Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 51: The Subjugation Squad (2)

The direwolves, two to four times larger than regular wolves, were incredibly powerful. Their fangs were sharper and longer, and their claws far more menacing.

Their fur, either dark blue or black, gleamed, while their eyes often glowed with a yellow hue.

Wolves are known for their intelligence, but direwolves were cunning, almost to the point of being crafty.

They excelled in reasoning and perception and could even think strategically.

Moving in packs, they had a strong bond, combined with not only bravery but also tenacity.

If the leader of the pack was a beast of magic, extra caution was required.

Even more than with humans.

—

“Everyone, protect the command!”

The lieutenant’s urgent shout echoed through the forest.

Wade, the commander of the subjugation squad, was completely overwhelmed.

The direwolves that had finally shown themselves were strangely persistent in attacking his position.

With each swipe of a direwolf’s massive claws, two or three members of the squad were thrown aside, their bodies freezing up under the oppressive killing intent emanating from the wolves’ eyes.

“What the hell is going on? Why are they attacking us like this?!”

Wade shouted in disbelief. The leader of the pack was nowhere to be seen, but more than twenty direwolves were targeting the rear of the squad as if they knew exactly where the leadership was.

No one could have guessed this was all caused by Karon’s black blade.

As the situation deteriorated, the mercenaries and imperial soldiers naturally formed a protective circle around Wade.

The plan to use the mercenaries as bait had gone out the window.

Now, Wade found himself grateful to the mercenaries who were protecting him.

Miguel, the mercenary captain, expertly surveyed the battlefield. Even as he fought off the direwolves advancing toward him, he scanned the surroundings with hawk-like precision.

“Linwood! Take ten men and support the south! The defense line is faltering!”

“Understood! Rubill! Take the team and follow me!”

“Yes, sir!”

At his command, the mercenaries moved in perfect coordination.

Unlike the shrinking imperial soldiers, the mercenaries fought the direwolves bravely and aggressively.

Their usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by fearlessness and boldness.

Without the mercenaries, the subjugation squad would have been annihilated by now.

Wade knew this too.

‘So, there is a reason why the Miguel Mercenary Company is so famous…’

Wade pressed his lips together. As much as he disliked admitting it, he couldn’t deny the truth. But he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud.

His pride as an imperial soldier wouldn’t allow it.

‘Huh? Who’s that?’

Then he noticed Karon.

He was leisurely walking through the chaotic battlefield.

So relaxed, it was as if he were in a different world altogether.

None of the mercenaries around him even glanced at him, as if he were invisible.

Karon moved like a ghost, flowing smoothly through the chaos.

“What the hell… is that lunatic…”

Wade shook his head violently, thinking he was seeing things. But when he looked again, Karon had already vanished.

He quickly scanned the surroundings, but all he saw were mercenaries locked in combat with direwolves.

Grrrr!

At that moment, Wade caught sight of a direwolf effortlessly tossing aside his subordinates and charging toward the battle wagon.

Time seemed to slow as the direwolf’s jaws opened wide. Wade’s legs gave out, and he collapsed on the spot.

Chomp!

The direwolf’s bite barely missed, snapping at the air. Ironically, Wade’s collapse had saved him.

But the direwolf wasn’t done. It clung to the wagon, swiping its claws ferociously.

Slash!

“Gah!”

The tips of its claws tore through Wade’s breastplate and dug into his flesh.

If not for the armor, he might have been sliced in half.

“Damn it! Get away! Get away, I said!”

Wade desperately swung his sword, but to the direwolf, it was no more than a nuisance.

Crunch!

The direwolf bit into the wagon’s railing, leaving Wade fully exposed.

His subordinates were too busy fighting other direwolves to even think about helping him.

Grrrr!

The direwolf climbed up onto the battle wagon, preparing to strike again.

Wounded, Wade couldn’t even think of moving.

He could only swing his sword weakly at the oncoming claws. He knew deep down that he couldn’t block the attack.

‘Is this how I die?’

He shut his eyes tightly, resigned to his fate.

Whoosh!

Thud!

Just then, someone leaped in front of him, spreading a cloak wide.

To his astonishment, the direwolf’s claws were sucked into the cloak and deflected harmlessly.

The unbalanced direwolf’s front leg was sliced clean off by a swift sword strike.

Grrrr!

The direwolf slipped off the battle wagon and fell to the ground.

“Are you alright?”

It was none other than the young man who had been with that rookie, examining Wade’s torn breastplate.

The man on the wagon firing arrows at the approaching direwolves was also the hunter who had accompanied the rookie.

“Shong! We have to get out of here! They’re swarming toward this location for some reason!”

Hinshan, who was swinging his sword, called out urgently. Shong slung Wade’s arm over his shoulder and swiftly leaped off the battle wagon.

Hinshan covered them, and they safely reached Wade’s subordinates.

“Th-thank you.”

“Save your thanks for later.”

The two of them set Wade down and quickly returned to the battlefield, where a fierce struggle continued.

Wade never imagined that he would one day thank them with his own mouth.

—

Meanwhile, Karon was moving stealthily around the battlefield, secretly helping the mercenaries in the places where they were being pushed back.

At the same time, he slowly released the demonic energy he had absorbed into his black blade, drawing the attention of the direwolves.

Thanks to this, the Miguel Mercenary Company was able to handle the direwolves without too much pressure.

However, the real target he was waiting for had yet to appear.

‘That one has more patience than I thought.’

He was waiting for the leader of the direwolves, a beast of magic.

A powerful presence was lingering around the battlefield, but it still had not revealed itself.

To ensure the subjugation, capturing the leader was the top priority. No matter how many underlings they killed, if the leader wasn’t taken down, the pack would regroup and return one day.

To lure the leader out, Karon needed more than just his black blade.

‘There’s no other choice.’

Karon decided to become the bait himself. At that moment, he saw Shong and Hinshan rescuing the commander of the subjugation squad from the battle wagon.

‘They should have learned their lesson by now.’

Without a word, Karon reached toward the battle wagon.

The black blade, which had been hidden underneath the wagon, responded and shot toward him, slipping back into his grasp.

The battle was so chaotic that no one noticed the scene.

Shh!

With the black blade in hand, Karon slowly began to release the demonic energy he had stored within his body.

The murky energy naturally began to flow into the black blade.

At that moment, the powerful presence that had been circling the battlefield came to a halt. The direwolves, which had been attacking the subjugation squad, suddenly began to retreat.

Then, a massive presence slowly approached.

‘Huh?’

Karon sensed something unusual. The powerful presence had suddenly split into two. Then, they slowly revealed themselves.

Two magical beasts, each more than twice the size of a direwolf, appeared.

Their fur, which covered their entire bodies, looked as tough as iron armor, and their glowing red eyes gleamed ominously.

Their densely packed teeth seemed capable of crushing anything, and their sharp, gleaming claws protruded like hooks.

In short, their entire bodies were weapons.

The subjugation squad, overwhelmed by the imposing presence of the two magical beasts, began to retreat as the direwolves slowly closed in on them.

As the direwolves tightened their encirclement, it became clear that if they all attacked at once, the squad would be annihilated.

Karon bit his lip.

“Everyone, stand back,” he muttered quietly. But his voice reached the ears of the entire squad, as it carried a significant amount of energy.

Then, without hesitation, Karon unleashed the demonic energy he had been holding back, walking slowly toward the magical beasts.

The dark red energy swirling around his body and the ominous glow in his eyes made him seem like a magical beast himself.

In order to prevent the subjugation squad from being wiped out, Karon had no choice but to reveal his true power.

As Karon suppressed the aura of the magical beasts, the subjugation squad’s movements became much smoother.

Unaware of this, the squad stared in shock at Karon’s form, as if they were witnessing something incomprehensible.

“My god!”

“Is that… is that really a human?”

Even Wade, who had his wounds wrapped in bandages while being protected by his subordinates, stared at Karon in awe.

At that moment, the dark red energy around Karon extended like an afterimage. In an instant, he was standing in front of the two magical beasts.

The beasts reacted quickly, moving to flank him on either side.

At the same time, they swung their front paws at Karon, attacking in unison.

But Karon was ready. He swung the black blade, releasing a dark red energy that flowed outward like a crimson carpet, brushing past the front paws of the beasts.

Slash! Slash!

Blood spurted from the tops of both beasts’ feet. But they didn’t seem to care, continuing their assault on Karon.

“Are you all just going to stand there and watch!?”

At Karon’s shout, Erect snapped back to reality.

He raised his sword high and shouted.

“Karon is holding off the magical beasts! Gather all your strength and push the direwolves back!”

“Charge! Attack!”

With Karon’s presence inspiring them, the subjugation squad regrouped and began pushing back the direwolves.

“Push them to the east!”

“Once you’re done there, help us over here!”

As Karon continued his standoff with the two magical beasts, the Miguel Mercenary Company found themselves with more room to maneuver.

They swept across the battlefield, targeting the direwolves in groups.

Once they gained the upper hand, the tide of the battle turned quickly, and the direwolves began to fall one by one, weapons piercing their bodies.

Even while fighting the magical beasts, Karon didn’t lose sight of the overall situation.

Once it became clear that the subjugation squad would emerge victorious, he focused all his attention on the two beasts.

By now, he had familiarize himself with their movements.

The two beasts, identical in appearance, moved as if they were one. But that very coordination became their downfall.

Karon dodged an attack from one beast’s front paw and immediately stabbed the black blade into the mouth of the other as it lunged at him.

It was as if he had anticipated the move, his actions swift and decisive.

The black blade, radiating dark red energy, pierced the beast’s forehead with pinpoint accuracy.

Had he been even a moment slower or missed his mark by the slightest degree, Karon would have been torn apart by the beast’s fangs.

Everything was calculated with flawless precision.

As the first beast met its end, the remaining one charged at Karon with a vengeance.

But by then, Karon had gained the upper hand.

He cut off its hooked claws when it swung its front paws and smashed its jaw when it tried to bite him.

Thud!

With one final strike, Karon slid beneath the beast and drove the black blade into its chin.

The dark red energy shot through the beast’s head and soared into the sky.

Black blood flowed down the blade, and the beast’s body went limp.

Karon had single-handedly slain both magical beasts that had been radiating such powerful energy.

The subjugation squad, watching in awe, raised their arms in triumph and began to cheer.

“We won! We won!”

“Karon! Long live Karon! Long live the subjugation squad!”

As people gathered around Karon, cheering, he remained indifferent, wiping the blood off his blade before sheathing it.

Watching this, Wade could only lower his head in resignation, realizing he had done nothing to contribute to the victory, despite the successful subjugation of the beasts.

TL NOTE: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES