While mages clashed in the sky, Beric stood dazed, staring up at the beautiful explosions. Blood erupted all around as Burgos and Clifford forces intertwined, but nothing was as beautiful as what was happening above.
Beric heard Hasha’s scream just as Ian and the mages were taking out their magic amplifiers.
“Aaaaargh!”
It was distinct among countless voices. Probably because it belonged to someone he knew.
Beric reflexively turned his body to look toward the synthetic beasts, and soon discovered what appeared to be Burgos officers swinging their swords at Hasha.
When Hasha quickly tried to twist Tiefe’s tongue to protect himself, the officers pressed the necromancer harder, not wanting to miss their opportunity.
“Why are you doing this?!”
“You know better than anyone, you traitor! You leaked information to Clifford’s side, didn’t you? Otherwise, how would a mage identify the positions and information of necromancers?”
“This is slander and a misunderstanding! Damn it! Your swords should be aimed at the enemy, not at me!”
“The closest enemy is you!”
“I’ll present the King with the annihilation of Astana as a gift!”
“Tell us what deal you made with that mage!”
Clang! Clang!
He’s been caught.
Hasha continued deflecting the officers’ swords with Tiefe’s tongue, but it was like throwing himself into a bomb in an instant.
After all, how much effort had been put into arranging the soldiers to protect the necromancers? The soldiers who had been firmly surrounding him changed their attack direction at the officer’s order, and all the swords that had been facing Clifford were now aimed at Hasha.
Though confused, the Clifford soldiers had no time to pause and assess the situation. If there was a problem in the enemy camp, wasn’t that an opportunity?
“Push forward! The enemy’s left wing is collapsing!”
“We’ll clear this side before the synthetic beasts join from the right wing! We’re winning! Keep advancing with strength! Don’t fear death, keep going! Remember that the future of our families depends on our steps!”
“Advance! Advance!”
The front row of Burgos forces—the shield-bearing left wing soldiers—gradually retreated from the emboldened Clifford soldiers. While they were holding the line, there should have been counterattacks to check the enemy, but the attacks were all dispersed because of Hasha.
And Beric still weaving between them. Pretending not to notice, he cut down enemies while slowly approaching Hasha.
‘I think he told me not to act like I know him.’
Beric frowned, recalling Ian’s words.
If this were the war’s final battle, it wouldn’t matter. Burgos would fall, preventing harm to Astana. Instead, Clifford, advancing northward, might even bring light to Astana by offering assistance.
But the problem was that this was just the beginning of the war. Unless all those leaders, including the general, were killed, when the battle subsided, news of Hasha’s betrayal would reach Damon’s ears. Then Astana would be immediately endangered.
And Hasha’s succession would be in jeopardy too.
‘Ah, shit. What should I do?’
Should he save him or not?
It would be fine if Hasha could face them alone and escape, but watching the situation, that didn’t seem likely.
“Iaaaaan!”
Beric shouted, looking at the sky, but his voice was drowned out by the continuous explosions.
Give me an order! Tell me what to do!
“Hey! Iaaaaan!”
“Crying like you’ve lost your mother!”
“Screw you, I don’t have a mother!”
Swoosh!
Beric cut down soldiers in irritation.
His magic release was limited and wasn’t very effective against the enemy. All he could do was keep swinging his sword in a simple, reliable, and somewhat boring way.
As Beric approached Hasha like this, a path opened, allowing Clifford soldiers to enter through the gap.
“Over there! Ten o’clock is open!”
“Burrow through the gap!”
“Waaaah!”
Clang! Clang!
He approached close enough to smell the stench of rotting synthetic beasts. Seeing Hasha fiercely fighting against Burgos soldiers, Beric shouted to draw attention to himself.
“Hey! Burgos king’s lackey!”
“Wh-what?”
“I’m right here. What are you doing?”
Swoosh!
Hasha also noticed Beric’s approach. But for the same reason, he couldn’t easily ask for help.
He kept focusing while dodging incoming swords, then warned the officer:
“I-I am the successor from Astana, helping King Damon! If you slander and threaten me like this, I will formally protest to King Damon, and this will have a considerable impact on other necromancers!”
“Shut up! Traitor!”
“You call me a traitor but can’t produce a single piece of evidence!”
Beric continued swinging his sword while perking up his ears to understand the situation. Hasha, making eye contact, urgently moved his pupils left and right. Don’t move until he gives the signal.
He understood that kind of thing perfectly. Beric winked, and a soldier facing him moved his head incredulously, following Beric’s gaze. Before he could figure out who Beric was winking at, his head fell off.
“If you continue attacking, I will seek refuge in Clifford!”
“Hahaha! Look at this, look! What nonsense!”
“I’ll seek refuge and formally protest to King Damon. The northern countries may be small, but they’re not vassal states and instead provide great support throughout Burgos. Yet this is how you treat us! My protest will move other necromancers, and all will turn their backs on Burgos!”
Point by point, Hasha created justification while moving the synthetic beast. But five or six Burgos soldiers attacked in succession.
Tiefe’s tongue calmly deflected them. They also wielded weapons rimmed with Idgal, so it had been cut shorter and shorter.
Hasha turned to Beric and shouted:
“You there! Clifford warrior!”
“Me? I’m from Bariel though.”
“Anyway! I declare surrender! Can you help me?”
“Ah, okay okay. That? Sure.”
A direct request for help had come. This was it!
Deliberating over what to do didn’t suit his nature. Rather than making judgments, it was much easier and less complicated to move under established decisions, and above all, Ian wouldn’t have to hold his head over Beric’s mistakes.
“Been waiting for that! Ha-“
“Hasha! My name is Hasha!”
“Ah, right. We’re meeting for the first time, right? Hmm. Yeah. Hasha! I’ll make a path, so run straight that way. I’ll cover you!”
“Right, thanks. Be-“
“Beric! My name is Beric!”
“I know! I heard the mages calling you!”
“Oh, you did? I didn’t know!”
They awkwardly pretended not to know each other, even exchanging names.
Beric took a moment to catch his breath, then released his magic. Light flashed around his black sword as his red hair fluttered. The soldiers quickly planted their shields in the ground to withstand it, but this time, Beric had also learned.
“I won’t aim there this time!”
Zing! Boom!
Rather than breaking the shields, he sent force above them to make everyone stagger.
Hasha moved toward Beric, using the synthetic beast as a shield, and Beric moved as if escorting him.
“Look at them! Now they’re openly betraying us!”
“It’s not betrayal, you blockhead! Didn’t you see us just introducing ourselves? Are your eyes crossed? Are you deaf?”
“This vulgar—! Kill them! They’re Clifford’s main force! I’ll give a great reward to whoever brings me that one’s head!”
“I told you I’m from Bariel! You really are a blockhead! I’ll give a reward to anyone who takes my head too! Try it!”
Swoosh!
Clang! Clang!
“The necromancer is escaping! Catch him!”
“H-how do we catch that?”
“I said catch the necromancer, not the beast! Idiot!”
Hasha’s sudden change of direction caused confusion all around.
Prince Noah watched from horseback through a telescope. Though uncertain about the situation, it seemed Hasha was trying to officially surrender to their side. Noah ordered his subordinate:
“Help Beric! Don’t attack if the synthetic beast approaches, just engage the Burgos soldiers!”
“Yes, understood!”
“Clear a path! The synthetic beast and necromancer have turned to our side! Look! The flag of victory is moving!”
“Waaaah! Let’s go!”
The sudden situation centered around Hasha. Other necromancers watched him curiously, then moved to attack him following the general’s orders.
Burgos’s left wing was completely broken by Clifford’s advancing forces. Without help from the right wing, this battle would end in complete defeat.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the indigo-haired woman who had been disrupting Burgos’s right wing had disappeared. She also seemed to be a magic swordswoman, and with her pressure on the right wing gone, support became relatively possible.
“The left wing must not collapse! Shield bearers, maintain formation! Don’t fear Clifford’s advance! It’s like throwing your body into water! Just cut them down one by one slowly!”
“General! Hasha continues to move. It seems Clifford’s side is also trying to clear a path.”
“Look at that. He was indeed a traitor. Tsk tsk. Change of tactics! All rear units from the right wing, move to the left! I repeat! We will decide the battle on the left! Leave minimal forces on the right wing and enter Clifford’s firing line!”
Since Burgos’s left wing and Clifford were frontally engaged, the right wing would strike Clifford’s flank through that gap. This would create a situation similar to surrounding the enemy. Variables could be created in the war situation.
And even if Hasha had defected, they still had necromancers left.
No problem. The general muttered this while wiping away blood spattering from all directions.
“Hasha! How about abandoning the beast? Then I can carry you and run!”
“Abandon this?”
“Nobody can move it except you anyway. Leave it and come back for it later!”
Hasha hesitated briefly but decided Beric’s suggestion was better. If left standing like a wall, it would be like Burgos having an immovable barrier, and above all, they could escape faster.
Hasha reached out to Beric, who grabbed him and hoisted him up in one motion.
“Heave-ho! Let’s go!”
“Beric! You’re holding me upside down!”
“Who cares? You don’t even have blood!”
“Still, hey now!”
“Hey! Shut up! I’m busy with my sword!”
Clang! Clang!
Hasha, half hanging upside down, held onto Beric, who lightly jumped up, stepped on shields, and ran.
And at that moment.
Boom! Boom!
Kwaaang!
A tremendous explosion erupted in the sky. It was so powerful that those killing and being killed instinctively dropped to the ground.
Beric hesitated and looked up. Ian’s flame deity was flailing around trying to grab something black, but it didn’t look easy at all.
“…Ian?”
Ian was bleeding. With his face contorted in pain, he was bleeding just like before.
Beric stopped abruptly in shock, and Hasha straightened his posture and raised his head.
“Lord Ian? Why is he like that?”
“Ian! Iaaaaan!”
Why is his left sleeve like that, and why is he coughing up blood? What are those mages doing with him? Why is Ian facing that black thing alone, like that? All sorts of words danced on the tip of Beric’s tongue, but they wouldn’t come out easily.
Hasha narrowly deflected the swords raining down on them and shook Beric.
“Beric! Let’s go to Clifford’s camp first! It’s dangerous here!”
“No, fuck, really.”
“Beric! Move!”
“You Ministry of Magic fuckers, what the hell are you doing!”
“Beric!”
“Fucking hell, we’re screwed.”
Akorella placed her hand on Ian’s back. At the same time, other mages also seemed to be lending their strength.
Beric saw Ian smile slightly. He was smiling, but Beric couldn’t understand why he felt so uneasy.
Beric thought it would be best to drop Hasha off at Clifford’s camp and then join them. Though it was a battle in the sky, and he wasn’t sure if he could reach it.
“Iaaaaan! Wait for me! I’ll be right there!”
“Beric! Run!”
Hasha shook Beric’s shoulder, and Beric sighed once before starting to run. Clifford soldiers recognized Beric and cleared a path. He could see Prince Noah gesturing for them to come his way.
Just as Beric stepped in that direction.
Boom! Kwaaang!
An explosion incomparable to the previous ones erupted. The earth shook, the sky trembled, and it was an explosion that made the hearts of the living feel like they would fall out.
Beric stared blankly at the sky where nothing could be seen. It must be because of the light. Nothing, absolutely nothing was visible.