514

Episode 514 Let's decide here. (5)

The reason why Jiselle didn't go straight from stage 3 to stage 4 was because of stability and balance.

In step 3, the core was on both sides of the chest and below the navel. The next place to build the core was the thighs. In order to balance, the core had to be built on both thighs at the same time.

"Phew… … ."

Red breath leaked out from Jiselle's mouth. The five cores were rotating organically, drawing out mana.

'I guess I have to distribute it well.'

Since Dark's power was exhausted, he could no longer amplify his mana.

The mana absorbed from the newly created core was filling up the other side, but the newly created core was still weak. The mana filled was not even half of the original core.

'That's okay.'

It was originally a mana technique created to instantly explode mana. If you distribute the newly filled mana well, you can generate power beyond the limit.

Jiselle said with a sly smile.

"Don't you think I'm wasting too much time? I'm going to die if I keep doing this."

The battle between the two continued for quite some time. This was because Jiselle did not overdo it and instead appropriately expended her strength, prolonging the fight.

At those words, Cayenne looked up at the sky. The sun had already set and it was filled with stars.

'When did time pass so quickly?'

We ran without stopping and arrived in the afternoon. Even though we fought for half a day, we were unable to decide the winner.

I was so immersed in the fight that I didn't even notice the changes around me.

'Almost there.'

Even though they fought for a long time, it was clear that Earl Fenris had used up all his mana. It was not an illusion.

But then suddenly I regained my energy. I had never seen or heard of such a phenomenon.

"I wonder. What the hell are you? How did you recover your mana?"

It's surprising that he recovers so quickly and has such high defense, but he also does things that defy common sense. So I couldn't help but be curious.

"Well… you could say it's a skill learned by crossing the line."

"That's amazing. Why didn't you use that power from the beginning?"

If that had been the case, whoever won would have been victorious, the match would have ended much sooner. Earl Fenris would also have been able to replenish the mana he had expended while fighting Illois.

Jiselle shook her head slightly.

"It's not as easy as you think. You're stronger than you think."

If it was possible to win with three cores, Jiselle would not have bothered to create the cores now.

When creating a new core, you must first exhaust all of your body's energy before creating it. Otherwise, when the new core is created, it will clash strongly with the existing mana.

That wasn't all. The vessel of the body also had to be large enough to accommodate five cores. Although I had been accustomed to it by using Dark's amplification, it was still a bit lacking.

That's why Giselle kept putting off making the core. There were so many important things to focus on that she couldn't focus on getting her body in shape.

Ddddddd… … .

'I'm starting to feel the pressure.'

I made it because I couldn't defeat Cayenne with just three cores. I even used some of my life force to avoid my body from being completely destroyed.

Still, the bones and muscles were twisting little by little. This was because the suddenly formed core was not properly anchored and was therefore unstable.

Jiselle was still struggling to suppress the mana that was struggling to escape from her body. She had to use that power in battle.

I guess I'll need to rest for a few days after this battle to stabilize my core.

Cayenne nodded, watching the blood flowing thinly from the corner of Giselle's mouth.

"This doesn't seem like the normal way."

There had to be a price to pay for suddenly displaying such strength, otherwise he would have used it a long time ago.

There was still a chance.

"Recovering just a little bit of mana won't change the outcome."

Kwaaang!

Cayenne, who still had strength left, swung her sword fiercely again. Giselle, who had recovered some of her mana, also extended her sword to meet him.

Kuung!

The force of the clash was still slightly superior to Cayenne's own. Although the opponent's technique was superior, he could just apply pressure again and lose strength.

He tried to suppress his excitement and swung his sword calmly.

'You can't let your guard down. That guy's swordsmanship is still dangerous.'

Even if you miss the path just a little, the sword will pop out from the blind spot. It was a technique that could cause fatal damage even if you let your guard down for a moment.

That's why I pushed Jiselle even more carefully. I took the attacks that didn't cause much damage even if I blocked them with my body and counterattacked.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Jiselle smiled bitterly as she watched Cayenne calmly continue her attack.

'He really is an amazing guy.'

The strong act calmly even when they have the upper hand. This is something that not everyone can do.

It was impossible to induce the opponent to let his guard down and try to turn the tables in one fell swoop. There was only one way to deal with such an opponent.

That's right, stronger power.

Jiing―!

Jiselle's eyes glowed redder than ever. The newly filled mana began to grow stronger as it passed through the five cores.

Kwaaang!

Cayenne took a step back at Jiselle's suddenly stronger attack.

'Just a little more.'

Jiselle clenched her teeth hard and swung her sword again.

Kwaaang!

'more!'

Gooosh!

Five cores spun furiously, powering Giselle's sword.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As Jiselle's attacks grew more intense, Cayenne stepped back in confusion.

"Crunch!"

I couldn't understand it at all. How can you become stronger while fighting?

Cayenne had no choice but to give up on slowly applying pressure. He had no choice but to exert more force in order not to be pushed back.

Boom! Boom!

As they clashed their swords, Giselle inwardly ground her teeth.

'Is this it?'

I couldn't pull out any more strength. If I exploded with more strength, my body wouldn't be able to handle it and would collapse in an instant. All I could do was barely maintain my current state.

Anyway, Cayenne was an opponent that could not be subdued with instantaneous force.

It was the same with Cayenne. Even though Giselle was one level lower than him, he wasn't at a level where he could win the match in one breath.

'If you fail, it's over.'

The strength of the two people was equal. The one who lost strength first or made a mistake would be finished.

He hated to admit that this young rascal was fighting on equal terms with him, but now he had to.

Kwaaaaang!

The two men's swords flew at each other more and more violently, trying to inflict a fatal wound.

Since they knew each other's intentions, they were able to physically withstand most attacks.

Pfft!

Blood continuously gushed from both their bodies.

When Giselle's chest was split open, Cayenne's chest was split open as well. When Giselle's arm was cut, Cayenne's leg was cut off.

Even as they were left battered and bruised, the two did not stop. Now, neither of them could handle the other's strength.

Kwaaang!

"Ugh!"

Both of them groaned and fell backwards at the same time. They had both been covered in blood for a long time.

"Ugh, ugh… … You… … ."

Jiselle smiled as she watched Cayenne stagger to her feet.

"Are you tired already? I still have plenty of energy."

"Don't… bluff."

He's acting so relaxed even though he fell and rolled over. How dare he show off like that in front of me, the greatest swordsman in the kingdom.

"Let's try again."

Cayenne stepped forward, gripping her sword tightly. Giselle did not back down either.

Kwaaaaang!

The troops on both sides held their weapons tightly in anxiety as they watched the two men swinging their swords while covered in blood.

'If you run now… … .'

'We need to save him quickly... ... .'

It was already dawn. The two people's movements were completely different from the beginning. It was obvious that they were extremely tired.

Even if just a few knights run, they will be able to save their allies and kill the enemy.

But they did not dare to interfere. It was a place to decide the strongest in the kingdom. They could not move until the order was given.

Beyond hostility toward the opponent, a sense of awe welled up within me.

'As expected, the best sword in the kingdom... ... .'

'Are you saying that Earl Fenris was that strong?'

It was a great fight. Even though both of them were so tired, the movement of their swords was still alive. Each attack was filled with a distant realization.

If they were in that position, they wouldn't be able to hold out even a single move.

All the troops on both sides could do was clench their fists and cheer.

Kwaaaaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

Jiselle and Cayenne continued to fight without resting for even a moment. Their mana was completely depleted and their bodies were reduced to rags. It would not have been strange if they died from excessive bleeding at any moment.

Boom!

In the end, the two people, unable to withstand each other's strength, collapsed again.

In fact, if they had distributed their strength appropriately, they could have fought longer. The amount of mana they had was so much.

But, as I matched the strength of my opponent, I got tired more quickly.

"Ugh… … You… … ."

Cayenne tried to get up from her seat, spitting up blood. However, she was shaking and had difficulty getting up.

Jiselle also stuck her sword into the ground and tried to somehow raise her body.

"Ugh… … . Shit."

The two people who were trying to get up ended up sitting back down. They were so tired that they needed time to catch their breath.

Cayenne glared at Giselle and opened her mouth with difficulty.

"That's too bad."

Jiselle asked, holding the hilt of the sword she had planted in the ground tightly.

"what."

"Because I can't compete anymore."

"Huh… … . Whatever anyone wants."

"This is the end of my fight as the King's Sword."

"… … Is that so."

Cayenne exhaled roughly. He wanted to win the game with his own strength if possible.

But he was no mere knight. He was the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army and a loyal subject of the Duke's family.

What mattered to him now was not his personal honor.

Cayenne smiled self-deprecatingly.

"I will put down my pride and my reputation as the King's National Sword here."

Winning this war was the most important thing.

If we move our army now, we can definitely kill Earl Fenris. If we could just kill Earl Fenris, it would not be an exaggeration to say that we have won this war.

The mobile force will block it, but the number of troops he brought is twice that of the enemy. He must have gotten some rest while fighting.

"I'm sorry. I will carry the stigma of having sullied the match until the day I die."

After taking a short breath, Cayenne stood up with difficulty. His legs were shaking. Giselle was still unable to get up.

Cayenne let out a weary breath and extended her sword forward.

"And I'll remember you… …you were a really great guy."

"… … ."

The Fenris Mobile Force, sensing that the atmosphere was not good, raised their spears. The same was true of the 40,000 Delphine cavalry.

They will charge at their opponents as soon as the order is given.

Cayenne continued speaking, holding out his sword as if it didn't matter.

"All troops… … ."

Before he could finish speaking, Giselle spoke.

"You will have to fight me. Your army will not be able to move."

"What?"

"Look to the side."

Cayenne slowly turned his head. A few knights and a man who looked like a nobleman were standing on a hill a little way away.

They were definitely not there when I first started fighting. When I squinted my eyes and looked closely, I saw someone familiar.

"Count Mowbray?"

Cayenne's liver grew cold. Since when did he start coming here to watch!

I was so engrossed in the fight that I didn't even notice.

The troops on both sides knew that someone had come, but they couldn't move rashly. They didn't know whose side they were on, and the fight between Giselle and Kaien was too intense to pay attention to anything else.

When the two men saw that their fight had reached a lull, Count Mowbray raised his hand. The knight next to him blew his horn.

Booo ...

As the horn blew loudly, a cloud of dust rose from behind the hill and a group of troops appeared.

It was the 10,000 cavalry brought by the Count of Mowbray.

"this...."

Cayenne frowned. They still had the numerical advantage, but as the enemy's forces increased, their losses were bound to increase.

Cayenne looked back at Giselle and growled.

"Are you just stalling for time until they come? You weren't trying to pick a fight with me!"

"No, they've been here for quite some time."

Count Mowbray's army arrived before dawn. Giselle deliberately had Darke keep them a short distance apart in order to even the score.

So only Count Mowbray came and watched the fight.

Cayenne bit her lips a few times before continuing.

"It doesn't matter. Even if that many troops are added, it won't make a difference. You will die in the chaos."

At those words, Giselle chuckled.

"That's not the end?"

"what...."

Before Cayenne could finish speaking, a larger cloud of dust rose up behind the Mowbray Army.

A cavalry corps far larger than the Mowbray corps appeared.

"Wow!"

They were approaching, shouting loudly. Cayenne looked at them with trembling eyes.

At first glance, it was an overwhelming number of troops. There seemed to be at least 50,000 of them.

"What is this… … How… … ."

They were not regular troops. Their formations were in disarray, and their uniforms and weapons were all different. At first glance, they looked like a group of bandits had appeared.

The only clue that they belong together is… … .

"Fenris Mercenaries?"

Above their heads fluttered the banner of the Fenris Mercenary Corps. That mercenary corps that was madly expanding its influence in each kingdom.

"How come they are here now… … ."

Kaien also knew about the Fenris Mercenaries. He said that only some of their troops remained to stabilize the region, and most were dispatched to other kingdoms.

This was because they had to force mercenaries from other kingdoms to join, and they needed manpower to manage them.

So I didn't really care. I thought that since other kingdoms would also be flooded with requests for mercenary work, it wouldn't have much of an impact here.

But how can such a large number suddenly appear?

"Surely… … they called in advance too?"

"Yes, we were gathering before my father and I advanced to the capital. And we followed behind me."

Cayenne looked dejected.

Now the enemy's forces were twice as large as ours. Furthermore, our own army had been starving for several days. If we were to confront them here without any preparation, we would surely lose.

"How… … How on earth… … ."

Cayenne was dumbfounded and kept repeating the same thing. He never dreamed that mercenaries would come rushing in like this.

It was clear that this guy had been planning this situation for a long time. They were just being taken advantage of step by step according to his plan.

Cayenne staggered, her head spinning.

'It's the end.'

If he had been in good health, he could have faced even a large army. If it was really difficult, he could have escaped.

But now, all his strength has been drained. He and his 40,000 cavalrymen will not be able to escape death here.

Cayenne looked back at Giselle with cloudy eyes. That guy really had incomprehensible knowledge and power.

'An incomprehensible being.'

In fact, I felt it from the first time we crossed swords. No matter how much of a genius he was, there was something that could never be found at that age.

"Who are you? How can you do such things?"

"Me? There are many words to call me."

The Scoundrel of the North, Heir to Ferdium, Lord of Fenris, Saint of the Capital, Commander of the Northern Army… … .

But that's not what I wanted to say now.

Jiselle slowly got up from his seat. His body was screaming in pain, but he forced himself to straighten his back.

I couldn't tell you in my previous life. I lost the war without meeting either the Duke of Delphine or Cayenne.

So I couldn't say who I was.

"I am...."

Jiselle took a deep breath. Then she looked up and glared at Cayenne.

Now I can tell you who tried to kill you in your past life.

And now… … .

Come back and tell me who is going to kill you.

"I am Giselle Ferdium, the King of Mercenaries.