The first person to regain their senses was Marquis Gidion.
"Quickly, catch Lord Jerome! Hurry!"
The knights who had been waiting in the rear rushed forward and lifted Jerome.
As they laid him down on the ground, Marquis Gidion ran over and grabbed Jerome's hand.
"Lord Jerome! Get a hold of yourself! Call for the priests and mages! Hurry!"
Jerome's appearance was beyond words. The always lively and cheerful face was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a pallor that looked as if death itself had cast a shadow over him.
Blood continued to flow from his nose and mouth, his chest rising and falling precariously, painting a picture of extreme danger.
Marquis Gidion shouted in alarm several times.
"Lord Jerome! Stay with us!"
"Ah ... Pa …"
Jerome clutched his chest in agony. It was evident that something had gone wrong inside his body.
Soon, several priests and mages rushed over. The priests were the first to emit holy power onto Jerome.
Fwoooosh…
A white light spread, healing Jerome's wounds. His complexion slightly improved, but his condition still appeared critical.
One of the mages who had rushed over quickly spoke up.
"It seems to be a mana burn. Let me take a look."
He was a 6th-circle mage who was stationed to defend this fortress. The mage immediately infused mana into Jerome's body.
After examining Jerome, the mage exclaimed in shock.
"This, this is terrible! His circle is about to break! How could this happen…?"
The mage was bewildered. A circle does not easily break, no matter how significant the shock.
Even when drawing upon power beyond one's limit, it typically results in the depletion of life force, not the collapse of the circle itself.
"Just how ... powerful a spell did he use…?"
It was clear that the miraculous magic Jerome had performed had struck at the very core of his mana.
Hearing the mage's words, Marquis Gidion spoke urgently.
"Then, what should we do?"
"We need to keep infusing mana to stabilize the circle."
"Then do it, quickly!"
Other mages joined in, channeling mana into Jerome's body.
Protecting the circle of an 8th-circle mage was no easy task. They momentarily forgot they were in the midst of a battle, pouring their mana into Jerome without pause.
It was an uncharacteristically selfless act for mages. Yet, they were sincere in their efforts.
This was a demonstration of respect for the grand mage who had shown them miraculous magic.
While Jerome stood at the threshold of death, Gartros barely survived as Jerome's spell faded.
The enormous figure formed of black energy had already vanished. He was now floating in the air in his original form.
"Huff, huff ... I, I'm alive. But why…?"
Though the reason was unclear, the holy relic had saved him.
Why would it save someone like him, who possessed an energy antagonistic to holy power? Especially him, the leader of those who opposed the goddesses?
As Gartros panted heavily, clutching his chest, he burst into laughter.
"Ha, hahaha! So that's it! It's not my time to die yet! This too must be the will of God!"
There was no other explanation. The god he served had shown him yet another miracle.
Though all the energy he had gathered had vanished, and more than half of his own energy had dissipated, it did not matter.
Now that Jerome had fallen, who could possibly stop them?
Gartros clenched his teeth and shouted.
"Attack! Right now! Crush them!"
The Artrode Army, stunned by the incredible magic, snapped out of it at Gartros' command.
Likewise, Count Bipenbelt, who had been dazed, came to his senses and shouted.
"Advance, everyone!"
Victory was within reach. They needed to push forward without hesitation.
The mages of the Artrode Army moved first.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
"Magic works! Press the attack!"
The highly skilled mages of the allied forces were busy treating Jerome. Though some mages remained to block attacks, failed dispels caused magic to explode everywhere.
"Th-this is bad…"
As the fortress forces began to suffer from the magic attacks, the allied mages panicked. To defend against the magic, they would have to halt their treatment of Jerome.
But if the treatment stopped, Jerome's circle would completely shatter, leaving him either dead or permanently incapacitated.
Caught in a dilemma, Marquis Gidion made a decision.
"Focus on treating Lord Jerome."
"What? But the fortress…?"
"Lord Jerome's efforts have drained their priests. We will hold them off with the remaining forces."
"Commander, if we're hit by magic attacks, we won't stand a chance. Our soldiers are already outmatched."
Marquis Gidion nodded, then answered with a resolute expression.
"That's why you must treat Lord Jerome and retreat."
"Commander…"
"Lord Jerome is essential to the allied forces. You must save him, no matter what."
Losing the fortress was not the problem. The Lutania Army would undoubtedly handle the Artrode Army when they returned.
But if the Artrode Army took this position and joined forces with other corps, it would spell disaster.
"Our forces are divided right now. If they consolidate their power here, it will bring great harm to the Lutania Army. Lord Jerome is needed to minimize the damage."
Marquis Gidion could not grasp how the battle was progressing elsewhere. The rapid movements of both the enemy and allied forces left him without proper updates.
The messenger, Dark, who had come to deliver news, had hidden to watch the fight and was subsequently obliterated.
"Then why don't we retreat together…?"
A mage shouted, but Marquis Gidion shook his head. If the 1st Corps left this place, greater problems would arise.
"Some kingdoms still haven't quelled their rebellions. There are remnants of the Salvation Church as well. If the Artrode Army escapes Lutania Army's reach, they'll become a rallying point again."
The main force of the Artrode Army and surrounding rebels had gathered in Grimwell Kingdom. However, some distant kingdoms were still battling rebels and rifts.
That's why holding the Artrode Army here was critical.
Fortunately, Jerome's efforts had drained the superhumans. This was a fight worth risking lives for.
"Move quickly! I'll hold them off with my life if I must!"
"Commander…"
"Now, go!"
At Marquis Gidion's stern order, some mages carried Jerome and began to move.
They had to continue channeling mana as they moved, making a swift escape difficult. Meanwhile, failed dispels continued to detonate enemy magic behind them.
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
The mages cast defensive spells as they moved cautiously.
Meanwhile, the Artrode Army brought ladders to scale the fortress walls.
Thud! Thud!
"Charge!"
Unlike the exhausted allied forces, the Artrode Army was brimming with strength and morale.
From the beginning, their superhumans had taken the lead, depleting the fortress's forces. It was inevitable that their situation would be better than the allied forces'.
Moreover, their individual capabilities were far superior. The Artrode Army steadily pushed the allied forces back.
Marquis Gidion swung his sword and shouted.
"We can hold them off! Fight! We must defend this place!"
Inspired by Jerome's miraculous magic, the allied soldiers regained some of their strength.
Though the Artrode Army was formidable, the absence of their priests meant they were no longer overwhelmingly dominant.
Even so, the disparity in strength could not be denied. Without mages to counter the magic attacks, the allied forces' defeat became increasingly apparent.
"Hold the line! We can do this!"
"We must inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy here!"
"This will be our final battle! So muster every ounce of strength you have!"
The allied forces fought fiercely, determined to hold their ground. The thought of retreat was abandoned. If they retreated, the enemy would mount their horses and give chase immediately.
It was a dire situation. Unless the Artrode Army retreated on their own, the allied forces had no other options.
Confirming the favorable turn of events, Gartros scanned the interior of the fortress.
Victory was assured. But now, something far more pressing has arisen.
"He must die… I must kill him."
Gartros felt the fear of death for the first time. No, it was a fear that transcended death.
The feeling of his existence being erased was indescribably horrifying.
Thus, he had to kill Jerome. In Gartros's eyes, the most dangerous person in the allied forces was Jerome.
"Neither Duke Fenris... nor Prince of Turian could perform such a miracle…"
Even their king likely couldn't withstand that spell entirely. Now was the perfect opportunity to eliminate that dangerous man.
"Found him."
Although his strength was waning, making it difficult to thoroughly scan the fortress, he focused his mind and finally spotted the mages fleeing with Jerome on their backs.
"Huu…"
It was risky to dive in alone. His strength was far from intact. If the enemy knights converged on him, he would struggle greatly.
But it was a risk he had to take. He was the only one who could deal with Jerome right now.
"I can't let him escape."
Crunch.
Gartros gritted his teeth and gathered his remaining energy. He decided to focus on killing Jerome as quickly as possible and retreating immediately.
Hoooo…
The black energy he squeezed out enveloped his body. He planned to charge in like a flash of light and kill him in one swift strike.
But then.
Swish!
Something flew at him from behind.
Gartros turned his head.
"An arrow?"
A red arrow was hurtling toward him.
Gartros scowled.
"How dare you, with a mere arrow!"
There was no need to even block it. He could simply dodge it with a slight movement. All he had to do was dodge… but…
Shiver!
A chill ran down Gartros's spine.
The arrow seemed to move as if following the threads of fate, closing in on him.
It was aimed directly at his head.
Time seemed to slow. The arrow cut through the air at an agonizingly slow pace.
He only needed to knock it away or evade it, yet…
His body felt as if it were made of lead, frozen in place.
Creaaak…
As he struggled to move, his muscles screamed in protest.
"Urghhh!"
Gartros summoned every ounce of his energy, veins bulging in his eyes as he forced his body to respond.
It was as if he were being crushed by the pressure of the deep sea. His body refused to obey his will.
Despite his exhaustion, how could he be paralyzed by a mere arrow?
"Urgh… What is this…?"
It felt as if the world was whispering to him.
That he was destined to be struck by this arrow.
As the arrow drew closer, the flow of the world seemed to demand it.
"Do you think… I'll succumb to this?"
Boom!
Gartros detonated his remaining energy in one explosive burst. For a brief moment, the flow of time returned to normal.
He twisted his head to the side with all his might.
Crunch!
The arrow grazed Gartros's ear, tearing it apart. Flesh flew, and blood splattered.
Breathing heavily, Gartros glared in the direction the arrow had come from.
"Duke Fenris… so you finally…"
The figure galloping toward him alone on a fierce black horse was Ghislain.
Ghislain had already nocked another arrow. This time, he wasn't aiming at Gartros.
With the bowstring drawn taut, Ghislain grinned.
"Our dear Jerome pushed himself too hard."
He had heard from Dark and raced here with all his might. For now, he needed to draw attention to himself.
Fwoosh!
Red light began to envelop the arrow.
It wasn't merely infused with mana as usual. His intense will had been imbued into the arrow, carrying his very desires for the world.
Soon, Ghislain released the bowstring with a light touch.
Thwang.
The arrow was loosed with a sharp sound. As it left Ghislain's hand, the arrow's form began to transform.
Boom!
The red light flared even more intensely, burning like a living flame. It flew toward the rear of the Artrode Army with the speed of lightning.
In an instant, the arrow struck the rear of the Artrode Army.
BOOOOM!
[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 ]