CHAPTER 65

'Predicted the enemy's actions.'

Jaxon thought that was the benefit of the Blade's Sense.

Seeing him fully utilize the skills he had taught made his heart tingle.

It was gratifying.

However, Jaxon did not confront his feelings. He was not accustomed to reflecting on his emotions.

'What's the big deal?'

A person who bothers him if they die in front of his eyes, that's all. Why would he care so much about what that person does?

It was nothing. That's what he thought.

Jaxon believed that pretending to be a soldier was not important.

His goal was clear.

Even with that thought, the discomfort remained.

That was why.

Jaxon stared intently at the guild master behind Encrid.

'I don't like his looks.'

Jaxon found an appropriate excuse.

It was never because of the Squad Leader.

He just didn't like the look of that bastard.

Therefore, if he attacks, he will kill him. Here, he would stay true to his mission.

Rem saw Encrid use the Heart of the Beast to wield boldness as a weapon.

Seeing him dive into the enemy's chest while thrusting his spear.

A few months ago, he couldn't have imagined the Squad Leader showing such a sight.

At some point, his skills had increased significantly, and at the center was his own teaching.

'Of course.'

That made him feel good. But then an assassin had targeted Encrid.

'Just kill them all.'

Rem wanted to grind the enemy into dust.

Ragna saw traces of himself in Encrid's swordsmanship anew.

'Where did he learn that?'

Excellent. The way to shift his weight, the way to step, the way to thrust his sword, everything.

Though he occasionally guided him in swordsmanship, to master it to that extent required grueling training.

'Amazing.'

A person deemed talentless suddenly shows outstanding skills. Ragna had always liked Encrid.

His ceaseless progress was a good stimulus for Ragna.

An assassin, a gang of criminals targeting such a person?

'It's easier to just kill them all.'

Forgetting his usual laziness, Ragna decided to kill the entire criminal guild.

However, the leadership here belonged to the Squad Leader. He intended to follow his will.

Audin looked over Encrid's body with his eyes, tapping his thigh with his fingers.

'A well-trained body.'

But it is not a systematically built body. The monks of the temple build their bodies before honing their skills.

It is the secret of physical training.

Audin had refined it several times to create his own technique.

'If he builds his body, he will improve.'

The Squad Leader is someone who knows how to make persistent efforts.

This thought suddenly resurfaced in Audin's mind.

Why does God not bestow talent on those who strive so hard?

'Because a mere human cannot comprehend God's will.'

Those words were like a dagger to his heart. Whenever those words came to mind, a dull pain spread from his heart to his entire body.

But now, in front of his eyes, there was someone trying to overcome the wall of talent with effort.

Someone who didn't care about God's will and fully believed in himself.

'My Lord,'

Audin prayed silently.

'Watch over him.'

Let the one who dreams of shining not die in vain by a blind blade.'

As if his heart was in the prayer, he also deeply disliked the idea of someone targeting Encrid.

It was too unfortunate for such a person to die from a dagger in the back.

However, Audin had no intention of killing anyone.

'Breaking both legs and taking one arm from the leader should suffice.'

So, taking everything except their lives was enough.

* * *

In a single bout!

The shock Encrid delivered was quite significant.

Even so, no one tried to cross the line.

'It's not enough, is it?'

How should he overwhelm the opponent with force?

By delivering continuous shocks.

Encrid was aware of his position. He didn't necessarily need to step forward himself.

"Rem."

"Yes?"

"Kill just three of them."

Even though avoiding his gaze was an excuse, this was both an operation and a mission, and Encrid was the Squad Leader.

Rem stepped forward without hesitation.

It was just before the shock Encrid delivered had worn off.

Rem, spinning two hand axes in his hands, charged forward.

He moved so fast it looked as if he had disappeared.

Rem reappeared in front of a brute with a vicious look and a spiked club.

It was a scene he had witnessed many times. Rem's arm whipped like a lash. The axe blade at the end of the whip flashed.

Whoosh! Thud!

Whoosh! Crack!

Snap!

The first axe stroke severed the neck of the brute with the vicious look.

The second axe stroke split the head of the one to the right of the brute.

The last one was to the left. Twisting his waist, Rem struck the neck of another brute with a fierce look using the axe handle.

Necks were severed, heads were split, and the last one's neck was broken.

After killing them, Rem swung the hand axes diagonally downward to shake off the blood.

Drops of blood splattered onto the ground.

Then he turned his back on the guild members and walked back confidently.

"Three killed."

Encrid thought two shocks would be enough to provide an opportunity.

"Those who want to come over."

This was the third time he made the same offer.

Now, there was no choice but to accept.

He couldn't show mercy to those who tried to kill him.

It's a kill-or-be-killed era.

They should know that trying to kill someone could mean their own death.

"...Were you from the Frontier Defense Force?"

The distinguished-looking guild master asked.

"No."

Encrid only led a modest squad. However, the members of the squad were unique individuals.

"Infantry Battalion of the Border Guard Cyprus Division."

He revealed his origin while holding his sword loosely. There was no reason to hide it.

A few who had been hesitating started to lower their weapons, but the guild master's eyes turned fierce.

"Let's see you struggle to survive. Do you think I'll just let it happen?"

It was a message to his own men.

He remembered what Krais had said.

Gilpin, that bastard, ruled his subordinates with fear.

If they crossed him, he would break their limbs and cut out their tongues.

"Don't get swept up in the atmosphere! Those bastards are human too. If you stab them, they'll die. Don't you see they're not even wearing proper armor? Kill them! No one can withstand a beating!"

Writing letters now, are we?

Encrid thought to himself that it was true.

Overwhelming with numbers.

It's generally the right method.

Trained soldiers are most effective in collective battles.

In a fight with a small number of people, even a random thug could kill a soldier.

How could anyone survive if a blade struck a vulnerable spot?

In a small skirmish, thugs might have the upper hand.

Of course, this doesn't apply to knights or those who have surpassed human limits.

And it wasn't applicable now either.

"Don't do it."

Encrid warned.

The unruly squad was made up of those who fought however they pleased, outside the bounds of strategy and tactics.

These were the kind of people who could fight gleefully against large numbers on the battlefield and return unscathed.

For such individuals, facing thirty armed men, who weren't even soldiers, was a suicide mission.

"Let them be. Some people only cry when they see the coffin."

"Brother, it seems the time has come for divine retribution."

"Step back and just watch."

For some reason, even Audin and Ragna were showing enthusiasm.

Jaxon stepped forward without a word.

With a clang, he drew his sword and took a step forward. A thief on the opposite side, perhaps eager, rushed out.

The thief swung a broad-bladed scimitar as he charged. The blade came down towards Jaxon's head with a whoosh.

Jaxon lifted his sword horizontally, deflecting the scimitar's blade, and then brought his sword down in a smooth motion.

Rip.

The sword cut through the opponent's belly.

It didn't seem to require much effort, yet it was enough to slice the skin and expose the intestines.

"Gah."

The thief, spilling pink intestines, fell to his knees and collapsed.

That was the beginning.

"Kill only those who attack."

Encrid spoke.

In response, Rem just swung his axe from his spot.

Even so, it was no different from a shredder.

A thug swung a flail, but when his weapon was cut in half, he retreated, only to have his head split by the axe.

As he backed away, blood and brain matter spilled out, and he fell backward.

Ragna wielded an arming sword, swinging it mechanically from top to bottom.

There didn't seem to be any special technique, but with each strike, a corpse was added.

Heads were split, and shoulders were severed.

Audin grabbed two clubs, one in each hand, and struck down the incoming blades.

Clang, clang, clang!

As a result, Audin's side was the loudest.

He parried the weapons and closed the distance quickly. His speed was comparable to Rem's.

Once close enough, Audin swung his clubs skillfully, breaking the enemy's legs.

Crack, snap!

"Aaaargh!"

The screams of those with broken legs echoed through the clearing.

It made one wonder if the patrol guards might be dispatched due to the noise.

Fortunately, no one came.

Krais thought it was natural.

'Half an hour in the cave.'

The hideout they found at the end of the alley was on the outskirts of the city.

This mansion area was likely an upscale region where some wealthy merchants had invested within the city.

It was usually a place with few people. Moreover, their opponents were the Gilpin Guild, a criminal organization.

They had probably bribed the higher-ups.

'They must have ensured no one comes around.'

They probably thought it was easier to deal with things without people around than having patrols walking by.

Krais was neither surprised nor threatened by their numbers.

He was also a member of the unruly squad.

He roughly knew the level of his fellow squad members.

For Encrid, now an advanced soldier, to struggle to such a degree.

'All of them are above the Frontier Defense Force level.'

Then the answer is clear. They are no match.

Krais' mind was actively planning the next steps.

He had deliberately leaked information for this.

'That friend can be dealt with later.'

The leaked information and the current situation were somewhat within Krais' intentions from the start.

Is there anyone here who would notice this?

The Squad Leader might figure it out. He may appear to be a straightforward fool, but the Squad Leader could use his brain.

Rem might also understand if he had a clue, but he didn't know much about how the city operated.

'Probably not.'

Ragna and Audin would certainly not notice.

Jaxon only cared about what he wanted, ignoring everything else.

So, everything was going as planned.

In the meantime, the number of corpses continued to increase.

From Audin's direction, the screams were unrelenting.

"Aaaargh!"

Audin didn't just stop after breaking one leg. He always returned to break the other leg too.

And he never forgot to preach.

"I do not ask you to become a saint. However, please avoid a life that harms your neighbors."

Saying half-understood words while breaking legs meant no one understood him.

Yet Audin remained consistent in his actions.

Encrid's eyes were busy.

At first, he was captivated by Jaxon's controlled movements.

'Correct Sword Technique.'

The basic form is the Correct Sword Technique. Utilizing the opponent's sword for a counterattack, guiding them along a predetermined path.

Swift Sword movements were mixed in.

A sword that combined offense and defense into one, the essence of the Correct Sword Technique.

Beyond simple sword forms, his decision-making in wielding the sword was extraordinary.

He chose means that certainly killed the opponent. It was a sword for killing.

There was much to learn from it.

Then Rem caught his eye.

While he was simply striking down the approaching enemies, the trajectory of his axe painted an unexpected picture.

'How can he do that?'

The sword technique was precise and quick, like it belonged nowhere. 

It was natural. Rem's axe strikes were thoroughly based on instinct. If classified, it would be a Strange Sword technique.

Of course, since he used an axe, it should be called Strange Axe Technique.

Encrid learned from this as well.

The same applied to Ragna's Heavy Sword Technique.

It demonstrated the extremes of the basic swordsmanship Encrid had learned.

If blocked clumsily, it would break through and hit the target.

That single strike cracked skulls and severed shoulders.

What about Audin's martial arts?

Swordsmanship is fundamentally based on martial arts. Proper swordsmanship cannot be achieved without using fists and feet.

Mastering close combat was essential.

In this aspect, there was the most to learn from Audin's fighting.

He observed the process of breaking legs with two short clubs.

Movements that would have been unnoticed before were now etched in his mind.

Encrid was so busy watching and absorbing techniques from the four that he was unaware of his surroundings.

Realizing them physically was another matter.

What was clear was that there was a lot to learn.

The fight didn't last long. They couldn't afford to take much time.

Many lost their will to fight.

In the midst of this, Jaxon, uncharacteristically, bulldozed his way forward.

Towards the guild master with a cane.

Jaxon closed the distance and swung his sword abruptly. It was a high horizontal slash aiming for the head.

The guild master pulled out the handle of the cane. It wasn't an ordinary cane, but a sword stick.

A blade was hidden inside the cane.

With a ting, the long blade blocked Jaxon's sword.

Sparks flew between them.

Then, two men who were guarding the guild master tried to join in.

"Don't."

"Let them fight."

Rem and Ragna, who had approached unnoticed, spoke.

The two who stood as the guild master's guards glanced at each other.

Should they fight?

Their eyes turned to the path Rem and Ragna had walked.

A path of blood. It was lined with corpses. The only survivors were those too frightened to fight, wetting their pants, and those who hadn't dared to challenge them.

The two guards quietly lowered their weapons. Both held daggers. They sheathed their daggers and knelt quietly.

A posture of surrender and submission.

"You bastards!"

The guild master yelled at his guards for their actions.

But what could he do?

The most important thing in the world is one's own life.

Only those swept up in the atmosphere and charged ahead were pitiable.

Jaxon remained expressionless. His brown eyes, tinged with red, fixed on the guild master.

"I surrender!"

The guild master shouted. Jaxon didn't listen.

"I said I surrender! Why are you doing this? If you need money, I'll give you money!"

His tone was urgent.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

While the guild master pleaded, Jaxon's sword moved swiftly. He struck the sword stick five times in quick succession.

Sparks flew into the winter night. The darkness of the night and the blazing torches.

The dead bodies and the groaning wounded.

Those terrified and those who instilled fear.

Amidst it all, Jaxon's voice rang out.

"I don't like your face."

'What kind of nonsense is this?'

That was the guild master's last thought.

Soon, Jaxon's sword sliced through the guild master's expensive clothes and cut his neck.

Slice.

A chilling sound. The guild master died with his eyes wide open in indignation.

He still had so much to say.

Did they know who was backing him?

And most importantly, how much Krona he had poured into the pockets of those in power.

It was unfair and frustrating.

Of course, anyone who dies by the sword always feels unjustly treated.

Jaxon let his blood-stained sword hang at his side.

By then, all the fighting around him had ended.

Encrid closed his eyes, recalling all the movements of his squad members, and then opened them again.

It was time to take stock of the situation.

On this dark night, with the cold winter air and the torches as a backdrop, Encrid stepped forward.

He found himself in the exact center.

Among the circle of torches, shadows and gazes converged.

Gathering everyone's attention, Encrid opened his mouth.

"Anyone want to switch sides?"

One word was enough.

Everyone who survived dropped their weapons.

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