Chapter 95
Caron and his group charged into the battlefield without hesitation.
" Roarrrrrrrr! " Utula bellowed as he took the lead, sprinting forward. As a giant, he was a force to behold. Towering over the battlefield, his body radiated a red aura as he swung his massive ax.
Crunch.
His ax and heavy steps crushed countless demonic monsters underfoot. Some of the monsters managed to sink their fangs into Utula's calves, but he paid them no mind, charging forward without pause.
Whoooosh!
Dark flames spilled down from the fortress walls, engulfing Utula, but even the black fireballs couldn't halt his advance. Giants were born warriors; they lacked mana but wielded a unique power, the raw energy of their combat aura. For them, the battlefield was a place to live and die with honor. For Utula, this was nothing less than the ultimate test to prove the worth of his life.
Shiing!
The three knights dashed through the path Utula had carved out.
Whoosh.
Waves of power emanated from their blades, sweeping away the demonic monsters in an instant. Distracted by the elves, the creatures hardly noticed Caron and the others until it was too late. A few turned toward them, snarling with frothing mouths and wild, bloodshot eyes.
Growl.
But only a few reached them.
Swoosh!
That was because several arrows flew in swift, deadly arcs, each one piercing the heads of the charging creatures. The archers of the elven force, known for their precision, struck without fail. A few of the elves cast curious glances at Caron's group, but quickly returned their focus to the demonic monsters. The presence of humans held little significance to the elves; their sole goal was to contain the corruption that had spread from this place.
"I will clear the way!" Utula shouted, exhilarated by the elves' covering fire. He already bore countless wounds, claw marks from monsters and burns from spells scorching his upper body. And yet he sprinted forward, calling upon the name of his god.
"Dear Tohuan!" Utula bellowed, charging even faster.
Right behind him was Leon. She planted her sword into the ground, yelling in a voice fierce with anger, "Die, you bastards!"
Craaaaack!
Through a powerful surge of Oceanwolf Sword Art Form 6: Maelstrom, a furious vortex burst from the ground, ripping the demonic monsters apart. Even though fatigue weighed on her, Leon only grinned, reveling in the chaos.
Swooosh!
But suddenly, an onslaught of bone spears launched from the fortress, hurtling toward Caron and his group. Seeing the sky filled with the deadly projectiles, Caron looked up, channeling his mana to counter it.
Just then, Leo hurriedly gathered his own mana and shouted, "Caron! You have to save your mana!"
Whoooosh!
Leo's mana surged, wrapping around the group and forming a barrier. His Oceanwolf Sword Art Form 5: High Tide unleashed his sea in every direction. Unlike Caron's sea, which was relentless and deadly, Leo's sea was calm and deep as it absorbed the storm of bone spears. The projectiles melted away on contact, dissipating into the depths of his mana.
Caron slapped Leo on the back with a grin and said, "You've really come a long way, Leo!"
Leo winced and replied, "It feels like I have to vomit, so please, stop hitting my back. Every time you hit me, it's as if my organs are shaking."
"It's because I'm proud of you," Caron said, chuckling as he observed his comrades' growth. They were performing beyond expectations, and he watched with pride as the demonic monsters hesitated, slowly retreating.
For a moment it seemed they had a path forward, but not for long.
Roooaaarrr!
A monstrous creature came into view, emitting a strange scream. It looked like a ghastly patchwork of corpses, its mere presence spreading disease wherever it moved. This was a ragged golem, a vile construct only dark mages could create. It was a creature with hundreds of twisted arms, which it swung toward Caron's group.
When Caron saw the monster, he shouted, "Utula! Move to the right!"
Utula immediately shifted to the side, clearing a path for Caron.
Whoosh!
Caron condensed his mana into his sword, Guillotine, and shot forward with explosive speed.
Skreeeeeech!
The ragged golem shrieked, ripping bodies out of itself and hurling them at Caron.
Boom!
The corpses exploded in midair, scattering poisonous clouds and raining pestilent flesh down on Caron. Each piece carried a deadly infection, so virulent that mere contact with it would drain all life from one's body. However, Caron smirked and swung his sword.
Shhhk!
Unlike Leo's calm and deep sea, Caron's sea devoured the decaying flesh hungrily. Every infected scrap vanished without a trace before it could even touch him. Seeing this, the ragged golem tried to rip more corpses from itself to hurl at Caron, but it was too late.
"You're too slow, you bastard," Caron muttered, having already leaped up to the creature's head.
Slash!
As he fell back down, Caron's blade cleaved the golem in half, its horrific wails echoing through the battlefield.
Thud.
Caron landed lightly on the ground, his gaze fixed on the grotesque creature that was now split in two.
An ordinary demonic monster would have been finished by that blow, but not this one. With a sickening squelch, maggots squirmed out from the corpses, reassembling the golem's torn body.
"Damn dark mages and their twisted creations," Caron muttered as he shook his head. Burning it away would be the quickest fix, but without a mage among them, there was no choice but to hack it apart until it couldn't recover.
"It's inefficient..." Caron shrugged.
Mana was nothing to worry about as long as he could keep absorbing it. However, just as he prepared to gather more mana, white flames suddenly rained down from above, consuming the golem's remains entirely.
Then, a voice echoed close by, high and disdainful. "I cannot understand. Did you humans not abandon this place?"
Caron looked up, spotting the speaker. Perched atop a white wolf was an elven man, watching him from the ruined wall the spirits had torn down. The elf's scowl deepened, "Leave this place to us, the elves, and withdraw from the battlefield. We have no intention of fighting alongside humans."
The elf's tone was firm, and an elf speaking human language meant they were part of a highly educated class. Caron looked at the elf and laughed as if in disbelief, replying, "And what if I say no?"
At that moment, a spirit of pure white flame appeared behind the elf, seemingly ready to scorch Caron at any instant. The elf's expression grew more condescending as he looked down, his tone carrying an air of superiority. "Do I sound as if I'm asking?"
Caron's eyes glinted with amusement as he looked back up and retorted, "Well, aren't you an entertaining one?"
There was no way Caron would let an opportunity slip by just because of an empty threat, not when there was something this good right in front of him.
***
The others rejoined Caron, visibly wary as they watched his standoff with the elf. The air was thick with tension. The old saying was that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", but the two of them were facing off against each other when a common enemy loomed before them.
"In truth, this whole disaster started with you humans," the elf sneered, no longer hiding his hostility. He glared at Caron with the kind of disdain one would reserve for an insect. "This catastrophe, left unchecked by your kind, has spread into our forests. Be grateful I'm not holding you accountable here and now, human. And... If not for the blessing of one of my own, the punishment for baring your teeth at me would be unforgivable."
"A blessing?" Caron muttered as he idly twirled his sword. He recalled that Neria had mentioned something similar. Perhaps it was Foina who had granted such a blessing. He smirked and said, "You should be thanking your own kind. If it weren't for them, I'd have sliced that tongue of yours off already."
"...You're a lunatic," the elf replied.
"Despite knowing that, you're still provoking me?" Caron shot back.
Time was ticking away. The situation left no room for a petty exchange of insults.
This guy has to be their commander, Caron thought, observing the elf's powerful mana and his condescending tone. A commander fighting on the front lines would be admirable, if not for his blatant arrogance characteristic of an elf.
"I was aware that elves were racist," Caron remarked dryly. "I can't say I'm surprised."
"Bark all you want, human," the elf replied.
"I'm here to fight alongside you, you idiot," Caron retorted.
"We don't need your help. I'm warning you right now, if you're so unwilling to leave, then just stand there and watch. You humans are unnecessary," the elf said, turning his back to Caron.
Suppressing the urge to cut off the elf's pointed ears, Caron decided to hold back for the time being. If this elf was so confident, maybe he had some plan up his sleeve.
"Caron, what's going on here?" Leo asked quietly.
Caron replied with a gruff sigh, "I don't know, Leo. This idiot is watching his men die while clinging to his pride. Just promise me you won't grow up to be someone like him."
"Elves are known for their age. Maybe that's why," Leo speculated aloud.
"All elves are just old nags, huh? Seems plausible." Caron chuckled. "We should ask Foina about it sometime."
The elf could have looked back by then, but his stubbornness was the stuff of legend. Caron and Leo were openly badmouthing him, but he stayed focused on whatever he was doing.
Whoosh.
A deep hum built up around the elf, massive quantities of mana coalescing around him. Then he began to chant in his own tongue, "Te ala sa ee crom..."
Guillotine's voice cut through Caron's mind as it said in mild surprise, "Owner, he's a powerful leader."
"What's he doing?" Caron asked, intrigued.
"Just watch," Guillotine replied.
At that moment, white flames began to spark in the air around them. The flames were blinding, pure fire that seemed to burn with otherworldly brightness. And from within those flames, a colossal figure took shape; it was a great bird made entirely of fire, stretching its wings across the sky. Its presence swept over the battlefield like an unstoppable wave.
"A spirit?" Leon murmured in awe.
However, Caron shook his head and replied quietly, "That's no mere spirit, Leon."
Even Caron had never seen something like this. In the empire of the past, no spirit summoner had ever been powerful enough to call forth what he was seeing. Eventually, however, a name surfaced in Caron's mind, one he'd read long ago.
"Ifrit," he whispered. It was the Spirit King of Fire, a transcendent entity that governed all flames.
Caron watched the elf's silhouette cloaked in white flames, knowing full well that Ifrit's presence could guarantee an overwhelming victory. Just one sweep of those wings could turn everything to ashes.
But then, a chill crept down the back of his neck. The dark mage had fortified this place for three months. Caron doubted that such a mage would really be so unprepared for something like this.
There's no way, Caron thought. The enemy had to have had some kind of failsafe in place.
Indeed, Caron's instincts were right on target. Less than a minute later, a dark, slithering sound filled the air.
"Elves... Your arrogance always brings ruin upon you. I suppose it will be the same this time as well," said a voice, as thick black chains burst from every corner of the fleshy fortress.