The King of Mercenaries—The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (380+)

Lavier dove forward, narrowly avoiding the attack. A few strands of his hair were cut, but he remained unscathed.

Turning around, he saw a woman spinning a dagger idly with an expression of disappointment.

"Oh dear, you dodged? Didn't you say he wasn't much of a fighter, my lord?" Belinda clicked her tongue, her gaze sharp.

From his movements, it was clear that Lavier lacked combat technique, but his reaction speed was extraordinary.

"How dare you attempt an ambush…" Lavier growled angrily.

He couldn't even finish his sentence. Another figure had already closed in, slashing at him with twin swords.

'Damn it!'

Letting his guard down for even a moment was a mistake. Lavier leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the strike.

Slash!

The attack still grazed his clothing. This time, it was Kaor wielding dual swords, his stance casual yet dangerous.

"Oh, so you dodged that too? Too bad. If it had hit, you'd have been finished in one blow—these double the damage." Kaor smacked his lips in mock regret.

Lavier's rage boiled over. That they dared send subordinates, not even the master himself, to deal with him was a profound insult.

"How dare you…!"

Whirr!

Just as Lavier fixed his furious glare on Kaor, a powerful aura surged toward him, forcing him to look up.

Ghislain approached with glowing crimson eyes, sword raised to strike.

This time, there was no way to dodge. Lavier channeled all his remaining divine power into a frontal defense.

Boom!

"Guh…!"

He barely managed to block the attack, but the force of it sent him flying backward. Skidding to a halt, Lavier glared as Ghislain landed gracefully, pointing his sword at him with a smirk.

"See? Told you he's terrible at fighting," Ghislain said with a sly grin.

The two others, Belinda and Kaor, nodded in agreement.

"That seems to be the case. But his reaction speed is something else," Belinda remarked.

"Doesn't matter. One hit from my swords, and he's done for. Guy looks pretty fragile to me," Kaor added.

The three of them spoke casually, circling Lavier with no attempt to hide their intent to coordinate an attack.

"You! A master stooping to fight with such dishonor!" Lavier roared, his pride wounded.

"Why would that be dishonorable?" Ghislain asked, tilting his head.

"What?"

"Is this idiot serious? Am I supposed to duel you? Where's the rule that says a master has to fight alone?" Ghislain mocked.

"You insolent…"

Ghislain waved his sword nonchalantly and continued.

"I, the commander of the Northern Army of Rutania and a noble of the kingdom, hereby declare: You colluded with the Duke's faction in treason, aligned yourself with a heretical cult to deceive the kingdom's people, and slaughtered countless innocents. By the laws of the kingdom, I place you under arrest. Surrender immediately and face justice."

"Woah…"

The knights who overheard Ghislain's speech clapped instinctively, impressed.

It was rare to hear their lord speak with such formality. Usually, he acted first and explained never.

But Lavier didn't take Ghislain's words at face value. To him, they were nothing more than mockery.

"You bastard!"

For someone who had lived a life of refinement in the ranks of the Salvation Order, this humiliation was unprecedented. His plans in the capital were in ruins, his most critical secrets exposed.

Returning to the church would mean punishment for his failures—there was no forgiveness in their laws.

And it was all because of this man.

Whoooosh!

Dark wings of black energy sprouted from Lavier's back, and a claw-like extension of black aura emerged from his remaining hand.

This time, he had no intention of holding back. Even if it cost him his life, he would take the Count of Fenris with him.

Boom!

Lavier detonated his remaining divine power, enveloping his entire body in a blazing shroud of black energy.

The sheer force caused everyone to pause, taken aback by the sudden surge of power.

"Everyone, fall back! Give him space!" Ghislain commanded.

The knights retreated to a safe distance, leaving only Belinda and Kaor to stay near Lavier, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Lavier's strength far outstripped his skill—he was a priest, not a warrior. Ghislain knew this, and he had no intention of exerting himself unnecessarily. With Belinda and Kaor's support, there was no need to risk his own body.

"I'll go first," Ghislain said, bursting forward in a surge of mana.

Lavier immediately unleashed a wave of black energy toward him.

Boom!

The attack missed its mark as Kaor's sudden lunge forced Lavier to adjust his stance.

"Damn it!"

Without the ability to move freely in the air, Kaor clicked his tongue in frustration as he landed back on the ground.

But Lavier's troubles didn't end there.

Belinda appeared out of nowhere, aiming her dagger at his neck.

"Urgh!"

Clang!

At the last possible moment, Lavier blocked the dagger with his clawed hand. Though the black energy shielded his body, he could feel chunks of divine power being drained to maintain his defenses.

Before he could counterattack, Belinda's robe fluttered, revealing dozens of daggers that flew toward him like snakes.

"You wretch!" Lavier roared, releasing another burst of black energy to deflect the incoming blades.

The momentary gap in his defense was all Ghislain needed.

His sword, imbued with aura, cut through the air, forcing Lavier to create another divine shield to block it.

Boom!

Lavier stumbled backward, narrowly evading Ghislain's strike, only to be met by another attack from Kaor.

No matter what he did, there was always someone to exploit his openings.

"You cowardly vermin…" Lavier muttered through gritted teeth.

Individually, none of them were his match. But their relentless coordination left him no room to breathe.

He cursed his neglect of combat training, something he had never regretted more than today.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The clash of weapons echoed as the four moved at a speed no one else could hope to follow.

Though Lavier occasionally managed to counterattack, even landing a few blows, it was clear he was on the backfoot.

Boom!

Kaor was sent flying by a blast of black energy, clutching his stomach. Belinda, too, was knocked back, though she avoided serious injury thanks to Lavier's divided focus.

Only Ghislain remained untouched, evading every attack with ease.

Lavier's frustration mounted as he realized his divine power was being drained at an alarming rate.

'I can't keep this up.'

If he continued to let them dictate the pace, he would eventually collapse. He needed to overwhelm them with brute force.

Whoooom!

Burning his life force, Lavier's hair turned stark white.

Hovering higher into the air, he glared down at the three of them.

"Die, you insignificant insects."

The violet glow in his eyes deepened, and countless tendrils of black energy erupted from his body like a storm of blades.

The dark energy filled the sky, raining down on his enemies like falling stars.

Boom!

The sheer power of the attack was enough to scorch the surroundings. There was no way anyone could block it.

The three stood their ground, bracing for impact. There was nowhere to run.

But they weren't alone.

"Fire Shield."

A burning shield formed above them, absorbing the brunt of the attack. Vanessa's magic, consuming half her mana, held firm against the onslaught.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Though thousands of black energy tendrils battered the shield, it didn't falter. Vanessa, having absorbed a shard of the Dragon Heart, had poured immense power into her spell.

Finally, the shield dissipated, but the weakened remnants of Lavier's attack were easily deflected by the trio's mana.

"What?!"

Lavier turned, his expression twisted with rage.

His ultimate attack had failed, leaving him vulnerable. Before he could recover, Vanessa launched her next spell.

"Fire Lance."

Dozens of flaming lances appeared in an instant, each aimed at Lavier.

"Impossible!"

Panic gripped Lavier as Ghislain leapt forward, driving his own mana-laced strikes toward him.

The combined assault was too much.

Though Lavier managed to fend off the attacks, he was utterly exhausted. Having never focused on combat, he lacked the ability to properly manage his power, instead relying on brute strength and speed.

From the side, Belinda's mocking voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

"If your ultimate attack fails, isn't it your turn to die?"

Shhk!

"Urgh!"

Belinda's blade sliced across his neck, leaving a deep wound. While it wasn't fatal, black energy poured relentlessly from the gash, a clear sign of his waning strength.

Boom!

Lavier mustered what little power he had left to push Belinda away, but Kaor was already upon him, slashing across his chest.

"Gah!"

The dark wings on Lavier's back quivered before beginning to fade. He tried to retaliate, but Vanessa's magic was faster.

Crack!

A sudden flash in the sky heralded a bolt of lightning, striking Lavier squarely.@@novelbin@@

Boom!

"Aaaargh!"

Even after being struck by lightning, slashed across the neck and chest, Lavier refused to die. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred as he desperately clawed for more power. His tenacity was almost nauseating.

"How dare you… How dare you strike one who wields the power of the divine!"

Despite his rage, the commanding force he once exuded was now absent. His body trembled as he struggled to maintain control.

Ghislain observed him with a smirk.

"You're just about out of strength. Let's end this."

Boom!

Ghislain activated the third stage of his core, enveloping himself in a dark crimson aura. His appearance now mirrored Lavier's monstrous transformation—save for the lack of wings.

But Ghislain's aura was denser and more refined, wrapping around him with an oppressive weight. This was the power that had earned him the moniker of "Demon of the Battlefield" in his past life.

Whoosh!

Lavier froze as Ghislain, his crimson eyes glowing, dashed toward him. His body refused to move—not out of fear, but shock.

'That… that power!'

Lavier stared at Ghislain, his eyes trembling.

The energy surrounding him felt eerily similar to his own divine power. The sudden burst of mana resembled the techniques his faction had spent years perfecting.

'No… that's impossible.'

Their organization had scoured the continent for anything resembling their power to further their research. Yet, here was Ghislain, using a force so similar it was indistinguishable.

'How… how could this be?'

For a moment, the scientist within Lavier overtook the warrior. His mind raced with possibilities, overwhelmed by the realization of what he was witnessing.

"W-wait!" Lavier stammered, raising a hand in a desperate plea.

But Ghislain was unmoved. Allowing an enemy's tricks to disrupt his focus was a fool's mistake, and Ghislain was no fool. Once he decided to kill, there was no hesitation.

"It's over."

Slash!

Ghislain's extended aura blade cleaved cleanly through Lavier's neck.

With his strength drained and defenses shattered, Lavier couldn't stop the attack. His severed head fell to the ground, and even in death, his face remained twisted with confusion.

"You… how…?"

His final words carried a question he would never have the chance to answer.