The Emperor Has Returned

Chapter 60 – The Voice (3)

Ethan’s sword struck Dilmond’s shield once more. The moment Dilmond’s shield bounced slightly to the side and a gap was exposed, Ethan used this chance to kick Dilmond in the stomach. Although Dilmond was wearing heavy armor, Ethan’s kick lifted his body up in the air. While Dilmond managed to stay on his feet, he coughed up blood as if his ribs were broken.

“Don’t push yourself too hard and take a break on the ground, you old raven,” Ethan derided.

“Your foot is sharper than your sword, little baby.”

“It looks like I could win just by using my foot instead of my sword from what I see.”

Ethan surveyed his surroundings with his sword hanging down from his hand. Although the Order of the White Crow was outnumbered by the Order of Huginn, they were still pushing against the Order of Huginn one-sidedly. While it was true that the Order of Huginn selected talented knights and trained them well, most of the original knights other than Dilmond that had been glorious in the past had been dead for a long time now.

The Order of Huginn was showing obvious signs of exhaustion, and the number of knights from the Order of Huginn lying on the ground increased as time passed.

On the other hand, the numbers on the Order of the White Crow’s side remained the same as they had been when they began the battle.

Ethan aimed for Dilmond’s throat and swung his sword again. However, his sword was blocked by a rusty and nicked giant sword. The knight of the dead bounced off Ethan’s sword with a giant sword drenched in blood, and ruthlessly shoved his body. Ethan’s face distorted.

At that moment, an ax was flung, aimed at Ethan’s throat. Ethan barely managed to dodge, but the blade of the ax grazed his helmet.

Ethan wrapped his head with his hands as his head was ringing due to the pain. Ethan had no choice but to take a step back.

Instead of charging at Ethan immediately, the knights of the dead stepped away from Ethan to realign their positions with Dilmond.

Ethan couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

‘They are more like knights than monsters. They are under good control.’

Ethan had to admit that the knights of the dead were worthy of being treated as ‘senior knights’ by the Order of Huggin, even though this was only possible due to Ras keeping them under control.

The knights of the dead were the only factor that allowed the Order of Huginn to maintain their current state. Not only did the knights of the dead wound the Templars with their frightening strength, but they also spread their unholy energy to slow down the Templars’ healing processes. Although the unholy energy couldn’t completely stop the healing process, it was still enough to slow it down.

While the battle wasn’t exactly in Ethan’s favor, it was one that could be won. Two knights of the dead had already been shattered under Ethan’s sword. As long as Bishop Rietto’s Grace continued to protect them, it would be the victory of the Order of the White Crow.

Ethan once again rejuvenated the Templars.

“Templars! Raise your sword! It is His Majesty’s…”

At that moment, an ear-deafening sound shook the entirety of Hiveden.

***

Ethan unconsciously staggered as he lost the strength in his legs at the sound that made his intestines squirm. However, Ethan was doing better than the others—a few of the Templars had fallen on their bottoms. Ethan felt a mind-numbing shock upon hearing the voice, while the pupils of all the Templars were shaking.

I speak in the name of Juan Calberg Kennosis.

The majestic and deep voice that roared throughout Hiveden belonged to their master without a doubt. Ethan found it difficult to even maintain his grip on his sword.

‘His Majesty?’

No one could say anything out loud, but all the Templars had the same question in mind.

The Order of Huginn was also filled with confusion. However, they weren’t as agitated as the Templars and quietly whispered to each other. Only Dilmond was staring at the western sky where the voice had come from.

The knights of the dead were motionless, while a few of the Templars knelt to bow their heads and muttered a prayer.

Before he knew it, Ethan was also unconsciously muttering his own prayer.

“Your Majesty, please give us your commands. We will gladly die if that is your command.”

Ethan anxiously waited for His Majesty’s voice to continue while feeling a terrible thirst. However, the voice didn’t continue. It was a voice that Ethan had never heard nor expected to hear since birth. Ethan felt as if the oasis that he had found after wandering in the desert disappeared like a mirage. The thirst was driving him crazy.

Then a loud scream was heard. One of the knights of the Order of Huginn had stabbed a Templar who was praying in the throat. The Templar who had been stabbed in the throat coughed up blood and trembled. Everyone looked at the knight who broke the temporary truce with criticism and shock, but Ethan then realized that something was off.

“The healing Grace has… stopped?” Ethan said in confusion.

The healing Grace that was being showered on the Templars had disappeared after His Majesty’s voice was heard. Ethan didn’t know what this meant. He had an assumption in mind, but he despised to even think about it and tried to disregard it. Ethan gritted his teeth.

“Templars!” Ethan shouted loudly as he raised his sword.

Ethan put strength into his trembling legs. The battle had momentarily stopped as everyone was shocked to hear His Majesty’s voice, but the battle had to continue.

“Raise your swords! His Majesty has blessed us with his own voice!”

The Templars looked at Ethan with a perplexed and suspicious look in their eyes. After all His Majesty hadn’t said anything after the initial voice. Regardless of how Ethan shouted, not a single person made a move.

Ethan bit his lips.

Dilmond belatedly realized that he had been missing his chance to attack, and hastily gave commands to the Order of Huginn. The Order of Huginn began to charge at the Order of the White Crow and their Templars, but the Order of the White Crow and the Templars faltered and only passively defended themselves.

“Get up this instance and raise your swords! No Templars should just sit and pray when there are enemies right in front of your face! Pray using your swords, and use your enemy’s blood as a sacrificial offering! We can still hear His Majesty’s voice while we fight!” Ethan shouted in anger.

The Templars began to actively raise their swords again at Ethan’s ostracism. However, their movements were much slower than before. Ethan became nervous upon seeing such a view. The healing Grace was no longer protecting them, and they were discouraged. It was only natural for Ethan to be nervous; it would be difficult to continue the battle in such a state. Ethan wondered if something had happened to Bishop Rietto. He was in desperate need of something dramatic to turn the tables around.

“Ras Raud!”

Ethan shouted and wildly charged toward the nearest knight of the dead. The knight of the dead raised his sword in an attempt to block the charge, but a flame soared from Ethan’s fingertip in an instant. The fire covered Ethan’s sword and then struck the sword of the knight of the dead at once.

When the sword of the knight of the dead scattered into pieces like shattering ice, Ethan didn’t hesitate to split the knight of the dead in half. The knight of the dead broke down with a grotesque scream. Ethan didn’t stop there. He continued to attack the next knight of the dead with his fiery sword. The knights of the dead faltered before the fire burning on Ethan’s sword and defended themselves, but they couldn’t stop him.

Two more knights of the dead were cut down by Ethan who fought with all his might. They helplessly fell down to the ground. Ethan’s fire had spread to their bodies and started to burn and break down their remains.

“His Majesty’s Flames…” Dilmond groaned.

His Majesty’s Flames were lethal to the undead like the knights of the dead. However, as powerful as it was, it consumed a lot of physical strength and was very difficult to handle.

A strand of cold sweat ran down Ethan’s forehead as he instantly cut three more knights of the dead with His Majesty’s Flames. He had been saving this skill for Ras, but now he felt that it would be satisfactory if could use it and bait Ras to come to the battleground.

No one from the Order of the White Crow in history had been able to overpower the knights of the dead as quickly as Ethan. It was a great accomplishment, but the consequences were severe. Ethan noticed that his hand was severely scorched and stuck to the handle of his sword.

‘At least I won’t have to worry about dropping my sword.’

Ethan decided to look at the silver lining. In fact, his body had more energy and strength than ever before. The heat from the flames was painful, but the excitement of the battle surmounted the pain and overwhelmed him.

The Templars’ equipment was powerful in strength, but it played an even greater role in enhancing one’s movement. The equipment allowed the movement of their sword and shield to become much faster and more accurate. For this reason, the Templars described the sense of someone guiding their hand movement as His Majesty’s guidance.’ Furthermore, the equipment being heated by His Majesty’s Flames was giving much more powerful Grace than usual to Ethan.

‘His Majesty is with me.’

Ethan shouted once again and raised his sword with a hand which looked like a black lump burning in flames.

“Ras Raud! Show yourself! If not, I will kill every single one of your skeletons! Don’t tell me that you consider yourself the captain of a knight order when you are hiding behind these skeletons like a coward!”

“How dare you!” Dilmond shouted.

Dilmond realized Ethan’s intentions and immediately swung his hammer.

Ethan dodged Dilmond’s attack with ease and counter-attacked by cutting Dilmond’s shoulder.

Dilmond had no choice but to groan and step away from Ethan. Dilmond didn’t scatter like the knights of the dead since he wasn’t undead, but it was clear that his injury was critical.

Ethan’s heart pounded wildly. He felt as if he was a burning candle and his life was the wick. The warmth of the flame allowed his body to become faster and stronger, but at the same time he could feel his life gradually being eaten away in return.

‘If my sacrifice will become the light to brighten this dark world, I will gladly give up my life. Your Majesty, even if you abandoned us, we will gladly burn in fire for you!’

“Ras Raud! Captain of the Order of Huginn! Come out!” Ethan shouted once again.

Ethan had madness in his eyes. As he searched his surroundings, his gaze landed on Anya who stood at the rear of the Order of Huginn.

At the same time, Anya calmly pulled out her stiletto and brought out more undead. Quite a few undead blocked Ethan’s way to Anya.

“You dare to insult me with these trivial things?!”

Ethan continued his charge as he swept his surroundings with a fiery sword. The undead couldn’t slow Ethan down, and quickly burned to ashes upon encountering His Majesty’s Flames. Ethan’s sword approached Anya’s neck in a blink of an eye.

Anya didn’t bother to dodge, and just stabbed at Ethan’s back.

At that moment, darkness soared. Ethan’s body was pushed back by the immense power. Ethan lifted his head up, and he found white bones above the darkness which clattered to rebuild its form.

Each piece of bone found its place one by one and created the huge figure of a man. The skeleton, which was well over two meters tall, looked too foreign to be called human. The skeleton held a white sword with small pieces of bones moving incessantly.

It was different from the knights of the dead or a lich. Ethan recognized the skeleton’s identity at just a glance—the former Captains of the Order of the White Crow had thrown their lives at him and died as a result. He was the reason for the establishment of the Order of the White Crow, as well as the source of their curse. Ethan uttered a cry of joy.

“Ras Raud!”

『Forcing me to come out is the cause of your death.』

Ras swung his sword in an instant and cut at Ethan’s neck.

***

The moment darkness engulfed Ethan’s body, everyone that had been watching felt as if they saw Ethan’s head rolling off of his body.

However, Ethan had dodged and stepped back before anyone knew it.

Everyone was stunned to see Ethan move faster than the speed of surging darkness, but Ras was the only exception.

‘His Majesty’s Flames… that’s the problem.’

His Majesty’s Flames now covered Ethan’s entire arm, beyond just his sword and hand. The more His Majesty’s Flames encroached on Ethan’s body, the more heated and powerful his equipment would be.

Ethan seemed determined to actively accept His Majesty’s Flames into his body. The fact that such action would eat away at his life didn’t even seem to bother him.

‘How foolish of him.’

Ethan would eventually die on his own from using His Majesty’s Flames if Ras had not shown himself. However, the Order of Huginn was bound to suffer from tremendous damage before that. Thus, Ras had no choice but to step up and fight Ethan himself.

“Seems like you can’t swing your sword faster than that,” Ethan provoked Ras as he ran toward him.

Ras smoothly dogged Ethan’s fiery sword. Being an undead, nothing good would come about from touching those flames.

‘Things would be much simpler if I could use magic, but…’

The balance of Ras’ power was precarious even right now. Ras was already using most of his mana to prevent himself from losing control.

Even so, Ethan’s skills were certainly excellent. Ras rated Ethan’s skills in terms of swordsmanship to be on par with himself in his prime, aside from the fact that Ras was primarily talented in magic.

Ethan’s sword narrowly grazed against the corner of Ras’ darkness. As soon as the flames touched the darkness, the darkness blazed red and was scattered into ashes. But that was it.

While Ras focused on dodging Ethan’s attacks, the flames that burned using Ethan’s body as fuel were already eroding the right side of Ethan’s face.

Ethan was furious—the fight with Ras he had anticipated all his life was gradually coming to its end, but it was all in vain as Ras was only running away from his sword and refusing to fight back.

“You son of a bitch! At least use your sword!”

『I don’t see why I should. You look like you will die on your own even if I didn’t do anything.』

“And you call yourself the captain of a knight order…”

Ethan chewed and swallowed his words. His opponent was the captain of the Order of Huginn, who was famous for the use of his time-consuming tactics to kill his enemies. If Ras had the opportunity to use his tactics and it was likely to be successful, he wouldn’t care about such things as honor.

Ethan could still save his own life if he were to extinguish His Majesty’s Flames at this moment, but then he would have no chance of winning against Ras.

Ras didn’t want a talented knight like Ethan to die in vain either, even if he was the enemy. However, Ras didn’t want Dilmond and Anya who were looking at him anxiously to worry. Neither did he want to worry Juan who had warned him not to get involved. Thus Ras decided to stick to the safest way possible.

Ethan realized that he couldn’t win against Ras who was committed to defense. There wasn’t much time left for Ethan. The results could be different if Ethan was in perfect condition, but he had already exhausted the majority of his strength before encountering Ras. Ethan muttered in despair.

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”