The 9th Class Swordmaster: Blade of Truth
Chapter 437: Battle Against Hekqet (2)

Chapter 437: Battle Against Hekqet (2)

“Everyone, forward!”

Laughter boomed across the battlefield.

“Open all gunports!”

Woooong...! Clack—

As Gordon Fabian’s voice resounded through the command center, the decks on both sides of the airship opened, revealing enormous artillery guns.

“Fire!”

Boom...! Boom, boom, boom...!!

Flames erupted from the gunports as roaring projectiles flew in all directions around the ship. The ground below burst into a blazing inferno, swirling like a vortex of fire.

“Karyl, you son of a bitch... You kept this to yourself,” Gordon murmured with a slight grin on his face.

The airship’s magical artillery had been modified based on designs originally found in the Antihum Great Library of the Immortal Council. Its offensive capabilities had never been greater.

Karrrrk...! Kraaagh...!!

Watching the Hekqet monsters writhe as the flames swallowed them whole, Vice-Captain Jaygun Luke exhaled a sigh of relief.

“We’ve obliterated them. Hardly a calamity, right? I don’t see how they could deal with our bombardments,” he said with a shrug.

“Don’t let your guard down. Karyl has sent in his entire army for this war. It won’t just end like this.”

“Is that really the case? You don’t seem worried at all.”

“Is that so?” Gordon Fabian chuckled.

Indeed, the battle was going far better than anticipated—almost flawlessly. The airship’s enhanced guns didn’t just fire ordinary shells; they were loaded with magic bullets crafted by skilled sorcerers.

“You should be grateful. Not only did the Immortal Council lend you the artillery, but they even crafted the magic bullets for you.”

Nain Darhon stretched his neck wearily.

“I can’t believe that the Immortal Council has to support some mercenaries. What a joke.”

“If you don’t fancy our company, why don’t you go ahead and build an airship of your own? You know, you’re pretty narrow-minded for a Great Sorcerer.”

“Oh, really? Well, I won’t be building an airship, but I might just turn you into my undead minions if you keep running your mouth like that.”

“Yeah? I’d like to see you try.”

“Alright, settle down, both of you. Surely I don’t have to explain why fighting inside the airship is a terrible idea. If we crash, we’re all screwed, whether mercenary or sorcerer.”

Jaygun calmly diffused the situation as though he was used to doing this.

“The fight would be over before we crashed.”

“Of course. And if you all die, I’ll bring you back as my undead, so be grateful for my presence.”

“...”

Seeing how stubborn they were, Jaygun sighed wearily and shook his head in resignation.

Well, powerhouses will act like that...

Indeed, they were incredible people, among the strongest on the entire continent. While they exuded arrogance with every breath they took, they also had the skills to back up every ounce of it.

And there’s one man at the pinnacle, a man who stands above everyone else...

Jaygun couldn’t even fathom it. At times, he even felt relieved that the empire had fallen. Though he had secretly aligned with the empire behind Gordon’s back to ensure the survival of the Mercenary Guidance Gang, in the end, its defeat had been inevitable.

Thankfully, the war had ended before Gordon’s subsequent deal with Olivurn could come to fruition. Yet, when he thought about it, Karyl was also the one who had cured Gordon’s illness—the biggest reason he had conspired with the empire in the first place.

It was hopeless from the start.

A wry smile strayed on Jaygun’s face as he glanced at the holograms in the command center.

“Captain, I see their leader.”

“Hmm?”

Gordon and Nain glanced down at the ground, spotting the massive Hekqet wielding a spear. The creature let out a defiant scream, having survived the onslaught.

“Yep, it looks like their leader. I’ll take it down. Have the others prepare the Martyr.”

“...Are you really going to jump down there?”

“Of course.”

“Why don’t you stay put? You’ll just end up hurting yourself. You’re not even using magic.”

In the next moment, Gordon Fabian and Nain Darhon dashed toward the airship’s deck, looking like two boys eager to outdo one another.

“They’re both mad... I’m surprised there’s someone other than Captain Gordon who has no regard for their own life.” Jaygun shook his head in exasperation.

“Huh...?!”

His gaze fell on one of the holograms in the command center.

“Hah...! Well, that’s too bad. You’re both too late.”

***

BOOOOOM...!!

It felt as though a meteor had fallen.

Gordon slowly emerged from the giant crater he had created upon landing.

“Is that your so-called absolute defense?”

“It’s called Automata.”

“A fitting name for a brute like you. I can’t believe you survived that fall with just armor. Perhaps it’s your monstrous body that kept you alive, not that ability of yours.”

As opposed to Gordon’s explosive appearance, Nain Darhon floated down gracefully, wearing a bemused expression.

“Whatever gets me to the end goal. All that matters is reaching my enemy to retrieve their head.”

Gordon, clearly eager to start the hunt, swung his Martyr over his head in a wide arc.

“Stick to the small fry, necromancer.”

“You’re a maniac... But don’t worry. If you die, I’ll make good use of you.”

Crackle... Crackle...!!

With a smirk, Nain Darhon chanted a spell, and the ground around him began to split. Bandaged hands sprouted from the cracks.

“Piss off...”

His undead slaves crouched like beasts ready to pounce, licking their lips as they fixed their gaze on the prey.

“Hunt.”

The slaves scattered the moment Nain issued his command, lunging at the Hekqet monsters and sinking their teeth into them.

Shhhhrrk...!!

The Tarak clashed with the undead. Even when impaled by tridents, Nain’s minions kept slashing, ripping the enemy’s limbs apart.

“Black Mist.”

Smoke gently flowed from Nain Darhon’s fingers, but as it began to take form, it surged forward akin to a malevolent specter.

“Hmph!”

Watching the Black Mist trailing behind the sorcerer, Gordon tightened his grip on his Martyr.

“Grrk!”

A Hekqet narrowed its eyes slightly, sensing two unfamiliar and menacing auras closing in. The Tarak thrust its massive trident at Gordon, but the mercenary pressed forward, as if intending to take the hit head-on.

Kraack...!!

The Hekqet’s blade glanced off with a sharp metallic scrape, throwing the creature off balance.

“Hmm.”

Gordon’s lips curved into a smirk. His Automata had thickened even further, encasing him completely.

“I’ll take you down myself.”

The Martyr cut through the air, aiming for the Hekqet’s head.

CLANG!

The Hekqet staggered as it blocked his strike with its trident. In that moment, the Black Mist behind them converged, morphing into sharp spikes that lunged to impale the creature.

Clang! Crack...!

The Hekqet bent backward at an unnatural angle—as though it had no bones—and deflected the dark spikes with its trident.

“Haha... Look at this thing. Did you create that spell by copying my techniques, disciple?”

“...!?”

Nain Darhon whipped his head around at the familiar voice. Something flashed through the smoke he had summoned.

The Hekqet’s massive trident was cleaved diagonally, and its head struck the ground before it could make a sound.

“...”

Gordon Fabian looked at the Hekqet’s rolling head, set his Martyr down, and licked his lips as he gazed forward.

“Gordon,” Karyl called as he sheathed his sword. “How’s the new artillery? Are you having fun with it?”

“You bet I am. It’s the best thing. Bam, bam, and they’re all gone, swallowed by flames.”

Gordon gave a shrug as he added, “And just so you know, I would’ve crushed that thing’s head myself if you hadn’t intervened.”

He tried to mask his indignation, but Karyl could tell his pride stung.

“I know you would have,” he told Gordon with a faint smile. “But taking down one monster won’t set you apart. Let me show you what it means to be the best.”

“...What?” Gordon frowned, feeling a slight chill down his spine.

“From above... BAM!”

“...!”

Gordon couldn’t believe he had just flinched before a boy half his size. The tension lingered, as he still didn’t understand what Karyl was alluding to.

“It’s almost time,” Karyl began, lifting the Hekqet’s head for Gordon to see, “for the sun to set.”

Gordon grew even more unnerved as he watched Karyl seemingly whisper into the creature’s ear.

“Bang.”

With that, a colossal beam of light shot up on the horizon, bursting like fireworks and releasing a blinding radiance that reached their position in mere seconds.

“...?!”

“Wh-What is that?!”

The nearby troops shouted out in panic.

“...”

But Gordon Fabian stared intently at the pillar of light, making no effort to shield his eyes from its blinding glare.

“Karyl... You really...”

Gordon looked into the light with his Infinity Circle, so he could discern the true nature of that radiance.

“I was a fool for feeling content with some cannons.”

Rumble...! Rumble...!

Something shook—not the earth, but the sky. Dozens, or rather, hundreds of blazing fireballs burst through the menacing storm clouds, scattering them instantly.

That was Toska’s Sun.

As the fiery orbs spread out from the Ivory Tower, the whole continent glowed as if set ablaze.

“...You really did bring the sun down on them.”

Thud—

Karyl dropped the Hekqet’s head—its eyes still open—and crushed it underfoot. Then he whistled, and the red-scaled wyvern promptly answered his call, diving through the sky amid the falling meteors.

“Hekqet is the Calamity of Proliferation. We need to kill all his spawns to draw out his true form.”

“His true form...?” Gordon asked somewhat nervously.

It sounded almost impossible to hunt down all the Hekqet commanders spread across the continent. Had Karyl not unleashed this solar bombardment, this battle alone would likely have dragged on for months.

[In fact, it took six months of grueling fighting before the Second Calamity finally ended, right? By that point, a third of humanity’s forces were already exhausted, so they didn’t have the strength to withstand the subsequent Tarak. That ultimately led to humanity’s downfall...]

Allen felt a shudder as he gazed at Toska’s sunlight cascading down from the sky.

[But now, you’ve put an end to this battle in just a few days, Karyl.]

“Time to end this.”

As if in response to Allen’s comment, Karyl tugged on the reins of his wyvern, and the creature slowly ascended.

“But how will you locate the real Hekqet?” asked Gordon.

“No need to search for him, as he’ll reveal himself to us. To survive, he’ll try to gather his remnants before all the minions are incinerated.”

The red wyvern let out a low growl, seemingly excited by the hunt that was to come.

“When Hekqet appears, his life will have been cut short.”