The light extending from Kaor's sword was unmistakably an Aura Blade.
"Huh?"
Even its creator wore a baffled expression.
The spectators all gaped, their jaws dropping.
Even the stoic Gillian was no exception. Belinda put a hand to her forehead.
Kaor, reaching the realm of a superhuman? And declaring, boldly, that it was because he wanted to play around?
Could his resolve to live freely be so firm that it created a world of its own?
Alpoi muttered with a blank expression.
"Wow... is living without a care in the world his 'world'?"
It was so absurd that he couldn't even bring himself to curse.
How resolute could a determination to live thoughtlessly be, for it to break through the limits of human capability?
Alpoi also liked to play, but not to such an extreme. Though he seemed similar to Kaor, Alpoi deeply desired wealth and fame.
Kaor, staring at the Aura Blade emanating from his sword, mumbled to himself.
"This works?"
Could this really be possible?
He checked multiple times, wondering if it was a dream, but it was indeed an Aura Blade.
Something that had only accidentally appeared once before had finally been summoned again. Now, he even knew how to summon it at will.
Kaor's face lit up with joy, and he burst into raucous laughter.
"Ha, ha-ha-ha-ha! I'm a superhuman! I am a Swordmaster!"
The only difference from other superhumans was that the Aura Blade's hue was slightly less vivid. It seemed a bit lacking in some way, but still, it was a significant achievement.
What mattered was that he had shed his anxieties and stepped into the realm of superhumans.
And as he crossed the wall, he realized what kind of world he had created.
"Let's enjoy today."
Living in the moment.
That was his world.
Kaor, with a fierce grin, began walking forward.
He was covered in wounds and utterly exhausted. His body was so drained that the Aura Blade flickered weakly.
Still, an unprecedented confidence surged through him.
The priest's face stiffened.
"This brat…"
What infuriated the priest more than Kaor's ascension was the shattering of his own teaching philosophy.
He had no choice but to kill him, to prove his beliefs were right.
The two clashed again.
Boom!
Both were exhausted, and their strikes lacked the ferocity they'd had earlier. Still, the priest held a slight edge.
Kaor had only just become a superhuman and was in a worse state due to his injuries.
But he was no longer being completely overpowered like before. As a superhuman, Kaor could now keep up with the priest's tempo.
Despite his fatigue, Kaor's skills, honed through real combat, were superior to the priest's.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At this point, it was impossible to tell who would win. The crowd watched the fight with bated breath.
Especially those who had placed bets—they openly wore thrilled expressions.
Boom!
The priest's powerful punch was blocked by Kaor's sword. The flickering Aura Blade seemed on the verge of vanishing.
The priest, his face contorted, spoke through heavy breaths.
"Haah, haah… You might've somehow reached the superhuman realm, but you won't last much longer."
Kaor's sword began to waver under the priest's pressure. The priest was still in slightly better condition.
Gathering his remaining energy into his opposite fist, the priest prepared to strike.
His opponent looked too weak to dodge. This punch would end it, crushing Kaor's skull.
At that moment, Kaor's eyes flashed as he spoke suddenly.
"Double attack power."
He released his grip on the sword with one hand and drew another blade hanging from his waist.
That sword, too, was enveloped in a blue Aura Blade.
Slash!
The blade flashed like lightning, slicing through the priest's neck. Exhausted from the prolonged fight, the priest couldn't even react.
"That… wasn't a spare sword…"
The priest collapsed, spewing blood, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Thud!
Even in death, the priest's expression conveyed his lack of understanding.
Was he really killed by someone whose 'world' was to live without a care?
That was the priest's final thought.
"Haah, haah…"
Kaor, panting heavily, stared down at the priest's lifeless body and muttered.
"I've always used dual swords."
He had deliberately kept his trump card hidden. To face a superhuman, you needed a secret weapon.
The exhausted priest had been unable to evade the surprise attack. Lacking the skill, he didn't even have time to respond.
Kaor, still catching his breath, looked up at the sky.
Finally, finally, he had reached the realm of superhumans, a goal he had yearned for.
"Aaaahhh!"
Overwhelmed with joy, he shouted at the top of his lungs. The crowd, too, erupted into cheers and rushed toward Kaor.
"Whoa! Kaor became a superhuman!"
"There's another Swordmaster among us!"
"Damn! The world's gone mad!"
The knights were the first to rush over, lifting Kaor into the air and tossing him up in celebration.
"Ha-ha-ha! Cough! Hack!"
Kaor coughed up blood every time he was thrown into the air. Startled, the knights backed away to avoid the splattering blood, causing Kaor to crash to the ground. His eyes rolled back as he continued to cough up blood.
"Out of the way!"
Piote rushed forward, pouring holy power into Kaor's body. Only then did the priest's lingering energy dissipate, and his wounds began to heal.
Kaor, feeling a bit better, slowly raised his hand and stared at it.
"This isn't a dream, right? Heh-heh-heh…"
"It's not a dream. Congratulations."
At Piote's words, Kaor kept laughing.
As soon as his depleted strength returned, Kaor stood up. He had something he desperately wanted to do now that he was a superhuman.
Staggering, he walked over to Gillian. Straightening his back, he stood before him.
"See that? Huh? I'm a superhuman too. Don't ignore me anymore. I can take you down anytime. If you want to fight, bring it on."
His provocative gaze was that of a brawling dog.
"…."
Gillian said nothing.
Kaor smirked and turned away.
He had expected that reaction. Gillian always treated him with indifference, like a cow staring at a chicken.
But then.
Gillian's voice came from behind him.
"Congratulations. You did well."
"Huh?"
Kaor's eyes widened as he turned around.
Gillian smiled faintly and continued.
"The lord… no, the Grand Duke, will be pleased to hear this."
He patted Kaor's shoulder lightly and walked past him.
"The duel is over! Prepare to move out! Everyone, get ready!"
At Gillian's words, everyone quickly got into formation.
Belinda walked past the dazed Kaor, smiling.
"Still want to play around? Well, one's world is theirs to know."
Dragging her hammer, Elena gave him a thumbs-up.
"That was awesome. Thanks to you, I made some money… uh, I mean, congratulations."
Claude spoke with a pompous expression.
"If you get cocky because you're a superhuman now, you know what'll happen, right? Military law. Still, congrats. Our unit is stronger now, so that's good."
Everyone had something to say to Kaor.
"Didn't think I'd see this day."
"Wow, I thought our captain would never reach the superhuman realm."
"Lucky you, becoming a superhuman."
They were envious, but they were also genuinely happy for him. Kaor's achievement gave them hope that they, too, could reach such heights.
Only one person.
"Tch, so annoying."
Alpoi glared at him before walking off.
Kaor said nothing. He merely stared blankly at the backs of those passing by.
It made sense. It was the first time everyone had congratulated and praised him like this.
Scratching his head, Kaor turned and pouted slightly.
"Tch…"
It didn't feel bad. In fact, it felt quite good.
He wanted to experience this feeling more often in the future.
Tapping the ground lightly with his foot, Kaor mumbled to himself.
"Hmm, now that I'm a superhuman, maybe I should live with a little more dignity."
A new resolve began to take shape.
He wanted to live a little differently than before.
Still, if there was one resolution that hadn't changed,
It was to enjoy today.
He wanted everyone to live joyfully today.
***
"Waaaaaaah!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The 1st Corps, led by Count Bipenbelt, launched a fierce attack on the fortress.
Although the 1st Corps lacked siege weapons, they had ladders. As they had been stationed at the rear, they had various supplies on hand.
The cavalry dismounted, clinging to the ladders. Priests of the Salvation Church led the charge, unleashing their power without reservation.
As a result, the allied forces fell in droves with each skirmish.
Despite having the advantage of numbers and the fortress, the allied forces suffered far greater losses.
"Hold the line! We must endure! Reinforcements will arrive soon!"
Marquis Gidion shouted until his voice was hoarse, rallying his soldiers.
But his leadership had its limits. The allied forces were, after all, a coalition of soldiers from multiple kingdoms.
The longer the battle dragged on, the more disjointed their efforts became. The nobles leading each unit also had differing opinions.
Had they faced a lesser opponent, they wouldn't have been overwhelmed to this extent. But the difference in ability between Marquis Gidion and Count Bipenbelt was too great.
The only thing sustaining their resistance was their shared goal.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"The left flank has been breached!"
"Send reinforcements immediately!"
"Push them back!"
Even without siege weapons, the fortress was on the brink of collapse in just one day.
Without a superhuman among them, they had no way to counter the priests' wide-area attacks. The few catapults they had were the first targets, quickly destroyed.
As a result, the soldiers cowered inside the fortress, unable to venture out.
Only the allied forces' superior mage units allowed them to hold out at all.
Count Bipenbelt narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the fortress.
"We can take it by tomorrow."
It was impossible for the priests alone to face an army of nearly 50,000. They needed time to recover after expending so much energy.
The lack of siege weapons was also a significant problem. The only reason they were able to maintain pressure with just ladders was that their soldiers were far stronger than the allied troops.
When night fell, the Artrode forces retreated, preparing for an even fiercer attack the next day.
They needed to take and secure the fortress as quickly as possible. Doing so would make it easier to join up with other corps.
In the uncertain situation caused by Duke Fenris' unknown schemes, this was their best course of action.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Arghhhh!"
The fortress echoed with the screams of the allied forces.
Although their numbers allowed them to hold on, their ranks were rapidly thinning.
Marquis Gidion looked around in despair.
"To think there would be such a gap."
He had known the Artrode forces were strong, but they were far stronger than he'd anticipated. His massive army was completely outmatched.
Even without superhumans, he hadn't expected to be pushed back this easily.
Boom!
"Aaaaaagh!"
The screams were ceaseless. The Artrode forces climbed the ladders relentlessly, while the priests wreaked havoc.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Wherever the priests passed, hundreds of soldiers were wiped out in an instant. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Artrode forces swiftly ascended the walls.
The reserve troops hurried to respond, but they were cut down one by one.
It wasn't just the priests—the soldiers themselves were overwhelmingly superior. The knights had managed to hold their ground in close combat for now, but even they were reaching their limits.
Marquis Gidion's hands trembled.
"Is this the end…"
He doubted they could hold out until the day was over.
A fortress and an army of this size, reduced to merely one day of resistance against an enemy lacking siege weapons.
Boom!
The priests' black energy struck various parts of the fortress.
Marquis Gidion's eyes filled with blood.
"Ah… the enemy is too strong."
He had no way to change the tide with his abilities. The enemy had too many superhumans.
Even if they surrendered, the enemy wouldn't spare them. The only thing left was slaughter.
Marquis Gidion pressed his hands to his eyes. He couldn't bear it any longer.
Clang!
Drawing his sword, he gritted his teeth.
The allied forces, already rife with discord, were falling apart under the enemy's assault.
At this point, command no longer mattered. He resolved to fight himself, killing as many enemies as he could.
"Lord Yulian, forgive me for failing to serve you more."
With a grim determination, he shouted,
"Fight to the end! The enemy will not spare us! Kill as many of them as you can! Others will avenge us!"
Slash!
Marquis Gidion took to the walls himself, cutting down Artrode soldiers.
Seeing their commander in action, the allied forces rallied slightly. Knowing they would die, they resolved to resist to the bitter end.
Count Bipenbelt spoke with an emotionless expression.
"It's over now."
The priests had already broken through the main gate. Although the allied soldiers were blocking it with their bodies, they wouldn't hold for long.
Soon, the walls would fall as well. Then, the allied forces would be crushed from all sides with no escape.
From the sky, a priest scanning the battlefield noticed Marquis Gidion and narrowed his eyes.
"That must be the commander."
Killing him would make the battle even easier. Despite the knights guarding him, the priest was confident he could break through.
Hummm…
The priest gathered energy, prepared to kill Gidion in one swift strike and retreat.
The resulting chaos would devastate the allied forces.
"Hehe, I can't wait to see their despairing faces."
As the priest grinned and flew toward the fortress, he suddenly halted, sensing a massive presence.
"What is this?"
Boom!
In the distance, something exploded.
Most were too preoccupied with the battle to notice. Only a few priests monitoring the situation saw it.
Boom!
A flash of light flickered in the sky, drawing closer to the fortress.
Moments later,
KABOOM!
A thunderous roar accompanied a golden lightning strike that slammed into the fortress.
Boom!
The lightning obliterated Artrode soldiers near the impact site, leaving no time for screams.
In the Artrode camp, Gartros, who had been recovering his energy, rose with an enraged expression.
"That bastard!"
Standing amidst the chaos caused by the lightning was a single figure. Marquis Gidion, trembling, opened his mouth in disbelief.
"Y-you are…"
With a mischievous smile, Jerome spoke.
"Shall we try holding out just a bit longer?"
One of his many nicknames in his past life was "The One-Man Army."
Now, it was time for him to live up to that name.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]