The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 293: Chapter 292: It Coming to an End (2)



The tide of the battle quickly shifted in favor of Fenris and the allied forces.

This was because the mounted archers, having shaken off Emerson's pursuit, relentlessly fired arrows at the rear of the divided Desmond forces.

"Ughhhhhh!"

Attacked from both the front and back, the Desmond army began to crumble helplessly.

The Perdium forces, who had already maintained superiority despite being fewer in number, secured a decisive advantage with the help of the mounted archers.

"Now's the time! Push them back decisively!"

In particular, Zwalter stood at the forefront, killing enemies more furiously than anyone else. It's always scarier when a normally calm person gets angry.

"Uwaaahhh!"

With the momentum on their side, the Perdium army completely overwhelmed the Desmond forces led by Viscount Garein.

Fear is contagious. One by one, Desmond's soldiers began to flee, and their formation collapsed with surprising ease.

"Don't run! You idiots!"

Viscount Garein desperately encouraged his troops, but the already tilted tide of battle would not be reversed.

The knights of Perdium, even while spitting blood, did not lose focus until the end. They knew victory was within reach.

The same was true for the royal forces. Emerson's withdrawal left Desmond's forces vulnerable, and the royal army pressed them with their superior numbers.

Unlike Perdium, they fought methodically, steadily pushing back the enemy according to standard tactics.

With both flanks collapsing, Desmond's central forces found themselves surrounded.

The central army could no longer provide support to other parts of the battlefield. Their formation had already broken down, thanks to the efforts of Ghislain and Vanessa.

The knights and cavalry of Fenris, who launched an assault on the central army, used their overwhelming defensive power to decimate the enemy.

Among them, three individuals stood out.

"Whew! It's so damn hot!"

"Hang in there a little longer! We're about to secure complete victory!"

"Look, those bastards are already running away!"

For the enemy, who had lost their fighting spirit and were in disarray, their numerical advantage no longer mattered. The three members of the labor assault corps lifted the visors of their helmets briefly to catch their breath.

"Ah, I feel alive again!"

A middle-aged man shouted. He was the former leader of the Desmond spies who had infiltrated Fenris territory but was later recruited into the labor assault corps.

The other two also lifted their visors, showing expressions of relief. Their faces were drenched with sweat.

No matter how good the armor's defense was, it lacked the magic treatment that knights' armor had, so the inside temperature inevitably rose as time went on.

Their bodies felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton, but their faces were full of exhilaration.

"Hehehe, who would've thought 'our Fenris' could defeat Desmond."

At the leader's words, the other two nodded in agreement.

"I was thinking of running away or switching sides again, but this turned out even better than expected."

"Alright, let's focus on taking down these 'enemies.' We're almost done. Seriously, this armor is amazing."

These men were originally more skilled than regular soldiers. Equipped with full-body Galbanium armor, they were unlikely to die easily.

The leader adjusted his spear and spoke with exaggerated determination.

"Come on! It's tough, but let's give it our all! A fresh start is just around the corner!"

They had fully committed to defecting to Fenris.

Fenris was now their home, where they had houses and savings. If they crushed Desmond, the strongest force in the north, no one could threaten them anymore.

Although Rayfold was considered Desmond's equal, that territory was already weakened by rebellion and internal strife.

Once Fenris conquered Desmond, even their families in Desmond would be safe. This was their chance for a fresh start and a clean slate. Missing it would be foolish.

Just as they were gearing up to fight again, a Desmond officer recognized their faces and shouted.

"You, you all!"

The three turned their heads sharply. Recognizing the officer, their faces turned pale, and they shouted in unison.

"That bastard?"

Although they quickly lowered their visors, it was too late.

The officer pointed at them and yelled.

"What are you traitors doing here!"

He was an instructor responsible for training and managing Desmond's spies. As all available personnel had been mobilized for this war, he found himself on the battlefield.

Commanding a small unit, he had unexpectedly encountered the spies he had trained, now fighting for Fenris.

Realizing their cover was blown, the spy leader shouted in panic.

"Kill that bastard before he says anything!"

If the officer said anything unnecessary, they would be in trouble. Their dream of a fresh start could be shattered. The leader adjusted his stance and yelled.

"Stream Attack! Strike now!"

With a loud shout, the leader quickly hurled his spear.

Clang!

"Ugh!"

The officer, who had been about to speak again, was startled and deflected the spear. But that

was not the end of the attack.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Taking advantage of the moment, another spy closed in and thrust his spear.

Stab!

Although the officer hastily regained his stance to block the second attack, it was his final act

of resistance.

"Haaah!"

Crunch!

The third spy pulled out an axe from his belt and struck the officer's neck.

Having already exhausted himself blocking the first two attacks, the officer was unable to

defend against the third.

The combination of long-range, mid-range, and close-range attacks was their signature

technique, the "Stream Attack."

"Traitorous bastards..."

Unable to finish his sentence, the officer collapsed, spewing blood.

The three spies looked around nervously, confirming no one else was around, and let out a

sigh of relief.

"Whew... That was close. If he'd kept talking, we'd have been in real trouble. Damn, it feels great to finally take him down. He gave us hell during training."

At that moment, Gordon, who had just defeated the Royal Guards and was advancing on the enemy lines, approached them. Noticing the fallen officer's uniform, he stopped, startled.

"Wow! You three managed to take down an enemy officer! A Desmond officer wouldn't have

been an easy target-amazing!"

The higher the rank of the person killed, the greater the credit earned. Gordon laughed heartily as he spoke to the three men.

"I can't believe you're fighting this hard and even managed to kill an enemy officer! I doubted you because you were part of the labor assault corps and thought you might be spies. I'm sorry for that! I'll make sure to report your achievements to the higher-ups!"

"Ahaha...."

"We told you, we're not bad people..."

"You don't really have to report it..."

The three men laughed awkwardly. They had no desire to draw attention to themselves by receiving credit. If they encountered any prisoners who knew their identities later, it could

spell disaster.

But Gordon, unaware of their true intentions, shook his head and said confidently.

"Our lord is someone who always ensures proper rewards! Don't worry, keep fighting hard!

There's not much left now!"

"Ahaha..."

The three men continued to fight, maintaining their awkward smiles.

"This musclehead should just stick to building muscle. Why is he so nosy?'

The resolve to eliminate anyone who recognized them grew stronger with each passing

moment.

Meanwhile, Desmond's forces were crumbling from every direction, including the area where

the labor assault corps was active.

Watching this from the highest and safest vantage point, Harold bit his lip hard enough to

draw blood.

"My army... my army..."

He couldn't believe it. His army, renowned as the strongest in the North. Each soldier was a

carefully chosen elite.

Despite bringing such an overwhelming force, they were losing. No, it was already clear they

had been defeated.

The formations were completely broken, and deserters were fleeing in every direction.

Even Emerson's cavalry, who had been holding their ground, were being slaughtered as

Perdium and the kingdom's armies succeeded in encircling them.

And the person responsible for all of this was charging toward him.

"Harold-!"

Ghislain's shout was filled with rage and exhilaration as he advanced with a storm-like

momentum.

"Ghislain! You wretch!"

Harold stood up, roaring in fury. It was all because of that man. The unbroken streak of victories he had enjoyed had been utterly ruined because of him.

He had poured every ounce of his territory's strength into this final battle, and even that had

failed.

This was the end. He would no longer be called the great lord of the North. Everything he had built was crumbling today. His wealth and towering reputation would all

fall into the hands of that man.

Born to walk only the best paths, he was now defeated by a mere brat who had once been

scorned as the North's weakest.

His name would go down in history, only to be mocked for eternity.

It was an unforgivable humiliation. How could he endure this?

"Aaaahhhhh!"

Harold screamed with bloodshot eyes.

The strategists by his side grabbed his arms and shouted.

"My lord! It's over! You must surrender!" "Even the Royal Guards are gone! You must flee!"

"You can escape to a nearby duke's territory!"

Slash!

"Gahh!"

The strategists who spoke of surrender and retreat were all beheaded by Harold's sword. The remaining strategists and a handful of soldiers stepped back cautiously. Harold, his hair disheveled and tears of blood streaming down his face, was no longer sane.

What had sustained him all this time was his pride and honor as the great lord of the North. Now that he had lost everything, his life had no meaning.

The only way to recover was to kill the brat standing before him.

Step.

Ghislain dismounted from his black steed and approached Harold, sword in hand.

"Harold."

"Ghislain."

The two called each other's names, glaring.

Though it was the duke's command, Harold had attempted to destroy Perdium, and in a past

life, he had succeeded.

Thus, Ghislain and Harold were fated to clash. Just as the ties between Ghislain and the duke's

family were tangled, Ghislain and Harold's connection was one of bitter enmity, destined to

end only with one's death.

And now, it was time to sever that bond.

Ghislain, bloodied from head to toe, smiled with exhilaration as he spoke.

"At last, the time has come to kill you."

"Hehehe...."

Harold said nothing else, laughing like a madman. His eyes, like Ghislain's, were filled with

murderous intent.

Even without words, their gazes said it all. The depth of their hatred for each other was

unmistakable.

Taking a step forward, Harold finally opened his mouth.

"I should have crushed Perdium outright instead of targeting your sister."

That was his first regret.

"When you obtained the Rune Stone, I should have personally led the entire army. I should

have abandoned all pretenses and crushed you."

That was his second regret.

"When you attacked Count Cabaldi, I should have ignored the kingdom's army and gone

straight to kill you."

That was his third regret.

Harold had had opportunities to kill Ghislain. Several times. But he had hesitated, bound by

the duke's orders, the need for justification, and the political climate.

By the time he hesitated, Ghislain had grown strong enough to topple him.

"But I won't miss this last chance."

Ghislain stood before him, alone and bloodied from battle. His body was clearly battered and

far from normal. His breathing was uneven, and his body bore countless wounds. Harold was still a high-level knight. He had mastered the advanced swordsmanship of the

Desmond family and had a talent equal to the best.

Though he had grown lax in his training after taking over as lord, he was not so weak as to be

unable to take down a wounded beast.

Boom!

Harold drew on all his mana. Not only that, but he began burning his life force, destroying his

mana core in the process.

His sole remaining goal was clear: kill Ghislain and salvage his wounded pride.

Even at the cost of his own life.

"Die."

With a single word, dripping with hatred, Harold charged at Ghislain.

Clang!

Harold's attack, fueled by all his strength, was overwhelming. The force behind it caused Ghislain to falter for a moment.

But Ghislain still wore a euphoric smile. Blocking Harold's sword, he spoke.

"I can still remember how it felt to kill you."

"Hehe... I knew you were insane, but this is worse than I thought. You'll die by my hand

today."

"Even after cutting your body into hundreds, thousands of pieces, my rage didn't subside. Instead, the emptiness only grew. Killing you brought no one back. It was nothing more than petty vengeance."

Harold's brow furrowed. It sounded like nonsense, but the raw emotion in Ghislain's voice

made it feel disturbingly real. Ghislain continued, still smiling.

"This time is different. I'm certain of it. That's why I've never been happier."

Boom!

A storm of mana exploded outward. Harold, unable to withstand the shock, staggered back

several steps.

Ghislain reopened his third core. As he drew his mana to its peak, his hair fluttered wildly in

the torrent of energy.

Crack!

Ghislain's body was already at its limit. Blood oozed from his wounds, and his body twisted

from the strain of unlocking his core, but through the pain, his smile only grew.

This pain.

Was nothing compared to the torment of losing everything in his past life.

"This time, I won't even leave your corpse behind, Harold Desmond." "Yes, that's how it should be. Struggle as much as you can. It'll make killing you all the

sweeter."

Harold grinned just as fiercely. His mind was consumed by rage and hatred, nothing else.

As they laughed maniacally at each other.

Boom!

Without waiting for a signal, they swung their swords simultaneously. [T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans]