Chapter 22 Holy Sword Unleashed!

Day 51 continues ……. Dusk was gradually befalling the Vagabond War Plain.

“Look over there! What is that horseman doing?”

“I think he’s coming towards us.”

“Isn’t he riding from our enemies’ direction? Could he be a messenger sent to announce a parley?”

“I don’t think so. It’s not quite clear due to this heavy downpour impairing my eyes but I can tell that man isn’t ordinary. His armour is too eye-catching.”

“Then could he be the Brilmah’s dogs’ Supreme Commander? What was his name again? War Lord Kratus?”

“No, that’s not him. I’ve seen their Supreme Commander before. This man possesses an even greater sinister vibe.”

“Hey, look! He’s brandishing his sword!”

“Impossible! Is that man insane? Does he think that he can take us all on with only himself? He must be seeking death.”

“Whatever it is he is seeking. By coming here alone after his army has retreated is obviously clear that this bastard is mocking us! Today I will let him swallow my blade!”

[Gallop! Gallop! Gallop!]

“That bastard is speeding up his horse! Does he really intend to fight against us? Either he is an insane bull or he has the manliest of balls.”

“You guys! Something is strange. Look there in his right hand. Isn’t that a person’s head sticking to a spike?”

“Wait a minute. Did he cut off one of his commander’s head as an offering to join our ranks?”

“A warrior who is capable of cutting of their ally’s head so easily, moreover, brandishes it across the battlefield like some sort of oddity is not a trustworthy person. Whatever that bastard’s intentions are, we will cut him to pieces and drag the answers from his entrails! Somebody alert the main army commander! Rising Tide infantry unit, with me!”

“YAAAH!” [Thud! Thud! Thud!]

I witnessed the speedy advance of nearly 100 furious warriors gunning toward us. As they stamped their heavy legs into the muddy surface, splashes of dirty water flicked up into their faces. This muddy mess was swiftly washed away by heavy downpour gushing from the turbulent clouds above. The dark clouds seemed as if they were waiting for a catastrophic event to occur and coincidentally the climate had already been set perfectly for such an occasion.

[Gallop! Gallop!] As King Shuzzon’s gallant steed continued drawing closer towards the incoming range of Vagabonds, he directed his thrilled gaze on my severed head then said:

“Wo-ho-ho. Thanks for bringing me this celestial blade, undying man. Because of you, I am about to expand my legend to that of a God’s! You shall bear witness to my tyrannical ascension!”

[Boom!] Right after King Shuzzon finished addressing my head, I received a frightening jolt due to how viciously he stabbed the spike into the ground and rode ahead, leaving me behind. The rod which hosted my head was infixed into the muddy ground at a safe distance away from the imminent onslaught. The dizziness from having my head shook around was fading slowly now that it was no longer in motion.

My mind was unsettled because I knew that today was the day it would happen. The start of the chaotic era which I’ve premonished.

Seeing the Vagabonds getting closer, King Shuzzon reached for the weapon at his side, moreover, began unsheathing its sharpness. [Xin!] The moment King Shuzzon finished dragging the holy sword from its brilliant sheath it lit up the entire Vagabond War Plain. The captivating sight of the holy blade’s sharpness portrayed a mesmerizing resonance across the battlefield. I could see that the Vagabonds were bewildered. Their faces resembled a new-born baby who has just laid eyes on its mother.

“Wo-ho-ho! Show me your mettle! Vagabonds!” After his valiant outburst, King Shuzzon dashed into the 100-men infantry and wasted no time at all rousing the celestial powers of the holy blade.

[Swoosh! Swoosh!] King Shuzzon only swung the holy blade two times without any skilful swordsmanship or precision and yet what happened afterwards would completely turn the tides of the lengthy battle between the Brilmah kingdom and the Vagabond War Plains.

[Boom! Boom!] A mysterious streak of ghostly energies shot out from the holy sword and crashed into the infantry. 100-men were sent soaring through the sky with their hearty body parts cut to fine pieces. Poignant blood mixed in with the heavy downpour splashed all over the battlefield. This bloody scenery left a distasteful feeling in the Vagabonds mouths.

“Impossible! That lone man took out our 100-men infantry with just a few swing of his blade? What the hell is he?” The forefront of the Vagabond’s’ army was veritably shaken up. With my keen vision observing them from afar, I perceived their trembling bodies. I believe they were also pissing themselves because of the vague scent of urine that was permeating the air.

“Stop that man! Don’t let him advance to the crux of our army!”

“Yes, commander!” [Dum! Dum! Dum!] The Vagabonds sent out more powerful men to intercept King Shuzzon’s restless advance. However, it was futile. They received the same horrible treatment as the 100-men infantry.

[Slash! Slash!] Broken body parts flew all over the battlefield as King Shuzzon continued his vicious charge towards the centre of the Vagabonds HQ. He was an unstoppable force that no veteran warrior had ever experienced before. Every time he swung the holy sword, hundreds of people died. He alone was slaughtering the Vagabond’s main forces. Supreme Commander Kratus and his army who was watching from atop the hill must be in utter disbelief by their sovereign’s domineering combat prowess.

At this point, King Shuzzon possessed the strength of 200-men! And the most alarming thing was that his strength continued to rise the more men he cut through with the holy blade. I could sense that the sword’s power was growing exponentially. Due to the bulk of brave souls that it was absorbing it was swiftly approaching the required quota for awakening.

My Eye of Ghost activated automatically to assess the situation. After the bloodthirsty puddle had fully encompassed the Vagabond War Plains, I witnessed a frightening amount of vengeful souls getting sucked into the holy sword’s sharpness. Now the required quota was 9,087 out of 10,000. King Shuzzon needed only to slaughter 913 more brave souls to fully awakened chaos.

[Slash! Slash! Slash!] The holy sword’s brutality grew fiercer as it drew closer to the quota of awakening. The valiant forces of the Vagabond’s army continued to diminish rapidly. King Shuzzon was having the blast of his life while experiencing the taste of such unbridled strength. His broad sinister grin almost abducted his entire face.

“Wo-ho-ho-ho! Die! Die! Die! Die! Die!” [Boom! Boom! Boom!] Brave warriors were falling constantly from all angles by King Shuzzon macabre series of murders. Later on in the brutal one-sided battle, I perceived an obtrusive trace of steam radiating from my left arm. This meant that the barrels of blood essences which were supplying my corpse back at the king’s art gallery were close to their utmost depletion.

“But how can I be running out of juice already! This arm wasn’t supposed to be overheating for at least another 6 hours!” King Shuzzon wasn’t aware that the more vicious swings he made with the holy sword the faster it depleted my blood essence.

The Vagabond’s army started suffering fewer casualties due to King Shuzzon mitigated assault. He couldn’t contain the increasing infernal temperature of the holy sword, thus he sheathed its indomitable sharpness, spun his steed around and began retreating hastily.

“Don’t let that man regroup with the Brilmah’s main forces! He must have run out of stamina! Now is our chance to claim his head! RAAAAH!” [Boom! Boom! Boom!]

The vagabonds realized that something was off with King Shuzzon’s body. He was exuding too much steam for a normal man. Hence they took advantage of his detriment and began blocking his escape. Considering how deep King Shuzzon had ventured into the Vagabonds ranks, he found it very difficult to reunite with his army without killing his way out.

I was hoping for the Vagabonds to rip King Shuzzon to pieces before he could unsheathe the holy sword again, for the quota of awakening was only 200-men away. From where my head was sitting idle on the wooden spike, I perceived King Shuzzon riding towards me while being chased by a rampaging horde of warriors. Desperately wanting revenge for their fallen comrades, the Vagabonds bowmen proceeded ahead then shot out a barrage of arrows aimed at the iniquitous king.

[Tut! Tut! Tut!] Many arrows missed their intended target due to the interference from the heavy downpour coupled with the wind. The myriad of arrows penetrated the muddy ground just behind King Shuzzon’s fleeing steed. Not all arrows missed their target though. Two very long arrows found their way into King Shuzzon’s back and knocked him off his horse. [Boom!]

[Thud! Thud! Thud!] I heard many beating hoofs coming from my rear which prompted me to shift my gaze at my posterior. What I witnessed was Supreme Commander Kratus’s main forces rushing back to the Vagabond War Plain to rescue their lordship from a gruesome death. If the king of their kingdom was to be slain in battle then the Vagabonds would receive a great spur to their strength and wreak havoc all over their beloved Brilmah kingdom.