It took two weeks for MacLaine’s forces to reach Zahid Castle, the heart of the rebel stronghold. Although there were other punitive forces scattered around, MacLaine was nominally the main force. Despite anticipating sporadic attacks, the advance was eerily quiet. “Are they planning a decisive battle at one location? Do they think that will work?” Logan’s doubts were confirmed upon arriving at Zahid Castle where he discovered familiar weapons densely arrayed atop the broad castle walls: rapid-fire crossbows, a kingdom’s way of reinforcing power disseminated for widespread use.
“This has come around to bite us…” The kingdom had circulated them for strengthening national power.
“It has already spread throughout the kingdom. We did not, however, expect them to fall into the hands of the rebels.”
After returning from the empire, Victor, who had started acting as a deputy officer, responded to Logan’s sigh.
“Did you say there were more than 500 knights, including some of the highest grade?”
“Yes. We have confirmed three.”
“There could be more?”
“I’m just speculating. The last reported troop count also surpassed 10,000.”
“Well, that doesn’t matter, does it?”
“Yes.”Buoyed by Victor’s confident answer, Logan too smiled and stepped to the front of the ranks. He then bellowed a shout that reverberated across the battlefield.
“Hear me, rebels within the castle!”
The eyes of friends and foes alike converged on Logan.
“Those who serve the descendants of an era of tyrants will face execution along with their entire family! Those who do not wish to die, lay down your arms and surrender now! I guarantee clemency!”
An outright invitation to surrender.
“Of course, the nobles who incited Clavis to cause this turmoil will face execution without mercy. Ignore the condemned and lay down your weapons. Surrender and you shall live!”
His words incited confusion among the soldiers within Zahid Castle.
And then…
“Laughable!”
With those words, a figure appeared on the castle walls, shouting back.
“Who would trust the words of a slaughterer who killed even the innocent blood of the royal family, which has nothing to do with the war! Logan MacLaine, you are the true tyrant!”
His voice quelled the commotion within Zahid Castle.
“We will never cease fighting until we escape the tyranny and restore the rightful rights of His Highness Clavis!”
“Oooh!”
As the blue-haired middle-aged man finished speaking, the soldiers’ cheers resonated.
Logan, with a cold smile, fixed his gaze on the man’s brown eyes hundreds of meters away.
‘That’s him. The highest-grade knight who first showed his face among the rebels.’
While not as valuable as the superhuman, the worth of the highest-grade knights was significant in Grandia, far from the empire.
“They suddenly popped up beside Clavis, huh?”
At the very least, he knew for certain this man was a key figure behind the rebellion.
“Puppet kings and tyrants disrupting the nation, let’s eradicate Logan MacLaine here and now!”
Smirking at the provocation, Logan unsheathed his sword and raised it to the sky.
“Surrender and live, or resist and die. Witness the power of the so-called tyrant!”
His voice, charged with overwhelming force, echoed across the battlefield.
“Smash them to pieces!!”
At the moment Logan’s sword pointed towards the castle, red-glowing stones shot from the midst of the MacLaine camp into the castle walls like arrows.
‘Your Majesty. If you thought the elite of MacLaine missing would give the rebels an upper hand, you’re gravely mistaken.’
Logan smiled as the Liberatio began annihilating the castle walls. MacLaine’s weapons, renowned kingdom-wide after the civil war, could now injure knights or magicians.
Some who were interested in strategy considered MacLaine’s weapons to potentially change continental warfare history. However, the focus was primarily on ‘strong’ MacLaine knights and Logan MacLaine, the ‘non-superhuman’ who overcame Jordan Waltermayne. And perhaps the magician Clayton.
Knights, heroes, and wizards.
A culture built over a millennium unconsciously focused on them. Especially after Logan started supplying rapid-fire crossbows across the country post-civil war, the tendency only grew.
These weapons bore no perceived exclusivity for anyone to wield. Plus, the second weapon, Liberatio, with its scarce materials and limited production, coupled with its limited effective range in sieges or chaotic battles, was never distributed outside to maintain the façade that it was even less economical than scrolls in comparison. Despite becoming lighter and smaller after a year of the civil war, these fundamental limitations persisted.
Yet, MacLaine had individuals who could harness it into an entirely new dimension.
The sound of an enormous golem, particularly thicker on the right arm, filled the air as it wielded blue stones at the correct angle towards the castle walls.ức
The precise actions accounted for air resistance on the stones, which, once red-hot, barraged the soldiers above the wall.
“Arghh!”
In the chaos of the destruction wrought by the grotesque golems, capable of expertly aiming three bombs at once, stood an individual who commanded an army of fifty such golems.
“Master Clayton, your skills are remarkable indeed.”
“Ha-ha. Combined with the improved Liberatio, my golem army surely surpasses a half-dozen average magicians.”
Clayton responded with pride to Logan’s compliment. Though droplets of sweat formed on his brow, the golems endured the barrage, and to Clayton, the feat was nothing strenuous.
Moreover, the staff-like artifact in his grip, Kelahan’s Staff, aided in the absolute manipulation of mana force, a prized former treasure of Juan Douglas.
“The firepower rivals that of six or more magicians, definitely. Despite the cost.”
Indeed, Liberatio was not cheap; the cost was evident as Dwayne would have heartache to see it consumed so rapidly. Nonetheless, Clayton smiled broadly.
“What does it matter? It’s worth the price.”
Proud of the chaos he created, the form of the once peace-loving wizard was no longer visible.
Perhaps, Logan felt a trace of guilt for corrupting a kind magician, but it was necessary.
‘For it is necessary.’
The sight before him was of sufficient importance to quell any misgivings.
“Besides, we have those children.”
Clayton’s gaze led to his apprentices manipulating the golems.
Though MacLaine’s Golem Tower had become an icon, training dozens of apprentice wizards, only the existing disciples were fit for combat.
Nonetheless, they were more than sufficient.
Notably, Griek, Enan, and Truss had become 4th and 3rd Circle magicians, and their golems exhibited far greater strength and magnitude than even those of Clayton.
Particularly, Griek’s golem carried a slew of Liberatio in both transformed arms, hurling them with incredible precision upon a single target.
“Ah!”
A single attack nearly matched the magnitude of a 4th Circle fire spell.
Yet, among them all, Victoria, a young girl blossoming into a young woman, stood out.
‘A bona fide prodigy.’
With the Staff of Atlan, she controlled ten golems simultaneously. Her manipulation of a single Liberatio was no simple feat, as she ordered them to focus upon their targets with surgical precision.
“Huh…!”
As Logan watched in amazement, Victor joined him, swelling with pride, and boasted about his younger sister.
“Lia recently achieved the 4th Circle. Moreover, her application and mana control abilities surpass even that level. Master Clayton claims she will be a historic genius.”
“I was there too, you dunce.”
While Logan chided victor, the progress was certainly worth boasting about—a 16-year-old 4th Circle magician.
Perhaps—and indeed—a future great wizard.
Filled once more with a sense of security, Logan turned his attention back to the battlefield.
The walls, now akin to a wasteland from the magical bombing of the golems.
‘We’ve used about half of the Liberatio. That should suffice.’
Almost half of the wagons filled with Liberatio had been depleted. The golem army consumed nearly 200 with each launch, a natural outcome.
As a result, soldiers atop the walls were reduced to screams without daring to poke their heads out again, and the rebel elites had all hidden within the castle.
‘No need to waste more resources.’
The time had come for a decisive end.
“Luther!”
“I’ve been waiting!”
Luther Kail, who had been long ready with his weapon, roared back confidently.
“Let’s start with the gate.”
“Good. Then I’ll…”
“No, allow me to lead.”
“Ha ha, gladly.”
Predicting Logan’s intention, Luther smoothly took a step back.
Then,
“Try to stop me if you can!”
Amid a roar that drowned even the explosions of Liberatio, a golden aura surged around Logan as he dashed lightning-fast toward the castle.
“There he is!”
“The redhead!”
“He’s charging alone!”
Oblivious to the giant emerging behind him, several knights on the walls sounded the alarm synchronously.
In response, a volley of quarrels fired by the few surviving soldiers rained down toward the charging Logan.
All for naught.
‘No need for Aura, really.’
A golden Force Blade erupted from Logan’s sword, forming a protective barrier in front.
Tatatatatang!
“A monster…”
“Hurry and stop him!”
“How can this be…”
The simple act of charging was enough to evoke terrified screams from the soldiers on the wall as Logan laughed menacingly, lifting his sword high.
That’s when a beam of golden light soared more than 30 meters high, eventually taking the shape of an enormous sword.
Then,
“FALL!”
With a tremendous force incomparable to before, the giant sword cleaved through not just the castle gate but at an angle across the entire wall.
The prepared iron bars and waiting knights.
And even some of the knights readying to charge from inside.
“Gah!”
Another swift swing completely demolished the central wall including the gate.
Rumble!
BOOOOM!
A single human being had demolished an entire castle wall.
The battlefield fell silent in the face of this surreal exhibition of destruction.
Then, as the dust settled,
“Kneel, all of you! Those who resist shall die, and those who surrender shall live!”
Amidst a shower of golden light, the monstrous redhead bellowed, prompting numerous soldiers, seized by fear, to drop their arms.
‘Damn monster!’
Even Richard, the highest-grade knight with blue hair, internally screamed in disbelief.
He hadn’t felt this hopeless even when dozens of knights were lost to unbelievable long-range bombardment.
Surely he had heard that Logan had defeated a superhuman, but this was an excessive display.
‘Wielding a 30m Force Blade is just too much! Who would believe it?’
Richard would rather accept the reality that his foe was an Aura user.
But defiance wasn’t an option.
So, in stark contrast to his inner turmoil, he roared fiercely.
“He’s alone! Kill him!”
Mounting his steed and drawing his Force Blade, Richard gave the signal.
“Now’s the chance!”
“Snap out of it!”
Derrick Clang and Cooper Poulson, his comrades, rallied alongside him.
“Ooooh!”
The knights were spurred into action, not out of stupidity, but because their superior numbers had given them the courage to defy the overwhelming violence before them.
Though they had been slightly reduced by the bombardment and the giant Force Blade moments earlier, about 500 knights remained, prepared to defend themselves.
“Charge! Bring down Logan MacLaine!”
Neighhh!
As they began to rush over the broken walls,
“They all wish to die, it seems.”
A chilling voice was accompanied by a golden dawn-like glow.
Following that, a blast sent the three highest-ranking knights tumbling to the ground.
“Cough, Aura!?”
“Choke! A superhuman?”
“It can’t be!”
Their agonized cries filled the knights with dread.
And then,
“Phahaha! Who said I was alone?!”
With another explosion, the giant next to Logan swung his hammer, resembling his own towering stature, and smashed away the frontline cavalry.
“Luther Kail!”
“Half-giant!”
“Behind, others are coming too!”
From behind, a force of nearly fifty gollems accompanied by fifty MacLaine knights was charging, no longer throwing bombs but engaging directly in battle.
Plus, further back were regular soldiers.
For the rebel knights who had lost their protective forces, it was an unbearable pressure.
“Any who rebel shall die.”
A golden Aura enveloped Logan’s figure like the embrace of the grim reaper casting its shadow over the enemy knights.
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