Chapter 288: The Last Mercy
In the desolate wilderness, the massive camp of the Imperial Vanguard Legion, like a colossal beast awakening, began its operations.
As Kurtz and Serie examined the captured holy sword and marveled at the strange anti-magic it contained, the ground beneath their feet suddenly trembled violently.
The two of them looked up at the same time.
The Imperial Vanguard Legion, which had initially kept a certain distance from them due to the battle between the mages, was now slowly advancing towards their location like a black tide.
The heavy footsteps, the scraping of metal armor, and the neighing of warhorses merged into a suffocating sound wave that rushed towards them.
Even more noteworthy was that above the legion, dozens of court mages dressed in magnificent mage robes had already cast their flying magic.
Holding wands, they unfurled magic circles before them, powerful magical energy swirling in the air, vaguely forming a magical barrier that covered the entire area.
This was barrier magic, but compared to a barrier that defended against external attacks, this barrier was more like imprisoning everything inside, even restricting flight magic.
The purpose of these magicians was obvious: to prevent Kurtz and Serie from using flight magic to escape.
Because flying magic was unusable across the entire battlefield, the mages also landed on the ground and followed the whole army as they rushed towards the two.
"It seems that Legget has also run out of patience." Kurtz looked at the magnificent sight of the massive army pressing in before him, his tone perfectly calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Perfect!" Serie's golden eyes showed no fear, but instead ignited a surge of fighting spirit. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. "I've been wanting to get back at that guy for a long time!"
Kurtz's gaze swept over the well-equipped soldiers and then over the mages who were on high alert, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
These were the elite of the human race, selected from among hundreds, yet they were about to be destroyed by him and Serie because of an emperor's ambition.
Humanity's most powerful army, instead of falling on the battlefield against the demons, would perish at the hands of the very heroes who once saved the world. Wasn't that a cruel irony?
However, reality didn't give him much time to reflect.
The Empire's army was clearly well-trained, advancing, encircling, and the mages constructing their barriers; all steps were carried out simultaneously with extremely high efficiency.
In the blink of an eye, the two were surrounded, with no way out.
"Haa~"Kurtz sighed softly, altogether banishing the last trace of reluctance in his heart.
Since the Emperor had chosen this path, he wouldn't mind killing him with his own hands. Even if this plunged the entire human race back into a state of fragmented states, it was worth it.
He turned to Serie: "Do you want to deal with those mages or these elite soldiers?"
The battlefield would inevitably be divided into two areas. In battles involving mages, sending ordinary soldiers into the fray recklessly would only result in their tragic deaths in the aftermath.
If Kurtz were the opposing legion commander, he would separate the mages from the elite soldiers, with the court mages dealing with Serie, while the tens of thousands of elite soldiers would deal with him.
"Either is fine, but I want to kill that legion commander. I was really annoyed by his attitude before."
"Alright, I'll leave it to you later, if he survives." Kurtz had already prepared his divine strike magic. "Then these mages are yours to deal with."
"Okay, sure."
Although dealing with such a large amount of magic was a headache for her, Serie agreed without any hesitation.
But clearly, Kurtz had already considered this.
With a flick of his wrist, three holy swords, each with a different shape but radiating immense power, appeared in his hand amidst a flash of light.
It was Orger, the Goddess's Scales, and the El Sword.
"Here, just in case." Kurtz stuffed all three holy swords into Serie's arms.
Serie, holding the three heavy holy swords, paused for a moment, then pouted, looking quite dissatisfied. "I'm very strong!"
"Yes, I know, be good." Kurtz's tone seemed gentle, yet subtly firm.
Seeing his uncompromising gaze, Serie pouted, though still somewhat reluctant. "...Fine."
She weighed the holy swords in her arms, and her confidence, which was initially only sixty or eighty percent, instantly soared to nearly one hundred percent.
With these three legendary artifacts, dealing with those court magicians would be as easy as cutting melons and vegetables.
But at the same time, she also looked at Kurtz, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
Kurtz entrusting all the magicians to herself meant that he would have to face the tens of thousands of fierce and elite soldiers below alone. Even if he was strong, he was still a human being.
"Are you alright?" Serie couldn't help but ask.
Kurtz gave her a reassuring smile: "Don't worry. Take care of yourself, and if anything happens, activate the Goddess's Scales' barrier. Don't be careless."
Just then, the massive confinement barrier above the imperial army finally took full shape.
A protective barrier of light, flowing with countless runes, completely enveloped an area spanning several kilometers, severely restricting or even rendering any teleportation or flight magic ineffective.
Even Serie could no longer use flight and teleportation magic as freely as before.
After all, this kind of barrier magic restricted the entire area. Unless magic as the whole was completely broken, no matter how strong you were, you would still be affected to some extent.
The legion commander's order resounded across the battlefield through magical megaphones: "All troops, listen up! Target, Serie, and her companion Kurtz kill them without mercy!"
Battle was imminent! The battlefield naturally split in two.
The elite soldiers, well aware of the terrifying aftermath of battles between mages, wisely directed their main attacks against the seemingly "weaker" Kurtz.
Meanwhile, the court mages, under the command of the most powerful mage, began to gather their magic power, targeting Serie, who wielded three holy swords.
Kurtz took a deep breath as he watched the soldiers surge towards him like a tide.
His voice, amplified by magic, resonated clearly throughout the entire legion, even drowning out the roar of the advancing army: "Soldiers of the Empire!"
Upon hearing Kurtz's sudden address, all the charging soldiers involuntarily slowed their pace.
"I'm giving you one last chance!" Kurtz's gaze swept over the young or weathered faces. "Your true enemies are the demons, not your fellow humans."
"Turn back now to the northern battlefield. I swear on the honor of Kurtz the Godslayer, all past transgressions will be forgiven!" His words echoed across the battlefield, carrying a sincere admonition.
However, he was met with unbridled mockery from the high-ranking officers of the legion: "Hahaha! You still dare to talk big even when you're about to die!"
"All troops, listen to my command! Advance! Kill this reckless fool!"
"Soldiers! Kill him! His Majesty will reward you handsomely!"
In their eyes, even the legendary Saintess Serie was now trapped and unable to escape.
As for Kurtz, who was ostensibly the other party's companion, what gave him the confidence to say such a thing?
Did he really think he was Kurtz, the god-slayer from history?
Inspired by the officer's encouragement, the soldiers' brief hesitation was instantly replaced by a fervent fighting spirit, and they charged towards Kurtz once again.
Looking at these stubborn soldiers, driven by ambition, the last trace of pity in Kurtz's eyes vanished completely.
He raised his hand, his fingertips aimed at the surging army.
"In that case, let's end this farce as soon as possible."
[End of Chapter]
Want to read more than 30+ chapters right now!
patreon.com/cw/Mr_UmU
https://www.patreon.com/Mr_UmU