Shadowed Gaze: The Highserk War Saga - Chapter 38

Groans and curses leaked from the soldiers scattered haphazardly on the floor. Walm couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Aaaah, Demon Fire.”

“Ugh… my legs, my legs.”

“Uu-ughaaah…”

In that brief moment, not only the chestnut-haired girl Makoto, who had deployed an ice wall, but also the female knight Johanna, who had shielded the healing mage with her body, and the black-haired boy Yuuto, who had unleashed a Holy Strike albeit imperfectly, managed to minimize the damage from the Demon Fire.

There were fewer deaths than Walm had anticipated. Most were severely burned but alive.

“You should have just died quietly.”

Johanna glared at Walm as she unsteadily stood up.

Yuuto, one of the Three Heroes Walm should be wary of, had both his arms broken in unnatural directions from the clash of Holy Strike and Demon Fire, coughing up blood and gasping for air. The chestnut-haired girl had an icicle piercing her abdomen, barely clinging to life.

“Ayane, M-Makoto…”

A boy in his late teens called out the names of his comrades with his last breath. The remaining hero, Ayane, did not move an inch.

“Drop your weapon. I’ll make it quick.”

“Don’t mess with me!!”

“Fine then.”

Walm swung his longsword down from above in response to the expected reply. Despite being out of magical power, his wounds were fully healed, and his physical strength had returned. In contrast, the female knight was exhausted from the previous battle and had lost her magical barrier due to the Demon Fire, suffering from burns and shrapnel injuries.

She managed to block the strike with the flat of her sword, but couldn’t stop the momentum of her body, crashing heavily backward.

Walm feinted at her throat but changed his sword’s trajectory at the last moment, slashing at her feet.

Feeling a slight resistance as he cut through flesh, Walm pulled back his longsword, wrapping it around and striking horizontally.

“Guuhhh!!”

The female knight’s sword was lifted by the sword pressure. Prioritizing speed, Walm thrust his longsword one-handed. The tip pierced through the seam of the armor at the base of her shoulder.

He had intended to cleave off her left shoulder, but only managed a deep wound due to the armor’s durability.

“Ugh…”

The female knight tried to create distance, but with one hand, she couldn’t fend off Walm’s sword pressure. A large gash formed on her cheek, and she was kicked in the abdomen over her armor, losing her breath.

Walm kicked the knight as she tried to rise, then stepped on her back with his knee, pushing her down to the ground again.

“How pitiful.”

“Goodbye.”

Just as Walm was about to decapitate her, he sensed approaching footsteps from behind and turned around.

“A new opponent?”

He instantly crossed swords with a large, armored man, his armor stained with blood, indistinguishable whether it was his own or his enemies’.

“One annoying knight order after another!”

“Commander Gran!”

The design was similar to the female knight’s, but with a large emblem of the Rehazen Knight Order. The resistance he felt in his sword told him everything. The sword pressure, the sword speed, it was undoubtedly Gran, the Commander of the Rehazen Knight Order.

“Johanna, take them and run! This place is falling.”

Walm, who had been prepared for the worst, smiled. The enemy revealing their dire situation in front of him showed their desperation.

While crossing swords, Walm caught a glimpse of the female knight picking up Yuuto and Makoto from the nearby Three Heroes. Incredible strength, but now a slow target.

“Think I’ll let you?”

Walm leaped forward, but his path to Johanna was blocked, and he narrowly avoided a blade at his throat. This was no easy opponent to deal with single-handedly.

“You’re persistent!!”

Their swords clashed, ringing out a high-pitched metallic sound. As their bodies collided, Walm found himself in a close-quarters struggle.

He slid his blade, aiming for the fingers, but it was stopped by the sword’s guard. In terms of swordplay, including the finer points, Gran was superior to Walm.

New wounds formed on Walm’s fully recovered body. Yet, unlike before, time was on Walm’s side.

“Take them down!! The enemy is but a few now. Don’t give them time to recover!!”

Outside the medical facility, voices that seemed to be from Highserk soldiers were heard.

“We’ve lost. Next time, I’ll take your head.”

“Keep barking. Loser, your tail is drooping.”

Gran, who until now had been locked in a fierce sword fight, suddenly turned his body away from Walm.

“Hey, are you sure about this? You’re forgetting someone, aren’t you?”

Walm nudged with his foot the girl called Ayane, who lay on the ground. She groaned in pain and rolled from her stomach to her back.

“Wait! Johanna, Ayane is still here!”

Despite his severe injuries, Yuuto, who was being carried, thrashed around like a fish out of water now on land. He hoped for an escape or a reversal of situation but was forcibly silenced by Johanna.

“Haha, beating up a human who’s vomiting blood, but sadly, you have been abandoned.”

The ones left behind were Walm, immobile injured, and Ayane, one of the Three Heroes.

Walm cast his gaze down at Ayane, who had fallen beneath him. Her chest was moving; she was still breathing.

Soon, soldiers in familiar gear rushed into the medical tent. They cautiously pointed their spears at Walm, dressed as a Felius soldier, but did not advance.

“Wait! I am Walm of the Reglia Battalion, Duwey Squad. I took the equipment of a Felius soldier to create confusion among the enemy. I won’t ask you to lower your spears until your doubts are cleared, but I do not wish to be killed by friendly forces.”

Walm, prepared for his words to be dismissed as the ramblings of a desperate soldier, saw the troops exchange glances and then call out beyond the medical tent.

“Platoon Leader!! The ‘Demon Fire’ user, Walm is alive!”

The one who hurried over was a platoon leader, far higher in rank than Walm.

The platoon leader nodded and lowered his spear aimed at Walm.

“Lord Gerald announced to the assault troops, ‘Reclaim the rampart and reward the solitary struggle of the Hellfire Beacon.’ Our squad is honored to be first.”

The platoon leader smiled, extended his hand, and Walm reciprocated.

“Thank you.”

“The sixth rampart has fallen, and we are currently encircling the troops stuck at the front line. The situation is precarious, but if it continues like this, a grand victory is certain, and then it’s our turn to work.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear… And about the prisoners, those here are precious healing magic users, one of whom is a renowned member of the Three Heroes.”

Realizing Walm’s intention, the platoon leader beamed. The Highserk Empire’s army loved to secure human resources. Especially if it was a magic user who could heal even limb loss, exploitation was inevitable.

“That will please the Lord Gerald! Leave the Yaqui Squad here to guard Walm and the prisoners. The rest will join me in clearing the remaining enemies in the rampart. Let no one escape!!”

The platoon leader left the medical tent with Walm and a squad.

As the tension eased, Walm sat down.

“Are you okay? Do you need water?”

One of the soldiers offered Walm a water bottle. He opened the cap and poured water into his mouth. Feeling the water flow into his stomach, Walm let out a breath.

“Do you want a smoke?”

The soldier then took out a cigarette from his pocket.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

Walm took the cigarette and put it in his mouth, but with his magic depleted, he couldn’t produce fire.

“Out of magic, huh? I wanted to see the famous ‘Demon Fire,’ but you’ll have to make do with mine.”

The man said so, channeled his magic, and manifested fire.

“Thanks. When my magic returns, I’ll show you as much as you want.”

Smoke flowed from the lit cigarette, filling Walm’s lungs slowly. The exhaled purple smoke dispersed into the void.

As fatigue overwhelmed him, Walm’s consciousness faded without warning.