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Chapter 302 part 2

Their goal had shifted from the ostensible assassination of the princess to Galilius engaging in a deeply personal battle with Gwandan. Galilius was in a position to permit this, and the Demon King’s Army as a whole possessed such a temperament.

Galilius had also surmised that Gwandan wouldn’t entrust the princess’s protection solely to the two lurking in the shadows.

Indeed, if Grilim or the other goblins were to corner Yachiyo and the others to the point of killing or wounding them, or if they entered the room where Asteria and Amria were, additional Dragonians would undoubtedly emerge from somewhere.

「Can both of you still move?」

「The operational rate of the mobile armor is 76%, no hindrance to continuing combat operations.」

「I’m okay too! I can still fight alongside my sister!」

Both Lynette and Kirlynne, having swapped their damaged mace and greatsword for a long-handled hammer and great axe, vigorously waved their arms to assert to Gwandan their combat readiness.

Their appearance, armed to the teeth, was menacing, yet their childlike gestures were enough to elicit a smile from Gwandan.

「It seems you’re both fine. Then, hasten to join her and focus on repelling the goblins. It seems I must deal with their leader myself.」

「Understood. Upon joining, we will commence the elimination of enemy forces. There’s no need for prayers, but I wish you good fortune in battle.」

「It’s regrettable you won’t witness this directly, but I’ll strive to avoid any disgraceful display this time!」

Green light particles emitted from their flight wings, propelling Lynette and Kirlynne through the sky like graceful wind fairies, chasing the goblins that had gone ahead.

Around Ras Lomar, continuous high-pitched sounds, unlike gunpowder gunfire, echoed. These were the unique firing sounds of Gundeus’s ray rifle. Soon, the thunderous noise of a large mass being struck would join in.

「I thought you might interrupt them following your men, but letting them go shows your trust in your subordinates, doesn’t it?」

Gwandan, still in his Romal Empire armor, held a Poleaxe materialized from the void. The weapon, forged by his own body and magic, was as exquisite as any divine artifact crafted by the god of blacksmithing.

「I have especially emphasized the importance of retreat. They know to prioritize survival, so I have no need to instruct them. Besides, you would interfere if I tried to hinder them, wouldn’t you? Staying here makes no difference then.」

「Dealing with someone so perceptive is troublesome.」

「Such cold words.」

Galilius laughed cheerfully and spun his golden short spear once more. The spear, resplendent and majestic, was more than a shiny ornament or a solemn weapon of death. It was a beautiful, fearsome, and even sacred armament.

「A fine weapon. From the demon realm, I presume? A reward from the God of War, I imagine.」

Then Galilius, grinning like a child showing off a favorite toy, responded.

「The spear’s name is Ganaghiya. A reward for my wartime services when I was still in the great demon world. It might not be much for the gods, but it wields formidable power on Earth. However, seeing your Poleaxe, I can’t be too careless.」

「Deeply appreciated. Being highly regarded by the wielder of a sacred weapon, different from those bestowed by believers’ prayers, gives me some confidence.」

Gwandan chuckled behind his helmet, feeling good. Waiting for his laughter to subside, Galilius glanced at the Romal Empire knights who watched in anticipation.

「Now, we need no extra spectators. It would dampen the mood if they meddled.」

With a light swing of his golden short spear, Ganaghiya, a faint light reminiscent of moonlight blinked. The knights and soldiers bathed in it fell unconscious one after another. The divine power within Ganaghiya, converted into light, was too much for even those clad in magic-resistant gear, directly assailing their souls and rendering them unconscious.

「This sets the stage just right.」

「Hmm.」

Gwandan’s response was his typical refrain. Galilius, unable to contain his excitement like a jubilant child, readied himself.

It was a serious posture seldom shown in the Demon King’s Army, except to a few mighty like Yaheim. As for Gwandan, there was no particular stance, just his usual natural posture, without excessive tension or stiffness, only the confidence of an overwhelmingly powerful being.

Seeing this, Galilius felt elated. His intuition as a servant of the God of War confirmed this was the moment.

Galilius stepped on the deck, and Gwandan did the same, their simultaneous steps causing an explosion. The deck could not withstand the force of their steps and burst apart.

「Tsa!」

A sharp exclamation burst from Galilius’s throat. Before the sound, a golden blade of light, akin to thunder, surged towards Gwandan like waves crashing against a cliff.

Galilius’s rapid thrusts, possibly thousands per second, were unleashed. Gwandan repelled this miraculous flurry of attacks with his Poleaxe, a feat hard to believe was accomplished by a single person.

Gwandan’s ability to fend off a barrage likened to a simultaneous spear thrust from thousands of superhuman warriors was uniquely his, especially when relying on sheer physical prowess.

「Nun!」

Gwandan, who had been wielding the Poleaxe with one hand, moved his left hand. Ancient Celestial Dragon, discerning all thrusts in the midst of a barrage that seemed like a solid golden wall, forcibly inserted a strike with his left hand.

With just a grazing blow from Gwandan’s left hand, capable of killing a demi-dragon, he aimed a roaring punch at Galilius’s face.

How terrifying it was, Galilius knew without thought. He had to abruptly shift his thrust at Gwandan, intercepting it with Ganaghiya.

It was the right choice. The tremendous impact that struck Galilius through Ganaghiya reminded him of a blow from a certain war god, different from Aldeath, he had once experienced in the great demon world.

Could an earthly being deliver a blow reminiscent of a war god? Such a question arose and vanished quickly in Galilius’s mind.

With all his might, he spun the force from Ganaghiya, aiming the turned spearhead at Gwandan’s neck.

The tip of Ganaghiya barely grazed Gwandan’s left neck as he tilted his head to the right, the armor protecting his neck shattering into dust.

As Galilius quickly retracted his thrust, Gwandan moved his right hand. His Poleaxe carved a silver-white crescent in the air, advancing towards Galilius’s left waist.

Galilius grinned ferociously, vividly imagining himself being bisected, spilling his guts and blood.

This is it. This is what I longed for.

He never regretted walking the same path as those who left the God of War to come to Earth.

Ah, but how could one not yearn for it? The battlefield, where power and skill were generously displayed, unreachable in the earthly realm. The ancient battles, the tumult, the fervor, imprinted indelibly on Galilius’s soul.

Yaheim, reminding him of Sagurabus, evoked this feeling too, but the armored figure before him did so more vividly, intensely, and painfully.

How marvelous! The tension, fear, excitement, joy, and indescribable emotions merged, spreading to every cell, as if chipping away at his soul.

What bliss it would have been to remain in the great demon world, fighting endlessly on the gods’ battlefield, until one day, scattering my life and soul.

Aaahhh!

But it was definitely wrong to die without resistance. How foolish it would be to die dreamily without having exerted one’s utmost strength, when there was still more to be done. Such a way of living, such a manner of dying…

「To hell with that!」

Galilius’s left hand, drawing a dagger backhand, intercepted the Poleaxe’s blade. The blade shattered in an instant, a pivotal moment in determining the fate of Galilius’s life.

Galilius’s body narrowly avoided being bisected, leaping backward to land on the bow of the Ras Lomar.

The dagger, thrown mid-leap, was caught by Gwandan’s left hand, crushed instantly, and its fragments lightly peppered the deck.

「It was meant to be a decisive strike, wasn’t it?」

Gwandan, dropping his guard, charged forward. Only Galilius could perceive his speed, akin to that of light.

「Huh!」

Despite Gwandan’s overwhelming combat prowess, he was full of openings. Not due to a lack of combat knowledge, but because he had never needed to worry about such vulnerabilities. For Gwandan, being ‘full of gaps’ was synonymous with having ‘no gaps at all’. The equation was absurd: full of gaps meant attackable from anywhere = no gaps meant attackable from nowhere. Galilius was deeply moved, from the very bottom of his soul, by such a ludicrously powerful foe.

「Oh my god, I have found an enemy I shall never encounter again!」

The best strike of Galilius’s life, one he could proudly claim as his finest, surged towards Gwandan with a force that seemed to tear through space.

Even Dramina or Ryukichi would tremble at such a strike, which was caught by the vertically held blade of the Poleaxe. Yet, anyone familiar with Gwandan would commend Galilius. His strike had managed to halt Gwandan’s advance!

A moment of stillness ensued, as if time itself had forgotten to move. The tip of the Ganagiya, thrust forward, and the blade of the Poleaxe, interlocked, seemed immovable.

「What next? How to inflict a wound on Gwandan? How to ensure Galilius’s head is severed? The wind is still; time stands frozen. The catalyst to set them in motion is terrifyingly ominous.」

Therefore, the one to provoke movement in them must be recklessly fearless and frustratingly oblivious to the situation.

This individual intervened – perhaps it’s better to say, mistakenly intervened – by hurling eight black and purple daggers, crafted from some hardened material, at Galilius.

Retrieving the Ganagiya, Galilius, with unwavering concentration, continued to dodge the downpour of daggers. Each dagger pierced the deck’s edge where his feet had once been.

Gwandan, not pursuing Galilius, let her Poleaxe hang loosely and turned to look behind her. There she was, on the bridge. The wind, recalled to life, gently toyed with her long skirt and the lace of the white brim atop her head.

「To eliminate those who hinder my master. Truly, the essence of a servant’s duty. The very heart of a maid’s calling.」

Thanatos, the great god of death, stood there in her maid attire.

「…What are you doing?」

Gwandan’s initial words must have been quite unwelcome to Thanatos.