The Duke’s Eldest Son Escaped to the Military (146)
Translator: ChubbyCheeks
50 The Capital’s Collapse (1)
Iron and his troops, who had made a huge stir in the Center, appeared with the advent of the sanctuary.
The knight order rushed forward as the aerial assault unit jumped down from the drake unit. The rangers also appeared accompanied by artillery fire.
With their appearance, the Death Corps’ rear had been thrown into chaos. Taking advantage of the moment, the ground troops went into formation and pushed ahead.
“Time is not on your side anymore, don’t you think so?”
Iron chuckled as he spun his sword and pointed it at his enemy.
The Red Seductress’ expression hardened at Iron’s cheeky appearance.
The person in front of her was more demanding and taxing to deal with than a master especially since he was the Death Corps’ bane.
The North’s Saint.
The Red Seductress’ expression gradually straightened out after realizing that he came here.
― This is good.
“What’s good?”
― The fact that you, the saint, came here means that a variable has disappeared in the capital. I’m a bit surprised that you arrived earlier than expected but I’m still relieved.
They were worried that he and his troops were just trying to make a feint by heading southwards before turning around and going to the Center. But as long as Iron was here, it meant that there were no variables in the capital. It also meant that she would be able to accomplish her goal even if she died here.
― But, what a pity. I want to push that old man to his limits.
Leopold was able to hold out alone as he led the Central Army against the Death Corps. But even if he was a master, it was still quite strenuous to deal with numerous vampires and high-ranked undead. The Red Seductress was only able to force him to come all the way up to this point after deliberately targeting Leopold but Iron suddenly appeared and interrupted her.
“A pity?”
― Yeah. Truly a pity.
The Red Seductress answered Iron’s question honestly as she began to talk.
― That’s why I’m going to cut your unit in half.
“That is if you can.”
The Red Seductress’ arms swung the moment Iron taunted her. Then, all of the vampires nearby flocked to where Iron was. However, his holy power erupted wildly.
“Holy power is like poison to the undead, right?”
Iron grinned as he swung his sword and slashed the vampires that were rushing towards him.
“The same goes for vampires, right? Perhaps, you thought that I only relied on my body?”
The Red Seductress bit her lips at Iron’s words.
Just like Iron had said, his powers were their bane. So, right now, she wasn’t even at half of her original power. She was only able to push Leopold to this point by pushing back the Central Army that was solely dependent on their master. However, Iron was a completely different matter. His holy power and sanctuary was the bane of their existence.
And there were even the divine beasts roaming and gliding in the skies freely. As if to prove that the divine beasts were also his source of strength, the Death Corps were gradually collapsing.
The phoenix, who spewed out fire from time to time, was already a problem but there was also the huge owl that emitted some sharp and burning light from both of its eyes. However, the biggest problem of them all was the small bird that let out holy power. Her corps gradually lost their strength to fight back under the glaring light of the shining Baepsae.
― So, it’s true. You’re truly our greatest enemy.
Iron just stared at the Red Seductress as she spoke.
He was slowly advancing towards her under the onslaught of attacks from the vampires that rushed towards him. He did not even stagger and shake. He was able to endure and stand firm despite the waves of attacks thanks to his steel mana.
The Red Seductress looked at Iron in exhaustion before suggesting to him in a quiet voice.
― Can’t you just let us go? I swear I won’t do any harm to your troops. Let’s just have a proper fight in the capital.
“Do I have to do something like that?”
― If things continue like this, then yours and that old man’s troops will suffer great damage.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Iron bent his legs as he flew up towards the Red Seductress before slashing his sword down.
― Ugh! You’re not going to lose anything either! Are you just going to leave the Central Army like that?
She turned towards the Central Army as she spoke.
Plenty of the soldiers were dead or were on the brink of death as they fought against the Death Corps. Some of them were even turned into vampires and tried to attack their previous allies.
― I’m even going to willingly back off. Are you willing to let them all get killed?
“I don’t negotiate and discuss with beings that signed a contract with the void.”
― Stubborn!
The Red Seductress clicked her tongue as she evaded. But Iron wouldn’t let her do that. He kept on running after the Red Seductress as he swung his sword towards her.
She immediately transformed her nails and blocked his attacks but she was being pushed back with every slash and strike. The Red Seductress had no choice but to hurriedly step back the moment her nails started to get nicked and cut by Iron’s enormous holy power.
He wasn’t their natural enemy for nothing.
She had been working hard for months just to kill Leopold. She even risked herself and her troops just so she could push him to get injured more and prevent him from recovering. But someone interfered while she was in the middle of killing him today.
And Iron, who interfered, was on a similar level of power. His enormous holy power and 6th Stage swordsmanship were things that were extremely difficult to deal with. She could even say that it was as difficult as fighting against a master. But when his divine beasts’ powers were added, his powers were something that she couldn’t dare to deal with.
What was more problematic was the fact that each divine beast of his was comparable to a master. Only after seeing the divine beasts, whose powers were far stronger than their previous intel, did she understand why Molina told her to be careful.
The longer they got exposed to holy power, the weaker they became. The Red Seductress gradually lost her strength while her troops and subordinates died one after the other. If things continued on at this rate, they would all be wiped out without dealing any damage to Iron’s troops.
― Everyone, self-destruct! We need to cause even just a tiny bit of damage!
Her troops shouted loudly after hearing the Red Seductress’ orders.
However, Iron, who had seen this pattern countless times to the point that he was already sick of it, couldn’t be side-tracked at all.
Baepsae increased the holy power that was emitting from its body as it stomped down and pressed on the Death Corps’ increasing force.
“Just die quietly.”
Iron frowned deeply as if he was annoyed.
The Red Seductress couldn’t help but bite her lip. She could see that he was far more powerful than the report that she had received when he was still marching from the West to the Center. Especially his holy power. It seemed to be twice as strong as the report back then.
― If only I hadn’t lost most of my power on that old man then…
Perhaps it was because she gave it her all, thinking that she could kill a master that she couldn’t use enough strength and power to kill Iron. She felt humiliated that she would die a normal death. She did not want her life to become a waste. Even if she couldn’t personally take away the lives of the Imperial Family, she planned to break the Central Army for their cause.
I can’t die like this. I can’t die without doing anything.
Crack!
She couldn’t even self-destruct and explode. It was not an easy feat, especially with Iron, who noticed what she wanted to do, focusing his holy power on her and suppressing her completely. If things continued at this rate, they would become prisoners of war. She knew that it would be better to just kill herself. But her pride stopped her from doing so.
At that moment, a gigantic blood spear broke through the sanctuary’s barrier and flew straight towards Iron. Owl intercepted it but its beams of light failed to destroy it completely. In the end, the spear reached Iron.
Crack, crack, crack!
“This…”
This was a familiar energy. An energy that he had already felt once before. And as far as Iron was concerned, there was only one being who could use blood magic that was as powerful as this.
“Is it the bastard I met back then?”
A blood barrier pulled the Red Seductress back as it cocooned her inside. However, the blood barrier was not able to be completed this time.
Iron was someone who would never suffer from the same thing ever again. This was his strong point. Even when he was fighting against monsters, he always made sure to thoroughly identify and target their weaknesses.
And because of that, he was able to break through the blood barrier with his enormous holy power after it appeared in front of him for the second time.
Two Moons immediately flew down and stood in front of Iron protectively.
“It will be different from back then.”
― As expected… It will be difficult.
Iron grinned as he looked at Molina once again.
Right now, their troops included a master, something that was completely different from the first time that they had met. Although the master was injured and could only use less than half of his strength, a master was still a master. In addition, the Central Army and his troops were able to be on the advantageous side thanks to his sanctuary.
― Did you get stronger?
Molina looked at him with a complicated expression but Iron remained silent as he swung his sword.
Lightning covered Iron’s steel mana as it burned the red fog that spread out in the area. Even Molina’s blood territory was slowly being purified. The power of his divine beasts was able to neutralize all of the vampire’s powers. Even if he lacked holy power, he would still be able to deal with it with his own power. After all, Phoenix also had an overwhelming purification power.
― You really are our clan’s worst enemy.
The power that burned and purified his blood made Iron look like the envoy that descended to reap their lives. As beings under the God of Death, they never thought that the day would come when they would fear death. But what was happening right now, in front of their very eyes, made them feel this fear. But they had always expected to face this much trouble.
― But it will still be hard to kill us. We still have some work to do. Unfortunately for you, I still can’t die right now.
“Bullshit.”
Iron boosted his mana after hearing Molina’s words. He couldn’t save his strength while fighting against such a person. Two Moons also pressured their opponent after knowing that Iron wanted to finish everything from the very start. Two Moons blocked his rear with its huge body as it let out powerful beams of light from its eyes as it eradicated the power of their opponent.
However, a black force appeared from Molina’s body the moment his force dissipated from Two Moon’s attack. It was the power of death, a power that was on the opposite side of the spectrum with holy power. It slowly grew and spread in the surrounding area.
― You might have the sky but we have the ground.
“What are you suddenly saying…?”
Molina’s words were the catalyst. All of the vampires following them started to chant something in a strange language as they bled. Even the troops under the Red Seductress’ command mumbled and bled. Their blood seeped into the ground.
The Red Seductress, who watched the scene, quickly approached Molina.
― Do you know what you just did?
― They agreed on this.
― You…
Molina sighed when he saw the Red Seductress glaring fiercely at him.
― We still need to deal with the Emperor. We can’t get killed in this place yet.
― You’re selling our men to hell! If that’s the case, then we’re no different from them!
Molina frowned as the Red Seductress shrieked at him.
― Our colleagues are the ones who don’t want to rest. They still want to see me in hell.
The Red Seductress dropped her head after hearing Molina’s words.
She was fully aware that the end was just around the corner.
If they failed because of her stubbornness, then she wouldn’t be able to see the faces of her colleagues that sacrificed themselves in hell.
― …alright. After everything is over, I will go to hell and apologize to them myself.
Molina nodded heavily at the Red Seductress words.
Everything was for their cause. After everything was over, they had to make sure that they would walk into hell and apologize.
Perhaps it was because they felt their will that all of the Death Corps bleed black blood willingly as they got sucked into the earth.
Iron rushed towards Molina to prevent him but it was already too late. Tens of thousands of bones rose from the ground and blocked his path.
― If you survive here, make sure to come to the Center. Go there and see for yourself the truth that we have dug up. Then, make your judgment.
Molina spoke quietly as he looked at Iron.
― See for yourself. See for yourself that all of these hardships and ordeals did not start with us but from you, the Imperials.
The Red Seductress was the one to speak this time. Then, the seal broke as black energy began to spread.
“Don’t even think of running away!”
Iron released all of his holy power as he spoke. His body shook and trembled as his overwhelming holy power covered the sky and extinguished everything unclean. However, even his overwhelming holy power couldn’t purify the earth that had been dyed black with death.
Just like what Molina had said, his holy power was able to dominate anything above ground but it wasn’t able to deal with the power of death sleeping underground. It was as if there was some sort of boundary that was stopping it from doing so.
The Red Seductress and Molina slowly disappeared under the cover of the thick black fog. However, something huge that was made out of bones began to rise from the land of death. What appeared at the expense of all of the Death Corps was a gigantic Bone Knight.
Iron’s heart thumped wildly just at the overwhelming presence and pressure that it emitted just after appearing. He couldn’t help but grit his teeth.
― Kkirrruuuk!
It was a voice that he hadn’t heard in a while.
A huge thunderstorm brewed in the sky as soon as the voice reverberated in Iron’s head.
***
