kscans

CHAPTER 6 FYUZARION – Episode 10 Bloody Battle

1

Upon arriving at the cliff, it became clear why Drenshita’s subordinates only numbered twenty riders. First, the path leading up here was terribly narrow, steep, and winding, making it impossible for a large army to pass through. Above all, there was only enough space on top of the cliff for about twenty riders. Currently present were Bard and his twenty-man assault team, along with Jurchaga, Colin Kruizer, and Quinta.

Until this moment arrived, Jurchaga had guided them. With an army easily exceeding ten thousand, their marching speed was slow. Naturally, that army of over ten thousand did not move as a single unit, but split into several groups. Jurchaga’s ability to discern General of Greed’s position among them and accurately predict their arrival date at Padai Valley was astounding. Thanks to that, Bard and the others were able to leisurely await in the mountains until the morning of the appointed day. Being such a small group of twenty-one, they could camp inconspicuously. They ate at a relaxed pace, and everyone was in excellent condition. Since this morning, the group had been moving quietly and were now hidden on top of Drenshita’s cliff.

The vanguard of the Shinkai army had already passed by quite some time ago. Jurchaga pressed his ear to the ground, intently observing the situation. He said it was easy to distinguish the unique footsteps of the beast that General of Greed rode upon.

“Now’s the time, boss,” Jurchaga said.

At his words, Bard mounted Yueitan, stood up straight and approached the cliff’s edge. He felt momentarily dizzy, but opened his eyes wide and shouted loudly. The twenty riders lined up in a row to Bard’s left and right.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Sir Lugurgoa Geskas! I am Bard Rowen, Knight of Fyuzarion. It’s been a while since Ichibe. I’ve come with my comrades to settle the score from that time. Now, let us duel!”

The distance and slight wind might have prevented the words from being heard clearly. But here, it was important to show oneself clearly and issue the challenge to a duel. The marching army below noticed Bard and the others. General of Greed had been looking up at the cliff from the start. Perhaps he had already noticed them.

Now then. How would General of Greed respond here? Would he accept the duel? Or would he try to crush this suicide squad with his entire army? Even if attack orders were given to the army, what they had to do remained the same. Charge down Drenshita’s cliff and defeat General of Greed. It wasn’t a place where so many could attack all at once. Still, having to face General of Greed and the army simultaneously, their chances of victory were undeniably low. Now, Lugurgoa Geskas. How will you respond?

As it turned out, General of Greed halted his entire army and gestured for them to make ample space in front and behind him. Bard let out a sigh of relief. They had now cleared the second hurdle. The first hurdle was to get close to General of Greed unnoticed and issue the duel challenge. The second hurdle was for the opponent to accept it. They had predicted that if they could clear the first hurdle, the second would likely be cleared as well. In Shinkai, only those who lead the army from the front and crush the enemy can be considered generals. General of Greed’s authority stemmed from his mythical strength, one could say. But that myth had been tarnished. By his defeat at the hands of Bard and the other six during the First War of Nations. So they thought if Bard challenged him to a duel again with comrades in tow, General of Greed would accept.

No, that wasn’t it. It wasn’t such a cut-and-dry matter. Lugurgoa would surely accept Bard’s challenge. Bard had a near certainty about that. Even if asked why, he couldn’t put it into words. But General of Greed was waiting for him. Bard was convinced of that.

“Charge!”

At Bard’s shout, the 21 Horsemen ran down the cliff that even monkeys would slide down (t/n: hehehehe). General of Greed drew his massive sword and swung it in a great arc. It shook and created a tsunami of light. A shockwave rushed towards the formation that spread horizontally. They had no choice but to endure it. Even while being pummeled by the tremendous gale, Bard opposed it with the momentum of his descent and continued charging downward. It seemed a few had been knocked over.

However, upon reaching the bottom, Bard did not directly attack General of Greed. He killed his momentum, stopped his horse, and dismounted. The other knights did the same. This too was according to plan. Remaining mounted, they would be unable to evade General of Greed’s attacks. They maintained a distance of over thirty paces from General of Greed. General of Greed also dismounted from his beast.

The twenty split into two groups, taking positions on the slope they had descended and the opposite slope, flanking General of Greed. The knights who had fallen also made it to the base of the slope. While his allies were forming ranks, Bard took another look at General of Greed. And there he saw something completely unexpected, making his skin crawl. In each hand, General of Greed wielded a massive sword.

Bard gulped. If he could properly swing two swords, the number of attacks from General of Greed would be far greater than they anticipated. Could they really slip past them?

General of Greed patted his beast’s rear with the flat of his sword. The beast walked away from the battlefield towards the watching Shinkai army. Bard and the others also sent their horses away. Then they announced their names.

Knight Bard Rowen.
Knight Karz Rowen.
Knight Arflaburne Fafarlen.
Knight Gassara Judiel.
Knight Ostosa Crimena.
Knight Banthuren Daye.
Knight Zenas Horaist.
Knight Kirie Halifalth.
Knight Eckel Asto.
Knight Wolverd Stoaha.
Knight Sindh Escali.
Knight Janssen Malik.
Knight Cain Strikd.
Knight Damon Yaklau.
Knight Capet Jifsatsuma.
Knight Mijin Ediba.
Knight Naritasuka Goff.
Knight Kibits Kalsani.
Knight Vhurin Kizara.
Knight Tai Talus Oria.
Knight Jog Ward.

They drew their swords as they announced themselves. Most wielded broad, thick knight swords. Knight “Ally Killer” Banthuren held a magic spear. Jog Ward’s sword was ridiculously large, as always. Bard’s sword was small, while Karz and Kirie’s swords were slender. Knight Kibits’s sword was even slimmer and shorter. Out of the twenty, eight wielded cursed swords.

“Guh. Bard Rowen. Guh, guh, guh. We finally meet. I couldn’t wait to see you again,” the voice spoke with an eerie rasp, as if echoing from the depths of hell. It wasn’t just the voice. General of Greed Lugurgoa Geskas’ appearance had completely changed from before. His giant frame and the white hair and beard that exploded in all directions remained the same. But his face looked like a skull with flesh pasted on, the once white complexion now a murky black. His body below the neck was covered in armor so it wasn’t clearly visible, but his entire form seemed to have become terribly emaciated, charred black as if burned. In place of his severed right hand, a metal arm had been attached. A black, rugged, sinister contraption of an arm. But just earlier, he had definitely swung his sword with that artificial limb. What kind of mechanism could it be?

Even so. Lugurgoa Geskas was already a freak to begin with. But when they had met before, he was brimming with vitality, in his own monstrous way. However. However, this man now. His whole body reeked of decay. Rather than living, he seemed to be suffering, unable to die.

“But, Karz Rowen, is it? You bastard. Guh, guh. I see. You changed your name. No wonder I couldn’t get any information on you. Guh, guh, guh.”

General of Greed rotated his head around, glaring at the warriors surrounding him.

“Guh. Guh. You’ve gathered quite a bunch worth killing, Bard Rowen. In recognition of that feat, let me tell you a special secret. Uldruu is dead. The Dragonoid sorcerer. He was already old and weakened to begin with. The somewhat unreasonable march to Goriora weakened him further. His frail body couldn’t withstand that barrage of arrows. So he can no longer cast the soul-binding curse.”

Bard asked if it was that Dragonoid who manipulated many people’s minds in Goriora and Parzam, causing betrayals and assassinations.

“Gu, gu. That’s right. Indeed. Guh, guh, guh. You knew, Bard Rowen. Well, do something that flashy and it’ll get noticed.”

Bard further inquired if it was also that Uldruu who bound the mind of Manuno’s queen.

“No. That’s not it. That was done by a different Dragonoid. Guh, guh. Let me tell you one more good thing. The curse Uldruu placed on the emperor and Goriora’s knights was to obey Lugurgoa Geskas’ orders. We were in a hurry and there were many, so only a simple curse could be cast. So killing me is as good as lifting the curse. Guh, guh, guh. How’s that? Good news, isn’t it?”

“That’s some good information you’ve shared,” Bard said. And asked what he could do to repay the favor.

“Guh, guh. Guh, guh, guh. You really are a good guy. Then tell me one thing. Your presence, the presence of that divine beast sword, had vanished for a long time. But just a moment ago, it appeared on the cliff. What trick did you use?”

Hearing that, Bard was the one surprised. Thinking it had such an effect, he asked if Geskas knew of the bracelet of Yana. He had entrusted it to Jurchaga on the cliff earlier, so he didn’t have it now.

“Guh, guh. I see. I get it. While I was unconscious, you went to see the Queen of Manuno again. It was there, wasn’t it? Guh, guh. Now I understand.”

A terrible stench of decay wafted from General of Greed. “There’s someone who wants to get their hands on you and that sword. They gave me the power to devour divine beasts. Guh, guh. But I feel like getting in their way. So, Bard Rowen. Die for me, right here, right now.”

That was the signal for the battle to begin.

2

The knights attacked General of Greed from both the right and left slopes. General of Greed raised the swords in both hands, first unleashing a tsunami of light with his right sword towards Bard’s side, the right. The knights on the right lowered their stances and braced their feet to endure it. Thanks to the slope, they managed to hold their ground. A few were swept away by the tsunami but weren’t blown too far.

General of Greed did the same to the left side with the sword in his left hand. Again, a few were blown away, but most of the knights stood firm.

Turning back to the right, General of Greed tried to unleash another tsunami of light. The chosen knights had just weathered the first wave, but as expected, they quickly regained their posture. However, General of Greed’s move defied their expectations. While generating the light tsunami, he gouged the earth with the tip of his sword. The gouged soil and rocks were carried by the tsunami, becoming a hail of gravel that assaulted Bard and the knights on the right. Bard ducked his head and shielded it with both hands, but flying debris struck his left knee and right temple, making him stagger.

General of Greed seemed to have done the same to the left side. The knights were blasted away, but the two on the flanks avoided it, each approaching General of Greed at an amazing speed. The leather-armored knight Damon Yaklau in the center also leaped to evade it. The two on the flanks were Karz and Kirie. General of Greed unleashed a tsunami at Karz with the sword in his right hand. He probably really didn’t want Karz to get too close. Karz couldn’t dodge this either, and with no slope at his position, he was blown far away.

When General of Greed turned back to the right side again, several knights had already closed in to about fifteen paces. General of Greed gouged the earth with his sword tip, sending gravel flying. The knights were injured by the hail of rocks or blown back. However, three lightly armored knights leaped to avoid it. The point where they would land was a distance from which they could attack General of Greed with one step.

General of Greed fired a light bullet to the left. It struck the knight Damon Yaklau just as he landed, blowing him into the slope where he smashed his head against a rock, splattering his brains. Turning back to the right, General of Greed mowed down the three knights charging through the dust cloud after landing. Knight Ostosa had his head blown off. Knight Tai Talus was hit directly in the torso and blasted away. Knight Banthuren leaped again to evade the attack. His giant frame danced in the air with a thud.

Banthuren Daye was tall in stature. Among the twenty brave warriors, he was second only to Gassara in height. Though he appeared slender compared to Gassara, he possessed beastly muscles, with biceps as thick as a woman’s waist. His dark skin was the epitome of ruggedness, and his silver hair was tied back, flowing down his spine. He was large and muscular, but not sluggish. Far from sluggish, his movements when spotting and rushing towards his prey were as swift, supple, and terrifying as a Blue Panther’s demonic beast. His weapon of choice was a magic spear. It was immensely long and so thick that an ordinary person couldn’t wrap their hand around it. Without a doubt, it was the weapon with the longest reach among the twenty brave warriors. He wore metal armor on his shoulders, chest, and abdomen, but the other parts were covered only with thin leather armor, perhaps to allow for better movement. His reactions were also superb. Even now, he had dodged General of Greed’s attack by leaping, and then leaped again to evade the attack launched at his landing spot, demonstrating reflexes akin to a wild beast. The consecutive leaps had slightly exploited an opening in General of Greed’s defense. Riding the momentum of his charge and jump, knight Banthuren thrust his magic spear into General of Greed’s chest. A sound like a giant axe being driven into a large tree rang out as Banthuren’s magic spear pierced the center of General of Greed’s chest.

They had done it. Inflicting damage on General of Greed early in the battle was significant. This single blow might be the deciding factor in the outcome of the battle, Bard thought.

General of Greed did not back down. Instead, he planted his feet and charged forward. The distance between General of Greed and knight Banthuren narrowed. General of Greed clenched his left fist and struck knight Banthuren’s abdomen. The sound of armor shattering echoed as knight Banthuren was sent flying towards the knights on the right side. The magic spear remained lodged in General of Greed’s chest. The knights in the front row managed to dodge this, but their formation was disrupted. Knight Banthuren rolled across the ground, gouging the earth. Knight Banthuren had not assumed any defensive posture at all. It was literally a suicidal attack. He must have suffered considerable damage. He might even be dead.

Taking advantage of the opening, Kirie slashed at General of Greed’s right ankle with his magic sword. The blow tore through the demonic beast’s leather boot and bit into his ankle. General of Greed slashed at Kirie. Kirie’s back was torn open, but his quick reaction saved him from a fatal wound.

The knights on the left side had regained their footing and were about to slash at General of Greed. General of Greed fired a light bullet into their midst. Knight Cain dodged this, but his stance was broken. Knight Janssen, who was running behind him, took a direct hit to his lower body, shattering his left leg and causing him to fall. The remaining knights Zenas, Naritasuka, Sindh, Mijin, and Jog slashed at General of Greed. General of Greed’s sword deflected knight Zenas’s sword, driving it into his right neck, and Zenas sank to the ground as if struck down. Knight Naritasuka stumbled over knight Zenas’s body and fell. Jog’s greatsword hammered into General of Greed’s right flank. Knight Mijin’s longsword bit into General of Greed’s left thigh. General of Greed’s right-hand sword struck knight Sindh, and his left-hand sword hit knight Cain, who had gotten back up, splattering their flesh and blood.

General of Greed unleashed tsunamis of light with the swords in both hands. One blew away Karz, who had run back, and the other blasted Arflaburne, who had closed in on General of Greed. During this time, Jog and knight Mijin each landed a blow on General of Greed. As expected, Jog’s greatsword attack shook the monster’s body, but General of Greed ignored this and showered Gassara with his sword. Gassara defended against this, but his sword was shattered. From beside Gassara, the knight Kibitz thrust his sword, but it only grazed the flank. Behind them, the knight Vhurin and Bard were waiting for an opening to slash.

General of Greed turned to the left and mowed down knight Mijin and Jog in one go. Taking advantage of the opening, knight Sindh delivered a blow to his left flank. Knight Sindh, whom they had thought dead, had gotten up covered in blood and attacked the monster. But after that, knight Sindh collapsed and never got up again. Kirie slashed at General of Greed’s right ankle from a position close to the ground. General of Greed pulled out the magic spear that had been stuck in his chest with his left hand and used it to knock away knight Capet. Then he twirled the magic spear, impaling Kirie and pinning his body to the ground.

At that moment, knight Vhurin and knight Kibitz thrust their swords into his left foot, which had become his pivot foot. Without even looking back, General of Greed swung his right-hand sword behind him. The sword blew away knight Vhurin. Despite the close range, knight Kibitz magnificently dodged the flying body of knight Vhurin and avoided being caught up in it.

Bard swung the ancient sword while calling out Stavros’s name. It struck the right wrist of General of Greed, who was still facing away. Lightning crackled and scattered, and General of Greed dropped the sword in his right hand.

Jog let out a strange cry as he smashed his greatsword. Perhaps because both his feet were injured, even General of Greed’s footwork was sluggish. Jog’s sword struck the monster’s chest with an explosive sound. General of Greed swung the sword in his left hand in a wide arc, holding the approaching knights at bay. Then he grabbed Jog’s belt area with his right hand and lifted him overhead. He intended to smash him to the ground and kill him.

Bard swung the ancient sword once more, striking the monster’s right hip. Almost simultaneously, Gassara’s kick technique exploded against the monster’s right ankle. Knight Capet swept the monster’s left ankle with his heavy sword. Even the monster couldn’t withstand these three attacks at the same time and collapsed. As he fell, he threw Jog, but instead of smashing him into the ground, he ended up throwing him far away.

The knights swarmed the fallen monster. The monster swung the sword in his left hand in a wide arc while still on the ground. As the knights lost their footing, Karz leaped in and cut off several of the fingers gripping the sword. The monster dropped the sword in his left hand. With this, General of Greed’s left hand could no longer hold a sword. He had already dropped the sword in his right hand when it was struck by the ancient sword earlier, so now General of Greed was unarmed. The monster struck Karz with his right fist and Arflaburne, who had raised his sword again, was kicked away with his right foot.

Gassara circled around to the monster’s head. He tried to drive his right fist into the center of the monster’s face. But just a moment faster, the monster’s right hand firmly grasped Gassara’s face. With the difference in arm length, Gassara’s fist couldn’t reach the monster. Still, Gassara repeatedly kicked the tips of his right toes into the monster’s face. The toe tips were reinforced with steel striking caps. The monster, undeterred, put more force into the hand gripping Gassara’s face. Knight Wolverd and Bard struck at the fallen monster with their swords. The monster flailed both legs, sending Bard flying and knocking knight Wolverd unconscious with a kick to the head.

As Bard got back up, Karz had just rushed back. Arflaburne also got up and was closing in on the monster. Knight Capet slashed at the monster’s right hand that was grasping Gassara’s neck, but the monster didn’t loosen its grip at all. With the sound of bones cracking and flesh being crushed, Gassara’s head was smashed. Drenched in blood and brain matter, the monster twisted its body and stood up. Knight Capet, nearly getting caught up, skillfully twisted his body to avoid it. A giant sword was gripped in his right hand before anyone realized. As the monster rose, he swung the sword and shot out a beam of light. Both Karz and Arflaburne avoided this light beam. However, both Karz and Arflaburne lost their balance. The monster fired a light beam into Karz. Although Karz avoided a direct hit, he took considerable damage.

The monster swung its giant sword at the charging Arflaburne. Arflaburne avoided this and continued to approach the monster. The monster swung the sword that had slashed from left to right back from right to left. Arflaburne tried to avoid it by lowering his stance. At that moment, a magic spear pierced the monster’s back. The collapsed knight Naritasuka had pulled out the spear that skewered Kirie and thrust it. Also, almost simultaneously, knight Kibitz slashed just above the monster’s left ankle. Because of this, the monster’s aim went awry, and Arflaburne avoided death but was blown away and slammed into the ground. The monster, still facing backward, kicked knight Naritasuka away with its right foot.

Karz got up and was about to take a charging stance. The monster struck and shattered the rocks at its feet with the sword. Karz, thoroughly showered with gravel bullets, was blown backward and collapsed while bleeding.

3

The monster was covered in wounds from head to toe. Both legs were in tatters, unable to make quick footwork or stamping movements. Its back and belly were also full of wounds, with dark black blood flowing out and soaking the lower body. The left ear and left cheek were crushed to a pulp by Gassara. The left eye was probably blind. The left hand had lost several fingers and could no longer grip a sword. The right wrist was injured, and the waist had taken considerable damage as well.

Just a little more. Just a little more and it could be defeated. But now, the only ones who could move in the assault team were Bard, knight Capet, and knight Kibitz, just the three of them. Could they defeat it with this fighting strength? It was most likely impossible. Still, if they fought desperately, they might be able to seize the slightest possibility.

However, to think that knight Capet and knight Kibitz were the last ones remaining. It was unexpected, but watching the two’s movements, it was clear that their survival up to this point was no coincidence.

Knight Kibitz was the smallest among the twenty. Exceptionally small. His weapon was also a thin sword, a small and slender sword at that. However, it was a magic sword. This man was truly remarkable at avoiding attacks. He had continued to see through General of Greed’s attacks up to this point. Moreover, he hadn’t hindered his allies’ movements at all. His agility was reminiscent of Jurchaga. In short, he could be thought of as a Jurchaga with offensive capabilities. Each of his strikes was light. However, he had continued his unassuming attacks, gradually whittling away at General of Greed’s stamina bit by bit.

On the other hand, knight Capet was a man with no notable characteristics. Even in the midst of battle, his eyes looked as if he were asleep. But this man had an extraordinary ability to gauge timing. His breathing in retreating, advancing, and launching attacks was extremely well-calculated. In other words, he was a man who made no wasted movements. A reliable man.

Bard took a step forward. Knight Capet and knight Kibitz swiftly moved to either side, taking up positions surrounding the monster from three directions. As expected of these brave warriors. It was a good response. If they took their time, the monster would likely exhibit its abnormal recovery power and regain its strength. In any case, it was now. Only in this moment did they have a chance of victory.

If he could get close and strike with the ancient sword, they might be able to defeat it. However. The monster still gripped the sword in its right hand. It gripped the sword and stared intently at Bard. If Bard stepped into range even slightly, the monster would swing its sword. That sword was unavoidable for Bard, and it would surely be a blow that would take Bard’s life. Being killed didn’t matter. But somehow, he wanted to strike this monster with the ancient sword. How could he do that?

At that moment. Something could be heard. He couldn’t look away from the monster to see, but someone was probably shouting something on top of the cliff. Coming down. Someone was coming down the cliff. It was a knight skilled enough to ride a horse down this “Drenshita Cliff”. That knight descended the cliff. Slowed the horse’s pace. Dismounted the horse and walked right up behind Bard. Wait. This footstep. It couldn’t be. This presence. This presence.

“Uncle. Sorry for being late. Is this fellow General of Greed? It’s quite an inhuman thing. But to think that uncle’s heroic tales will increase by one more, that’s also delightful. Wahahahahahaha!” (t/n: Godon called Bard, 伯父御 Ojigo – esteemed uncle. usually used in formal situation to greet elder. ojigi on the other hand is bowing respectfully)

It was Godon Zarkos. Godon Zarkos had rushed all the way from the Mageia territory. How was he able to appear here? It was obvious. Of course, Jurchaga had guided him. Godon, who lined up beside Bard, was holding a two-handed large shield instead of a battle hammer. It was a shield Bard had seen before in the Zarkos family’s armory.

“Oh my. The one sleeping over there is Karz Rowen. This inconsiderate fellow! Making uncle work while he rests, what is the meaning of this! Hurry and get up!”

Godon Zarkos’ voice was cheerful. Dazzling and warm like the sunlight pouring down in abundance. Perhaps that solar energy had entered Karz’s body as well. Karz Rowen slowly raised his body. He stood up, albeit unsteadily. His face and body were covered in wounds. But his eyes hadn’t lost their power. They were shining with a brilliant golden light. (t/n: Godon use talk no jutsu)

They could win. The sense of tragic resolve that had been permeating Bard’s chest vanished, and the conviction of victory surged. Rustle, rustle. Godon stepped out in front of Bard. Since he had brought the large shield, his intention was clear. He was saying that he would defend against the attacks. In that case, Bard would leave it to him. There’s no way a shield can block the attack of General of Greed.　But Godon can handle it.　Believing that, he entrusted his life to this shield and prepare for a counterattack.　Making up his mind, Bard took a step forward.

Knight Capet charged forward. Slightly behind, knight Kibitz also charged. General of Greed, who had been facing Bard, twisted his body slightly to the right and unleashed a blow upon knight Capet. While knight Capet was struck in the head, Bard and Godon closed the distance. The monster raised its sword high to the right. Godon halted and took a defensive stance. Bard crouched behind his shield.

The monster’s massive sword came crashing down. A tremendous clash resounded, as if shattering souls. Godon Zarkos and his shield magnificently withstood the monster’s powerful strike. The impact delivered a violent shock to the monster’s ankles. Moreover, knight Kibitz struck its left ankle from behind. Staggering its feet and hips, the monster lost its balance.

“Now!”

Bard leapt out from behind the shield, grasped the ancient sword with both hands, and calling out the name of his departed beloved steed, mustered all his might to thrust the blade’s flat tip into the monster. No, it’s not flat. At the tip of the flat sword condensed a bluish-green phosphorescent blade point. That sharply pointed blade tip closed in on the monster’s chest. The glowing blade point pierced through the cut made by the knight Banthuren, burying itself deep into General of Greed’s body. Even so, the monster opened its remaining right eye wide and raised its sword-wielding right hand. Bard did not break his stance with the ancient sword, glaring back at the monster. Just as the massive sword was about to come crashing down, a crimson light tore through the void, severing the monster’s sword-wielding right hand at the wrist. Karz Rowen had leapt up, swinging his magic sword .

Slowly, the monster fell.

4

The monster is about to die. This creature, said to have lived for centuries, is now finally meeting its end. The madness has vanished from its eyes.

But they too will die. Now that the duel is decided, Shinkai’s soldiers will attack. Being at the bottom of a ravine, they cannot come in great numbers at once. However, it is impossible to flee by climbing these steep slopes, so in the end, they have no choice but to be crushed by their numbers. They had resolved themselves to this fate from the start when they came to this place.

But strangely, the all-out attack on Bard and his companions does not begin. The surrounding soldiers maintain an eerie silence. Then, several knights from the Shinkai army ride up on horseback. Dismounting near General of Greed, they kneel on one knee to pay their respects. These knights have come to witness the death of their lord. Bard had something he wanted to ask the dying General of Greed, so he walked over to his head and spoke.

“Lord Lugurgoa. There is one thing I wish to ask. What happened ten years ago? From that time, you began preparations for Shinkai to conquer the world. Until then, you had paid no heed to the territories of other nations for centuries. Then suddenly, you declared your intention to subjugate the continent. And one more thing. Why did you lose interest in the magic sword ‘Van Fleur’ that you so coveted? Did the orders from the King of Evil Spirit who uses you as his pawn change?”

General Lugurgoa’s reply was in a terribly hoarse voice. A feeble voice accompanied by a sound like leaking air.

“Gu… gu… It was I who coveted Van Fleur. Do not speak so glibly of the King of Evil Spirit. He had tested Van Fleur long ago. But he failed. Back then, he did not know that defiling the wielder’s soul would also defile the sword of the divine beast. That is why invading Zarban was for my own reasons. I wanted Van Fleur. To gain even greater power and longevity. Even if defiled, the power of a divine beast is immense. By consuming it, I could attain further life and strength. After realizing the sword I obtained was a fake, I searched for and found the real one. However, I had a change of heart.”

As the silence continued, Bard asked again.

“Why the change of heart? What happened?”

“Gu, gu… Gu, gu, gu, gu… I shall tell you. Taste. I lost my sense of taste.”

“Your sense of taste?” Bard said.

“Indeed. No matter what I ate, I could not taste it. So I thought, at the very least, I must conquer the world, or it would not be worth it.”

He lost his sense of taste. Instead, he decided to conquer the world. What absurd reasoning. This man is mad. But perhaps, just perhaps, this fellow and him are unexpectedly like-minded individuals. So thought Bard.

“Gu, gu… What’s the matter? Too dumbfounded to speak?”

“No,” said Bard. “I too would hate to lose my sense of taste. I could not bear it at all.”

“What? Gugugugu… So there is another who would say such a thing. Then, Bard Rowen. What would you do if you lost your sense of taste?”

Bard pondered for a while before answering. “Well now. I suppose I would have someone else eat in my stead and gaze upon their delighted expressions.”

General of Greed looked blank for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“Guwa, guwa, guwa! Ka ka ka, ka ka! I never thought of that. It never occurred to me.”

The monstrous general closed his eyes, his face taking on a deeply peaceful expression.

“I see, I see… Next time, I too shall try that. But before that—”

Then suddenly opening his eyes wide,

“Die!”

He tried to strike Bard with his iron right arm, now missing everything below the wrist. But Karz Rowen sliced off that right arm just below the shoulder. Looking at the cross-section, it was hollow inside. How did that empty hand move? How could it grip and swing a sword? Was it due to the power gained from consuming divine beasts? Arflaburne thrust the magic sword Neribel into the center of the monster’s face. The monster convulsed violently, then eventually ceased to move.

5

Silence fell once more. Bard gazed upon the dead monster. The wounds all over its body frothed disgustingly. The bodily fluids oozing from the wounds were a murky black. What a horrendous stench. This could no longer be called a human’s way of dying. It was an unimaginably repulsive and ugly death.

By absorbing the bodies of numerous divine beasts, this man had grown gigantic, robust, and gained a lifespan of centuries. By unleashing the power of divine beasts, he had acquired attack techniques impossible for humans. It was a blessing that any human, any knight, would envy. But that blessing had robbed this man of a happy death.

Even wounds that would kill an ordinary person were healed by the power of the divine spirit beast. With his guts slashed open, his organs rotting, and the blood throughout his body completely polluted, this man could not die. The pain and suffering were unimaginable. The body that naturally sought death and the power of grace that sought to keep him alive struggled within this man. It was more of a curse than a blessing at this point.

Over a dozen Shinkai knights surrounded the corpse of General of Greed. They clasped their hands in front of their chests, dropped to both knees on the ground, and bowed their heads to pay respects to the corpse. It was an unfamiliar posture of worship, but this must be the custom of Shinkai. General Buntai was also present. The generals who were once captured and released were there. In other words, those present were the generals of Shinkai and the disciples of General of Greed. There was no longer a hint of murderous intent left in them.

The Shinkai generals and soldiers carried away the remains of General of Greed. In the opposite direction of the Orbus fortress. General Buntai greeted Bard with his eyes, so Bard also said farewell with his eyes.

What was General of Greed to them? Bard only knew General of Greed who had gone mad. But to the people of the Shinkai nation, he was a person who had lived for hundreds of years, protected, supported and developed the country, and possessed unrivaled military prowess. Perhaps the real tragedy for General of Greed was that he had no one to stop him when he went mad.

Why did the Shinkai generals silently watch as General of Greed was killed by Bard and the others? Bard felt like he could understand their feelings now. General of Greed was looking for a place to die. If his opponents were these twenty-two brave warriors, General of Greed could have a final battle worthy of him. The Shinkai generals did not want to mar that final battle.

However, it was surprising that they turned back after General of Greed died. Bard was sure they would slaughter them all to avenge their master. Perhaps it was in return for giving General of Greed a glorious death. He didn’t know.

Speaking of not knowing, Bard didn’t know what the Shinkai army would do from now on. Since they had overextended their front lines to begin with, would they scale back? Would they regroup and begin a war to conquer the world, following the dying wishes of General of Greed? Or would they abandon the reckless war and shut themselves in as before? He didn’t know.

However, this could be said about the Shinkai generals and soldiers. Certainly, this expedition was an unreasonable way to proceed. It was too sudden and they fought too many enemies. In any case, they would not have been able to dominate the Goriora Empire for a long period of time with that approach. But did the Shinkai generals and soldiers gain nothing? No, that’s not the case. In the two campaigns, they fought against the two great nations of Parzam and Goriora. They fought against the warriors of the two great nations. That experience was significant. They gained experience that could not be obtained through training. They got a taste of the military operations and internal affairs of the two great nations and assessed their capabilities. In contrast, the Central Plains nations remained completely ignorant of the internal affairs of the Shinkai nation. In fact, the lost of the Shinkai generals and soldiers was not that great. It could be said that General of Greed conducted a graduation exercise that was meant to be the finishing touch for the elite of Shinkai that he had trained over many years. If Shinkai were to regroup and reach out to conquer the nations for a third time, it would be a terrifying army to even think about.

Jurchaga descended from the cliff, checked on his allies, and began treating them. Nine people – Ostosa, Capet, Vhurin, Tai Talus, Gassara, Zenas, Sindh, Cain, and Damon – were dead. Five people – Banthuren, Janssen, Mijin, Naritasuka, and Jog – were injured but alive. However, Janssen had suffered a severe injury, losing a leg, and if not treated properly and quickly, his life would be in danger. Eckel had been knocked unconscious by a rock to the head at the beginning, but his life was not in danger. Wolverd had also been kicked in the head but was only unconscious and had no major injuries. The five people standing were Arflaburne, Bard, Karz, Godon, and Kibitz, but Karz had taken quite a hit. However, Bard was not worried as this man’s recovery power was extraordinary.

Kirie was in critical condition and beyond help. When Bard approached, he opened his mouth. Bard leaned in and heard him whisper in a voice so soft that others could not hear.

“To Viscountess Kovrien. To Lady Doriatessa. Please tell her… to be happy.” (t/n: sometimes typed as viscount covrien, forgot to include in glossary)

And then, with a satisfied smile on his face, he closed his eyes and died.

(End of Chapter 6 “Fyuzarion”)