Jerome looked at the priests floating in the air and grinned.
"Almost a disaster if I had come any later."
It had taken quite some time to heal his wounds and recover his mana. Even now, he felt he was a bit late.
Thankfully, he managed to arrive just before the fortress was fully captured. Now, he had to hold out here.
"Chasing just these guys was the right choice after all."
Jerome had relentlessly pursued the 1st Corps for a reason.
It was all due to the strategy Ghislain had told him just before they set out.
— Stall the enemies as much as possible once you spot them. But if any are heading toward the stronghold, make sure to harass only them. If things don't go well, prioritize defending the stronghold.
Jerome had created chaos by getting in between the 1st and 2nd Corps. Afterward, he discreetly tracked their movements.
When he confirmed that the 1st Corps was heading toward the stronghold, he focused on hindering them.
He hadn't been able to track where the 3rd Corps was going, but there hadn't been time for that. If the 1st and 2nd Corps moved in different directions, he'd planned to find the 3rd later.
Luckily, his prediction was correct. In the end, only the 1st Corps arrived at this location.
Now he had to assist the allied forces in stopping the enemy.
"I'm not just good at stalling."
RUMBLE...
As Jerome stretched out both arms, the ground before the fortress trembled, and dozens of boulders rose into the air.
The battle was already in full swing. The Artrode Army was advancing toward the fortress.
"Go!"
WHOOSH!
The boulders shot out at incredible speed, smashing into some of the Artrode Army.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Arrgh!"
The Artrode Army was caught completely off guard. Victory had seemed within reach, and they hadn't anticipated such a major attack.
Count Bipenbelt's face hardened.
"That damn guy again..."
That nuisance had returned. How much time had already been wasted because of him?
He wanted to kill Jerome on the spot, but he couldn't underestimate the man's skill.
"Seal that man's magic immediately! Be prepared to risk your lives to stop him!"
They hadn't been able to completely neutralize him before. But even reducing his power would suffice. The tide had already turned heavily in their favor.
While the priests held Jerome, they would annihilate the fortress's forces.
Marquis Gidion also shouted as soon as he spotted Jerome.
"Mages, suppress the enemy mage! Help Lord Jerome fight freely! Be prepared to lay down your lives!"
Jerome was their only remaining hope. They had to hold out with him until reinforcements arrived.
For that to happen, Jerome needed to move unimpeded.
The allied mages understood Marquis Gidion's command. Realizing their chance to survive, they cheered each other on with renewed determination.
"Don't hold back your mana!"
"Focus on dispelling the enemy's magic while attacking!"
"Expand the mana field wider!"
The allied mages truly fought with their lives on the line, pouring all their strength into enlarging the mana field.
They intercepted the Artrode Army mages every time they tried to dispel magic.
If Jerome fell, everyone would die. Knowing this, the allied mages even drew upon their life force.
Their desperate resistance startled the Artrode Army mages.
"This, this is..."
Even under normal circumstances, the allied forces had a slight advantage in magic power. The Artrode Army mages were already busy dispelling the magic cast by the allies.
Caught up in nullifying spells within the mana field, they couldn't concentrate their full strength on Jerome.
RUMBLE...
Mana from both sides surged across the battlefield, covering everything. The tide of the battle shifted dramatically with Jerome's sudden entry.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Before anyone realized it, Jerome was fighting alongside the priests. But his power seemed slightly different from when they had first encountered him.
"Ha, having allies does make things easier."
Although the Artrode Army's mana field was active, the restrictions on his magic weren't too severe.
This was proof that the enemy couldn't properly dispel his magic. At best, they could slightly interfere with it.
That didn't mean it was entirely easy for him. Six priests were relentlessly attacking him.
Their battle was unlike ordinary skirmishes. They fought fiercely in the sky above the battlefield where soldiers clashed below.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Jerome's mana blade emitted an intense golden light, brighter than usual.
This was the endgame. Losing here meant it was all over. So, he infused more mana into his attacks than usual.
Jerome's mana blade shone as if alive, swirling dynamically with his movements.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Jerome's storm-like attacks continued, but the priests weren't easy to overcome.
"You think we'll keep getting pushed around by you?"
"Fall back!"
"Just restrain him here!"
The priests knew they were weaker than Jerome. They had fought him several times before.
That's why they fought cautiously, covering for each other.
RUMBLE...
The black energy they emitted spread like fog, enveloping and consuming their surroundings. They intended to create distance and attack from a safe range.
Simply holding Jerome in place would tip the scales in their favor. Their forces were already superior, and the allied army had been significantly diminished.
Jerome smirked, seeing through the priests' intentions.
"You still don't understand me, do you?"
Jerome mocked the retreating priests and dismissed his mana blade, waving his hand.
Bright orbs of light erupted from his body, scattering in all directions.
The priests' expressions darkened when they saw it.
"Block it!"
But the light spread faster. The orbs fell into the Artrode Army's ranks like meteors.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Arrgh!"
The advancing Artrode Army was hit by the descending lights, exploding wherever they struck.
Though it resembled the Salvation Church's secret technique, Jerome wielded them with far more freedom.
The priests were forced to close in on Jerome. Yet, Jerome now evaded them, scattering his magic everywhere.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Jerome's magic devastated the Artrode Army's formation. They couldn't advance even if they wanted to.
The priests had no choice but to push themselves further, focusing on protecting their soldiers.
WHOOSH!
Above Jerome's head, a massive fireball rose, blazing intensely.
While attacking the priests and soldiers, Jerome had secretly gathered mana to form the fireball.
The priests panicked at the sight of it. It was clearly not something easy to block. If that fell on their soldiers, the damage would be catastrophic.
The priests hastily regrouped to block Jerome.
WHOOSH!
"Ugh!"
But the enormous fireball didn't fall on the soldiers. Instead, it hurtled toward the nearest priest.
BOOM!
The fireball collided with the priest and exploded. The priest was engulfed in flames, writhing as he burned.
"Arrrgh!"
The priest screamed in agony.
He barely managed to extinguish the flames by exhausting his energy, but his body was already scorched down to the bone.
Gasping for breath, the priest realized he was at death's door.
"Healing... isn't working..."
Priests could typically recover from most injuries unless they were outright killed, using their energy to heal.
But the wounds he had sustained were too severe to recover from, no matter how much energy he expended. Moreover, an immense amount of mana still lingered in his body.
"Impressive..."
A superhuman like himself, killed by a single spell. The priest staggered, plummeting from the sky.
Before he died, he dispersed his remaining energy into the air.
THUD.
Thus, the priest fell to the ground and died. The black mist in the sky thickened slightly, feeding on the priest's energy.
From the darkened sky, light flashed again.
CRACKLE!
A blue lightning bolt shot out, striking another priest.
BOOM!
"Urgh..."
POP! POP! POP!
Green light orbs emanating from Jerome's hands relentlessly chased down the priests, striking them repeatedly.
Jerome's magic was dazzlingly intricate. Fire and ice flew everywhere, and lightning bolts struck their marks.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each time the priests were hit directly by the magic, they suffered significant damage. Holes were torn through their bodies, or their bones shattered.
The only reason they were still alive was because they evaded most attacks and shielded their bodies as best they could.
But even a moment's lapse in concentration would result in them falling victim to a deadly spell.
CRUNCH!
Another priest, trapped in a gravity spell, was crushed and killed.
Now, four remained.
The priests' faces slowly began to fill with fear.
If they got too close, they would be struck down; if they kept their distance to fight safely, their soldiers would be killed.
Neither choice was easy.
That mage was showing a level of power vastly different from when he had merely been stalling their advance and escaping.
Even so, the priests gritted their teeth and endured. They still had a way to capture Jerome.
"Wow..."
Some allied soldiers watched in awe, their mouths agape.
Jerome, fighting with flashes of light in the darkened sky, looked like a god.
If nothing else, his overwhelming presence alone proved that mage was indeed the pinnacle of power.
As Jerome dominated the priests with overwhelming skill, his brow furrowed.
'What are they planning?'
Even the priest who had died earlier had scattered his energy into the air before passing.
Now, the space around Jerome had darkened as though surrounded by storm clouds. Black energy filled the air like a thick fog.
The priests continued to spread the black energy even as they fought. The ones who died left all their energy behind before dying.
Snap.
With a snap of his fingers, Jerome unleashed a storm-like gust of wind from his body.
WHOOSH!
For a moment, the black energy around him was pushed back. But as the battle continued, it grew even denser.
'These guys… are they spreading this energy as they retreat?'
It would take time for the scattered energy to dissipate. Around Jerome, an environment like a mist-filled chasm was forming.
Anyone else who stepped into this space would feel a suffocating sense of oppression.
'They're weakening.'
It wasn't Jerome himself who was weakening; it was the priests. It was only natural, as they were expending their energy while fighting.
There was another reason the priests were still alive.
'Why hasn't he appeared yet?'
Even while fighting, Jerome couldn't focus entirely on the priests.
After all this, Gartros, the strongest among them, should have appeared by now. And yet, he had not shown himself.
That was why Jerome kept his guard up, constantly scanning his surroundings.
"Fall back! Quickly, retreat!"
Cries rang out as the Artrode soldiers began withdrawing from the battlefield.
It seemed they had realized that having soldiers nearby prevented the priests from safely keeping their distance.
In other words, they were now intending to leave the battle to the superhumans alone, with no distractions.
'I need to finish off these priests quickly.'
While battling the priests, Jerome had taken every opportunity to launch spells at the Artrode soldiers. They must have suffered considerable losses as well.
Now that the soldiers were gone, Jerome had to kill the weakened priests before Gartros could appear.
WHOOSH!
Mana blades once again extended from Jerome's hands.
The priests looked utterly exhausted. He planned to close in quickly and finish them off.
But then—
WHOOSH!
The black energy suddenly began to gather in one place.
In an instant, it formed the shape of a massive human figure, stretching as if waking from slumber. It looked like an upper body emerging from the dark, swirling clouds.
"What in the world…?"
Even Jerome, an 8th-circle mage, had never seen anything like this.
It wasn't an illusion spell. This was a being with substance and malice.
The black energy writhed, and the features of a face became clear. Jerome immediately recognized it.
"Gartros."
The enormous form of Gartros in the sky was nothing short of godlike, a figure deserving the title of evil god.
The allied soldiers watching Jerome fight from the fortress began to tremble.
"What, what is that…?"
"It's a demon, that's a demon!"
"Oh, goddess, help us…"
Even though it was only an upper body, the figure was so massive that it blocked out the sky.
It looked as if it could crush the fortress with a single hand.
The soldiers, who thought they had grown accustomed to all kinds of monsters, realized how wrong they were. This opponent defied all understanding.
Soon, the Gartros-like figure grinned, baring its teeth.
"It's a success…"
The black, undulating form of Gartros uttered those few words.
Even that single sound caused the air to reverberate and filled the space with an oppressive energy that gripped the soul.
WHOOSH…
Black energy began to condense rapidly at the forehead of the Gartros figure.
Jerome, seeing this, turned toward the fortress and shouted.
"Fall back!"
But the soldiers didn't respond immediately.
The moment they heard Gartros' voice, they froze in terror, their bodies stiff with fear.
Soon, a black beam shot out from Gartros' forehead, sweeping across the area.
BOOM!
With a short but deafening roar, Jerome's body was struck directly by the black beam and fell from the sky.
[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 ]