"Ugh…"
Dentaria, with her heart pierced, spat blood as she plummeted to the ground.
The black energy surging from her body gathered at her heart, desperately trying to heal it.
But a completely destroyed heart couldn't be restored. Even as the black energy tried to take over its function, the energy that had pierced through her heart obstructed it.
"This… this power…"
Erenes' energy was the power of nature, the very force that constituted the world. Though not holy power, it had the ability to disrupt the law-defying black energy.
'That elf…'
As her consciousness blurred, Dentaria finally remembered who the elf was.
'The Guardian of the World Tree…'
There were very few elves capable of wielding such power. And among them, only one wielded a bow of such magnitude.
The Guardian of the World Tree had been fighting the Salvation Church for countless years. If Dentaria had realized the elf's identity just a bit sooner, she wouldn't have dared to confront her.
'How is this even possible…?'
There was a reason Dentaria hadn't recognized Erenes immediately, despite her long-standing enmity with the Salvation Church.
Their king had placed a "curse" on Erenes, binding her to the World Tree. The Salvation Church had always believed she couldn't leave its confines.
Thus, Erenes had only ever sent her elven subordinates to fight, and the Church had never paid attention to her whereabouts.
But now, she has appeared in the Northern Army.
"This… must be reported…"
If they had known Erenes had reappeared, they would have devised an entirely new strategy. At the very least, Gartros, the current leader of the Salvation Church, should have been sent.
Another unforeseen variable. How many more could there be by Count Fenris' side?
Boom!
Dentaria's body hit the ground, shattering on impact. The black energy that had been sustaining her dissipated into the air, unable to protect her now that she had died.
"Dentaria!"
"You wretch, how dare you!"
The two remaining priests, both shocked and enraged, shouted. Losing a comrade they had fought alongside for so long in their mission to create a new world was a devastating blow.
Yet, they couldn't deny the fear that crept into their hearts after witnessing the elf's overwhelming power.
She had evaded countless attacks and fired such a devastating blow. And that bow…
"No way…"
"The Guardian of the World Tree?"
The two priests, both high-ranking members of the Salvation Church, finally realized the elf's true identity.
"Huff…"
Erenes exhaled deeply and straightened her posture. The black energy that had been burning around her gradually subsided.
In the moment she had fired the arrow, Erenes had been unable to avoid or block the priests' attacks and had taken them head-on.
Even though they were only "half-baked" superhumans, their sheer power had sent her flying backward.
From the perspective of someone like Erenes, one of the Continent's Seven Strongest, or Ghislain, they were "half-baked." But to most others, the distinction was meaningless—they were undeniably powerful.
Still, the damage was far from critical.
"For half-baked superhumans, they put up a decent fight."
Fwoooosh!
Erenes pulled her bowstring once more, gathering energy into another arrow of light.
The two priests, inexperienced and hesitant, froze for a moment as they deliberated.
"What… what should we do?"
"If the records are accurate, we can't win against her."
"But our attacks did land, didn't they?"
"Should we fight? Can the two of us beat her?"
Their indecision proved fatal.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
Another priest's heart was pierced. The arrow was so fast that he couldn't block or evade it.
"Re… recovery isn't working…"
Clutching his chest, the priest writhed in agony before collapsing.
The black energy imbued in them typically made them hard to kill. Even if their organs were destroyed, as long as they didn't die instantly, the energy would temporarily take over their function and aid in recovery.
But their reliance on this ability had become a habit. Even after watching their ally die, they failed to react decisively.
Thud.
The lifeless priest's body hit the ground. The remaining priest, seeing Erenes pull back her bowstring again, panicked and turned to flee.
From afar, Count Matthes of the Delphine army shouted in desperation.
"Attack! Save the priest…!"
But someone moved faster.
"Everyone, attack!"
Boom!
At Claude's command, hundreds of stones were launched from the Northern Army's catapults, hurtling toward the Delphine army.
Claude had been waiting for the perfect moment, having prepared everything in advance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Aaaagh!"
Hundreds of stones rained down on the Delphine army, disrupting their formation before they could even react.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The terrifying aspect of the Galbanium catapults designed in Fenris wasn't just their mobility. Their loading speed, many times faster than ordinary catapults, was another game-changing factor.
The Northern Army, having stockpiled an enormous amount of stones, unleashed them mercilessly on the Delphine army.
Wendy, standing next to Claude, asked with a hint of concern.
"Isn't the Grand Chieftain in danger too?"
"She'll dodge or block just fine."
"…"
"And the more time she spends out there, the more their formation falls apart! Don't worry, she's not someone who's going to die! Hahaha!"
"Well, she might not die, but…"
Even elite knights could be severely injured or killed if hit directly by a catapult projectile. It wasn't uncommon for them to die outright.
Erenes, no matter how strong, would lose a significant chunk of her mana if she took a direct hit. Catapults were siege weapons for a reason.
Though it hadn't been coordinated in advance, Claude trusted that Erenes would dodge or block skillfully.
If not, oh well.
As stones rained down like a storm, Count Matthes shouted in panic.
"Charge! Charge now!"
Though the attack had been anticipated, its power was far greater than expected.
The Delphine army had brought three superhumans to prevent this exact scenario. Now, two were dead, and the third was retreating.
"Come back! Come back and attack the enemy!"
Despite Count Matthes' cries, the remaining priest fled for his life.
And Erenes pursued him.
Boom!
She swatted away an incoming boulder with one hand, sparing a glance back at her allies.
'No one said anything about catapult attacks.'
Each time she deflected a stone, the strain left her hand stinging. There were simply too many projectiles for even her to dodge them all.
'That idiot…'
Since joining the Northern Army, Erenes felt her composure had been oddly shaken.
Resolving to have a word about this later, she refocused on the fleeing priest.
Leap!
Erenes chased the priest into enemy lines, drawing back another arrow of light.
Count Matthes, seeing her approach, shouted.
"Kill her! Kill that elf now!"
If they could eliminate even one enemy superhuman, they might still have a chance at victory.
It seemed the elf was intent on pursuing the fleeing priest. Sacrificing a number of their troops to take her down was the only viable option.
Countless knights and soldiers charged toward Erenes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blades struck her wooden armor, chipping away at it. The knights of the south proved their mettle, their skill evident in their coordinated assault.
Somewhere among them, high-level knights launched strikes.
Erenes had already expended considerable energy fighting the priests. Using the Elven Serenade drained enormous amounts of power.
Even for a superhuman, fighting so many foes in enemy territory was a challenge, especially with Claude lobbing massive stones into the fray.
The situation couldn't continue like this.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Corpses flew, and screams echoed. Blades came at her from all directions.
Eventually, Erenes abandoned her pursuit of the priest and fired her arrow.
Fwoooosh!
The fleeing priest, sensing a powerful energy wave from afar, turned just in time.
He had already witnessed two of his comrades die. Pouring all his energy into dodging, he barely twisted his body out of the way.
Thwack!
"Gaaah!"
The arrow struck his shoulder, completely shattering it and severing his arm. He screamed in pain, but fortunately for him, it missed his vital organs.
Using every ounce of strength, the priest fled the battlefield. True to his superhuman strength, his speed was extraordinary.
"Tsk."
Erenes clicked her tongue in frustration and turned back. It was time to retreat.
The Delphine army, which had been charging forward despite the catapult bombardment, had broken formation as some of their troops veered off to try and capture her.
It seemed that Claude had anticipated even this outcome and initiated the attack.
This was good news for the Northern Army, but for Erenes, now surrounded, it was a nuisance. The knights and soldiers crowded tightly around her, swinging their weapons.
Frowning, she opened her mouth to speak.
"Endless winds that dance in the sky, answer my call."
Whooooosh!
The wind gathered, forming the massive figure of a gray woman. This was Silairon, a high-ranking wind spirit, enveloped in a swirling vortex.
As Silairon circled around Erenes, a powerful storm radiated outward.
Fwoooosh!
"Uaaagh!"
The sudden gale sent the knights and soldiers who had been charging at her sprawling backward or tumbling to the ground.
The razor-sharp winds left cuts all over their bodies, causing blood to spurt from their wounds.
But Erenes wasn't done yet. Having already used her power, she decided to go a bit further.
"Eternal flames that burn without end, bring your fire to this place."
Boom!
Flames suddenly gathered in the air, taking the shape of a massive lizard. This was Selaim, a high-ranking fire spirit.
As the burning lizard opened its mouth, flames spewed forth, consuming everything in its path. Selaim began to scorch everything around it like a raging predator.
"Arghhh!"
The soldiers, caught off guard by the sudden flames from their own lines, screamed as they were burned alive. The fire spread, growing larger as it leaped from one soldier to another.
Knights capable of manipulating mana managed to extinguish or block the flames on their bodies, but the charging soldiers were less fortunate.
"Fall back!"
"Create some distance!"
The sudden intrusion of Erenes threw the Delphine army into chaos before they could even organize a proper charge.
Count Matthes shouted desperately.
"Mages! What are the mages doing? Stop this! Stop it at once!"
But the mages were already at their limit.
"We can't! We're busy blocking the mana attacks from Alpoi!"
The Northern Army didn't just have Vanessa; there were plenty of other mages. Even after leaving some behind to defend their territory, more than a hundred mages had been brought to the battlefield.
The Delphine mages were struggling just to counter the torrent of magic unleashed by the Northern Army.
Thankfully, the Delphine army also had skilled mages, which allowed them to hold their ground against the Northern Army's 7th-circle mage.
"D-Damn it…"
Count Matthes was at a loss. The superhumans he had relied on were either dead or had fled.
Stones rained down relentlessly, killing his troops, while a crazed elf was laying waste to his forces.
Some cavalry had managed to reach the outskirts of the Northern Army, but their numbers were insufficient due to all the obstacles in their path. Their formations were completely broken.
Meanwhile, the Northern Army had fortified their defensive lines, shields raised and braced. Even the knights were stationed at the front, forming a solid defense.
Charging under these conditions was futile.
'What should I do…?'
As Count Matthes hesitated, the Northern Army calmly prepared for their next move.
Tenant, who had been waiting, spoke to Claude.
"I'll go out now."
"Good. Just don't act like a superhuman. Keep it at the high-level knight. Got it?"
"Yes, understood."
Although this wasn't part of the original plan, Tenant understood Claude's reasoning. The battle was already leaning heavily in their favor; there was no need to reveal another trump card.
Kaor, rolling his shoulders, added casually.
"Wow, this is turning out even better than expected. Originally, the plan was just to figure out how many superhumans they had, kill as many as we could, and pull back if needed. Did you plan for this, too?"
Though Kaor sounded relaxed, his back was drenched in cold sweat.
'What the hell is that elf? Is she insane? How is she so strong? Is she even an elf? Could she be a dragon?'
He had clashed with her once before and been thoroughly outmatched, but he hadn't realized she was this powerful. Still, his pride wouldn't let him show his fear.
Claude responded with a smug grin.
"Well, since she's the Grand Chieftain of the elves, I figured she'd be capable of this much. That's why I told her to kill as many as she could."
'Who am I kidding… What the hell is that thing… She's terrifying…'
Claude's back was also soaked with cold sweat. He hadn't anticipated that Erenes would be this overwhelmingly powerful.
Anyone could see that Erenes was a monster. She had single-handedly killed two superhumans, maimed a third, and was now summoning spirits to slaughter enemy forces.
And as if that wasn't enough, she was also deflecting the Northern Army's catapult attacks mid-battle. She was a monster on par with the lord himself.
Of course, she had once been one of the Continent's Seven Strongest in Ghislain's previous life, but none of them knew that.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Aaagh!"
"Break through! Create a path!"
"Take down the elf first! Kill the elf!"
The tide of the battle turned increasingly against the Delphine army. With conflicting orders coming from all directions, confusion spread among the soldiers.
Erenes' rampage in the middle of their ranks only worsened the chaos.
Those who managed to reach the frontlines of the Northern Army were unable to breach their defenses. They were met with shields and promptly cut down by Kaor and Tenant.
Count Matthes felt his eyelid twitch.
'To think it would turn out like this…'
Defeat was certain. All he could hope for now was that the other corps would manage to take the capital.
Even though he had brought the largest force to crush the Northern Army, unforeseen variables had led to his downfall.
He gritted his teeth.
"I won't leave it like this."
If he retreated now, he could save a significant portion of his army. But what good would that do? He had lost with three superhumans at his side. Facing punishment was the least of his concerns; his pride and honor were already in shambles.
He needed revenge against the one responsible for this debacle.
"Cease the charge! Everyone, kill that elf! Stop the assault and focus on the elf!"
Count Matthes bellowed the order repeatedly.
Even Count Fenris was formidable, but leaving such an elf by his side was unthinkable. That suspiciously powerful elf needed to die, no matter what.
Even if it meant the entire 2nd corps of Delphine army perished.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]