It might be hard to compare it to Rutben, the impregnable fortress, but Dofrun was one of the border’s key fortresses. Normally, Meltor would need to muster a large army to properly capture it. The geographical advantage of the Berbatov Mountains and the durability of Dofrun Castle, with its multiple layers of defense, made it one of the top three fortresses in Andras.
However, it had a strange weakness that no one had taken a second look at. Its reliance on its geographical advantage and external defenses meant that the defenses of the fortress itself weren’t that great. If invaders ever miraculously made it through the defensive lines intact, Dofrun Castle was surprisingly weak. The elite troops were focused on a flexible and movable outer defensive line, while the reputation of the Berbatov rangers resulted in a reduction of the standing army at Dofrun Castle.
Dofrun Castle, which hadn’t been attacked by the enemy in the last two centuries, was a fruit ripe for the taking.
Well, it is still faithful to the basic defenses.
Once they were a few hundred meters from the outer walls, Theo and his lieutenants slowly made his way above ground and examined Dofrun Castle, which was shining in the darkness. If there was even a little light, then Theo’s Hawkeye could see. There were a few bonfires on the walls, as well as the moon from the sky, which was more than enough for him.
He noted, “… The walls are made of titanium. Alert devices are arranged at regular intervals, so we can’t go through with invisibility or flying magic.”
William quietly murmured, “There are many guards. There are around a hundred on the east wall facing the Berbatov Mountains. It will be hard to get past without getting caught.”
.
Theo nodded in reply. It was impossible to avoid the eyes of so many guards. It might be possible if they could use magic freely, but Andras had been liberal with their use of the devices that would ring when it detected magic.
Theo’s lip curled. “.. if we were just a unit of magicians.”
Andras failed to take the variable known as elves into account.
Theo glanced to the side. “Sir Edwin, will you be able to swiftly silence the guards on the wall?”
Edwin nodded solemnly. “It isn’t difficult. Leave it to me.”
The Berbatov rangers of Andras might be known for their archery, but they couldn’t compare to the elves who had been archers for hundreds of years. No matter how hard the Berbatov rangers’ training had been, their targets had been human. Their skills couldn’t compare to the elves who hunted the creatures in the Great Forest and defended Elvenheim. In the darkness, fifty elves pulled out their bows and held their breaths as they loaded the arrows.
One between the index finger and string, and another between the ring finger and string…
Surely they weren’t planning to shoot two at once? It defied the common sense of magicians as Edwin and the elves stared at the wall. They were familiarizing themselves with the darkness and the wind, not even blinking. Blood vessels bulged on their well-trained arms as they drew their bows back. The elves’ bows were made of tendons from ogres and other monsters, so they were far stronger than normal longbows.
“Suuuuoh…” Edwin let out a long breath and then…
Piing.
He didn’t hesitate to let go. There was the sound of a thin string snapping, and two arrows flew into the air. All the other elves released their arrows at the same time; however, there was only the sound of one bow snapping.
Fifty elves had fired in complete synchronicity. The hundred arrows were pushed even further by the wind. An elf’s bow could draw orbits that human bows couldn’t reproduce. The arrows weren’t heard because they didn’t go against the wind. The barrage of twin arrows struck the guards on the east wall.
“Keok.”
“Ack.”
Hit in the uvula, larynx, and cervical vertebrae, the Berbatov rangers couldn’t even yell as they were killed. The only sound they made was a short grunt that went unnoticed in the night.
The arrows had pierced vital areas in the same way a skilled hunter would kill prey. Some of the magicians, who hadn’t expected this level of ability from their allies, were secretly relieved that the elves were enemies.
Theo praised them quickly and urged the entire unit, “We have to cross the wall before the next shift comes. Hurry!”
Some might wonder why he was in such a hurry to get to Dofrun Castle. However, Theo couldn’t let himself overlook anything. They had only slipped past Dofrun’s defensive lines, but it could just easily become the noose around their neck if they were discovered. If they were glimpsed coming from the tunnel, they wouldn’t be able to escape using that method.
That would lead to unnecessary casualties. Moreover, the obstacles weren’t just the guards on the walls. There was also the titanium wall and alarms that interfered with magic, both of which resulted in the magicians being forced to climb the walls by themselves.
Fortunately, this problem was solved easily.
“C-Cough. Thank you.”
“Isn’t it heavy?”
The elves were easily able to carry the magicians and themselves up the wall with the wind elementals’ assistance. The eighty man unit reached the top of the wall without difficulty. Theo was far stronger than ordinary aura users and didn’t need help, which strangely caused Rebecca and Edwin to subtly express feelings of disappointment.
It is much easier than I thought. The elves can make up for the weak physical abilities of war magicians, and the elementals can get past the alarm devices… This might be a surprisingly good combination.
An average person would think that the combination of knights and magicians was the best, but the magicians and knights didn’t agree. Magicians brought down destruction from a distance, while knights quickly narrowed the distance to take down the enemy.
It was difficult for the two types to work together when they moved in opposite directions. When a knight closed in with an enemy, a magician wouldn’t be able to exert the destructive power that was their forte. On the other hand, a knight who had to protect a magician would be like tying warhorses to a cart. Rather than benefit, they only hampered each other.
However, the elves who could use the sword, bow, and elementals were different. Sometimes they preferred to battle from a distance like magicians, and other times they closed in on the enemy for close combat. Of course, they fell short in both fields when compared to magicians or knights, but their flexibility on the battlefield was unrivaled.
A three-man cell of two magicians and an elf warrior seemed like a viable option.
Kiiing-!
It was at that moment…
“Stop.”
The entire unit froze the moment Theo spoke. They were only on the outskirts of the castle. The elves were famous for being sensitive, but even Edwin looked puzzled and didn’t know why Theo had stopped.
Indeed, it’s the same feeling.
Theo hadn’t been able to sense it last time because it had been mixed in with the chaos of the battlefield. However, now that he could concentrate, he could feel it clearly. His super sensitivity had faded and disappeared. It was evidence that another person’s foresight was interfering with his ability. The bow master, whom he had fought on Karul Plains, was hiding in Dofrun Castle.
“Sir Edwin.”
Edwin replied cautiously. “Yes.”
“The bell tower five hundred meters southwest. Fire an arrow at the top floor.”
It went against their efforts to remain hidden so far. However, before anyone could object, Edwin drew his bow back and immediately fired.
Piing!
Edwin’s bow cried out one octave sharper. It was the storm arrow that he had once shown in the Great Forest. It was weaker than the one he had shot back then, but it was enough to blow away the top of the bell tower.
Kuoooooh―!!
Oddly, it seemed to gather more power as it flew. The arrow rotated the air it passed by, turning it into a sharp corkscrew of wind! The wind howled as the arrow slammed into the bell tower.
Kwarururung!
The solid marble tower collapsed like a sandcastle.
Edwin’s eyes widened. “T-This…?”
Williams growled, “Don’t tell me they were waiting…!”
The moment the top of the bell tower collapsed, a few human figures rose from the shadows they had been hiding in. Theo’s unit hadn’t detected them since they had foregone scouting spells to maintain their stealth.
The mysterious figures had been using aura to hide their breathing and heartbeats as they hid in a place that couldn’t be seen. It was a familiar tactic for the Shadow Knights who carried out assassinations and espionage.
However, Theo and the unit didn’t flinch. They were confident in their firepower even if they were surrounded. After all, they had two masters, who could battle a hundred people unaided. Hundreds of Shadow Knights were just a morning workout for them.
The person who appeared after this would be the real threat.
“So you really can notice my ability.” A man appeared beyond the Shadow Knights. “I wanted to kill you on Karul Plains, but I never imagined a magician who could run from my arrows existed.”
Theo replied coldly. “Foresight isn’t a unique ability.”
The bow master smiled cruelly. “That’s right. Our enemy, Theodore Miller… I’m glad to know that you didn’t die in vain.”
The man seemed to resemble a hunter more than a knight as he held a big bow in his right hand. He had the eyes of a predator rather than a human. It was the gaze of a beast who had studied the art of killing. Theo had faced many people, but this was the first time he had seen such a blatantly murderous gaze. As a bow master born in the sword empire, he wasn’t ordinary.
[Sir Edwin and the lieutenants, listen to me.]
Theo discreetly opened his comms network. If he was right, this was only the night’s appetizers.
[Sir Edwin, please battle the bow master. The rest will form teams of ten with your respective lieutenants. You can’t let the Shadow Knights go. Soon, priests and paladins will also join in.]
[Then Theo—no, what about Captain?]
Sylvia asked reflexively. Theo let out a slow breath as he informed them of his suspicions.
[If the bow master intended to fight me, he would’ve appeared right away. Instead, he hid in the city in order to focus on sniping me. Someone else will be dealing with me.]
Sylvia’s eyes widened.
[Someone else… D-Don’t tell me?]
[It’s possible. I expected us to reunite, but I didn’t know it would be so soon.]
They were coming. Tension and excitement filled his blue eyes as he looked at one of the men who had appeared in luxurious white clothing decorated with gold. This man was probably Cardinal Antonio, one of the ringleaders of the Soldun civil war whom Orta had spied on. After memorizing his ugly face, Theo focused on the other figure who had appeared.
The cardinal’s shrill voice rang out. “Ohh! Using evil magic and walking into a dragon’s mouth with his own feet! It is truly God’s guidance, Sir Speitem!”
“Shut up, you fanatic.”
Zest stepped forward as he drew his sword. This time, there were no signs of relaxation as the air seemed to sharpen with every step. Theo’s skin started to prickle as tension filled the air.
“We met again, kid.”
It was a reunion with the sword master, Zest Speitem, who cut space. Theo still remembered how he had turned Theo’s automaton into scrap metal in just two seconds. This was the person who stood shoulder to shoulder with Veronica, Blundell, and Crowd as the strongest in the North. It was the appearance of a mighty enemy who Theo had to confront alone.
Theo replied serenely. “… Your broken ribs look better.”
“Ahh, it’s thanks to that damn bastard. I would’ve killed him a long time ago if he wasn’t the one who healed me,” Zest spoke with sincere killing intent as he glanced over his shoulder at Antonio.
It seemed like he didn’t particularly enjoy religions. Rather, his connection was closer to hatred. Regardless of whether he felt the killing intent or not, Cardinal Antonio just smirked and gestured for him to move along.
“Son of a bitch,” Zest spat out before turning back to Theo. “Shall we begin? I absolutely won’t miss this time. Be alert, I’m gonna kill you with the best of my ability.”
“Are you sure? Last time was probably your only chance.” 𝗼𝐯𝐥.𝗻𝐭
Theo took a step back and immediately summoned Gladio. It was the best time to use it. People looked at the armored knight that suddenly appeared out of thin air in astonishment.
Zest, who had fought Gladio before, sneered at Theo. “That toy again? It seems you’ve repaired it only for it to be turned to pieces again.”
Theo smiled lightly. “It’s a little different from before. It got an upgrade.”
“Hoh.”
No more words were necessary. The air started to shiver as the two masters, Theo and Zest, gathered their power.
It might’ve been ten seconds, or maybe five. But without any warning, Zest’s blade swung down, while Gladio took one step under Theo’s control. Two archers also pulled back their bows, their arrows slamming into each other. This was the beginning of the rematch.
***
Zest’s sword cut the space first.
Zest’s Style Space Cut: Decapitation.
There was no more carelessness. Zest had acknowledged Theo’s strength from their last encounter. For Theo to have summoned the senior demon, Magnus, and have the wit to be able to pull off a trick like that… Zest might be arrogant, but he could see things clearly.
Theodore Miller wasn’t an enemy to be looked down on. The swordmaster’s aura overflowed as he sprang forward.
I have to get rid of this tin can first.
The piece of scrap metal that felt curiously familiar… The presence of the automaton, who had an aura equivalent to that of a master and could use an Aura Ability, was a mystery to Zest. If it was any other Seven Sword other than Zest or the 1st Sword, they would struggle hard against it.
It couldn’t be mass produced, but if he didn’t break it, his allies in other parts of the battlefield could be implicated. Zest’s sword sliced through the air and fell upon Gladio’s head.
Chaaeng!
Nevertheless, two blades collided and aura sparked. Zest frowned at the feeling of recoil.
“… What?”
He couldn’t cut it? He checked again.
Zest’s Style Space Cut: Dividing Cut.
This wasn’t one but many cuts at the same time. It was an Aura Ability that went beyond speed as it aimed for the clavicle, femur, and vertebrae all at once. They couldn’t all be blocked.
At least, he thought so.
Kakakang!Kang!Kaaang!
All six attacks were all blocked with millimeter precision. Zest’s sword couldn’t land on Gladio. Not only did Gladio succeed in defending, it was also launching counterattacks.
Kang!
Another exchange later, Zest and Gladio took three steps back. If Theo joined the fray, it would turn into an outright melee. Gladio had proven itself, so he no longer needed to be passive.
“Hey,” Zest was filled with doubt and anger, “What is this bastard?”
Theo grinned fiercely. “I told you, it was upgraded.”
Gladio was a natural enemy of space magicians, while also being a cheat against swordsmen who interfered with space. Theo had desperately racked his brain before developing this plan with Gladio. It all depended on the two additional features that he had asked Paragranum to add.