The Big War (Part 2)
Explosion after explosion occurred, creating strong vibrations like a raging earthquake. Dust filled the air, smoke rose high, but no one turned away. Standing still in place, transfixed by the scene in front.
The bodies of the pirates were thrown high, their cries overwhelmed by the sound of bullets whizzing at high speed. The five artillery pieces succeeded in wreaking havoc upon them, only managing to inflict severe injuries, which is truly regrettable. If only they were no longer alive, then they wouldn't be a problem.
"Are you really going to kill them?" Z suddenly asked.
Of course, they have done terrible things. Why can't I give death as a reward?
It's far better than letting them live and repeat the same actions. What they have done has gone too far. I can't forgive people who dance on top of other people's corpses; I'm not as kind as you, Z. If they weren't this bad, maybe I would still give them a chance.
People like them will never feel remorse; they will continue to repeat their actions just to satisfy themselves, considering themselves superior and worthy of trampling upon others.
Only a quarter of them managed to be hit by the artillery attack, the rest protected by a transparent blue dome created by Captain Glory, who was no longer smiling. He observed me sharply, feeling that I was a threat that needed to be eliminated immediately.
He gave orders, pointing at me with anger. The pirates ran towards us, their bodies now endowed with extra power, causing blood to trickle down Captain Glory's nose.
It made me wonder, is there a limit to how far someone can use Glory?
Captain Varren looked at me, panic evident on his face. "What should we do now, Zent?! We can't possibly face them with their enhanced abilities!" he exclaimed.
It's time for me to surprise the elven race, a surprise that I believe can lead us to victory.
With Glory in my grasp, I envisioned a black-colored body armor, strong yet not hindering the agile movement of the elves. As the image became clearer in my mind, the same body armor slowly appeared on them.
At first, they panicked because they didn't know what was happening, but when they saw the bright glow of Glory in my right hand, they realized it was my doing and became calm. However, their curiosity was still evident on their faces as they continued to observe the body armor on their own bodies.
I looked back, giving a spirited grin. "Now, you can fight against them as much as you want. Reclaim Elecya! Show those pirates the true power of the elven race!"
The soldiers raised their swords high, surprised to feel the sword in their grip so light, almost weightless. They cheered, filling the air with a terrifying echo.
"FOR ELECYA!"
"FOR ELECYA!"
"FOR ELECYA!"
I felt fortunate to be on their side. If I were on the pirates' side, I'm sure I would prefer to retreat rather than face a force ready to die.
They charged forward, meeting each other, and the battle resumed.
This war, unlike any before, appeared far more terrifying, as they no longer fought with the elegance typical of the elves. Instead, they unleashed everything in a single swing, cleaving the bodies of the pirates into multiple pieces.
Elecya was adorned with blood, smoke billowed high in the air, and strong vibrations reverberated from the explosions caused by cannon fire. The Captain was not idle either; he provided additional armor to the pirates in the form of iron plate mail, although it couldn't compare to the body armor.
The black body armor not only enhanced their physical strength but also provided an additional boost to their muscles, enabling them to do things they couldn't before without the use of magic. The body armor served not only as protection but also as an exoskeleton, allowing the elves to conserve mana solely for magic.
Of course, I didn't remain idle in the background.
I entered the battlefield as well, fighting alongside the elves on the front lines and managing to hold my ground thanks to the body armor. Furthermore, with the added mana shield from Celine, facing these pirates became much easier.
I only needed to provide information about Faker to Rayven's friend whose name I couldn't recall.
Faker was able to mimic powers for a longer duration than he thought. However, it started becoming apparent that Faker was growing weaker over time, to the point where he cracked under the cannon fire from the Captain of the pirates.
Being in the midst of the battle reminded me of every war film I had watched behind the screen. However, the level of tension was much higher because as soon as you finished dealing with one opponent, the next one would appear from various directions, making me feel respect for the heroes of the past.
My heart continued to race, pumping adrenaline throughout my body, neutralizing the pain so it didn't bother me much. I kept moving forward, attacking using the mana shield to clear the area where I fought using my hands and feet. I delivered strikes and kicks, inflicting significant damage through the body armor I wore.
Some of their attacks had also wounded me, causing momentary pain that quickly vanished as if it had never been there. Until finally, I felt an excruciating pain, witnessing the world spinning rapidly before my body forcefully collided with building debris.
Through blurred vision, I could see the Captain of the pirates stepping closer, Glory in his grip. The bright light emanating from Glory made me grit my teeth, knowing that he would soon launch an attack.
But as soon as I was about to use Glory, the transparent cube was no longer in my grasp. I quickly looked around, searching for where it had gone, and found Glory not far to the right, at two o'clock.
Just as I was about to rise and retrieve it, the ground beneath suddenly bound my legs, causing me to fall back and hit the ground. The pain quickly spread from my jaw.
I winced, trying to endure the pain while thinking, searching for a way to escape from my current position. If he took hold of Glory, our story would come to an end. We wouldn't have a chance to face the pirates.
"I've heard tales of ye, a young buccaneer with the same yearnin' as meself – to collect ten Glories. Yet, the contrast be clear: I be true to meself, while ye be exploitin' their hearts to wield Glory. I know yer true aim, ye scallywag. Ye hunger for boundless power, don't ye?"
He knelt before Glory, observing it for a moment before looking back at me with a victorious grin. "Alas! Yer ambitions be destined to remain unfulfilled. Ye've made a grave mistake by choosin' the wrong race to sacrifice. 'Tis why yer tale be comin' to an abrupt end, right here and now."
He took hold of Glory, gripping it tightly and examining it so intensely that his eyes seemed as if they would pop out. The grin on his face widened with satisfaction. In his mind, he played with the fantasies of being above the world, ruling over everything and becoming absolute.
A laughter erupted from his mouth, a laughter that abruptly halted within two seconds as he was forcefully thrown forward, and Glory fell back down.
In front of me stood two men. Two men whom I never expected to reappear so quickly.
They turned around, looking at me lying weakly on the ground, a smile forming on their faces. Zhao and Wei approached, helping me to stand, and Wei reached for Glory, lying on the surface of the road not far from us. "I'm sorry for making you fight alone," Zhao said with regret in his voice.
I shook my head, my smile growing wider, relieved that the two of them had finally appeared to lend their assistance. "I actually feel a little annoyed that I can no longer have fun," I replied, trying to make him smile.
Who would have thought that I would succeed.
Zhao laughed heartily and patted my shoulder. "Glad to see you back, Zent. We have questions that I'm sure will be answered once all of this is over. Now, let's eliminate the pirates."
Wei approached, handing me Glory and nodding resolutely. "We'll support you, Zent. We will show them what happens when they dare to mess with us."
Upon hearing that, the smile on my face turned into an enthusiastic grin, no longer able to contain my eagerness to end the war. "That's right. It's time for these pirates to feel regret."