Herman and Sailor were visibly startled when they realized Elric had left.
Knowing his character, it seemed more plausible that he had charged alone into the enemy camp rather than running away.
Still, his sudden disappearance without a word left them uneasy.
What would happen if this caused confusion in the chain of command?
In any army, no matter how disciplined or strictly governed, a single unforeseen variable could cause everything to unravel.
It showed that Elric trusted the Star's Legion and believed in Herman and Sailor.
'Still, I'll have to scold him when he gets back.'
Herman briefly wondered if he had been too lenient with Elric's mischief over time.
As the successor, Elric sometimes needed discipline.
Of course, that was something to consider after they overcame the current crisis.
'First, we have to capture that one.'
Herman gripped his sword, his gaze fixed on the high-ranking warrior he had identified earlier.
That warrior, still leading the vanguard, was tearing through their lines while shouting commands to boost the morale of his subordinates.
"You've recovered, right?"
Sailor suddenly spoke up, as if reading Herman's thoughts.
He, too, was slowly drawing his sword.
Despite being well over seventy years old, there was nothing frail about him. Instead, he exuded a solid, almost intimidating presence.
But then…
"You're mistaken."
When Herman denied his full recovery, Sailor's face showed confusion.
Not fully recovered? From the outside, there seemed to be no sign of discomfort.
Could it be that he was suffering from some lingering aftereffects that others didn't know about?
"Hmm?"
"I haven't just recovered," Herman grinned slightly.
"I've gotten even stronger."
Fwoosh!
With those bold words, Herman hurled himself into the heart of the enemy camp.
Sailor, caught off guard by such a confident answer, stood there momentarily, watching Herman's back in disbelief. Then, shaking his head with a chuckle, he clicked his tongue.
"Young people these days, no sense of modesty."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sailor followed suit, launching himself forward like Herman.
His children were fighting fiercely all around him.
He couldn't sit back and watch; it wouldn't befit a father.
The reality of still having to fight despite his age was the only thing that weighed heavily on him.
***
'Arrogant Imperials… I want to crush them all. How dare they use us like this.'
Batu, the top warrior of the Borfur tribe, clenched his teeth as he rampaged through the Star's Legion.
He knew all too well that this ambush was a scheme to exploit his tribe.
In fact, he probably understood it better than the Star's Legion soldiers themselves.
The power struggles within the empire were of great interest to them as well.
Like any tribe living off the harsh lands of the valleys, the Borfur tribe longed to escape their exhausting life of hunting in the forests and cross into the fertile, resource-rich empire.
That was why they had frequently clashed with Wynz, the lord of the eastern border. They had accumulated enough grudges to be called mortal enemies.
They had accepted a peace agreement with the lord of Wynz because they had suffered too many losses. But…
Not long after, they received news that several of their villages had been raided, and some of their people taken captive.
Among the captives was Batu's own sister, who had been married off to another tribe.
The problem was that the raiders had deliberately left clues to their movements, as if to lure them in.
It was clearly a trap, and there was no way they couldn't see that.
They were likely using the captives as bait, trying to drag them into a conflict with the Imperial forces that Wynz was currently fighting.
The issue was that, even knowing all this, they had no choice but to take the bait.
To the Borfur tribe, family was everything.
Dying in battle to protect family and kin was an honorable death that would lead them to join their revered ancestors, but abandoning captured kin was considered a grave sin that would condemn their souls to the netherworld.
That was why Batu had personally led his warriors here.
To rescue his sister and their kin.
And…
'Red Lion! The Empire! No matter what, I'll kill you all!'
He had vowed to tear apart everyone responsible for this.
He was determined to change the fate of his tribe, which had been used as mere tools.
He intended to rise from this incident.
Clang!
But after barely managing to block a sword aimed at his throat, Batu had to rethink his plans.
This opponent was strong.
His wrist trembled, as if it might give out at any moment.
"You blocked that? Impressive. I wonder if Elric could have done the same."
Batu couldn't identify his opponent.
But to remain so composed and excited in the middle of a battlefield, with a gleam of interest in his eyes, was no small feat.
A powerhouse.
A true fighter.
The moment Batu laid eyes on Herman, he knew he was dealing with a powerful opponent.
In the Borfur tribe, powerhouses and fighters were held in the highest regard.
Since Batu had earned such a position himself, he knew better than to take his opponent lightly.
'This one seems to be the strongest here. If I take him down, victory will be ours.'
Trusting his instincts, Batu adjusted his stance and gripped his sword tightly.
"Batu, chieftain of the Borfur tribe. And you?"
His awkward Imperial tongue spilled from his mouth.
Herman's eyes flashed in recognition. It was clear to him that this was a duel.
As a knight, he couldn't help but take up a respectful stance.
"Herman Weyl, head of the Weyl family and Blue Lion."
"Lion. Strong, I hear."
That was all that needed to be said.
Fwoosh!
The two warriors clashed.
***
"Ahju… ssi?"
Sailor, in the middle of pushing back an enemy blade, turned his head when a familiar voice caught his attention. He clicked his tongue lightly.
Though he was usually carefree, this time was different.
There was a hint of exasperation in his expression.
"Seriously."
"Why are you here, Ahjussi?"
A familiar face greeted him.
It was the face of someone who had once connected him to the Borfur tribe.
As small as the world was, to meet in a place like this—it was almost a cruel joke.
Sailor sighed.
***
Boom!
The moment Elric clashed with Judas, a simple thought crossed his mind.
'I can take him.'
When he had first sensed Judas's presence at the Black Snowfield, it seemed comparable to Demon King Yu himself.
But now, after actually fighting him, Elric realized that wasn't the case.
It was like he was just an empty shell.
It was almost embarrassing that he had been so tense before.
『He's not using his power properly.』
Mephisto snorted as he observed.
[Not using it properly?]
『It's the limitation of being a cheap imitation. This guy, from the beginning, was never equipped to handle Azazel's seal.』
Elric understood what Mephisto meant.
He couldn't fully grasp what Mephisto meant by "imitation" or "cheap copy," but he guessed that Judas was a being created using fragments of Azazel's seal.
But what Elric did understand was Judas's limitations.
'Just like those who couldn't keep up with their master or family's teachings.'
There were people like that.
Those who belonged to prestigious families or elite institutions but couldn't keep up with the depth of what was taught, falling far behind.
Elric, having once been among those ranks, understood their feelings better than anyone.
And…
Such individuals often harbored deep-seated inferiority complexes.
'Should I give it a try?'
Thinking he had nothing to lose, Elric gave Judas an unsettling smile.
"You."
The ice spear and Judas's claws were locked in a fierce struggle.
"You're a failure, aren't you?"
"You wretch! Watch your mouth!"
Boom!
Judas's claws struck with all their might, but Elric quickly retreated. Judas's black claws slammed into the ground, sending stone fragments flying.
'His reaction is far too extreme.'
Elric's eyes glinted.
It was something Judas could have just laughed off, yet he couldn't restrain himself.
『Ho! It seems he knows his own limitations well. Has he been mocked for it within Gregory? He must have been treated poorly.』
Mephisto stroked his chin.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"I'll kill you!"
Judas lunged blindly.
Elric followed the patterns drawn by the wraith possessing him, weaving through Judas's attacks with the technique
If Haman, the original creator of the technique, had seen it, he would have been shocked.
Elric was executing it flawlessly, despite never being taught its full extent.
Boom! Boom!
Whirl! Whirl!
Elric's movements were fast and sharp. The tip of his spear spun in twisters, parrying Judas's attacks, scattering them, and striking his weak points.
Of course, Judas was no pushover and deflected the strikes, gradually closing the distance between them.
Given Judas's reliance on his seal's close-combat advantages, there couldn't have been a more suitable technique to counter him.
On top of that…
"[Bind]."
"[Fall]."
Elric cast spells at just the right moments, making it even harder for Judas to close the distance.
Chains of ice shot out from under the ground, trying to bind Judas's limbs.
And from hidden angles, ice arrows rained down relentlessly.
Judas felt as though he was fighting multiple opponents at once.
"Damn it! Why won't you stand still!"
"No thanks."
The standoff continued.
Or perhaps, it was more of a tense skirmish.
『This could go on forever.』
Elric agreed.
『Why not try this approach?』
[What approach?]
『Azazel's seal directly affects the domain of instinct. It drives its bearer into a berserk state, massively amplifying their attack power. The stronger the attack power, though…』
[The more demonic energy they consume?]
『Exactly.』
As a skilled magician, Elric immediately grasped Mephisto's point.
Even though their fight seemed balanced, in reality, Elric was at a disadvantage.
Though he had his guardians to hold off the lower-ranked demons, he was still isolated deep in enemy territory.
On top of that, his ability to use the powers granted by his seals was time-limited.
Mephisto's suggestion was to provoke Judas into exhausting all his demonic energy before that time ran out.
And the method?
[Provoking him?]
Mephisto simply smiled, an evil grin spreading across his face.
But it was clear what he was implying.
Elric shook his head.
[You really have no decency.]
『I'm telling you to play to your strengths. What's the problem?』
Elric couldn't help but chuckle at the truth in that.
Boom!
Just as Judas's attack missed, Elric grinned mockingly.
"25 points. You'll have to try harder than that."
Judas's face contorted with rage.
"How dare you! You dare score me? A mere human?"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Judas's body suddenly grew over three meters tall, his demonic energy swelling dramatically as he charged at Elric.
But it wasn't enough to land a hit.
Swoosh!
Elric used Blink, vanishing and reappearing behind Judas in an instant.
"10 points."
"You bastard!"
Judas's tail lashed out like a whip.
Boom!
Elric easily dodged it with a smirk.
"21 points."
"Argh!"
"Come on, at this rate, you'll never catch me. Aren't you supposed to be one of Azazel's chosen? You're not doing very well."
"Shut up!"
"I'd love to, but you're not giving me much reason to. You can't even land a hit. All I can do is talk."
"Graaah!"
And so, Elric's taunting continued.
And with it, Judas's demonic energy was rapidly depleting.
Then…
'Ice Shatter!'
Elric saw an opening and plunged his ice spear deep into it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]