The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

If That Is My Fate. (3)

Kaaang!

Grondal barely managed to lift his halberd and block the blow.

He staggered backward, gasping for breath with a flustered expression.

Astion, who had been fleeing with the Saintess, had appeared here alone.

It was easy to guess that the Saintess had been taken from him.

But this wasn’t the Astion he remembered. He had never seen Astion radiate such a storm-like presence before.

‘No, that’s not true……’

Long ago, when Valskrum had been invaded by the Apostles—

That was when Astion had shown this very appearance.

How fiercely his blood had boiled back then.

How many times had he thought he wanted to face him properly as a warrior?

But at some point, that side of Astion had vanished.

He had become a cool-headed mage and strategist, taking on the Demonic Abyss.

That wild, flame-like presence had seemed to be lost to the passage of time.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but he had occasionally missed that overwhelming aura that seemed capable of destroying everything.

And now, that flame was roaring once more.

As Grondal retreated, Ghislain spoke to Lionel.

“Lionel, go help Julien. Just hold out until I get there. Things aren’t looking good right now.”

Ghislain turned his head in the direction where Julien was.

Flashes of light and explosions intersected in the distance.

That meant Julien was still holding his ground.

But overhead, the darkness was steadily gathering.

Guoooooo……

The air trembled with a strange resonance, an ominous sensation slowly creeping in.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t a good sign.

Lionel asked in a trembling voice.

“No way… you, you’re…”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

At those words, a bright smile spread across Lionel’s face.

It was Ghislain, whom he thought had long departed.

But now, seeing him again, his heart swelled more than ever.

Now that Ghislain was here, there was no need to think about anything else.

As always, all he had to do was follow Ghislain’s lead.

That way, even in impossible situations, a sliver of hope could be forged.

Lionel nodded firmly.

“Got it. Don’t worry. I’ll buy time for Julien no matter what.”

With those words, Lionel ran off in the direction of Julien.

The Dwarves watching from behind panicked and raised their weapons.

At that moment, Grondal shouted.

“Let him go! Taking down this bastard in front of us is more important!”

Things had already moved beyond his control.

It wouldn’t make a difference whether Lionel, already exhausted, went or not.

If anything, he’d just end up dead at the hands of the dragon.

But Astion—Astion had to be killed for certain.

Astion possessed some unknown power.

If that man managed to survive by chance, the Dwarves would be in danger.

There was no way he intended to let him go without a fight.

If necessary, he was even prepared to join forces with the Dwarves.

Thanks to Grondal’s decision, Lionel was able to escape safely.

Grondal gripped his halberd tightly and spoke.

“Whatever the reason, you’ve finally shown your true self. Especially since you’ve drawn Gramdyr again.”

Kwaaang!

Ghislain didn’t answer. He simply swung his sword again, trying to kill Grondal.

Grondal gritted his teeth and launched a counterattack.

He had always wanted to fight Ghislain seriously at least once.

This wasn’t the kind of situation he had hoped for… but if there was ever a time to risk his life in battle, this was it.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

Their weapons clashed, each strike aiming for the other’s vital points.

If asked who was stronger between a dragon and Grondal, anyone would say the dragon.

But if asked who was the better fighter, the answer would be a little different.

Dragons overwhelmed their foes with sheer physical power and mana.

But Grondal had learned countless techniques and honed them through real battles.

That was how he, too, had gained the power to face dragons alone.

As the strongest of the Dwarves and a hero of the Great War, Grondal deflected and parried Ghislain’s attacks several times.

Then a sharp, deadly gleam flashed in Ghislain’s eyes.

Gaaaahhhhhhng!

His core began to spin violently, and his energy only grew stronger by the second.

Kwaang!

Ghislain’s sword carved a path as if it were laced with destruction.

With every swing, the air was torn apart, and shockwaves burst outward like storms.

Grondal followed his movements with every fiber of his being.

His technique was refined, and his responses were flawless.

But the problem was speed. Ghislain’s movements were increasingly surpassing human limits.

Kwaaaaang!

Before he knew it, Grondal’s feet began to slide back. The ground split beneath him, and his footprints grew deeper and deeper.

‘This can’t be… He’s getting stronger the longer we fight… How does he have this kind of power…?’

He couldn’t believe it. This was far beyond what he had anticipated.

An overwhelming force, as if surpassing even that of a dragon, was pressing down on him.

‘He’s become… an entirely different being.’

Grondal clenched his teeth.

He couldn’t falter. Even a moment of hesitation would cost him his head.

He swung his halberd with such force that the tendons in his whole body bulged.

But Ghislain’s sword had already vanished from his sight.

Crunch!

Grondal twisted his body instinctively. Blood spurted from his chest as it was slashed open.

“Ghk…”

The sword came again. Grondal didn’t dodge. He blocked it with every ounce of strength he had left.

Kwaaaang!

A collision erupted like an explosion.

In the end, Grondal’s body couldn’t withstand the impact.

He was flung backward, crashing through a pile of rocks and tumbling down.

“Kh…!”

Grondal gasped for air as he struggled to stand.

Even blocking and holding his ground had become a challenge now.

Gripping his halberd tightly, he coughed up blood and laughed.

“You’re truly incredible… You’re nothing like before. You’ve become a complete monster.”

He didn’t know why Ghislain had kept such power hidden all this time.

But that didn’t matter now.

What mattered was stopping the surge of murderous intent and fury pouring from his opponent.

Without a word, Ghislain began approaching Grondal again.

Boom!

With each of his steps, the earth trembled slightly.

It wasn’t just walking—it was practically a declaration of annihilation.

Grondal caught his breath and lowered his stance.

His eyes still burned with the spirit of battle.

“I may have chosen to act as a king… but I haven’t cast aside the pride of a warrior.”

He didn’t think he could win, even with help.

But surrender wasn’t an option either.

He was already a traitor who had sacrificed the Saintess.

So… Here, he had to burn everything and eliminate the “enemy.”

Fwaaaash!

Grondal’s hair began turning stark white.

As he drew on his very life force, his muscles swelled as if about to burst, and his energy exploded exponentially.

“I’ll show you my final battle as a warrior!”

Kwaang!

Grondal raised his halberd high and charged at Ghislain.

Once more, his halberd clashed against Ghislain’s sword.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaaaang!

The impact sounds rang out in rapid succession.

Their movements were so fast they could no longer be seen.

Only streaks of light and shockwaves remained, marking their presence.

The air split, and the earth crumbled.

With each collision, dust exploded high into the sky.

Grondal endured the shock that felt like his body was breaking apart.

Even as his arms went numb, his muscles tore, and blood burst out—he didn’t stop.

“This is… my final battle!”

With a shout, Grondal unleashed a strike imbued with everything he had.

Crack!

His halberd grazed Ghislain’s shoulder.

Seeing the blood spurting forth, a glimmer of hope sparked in Grondal’s eyes.

Drrrrr!

His muscles twisted as he tracked Ghislain’s afterimage dodging to the side.

If this attack succeeded, he could take his opponent’s head.

But—faster than that.

Ghislain’s sword drove toward Grondal’s abdomen.

Puk!

In a moment that felt frozen in time—

Ghislain’s sword completely pierced through Grondal’s body.

At the same time, the force within the blade shredded his insides to pieces.

“Ghhhk…”

Grondal’s eyes widened as he tried to swing his halberd down.

But there was no strength left in him to bring it down.

Thud!

In the end, his halberd fell from his hand without strength.

Grondal looked at Ghislain and spoke slowly.

“I do not regret my choice.”

“…….”

“For the world… for our people… I only did what I believed was best as a king.”

“…….”

“I am only… sorry for the Saintess.”

Ghislain slowly withdrew his sword.

Grondal’s eyes no longer looked at Ghislain. His blurred gaze was fixed toward the altar.

Staring at the ominous darkness swirling in the sky, Grondal murmured,

“Did we really… save the world…?”

With those words, Grondal’s body collapsed.

Boom!

A heavy reverberation sounded and dust rose into the air.

Ghislain looked at Grondal’s corpse within the dust.

A moment later he spoke with an indifferent expression to the dazed Dwarves.

“Now it’s your turn.”

At those words, Ghislain moved like a red flash.

“You bastard! Our king—”

“We will avenge the king!”

“Kill that bastard!”

The enraged Dwarves raised their weapons all at once.

They had intended to intervene in the fight, but the clash between the two monsters had been too fierce for them to find an opening.

They had simply watched and missed their chance.

Clenching their teeth, the Dwarves charged toward Ghislain.

They had felt goodwill toward their long-time comrade Astion, and they were truly sorry about the Saintess. But with Grondal dead, all that remained in them was rage. That rage was their final strength.

Kwaaaang!

Ghislain pierced through the gaps among the Dwarves like lightning.

The captain of the Dwarves, who had reached transcendent levels, saw his neck sliced through the air and fly away.

Kagagagagagang!

Dozens of weapons struck Ghislain’s body at once, but his flesh, wrapped in red energy, did not waver at all.

One Dwarf captain stared in horror.

“W-what the…?”

How strong was that energy that even the transcendent attacks could not affect him?

Puk!

Before he could resolve that question, his heart was pierced.

Kwaang! Kwaang! Kwaang!

The air filled with the smell of blood.

Ghislain killed the Dwarves decisively, without a hint of hesitation.

Though the Dwarves were veterans of the Great War, they could not stand against Ghislain, who had unleashed the power of a 9th-Circle grimoire.

If the Dwarves had been more numerous, they might have been able to slowly sap Ghislain’s energy and hold out. Facing Darvasca and Grondal had already drained much of Ghislain’s strength, so that tactic could have worked.

But the Dwarves had only three Transcendents and twenty high-level warriors. They could not possibly stop the Ghislain before them.

Every time Ghislain moved, a flash of red light streaked through the air.

And in the wake of each of those flashes, a new corpse was always left behind.

Kwaaang!

The last Dwarf collapsed, half of his body blown apart.

Immediately after, Ghislain hunched over and coughed up blood.

“Khak!”

His whole body was soaked in blood, and his breath came out in ragged gasps.

Truthfully, after rampaging like this, he should’ve stopped to rest.

The more power he used, the faster his body would deteriorate.

Astion might even die.

But if he stopped here, all their friends would be killed.

Just as Ghislain hesitated, Astion’s trembling voice echoed in his mind.

— I’m okay with dying.

“Astion…”

— I mean it. Just focus on saving the others, no matter what. If it comes down to it… just save Deneb. That way, the friends outside can at least get revenge.

“…Alright.”

— So don’t worry about my body. Do whatever you want with it.

Ghislain gave a faint smile.

“Don’t say things people could misunderstand… especially while sounding like you’re about to cry.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them, regaining his resolve.

Astion’s will was clear. And Ghislain agreed.

In the worst-case scenario, they had to at least save Deneb and get her out.

If they couldn’t save everyone…

Then they’d just have to start another Great War and take revenge.

Ghislain steadied his breathing. It was hard, but he had to move on to the next location.

Just as he was about to take a step—

“Kh!”

Ghislain clutched his head.

A sudden, brain-splitting pain surged through him. At the same time, blood gushed from his nose.

‘What is this…?’

Caught in an unbelievable situation, Ghislain dropped to one knee. He clenched his teeth and gripped his head tightly.

At first, he thought something had happened to Astion’s body.

But he quickly realized that wasn’t it.

This felt like…

Something was touching his mind.

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