But even so, they did not regret joining the Kasim Mercenary Group in the slightest.
They had all resolved to accept death willingly.
‘I still have no regrets. For us, who were third-rate mercenaries, making it this far alone is something to be proud of.’
Just as the mercenaries were beginning to resign themselves, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Waaaaah!
Together with thunderous shouts, hundreds of knights were swarming into the central plaza like a hive of bees. Knights who had raised Aura Blades to their utmost on their longswords charged relentlessly toward the golems. At the same time, a voice believed to belong to the commander leading them resounded powerfully.
"Leave not a single golem standing; destroy them all. We must give the Kasim mercenaries a chance to face the dragon. Crossen Knight Order, charge!"
"Do not fall behind. The Duke Knights must prove on this field that they are in no way inferior to the Crossen Knight Order. Attack in unison!"
With the knights' charge as the signal, countless offensive spells poured down from their rear.
Boom-boom-boom-boom.
Most of them were aimed at the liches floating in the air. Two or three liches were struck directly by the attack magic and turned to ash.
Th-thud-thud.
If magical attacks capable of annihilating 6th-circle liches outright were being used, it meant the attackers were mages of at least a level surpassing the liches. The liches soon found themselves facing the same predicament the Kasim mercenaries had been in moments before. The barrage of firepower raining down upon them was beyond imagination. Under the baptism of countless offensive spells, the liches could not even muster the will to counterattack and were now forced to devote themselves entirely to defense.
"I-it worked."
At the unexpected reinforcements, the Kasim mercenaries completely forgot the situation that had had them cornered at a disadvantage. Regaining their strength, they now launched attacks without hesitation, as if venting their frustration at having been unable to fight back until now. At the very forefront, Kasim and Mitchell were unquestionably leading the charge.
Many eyes were focused on the Kasim mercenaries who continued their desperate struggle against the Ancient-class Red Dragon and his guardians. Of course, among them were Marquis Williams, commanding the Crossen Knight Order, and Crovitz, leading the Duke Knights. Though they stood facing each other with swords drawn, the gazes of the knights on both sides were fixed entirely upon the guardians and the Kasim mercenaries. As the situation grew progressively worse, the eyes of the two commanders naturally met.
In the face of Marquis Williams’s steady gaze, Crovitz reached a decision before long. Nodding almost imperceptibly as if to say he understood, Crovitz immediately let out a roar.
"Duke Knights, move out! We must support the Kasim Mercenary Group immediately."
At virtually the same moment, Marquis Williams also issued an order.
"We must not let the Red Dragon that dared target His Highness the Crown Prince’s life escape alive. Crossen Knights! From this moment, prove your valor to all the world."
Joining them was Philamones, the head of the court mages.
"Prove to the Red Dragon and the liches who invaded Felsenteen that the court mages of the Crossen Empire are by no means to be trifled with. Our duty is strictly to support the knights! I do not doubt for a moment that each of you clearly knows the task you must fulfill."
The moment his order fell, the court mages leaped into action together. Philamones was among them as well. Of course, the mages under Duke Pershutein were not standing idly by either.
"Assist the black mage."
No sooner had Duke Pershutein’s order been given than the mages leaped into action. By their momentum, it was clear they would have moved out even without the command. Watching them advance onto the battlefield, Duke Pershutein’s face was suffused with an indescribable light.
‘Thank you, black mage. I shall never forget this kindness.’
Because he had been able to escape a crisis that might have forced him to abandon his ambitions, Pershutein naturally had no choice but to express his gratitude to Daemon.
While he watched, the knights and mages of both sides were finally joining the fray. These two factions, who had repeatedly been at odds and in confrontation until now, faced a common enemy before them. Namely, the dragon—the mightiest foe in human history. Due to the unexpected reinforcements that had joined them, the situation was once again entering a new phase.
Crack.
A Bronze Golem whose left leg had been smashed by Raindelf’s Giant Killer staggered and toppled over flat. Of course, that alone could not be considered a fatal wound to a Bronze Golem. Thanks to the unique characteristics of golems, the severed part was regenerating furiously. As long as its Life Stone remained intact, the Bronze Golem was a being that would rise endlessly like a roly-poly and resume its attacks. However.
Clank-clank-clank-clank.
After continuous dull metallic sounds rang out, the Bronze Golem stopped moving. Dozens of longswords had suddenly plunged into its torso while it was down. Every single one targeted an area where the Life Stone was likely to be. When one sword digging into its right flank pierced the Life Stone exactly, the Bronze Golem reverted to its original form—a lump of bronze. The Death Knights, who had been fiercely pressing the Bronze Golems, were startled.
"Wh-what?"
It was because hundreds of knights had suddenly wedged themselves among them. The knights attacked the Bronze Golems without hesitation. Though they were knights of skill far inferior to the Death Knights, they began to pour fierce attacks onto each Bronze Golem with dozens of men assigned to one. The numerical advantage that the Bronze Golems had enjoyed until now was now theirs.
"Uwaargh!"
Three or four knights struck by the Bronze Golem’s attack were sent flying, their bodies turned into bloody pulp. But the knights did not waver in the slightest and continued their encirclement assault. Due to the golem’s massive frame, it was difficult to inflict fatal wounds, but slash marks gradually multiplied across the Bronze Golem’s entire body. A single knight approached the Death Knights, who were bewildered by the unexpected turn of events.
"We will handle the golems. So please take care of the dragon."
A strange light flared up in Helvertron’s eye sockets.
"Human knights supporting Death Knights—now that’s a surprising thing indeed. But we have no means to attack the dragon. Because our only means, the Bone Dragon, has already been destroyed."
Before his words even ended, shouts from several people behind them rang out.
"Do not worry. We shall summon Phantom Steeds for you."
They turned their heads to see dozens of mages running toward them with determined expressions. Already, several Phantom Steeds were revealing themselves in the air. They seemed to be the mages’ handiwork. However, Helvertron silently shook his head.
"Phantom Steeds are insufficient. If the dragon casts Dispel, we will not be able to avoid plummeting from the sky."
At those words, one mage who looked advanced in years smiled softly.
"Do not worry. There are at least several hundred mages here capable of summoning Phantom Steeds. If they are dispelled, we shall summon them again. Though the dragon may be a 10th-circle master, Phantom Steeds will continue to appear until it kills us all."
"Then it might be worth a try."
The Death Knights regained their courage. With several hundred mages supporting them, there was nothing to fear. Had they not been beings who had lost their sense of fear from the very beginning? The Death Knights mounted Phantom Steeds without hesitation, choosing one each.
Whoosh.
The Phantom Steed carrying four Death Knights soared high into the sky. Behind them, uncountable Phantom Steeds revealed themselves and followed. Their purpose was to immediately fill the spot if one was dispelled.
"The thing I feared most has come to pass."
Verkis made a bitter expression. What he had feared most was precisely the organized attacks of humans. Individually, humans were weak beyond compare, but when they combined their strength, they displayed tremendous destructive power. It was a situation he had experienced several times in Truvenia, and because of that, even a being of Verkis’s caliber had suffered considerable humiliation. Had he not drawn the orcs in as collaborators for that very reason? No matter how powerful a dragon was, before the organized attacks of humans that swarmed no matter how many were killed, it would inevitably struggle. To escape such a situation, he had planned to commit overwhelming force from the start, finish everything in one blow, and withdraw; but unfortunately, his scheme had gone awry. Humans had escaped their panic faster than expected, and the prowess of the Death Knights and mercenaries exceeded what Verkis had imagined. More important than anything was Daemon’s movements. Having poured repeated attacks intending to kill him as quickly as possible, the bastard had evaded his assaults for nearly ten minutes with astonishing reflexes and combat experience.
"I had thought one minute would be sufficient from the very beginning…."
Signals were repeatedly transmitted into Verkis’s mind as he muttered silently. They were precisely the signals of the liches connected to him through spirit links being destroyed one after another. Liches who had each risen to the level of 6th-circle masters. If they were being annihilated continuously like this, it meant that at least one practitioner surpassing the 6th-circle was positioned among the human mages. Realizing this fact, Verkis issued an order to Gedenhide.
"You step forward. Even the strongest among the human mages will be below your level. We cannot afford to lose the liches so futilely."
"Understood."
Gedenhide leaped into action without hesitation. Watching him, Verkis felt his mind ease somewhat. If Gedenhide, a 9th-circle expert, joined in, the liches would no longer be pushed back. In a magical duel, what mattered most was not numbers but level. The results of his probing showed that the strongest among the human mages was at best merely an 8th-circle expert, and if Gedenhide stepped in, the balance of power would undoubtedly be completely reversed. Even if several hundred mages rushed him all at once, they could not handle Gedenhide alone. That was precisely the difference in magical levels.
"I must quickly settle the situation and withdraw."
He turned his head and caught sight of four Death Knights taking flight mounted on Phantom Steeds. Seeing the uncountable Phantom Steeds following behind them, it seemed unlikely that Dispel of any ordinary level would work.
The Bronze Golems that had been blocking the Death Knights were now surrounded by numerous human knights, fighting a fierce bloody battle. Countless knights’ corpses were strewn about the surroundings, but proportionally, the golems were also being destroyed one by one.
In the sky above, Kartroy was engaged in a fierce aerial battle, mixed together with an Iron Golem. Fitting for a dragon of the mightiest race, Kartroy’s attacks were devastating. But the Iron Golem he faced was also by no means an easy opponent. The two exchanged offensive and defensive blows to such a degree that it was impossible to rashly guess which held the advantage. At that sight, Verkis furrowed his brow.
"To think that because of that foolish wretch, I cannot commit my strongest Iron Golem…."
But Verkis did not think the situation was too pessimistic.
"After all, if I simply kill him, the Death Knights will naturally perish."
Boom-boom-boom-boom.
A massive ball of fire soared up from Verkis’s hand. It was his trademark Fireball. Of course, it was a devastating offensive magic whose level could not even be compared to an ordinary Fireball. Since his opponent was already clearly locked on by detection magic, if fired, the Fireball would undoubtedly chase him to the ends of the earth and reduce him to a handful of ash.
Daemon stood firm without moving, gathering mana. There was no telling what magic he was preparing, but it was not something Verkis needed to concern himself with from the very beginning.
With an expression of ridicule, Verkis unleashed the Fireball.
"This ends now. Though I have lost many golems and liches, recovering Incresia is enough to satisfy me."
The Fireball he unleashed trailed thick sparks as it plunged down in a straight line.
Fwoooooosh.
As long as detection magic was cast on him, even if he died and revived a hundred times, the Fireball would
He could not dodge it. A faint smile crept onto Verkis’s lips.
“Do not even think of blocking it. This Fireball can mercilessly destroy even a Shield cast by a dragon.”
There had been no possibility of the fellow dodging it from the start. And there was no way an opponent who was merely a Master of the Ninth Circle would have the ability to block a Fireball, so Verkis assumed the situation would soon be settled. Just as he had expected, the Fireball struck Damon squarely.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
With a tremendous explosion, fragments scattered in every direction. The explosive force of the magic was so great that the debris flung outward simply evaporated. It was unthinkable that anyone could remain unharmed beneath such a blast. At such high temperatures, where stone evaporated before it even had time to melt, a human body would surely be reduced to nothingness… And yet, something utterly unbelievable was happening here. Verkis, who had been watching at ease, opened his eyes wide enough to tear.
“Wh-what…?”
Amazingly, his opponent had not disappeared. In the place where the tremendous explosion of flame had raked through, in the middle of a vast crater where lava formed from melted stone bubbled and boiled, his opponent stood calmly, looking up at him. For Verkis, it was a scene he truly could not comprehend.
“How could this be…? Could it be an Illusion?”
The moment the thought crossed his mind, Verkis waved his hand. Though he believed it impossible, out of concern he cast Dispel once. As expected, the Dispel was deployed, but the opponent’s form did not vanish. Moreover, if it had been an Illusion, there was no way it would have been caught by detection magic in the first place, so Verkis shook his head as though he could not understand.
“Wh-what on earth is going on?”
With a smile on his lips, Damon was staring fixedly at Verkis. As before, mana continued to gather around him.
“It’s done.”
Watching the scene, Damon straightened his back. Just as expected, Verkis, who had never encountered sorcery, was now racking his brains over Damon’s double. No matter how much Verkis was a sovereign of magic, there was no way he could immediately grasp the sorcery of another world, utterly different in nature. The Clone Technique, one of the representative arts of Central Plains sorcery, had allowed Damon to slip from Verkis’s attention, if only for a moment. Of course, Verkis’s detection magic was still fixed on Damon’s double.
Before him, Zikrate was gradually regaining his original form. Damon was pouring every last drop of the dark mana stored in his dantian into regenerating Zikrate. Even if it had been reduced to a battered wreck, a Bone Dragon, being undead, could always return to its original form as long as its dark mana was replenished. It was somewhat insufficient mana to revive Russellent, half of whose body had been blown away, but it was enough to regenerate the comparatively smaller Zikrate.
Pa-pa-pa-pat!
The scattered fragments of dragon bone flew in and were absorbed into Zikrate’s body, and the wings that had been torn off were firmly fixed back onto his shoulder blades as well. As the price, however, the dark mana stored in Damon’s dantian was completely exhausted. Having recovered most of his fighting power in an instant, Zikrate raised his head and roared.
Kwa-ru-ru-ru-ru!
Damon did not miss the moment and climbed onto Zikrate. With that roar just now, Verkis must have identified his position. For now, he had to do his utmost to escape the fellow’s attack range. Only then could the Death Knights continue their assault without being annihilated. As if he had grasped the situation, a furious voice rang out from the air.
“You bastard. To think you dared deceive me…”
At the same time, mana around Damon rearranged itself violently. It was the sign of magic taking form. But Damon did not so much as twitch an eyebrow as he launched Zikrate into the air.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
All sorts of offensive spells came crashing down around Zikrate as he shot upward with fierce momentum. Some struck him directly, but fortunately Zikrate remained intact. Thanks to the replenishment of dark mana, the anti-magic defensive array was operating normally, and because Verkis had cast the attack spells hastily, their power was not that great. Damon, too, had quickly taken refuge beneath Zikrate’s torso, avoiding being struck by the magic. Once the wave of magical attacks had passed, Damon climbed back onto Zikrate’s neck. His eyes gleamed sharply, as though he had resolved upon something.
“There is only one thing I can do in this state.”
Damon drove Zikrate into a rapid dive. An aura that seemed to be detection magic locked precisely onto Zikrate, but Damon paid it no mind at all. As long as he himself was not detected, there was nothing to worry about.
Swae-ae-ae-aek!
The revived Bone Dragon Zikrate began low-altitude flight at terrifying speed.
“Damn it…”
Verkis ground his teeth. Although he had fixed his detection magic onto the Bone Dragon, he lacked the time to launch an attack. This time, the circumstances were somewhat different from before. He had been able to incapacitate Russellent with a single blow because he had taken ample time to rearrange mana and create a powerful Fireball. That was why he had been able to destroy Russellent, who had an anti-magic defensive array installed, in one strike. But this time, he had no such time. The Death Knights charged at him again and again with ominous momentum. From their longswords emanated Aura Blades capable of splitting his scales in a single strike.
To destroy Zikrate while his anti-magic defensive field was active, he needed time to rearrange mana, and the Death Knights would not obediently grant him that time. In the current situation, he had to deal with the Death Knights first. Nor could he dare ignore the Phantom Steeds following behind them. Dispelling that many Phantom Steeds one by one would be an enormously troublesome task even for a dragon. But that applied only to ordinary dragons, and Verkis had already surpassed the category of ordinary dragons. Having decided to deal with the Death Knights first, Verkis hurriedly rearranged his mana.
“To wipe out all those Phantom Steeds, I’ll have to cast Dispel over the entire airspace. It will affect the Iron Golems and Liches as well, but it can’t be helped.”
The magic manifested in an instant. He had already gathered as much mana as possible for an attack. A shining sphere of light formed in Verkis’s hand, then immediately transformed into a terrifying wave of light and spread out in all directions.
Pats-ts-ts-ts!
The light shot from the sphere completely covered the air in an instant. It was almost simultaneous, but as a result, the Phantom Steeds that had filled the sky vanished without a trace. The same was true of the Phantom Steeds carrying the Death Knights.
“Huk.”
The Death Knights’ bodies immediately began to plummet from the distant sky. If they slammed into the ground from this height, there was no way they could survive, Death Knights though they were.
It was not only the Phantom Steeds that were affected by Verkis’s wide-range Dispel. The bodies of the Liches, who had been exchanging attacks in midair, suddenly began to plunge toward the ground. The levitation magic that had kept them aloft had been shattered by the Dispel.
Thud!
Though they were flung to the ground, the Liches immediately rose. The advantage of the undead was precisely that ordinary impacts did not damage them. However, they could not prevent the dozens of spears and swords flying toward them. The knights who had been waiting launched their attack without missing the moment.
Peo-peo-peok!
The unlucky Liches failed to evade the assault, and their main bodies were pierced through, meeting the fate of annihilation.
The Iron Golem fighting Katroi likewise could not escape the fate of falling from the air as its levitation magic was dispelled. Because it was magic cast from the outside, the levitation magic circle whose balance had been broken lost its effect, and the Iron Golem, which had boasted terrifying power, endlessly plummeted while flailing its arms and legs. Realizing the reason, a triumphant smile appeared in Katroi’s eyes.
“You wretch! I’ll finish you off for good.”
Folding his wings, Katroi began to descend just as he was. His intention was to add his own weight to the Iron Golem and strike it with the impact.
Crack!
The dragon’s hard claws firmly seized both of the Iron Golem’s shoulders. In that state, Katroi plunged toward the earth at terrifying speed. If it fell from this height, there was no way the life stone embedded inside the Iron Golem’s body would remain intact. Trusting in that alone, Katroi chose a stone-covered patch of ground and ruthlessly drove it down.
Parrrr.
As he approached the earth, Katroi spread his wings wide and at the same time released the Iron Golem. The place he had targeted was an area strewn with broken statues. Just as Katroi intended, the Iron Golem struck that spot head-on.
Kwa-ru-reung!
With a thunderous roar, the Iron Golem’s massive body burrowed deep into the ground. A cloud of dust rose up, hiding the deeply gouged crater. Katroi, on the other hand, was able to barely soar back up. His belly had brushed lightly against the ground, so in short, he had avoided crashing into the earth by a hair’s breadth. Having flown upward, Katroi immediately cast Tornado.
Hwi-yu-u-ung!
A whirlwind that sprang up out of nowhere instantly blew away the dust cloud covering the crater. Katroi was soon able to spot the Iron Golem sprawled at the center of a crater nearly thirty meters in diameter. As if by some stroke of luck its life stone had not shattered, the Iron Golem was struggling repeatedly to rise. However, since most of its body was buried underground, even an Iron Golem of tremendous strength seemed unlikely to escape easily. Katroi charged toward the Iron Golem as if there was nothing to think about.
“This time, I’ll end you for certain.”
Opening his mouth wide, Katroi rushed straight at the Iron Golem. Within his gaping maw, sharp molars gleamed.
“Huk.”
Philamones’s eyes opened wide enough to tear. It happened after he saw a Lich plummeting toward him. Around the Lich, an amount of mana that looked terrifying at a glance was being rearranged. Since he could not even discern its level, the Lich was surely a mage far above him. Realizing that this was not an opponent he could possibly withstand, Philamones shouted like a thunderclap.
“E-everyone, get away!”
Beside him stood four Seventh Circle court mages, their faces stricken with panic. They, who had been freely annihilating Liches thanks to their superior magical level, now found themselves in a position where they would be annihilated instead. Given the nature of magic, in which everything was thoroughly decided by level, their lives could be said to be hanging by a thread. No matter how high-ranking a mage Philamones was, he had no way to block a magical attack from someone of a higher level than himself.
Phwahak!
But as if the heavens had helped him, a dazzling mass of light covered the air just in time, and the Lich, who had looked ready to pour magic down on Philamones at any moment, lost its balance and began to fall.
“Finish him!”
Seeing the knights rush into the place where the Lich was falling as though they had been waiting for it, Philamones let out a long sigh of relief.
“Th-that was fortunate.”
But the moment of relief did not last long. The Lich, who had seemed as though he would be skewered on the knights’ longswords at any moment, floated back into the air by the slimmest of margins. Befitting a mage of a high circle, he had rearranged the scattered mana in an instant.
Of course, the Lich’s true identity was Gedenhyde. He had targeted Philamones because he thought that if he subdued the leader of the human mages, the balance of the battle would be reversed. Yet while he had been attacking, Verkis’s Dispel had been cast at just the right moment, nearly causing him to be defeated before he barely escaped the crisis.
Dispel was magic that instantaneously returned rearranged mana to its original form, nullifying magic that had already manifested. Therefore, even immediately after a Dispel passed through, one could deploy magic again if one’s level was high enough. Naturally, Gedenhyde, an Expert of the Ninth Circle, had more than enough ability to do so. From his hand, a fierce discharge of light soon began.
“Kekeke. You brats. I’ll turn you neatly into mummies with my trademark—Horrid Wilting.”
At the sight, Philamones’s complexion turned deathly blue.
“H-Horrid Wilting is a 9th Circle spell…”
There was no way for him to block Horrid Wilting. The same would be true even if every mage around him joined forces to defend. It was an immutable truth of magic that even a hundred 7th Circle mages could not stop a single 8th Circle spell. Philamones’s face darkened in an instant.
“I-It’s over.”
In Philamones’s mind, he could already see himself becoming a mummy and crumbling to dust. But before Horrid Wilting could fully manifest, an enormous shadow fell over Gedenhide.
“Hurk.”
Gedenhide hastily threw himself aside without even being able to release the completed Horrid Wilting.
Churrrr.
A huge set of teeth grazed past his body by a hair’s breadth. They were the fangs gleaming in the bone dragon’s wide-open maw. Having failed its attack, the bone dragon wheeled through the air and swooped down on Gedenhide once more. From atop the bone dragon’s back, a clear laugh rang out.
“Kekeke. It’s been a while, Gedenhide. You should play with someone on your own level. What are you doing fooling around with children?”
At those words, every trace of laughter vanished from Gedenhide’s face. In this situation, he had run into the one opponent he could not help but fear most. Gedenhide, a 9th Circle Expert, could never face Damon, a 9th Circle Master, even if he died and came back to life. This time, it was Gedenhide who had been put in the very same situation Philamones had faced moments ago.
“A-a child?”
Philamones’s face twisted miserably at suddenly having been reduced to a child. But before a 9th Circle Master and Expert, he had no choice but to be a child through and through. Even if one considered the difference in age, for that matter.
“Damn it.”
Having lost his will to fight in an instant, Gedenhide immediately decided to flee.
Flash, flash.
Unleashing Blink in rapid succession, Gedenhide escaped from the spot and began to soar upward. The thought that he had to eliminate Philamones had already vanished completely from his mind. But before he could get far, Damon’s thick voice rang out.
“You’ve experienced it once before, and yet you still underestimate the power of my Magic Missile.”
Before his words had even ended, a barrage of Magic Missiles flew in and burst across Gedenhide’s entire body.
Thud-thud-thud.
He had his Shield deployed, but the impact was no small thing. Flustered, Gedenhide cast Blink again. However, the moment he reappeared, the incoming Magic Missiles were already drilling accurately into his abdomen. As a lich, he had no possibility from the start of dodging attacks with nimble movements as Damon did.
Thud-thud-thud.
Just as he had five hundred years ago, Gedenhide once again found himself dancing wildly in midair. Seizing that opening, a Hell Fire came flying in and struck his body squarely. Needless to say, it was a Hell Fire fired by Damon.
Fwoosh.
As Gedenhide crumbled into ash, a light of incomprehension lingered in his pupils.
‘That bastard Damon endured for a full ten minutes in Lord Verkis’s grasp. Yet how is it that I cannot last even ten seconds? Is the difference between a Master and an Expert truly that great?’
Leaving behind that single question, Gedenhide’s main body vanished. But Damon did not watch the sight. He had already taken flight again and begun launching attacks on the remaining liches. In the current situation, the only one who could neutralize the liches most easily was Damon. To Damon, a 9th Circle Master, liches on the level of the 6th Circle were nothing more than a meal no matter how many there were. It was the method Damon had chosen to effectively cut off Verkis’s hands and feet.
Krrrraaaar!
Zicrate swooped down on the liches that were just beginning to fly upward. The startled liches scattered in all directions, but one unfortunate lich was caught in Zicrate’s gaping jaws.
Crrrunch.
Zicrate’s teeth, harder than steel, crushed the lich’s body without leaving a trace. Immediately afterward, the Energy Cannons unleashed from Damon’s hands struck the remaining liches squarely. Energy Cannon, an offensive spell on the level of the 7th Circle, lightly pierced through their deployed Shields and penetrated the liches’ bodies in one blow.
Boom.
The liches that had barely escaped the bone dragon’s teeth were, unfortunately, being reduced to ash and scattered by Damon’s attacks.
The Death Knights managed, by a hair’s breadth, to avoid the fate of plunging headfirst into the earth. It was because the mages, having just barely regained their senses, summoned Phantom Steeds for them once more. Seeing the Phantom Steeds appear at precisely that perilous moment allowed the Death Knights to breathe a little easier.
“That’s a relief.”
Helbertron, who had been falling in a daze, aimed for the back of one of the Phantom Steeds and landed.
Boom.
The Phantom Steed, struck by the tremendous impact on its back, shattered on the spot. The elements composing the Phantom Steed scattered, and its remnants plummeted toward the ground. It had been unable to withstand the weight of a Death Knight falling at such terrifying speed.
But Helbertron’s body was not among the falling remnants of the Phantom Steed. The instant the Phantom Steed’s body crumbled, he had nimbly thrown himself onto another Phantom Steed. Fortunately, this Phantom Steed managed to bear his weight without much difficulty.
Turning his head, Helbertron saw his comrades escaping danger in similar fashion. Each and every one of them was a highly skilled warrior, so they were able to get out of danger without great difficulty.
“You damned bastard. I’ll chase you to the ends of hell if I must and finish you off.”
Helbertron began to rise into the air, his eyes blazing thickly. The remaining Death Knights immediately followed after him. However, there were only a few Phantom Steeds following them. There were many mages, but not many were capable of gathering once-scattered mana again in such a short time. As a result, the Phantom Steeds were all forced to vanish completely with the next Dispel from Verkis.
“Grrr!”
The Death Knights were once again fated to flail their arms and legs as they fell. The mages who had barely managed to summon them had no strength left to summon any more Phantom Steeds.