Chapter 36: Blooming

To make the Lightning Operation succeed, a total of three regiments were needed.

If the 1st Regiment led by Ransen advanced deep toward the center of the Border,

Then the 2nd Regiment led by Katrina would guard the passageway.

Katrina’s voice thundered across the Border.

“Listen well! If our 2nd Regiment falls, the 1st Regiment will wither and die! Think of it as if you’ve got two lives hanging on your shoulders! Hold this place! Secure the supply route that leads to the 1st Regiment!”

“Ha!”

“1st, 2nd, 3rd. All units! Slant-line formation at the front!”

“Ha!”

The enemies swarming in were the Thread-Orcs.

They were monsters standing nearly two meters tall, their gorilla-like muscles bulging all over.

Blood vessels jutted densely from their hands, hardening together into weapons like axes or hammers. Because the thinner veins sprouted out like tangled threads, they were called ‘Thread-Orcs.’

There was a theory that, in ancient times, Orcs as a race had once lived a civilized life, but now they were nothing more than Demonic Beasts driven mad by slaughter.

That was why the tactics created by Ransen worked so well.

“We can hold them!”

“They’re lighter than Lady Katrina!”

“Exactly! Back in training, the Regimental Commander knocked us sprawling with just a push!”

The regular soldiers who stood firm against the attacks of the mighty Demonic Beasts known as Thread-Orcs could not hide their amazement at their own achievement.

“What was that! Are you saying I’m heavy right now?!”

“N-no, ma’am!”

“I’ve remembered all your faces!”

“Eeeek!”

Katrina, caught on a slightly different detail, snapped back angrily, but she still read the battlefield situation clearly.

“The enemies are scattering! Let’s go! Charge! Follow me!”

The Thread-Orc horde, smashed apart as they were dragged into the slant-line formation, could not withstand the assault. Katrina herself rode at the front, swinging her cavalry lance as she led the charge of the heavy cavalry.

Dudududududu—!

Originally, the Thread-Orcs had the brute strength to block even the charge of horses barehanded, but in their current state of confusion and disarray, that was impossible.

And at the very front cutting open the path was Katrina herself.

The Thread-Orcs toppled like autumn leaves before the cavalry’s charge.

Meanwhile, the 3rd Regiment led by Rivera took on the role of defending the city and the trade routes.

“Wow... these things are going wild.”

When the 1st and 2nd Regiments, led by Ransen and Katrina, stirred up the Border, the smaller Demonic Beasts panicked and spilled out beyond it.

“Fire! Keep firing! This is the day you trained for! Shoot with confidence!”

The 3rd Regiment’s main force was the archers.

The soldiers had no time to breathe as they drew their bowstrings again and again.

“How long will it take to use up all those arrows if you keep shooting like that? Don’t stop! Hey! Didn’t I tell you not to shoot far?! Point-blank fire! Only shoot directly at the ones within forty paces! Quickly! The moment you slow down, we’re all dead!”

Shweeeek!

The sound of arrows piercing through the air pounded in their ears.

Demonic Beasts the size of wild dogs, others like chimpanzees.

Endlessly pouring out, the smaller Demonic Beasts were shot down one by one, and the archers’ fire grew gradually faster and sharper.

Of course,

Whether it was Katrina’s 2nd Regiment or Rivera’s 3rd Regiment, they were all locked in fierce battle. But none of it could compare to the 1st Regiment led by Ransen.

For they were fighting in the very heart of the Border, where Demonic Beasts swarmed from all directions.

“Left, gluttonous mammoth approaching!”

“Kalserik!”

“Yes! I’ll take it out!”

“Right side, a pack of Cobralions incoming!”

“Lukcrancer!”

“Ha! Quick-Kill Squad, sortie!”

“Eek! Rear, it’s a Shower-Bird! This is...!”

“Leave it! I’ll handle that one!”

The enemies kept pressing endlessly.

Different kinds of monsters attacked simultaneously from all four directions.

Even Ransen and Kalserik handed over command to their subordinates and threw themselves into the battlefield, while the ‘Quick-Kill Squad,’ made up of six High-grade Experts, was dispatched as well.

Yes. The Quick-Kill Squad had been deployed.

Catching sight of them in the middle of the battlefield, where he was only managing to fight so-so, was Catch Soroa.

Catch Soroa.

A twenty-one-year-old youth who had lost all drive.

He spent his days endlessly belittling himself, crawling deeper into the cave of despair.

Honestly, he hadn’t wanted to come on this expedition at all.

But since Ransen, his hyung, told him to, he had followed unwillingly.

Refusing Ransen was truly a difficult thing. Because of him, Catch had endured those terrifying, painful childhood years. Because of him, he had survived. And simply because he liked him.

It wasn’t just Catch—every member of the Ransen Family felt the same.

That was why Catch’s despair was all the deeper.

‘Zaltran....’

Among the Quick-Kill Squad charging forward, he saw his younger brother, Zaltran, who was a year younger than him.

And then he saw himself—just a mere centurion of a hundred heavy infantry.

His younger brother Zaltran was fighting among the Quick-Kill Squad, made up entirely of High-grade Experts, while he himself was not even in the Demon-Slaying Squad, but only commanding a hundred-man unit of heavy soldiers.

‘In the end... does Hyung Ransen not trust in my strength either?’

He had wanted to be of help.

Once, he had truly wanted to become someone who could fully support that broad, strong back.

At the very least, he had wanted to become for his younger brother Gepetto the kind of hyung who could protect him, just as Ransen did for everyone else....

He had thought he had already given up, but now the bitterness in his chest was unbearable.

I want to fight well too...!

Why is it that I was born without talent...!

I want to cut.

I do too.

Like Zaltran, like Hyung Ransen.

I want to fight. I want to protect.

Wooong—

Woooong—!

For some reason, his sword kept resonating.

Even that irritated him.

“Damn! The center ranks are collapsing! Centurions! Hold the formation!”

Just then, as the regimental commander’s order struck his ears, Catch stepped forward.

“Switch to sword-shields! Push the Thread-Orcs back!”

Since the dense formation had already collapsed under the brute force of the Thread-Orcs, Catch judged that sword and shield would fare better than spear and shield.

But even so, the soldiers alone could not push the Thread-Orcs back.

Here, it was Catch Soroa—his role that mattered.

He had to stand at the vanguard and reverse the tide.

Yes, right now.

This was the moment when no one else but I was needed.

Let’s fight.

“Hoo...!”

Even if it was just a small part, Catch gripped his sword tightly at the thought that he could still contribute something.

Catch Soroa, who had always half-heartedly gone through training.

At that very moment when, for the first time in a long while, he resolved in earnest, I will cut,

Woooong—!

His sword resonated with a deep hum.

Why was it that, at this instant, conversations with Hyung Ransen—who had always singled him out relentlessly during training—rose to mind?

‘Why do you just stand there getting hit?’

‘...Because you’re hitting me.’

‘No. Your sword is telling you. It’s telling you how not to get hit.’

‘...?’

‘Try fighting a little. Stop running. The sword wants to fight, but you’re only running away. That’s why you can’t hear it.’

Back then, he hadn’t understood what that meant...

Crack!

Sslice!

Shhhhk!

But now, he suddenly understood.

His vision opened up brilliantly.

He saw everything.

It was as if the sword itself told him where to thrust, where to cut.

Catch Soroa was utterly absorbed.

It had been so long.

So long since he had swung his sword and forgotten himself completely.

He judged the moment as soon as he saw it, and reached out, following the tremor of the blade.

Slaaash!

Slish!

The mass of Thread-Orcs that had been pressing in without pause began to crumble apart.

“Groooarrr!”

A giant specimen, nearly 2.5 meters tall, appeared with a roar. An elite Demonic Beast, so difficult that even a Mid-grade Expert would struggle to face it.

Chaaang! Shhkkk!

Catch cut it down in just three strikes.

Two precise cuts forced the Thread-Orc into a specific posture, and in that instant, a lightning-fast slash slipped straight into its opening.

“Don’t rush in! It’s dangerous! Fall back! Don’t—huh? Is it... okay to rush in?”

The valor that Catch displayed left even the commander, who had been shouting at him to retreat, utterly dumbfounded.

Catch, hearing nothing, completely immersed himself, simply advancing, advancing, ever forward. The rugged horde of Thread-Orcs was shredded before him.

When the blood-veined axes or hammers forged from tangled vessels met Catch’s sword, they were sliced apart like fruit. Even though normally, such tough weapons would take three or four heavy strikes from a Mid-grade Expert to shatter.

“...A Sword Demon.”

“He’s a Sword Demon....”

At some point, the soldiers following behind him had stopped fighting, merely watching in awe.

The terror brought on by fierce Aura was of an entirely different flavor.

A lightning-quick sword, like a flashing bolt, slipping into every gap. A footwork like thunder, ravaging the space between foe and foe.

Every moment felt like watching a performance of wondrous skill.

And that absurdly sharp blade.

How far could a single human’s swordsmanship reach?

It was a sight of sheer awe.

Slash. Slash, slash-shhk!

How much time had passed?

Lost in the ecstasy of cutting down Thread-Orcs, Catch suddenly realized there was no one left around him.

“Ah...?”

All he could see were the corpses of the Thread-Orcs.

And then,

“It’s over, kid.”

“Hyung Ransen?”

When had he approached? Drenched in the blood of monsters, Ransen gave Catch a pat on the shoulder and gestured with his eyes.

“You did it. Congratulations.”

“Huh?”

Following that gaze, Catch looked to his sword.

A strange haze was rising above the silver Sword Aura.

“That’s Sword Energy. A secret art I brought back from ten thousand years ago. And sure enough—you were the fastest to awaken it.”

“Ah....”

Catch stared blankly at his sword.

Ransen gripped his shoulder firmly and locked eyes with him.

“Catch. Listen well. You do have talent. Enormous talent.”

At those words, Catch felt his throat choke tight.

“Hyung....”

Ransen ruffled his silver hair roughly.

“You, without talent? Don’t make me laugh. I knew it the instant I saw you.”

In that moment, Catch thought—

Ah.

I’m... useful.

I really can protect someone.

His lips trembled between tears and laughter.

And so, everyone,

each in their own way,

Their talents blossomed amidst the fierce battles.

*         *         *

One day, two days, three days....

Even in hell, time flowed steadily.

The heart of the Border was horrific without rest, night or day.

Only after fighting all day long could we finally take turns sleeping at dawn.

In those spare moments, I exchanged messages with Seah, who remained in Kushan City.

Wooong—!

Above the bracelet-shaped message artifact, Seah’s words appeared in glowing blue script.

This too was a treasure of the Banroa royal family, which I had brought in the Subspace Necklace.

<4 days ago – Message>

* As I mentioned before, I sent a letter to Jafar, the Sea King, and a favorable reply came back. He also doesn’t want the Storm King’s power to grow.

In conclusion, Jafar’s army will be conducting daily military drills near Ailun. With this, we should be able to restrain the Storm King’s movements for the time being. As long as we hurry as planned, there should be no problem seizing Kushan and Kinalo first.

<3 days ago – Message>

* The Starsilver is safe again today. Uncle Rivera is holding off the small Demonic Beasts well, and whenever reckless Free Warriors cause trouble at the fortress, Varen Oppa deals with them completely.

But Catch Oppa awakened the ancient Sword Energy, didn’t he? When I told Katrina Unni and Oppa Varen about it, they both went crazy. Katrina Unni ground her teeth, saying just wait, it wouldn’t be long before she managed it too. Oppa Varen didn’t say a word, but his eyes turned downright murderous. Well, in the end, I guess it’s a good thing. Both of them will push themselves even harder now.

<2 days ago – Message>

* All clear again today. The stream of smaller Demonic Beasts has dropped drastically. I can really feel that the subjugation is coming to an end. You’ll be coming back soon.

Everyone’s saying that their sword swings feel freer now. I think your training must be having some effect.

<1 day ago – Message>

* Oppa Varen seems to have gotten addicted to swinging his sword without using Aura. He spends the whole day carrying a real blade, patrolling every corner of the city. He thrashes the warriors who cause trouble so thoroughly that people are starting to call him “Varen of the Black Eyes.”

“Pfft.”

Varen of the Black Eyes, huh.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Well, even though he always looked like everything was a hassle to him, he did have that side.

Should I call it an obsession with territory?

Whenever he thought of a place as his domain, he fussed over it like a fierce-tempered cat. Now he seemed to think of the entire Kushan City as his own territory.

And it looked like he’d gotten a taste for ancient-style swordsmanship too.

“Ha... I miss it.”

Reading her messages made me want to go back quickly.

This past week had felt like a year, and I was homesick.

Yes.

It had already been close to a week.

A short time, yet so long.

Just as our last rest period was ending, I stood and shouted to the soldiers, worn ragged over the past six days.

I gave the order everyone had been desperately waiting for.

“Up! Get up! It’s time to go home!”

“Oh?”

“Ooooh!”

“Uwaaaah!”

The soldiers cheered in joy, crying out that this hell was finally over.

“There could still be ambushes on the way back. Stay sharp! If anyone who gets injured or killed now—I won’t forgive you!”

“Ha!”

The Lightning Operation.

That insane mission of subjugating the Demonic Beasts and returning in just one week—we had accomplished it successfully.

Now we were going home.

Once we got back, we’d have to plan the conquest of Kashu City, and there would be plenty of work ahead.

But right now, just the fact itself was enough.

We were going home.

To the house where my family—my younger siblings—were waiting.

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