The Abyssal King hoisted the Earth Magic Sword onto his shoulder. Alriad Castle, which had steadfastly stood its ground, was now collapsing. The humans likely hadn't anticipated that the walls would crumble so easily.
"We advance as well."
The Abyssal King mounted his horse and began to follow his troops. The Abyssal Knights meticulously guarded him, carving a path through the undead soldiers.
‘…No bodies in sight.’
The Abyssal King looked at the fallen walls and spurred his horse forward. There had been human knights and soldiers on the walls, but around the collapsed sections, there was no trace of blood or flesh.
‘They couldn't have predicted my attack.’
He had prepared for the advance before reaching the hilltop, and he had swiftly drawn and used the Earth Magic Sword for an immediate attack, leaving no time for the humans to react. They must have been buried under the rubble or killed instantly.
‘We need to press deeper into the castle.’
Although the humans were caught off guard, they would eventually rally and respond. Other castles still had troops, and reinforcements would come from the rear. If they didn’t end this quickly, they might have to retreat again.
The Abyssal King had staked everything on this battle, mobilizing all his forces. The undead knights had improved their average strength, and the undead soldiers' numbers had swelled. Using the Earth Magic Sword to quickly destroy the walls had created optimal conditions.
‘Even if the human king arrives, in such a situation…’
The Abyssal King hastily drew the Earth Magic Sword, slashing through the air. A purple light flashed as something was cut along the blade’s path. The magic-imbued arrow lost its glow and disintegrated.
‘This is…’
The Abyssal King pulled the reins and swung his sword again. Another flash of purple light destroyed the incoming arrow. Arrows continued to rain down, but the Abyssal Knights closed ranks to deflect them all.
‘To think they would target me…’
A human stood atop the rubble of the fallen wall, wielding a bow and emitting a purple aura. From such a distance, this human's powerful arrows marked him as a formidable adversary.
‘Time has passed, and new humans have emerged.’
The human lowered his bow and disappeared behind the rubble. The Abyssal King urged his horse forward faster. He needed to eliminate this foe before facing the human king.
‘That won't be enough. To defeat me, they’ll need a Magic Sword.’
Alriad Castle, atop the outer wall.
Baltz watched the undead approach, channeling more magic into his eyes. He had expected an attack, but the sheer number of enemies made him nervous. Had they not preemptively pulled troops from other castles, this battle would have been much more difficult.
‘…Should I trust their words?’
Baltz had partially accepted the strategy proposed by the White Apostle and Zion Laird. They had agreed to fortify the inner walls and station a contingent on the outer walls. Yet, Baltz still doubted the decision and questioned his own judgment.
‘It was reliable information.’
The White Apostle had acquired information even faster than the Silver Phantom. They had anticipated this months ago and used the royal decree to enforce preparations. While the source of the information was unclear, it seemed tied to the strategy.
‘If so… Shouldn’t I trust the strategy as well?’
Baltz had argued fiercely about the strategy with the two. Voices had been raised, and he had stormed out of the meeting. However, he had not completely rejected their plan, acknowledging that they might have valid points.
‘Is this the right move?’
Baltz had sent most of the forces stationed on the outer wall to the inner wall. In essence, he had chosen to follow their strategy. He had left some troops behind as a contingency if the strategy was wrong.
‘If it’s right, all will be well, but if it’s wrong…’
Baltz noticed something about the Abyssal King. The king carried a large sword on his back. Given his size, it made sense he would wield a massive weapon, but there was a subtle sense of unease.
‘He’s using magic already. Why?’
The battle hadn't even begun, yet the Abyssal King was infusing his sword with magic. If preparing for an ambush, he should be surrounding himself with magic. So why waste it on the sword?
‘Is he planning to destroy the walls with that sword?’
Baltz scrutinized the massive weapon. The undead were about to charge Alriad Castle. They could withstand the assault by defending from within, but if the walls suddenly collapsed, the soldiers might be slaughtered while trying to flee.
‘I have a bad feeling about this.’
Baltz made a decision and moved quickly. The Abyssal King seemed poised to cause catastrophic damage with that sword. Coupled with the information he had received, he couldn’t shake his anxiety.
“Order all troops to retreat to the inner walls.”
“…Understood.”
The officers hesitated momentarily but then dispersed. They didn’t understand the order but had to follow it. The Setinos Quasar’s judgment had never been wrong.
‘I hope my instincts aren’t off…’
Baltz was the last to leave the wall and then stopped abruptly. He felt a faint vibration from the ground. The tremors quickly spread, engulfing Alriad Castle. Soldiers struggled to maintain their balance and turned back.
“Oh no! The castle…”
“It’s collapsing…”
Cracks began forming at the base of the walls, widening into gaps that spread across the structure. The walls started to crumble, sending large and small stones tumbling down.
“All troops, retreat quickly!”
Baltz personally intercepted the falling debris with his dagger, slicing it into dozens of pieces. Officers and other knights rushed to help, but Baltz gave another order.
“Take the troops and go! I’ll follow later.”
Baltz moved nimbly, dodging the debris. The sight was astonishing and eerie, sending chills down his spine. If the troops had stayed, they would have been crushed under the rubble.
‘I was wrong.’
Baltz gritted his teeth, consumed by self-reproach. No one would have accepted abandoning the castle. But the two had been right, and his poor judgment nearly cost them many soldiers. In such a scenario, they wouldn't have stopped the Abyssal King, and countless undead would have invaded Alain Kingdom.
‘From now on, I must follow their strategy.’
Baltz climbed to the top of the rubble. Thousands of undead were swarming toward Alriad Castle. The Abyssal King and his knights were riding behind them.
‘Abyssal King…’
Baltz drew an arrow and pulled back the bowstring. Purple magic flowed into the bow and arrow. From this distance, he could reach the Abyssal King. He released the arrow and quickly nocked another. He fired again, reaching for his quiver.
He had to keep firing until the Abyssal King reacted.
‘They told me to provoke the Abyssal King…’
The Abyssal King eventually pulled his reins, focusing on deflecting the arrows. He had noticed Baltz, who continued to shoot. Baltz had committed to their strategy and had to invest all his effort.
‘This should do it.’
Baltz quickly concealed himself and sprinted toward the inner walls. He had to prepare for the possibility of the inner walls collapsing as they had warned. The Abyssal King had spent much magic on the outer walls and wouldn't recklessly attempt the same with the inner walls.
‘We can hold the inner walls. Killing the Abyssal King quickly is our best chance.’
Alriad Castle, near the inner walls.
The Abyssal Knights surveyed their surroundings and realized something was wrong. All the buildings were open and empty, with no sign of the injured or dead. This meant the humans had evacuated before the walls collapsed.
‘…Why is no one here?’
The Abyssal King arrived at Alriad Castle and assessed the situation. There were no bodies or bloodstains near the fallen walls. The humans, who should have been panicking, were nowhere to be found.
‘They must have anticipated my attack and fled.’
It was an unrealistic notion, but he had to accept it. No humans were harmed, and they had escaped flawlessly. Fortunately, they had still captured Alriad Castle, so it wasn't a complete loss.
‘This will only take more time.’
The Abyssal King set down the Earth Magic Sword and looked toward the inner walls. There was no time to hesitate. If they had anticipated his attack, they were likely gathering their forces.
“Advance.”
The Abyssal King’s orders were unwavering. Retreat or regroup was not an option. They had to keep pushing forward until they reached the human king.
‘I will not be defeated.’
The Abyssal King’s eyes glowed blue as he spurred his horse. Thousands of undead remained, and the humans had lost their greatest stronghold. He had expended significant magic but was still ready to fight.
‘Even if the human king comes…’
“Abyssal King! The humans are gathered at the inner walls.”
“…It doesn’t matter. Advance.”
The Abyssal King remained unfazed by the report. It was only natural that the humans would prepare to fight back if they had anticipated his attack.
‘I could destroy the inner walls as well…’
With enough magic, he could collapse the inner walls too. However, he would be left with little magic and unable to fight. Moreover, the humans, having seen his previous attack, would likely try to mitigate the damage.
‘I won’t retreat!’
The Abyssal King and his knights approached the inner walls. Suddenly, a barrage of purple arrows and flames engulfed them. The Abyssal King deflected the attacks, but beyond them, a wave of dark purple sword energy was rushing toward him.
“Hmm…”
The Abyssal King attempted to break the energy, but his arm trembled. The arrows and flames had obscured his vision, exploiting a weakness. The onslaught continued with more flames and fierce gusts of wind.
‘I sense Magic Swords. They must be gathering their strongest to oppose me.’