Chapter 56

"Begin the attack!"

At the sound of Sora's voice from behind, Gorge and the others instinctively distanced themselves from the front line led by the deputy commander of the Royal Guard. The sudden large retreat of Gorge and the others, who had not easily backed down despite their all-out attacks until now, threw the Royal Guard into disarray. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Gorge and the others turned on their heels and executed a fluid, seamless maneuver.

Ahead of them—

"Lord Chaff! It's a pincer attack, a trap!"

The deputy commander informed Chaff. Gorge and the others were heading straight for the rear of the Royal Guard, where Chaff, who was commanding, was exposing his vulnerable back, trying to capture Sora.

"All units, pursue! Stop the enemy's advance!"

The deputy commander, stepping forward himself, barked orders with a mix of anger. However, Gorge and the others, who had conserved their strength for this very moment, combined with their light equipment, pulled away from the deputy commander and his men.

"You fools, raise your swords against the enemy! Dedicate your victory to your comrades!"

Encouraged by Gorge, all the guards let out a roar. The deafening volume made Chaff turn around, his face turning pale. However, mustering what little courage he had, he faced the disoriented rear of the Royal Guard.

"Ignore the enemies behind. If we take down Sora Kleinzelt, we win. Press forward!"

There were eleven enemies behind, and Chaff's group was also eleven, but Sora in front was only accompanied by two guards. Convinced that they could overwhelm them with numbers, the Royal Guard regained their composure. That is, until Sora's guards threw a large number of glass bottles. The liquid inside was scattered, and the ground was engulfed in flames. The flames, reaching knee-high, were not enough to stop the trained Royal Guards, but those who got the liquid on their bodies had to avoid the fire for fear of catching fire. Naturally, the front row, who received the liquid, caused a bottleneck, slowing down the movement.

Taking advantage of this opening, Gorge and the others attacked the Royal Guard. At the same time, Sora's guards ran through the fiery field and launched their attack. The Royal Guard, surrounded from both front and back, became densely packed as those fearing the fire retreated, making it difficult to wield their long swords effectively. Without much resistance, five Royal Guard soldiers were struck by Gorge and the others, their joints dislocated, and they were forced out of the battle.

Just as the front line led by the deputy commander was about to attack Gorge and the others, three guards, as if on cue, turned to face the front line and launched a counterattack. Clearly, they were sacrificial pawns to buy time, but their morale was extremely high. They dodged the Royal Guard's iron swords and swung their wooden swords wildly, causing chaos.

"Let no one touch Lord Sora or our pride!"

"It's better than a fire. At least there are enemies to fight!"

"We'll be gone in a moment!"

The guards cracked jokes one after another. Their wooden swords, wielded at full speed, clashed with the Royal Guard's iron swords. The deputy commander shifted his gaze to Chaff, who was commanding.

The rear of the Royal Guard had already regrouped, but they had already lost some members, and the supposedly inferior guards were attacking with all their might, putting them on the defensive. The presence of Chaff, the general they were supposed to protect, in the center only worsened their disadvantage. The front line led by the deputy commander, though still holding their ground against the three guards, was considering sending half of their five members to assist Chaff, but it would only increase the chaos and was not a wise move.

—Then, until the enemy general is taken down.

The deputy commander searched for Sora and found him standing a little distance away, arms crossed. It seemed he had used up all the glass bottles and was now holding a wooden short sword, about twenty centimeters long, in one hand. He had another one sheathed at his waist.

The deputy commander no longer thought of Sora as a fat piglet. He had discarded any contempt he had. Sora had prepared these weapons, devised a strategy, and trained his troops. He had created this situation. Most importantly, the deputy commander looked at the guards who were fighting fiercely, risking their lives to protect Sora, despite the negative start as members of the hated Kleinzelt family.

"…Impressive, even as an enemy. But—"

I can't lose. Muttering this, the deputy commander started running without telling anyone. He didn't want to reveal his target by shouting. However, two of the Royal Guard, being the elite they were, followed him.

Sora seemed to have noticed the approaching deputy commander. He smirked and glanced at the remaining four members of the rear line and Chaff in the center, clearly indicating that they were not his concern. The deputy commander gripped his iron sword tightly, wishing he could at least exchange a few blows.

Aim for Sora's head, he swung his iron sword horizontally. Just as the blow was about to crush the small head, it was deflected by a wooden sword that appeared from the side.

"Lord Sora is our pride, not something for the elites to touch."

A man with a monster-like face, who had been leading the front line of the guards, spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. The wooden sword that deflected the deputy commander's blow had a large but shallow scratch from the impact. One of the two Royal Guard who followed the deputy commander had already been taken down by Gorge and the others, and the remaining one was engaged in a fierce battle with two guards.

"Are you the leader of the monster squad? State your name."

Holding his iron sword like a shoulder carry, the deputy commander asked.

"I'm Gorge."

Announcing his name, Gorge held his wooden sword in a ready stance. The deputy commander, with a sharp, combative gaze, searched for an opening in Gorge's defense.

"Because of you, the Royal Guard's reputation is in tatters. For the sake of honor, I will crush you!"

The deputy commander, stepping forward forcefully, swung his iron sword in a diagonal slash. The title of deputy commander was not for show; his sword technique was flawless. Gorge barely managed to parry, but the deputy commander, who had abandoned his command to focus on the fight, was strong. Gorge was overwhelmed and could not counter.

Gorge, barely dodging, lowered his body to avoid the iron sword. The deputy commander, aiming for a reverse diagonal strike, was met with a sharp thrust from Gorge's wooden sword. Surprised, the deputy commander tilted his head back to avoid the thrust and retreated, unable to resist the shift in his center of gravity. Cold sweat trickled down his cheek.

Gorge's thrust was possible due to the lightness of the wooden sword, allowing for quick, fluid movements. The timing between each strike was completely different from the deputy commander's iron sword. The one-on-one battle between the deputy commander, who could not withstand the powerful strikes, and Gorge, who could not withstand the rapid strikes, began. The audience, holding their breath, watched as the strongest forces of Chaff and Sora clashed.

January 10th, revised.