A Knight who Eternally Regresses - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: The Savior with Blue Eyes

The elf company commander twitched her ears. At that moment, it was as if she could vividly picture everything happening around her. Heightened senses were an innate talent of the elves. She relied on her hearing, taking two steps to the right.

Swish.

She positioned herself in front of an enemy soldier thrusting a long spear. She stood at the forefront of her troops. The elf company commander struck the spear shaft upward.

Simultaneously, the sword in her hand moved forward like a leaf caught in the wind, piercing the enemy soldier’s neck and returning.

Squelch! Pop!

Blood spurted from the hole in the neck. She flicked her sword towards the ground, blood scattering from the blade. She kept moving. Staying in one place would only make her a target for bolts. The elf company commander swung her leaf-like sword as she ran.

Ting.

Two bolts were deflected by the blade.

The sword she wielded was called “Naidhl,” a unique elven weapon. It was shorter and more pointed compared to a regular sword, and was shaped like a streamlined leaf.

When the hilt was pulled out, the blade resembled a canoe or a leaf.

Elven swordsmanship combined three styles: flow, precision, and swift strikes. Naidhl was a weapon specialized for this kind of swordsmanship.

The company commander demonstrated this skill now. No soldier could withstand her technique of deflecting long spears and piercing like a beam of light.

‘This is not good.’

Even while slaughtering her opponents, the elf company commander felt a sense of dread.

Was magic always this dangerous?

She had once fought a warrior under the berserk spell. The berserk warrior, who charged without caring for his wounds, was dangerous and fierce but the magic was temporary. It was not capable of encompassing an entire battlefield.

The extent of her knowledge about sorcery was limited to that. Hence, she was astonished when the fog first appeared.

Was this sorcery?

Fortunately, she had been prepared and responded properly. When the fog rolled in, the elf company commander ordered her unit to form a circular formation, narrowing their ranks. They executed the commands “down” and “shields” promptly.

As she shouted, a few squad leaders frantically repeated the orders like parrots, holding their ground. Suddenly unable to see ahead, it was easy to fall into a state of panic.

Naturally, the situation was grim. Yet, she did her job.

Leaving the formation, she cut and thrust at the enemy vanguard alone. Without such actions, her troops would have been quickly annihilated.

At least, the first company would hold on.

‘That bastard of a battalion commander.’

The elf company commander cursed inwardly.

Potato sprouts are poisonous. Elves often used plant metaphors. When potatoes sprout, the sprouts must be removed before eating. Otherwise, the body accumulates toxins.

The current battalion commander was just like those poisonous potato sprouts.

In such dire circumstances, the command should have devised a plan, but there was no order from the battalion commander. No horn, no shout, no command. Relying only on his backers, he led the unit negligently.

Despite numerous warnings about the sorcery, he seemed not to take it seriously.

This kingdom was like a peach covered in mold. Rotten to the core.

How could they dispatch such a worthless person as a battalion commander to the front lines?

‘Even with luck.’

Would even ten out of a hundred survive?

The fog blinded her troops. That was deadly. As she foresaw such a bleak future, the fog suddenly lifted before her eyes.

“Hmm?”

The elf company commander halted with Naidhl in hand. She was bewildered. The fog dissipated as quickly as it had formed. The enemy was more surprised than she was.

“Huh?”

An enemy soldier with a long spear in front of her froze, unable to thrust his weapon.

The elf company commander’s surprise was brief. She had fought well even in the fog. She swung Naidhl again, tracing a semicircle in the air and slicing through the enemy’s throat.

“Ugh!”

Another enemy soldier fell. The company commander judged this as the turning point. There was no time to ponder why the fog had lifted.

“Everyone, turn around! Counterattack!”

Her shout was echoed by others.

“Charge! Charge! Charge!”

“Kill them! Kill them all!”

“You bastards!”

“Slaughter them all!”

As the momentum shifted, so did the battlefield’s flow. The elf company commander retrieved Naidhl and held her ground. Soon, her company passed by her.

“Commander!”

The first platoon leader shouted.

“Cut them all down.”

The company commander replied. The first platoon leader answered with a battle cry.

“Argh!”

The air of the battlefield heated up. The gloomy atmosphere lingering among her troops vanished in an instant.

Only then did the elf company commander wonder why the fog had suddenly disappeared.

‘Could it be?’

That squad leader?

She had no concrete reason, but she felt he was responsible. It was a pure hunch. The Elf’s instincts were still sharp.

The Captain of the Gray Hounds, an independent company of the Azpen Kingdom, was blocking the retreat. He stood exactly where the fog lifted. It was simply a matter of killing any enemy that emerged. The fleeing enemies, in a panic, were easy targets.

But suddenly, the fog cleared.

“What the hell? Why did the fog clear?”

“Captain, the enemy is turning around.”

There were no hills to obscure the view on the Green Pearl Plains. They could see the Naurillia Kingdom’s troops turning around.

The Captain quickly assessed the situation. Either the sorcerer messed up or the sorcery was flawed, something went wrong. If left as is, the strategy they had prepared would completely collapse.

“Flank them! Don’t push through; cut around the sides! Follow me!”

The captain dashed forward. They struck the rear of the Naurillia Kingdom’s troops. By attacking the rear, they aimed to assist the withdrawal of their frontline troops.

“Goddamn it.”

The Captain of the Gray Hounds vowed to punish whoever was responsible for lifting the fog.

Enkrid realized how badly his calculations were off. The bolt lodged in his right shoulder blade made it difficult to swing his sword properly. His opponent was slightly more skilled than Mitch Hurrier.

Even when trying to focus on a single point, there were enemies suddenly thrusting spears from behind.

No, having spearmen aiming for his back was the least of his worries. Five crossbowmen were following him, constantly aiming at him. Because of them, a bolt was also embedded in his thigh.

‘Running is out of the question with this leg.’

His cracked sword had already broken in half. His opponent wielded a heavy sword, using a strong and aggressive technique. Blood from his thigh and back mingled with the blood of his enemies, covering Enkrid in blood.

Seeing him stand with a half-broken sword, the mustached man was secretly impressed. Despite being an enemy who ruined their sorcery and spoke arrogantly, his spirit was remarkable. Even now, he showed no signs of giving up.

“What makes you so confident?”

The mustached man asked. Enkrid steadied his breath, taking in the sight of the crossbowmen behind his opponent.

“What do you mean?”

“Why haven’t you given up yet?”

Enkrid answered without hesitation.

“Huff, I’m a squad leader.”

“So?”

“In my squad, there are two friends named Rem and Ragna.”

“Hmm?”

“They fight so well that you can’t tell that they’re just squad members.”

“Are they coming to rescue you?”

“That was one scenario.”

Having come this far, he thought they’d be nearby.

But no, they weren’t. He should have seen them by now. If they hadn’t come by now, they wouldn’t be coming at all.

That was the truth.

At that moment, Rem was decimating an enemy unit and cutting through tall grass. Ragna, hindered by the fog, fought off any approaching enemies without advancing further. After the fog cleared, he rejoined their troops. Neither knew where their squad leader was.

The mustached man took a step forward, sword in hand. Enkrid dragged his injured right leg backward. Yet, his gaze was still sharp, intent on something. Where could he be planning to escape with that leg?

Enkrid regarded the mustached man, thinking he was a meticulous bastard. But that didn’t mean he would give up on “today.” If he died, he would just start over. He knew that all too well. But he didn’t think he had sustained a fatal injury yet.

Above all, if he had spent his countless “todays” meaninglessly, Enkrid wouldn’t be who he was now. Until the brink of death, Enkrid would resist. He would do his utmost to live through “today.” He was the kind to struggle to the end without giving up.

“It’s a shame that you’re an enemy.”

The mustached man said, taking another step forward. Enkrid couldn’t retreat any further. Behind him, a soldier with a spear eyed him with a fierce look. He glanced back once and then faced forward again. The mustached man gripped his sword with both hands.

The longer blade of his broken sword reflected the sunlight that had broken through the fog.

‘Right? Left?’

Which way should he dodge?

Whichever way he chose, he couldn’t avoid a fatal injury. But he didn’t want to die quietly.

‘If I can’t dodge…’

Enkrid gripped the broken sword tightly. If he couldn’t go left, right, or backward, he had to move forward. The moment the sword fell, he would dash forward. That was his decision.

Twang!

He heard the sound of a string snapping and a bolt flew, lodging into his left shoulder. A soldier had fired a crossbow, taking advantage of Enkrid’s distraction. Enkrid grunted briefly, enduring the pain, and spoke.

“Ugh, so dirty.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

The mustached man said, sword in hand. There was no hint of a smile. Even if he killed the soldier in front of him, the tide of the battle would turn against them. A soldier’s life versus the outcome of the battle.

Even an eight-year-old child passing by would know which was more valuable. But letting him live was not an option either.

Swish.

The sword came down. A heavy, strong strike. Enkrid did not close his eyes. He watched the descending sword until the end. The Heart of the Beast gave him courage.

Without blinking, Enkrid thought.

‘If my body were normal, how would I block this?’

Until the very end, he focused on handling the sword. And just before the sword struck his forehead.

“Argh!”

A soldier’s scream came from behind. At the same time, a dark shadow struck the mustached man’s sword.

Bang!

Enkrid couldn’t see what the shadow was but he knew it wasn’t a sword or an arrow. If it were, it wouldn’t twist in the air and land on the ground.

“…Huh?”

Enkrid identified the shadow. Blue eyes, black fur like silk.

It was a black panther.

At that moment, a distant memory surfaced. It wasn’t too long ago, but repeated “todays” made it seem far away. A memory that could have been forgotten.

But it wasn’t.

Seeing the black fur and blue eyes, the memory resurfaced. It was the beast he encountered in the tall grass.

“You?”

“Grrr.”

The black panther had grown since then, its body slightly larger. It glared at the mustached man and let out a fierce roar.

“Another one?”

The mustached man raised his eyebrows in disbelief, then erupted in fury. Two crossbowmen aimed at the panther and fired.

“Oh, hey!”

Enkrid shouted in surprise. The panther twisted its body fluidly on the spot, dodging the bolts with a few agile leaps. Then it sprinted forward with a powerful push off the ground.

The mustached man instinctively brought his sword down. The panther didn’t go near him. It moved like a streak of black silk. It was that fast. The panther’s target was the crossbowmen.

“Argh!”

The panther’s claws were so sharp that a single swipe at the Achilles’ tendon of a crossbowman’s ankle sent blood spraying. Leather boots were no match for its claws.

Clang!

As the panther lunged, a soldier drew his short sword. The panther displayed an even more astonishing maneuver. Instead of targeting the soldier, it kicked the crossbow with its paw.

Springing off the ground with its front paws, it snapped the crossbow string with its rear claws. It then stomped on the crossbow, sending it flying. Even in mid-air, it continued to snap the crossbow strings with its front claws.

‘Was it aiming for that?’

One could be a coincidence, but cutting the strings of all five remaining crossbows couldn’t be considered a coincidence.

“A mere beast.”

The mustached man’s face turned red with anger. He was truly furious now. The panther ignored him. It quickly dashed back to Enkrid and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.

“Grrr!”

For some reason, the panther snorted in annoyance and started running. Its strength was incredible. Despite being dragged, Enkrid moved as fast as if he were running himself. His back ached, and he got scratches on his limbs in real-time. Being dragged along, he felt a warm liquid flowing from his neck. He wanted to turn his head to check, but there was no time.

“Chase them!”

The mustached man shouted. Even this wouldn’t be enough to escape here.

“Run.”

Enkrid said. Naturally, the panther didn’t reply. Warm liquid continued to flow from his neck, and the mustached man pursued. Enkrid, dragged by the panther, scraped along the ground in retreat. Even so, this escape had its limits. The panther’s limits were clear.

The mustached man showed no intention of letting them go. His bloodshot eyes were filled with determination.

“Run, I said.”

Enkrid repeated, and a black shadow appeared overhead.

“I’m here to save you.”

“Huh?”

Unexpected reinforcements. It was an ally drenched in blood. Someone he recognized, someone he once teased relentlessly.

“Vengeance?”

“Yes. I’m here.”

He stood in front of Enkrid, sword in hand. He wasn’t alone. Allied soldiers gathered behind him. A platoon had pushed forward and reached here.

Enkrid’s, or rather, the panther’s delay hadn’t been in vain.