The Order of the Shadow's camp was extremely simple. It had to be. Constructing a proper camp would only leave evidence of the shadow knight's infiltration when they retreated using Mass Teleport. They had only set up a few tents to temporarily hold the kidnapped children.
Leonard's keen mana senses detected all the apprentice knights in the tent, and he found that all eight were still breathing. Thankfully, all of them were alive and unharmed.
"Hey."
"Mm! Mmmph!"
Entering the nearest tent, Leonard found an apprentice knight bound at the wrists and ankles and gagged and lying on the ground. Upon seeing Leonard disguised as a shadow knight, the apprentice knight struggled violently, clearly not recognizing him.
Leonard did not recognize the apprentice knight's face. However, Leonard was unwilling to leave him behind, so he put a finger to his lips and whispered, "I'm going to remove your restraints and gag. Your comrades are coming to rescue you, so avoid the combat zone and join them."
"Mmm?"
"Quiet. I won't answer any questions. I'll free the other prisoners too, so you can move together."
The apprentice knight was confused, but sensing that Leonard wasn't joking, he nodded without making any further commotion. Leonard broke the restraints on the knight's wrists and ankles without using his internal energy. Though the restraints were designed to block the flow of energy, they weren't made from a particularly strong material.
Within seconds, the apprentice knight was free, looking bewildered but silent. Leonard felt sorry but had no time to explain or convince the apprentice knight.
"Next." Leonard's voice was monotone as he led the way.
The apprentice knight followed Leonard, unsure if Leonard was careless or arrogant for leaving his back wide open. Soon, they freed the other seven apprentice knights, including Hayden, Ian, and Gale.
"Why are you letting us go?"
"I'm not going to answer that. Leave before I change my mind."
Leonard's terse response prompted the apprentice knights to bow deeply in gratitude. After bowing, the knights swiftly ran toward the Order of the Fledgling Dragon in an orderly manner. Despite being held in captivity, they were not severely injured and could move normally.
Though the apprentice knights were unarmed and without armor and could not become a fighting force immediately, Leonard felt a bit relieved when they disappeared from his sight. Successfully rescuing the trio meant that half his goal was complete.
The primary objective has been achieved. Now, I need to find a way to minimize the order's casualties and figure out a way to take down the Fifth Shadow.
While he was thinking, four presences approached the camp from where the Order of the Fledgling Dragon was fighting. They were shadow knights coming to secure their mission objective.
Leonard's mind raced. Each of the shadow knights was at the Ninth Degree External Force Tier. A direct confrontation with four against one would be nearly impossible, especially since Leonard was exhausted and low on internal energy after hours of pursuit. If they could form a proper joint attack formation, his chances were even slimmer.
A surprise attack is the only option.
After deciding on his strategy, Leonard quickly removed the shadow knight armor and acted like one of the captured apprentice knights. There wasn't enough time for him to use the Face Changing Art, so he pretended to be bound by the restraints he had found in his subspace pouch. He hid his hands behind him as he lay on the ground.
The shadow knights arrived moments later.
"What the hell! All the demon seedlings are gone!"
"This side too! Damn it, did they figure out how to break the restraints?!"
The shadow knights were in disarray when they discovered that the tent was empty. The mission was more important than their lives, and their mission's success was at risk. The effort they put into infiltrating the island and the deaths of their comrades would be in vain if they failed.
Just then, one of the shadow knights spotted Leonard.
"No, wait! There's one left!"
A glimmer of hope returned to their pale faces.
"Those bastards left their comrade behind! How loyal of them."
"Thank goodness. Let's take him away quickly. Even if we die, if we can uncover the Cardenas' secrets, it'll be a victory for our country!"
"Hurry! The Mass Teleport has already been activated!"
One of the shadow knights approached Leonard while the others guarded the perimeter. Their standard response was effective against outside threats but left them vulnerable to internal ones.
As the shadow knight reached out to grab him, Leonard took action.
Five Elements Style
Azure Dragon Second Form: Dragon Soaring Through the Sky
Both of Leonard's hands, hidden behind him, suddenly rose with two swords. The swift sword technique was even more effective when used in surprise.
The blade soared like a dragon, piercing the shadow knight's chin and exiting through his crown. The Ninth Degree External Force Tier knight died instantly.
With the Azure Dragon Form, Leonard's surprise attack was so perfect that the remaining three had yet to realize what had happened inside the tent. In other words, Leonard still held the element of surprise.
Five Elements Sword Qi
Twin Thunder Swords: Flight
Leonard's blade, wrapped in blue lightning, shot forward. When it left his hand, the remaining shadow knights sensed the powerful energy and hurriedly drew their swords in astonishment.
Thud!
One shadow knight was too slow. The lightning sword pierced his heart before he could fully unsheathe his sword. The shock from the lightning paralyzed his muscles, which made him stand rigid even in death.
Clang!
Another shadow knight barely managed to deflect the attack. His sword draw, which he had regularly practiced, had saved him even though he was facing a swift sword technique. However, the delayed formation of his sword energy left his body tingling with residual lightning. He wasn't stunned, but his reaction was slowed.
Noticing his opponent's stiffness, Leonard charged.
Form Intention Fist Art
Five Elements Chain Path
One Stroke Three Strikes
This was faster and more certain than drawing his sword from his waist or his subspace pouch.
Leonard moved with the flexibility of a bowstring as he closed the distance with a single step. Using the force from his back foot as propulsion, he delivered three rapid Crushing Fist punches in quick succession. Though it seemed simple, each strike was accelerated by the recoil of the previous one, resulting in three nearly simultaneous impacts. It was as though an archer was firing three arrows in rapid succession.
Clang!
The first punch shattered the already-cracked black sword.
Crack! Crunch!
The second punch crushed the ribs and heart, while the third struck the philtrum with so much force that the punch snapped the opponent's neck. The shadow knight collapsed, killed in a gruesome state.
There was one shadow knight remaining. The last shadow knight, having watched his comrades fall in an instant, was now consumed by rage and terror. It was unimaginable that a prisoner they had captured could be so strong.
"Y-you, who are you?!"
Leonard's eyes darkened at the pitiful question.
"Is that all your last words are?"
"Wha-what?!"
There was no time. Leonard had no reason to humor a panicking enemy. Drawing his sword again, he charged in an upward stance. The shadow knight raised his sword defensively, overwhelmed by Leonard's momentum.
Five Elements Style
White Tiger Thirty-Sixth Form: Mount Tai Crushing Strike
The heaviest and most ruthless strike of the White Tiger Form struck downward. The sword fell like a mountain, crashing down on the opponent's head. This technique was also present in the Three Aspects Sword Art, but it was unparalleled in the White Tiger Thirty-Sixth Form, the Mount Tai Crushing Force. It could be dodged but never blocked. It was a heavy sword technique that crushed everything in its path.
"Argh?!"
The shadow knight's eyes bulged when he felt the overwhelming force for the first time. As he tried to block the Mount Tai Crushing Strike, the veins of his arms began to burst, and his skin reddened from the excessive build-up of blood. Facing the strike without any knowledge made even retreating impossible.
"P-please, s-spare me—"
The tiger's paw crashing down cut short the plea for mercy.
Crack!
The sword imbued with White Tiger Qi broke through the black sword, splitting open the shadow knight's head. Had the shadow knight fought calmly instead of being consumed by fear, he might have lasted a few minutes. However, failing to read Leonard's intent and using strength to resist the blow had sealed his fate.
"Phew..."
Leonard took a slow, deep breath. Taking down four Ninth Degree External Force Tier shadow knights could have seemed easy from the outcome of the battle, but it had been a gamble from Leonard's perspective. If they had been more cautious of the disguised prisoner, he would have had to face all four shadow knights at once, all while lying down. If they had noticed the first strike, he would have been outnumbered three to one.
Ultimately, with this, the number of enemies has been reduced by four. The battle situation should now be significantly in our favor.
However, as long as the Swordmaster remained alive, the battlefield would still be in a stalemate. Few understood better than Leonard the impact a Creation Realm master had on the battlefield. How long Bradley could endure was also a concern. If Bradley could gain enlightenment and break through to the Transcendence Tier while fighting the Fifth Shadow, victory would be almost certain.
The chances of that are close to zero.
Leonard had been in life-and-death fights more than anyone. Although it was possible to obtain enlightenment in the middle of a life-and-death fight, absorbing that enlightenment and using its power to break through was a totally different problem. Even if it was a valuable experience, it required enough time and effort to digest and translate into power. It wasn't just about improving physical movements or techniques; rather, it was about breaking through a Major Tier. It required a deep and comprehensive understanding, something impossible to achieve in the midst of combat.
A vibration suddenly shook Leonard.
He recognized this sensation. It was similar to the spatial portal used when he traveled from the Cardenas' headquarters to the Galapagos Island, but the vibration was amplified many times over.
The identity of this vibration was obvious.
"Is it the Mass Teleport?"
One of the shadow knights he had killed had mentioned it. He had said that the Mass Teleport had already been activated. The large-scale spatial magic, which sent the people above the magic circle to the designated destination, was nearly complete and needed only a few more minutes to manifest.
Leonard moved towards the area where the Order of the Fledgling Dragon and the Order of the Shadow were clashing so that he could see the current state of affairs. Despite their numerical superiority, the Order of the Fledgling Dragon was still holding out, indicating that the enemy had their own plans in motion.
"That's quite the commotion."
Stepping outside the tent, Leonard was almost deafened by the clashing metal and the sound of battle coming from all directions. He looked around the battlefield for the person exuding the strongest presence. If Bradley was still alive, he was likely fighting the Fifth Shadow.
Leonard spread his mana sense across the battlefield, locating his target.
I have to hurry.
Bradley's presence was rapidly diminishing. Leonard dashed toward Bradley, leaving the cold bodies of the shadow knights behind him.
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