The Third Son of a Medieval Knight Family Chapter 113 - Knight of Ascension (48)

Viktor quietly examined him. One part of his armor was deeply dented, suggesting he hadn’t completely avoided the javelin, but it was clear he had caught it with his hand in time to reduce the damage.

“This is ridiculous. Are you even human?”

At Viktor’s words, Yugrichi also made an incredulous expression as he replied.

“That’s not something you should be saying. An ordinary human couldn’t possibly oppose the power of a spirit. You really do have monster blood mixed in, don’t you, you bastard!”

“Nonsense.”

Viktor swung his axe. Even without being on horseback, his strength hadn’t diminished. Yugrichi hastily dodged the axe swung with tremendous acceleration and shouted.

“Surround him! Move assuming he’s a monster! And there’s no need to clash weapons like before! This is a hunting drive!”

Whoosh!

With those words, several warriors fell back and aimed their bows at Viktor, while the remaining few drew something from their waists.

‘Lassos?’

Viktor instinctively pressed his body close to the enemy. And that judgment was correct.

“Damn it!”

Lassos flying from all directions and arrows rushing in with exquisite timing. If he had stood there dumbfounded, he would have been subdued in an instant. Viktor bit his lips and pounced on a warrior holding a dagger. Then he climbed over the man’s body, circled behind him, wrapped around his neck, and applied pressure.

Crack!

“What kind of strange movement…!”

“Just shoot!”

“…Gasp!”

Viktor immediately charged again, using the corpse that had died instantly with its neck snapped as a shield. The arrows flying from the rear with staggered timing were also dangerous, but his instincts judged that those throwing lassos from various positions were more threatening.

“Urgh…!”

He could hear arrows embedding into the corpse above him, and when a lasso aimed at his legs flew in that gap, Viktor had no choice but to roll his body forward. Almost simultaneously, he twisted his waist and swung his axe, succeeding in cutting two warriors in half, but soon he let out a groan.

“…Now’s the time, press the attack!”

An arrow he couldn’t dodge from his blind spot had embedded straight into his side. Though his armor was well-made enough to deflect most arrows, whether the enemy’s bow was good or he was just unlucky, it had properly penetrated.

“Good weapon.”

Even so, he couldn’t show weakness. Yugrichi smiled as he spoke to Viktor, who muttered calmly.

“It’s a bow imported from the east. It can easily pierce through that kind of armor.”

“…Thanks for the kind explanation, I could die of gratitude.”

The enemy wasn’t letting his guard down at all. The sight of the warriors slowly, slowly closing the distance like killing prey by driving it to exhaustion was spine-chilling enough to raise goosebumps.

They were treating Viktor completely like a large beast or monster.

‘There’s no need to push myself. Let me look for an opportunity.’

Viktor smiled bitterly as he raised his axe.

Dragging out time here wasn’t a bad choice either. Even at this very moment, the Grand Chief’s army would be splitting into three directions in real time.

While the church knights who had infiltrated the center and he himself caused chaos, Yelchin’s harassment unit would be attacking on the left, Kulak and Tumen’s warriors on the right, and the central army would be counterattacking from below after regrouping.

‘In other words, if things get settled while the Grand Chief is tied up here, that would be best, but…’

Simply holding out didn’t suit his temperament, and if by any chance they were counterattacked and forced to retreat, Viktor would be finished.

“Come at me!”

“Shoot!”

Swish! As he deliberately provoked the enemies, he surveyed his surroundings with cold eyes.

‘By my standard, three to the rear left, two to the right. Block the firing lines and start with those holding lassos…!’

“Got him! Got him! Now’s the time!”

Just then, one warrior succeeded in getting a lasso around Viktor’s arm and was shouting.

“Excellent.”

“…Wh-what?”

However, before more lassos and arrows could fly, when Viktor pulled the rope with all his might, the warrior was instead dragged toward him. Meanwhile, another arrow barrage flew in, but Viktor swung his axe to appropriately deflect the arrows. As long as they weren’t arrows flying from blind spots he couldn’t see, his reflexes could handle them all at that speed anyway.

“Monster bastard! Turn around! Go where he can’t see you!”

“That won’t work!”

“Aaaaah!”

Viktor easily dodged a lasso aimed at his neck, then began spinning the warrior who was being dragged along with his face scraping the ground with all his might. Then, due to the tremendous centrifugal force using his waist strength, the warrior’s body swept all directions.

“Longer range than the axe…this is good!”

“Crazy…dodge!”

“Aaaaah!”

It was already incredible that he was spinning a warrior like a sling with just one arm, but on top of that, he was even keeping the surroundings in check with his axe – it was truly monstrous.

Snap! And when the lasso finally couldn’t endure and broke, Viktor regretfully but quickly launched his body.

‘They tied lassos to their own bodies so they wouldn’t lose their targets. Then I just need to deal with it using strength!’

As long as he wasn’t caught by multiple lassos simultaneously, it was proven that they couldn’t restrict Viktor’s actions, so his movements became unrestricted. Yugrichi, who had been watching this, shouted fiercely as he raised his weapon. It was a ridiculously large club that he normally never used.

“Charge at him! Don’t let him move!”

Simultaneously with his shout, Viktor launched his body and instantly closed in on the Grand Chief.

“Better to take the head off first!”

“Don’t make me laugh, monster!”

Slash! Crash!

“Urgh…!”

The axe Viktor swung passed straight through the Grand Chief’s arm, but the price wasn’t light either. Not caring that his own arm was being severed, Yugrichi’s massive club struck directly at his chest. Due to strength unthinkable for a human, Viktor was sent flying.

“…You hit pretty hard.”

Viktor, who had been struggling to get up, hung his head at the intense pain rising from his chest and back. The arrow embedded in his side was already causing terrible pain, and he had taken considerable damage from being slammed into the ground.

‘The biggest problem is…I survived because of the armor.’

Viktor tore off the dented and bothersome chest piece of his armor with force, then glared ahead again. There were still many warriors wearing those spine-chilling masks remaining, but they were just hesitating as if confused. Viktor showed a fierce smile.

“Is this all you’ve got, Yugrichi!!”

---

“Gasp…gasp…damn it…!”

Yugrichi panted as he clutched the severed cross-section of his arm. Burning pain enveloped his body, but thanks to that, he was able to avoid losing consciousness.

‘Monster-like bastard!’

He had swung with all his might, imbued with the power of the White Deer. Strength that could split not just humans, but even decent large trees or rocks in one blow! Yet that guy was getting up as if nothing had happened after taking that hit.

‘No, no…it wasn’t a direct hit…did he dodge that too?!’

And that was an impossible thing. Even that guy wasn’t truly a monster transcending humanity.

His flesh was fragile, and he bled when arrows or blades pierced him. Then what could naturally be inferred was that he had deflected his club strike.

‘Beast-like judgment and movement. He didn’t consciously dodge it. He moved his body instinctively.’

Yugrichi found himself muttering without realizing it.

“White Deer…”

Even long ago, when he had started tribal conflicts to usurp the Grand Chief’s position, there had been no enemy this terrifyingly formidable.

Even his most threatening political enemies had never been able to oppose his true power when he borrowed strength from the spirit.

‘No! I have to bring him down quickly…he’s stronger than expected…the tribal funeral will end…I have to kill him before it ends!’

Yugrichi glanced up at the sky. The white energy was fluttering even faster. Fear suddenly appeared in his eyes.

“Kill him quickly! Kill that bastard, I say! Somehow just wound him! That guy isn’t a real monster! His skin tears and blood comes out when you stab him with a blade! Don’t be afraid!”

At the impatient Grand Chief’s shout, the remaining warriors all charged at once. Viktor looked at them while gripping his axe handle even tighter.

‘He’s getting impatient. Why? Because his arm was cut off? Did he realize time is being dragged out…no, that’s not what’s important.’

And he swung his axe at those who charged without seeming to tire.

“Yugrichi! What are you doing hiding behind them? If you won’t come, I’ll go to you myself!”

Thwack! Thud! Thud!

From then on it was a free-for-all. The enemies responded admirably to Viktor’s fierce assault that seemed to disregard survival. They tried to ‘hunt’ Viktor using all the know-how they had cultivated through blood and sweat to become the Grand Chief’s finest guards. But this time, they had the wrong opponent.

“Graaah!”

Viktor threw his axe just like that. Then with bare hands, he lifted the faces of two warriors stabbing daggers between the gaps of his armor from both sides, and applied pressure as if crushing them.

Clang! Clang!

As his fingers penetrated their heads like digging into soft fruit, the two warriors died without even being able to scream. Along with the sound of daggers hitting the floor, the death cry of the last remaining archer echoed.

“Gasp…gasp…”

Viktor’s tired breathing echoed, but no other sounds could be heard. He looked around. Now on the earth where white flags flew, only two people remained standing.

Viktor walked with a rarely tired face and pulled out the axe embedded in the archer’s torso. His whole body was like a rag, and his armor had long since lost its meaning.

‘This is why frontal combat is dangerous.’

Viktor was never invincible. The reason he had been able to continue his winning streak until now was partly due to his tremendous martial power, but more than that, it was because of the overwhelming terror he instilled in his opponents.

Enemies would naturally be frightened by Viktor’s charge across the battlefield with inhuman strength, and because he knew how to exploit those instinctively weakened parts, he could always win.

When surrounded in a state where he couldn’t instill great fear like now, even Viktor would inevitably be in danger. One hand couldn’t handle ten hands.

‘Is this the first time I’ve been this wounded since Permikoff?’

After thinking he wouldn’t push himself since then, he had ended up in this state again, making him burst into bitter laughter.

Sometimes his instincts ran wild on their own regardless of his reason, causing him to make another reckless charge.

‘When blood boils in my head, I can’t control it…though there have been several times I saved my life thanks to those instincts.’

Viktor held onto his dazed mind as he dragged his axe forward. There was still work left to complete.

Yugrichi stood there like a wooden statue. Unable to read his expression, Viktor tilted his head and spoke.

“Why didn’t you step forward? Yugrichi, if you had joined in, you might have been able to kill me.”

His strength had been threatening. If the Grand Chief had been mixed in among the enemies pressing in tightly, the battle might have ended faster than expected. Viktor, having lost mobility, wouldn’t have been able to even flee properly.

“…You killed all my guards while dismounted? What…are you?”

Viktor removed his dented helmet and threw it aside, then wiped his face. His eyes stung from blood that had seeped in between the visor and gaps.

“They were troublesome. I learned a good lesson. I’ll pass on fighting cavalry this way from now on.”

Yugrichi shuddered and shook his head at those words.

‘How can such a human exist…!’

Viktor, soaked in blood, was swaying, but his spirit hadn’t died at all.

Though he spoke casually, his eyes were still gleaming. It was terrifying killing intent and charisma. And what completed that charisma were the countless corpses scattered behind that blood-covered knight.

Horses and humans indiscriminately torn apart horrifically. Viktor had slaughtered all of his proud guards, even those cloaked in the White Deer’s power, while dismounted.

“At first I just planned to buy time. But when this head catches fire, it doesn’t go out easily…I wasn’t originally like this, but maybe it’s true that the mind follows the body…”

Viktor, who had been muttering incomprehensible words, suddenly glared at him and raised his axe.

“So then, do you have anything left to say, Yugrichi? If you’re thinking of surrendering, speak quickly.”

“…Surrender? Hehe…monster-like bastard. After killing everyone, such words come out easily?”

“Then die.”

Viktor cleanly swung his axe. However, before the axe could even reach him, Yugrichi knelt first.

“…What are you doing?”

Thinking he had finally decided to beg for his life, Viktor stared at him, but Yugrichi’s gaze was directed only toward the sky.

“…White Deer. At least my son…”

“…?”

Viktor followed his gaze toward the sky. The flags that had been fluttering madly and savagely disturbing the mind had been quiet for a long time. Viktor lowered his head again. And then, he was shocked.

“…What is this…”

Without him even noticing, Yugrichi had disappeared.

‘There was no sign at all…!’

Where he had been kneeling, only a large pit remained, as if something enormous had taken a bite out of it. Viktor broke into a cold sweat as he looked at the deep marks that seemed to have been gouged right up to his feet.

“…The White Deer.”

Though he hadn’t felt any presence until now, he could still tell. Viktor bent down and stroked the upper part of the pit.

Something like thick saliva was smeared there.

‘Yugrichi…what the hell did you do?’

Viktor slowly turned his head.

The corpses of the warriors he had killed had also cleanly disappeared. Rolling around on the ground now were only the corpses of dead horses, empty armor, and masks. It was a strange and bizarre occurrence.

Viktor looked up at the sky with a hardened face.

“How arrogant…someday I’ll skin that hide off you, White Deer!”

The feeling that something incomprehensible had happened right before his eyes wasn’t very pleasant. He wasn’t afraid. He just felt annoyed at being toyed with and slightly curious about wanting to beat that damn deer to death.

“…Phew, shall I head back for now?”

Viktor swayed as he got up. He could see Podaga, who had been avoiding the area, running toward him from far away. He smiled slightly as he walked, then suddenly noticed something at his feet and looked down.

“Was there a survivor?”

He had certainly torn apart all the warriors who had charged without leaving a single one. Viktor scratched his chin as he looked at the young warrior who had fainted with a pale face without a single wound. Above his removed helmet, curved horns identical to those of people he knew caught his eye.

“He was playing dead among the corpses. Well, shall I take him along for now?”

Viktor leaned against Podaga, who had approached and was nuzzling his cheek. He wanted to end the battle quickly and rest.

---

Tumen looked with an incredulous expression at the warriors crawling on the ground with terror-stricken faces.

“Have these bastards all gone crazy together?”

“Please spare me! Please spare me! I did nothing wrong! Please spare me!”

The Grand Chief’s warriors were praying madly to empty air, not fighting the warriors who had been opposing them. Seeing every single one of them doing this, Tumen spat unnecessarily, feeling both deflated and creeped out.

“Fuck, father…what the hell did you do?”

He showed his complicated feelings as he looked at the battlefield that began to be settled in an instant. In the distance at the center, he could see the monastery knights completely ignoring the strange behavior of warriors who suddenly began praying while looking at the sky, grabbing their hair and cutting their throats.

“…This sucks.”

Grumbling that he probably couldn’t get along with those guys, he soon hung his head. Though he didn’t know the details, it was certain his lord had once again achieved victory.

‘Father…I wanted to see your face at least once at the end. Even if only your head comes back…’

Tumen bit his lips once, then shouted loudly.

“The war is over! The Grand Chief is dead! Surrender, and we’ll spare your lives if you surrender!”

He had to move before those crazy knights collected all the remaining heads.