Chapter 298: While He's Away (3)

Nabi’s face twisted, revealing her sharp teeth.

Haaack!

Following Nabi’s reaction, a sudden, torrential snowstorm erupted from the sky, accompanied by howling winds.

“What…?!”

”…?!”

Kendrick and Tania’s eyes widened in shock.

Having witnessed this phenomenon countless times over the past six years, they knew all too well what it meant.

Then came the unmistakable sound of war drums, proving their fears.

Boom… boom…

The deep, resonant beats suddenly quickened into a rapid rhythm.

Boom-boom-boom-boom!

It had been barely a month since the end of the war.

The urgent war drums echoed once more, plunging the area within the Great Wall into chaos.

“What… what’s this?! Again?!”

“Emergency!”

“All soldiers, except those severely injured, prepare for battle!”

“Move quickly!”

Panicked voices rose from all around.

Tania and Kendrick were just as bewildered.

“How… already?”

Two attacks in one day was unprecedented. Normally, there would be at least a day or two between assaults.

Something has changed!

It was as obvious as the sun that this change boded ill for them.

Grrr.

Nabi, who had been nestled in Tania’s arms, leaped down, her fur bristling.

“Nabi?”

Though Kendrick and Tania were higher in cultivation, Nabi possessed innate instincts. Even the Flame siblings couldn’t match her when it came to sensing enemies.

Nabi, who usually felt no threat from ordinary demons, was now tense, and the Flame siblings shared her unease. They followed her gaze to where she was glaring.

Whoosh…

The falling snowflakes gradually slowed. Through the gaps, they glimpsed a dark shadow.

And then…

”…?!”

It vanished.

At the same moment, Tania and Kendrick’s instincts screamed at them to flee—to get away from that spot immediately.

The Flame siblings threw themselves to the ground.

That split-second decision saved their lives.

Kwaang!

A sound like a bomb exploding echoed where they had been standing. The force of the impact sent dirt and snow flying, leaving a massive crater behind.

Zzzt…

A prickling sensation ran down their spines as they sensed the overwhelming energy in the air. They could see it now:

A majestic demon standing where they had been moments before.

”…Waldo?”

At first glance, it appeared to be a Waldo, but it was also something else entirely.

Standing at six meters tall—twice the size of an ordinary Waldo—it had four pairs of arms instead of three. To top it off, a crown-like ring of horns encircled its head.

The moment the Flame siblings laid eyes on it, they had a gut feeling: this battle might cost them their lives.

As the thought crossed their minds, the colossal Waldo sprang into action.

Boom!

A thunderous crack echoed as the creature vanished in an instant, moving with a speed the human eye couldn’t follow. Yet a silver flash managed to catch up with it.

Cr-hung!

Nabi, now back in her true form, swung her forelimb at the massive Waldo. It was the same attack she had used to slay countless demons over the years.

But this Waldo was different.

Crack!

The giant Waldo snatched Nabi by the foreleg and, with a swift twist of its body, hurled him away.

Soohong! Thud!

Nabi flew at a terrifying speed and crashed into the castle wall.

The faces of the Flame siblings darkened at the sight.

He’s fast!

He’s intelligent!

Faster and stronger than an ordinary Waldo, his movements were remarkably fluid and precise. This indicated that he possessed a systematic understanding of martial arts.

Kruk!

Having disposed of Nabi, the giant Waldo shifted its target to Tania.

Poof!

The moment the colossal Waldo closed the distance, Tania swiftly threw a punch at its approaching hand.

Clang!

Two white fists collided with eight black ones in mid-air. A heavy shockwave radiated outward.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Tania exchanged blows with the creature, struggling to fend off eight fists. Just as she was pushing them back, something struck her side.

“Ugh!”

The eight fists hurtling toward her were too threatening to dodge. Tania hastily channeled mana to protect her flank.

Thud!

“Gah!”

Blood sprayed from Tania’s mouth as the impact struck her side. The massive Waldo grinned savagely, baring its sharp teeth, its eyes gleaming like a predator eyeing its captured prey.

As Tania staggered momentarily, the Waldo lunged for another swift attack. But in that instant—

Whoosh!

Dozens of blue arrows rained down on the creature. The Waldo snarled, deflecting the arrows, giving Tania the chance to put distance between them.

Now safely out of reach, Tania…

Huff…

As Tania caught her breath, she suddenly realized the nature of the attack that had come flying at her.

Swish… Swish…

Its tail…

It was none other than the creature’s tail—a tail that ordinary Waldo lacked. Moreover, when the creature first appeared, its tail had been coiled around its waist, making it difficult to detect.

…I let my guard down.

Kendrick quickly approached the gritting Tania.

“Are you alright?”

”…My ribs are broken.”

It was fortunate that the damage ended there. Had she not made the split-second decision to divert her mana, her entire torso would have been severed instead of just her ribs.

Meanwhile, the massive Waldo that had been deflecting Jerome’s arrows from the castle wall suddenly screeched, its expression twisting into a ferocious snarl.

Graaaaaaaah!

The thunderous roar, infused with demonic energy, slammed into the castle wall. The exposed soldiers collapsed in droves.

Witnessing this, the Flame siblings’ faces hardened.

“It’s still Waldo… but is it a king?”

“Let’s just call it Waldoking.”

The Flame siblings straightened their stances and glared at the monstrous creature they’d named Waldoking.

The creature smirked back at them.

Then, in that instant—

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A barrage of drumbeats thundered through the air.

Behind Waldoking, a dark wave surged forward.

The Flame siblings’ faces hardened.

No way…!

Is that… everything?!

Behind the colossal Waldo, a tide of demons poured from Maha. The problem was their sheer number—more than all the demons deployed in the first and second waves combined, easily double the previous total.

Moreover, at the vanguard of this demonic horde stood five Waldo.

A single Waldo had already felled dozens of Transcendent warriors.

“These bastards are serious.”

“Something felt off all of a sudden… so it was his doing after all.”

The Flame siblings instinctively realized that the first and second assaults, followed by the third assault after a delay, were all part of Waldoking’s plan.

Boom! Boom!

As the Flame siblings maintained a wary distance from Waldoking, the castle gates swung open, and Transcendents poured out in formation. However, their numbers paled in comparison to the previous assault—a direct consequence of the casualties sustained during the first and second waves.

The soldiers fared no better. A significant number had been killed or incapacitated by severe injuries, while those who managed to rejoin the ranks carried minor wounds. The real problem, however, was exhaustion. Despair etched the faces of the soldiers stationed along the castle wall.

Meanwhile, Lokan VII ascended the watchtower upon hearing the news.

“Your Highness!”

He gritted his teeth as he surveyed the sea of demons swarming below.

“Request assistance from the Order of the Divine Body, the Empire… no, from every corner of the Winter Continent.”

Until now, the Great Wall had never sought external aid. Consequently, the people of the Winter Continent regarded it as an invincible shield, impenetrable and absolute. In truth, the Great Wall had lived up to this reputation.

But for its chief to request assistance meant the situation had reached its worst.

At the king’s command, one of the generals immediately set out to request aid, while Lokan VII gripped his sword tightly.

“We will hold out no matter what until reinforcements arrive. Under no circumstances… under no circumstances can the wall be breached.”

If the White Mountains served as the fence marking the border with Maha, then the Great Wall was the main gate.

If the Great Wall were breached, countless invaders would pour through the open gates and overrun the Winter Continent.

Moreover, the Kanburk Kingdom lay right beside the wall.

To some, they were family.

To others, they were friends.

And to Lokan VII, they were citizens he was bound to protect.

Therefore, no matter the cost, he had to defend this place, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.

“What about the Starlight Cannon?” Lokan VII asked.

Elvis, who had quietly moved beside him, answered, “It’s recharging. It won’t be operational for another six hours.”

“Deploy every available Transcendent, even those in reserve.”

“That’s already been ordered.”

“But that’s all we can muster?”

“Many have already been taken out of service for repairs after the battle. They’re rushing to finish the repairs, but… only about half of our Transcendents are immediately deployable.”

”…”

“It seems the demons deliberately chose this time,” Lokan VII said, his jaw tightening.

This is serious.

The situation was dire. The Starlight Cannon was unusable, the Transcendent forces could only operate at half capacity, and the soldiers were exhausted.

Can I really trust anyone but them?

Lokan VII’s gaze turned toward the Flame siblings, who were facing off against the massive Waldo at the vanguard of the Transcendent forces.

Perhaps bored with the stalemate, Waldoking’s colossal form vanished, and the battle resumed.

Boom!

The collision between the monster and the two humans sent flames erupting in cascading bursts.

On one side of the castle wall, Jerome, armed with his white bow, continued to fire arrows, creating openings for the Flame siblings.

Meanwhile, Elvis was bellowing orders from the command post, striving to build the best defensive line he could muster.

Despite everyone giving their all, the Flame siblings struggled to gain control of the situation. In fact, they were gradually being pushed back.

Just then…

CrAAaah!

Kiiieeeek!

A horde of demons surged forward.

Leading the charge were five Waldo.

Krhuung…

In that instant, a burst of light and lightning erupted from one side of the castle wall as Nabi, carrying Lavina, intercepted the Waldo.

With Lavina’s support, Nabi could briefly hold his own against the Mad Dragon.

Yet the Waldo seemed to know this and simply bypassed Nabi.

They then scattered and overwhelmed the Transcendent.

This breach in the Transcendent’s defenses allowed the demons to close in on the castle wall.

Grrrgh!

Enraged, Nabi chased after Waldo, but the cunning demons avoided direct combat, focusing solely on destroying the Transcendent.

Despite everyone’s desperate efforts, the situation remained dire. The only consolation was that the demons hadn’t yet breached the Great Wall, thanks to the soldiers’ relentless resistance.

As the brutal battle raged on…

Kwaah!

A towering pillar of fire erupted as Waldoking and the Flame siblings clashed once more.

“Ugh!”

“Huff…”

The Flame siblings gasped for breath, their condition pitiful. Their hair was disheveled, their skin covered in lacerations, and blood dripped from their mouths. Their armor, long since rendered useless, hung in tatters.

The extent of their injuries seemed far too severe to have been inflicted in such a brief battle.

Meanwhile, Waldoking had sustained some wounds, but compared to the Flame siblings, he was in relatively good shape.

Of course, that didn’t mean Waldoking was in a favorable position.

Kruk!

Unlike before, Waldoking hesitated to charge at the Flame siblings recklessly, instead waiting for an opening.

A massive circular space had formed around them, a stark contrast to the screams echoing from all directions. The area around them was eerily quiet.

This was understandable, as their battle was not one ordinary beings could hope to intervene in.

“Huu…” Kendrick sighed softly.

“It seems… I’ll have to stake my life.”

”…Agreed.”

Tania nodded.

Although they had restrained Waldoking’s movements, if this battle dragged on, they could win the fight but lose the war. If that happened, chaos would engulf the Winter Continent.

It was time to take some risks and end the battle with Waldoking as quickly as possible, then join the war.

Grrrgh…

The moment they made this decision, an overwhelming aura erupted from the Flame siblings.

Grrr…

Waldoking tensed, lowering his stance, and dark demonic energy rose from the tips of his feet like a mist.

Grrrung…

The energy they released collided, creating a deafening roar.

Kugugug

Kruuruu!

Kuheng!

The demons cheered from behind Waldoking, their shrill cries echoing through the air. The soldiers anxiously prayed for the Sword Saint and Power Star to emerge victorious.

Meanwhile, Waldoking and the Flame siblings stood at the peak of their intensity, eyes locked on their enemies, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sever their opponents’ heads in a single strike.

This one blow… will decide everything!

I’ll end this here.

Whoosh…

Amid the bitterly cold winter wind, everyone held their breath, watching intently.

“Graaaah… Fart! Kieeeek… Fart! Fart… Kuuueee!”

A bizarre scream erupted from out of nowhere, followed by an irritated voice:

“Either scream or fart, but don’t do both, damn it!”

The sound was particularly loud due to the temporary lull in the battle, which had left the air eerily silent.

And then…

Thud.

Two figures plummeted from the sky.

A white-haired man stood steadily on two legs, while a black-haired man hung limply from his grip by the back of his neck. The black-haired man was unconscious, drool and saliva dripping from his mouth.

“Th-there!”

“Oh no!”

The soldiers recoiled in shock.

Two figures had suddenly plummeted from the sky. But the real problem was that they had landed right in the midst of the Flame siblings’ territory.

As everyone watched in astonishment…

“Ah…”

“Huh…?”

Tania and Kendrick felt their hearts skip a beat at the strangely familiar figure. Their carefully built momentum faltered, creating an opening.

Kruk!

Waldoking seized the opportunity and charged straight forward. A strange figure darted in front of him, but he paid it no mind. A mere human could be easily brushed aside.

Waldoking, now moving at supersonic speed, threw a punch at the white-haired man.

It was a fist that could crush even basalt like a cookie.

The frail human before him would be reduced to pulp in an instant.

But he didn’t realize.

He didn’t realize that the being he considered frail was no weakling at all.

Nor did he realize that this being wasn’t human at all.

When the distance between Waldoking and the white-haired man had closed to just over a meter—

Kruk?

Moving at the speed of sound, Waldoking suddenly experienced a bizarre sensation: everything around him seemed to slow down.

His body even felt like it was floating in mid-air.

Krruk?!

Waldoking tried to move, but his body, trapped in this slowed-down time, acted independently of his will.

Unable to even turn his head, he was forced to meet the purple eyes staring back at him.

The moment he saw them, a chill ran down his spine.

“Huh? What kind of freak is this? So ugly!”

The white-haired figure took a step forward.

The corners of his smirked lips turned cold in an instant.

“But… who do you think you are, thrusting that filthy face of yours at me?”

Time slowed to a crawl.

Yet the entity before him moved with normal speed.

“Want a beating?”

Then he thrust out his fist.

Kruk?!

Waldoking watched the fist closing in on his face and realized:

His judgment had been wrong.

The being before him… was a monster beyond his control.

But by the time he realized this, it was already too late.

At the same time, time returned to its normal speed.

Puuong! Kwajik!

Waldoking’s head, torso, and lower body exploded in sequence.

Then…

Fwaaaaah!

A terrifying surge of mana radiated outward in a fan-shaped blast, sweeping away the demon horde behind Waldoking.

“Keck?!”

“Gah!”

”…?!”

”…Good Lord.”

Tinkling sound.

Some of the soldiers watching from the Great Wall were so startled that they dropped their spears.

Meanwhile, the being who had just displayed such divine might slowly turned toward the Great Wall.

The white-haired man now faced Tania and Kendrick.

“Hmm…” Louis tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing. “Why are you two so… worn down?”