Ailord's heart felt choked as he arrived there, in the midst of the battle between the Glok and the Constructs, which had now been destroyed. Many corpses were lying everywhere. Blood pooled, flowing into craters from the explosions. Black smoke billowed high into the air with a pungent smell accompanied by flying ash, following the direction of the gentle wind. Wooden carts were shattered and food supplies scattered. There, the marks of battle were etched. Swords and arrows could be seen embedded in the ground, with fresh blood clearly flowing on their blades, reflected by the magical lights that continued to appear around.
Not far ahead, Glok appeared exhausted. Sweat drenched his body and he was panting heavily. Several wounds were visible on his body, wounds that Ailord was sure were very painful. Yet he persevered, not just for himself, but for others as well. Fighting and continuing to fight even though his body was telling him it was tired. It was evident from his eyes that instantly widened with hope when he saw him.
Ailord glanced back, ensuring the two Constructs were no longer standing. He himself didn't know what had just happened, as if he had been possessed and taken over by something. Suddenly, one of the Constructs was in his grasp, then thrown far towards the Construct Glok was facing. He didn't understand how he could move so quickly. But one thing he knew, he wanted to end all of this as soon as possible. No more lives should be wasted, there had already been too many.
Step by step, he approached, passing Glok who exclaimed, "You can move again?" with enthusiasm.
Fortunately, Glok couldn't see his face, or Ailord was sure Glok would have preferred to forbid him from joining the battle. Ailord was also grateful he had created the robot with a helmet. Not only could it protect his head, but it also covered his face. Thus, the only visible part was the terrifying orange light capable of scaring opponents, even though he was trying to hold back from screaming.
He also didn't understand how he could kill so many people indiscriminately. Is this who he really was? A killer? Someone who felt pleasure in taking others' lives?
Ailord tried hard to keep his trembling body from being noticed by anyone. In the midst of a battle like this, fear was something fatal.
Zayn and the other Copperhaven knights looked over, unable to believe their eyes. Someone had a Construct that was far stronger than their Constructs and, moreover, this Construct was made of iron. Something that should have been impossible to achieve.
"FINISH HIM OFF IMMEDIATELY!" ordered Zayn, realizing that the presence of the Construct could change the course of the battle. Especially after witnessing what happened to their two Constructs behind them.
The knights withdrew from their respective fights and rushed towards Ailord, who continued to step forward. They didn't understand why this Construct just kept walking without doing anything and considered this a good opportunity.
"DIE!"
Helbert swung his sword forcefully, creating a large energy blade accompanied by the energy blades of the other knights. A dozen energy blades shot rapidly towards him, causing Glok and the others to scream for Ailord to run away. However, given their close distance, it was already too late.
A huge explosion occurred, thick smoke and dust billowed along with strong winds that made the knights grin widely, feeling their attack had successfully destroyed the foreign Construct.
They landed on the ground, several meters back, to prepare themselves in case of a counterattack.
"HA! No one can defeat our Construct!" shouted Helbert, resting his sword on his shoulder.
However, the sound of heavy footsteps startled them, making their hearts seem to stop beating. The heavy steps could be heard, echoing and shaking the ground. From behind the billowing smoke, the same orange light could be seen, staring back at them. There was no terrifying aura there, no great lust for killing, just a Construct that kept walking.
Seeing this, the knights hurriedly channeled mana into their swords, ready to deliver another strike they hoped would end this nightmare.
Unfortunately, their hopes did not come true.
The Construct suddenly appeared right before their eyes, with just one stomp, a stomp that created a large crack accompanied by a thunderous sound. The knight in front could only watch as the iron fist shot towards his body, realizing that death had already gripped his soul.
Just one strike, only through that one strike. They witnessed how powerful the iron Construct was. No one could do anything as the knight's body was hurled far away, crashing into the kingdom's wall. He was flung so quickly, much faster than an elf's arrow. The naked eye couldn't follow it, only seeing a fleeting white blur before a strong wind hit their faces accompanied by a terrifying sound of air friction that made their bodies tremble.
Those who were already near the gate stood frozen in place, glancing at the knight who was no longer recognizable, just a heap of flesh, blood, and white iron. They didn't know whether to scream or cheer. But clearly, fear had taken hold of their hearts.
Ailord observed the lifeless knight far ahead, no longer having a form to be buried. Blood slowly dripped from his clenched fist as white smoke gradually disappeared into the air. Cold sweat drenched his face with his heart pounding like a war drum. He realized he had killed someone again. However, the world he was in now was not Earth, where killing was taboo. This was a different world, a world where the strong ruled.
After witnessing how they killed everyone, regardless of age, Ailord had steeled himself to drive them out of the kingdom, away from the race that had saved his life and placed their trust in him, a stranger. This was how he would repay them.
He looked at another stunned knight and delivered the same blow, sending him far into the forest. Less than two seconds later, a strong tremor and the flight of birds marked a thick plume of dust. Without needing to check, just from the vibration alone, they knew that the knight was no longer alive.
The knights raised their swords high, using mid-level protection magic they hoped could withstand the Construct's terrifying attacks. But their hopes were shattered again as the protective dome of one knight broke like glass. He vomited blood with tears streaming down his face. However, without being able to draw breath, the second blow had already destroyed every internal organ, and he was hurled far backward.
Three Copperhaven knights, not ordinary knights but members of the 'White Knight', the kingdom's sword, died without a fight. They, who had always been at the forefront, never experiencing defeat and consistently bringing victory, now for the first time felt immense fear. Their bodies trembled, evident in the swords that no longer held steady. They kept stepping back each time the Construct took a step forward, no longer possessing courage or spirit.
"DO NOT RETREAT! WE MUST SUCCEED FOR COPPERHAVEN!"
Hearing this shout, they froze, shocked by the command of their leader who was still facing Elder Leynar, even though he was being pushed back.
Helbert clenched his hand tightly and struck his own face to regain his senses, even though blood now flowed down the side of his mouth. "Damn, I almost let fear take over." He grinned widely and shouted, "All of you! Don't let them push us back! We are the White Knight! The sword of Copperhaven! Keep fighting and seize our victory!!"
The knights cheered, raising their swords high with renewed energy filling their bodies. The fear in their hearts vanished instantly, replaced by the intent to destroy the Construct before them.
As they were about to advance, the Construct suddenly appeared in front of them with its fist aimed at their faces. The knight was hurled forward, lifeless. Yet, they no longer stepped back and charged ahead. Each sword glowed with mana, swung forward with full force, creating a dozen large energy blades.
"Why won't you surrender?"
Hearing this voice, they were once again shocked and slow to react as Ailord appeared in front of another knight.
The angel of death took another one of them, giving no chance to say goodbye to his comrades. At that moment, Zayn appeared before them, holding a sword with a dark aura pointed at his chest. The furrow in his brow was deep, full of frustration, and his eyes were shrouded with rage.
"WHO ARE YOU!?"
Ailord stepped closer, showing no signs of stopping even as the dark aura on the sword grew larger. He didn't even heed Elder Leynar's shouts, urging him to stay away.
"Why should I tell you? If you have the guts, force my mouth open yourself."
The dark aura grew even larger, and at the same time, they both lunged forward.