Rumble!
The tremendous undead army was enough to cover the entire land under the dark sky. A suffocating amount of energy of death was emanating from them.
Shring!
Raon unsheathed Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, then threw the scabbards on the ground.
The Light Wind squad's scabbards piled up on top of Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem's scabbards. It was their expression of determination that they would return alive to recover the scabbards.
"We will carefully store them until you return."
"Please return safely!"
"We will be waiting."
The family members hugged the scabbards like treasures, their faces pale.
Raon nodded at them before stepping outside the gate. He crushed the land brimming with the energy of death and faced the undead army's approach.
Whir.
The Light Wind squad followed him like a single sword.
"Close the gate."
"Close the gate!"
Once the gate was closed, the energy of death felt even more intense. Raon could feel the trembling of the swordsmen behind him.
Whir!
Raon raised Heavenly Drive while activating the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation at the same time.
The moment his sword was lowered, large boulders rolled down from above the castle walls.
Whaam!
The boulders rolled along the walls and crushed the undead to break their formation.
Fire arrows rained down to erase the night and pierce the undead. The families of Arianne had worked hard to make them despite the short time they had.
"Keep shooting for dear life!"
Prica shouted, and the rangers pulled the bowstrings all the way with their bloody fingers before releasing them. The fletchings smeared with blood stung the heart.
"Uaaaaah!"
"You damn corpses!"
Once the rangers ran out of arrows, they threw javelins to carve a path for the Light Wind squad.
"We have enough support."
Raon brandished Heavenly Drive. The blade turned red and created a flame to erase the darkness.
"Charge!"
He gritted his teeth and kicked the ground.
"Charge!"
The Light Wind squad formed the Great Light Wind Formation and followed him. Mark Goetten and Wendy unleashed their astral energies from the sides.
Whaap!
Raon pulled flame-covered Heavenly Drive behind his shoulder.
'In this situation…'
The enemies were lined up in a straight line, and the best technique to use to kill them was obvious.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Hundred Flames.
Flame Dragon Art.
The flame brimming from the blade turned into a firestorm to carve a crimson path through the darkness.
Whaaam!
Not a single undead remained on the line where the fire passed through.
However, there were too many enemies in the surroundings, and it was necessary to pass before their path was closed.
"Charge, now!"
Raon dashed through the land where the heat hadn't subsided yet. He could feel the indomitable iron will from the Light Wind squad following him.
Whaam!
The Light Wind squad followed right behind him and charged towards the undead that were still standing.
The power of the first form of Great Light Wind Formation, Central Green Whirlwind—which specialized in speed and stability—made the undead burst into black pools of blood.
"There are dullahan!"
Wendy Arianne ran towards the left side. She approached the group of dullahan, slashing them before their charge could begin.
The blunt and heavy astral energy shattered the heads of two dullahans.
"There are already death knights…"
Mark Goetten held his breath and rushed towards the death knights. He pierced into them before they could summon hellfire and slammed his saber down. The saber slash fell down like lightning to sever the death knight's body in half.
Raon looked around.
'So, they are coming here.'
The undead weren't approaching the castle walls anymore, instead turning around to circle the Light Wind squad. As he anticipated, they'd been waiting for the Light Wind squad to come outside.
'I also have a plan… Hmm?'
While he was thinking about the enemy's strategy, a huge wave of mana occurred from the right.
'A lich!'
There were lich and skeleton warriors from the magic squad. The huge magic circle they were drawing looked like a linked spell.
Fwoosh!
Raon stomped the ground violently and threw the Blade of Requiem from his left hand.
The blade of ghastly energy, incorporated with Flawless Throw's principles, cut through the magic circle and pierced the lich's skull.
Kuaaah!
The lich tried to take off the Blade of Requiem from its forehead, but the ghastly energy hindered its movement.
Whaam!
Raon didn't miss the opportunity. He used the Supreme Harmony Steps to advance and shattered the lich's body into pieces with the Fangs of Insanity.
The lich was going to be revived since the soul crystal couldn't be found, but it was going to take a long time to do so.
Rumble!
The Light Wind squad didn't stop their advance, as if they knew Raon was going to do that.
Thud!
They were using the Heavy Yellow Powerful Strike form, which consisted of having Martha at the center of the front line to destroy the undead's formation like a huge mace.
They definitely…
Wrath gave a big nod while watching the scene.
…deserve the name Mad Dogs.
'Indeed.'
Raon smiled faintly and caught up to them.
'I'm really planning to change the division's name to Mad Dog after we complete this mission.'
Raon dashed ahead and slashed with Front Pond while thinking about how much the Light Wind squad was going to hate it.
Whaam!
The huge blade of ice crushed the undead and shattered their sloppy circle into pieces.
"Keep moving!"
He could feel the determination of the Light Wind squad, Mark Goetten, and Wendy Arianne following behind him.
Their powerful spirit and drive to follow him no matter what to finish the war brought a smile to Raon's face as he dashed through the land of death.
Raon bit his lip while looking at the ground where even shadows couldn't be found anymore.
'The energy of death is getting denser.'
As soon as they left the area around the castle and entered the land of death, the energy of death intensified. The aura wave of the undead approaching from the land of death was on a whole different level.
Creak!
The skeleton's upper species made from dragon's teeth, spartois, rose, and ghoul lords capable of summoning zombies and ghouls appeared.
The low-class death knights who had been watching from far away unleashed their hellfires, trying to find the opportunity.
Whir!
Raon spread the Ring of Fire's resonance to prevent the Light Wind squad from being influenced by the energy of death before the group of spartois dashed at them.
"Charge!"
The Light Wind squad changed into the Snow Cat's Descent and clashed against the group of spartois.
Whaam!
The Light Wind squad's sweeping advance was stopped for the first time.
Claang!
Wendy Arianne and Mark Goetten weren't able to help them either because the death knights dashing from the sides were stopping them.
"Haa…"
Raon advanced while feeling the bitterness filling his mouth.
'They aren't giving me any time to rest.'
Holding the Blade of Requiem between his teeth, he grabbed Heavenly Drive with two hands. He stepped forward with great weight and turned into a wide circle to rotate his sword.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Hundred Flames.
Flawless Sea of Fire.
A red line emerged from the tip of his sword like dripping paint to unleash a huge wave of fire.
Swaaa!
The crimson sea soaring to the sky fell back down to incinerate the entire group of undead surrounding them.
"We have no time to waste! Keep moving!"
Raon used footwork while pointing at the path he managed to create. The Light Wind squad, Mark Goetten, and Wendy followed up to slay the undead that still remained alive, but a new wall of undead appeared in no time.
'How are they so fast?'
They were gathering here all along in order to kill you.
Unlike the front of the castle, the undead were being refilled at a tremendous pace. They must've focused the undead in the area, just like Wrath said.
Whaam!
The Light Wind squad switched their formation. They focused their power on Martha to shatter the spartoi's bones and advanced.
Slash!
Mark Goetten and Wendy Arianne also cut through the death knights with powerful astral energies to stay next to the Light Wind squad.
Everyone was fighting to the best of their abilities in order to decrease the burden on Raon.
"Damn it…"
However, Raon's face wasn't looking good. He bit his lip tightly while wiping the sweat flowing down from his forehead.
'This isn't easy.'
The high-class undead were further enhanced, and even their number was huge. It was difficult to carve a path because of that.
He felt like he'd entered the land of death a long time ago, but they hadn't managed to advance that far.
To be honest, he felt like he would need Wrath's help before reaching the pillars at the rate they were going.
"Why are those fucking skulls so sturdy?"
"They are spartois made from dragon teeth!"
"They are even resisting the freeze…"
Burren, Martha, and Runaan bit their lips. The intermediate-class undead, wrapped in a powerful energy of death, were too tanky. It was impossible to cut their bones unless they used aura.
The Light Wind squad's faces gradually turned pale from the high aura consumption.
Tsk.
Raon clicked his tongue and slashed with Heavenly Drive using the Fangs of Insanity's principles. The fiercely polished astral energy opened the path, but other undead swarmed towards them from the sides.
'They aren't the only ones. More of them have arrived behind them.'
Behind the spartois and skeleton warriors surrounding them, another wall of ghoul lords and dullahans was building.
Moreover, specters were flying in the sky to scatter their breaths of death.
Slash!
Raon spread the Flame Spirit to remove the specters before thrusting an astral blade behind him.
He managed to remove the specters and spartois, but new undead simply replaced them, and he couldn't even see the path anymore.
"Haa…"
The tip of his hand on the hilt was trembling. His willpower had reached its limit, and his stamina and aura consumption were accelerated as a result.
"Uaaaah!"
"Die! You fucking skull!"
"Enemies of sleep."
His vision was getting hazy from frustration when the Light Wind squad charged forward.
Whaaam!
The extremely ferocious strike destroyed the undead's formation once again right after it was refilled.
Claang!
Mark Goetten and Wendy Arianne's sharp astral energies carved the path for the Light Wind squad to pierce even further.
They penetrated through the path and destroyed the heads of the undead gathering around them.
"Huh?"
Krein looked back with a grin.
"Don't tell me you are falling behind, vice squad leader."
"No way, he wouldn't do that."
"I know, right? He told us we don't even need to sleep for ten days at least."
The Light Wind squad shrugged their shoulders, calling him unsightly for being tired already.
"Those guys…"
Raon laughed bitterly and straightened his back.
'They must be having an even harder time than me.'
They rested before, but only for three hours. Even though they went through mental training, they should've wanted to give up from how hard it was—yet, they still managed to smile at him. Raon was really thankful for that fact.
"I can't be defeated now."
He crushed the pain and anxiety all around his body to advance in front of the Light Wind squad.
"Who knows what you are going to do if I don't hold your leash?"
Raon stood at the front, and a sword resonance ghastly energy blasted from the Blade of Requiem he was holding.
Kiaaaah!
The wail of resentment, Blood Rain, spread around to stop the undead's movement.
Whaaam!
The Light Wind squad and Mark Goetten immediately kicked the ground and smashed the undead' bones and flesh.
Raon and the Light Wind squad slashed the corpses in front of them over and over and ran towards the end. They couldn't even tell how long they'd been fighting and how much they'd advanced.
The Light Wind squad was gradually exhausted and their swords pointed towards the ground, Mark Goetten was leaning forward like an old man, and Wendy Arianne was sweating profusely.
Slash!
Raon unleashed astral energy while grasping his painful energy center to annihilate the skeleton mages firing their spells.
"We are almost there!"
He could tell since he'd been there before. They'd passed the midpoint of the land of death, and the end should've been near.
"The pillars should soon…"
Kieeeeh!
Just as he was trying to give hope to the Light Wind squad, he could hear a screech that sounded like a hundred children's screams combined.
Raon raised his head and saw that a death knight riding a horse with green fire burning from his eyes and a banshee, which was a ghost with the appearance of an old woman, were flying towards him.
Cring!
The frightening green eyes of the death knight sparkled as it dashed towards him.
Raon furrowed his brow.
'Don't tell me…'
His energy was familiar. It looked like it was the same death knight he'd previously killed at the end of the Swamp of Death. Raon extended his left foot and incorporated the ferocity of a savage beast in Heavenly Drive.
Claang!
The death knight's Sword of Purgatory fell down like lightning to clash against Heavenly Drive, and a powerful shockwave spread around.
"Kuh…"
His nausea indicated that he was about to get an internal injury. It was definitely him. The death knight had become even stronger than before, and he unleashed his hellfire.
Kiaaah!
Kieeeee!
The Light Wind squad faltered from the screams of death coming from the banshees and specters from above. They looked like they were about to collapse.
Whaam!
Mark Goetten went out of his way to jump and managed to slay the banshee, but he was hit by the specter's attack from behind and slammed into the ground.
"Ugh!"
Wendy was too busy stopping the swarm of undead and had no room to help the others.
"Damn it…"
Raon bit his lip to the point of bleeding.
'I have no other choice now.'
He couldn't kill the death knight in front of him with his current state in stamina and aura. Even if he managed to win, he was going to be severely wounded, and it was detrimental to the goal.
"Uaaah!"
"Everyone! You have to keep fighting!"
"He said we are almost there…"
The Great Light Wind Formation was still maintained somehow thanks to Burren, Martha, and Runaan's determination, but it looked like it could be broken at any moment.
If the formation was destroyed, the slaughter was going to start right after. They'd reached their limit.
'Wrath!'
...
Wrath didn't respond and kept looking at the hill on his right.
'I need it right now! Heal me right awa—'
Raon frowned and called Wrath.
Whir!
The sound of a horn coming from the hill on the right side pierced through the energy of death.
"Huh? Huuh? Is that sound…?"
Dorian was the first one to react. He was about to fall on his knees, but he raised his head with a trembling chin.
"Is that…?!"
Raon mustered his strength to push the death knight back before he looked to the right.
An old knight riding a snow-white horse was standing on the hill.
"This land is full of death."
Habun Castle's castellan, Milland, was coldly looking down on the horde of undead.
"Not as much as Habun."
The vice castellan, Terrain, followed him on his black horse and smiled faintly. He raised his spear to pierce the sky, which was getting brighter.
"Gather!"
"Gather!"
Majestic roars resounded throughout the area and the Night Fox knight order and the Snow Strikers raised their silver spears.
The military spirit that started weak soared to pierce the sky.
"For the benefactor of Habun Castle!"
"Chargeeeeee!"
Milland lowered his spear horizontally and kicked the side of his horse.
Whir!
The majestic sound of a horn resounded throughout the space, and the cavalry ran down the hill.
Whaaam!
The charge with Milland at the front was pretty much a spearhead hammered thousands of times.
The wall of undead that seemed so impenetrable was mercilessly destroyed, and a silver path was created.
"How can a young one ask this old man to come?"
Milland smiled faintly while passing in front of Raon.
"You are as insolent as ever."
"Sir Raon! It's been a long time!"
"You look even more handsome now!"
"Why are you always fighting difficult battles?!"
The knight order and the Snow Striker swordsmen bowed to him while passing next to him. Their advance looked like they were about to destroy all the undead.
Piyoooo!
Before the deep emotion left by Habun Castle subsided, a hawk's cry could be heard from the left side.
"I was wondering why that monstrous friend of mine was calling me, but there was a good reason behind it."
"I've never seen this many undead before."
They were familiar voices once again.
Owen's third prince, Greer De Owen, and the Azure Razor Sword, Borini Kitten, were there. They got into formation with their Azure Hawk knight order and the Silver Knight order they belonged to, respectively.
"Send the deceased to the land they belong."
"Charge!"
Unlike Habun Castle's cavalry, the cavaliers lined up in a lengthy formation to charge at the undead. They lowered their postures to increase their speed, and the wall of undead was scattered like a piece of paper upon facing their spears.
"I was wondering when you were going to use my tablet, but you are working me to the bone."
The third prince grinned while coming next to Raon.
"I won't count this matter as a request, Sir Raon."
Borini Kitten followed next to him and shook his head slightly.
"It's my duty to join this battle for the sake of the continent."
He shattered the death knight who was staying at the back with his astral energy and advanced. The sharpness suggested that he must've honed his skills to a frightening extent.
Raon clenched his chest, which was burning with emotions, and a huge fire burst from the sky.
Whaaam!
A huge explosion occurred at the center of the undead's formation and the corpses left behind by the two knight orders turned into ash to flutter into the air.
Raon raised his head and saw Morel with his hand extended to the front. He was the leader of Balkar's magician squad, and the one called Snake of Raging Flame by the people.
"I don't understand how you convinced our donkey princess."
He frowned and pointed his finger at the front.
All kinds of fire spells were unleashed by the Salaman magicians' hands behind him, destroying the leftover undead scattered around.
Kirrr.
A green gaze sparkled from the cloud of dust rising from the explosion. The death knight who managed to recover while hiding dashed towards them with his Sword of Purgatory.
Whaam!
Someone else stepped forward before Raon blocked the blow. He deflected the death knight's sword with exquisite swordsmanship and destroyed his head. Even though it was a surprise attack, it was a terrifying amount of prowess.
"Pathetic."
The man pulled his sword off the death knight's skull before turning around. The short blond hair of the middle-aged man gave off a cool impression. It was the Warring Steel division leader, Trevin Zieghart.
"Did you really have to call us because you couldn't win against such weak undead?"
"I wanted to help the Warring Steel division earn some experience. They could use some practice."
Raon smiled faintly and shook his head.
"You can still talk. Warring Steel division!"
Trevin raised his hand.
"The Light Wind squad didn't manage to defeat them! Eradicate them!"
"Yes!"
He advanced, and the Warring Steel division behind him went forward at the same time.
"Whaam!"
The energy of death got stronger and stronger, but no one could stop the Black Steel Sword Formation with Trevin as the leader.
'They arrived in time.'
Raon had used Dorian's disposable artifact to ask them for help before the war started. He was worried because he couldn't guarantee their arrival, but they must've received the message.
Raon clenched his fist to the point of bleeding.
'This is different from the last time.'
Unlike during the kidnapping incident when Zieghart came to save him under Glenn's name, those fighting the undead were gathered under Raon Zieghart's name.
Raon's heart pounded as he witnessed the people who answered his call.
Rumble!
The knights and swordsmen advanced through the dawn to sever the sea of death, carving a golden path.
"The night is over."
Raon clenched Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, then turned around to look at the Light Wind squad.
"It's time for us to teach them to fear daylight."