The Amber Sword volume 2 - Chapter 161

Chapter 161 – Planeswalker’s battle (4)
Ciel completed his spell.
When Iamas finally forced his way through the endless arrays of golden pillars of light and knocked away the angels in his path, he found Brendel behind a Magic Wall. Countless lines of light had weaved into walls that extended before Brendel on four sides. He rushed forward and tried to cut through the wall, sending a shower of sparks.
His pupils contracted, and he made the decision to retreat. The wall had turned into a physical wall made of Laws cast by a master wizard. The youth was a Golden-ranked swordsman as well, and it was impossible to end things quickly. He thought he could rely on his proud speed to gain victory, but his opponent had decisively abandoned supporting the entire battlefield by summoning all the strange orbs just to slow him down.
It was a failure.
[The fact that he used his entire formation of Light Orbs and called back his Master Wizard…… Either he’s someone who’s utterly afraid of getting injured, or he has incredible judgment. Regardless, he has definitely won.]
When he looked back at Brendel’s light brown eyes as he retreated, he saw his opponent staring back at him without any signs of emotion, appearing like an enemy who had fought against him for many years.
Brendel was exactly what he had thought of. The battles he had fought against Iamas in the Kingdom of Knights, Glace, were no less than ten times over the years in the game. Iamas had attained the Blood of Evil Dragon and was even more formidable than he appeared now, but be it in the game or the world here; he had not changed in the slightest.
Therefore Brendel’s strategies on him were effective and served only to confuse Iamas, who found it more and more bizarre.
“Stop him from escaping!” Brendel bellowed when he found Iamas had the desire to retreat. Several of the mercenaries jumped up as they were startled at his ear-splitting roar.
[This fucker is the commander who completely broke through Bruglas in the game, I can’t let him escape!]
Even though Iamas did not improve as much over the ages, he remained as the best tactician amongst the Four Knights. If he were killed, it would be the equivalent of cutting of Tarkus’s right arm, and governing the southern region of Aouine would be less stressful, not to mention that he was going to face the House of Randner’s fury.
Iamas scoffed furiously at Brendel’s words. Even though he was unable to get to Brendel quickly, he felt that victory would not be on the latter’s side so easily if he went all-out. However, he had to ensure Graudin’s safety and had to retreat to reform the city’s soldiers into a defensive line. He was ultimately a general who looked at the bigger picture at all times.
His entire body was a blur, easily stopping before Ciel’s Time-stop barrier and evading it. The two Pristine Angels came at him again, but with a leap into the air, he had easily dodged them. Scarlett barely caught a glimpse of him as she swung her halberd, and it missed him by meters.
“Damn it—” She glared at his disappearing figure.
Brendel was also disappointed and surprised. He had hoped to anger Iamas into staying by letting the entire battlefield know about his decision to flee.
[This opponent is truly one of the worst I can face here. Even from the beginning, this bastard is already a level-headed general. So much for hoping that he’s still immature—]
He immediately thought of the reason why Iamas had to escape.
“Ciel, find a good-looking middle-aged man called Cornelius. He’s the commander of the mercenaries here. The undead bastard might probably take away Graudin—”
“What exactly should I do, my lord?”
“Are you the wizard or I’m the wizard? React as the situation comes,” Brendel replied: “If that dunce Freya can become the Goddess of War, I’m sure she will be fine as well.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just planning her future.”
“I see,” Ciel bowed: “I am pleased to follow your command.”
“Go.” Brendel nodded.
When Scarlett hobbled over, Ciel muttered to himself.
“She really does look quite like Miss Freya. I see, so my Lord likes this type of—”
Ciel quickly closed his lips; Brendel was looking at him with a sour expression, while Scarlett glared at him with gritted teeth while she passed him by.
“Scarlett, are you alright?” Brendel asked Scarlett.
“Yes?” She was slightly surprised.
“I’m fine, my lord.” She wiped away her blood: “But Medissa is……”
“I know.” Brendel’s face was strangely composed as he nodded. Since he had enough Light EP, resummoning Medissa was not a problem after all.
Scarlett’s glance was curious. She had heard of the relationship between the Elven Princess and the youth. She found it strange that Brendel’s reaction was so small upon hearing her death, but it was not her place to know what he was thinking.
The mercenaries had begun to push on the path towards Graudin’s manor. Iamas had issued an order to retreat further and create a new defensive line. However, even though he was an accomplished undead general who knew the humans well, he was simply not confident in leading them. The mercenaries crushed the skeletons’ bones beneath their feet and marched towards the soldiers, pushing them to the brink of destruction.
Their morale was already shaken, and when they received the order to retreat yet again, made them feel like they were at the end of their roads. They were almost like a bunch of livestock waiting to be slaughtered.
Brendel had specifically ordered the mercenaries not to kill them. Otherwise, there would not be many of them left—
Graudin’s manor was somewhat of a small fortress; the building was located on higher grounds, with a fortified gate and extended stone walls with a moat at the base. There was also a winding path that was difficult for a large army to pass through quickly.
When Iamas created a new line of defense near the gate, the soldiers were already losing their formations and being pried open by Brendel’s mercenaries. Graudin’s army was no longer fit for command.
“These fools!” Iamas muttered angrily to himself.
The Light Orbs were still flying in the air shooting down from above at pockets of stiff resistance from a few of Graudin’s brave soldiers, while destroying any remaining skeletons. That was when Iamas suddenly saw a dark shadow flittering across the streets.
[A spider? It’s…… somehow controlling an Orb of light. Then that youth is a summoner? I see— So my first strike back then killed a bunch of them. But a frail creature is controlling a Silver-ranked magic spell. I have never seen such a strange summon before. Perhaps it’s ancient magic?]
He was again surprised by the youth. The magic system in the Era of Chaos was different from the current generation, just like how the Dragon race wielded ancient Chord Magic and vastly different from the generation now.
[If Lord Tarkus’s main force is here, they would easily be able to counter these damned creatures. Wraiths and high-level necromancers are more than a match for them.]
But that was just a mere wish that would never come true. Lord Incirsta was leading an important mission in the southern-east region and was using Tarkus’s forces to deal with the remnants there. It was impossible for them to appear here. Even allowing him to command a battalion of Bonethorn skeletons was the very limits for stretching out Madara’s undead forces.
[A tenth of my Bonethorn Skeletons were wiped out almost instantly when that youth attacked. Fortunately, these are mere ranged units.]
The manor’s guards consist of Graudin’s personal knights. Relying on them might allow him to hold on for a while, but the best answer in this situation was to take away the Baron immediately, instead of waiting for Madara’s army outside the city to arrive.
After a short moment, he cast his gaze back to the western direction.
“Young human, this battle isn’t over yet.” He said.
His Nightmare mount quickly charged towards the manor, after giving the knights an order to close the gates and raise the drawbridge.
He chose to give up on commanding the soldiers; their lives were not important to him after all. The youth would not give him a chance to rally them, and there was also the possibility of a smaller force infiltrating the manor.
When Iamas reached the room where Graudin was overseeing the battle, he realized that Brendel had already reached the fortified gates. The remaining soldiers were fleeing to the city’s side gates like rats on a burning ship.
Graudin was wearing a set of velvet robes, his face completely pale.
“Lord Iamas?” He asked.
“This defense point is unable to stop them,” He continued to observe the situation and replied coldly: “Come with me if you want to live.”
The baron looked at him with a shocked expression.
“What about my men?” He asked in a small quivering voice.
“And you still wish to care about them?” Iamas’s golden pair of eyes pierced through him with a chilling glare.
Graudin’s voice died within him.
Suddenly there was a loud commotion outside, and the two men turned their attention back there. They chanced upon a young man who had destroyed the fortified gates with a powerful spell.
His long robes fluttered against a rising wind, and his two golden intricate flower patterns shimmered before their eyes. He raised his staff and snapped his fingers, and a resounding blast emitted from him. Six golden Magic Formations formed across the ground.
“Stop that Master Wizard! Fire your arrows at him!” Iamas bellowed, hoping his voice would reach Graudin’s knights.
But it was too late. Six pillars of light formed and extended across the moat and reached the winding path.
“I invoke the Laws of Exchange: Material Conversion— ‘Iazu’.” The gem on his staff shone brightly as mana filled and converted into physical properties. Six huge bridges made of rocks had materialized out of thin air.
Silence temporarily filled the place—