Chapter 86 (1/2)

Episode 5: Citizens.h.i.+p / Chapter 86: Musical Chairs (9)

TL: emptycube / ED: Obelisk

The storm swept through the desert and whooshed with an oddly lengthy rhythm. Richard thought that, for some reason, the wind sounded like music. Like slow Lindy{1}, which he occasionally danced back when things were peaceful. The dance where he held his partner’s hand and danced slowly, sweetly… and playfully.

“… Now, shall we dance?”

Richard recited in a quiet voice and advanced.

In the end, there was no exchange between Choi Hyuk and Richard. There wasn’t even the process commonly seen in movies where the leaders of both sides came out, scolding each other and justifying their causes.

The Berserkers and the allied forces only shortened the distance between each other within the storm, and then at some point, they rushed forward without even a shout. Blood splattered like always. Corpses flew up in the air. As it had now become such a common occurrence, it didn’t seem out of place.

Choi Hyuk momentarily became immersed in his thoughts.

‘Is this the right way?’

He couldn’t tell at this point. Perhaps what laid at the end was the annihilation of everyone. However, he couldn’t stop in the middle either. Richard’s thoughts? What did he care. Choi Hyuk only thought of one thing.

‘Finish this fight as fast as possible.’

He needed to take down his opponent before the casualties became too large. Like always.

“Flaming Wing Dance.”

Accompanied by Choi Hyuk’s mumble, scarlet flames erupted, even burning the storm.

“Guaaah!”

Would h.e.l.l be like this? The allied forces’ formation burned like dry firewood. The Berserkers poured in after Choi Hyuk, who left everything burning behind him, and the allied forces, who had become fl.u.s.tered at the flames burning their bodies, eventually had their necks sliced off.

The Berserkers collapsed the allied forces’ formation. However, there was another formation behind that. They collapsed that as well. There was still another formation behind that. Even though the Berserkers increased their army by recruiting at each captured city, they were still absolutely outnumbered against the allied forces made up by 30 sovereigns.

However.

Blaze.

Every time Choi Hyuk’s flames burned the sky, the Berserkers and the drafted soldiers following them didn’t doubt their victory. It was always the same pattern. No matter how numerous their opponents were, they were unable to endure their overwhelming military strength and would begin to flee. It would be no different this time as well.

Yet, the condition of the fight this time was different from before.

“Flaming Wing Dance!”

Blaaze!

The flames Choi Hyuk erupted-

“Erdbeben-Blitzschlag (Lightning Quake)!”

Zaap!

-were struck by a golden lightning, which had come down from somewhere, and dispersed.

Choi Hyuk’s advance paused. His gazed turned towards Richard, whose face was half-disfigured by the burns.

“It’s that skill again.”

This was the skill which allowed Richard to survive Choi Hyuk’s attack before.

It was a skill that was well suited with Richard’s trait ‘Penetration’. His karma, which struck like lightning, would create vibrations, shattering its target. Even if he didn’t know it well, it was a top-level skill that didn’t fall behind the three skills he was proud of (Heart Injection, Instant Void Annihilation, and Flaming Wing Dance). It also matched Richard well. As Richard p

ossessed a 5-star level Speed, there was no one who could match him in creating intense vibrations with karma.

However, he couldn’t fully block Choi Hyuk’s flames with just that. Choi Hyuk caught a glimpse of ten people who seemed special even amongst Richard’s hundred guards.

“Was it a skill that can be activated as a group?”

Although he didn’t know what methods he had used, Richard was currently strengthening his Lighting Quake with his ten special followers. The result was the complete destruction of his Flaming Wing Dance.

“… It’s fun.”

A smile unknowingly hung on his lips. If he thought about it rationally, this was a frustrating situation. He had resolved himself to end the fight as quickly as possible, yet there was an obstacle that could threaten his resolution. Still, Choi Hyuk couldn’t stop his lips from curling upwards.

This was the first time his Flaming Wing Dance had been completely blocked since he had unleashed his true flames at the dimensional wasps’ nest. His heart thumped with a thrill that he hadn’t felt when he captured those five colonized lands.

“Try to block this.”

All of his emotions seethed more intensely. Choi Hyuk’s flames gradually tinged blood-red before beginning to drip like blood. He was excited.

But, Richard, who had been observing this scene silently, said,

“Okay. Retreat to the left.”

“Retreat!”

Then Richard’s guards retreated like a receding tide.

“Wha… What the?!”

Fl.u.s.tered, Choi Hyuk quickly activated his Flaming Wing Dance, but, since Richard’s guards specialized in speed, they had already retreated out of his range.

“Huh? Euaaack!”

Only random forces who had been advancing forward were burned by his Flaming Wing Dance and turned into ash.

“What is this… What are you planning?”

They retreated when it was starting to become fun. Not only that, but their retreat was well-timed. Because Richard’s troops had retreated abruptly, the troops behind them began to collapse in vain.

“… What is he doing?”

It wasn’t only Choi Hyuk who was experiencing this perplexing situation.

“Euack! Where are you running?”

Lee Jinhee attempted but failed to chase Jessie’s troops, who had suddenly retreated after fighting properly. She couldn’t remember how many times this had occurred. She was becoming crazy with irritation. But this didn’t mean the progression of battle was disadvantageous. In fact, it was better for them.

“I mean, why is he doing that? When their side dies if they retreat in this situation?”

The Jessie clan was as skilled as they were famous. They were skilled enough to completely block Lee Jinhee’s troop, which had been able to go in and out of their enemy territory like it was their own home. Obviously, Lee Jinhee’s fighting spirit couldn’t help but surge, and they began to fight a battle staking everything. However, every time they did, the Jessie clan would cop out after fighting well for some time.

If the Jessie clan, who had been resisting the invasion of Lee Jinhee’s troop, suddenly retreated, the troops behind them would be met with a sudden attack. Because of this, Lee Jinhee’s troop was able to run even wilder. That was good… but Lee Jinhee grew irritated since Jessie didn’t face her.

This weird phenomenon occurred everywhere. The elites of the allied forces would defend properly before, without any warning, repeatedly acting in a fas.h.i.+on that hurt their formation. Because of this, even though the Berserkers’ advance kept getting blocked, a strange scene, where they still continued to inflict heavy losses on the allied forces, occurred.

After around 30 minutes had pa.s.sed since the start of the battle, the other sovereigns of the allied forces, who had been focused on fighting, felt that something was strange.

“Sovereign of Balance! What is this? Don’t you know my clan members will all die if you retreat from there?”

Protested the Herculean Strength Sovereign Zakan when Richard suddenly retreated after blocking Choi Hyuk once again.

Richard simply clicked his tongue at Zakan’s cold protest.

“Darn, we were discovered already.”