Chapter 84: Unprepared Disaster (5)

The distance between the city gate and Baron McClarely.

It was far.

Passing through the swarming enemy forces in front was an impossible task by any normal standards, but things were different in Roman's world.

'The enemy commander is complacent.'

Perhaps it was because the Kingdom of Cairo's forces were in such poor shape.

Baron McClarely had moved a bit forward to observe the situation.

Of course, that distance was still far enough, but it wasn't so far that he couldn't be approached at all.

He changed his plan in an instant.

Originally, securing the space in front of the city gate until Steven and his soldiers set up the barricades was the priority, but the moment Roman made eye contact with the enemy, he kicked off the ground.

'Kill the commander.'

The fastest way to end the war.

As he had experienced in countless battles, the moment the commander's head flies off, the enemy collapses instantly.

"Stop him!"

"The enemy is alone!"

The soldiers of the Kingdom of Hector were enraged.

Seeing Roman boldly step out of the city alone, they attacked him with fierce faces.

The scene of him entangled with so many enemies was suffocating just to watch.

Weapons flying from all directions could snatch his life at any moment if he let his guard down.

But no attack could penetrate Roman.

Bang.

He deflected all the attacks.

Not only that, the soldiers who attempted to attack were already screaming and falling, their limbs severed.

Hundreds of enemies.

Logically, they should have had the upper hand.

Roman should have fallen, but as time passed, the soldiers' casualties only increased.

"Get out of the way!"

"We'll stop his movements!"

The knights of Hector.

Ordered by Baron McClarely, they rushed in like a whirlwind.

They were not ordinary knights.

They were Aura Swordsmen who could manifest auras, and different forms of auras formed around their swords.

Rumble.

Mana exploded.

With the simultaneous attacks, the soldiers of Hector were certain this time they would bring Roman down.

However.

'Heavenly Horse Sword Technique, First Form.'

He took a deep breath.

Mana surged within him, and he unleashed an aura towards the charging enemies.

A single strike from the Heavenly Horse.

The Hector knights, who were confident of victory, vanished without even knowing what hit them.

Boom!

The power was shockingly overwhelming.

The auras the knights had manifested scattered like dust in the wind, and their powerful bodies, clad in steel armor, turned into unrecognizable chunks of meat.

Everyone was stunned.

Only then did they realize that the being they were facing was a monster beyond their reach.

He had charged into hundreds of enemies because he judged that it wouldn't be a problem.

Roman Demetri.

In Baek Jung-hyuk's life, battles of hundreds against one were common.

Not just against these minor enemies, but even in fights with martial arts masters, he was always outnumbered.

Receiving Steven's advice.

He merely judged that there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

But now.

Having confirmed that the commander was within range, Roman intended to end the battle in his own way.

Thud.

He kicked off the ground.

Suddenly.

Baron McClarely was right in front of him.

He looked at Roman with a shocked face.

Roman had slaughtered dozens of soldiers and torn apart Hector's Aura Swordsmen in a single strike.

This was not part of Hector's plan to attack Cairo, and Roman Demetri's strength was so overwhelming that even if they had calculated it, they couldn't have stopped him.

His eyes trembled.

His mind was screaming to run, but then he remembered the order he received before leaving the Kingdom of Hector.

"There's no need to recklessly break through the defenses. Just buy as much time as possible. We need sufficient time for our plan."

"Damn it."

Just one hour.

The reckless attack had created a variable.

Baron McClarely drew his sword.

He was also a swordsman.

A swordsman capable of using a 2-star aura, he intended to give it his all rather than be remembered as a defeated general.

"I am Baron McClarely of Hector! I will deal with you personally..."

Flash.

Splat!

A single flash.

The moment Roman arrived, Baron McClarely's head flew off, and blood spurted like a fountain.

His judgment was arrogant.

From the moment Hector's knights couldn't withstand a single strike, he should have chosen to flee.

The death of the commander.

Roman held the head high and shouted with a mana-infused voice.

"I have killed the enemy commander!"

At that moment.

As if by a lie, everyone on the battlefield stopped their actions.

* * *

The atmosphere turned icy.

The soldiers of Hector.

They were at a loss.

Even though their commander was dead, they still had sufficient forces to continue fighting.

A chaotic situation.

The one who shattered the silence was, once again, Roman Demetri.

Swish!

"Argh."

Roman beheaded the enemy in front of him.

An unconventional judgment.

Normally, after killing the enemy commander, one would use it as leverage to urge the soldiers to surrender.

If the enemy had been the Barco family, it might have worked.

Roman had killed the Barco father and son, the instigators of the war, and resolved the situation, but the current situation was different.

Hector.

They had launched an attack without warning.

It was an unjust war, and other defense lines were still under attack by the Kingdom of Hector.

Roman raised his voice.

"Soldiers of the Kingdom of Cairo, listen! We have no time to take prisoners. And the other defense lines are also under attack by the Kingdom of Hector. If we spare these people now, they will surely return as enemies. Even if we have to shed blood here, we must execute the enemies with our lives on the line!"

The war with the Barcos.

In a broader sense, it could be called a civil war.

Since it was a conflict within the same kingdom, once the commander was dealt with, the soldiers who acknowledged defeat wouldn't pose a threat later.

However.

The soldiers of Hector were different.

Even if Baron McClarely was dead.

As members of Hector, they had the duty to fight to the end.

Therefore.

He didn't even suggest surrender.

Even if it meant being torn apart by cornered rats, it was necessary to decisively deal with them now that the momentum was on their side.

Just being on opposite sides.

That alone was enough reason to be cruel.

Seeing Roman mercilessly slaughtering the enemies, the soldiers of Cairo cheered and poured out of the city.

"Follow Roman Demetri!"

"Kill all the remnants of Hector!"

They blocked the retreat.

The cornered soldiers of Hector.

They instinctively knew they couldn't survive this place.

* * *

Henry Albert.

When he arrived, the tide had already turned.

He had heard that the 5th defense line was about to fall, but the scene before him was completely different.

"Wh-What is this?"

Outside the city.

A one-sided massacre was taking place.

The soldiers of Cairo, who should have been using the advantage of defending the city, were attacking the enemies with fierce faces as if they were possessed.

What had happened here?

He couldn't understand it.

One thing was clear: Roman Demetri's presence stood out even in the intense battle.

'Roman Demetri is this strong?'

It was overwhelming.

The cornered soldiers of Hector charged desperately, but the moment they faced Roman, their limbs were torn off without fail.

Numbers were meaningless.

No matter how many charged, the result was always death.

In the past.

Henry had seen a Ranker fight.

At that time, he thought the Ranker was a being on a different level, but even the idealized image in his memory couldn't compare to Roman.

The divine who defeated Homer.

At just 25 years old, Henry had confidently claimed that Roman would be weaker than the rumors, but now he felt that the rumors had actually underestimated Roman.

And.

Roman's soldiers were no pushovers either.

Especially Chris, Kevin, and Puki showed strength that was hard to believe for ordinary soldiers.

It was now clear.

The situation was different from the reports.

The variable originated from Roman Demetri.

'...I understand why my uncle wanted me to get close to Roman Demetri.'

He swallowed hard.

His uncle was right.

Lineage was not important.

Roman Demetri.

Was a monster who could devour the Kingdom of Cairo at any time.

Henry shouted to the still dazed soldiers.

"Help Roman Demetri immediately! Forget the others and prioritize protecting Roman!"

While giving orders, Henry followed the soldiers from the back.

* * *

The situation was settled.

The soldiers of Hector did not fight to the end.

Fearing total annihilation, they abandoned their comrades and fled in all directions.

In the process.

Most of them died.

Roman pursued them to the end, cutting off the enemy's escape, but he couldn't kill all the enemies who fled simultaneously.

After the battle.

Chris immediately ran to Roman.

"Chris and 30 others. No casualties."

A fierce battle.

Fortunately, no one died.

That didn't mean everyone was unharmed.

Everyone had at least one wound, and those with more severe injuries showed raw flesh through their torn skin.

They didn't even groan from the pain.

Especially Henderson, who was not used to such large-scale battles, clenched his mouth tightly, his face drenched in cold sweat.

"You've done well. Use potions to treat your wounds."

"Understood."

There was no special commendation.

But even that.

Steven, who was nearby, was shocked.

'...He supplied potions to all the soldiers?'

Potions.

The healing potions produced by the Magic Tower are expensive, even at the lowest grade.

Yet.

Roman's soldiers used expensive potions without hesitation.

They poured the entire vial on their wounds, which looked to be at least mid-grade.

Sizzle.

The flesh sizzled, emitting a smoky smell.

The wounds healed quickly.

Steven understood why the soldiers blindly trusted Roman Demetri.

'Overwhelming strength, bold judgment, and a generous heart towards the soldiers. The trust between Roman Demetri and his soldiers didn't just happen. This man, even if he jumps into a fire, they would follow him without hesitation.'

The admiration was brief.

Roman spoke to Steven.

"Clean up the battlefield here and prepare for the second attack. Also, we need a soldier familiar with the southern front's geography."

"Are you planning to leave immediately?"

"The war is not over. While we enjoy this peace, Cairo's soldiers are dying elsewhere."

The war had begun.

One victory.

Does not mean the war is won.

Roman showed a fierce look.

"I have no intention of standing idly by while the Kingdom of Hector tramples this land. I won't stop until I kill every last one of the Hector soldiers who crossed the border."

At those words.

Steven felt a chill.

It was clearly a disadvantageous fight for Cairo.

Hector's attack was sudden, and the advantage of defending the city was gone.

But.

Somehow, he felt that this man in front of him could really accomplish something great.

Roman shouted to the soldiers.

"I'll give you 10 minutes. Prepare for departure."

"Understood."

The soldiers following Roman's orders.

Two hours after the war began.

The 5th defense line successfully defended the city.

And it was the first variable the Kingdom of Hector did not anticipate, marking the beginning of another variable.