The light spread powerfully around the fortress.
Kaaaargh!
The riftborn touched by the sudden light screamed in agony, turning to ash.
Ssssshhhhh!
As the light grazed the Equidema, its body began to burn in several places. The beast snarled, baring its teeth, and turned its head toward the source of the light.
"I feel it, I'm overflowing with strength!"
"I can move again!"
"Get up, now!"
The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly and reformed their lines. Riftborn were gathering once more, but with their restored strength, they were more than capable of handling them.
From among the soldiers, Piote stepped forward. His expression was slightly tense, but his eyes were resolute.
'I must hold my ground.'
He had tried to intervene several times, but Ghislain's orders had held him back. Even when the formation was breaking and the riftborn were closing in, he had restrained himself.
Ghislain had warned that eventually, everyone would reach their limits, that no one would be able to fight at full strength forever.
And he had been certain the Equidema would charge toward them.
Thus, Piote had no choice but to endure. If he expended his strength prematurely, he wouldn't be able to properly face the Equidema.
Grrrrrr…
The Equidema's murderous eyes locked onto Piote.
The beast instinctively understood who had unleashed the light.
It wanted nothing more than to tear apart the source of that loathsome energy.
Kaaaaargh!
The Equidema roared and charged at Piote. With Piote now in sight, the beast saw nothing else.
Its sole focus was the murderous desire to eliminate him.
Boom!
Ssssshhhhh!
As the Equidema swiped at Piote with its massive paw, the holy power surrounding him burned its flesh. The beast recoiled in surprise.
Kaaaaargh!
The Equidema roared again, slamming down on Piote. But nothing happened.
Piote neither flew backward nor collapsed. He stood firm, protected by the "Blessing of Juana."
The Equidema, unable to comprehend this, grew even more enraged, striking at Piote repeatedly.
Boom! Boom!
The unleashed force reverberated outward, pushing nearby soldiers back and toppling them.
But Piote didn't fall this time. He stood tall, meeting the Equidema's gaze head-on.
'I must do this.'
Everyone else was exhausted. He had to draw the Equidema's attention, even if just a little, so others could attack it more easily.
Fwoosh!
Meanwhile, Ghislain and the others moved in, slashing at the Equidema's body. The beast shook itself violently, trying to strike at them instead.
The strategy was the same as always—distract and attack. But this time, Piote's actions took a different turn.
Swish.
Ssssshhhhh!
Kaaaaargh!
Piote slipped forward gracefully, clinging to the Equidema's leg.
He had learned many combat techniques from Ghislain. While he had rarely fought on the frontlines, he had practiced diligently whenever he had the chance.
The skill he had trained in most was martial arts. Ghislain had focused on teaching him how to move efficiently, maximizing his defensive capabilities.
Thanks to this training, Piote could now move nimbly along the Equidema's limb.
Ssssshhhhh!
Kaaaaargh!
The Equidema let out a pained howl as the areas touched by Piote's holy power began to burn.
Piote's aura was the perfect counter to the Equidema, its natural nemesis.
Boom!
The beast lashed out with another paw, trying to knock Piote off, but he remained firmly attached. Instead, Piote climbed higher, wrapping himself in holy power as he ascended the Equidema's body.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A creature can endure many things, but when a burning "insect" clings to its body, inflicting searing pain, even the mightiest will struggle.
The Equidema writhed in agony, desperately trying to shake Piote off.
Kaaaaargh!
Ghislain, seeing this, shouted, "Now! Don't miss this opportunity!"
Despite bleeding from its wounds inflicted by others, the Equidema focused solely on Piote. In such a state, Piote couldn't last much longer.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With each hit, Piote's holy power was depleted in chunks. It was a power no one could replenish.
If they failed to finish the Equidema in time and Piote lost all his holy power, he would be reduced to nothing in an instant.
"Guhhh!"
Knowing this, Piote gritted his teeth and climbed higher, finally reaching the beast's neck.
His holy power was already nearly gone. Much of it had been used earlier to heal the soldiers.
Still, he persevered.
'I must be of more help!'
This singular resolve drove him onward.
He had prayed countless times to connect with the goddess, hoping for a miracle. If successful, it would have greatly aided the battle, perhaps even vanquishing the riftborn faster.
But no matter how fervently he prayed, the connection did not come.
Miracles, after all, were not something one could summon at will.
So Piote resolved to use his strength to make a difference.
"Hah… hah…"
Panting, Piote clung to the Equidema's neck.
The beast thrashed wildly, trying to shake him off. It scraped at its neck with its claws as if to tear him away, but he didn't budge.
Finally, the Equidema flipped onto its back, slamming itself against the ground to crush him.
Boom! Boom!
To onlookers, it seemed as though the Equidema was flailing madly. Rocks shattered and debris flew everywhere, but Piote remained unscathed.
However, maintaining his position drained his holy power at an alarming rate. He couldn't hold on much longer.
"I can do this!"
Piote clung to the beast's neck, gritting his teeth.
He prayed and prayed again. But he knew he couldn't rely on prayer alone. Prayer wouldn't solve everything.
…He had forgotten.
The goddess had already given him strength.
It was time to act.
Clutching the Equidema's neck, Piote recited a passage from the sacred text, over and over.
[The trial of faith, though tested by fire, is more precious than gold that perishes. Show me your faith through your works, and I will show you my faith through mine.]
As the Equidema rose again, trying to claw him off, Piote's hand moved faster, digging into its neck.
Ssssshhhhh!
Kaaaaargh!
Piote's holy-power-infused hand began burning through the Equidema's neck.
The power spread, blackening the beast's neck as it seared into its flesh.
"Guhhhh…"
Blood dripped from Piote's mouth. He had pushed his holy power beyond its limits, disregarding his own body.
His hair, once its normal color, had turned silver, a sign of the strength of his holy power.
Ssssshhhhh!
Though the Equidema was taking severe damage, Piote could feel his holy power fading fast.
The Equidema felt it too. Though it couldn't be harmed easily, the beast instinctively knew that the tenacious, cursed creature clinging to it was nearing the end of its strength.
Kaaaaargh!
Other "insects" continued to wound it, and the burning energy at its neck was unbearable.
But if it endured just a little longer, it could crush them all.
The Equidema radiated immense power, enduring the agony. Though its neck was scorched and torn, it refused to die.
In the end, Piote exhausted all his holy power. His hair returned to its original color.
The Equidema felt the cursed energy vanish at last.
Boom!
Its massive paw swung toward the staggering Piote. But before it could connect, someone moved faster.
Whip!
A thread attached to Belinda's dagger wrapped around Piote's body, pulling him away just in time.
Boom!
Piote narrowly avoided the Equidema's attack, escaping by a hair's breadth. But the beast, with animalistic reflexes, immediately pursued Belinda.
Its intent to kill was clear.
The Equidema lunged at her, moving faster than she could stabilize herself while holding Piote.
If nothing changed, both of them would be torn apart by the beast's claws.
"You beast!"
Standing in the Equidema's path, Zwalter unleashed his mana, swinging his sword with full force.
Boom!
Despite Zwalter's all-out strike, he was the one sent flying. Randolph, who assisted from the side, fared no better.
Such was the overwhelming power and fury of the Equidema. Gillian and Kaor, on the opposite flank, couldn't even get close.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Vanessa's magic, cast from a distance, rained endlessly on the Equidema. But her mana was nearly depleted, and the power of her spells had significantly weakened.
The Equidema endured it all, advancing relentlessly toward Belinda and Piote, its only goal to destroy them.
"Tch!"
Belinda barely managed to retreat with a quick step. But the Equidema was faster.
Kaaaargh!
The enormous beast quickly closed the gap, raising its massive paw high. A single strike would crush the two "insects" before it.
Shhhhkk!
A sharp sound of metal piercing flesh echoed as the Equidema's paw hesitated mid-swing. Belinda used the momentary pause to roll away, narrowly evading the attack.
Grrrrr…
Blood dripped from the beast's mouth as it turned its bloodshot eyes toward Belinda and Piote, who had barely escaped.
Thud! Thud!
A sound of something piercing flesh echoed again, causing the Equidema to flinch.
Only then did the others grasp the situation fully.
The Equidema's neck had been pierced by a massive blade of energy.
Ghislain, his body enveloped in dark red smoke and his eyes glowing red, stood atop the beast's neck.
From his sword erupted a towering dark red Aura Blade, which had impaled the Equidema through its neck.
"Phew, Piote really pulled it off."
Thanks to Piote, the Equidema's neck had been burned to the point where its hide and muscles were completely gone.
This allowed Ghislain to pierce its neck with what little strength he had left.
Grrrkk…
The Equidema let out a gurgling sound before collapsing completely.
Thud!
The beast's massive body hit the ground.
"Hahh…"
Ghislain slumped where he stood, letting out a deep breath. Blood dripped from his lips.
He had used up all the strength he had been conserving. The final burst of power had left his body in a critical state.
"We… we did it."
"It's finally over…"
"This time, we were really close to the edge."
The others collapsed where they stood. After fighting for days without rest, their mana reserves were completely depleted.
Had it not been for Piote's pivotal role, the losses would have been catastrophic.
Though riftborn were still climbing sporadically, the knights and soldiers were working together to finish them off.
They, too, were utterly exhausted, but thanks to Piote's restorative efforts toward the end, they had enough strength left to fight.
Watching the soldiers deal with the remaining riftborn, Ghislain slowly rose to his feet.
"Let's finish this."
The riftborn, driven purely by instinct, continued to charge regardless of their dwindling numbers.
With the Equidema defeated and their numbers reduced significantly, the mindless creatures were no longer a serious threat.
As time passed, the attacks dwindled. Soon, only a few stragglers made it to the walls before none came at all. The countless riftborn had all been slain here.
"It's finally over."
Ghislain collapsed to the ground, exhaling the words. At his declaration, the soldiers all fell to the floor and began laughing.
"Ha ha ha! We did it! We won!"
"We actually stopped all those things!"
"Skovan, go die! You cursed bastard!"
The soldiers shouted in joy. The crushing exhaustion overtaking them was proof of their survival, making their victory even sweeter.
This was a victory they could truly celebrate.
Ghislain, glancing at Piote unconscious in Belinda's arms, muttered to himself.
"A new way to hunt… this might work."
It seemed plausible to use bait in even riskier scenarios. Piote had grown immensely.
Even in his unconscious state, Piote shivered as if sensing an ominous premonition.
Struggling to his feet, Gillian asked, "The barbarians have likely already infiltrated the North. Shouldn't we strike back immediately?"
Ghislain waved his hand dismissively.
"In our current state, we'd be no help. Let's rest a bit before we move."
It was true. Several knights had already collapsed and were unconscious where they lay.
After days of fighting without sleep, any attempt to move now would be suicidal.
Even Gillian, whose legs trembled, slumped back to the ground.
"It's been days… I hope they've been holding out."
"They're holding out better than we expect."
"Are you sure? The difference in numbers must be considerable."
Gillian's worry was evident. If the other side was breached, Perdium would be the first to fall.
Ghislain, however, smirked and replied.
"Trust me, they'll surprise everyone."
***
Before the rift could completely engulf the Kaipilar Fortress, Waroka had already mobilized his army. He knew Perdium couldn't abandon the fortress, even if they detected his movements.
Leading his warriors, Waroka roared loudly,
"Warriors! The time has come to fulfill our greatest desire!"
"Waaaahhhh!"
The barbarian tribes, long humiliated by having to pay tribute, erupted in joyous cheers. They were itching to fight and pillage Perdium.
Their frustration with Waroka, who had forged a treaty due to food shortages, had been mounting.
Now that he had rallied all the tribes for war, they couldn't be happier.
The warriors wanted only one thing: slaughter.
They yearned to take, kill, and destroy everything in the North.
But as they triumphantly marched into the North, they were soon met with an unexpected sight.
"What's this? We were told there would be no army!"
At the Northern passage, Waroka found an army blocking his path. They had arrived first and were in perfect formation.
This was entirely unexpected. The duchy had assured him that no army would oppose them.
Waroka, puzzled, stared at the flags flying above the opposing force.
"Could it be… the Rayfold forces?"
This wasn't what the duchy had said. The army that wasn't supposed to move was now standing before him.
Meanwhile, the army waiting at the passage had spotted the approaching barbarians.
Bernaph glanced toward the highest seat in the command post.
Amelia sat there, leaning casually on a luxurious chair, her chin resting on her hand, eyes closed as if deep in thought.
Bernaph cautiously spoke to her.
"The barbarians have arrived."
Upon hearing the report, Amelia slowly opened her eyes. Her next words were delivered as a cold, emotionless command.
"All units, prepare for battle."
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]