were nearly equivalent. I couldn't use my right arm, while Fischer suffered from blood loss. My attempts to wield my right arm failed; I could barely clench my palm, unable to grip the spear due to the pain. The sword in my left hand was my only weapon.

Fischer, despite losing his left arm, could still wield his spear with his right, his main hand.

"Still, I have to try. This is the only chance...!"

The battlefield was shifting. Enemy reinforcements kept arriving, while our forces dwindled to just thirty men. I took a deep breath, gripping my left-hand sword tightly.

That's when it happened.

"Don't hog all the cool scenes to yourself, pretty captain. Ptui!" Aggert, who had risen at some point, spat blood and approached.

Fischer's face turned fierce. "This is no place for you to interfere, you runt. Stay crumpled up!"

His intimidating aura, radiating the presence of a seasoned warrior, made my heart sink with the fear of death. If Dorofei were here, he'd have fainted, foaming at the mouth. Even Ruan Chase or Casper would likely have collapsed in terror.

I wasn't much different, though my mental resilience, honed by unique experiences and battles against formidable foes like Eonia, Anton, and Ymir, gave me an edge. I assumed Aggert, a year younger, would falter under the pressure.

But I was wrong.

"Heheh." Aggert grinned, as if relishing Fischer's oppressive aura. "A runt, you say? You've got the wrong person, mister."

"...?"

"My name is Aggert! The man who will become a great general! Uwooooh!"

Aggert charged, his aura seemingly amplified. His movements, previously defensive, now brimmed with bold aggression. Fischer, already weakened by the loss of his arm, was pressured by Aggert's onslaught.

"This is no time to stand idle."

I joined the fight, focusing on dodging Fischer's attacks while swinging my left-hand sword.

"Not yet! You won't reach me with just that level!"

Slash! Fischer's spear tip cut deeply across Aggert's chest.

"Kuhuk...!"

Aggert clutched his chest and fell to his knees.

"It's now or never!"

Seizing Fischer's exposed upper body after his wide swing, I thrust my sword toward his neck.

"Hmph!"

He barely pulled back, the sword piercing his left chest instead, though not deeply.

"Ha!"

Clang! Fischer deflected my sword with his spear shaft, sending it flying.

Now weaponless, I faced his final strike.

"Now die!"

Fischer closed the distance, aiming his spear at my head.

I twisted my upper body to dodge, but thwack! the spear pierced my right shoulder blade.

"Urgh...!"

My vision blurred from the pain.

"It's over...!"

Resistance seemed futile; I stood at death's door. Yet, instead of my life flashing before my eyes, a strange calm settled over me. Some say the brain retrieves memories to escape death, but mine sought answers in the present.

My head cleared, my vision widened.

And then, I saw it.

"...!"

One chance.

With my trembling right hand, I grasped the spear shaft lodged in my shoulder.

"What...!?"

Fischer frowned, but only briefly. In my empty left hand, a sword handle appeared. Aggert, lying on the ground, had lifted his sword upside down toward my grasp.

I seized it and swung. Fischer, unprepared—restrained by my grip on his spear—was too slow to retreat.

"Checkmate...!"

Whooch! Slash! A chilling sensation coursed through my hand. Fischer released his spear and stepped back, but slash! the right side of his neck split open, blood gushing from his carotid artery.

"Gah...! Uh...ah...!"

He seemed to lose consciousness, falling to his knees.

"I… Like this...?"

Thud! Fischer collapsed, unconscious.

"Did we take him out...?"

Aggert's words prompted me to stagger forward and stab! pierce Fischer's heart to confirm the kill.

"Haa! Haa! Haa!"

A mix of triumph and relief made me light-headed. I sat down from exhaustion, but there was no time to rest.

"Captain! We must escape quickly!"

Dilas, covered in blood, urged me.

"Whew...! I'm fine. You take care of Aggert."

With my legs still functional, I escaped the battlefield via the retreat route Dilas had secured.

Escape and Recovery

Having escaped, we barely managed to hide.

"Argh!"

A burning pain seared my shoulder, where the spearhead remained lodged. Pulling it out would worsen the bleeding.

I was better off than Aggert, whose chest wound left him unconscious as soon as the battle ended. Dilas, after administering emergency treatment to Aggert, approached me.

He tied a medical cord around my right shoulder. "Bear with it, even if it hurts."

Dilas carefully extracted the spearhead. I wanted to scream from the splitting pain but gritted my teeth to avoid attracting enemy attention.

After removing the spear, Dilas bandaged the wound tightly.

"Captain, we need to move now."

He asked where to go, but I had no clear answer. Both enemy and allied forces had lost discipline, plunging the battlefield into chaos.

"If we think about it..."

Descending directly seemed viable. The priority was escaping quickly to treat our wounds. Of the hundred troops deployed, only forty returned alive, fifteen critically injured. Their lives hung by a thread, requiring swift retreat to reach medics and priests.

"We'll go down in this direction, minimizing combat."

"Understood!"

Having changed into stealth attire for the surprise operation, we avoided enemy attention. The enemy, mistaking us for allies as we descended, failed to respond quickly.

"Good, not much left now!"

We just needed to reach our troops.

But then, a group of about fifty enemies appeared.

"It's them! They're the villains who killed General Barret!"

They must have pursued us after discovering Barret's corpse in the main camp, unrelated to Fischer's intrusion. Our attire, identified from our fallen soldiers, gave us away.

"This is bad! We don't have the strength to fight these guys!"

Dilas, making the same judgment, handed Aggert to me.

"I have one request. Please give ample compensation to the families of the mercenaries who sacrificed themselves in this war. That will be enough."

"Dilas, you...!"

"Go now!"

Hesitation would doom us. I closed my eyes tightly and decided to flee.

But then, a familiar male voice rang out.

"Such heroic sacrifice doesn't suit you, Dilas."

Along with it, she intervened.

Thwack thwack thwack! A spear pierced through the enemies' necks.

A woman in gray armor and a gray helmet.

"Eo...!?"

I was too shocked to react.

"How are you here...!"

"I'll explain later! For now... Ah, aah!? Lord Ars. T-those wounds!"

Eo, standing guard before us, trembled upon seeing my shoulder and wounds. She exuded unrefined killing intent toward the enemies.

"You bastards...!"

Her pure white aura twisted with anger. Overwhelmed, the enemies retreated, realizing they'd die in vain against her divine-ranked prowess.

"Damn it! Retreat! We're retreating!"

Our soldiers sighed in relief, panting. The man approached us.

"We don't have time for this. We need to go down quickly."

I recognized the voice.

"Olaf...! Why are you even here...!"

"I'll explain after we go down. Let's get out of here first. Miss Rania, let's take this guy away."

At Olaf's signal, Eo hoisted me onto her back. Her nostalgic scent eased my tension.

As the tension faded, sleepiness overtook me, my body seeking rest to endure the pain.

"I'm going to sleep for a bit..."

"What!? No! Don't fall asleep!"

"Then tell me an interesting story..."

"An interesting story!? Even if you say that..."

Eo, flustered, began recounting her time in the Holy Kingdom of Kuravel.

"So His Holiness scolded me and..."

My consciousness grew hazy, fading before I could hear the rest of her story.