The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth-Chapter 455: Toward Pharel
“Xeck-Mut sighted ahead!”
“Deploy small golem units! Activate large-scale shields! Establish the first stronghold!”
Thud! Thud!! THUD!!!
Wingel Hart yanked the cockpit lever with all his might, his heart pounding furiously. All around him, the Tarak surged toward Ascalon. Gripping the controls, he swung the colossus’s massive sword with everything he had.
Splatter—!!
BOOM...!!
When struck by the massive blade, the Tarak burst into viscous liquid that dissolved into nothing.
“What the...?!”
Wingel was taken aback by the hissing steam rising from his blade, which looked like it was starting to corrode.
“Ghrrr...!!”
The sticky substance coalesced back into black hellhounds that growled menacingly at Ascalon.
“Installation complete!”
“Deploying defensive shields!”
ZZZZAAAAAAANG...!!!
At that moment, the smaller golems surrounding Ascalon drove massive stakes into the ground with their arm-mounted pile drivers. A surge of mana erupted, forming a barrier of crackling current between the stakes—a protective wall resembling a net.
Bang! Crackle! Zap—!
When the hellhounds lunged at the electric barrier, their bodies sparked and charred, releasing an acrid stench into the air. Yet despite the severe damage, the creatures pressed on, as though they felt no pain.
“What the hell are these things...?” Wingel muttered in disbelief, his expression contorting with a mix of dread and disgust.
“Damn it, I really wasn’t built for battle...”
With a frustrated sigh, he bit his lip. It was too late for regrets. Only he and Karyl could pilot Ascalon, the relic of the Magical Era.
No matter how he felt about battle, Wingel had no choice but to fight.
“Heavy golems! Prepare ground-to-ground bombardment!” he cried out, his voice growing hoarse.
Behind the magic barrier, heavily armored golems armed with cannons on their shoulders dropped to one knee and pushed the barrels through the gaps in the barrier.
“Fireeeee...!!”
ZZZAAAAANG...!!
BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM—!!
Magical energy surged forth as the cannons fired at the advancing horde. The monsters were blessed apart, their remains scattering everywhere.
Glorp... Squelch... Glorp...
At first, the lingering fluids coalesced into new creatures—just like before—but the unrelenting bombardment soon broke the cycle. The sludge lost its cohesion, splattering harmlessly against the barrier’s base.
“It’s working!”
“Good! Keep mowing them down!”
The pilots of the heavy golems roared triumphantly as they leveled up the intensity.
Explosions erupted across the battlefield, the accumulating ichor forming ever-growing pools beneath the barrier.
“...Huh?”
One of the smaller golems holding the barrier faltered.
The bodies of the Tarak, numbering in the thousands and tens of thousands, had piled up so high that they were nearly level with the barrier. The golems strained desperately under the growing weight of the viscous remains.
“Cease fire! The corpses could overflow and spill past the barrier!”
“The other ones are climbing over the corpses! If they breach the barrier, the golems will be overwhelmed!”
“Shit!”
The pilots were at a loss. Keep attacking or halt—either way, they were in deep trouble.
Creeeaaaak...
Suddenly, the viscous liquid at the base of the barrier solidified in an instant.
“Kyaaaak! Kreeeaak...!!”
“GRRRRR...!!”
As if mocking their efforts, the Tarak used the hardened ichor as steps, scrambling up the makeshift stairs to breach the barrier.
“Magical artillery corps, now!”
ZZAAPP—!
FWOOOOSH...!!
At Wingel’s shout, searing flames burst forth and engulfed the area around the golems. The hardened ichor shattered under the intense heat, crumbling into ash.
“Skreeee...!!”
“Kaaahh...!!”
Ghastly screeches rang out across the battlefield. The flames seemed to be holding back the creatures, though it wouldn’t be for long.
It was chilling. These were supposed to be mindless monsters, yet their tactics were disturbingly clever. Even as the flames scorched the ichor on the ground, the Tarak pressed forward, clambering over their fallen kin without any hesitation.
“Damn it, this is endless... Forget bringing Pharel down. At this rate, we won’t even get close...” Wingel muttered bitterly, swinging Ascalon’s massive sword with all his strength.
When he had boldly hurled the Aegis at Pharel, he hadn’t imagined he would be bogged down like this.
“This isn’t over. We can’t let Revol’s sacrifice go to waste! Golem system, engage!”
A large control panel appeared before Wingel, glowing faintly. His hands moved swiftly, fingers dancing across the interface as if playing an instrument.
[Mana Charge Level: 55%]
[Minimum threshold reached. Core transformation initiated.]
Click—
As the system activated, the armor plating on the heavy golems detached from their frames and reassembled along the edge of Ascalon’s massive sword. Each piece locked into place like razor-sharp teeth, forming a rotating, saw-like blade.
Whirrrrrrrr...!!
With a press of a lever, the saw-teeth along the blade spun to life with a deafening roar.
SLASH!!! KRRRRRR—!!!
Swinging the transformed blade horizontally, Ascalon cleaved through the Tarak, scattering their shattered remains in all directions.
“Drop the barrier!”
At his command, the smaller golems retracted the stakes to undo the electric barrier. In the opening that followed, Ascalon leapt forward, stomping down with a resounding crash.
“Ugh!” Wingel grunted as the colossus’s movements shook the battlefield, splattering Tarak remains everywhere.
But despite Ascalon’s ferocious display of power, the Tarak kept swarming—like bloodhounds circling a bear.
But then—
BOOM! BOOM!! BOOOOOM—!!! 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
Explosions erupted across the battlefield. From the sky, beams of radiant light pierced the darkness, cutting through the hordes of Tarak like divine swords.
“...What in the world?” Wingel gasped, his grip tightening on the controls.
A massive, radiant figure descended. Clad in blazing golden armor, the silhouette glowed like a sun.
“The reinforcements have arrived!”
A voice thundered through the comms, its authority unmistakable.
“Who...?” Wingel murmured, before realization dawned.
The Second Vanguard had arrived, heralding a new wave of destruction against Pharel’s monstrous defenses.
As the beams of radiant light struck the ground, they ignited ferociously, incinerating the Tarak. Unlike the golem’s mana projectiles, which merely burst the creatures apart, the light swallowed them whole, vaporizing them into nothingness.
“Wingel, those are Morax’s hounds,” a voice called from above. “Unless you kill the ones controlling them, no matter how many you destroy, they’ll keep coming back.”
“...?!”
Wingel snapped his head upward at the sound of the voice. A colossal black shadow obscured the sky, slowly circling above.
Clank! Whirrrrr!!!
“Sky Fortress artillery recharged!”
The massive fortress’s mounted cannons let loose another barrage, beams of light raining down upon the battlefield.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions rippled through the hordes of hounds, vaporizing scores of them. In the chaos, a figure descended on a crimson-scaled dragon.
“My lord.”
Landing on Ascalon’s shoulder, Karyl pointed toward a cluster in the distance.
“There. That’s where Morax is.”
There were four radiant beings clad in dazzling, golden armor, standing as sentinels before Pharel’s gates.
“Those creatures are commanding these monsters?”
Their association with the grotesque Tarak seemed incongruous with their angelic appearance. Each time one of the four raised a massive horn and sounded it, the shattered hounds reformed and rose once more.
“In the end, light and darkness are two sides of the same coin,” Karyl remarked, his voice low. “Don’t let their appearances fool you. Inside those gleaming helmets are horrors that would make anyone recoil. One look, and you’ll understand why they’re among the mightiest Tarak, alongside Malek.”
“Just imagining it makes me sick.”
“To bring down Pharel, we have to cut them down,” Karyl said firmly, placing a hand on Ascalon’s shoulder plate.
“Wingel, advance.”
"But the hounds..."
“Don’t worry. The path will be cleared.”
***
VVVROOOOMMM...!!!
The cannons on the Sky Fortress roared to life, their barrels aimed downward. Waves of light crashed into the battlefield, obliterating the hounds swarming toward Ascalon.
“Grrrrk...!”
Despite the relentless bombardment, the hounds kept regenerating, clawing their way toward Ascalon with dogged persistence. Each step the colossus took was met with the squelching of viscous, sticky ichor clinging to its legs.
“This is incredible... If the approach to the gates is this bad, then you’re right. Yula never intended for humans to claim victory.”
Allen Javius swung his dark staff, smashing hounds with precise strikes, his voice tinged with exhaustion and irritation.
“Victory? Maybe. But she didn’t necessarily want it to be our victory.”
“You’re talking about the Nephilim, aren’t you?”
“Exactly. To her, it doesn’t matter who inhabits this place. From the Mythical Age to the Magical Era, we humans are just... replaceable pieces to her.”
“Damn it... Hearing it out loud makes it worse.” Allen gritted his teeth, frowning deeply.
“So, how do we deal with these things?”
Unlike Karyl and Allen, Wingel’s voice wavered with worry as he struggled to keep Ascalon moving.
“Dealing with these immortal hounds is quite the challenge,” Karyl admitted. “But don’t worry. They aren’t the only undying army on this battlefield.”
***
“...”
Standing atop the fortress, Kay Rothschild gazed impassively at the swarming hounds below.
“So many,” she murmured, her voice calm and detached.
“Haha, what’s wrong? Are you afraid?”
The mocking voice came from a towering figure beside her. The man’s imposing frame radiated tremendous power, his battle-scarred armor serving as proof of his countless battles.
“If you’re scared, little one, just stay up here. Leave the rest to me.”
She turned to him with a contemptuous glare and shook her head.
“Ascalon is about ten kilometers away from Pharel. The key is reaching the four sentinels guarding the midpoint first.”
“I’ll take the right flank,” declared Nain Darhon, slamming his staff against the floor of the Sky Fortress with a resonating clang.
Whoooosh...!
Thick black smoke erupted behind him, materializing into a horde of undead. Unlike the crude, bandaged forms from when he first created his army, these were now fully equipped warriors—armored knights, robed sorcerers, and more.
This was a proper army.
“There seem to be hundreds of thousands of hounds. How about we make this interesting? Let’s see who can clear the path first.”
“What?”
“As Karyl fights for the Divine Throne, so too must we determine who truly commands the dead. How about we settle this here?”
“You’re so childish,” Kay Rothschild muttered with an exasperated click of her tongue.
“Come on. Sounds like good fun,” Zarka Hochi cut in, clearly excited by the challenge.
“You must be the elf who controls those puppets. Good. I was starting to feel guilty about proposing this little contest,” Nain Darhon quipped, feigning magnanimity. “After all, your Rothschild family can barely manage a single undead puppet, while I command an entire army. The odds are totally unfair.”
“Need I remind you that we stand on an old battlefield? There’s plenty of corpses for me. Be it skeletons or undead, I can summon anything I need.”
“You are arrogant as they say,” Zarka mused, kneeling on one knee before Kay in a familiar gesture.
When Kay climbed onto his shoulder, Zarka casually waved a hand.
“Do you really need an entire army for these pests?”
“What?” Nain frowned.
Vmmm...! Vmmm!!!
The cannons of the Sky Fortress moved, taking aim toward Pharel and unleashing a barrage of light.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As radiant beams rained down, Zarka leaped effortlessly off the citadel, descending to the battlefield below.
“Kaaaargh!!!”
Landing on the head of a Tarak hound, Zarka crushed its skull beneath his heel.
“These creatures lack true life.”
He swung his arm in a wide arc, and the viscous slime clinging to the legs of Ascalon evaporated into nothingness.
“Who claims mastery of the undead yet chooses to spar with mere carrion? Laughable.”
Crunch!
Zarka seized the snarling hound by the jaws and twisted, his deathly aura surging around him. The other hounds froze in place, and some even began to tremble in fear.
“This is child’s play. I can handle this alone.”
