Hello everyone!

We’re getting close to the fifth volume!

Anyway, here’s the chapter, I hope you’ll enjoy it!

---

Chapter 130

【”… Looks like their troops haven’t been reduced by much.”】

Though the empire’s first army should have suffered some extent of damage in their last altercation with Jormungand, it felt to Kurats like the 40.000-strong force’s numbers had barely been reduced.

【”While Gunther and I were fighting one-on-one, the battle between our respective forces only amounted to a squabble. Even our side did not take much damage aside from our rear guard during our retreat.”】

【”I see, that’s why almost all the Chaos riders seem to be there…  But I don’t see Farenheit anywhere, why is that?”】

Just like Adelheid, the massive Farenheit that was twice the size of the regular Chaos riders would definitely stand out.

If it was nowhere to be found, then it had likely taken damage and was in the process of being repaired, as Kurats’ side expected.

【”This princess will not be surpassed by some mere Chaos riders.  Leave this to me, I will not let them get in your way!”】

Skuld clenched her fists, putting emphasis on her declaration.

Her former self would have definitely gone out of her way to confront Gunther.

But now that her curse-like thirst for power had been quenched, all that was left in her was an absolute reliance on Kurats’ superior strength.

The current Skuld did not have a hint of hesitation in thoroughly devoting herself to supporting Kurats.

【”Though I want to tell you to leave Gunther to me… I have lost against him once already. I will not make such as selfish request. I do not mind leaving him to you. But what will you do?”】

Rosberg gave Kurats an inquisitive look.

But the answer to his question had been determined from the start.

【”――I’m gonna take his head, of course! I’m not gonna miss out on something that fun!”】

The man who had defeated THE Rosberg. Kurats absolutely wanted to face him.

He wanted to show both Rosberg and Gunther that he was, without a doubt, the strongest.

『Do not be careless.  That Rosberg’s unease――is a little conscerning.』

(I won’t be careless.  No matter what he has up his sleeve, I’ll just smash him right to the ground.)

『Do not think those muscles you have for brains will work forever.』

Bernst grumbled and then turned quiet.

No one was more keenly aware of the danger of the situation than Kurats himself.  He even had goosebumps on his flesh.

However, it was only by crossing this danger that he would obtain the future that he was aiming for ; a future where no one would oppose him.

Rosberg was leading a force of 100 elites from the royal knight order.

Moreover, Triestella was leading over 50 nosferatus.

On the other hand, the opposing side was the Asgard’s first army, the empire’s cream of the crops.  They still had 90% of their full force of 40. 000 units.

Normally thinking, there would be no battle to be had between two forces on such different scales.

However, this inconceivable battle was now very much psosible, thanks to a certain commander whose absurdity could shine even in face of such a strength difference.

【”――Alright, let’s take them down.”】

【”Fufufu…  Don’t take this personally, everyone. It’s all for lord Kurats’ sake.”】

【”We did suffer a defeat last time, but today we’re taking you out of our kingdom, you uninvited outlaws.”】

There was no trace of fear on the faces of Kurats, Skuld and Rosberg.

Their eyes had the fiery blaze of those born in the realm of the strong.

These were the eyes of hunters, beings that knew the joy of trampling down on their prey.

【”――Go beat them dead!”】

Following Kurats’ words and without any trickery, the small force that seemed like it would be sent flying away if someone blew on them attacked the empire’s first-army head-on.

Upon hearing the bursting war cry, two Chaos units and the first army’s third company, which was guarding the outer-edge of the oveall force, immediately reacted.

They sent a messenger to the headquarters and then sent a request for indirect magic fire support from the mage troops in the rear. Lastly, they attempted to encircle the enemy’s forces from both flanks through a collaboration between two halves of the company.

It was a flawless intervention executed without any hesitation. Any instructor in warfare tactics would have given these men a perfect score.

――Unfortunately for them, their enemy was far too astonishing.

【”Alriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!”】

Kurats smashed his Warcry sword on the ground like he was throwing it from his back.

The resulting shockwave and tsunami of dirt and sand instantly swallowed up the third company, along with the seventh and eigth companies, which had been about to step out from right behind them.

【”There are two blind spots in the Chaos riders, one below and one above the cockpit. Be sure to remember this lesson. If you survive, that is.”】

Those who did not encounter Kurats were not spared from the ongoing disaster.

The two Chaos riders’ drivers, who were supposed to spearheaad the counter-attack, were each pierced and silenced in one blow by Skuld.

She had been made to drive Chaos riders again and again in the process of improving them. She knew all there was to know about the stre

ngths and weakenesses of these models.

【”Show yourself! Gunther!!”】

As for Rosberg, despite what he had said a short while ago about leaving Gunther to Kurats, he was rushing madly ahead, with the mindset that there would be no helping it if he just happened to run into him.

If he did not attack first, it would not count as him breaking his word.

(If Gunther is the one who makes a move on him, then it’s all good!)

Gerlash shined with a light-blue hue as Rosberg happily mowed his way forward, all the while the elites of the knight order were backing him.

They had been fighting along Rosberg for a long time.  They knew their part was to expand the breach that Rosberg pierced through the enemy lines.

The empire’s first army, which should have enjoying the aftermath of a near-perfect counter-attack, instantly found itself close to letting the enemy step right into their ranks, all the way towards their mage forces.

【”――Damn it!  Your bad premonition was right on point, sir!  Why is the young princess taking part in the battle?!  I did not hear anything about that!”】

Gunther caught sight of Skuld as she easily defeated the Chaos riders, without even giving them a chance to cross swords with her.

While he was an aware of the anguish she had gone through, he did know a traitor’s blood was running through her veins.

It was only natural for him to have expected her to become an enemy.

The group of beauties on Asgard’s side was dreadfully powerful, as well.

At that moment, as he realized the situation he was in, Gunther decided to have his troops withdraw. A decision fitting of a resolute commander like himself.

【”You do not need to aim at them individually! Mage troops, fire with everything you have and retreat immediately! Infantrymen, protect the mages and then retreat! Chaos units, after me!”】

Kurats, Skuld and Rosberg, as a group, were far too incompatible with what a regular army was meant to deal with.

【”How long before Farenheit is ready?”】

【”If we had 30 more minutes it would be up to go… As it is now, it will be able to hold for an hour at 60% of its power!”】

【”That will do!”】

【”Ugh!  They’re shooting blindly!”】

For a top-notch warrior like Rosberg, it was particularly difficult to avoid uncontroleld enemy fire.

These types of magic attacks, while inefficient against groups, were hard to predict since they had no precise targets.

Seeing as he had to clear some of the incoming stray spells, Rosberg was forced to put his charge to rest at last.

【”Charge to the center of the encirclement!”】

As if aiming for that precise moment, a group of nearly thirty Chaos riders attacked Rosberg and his knights.

Moreover, their focus was mostly on the knights.

【”―― Damn it!  These damn cowards.”】

Despite his words, Rosberg knew there was no such thing as cowardice on the battlefield.

It was perfectly reasonable for the enemy to aim for the knights who were being a hindrance to them.  Rosberg’s side was in the wrong for being too weak to avoid this.

In a one-on-one face-off, Robserg would have been overwhelmingly superior to these Chaos riders.

However, dealing with multiple Chaos riders all the while protecting his allies was a close-to-impossible task even for him.

【”――Kept you waiting?”】

【”No, I was just about got done warming up.”】

While Kurats had been calmly watching Rosberg’s struggle, his huge body was covered by an even bigger shadow.

Though Farenheit’s focus was more on raw power than Adelheid, the rider’s movement speed still felt like it was on the fast side from this brief action.

【”How dare you keep lord Kurats waiting!”】

At that moment, Skuld instantly closed the distance separating her from Gunther.

As she tried to slash her sword at his back, the wryly smiling Gunther cleaved his sword down at her without even bothering to look back.

【”You have to put in more efforts into studying your opponents, Skuld.”】

【”Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!”】

Even if he was to fight an ally, he was willing to study them before the fight and put in every bit of effort to obtain victory.  That eccentric obsession with winning could be said to be the scariest part of Gunther.

By now, he had already gotten a tight grasp on Skuld’s timing and her every habit.

That being the case, while she did barely manage to defend herself on time, the impact from taking on the sword’s direct hit still blew her about 100 meters (320 feet) away before she collapsed.

【”You didn’t kill her, did you?”】

【”She’s not some feeble little girl who would die from something of that level, is she?”】

【”I guess not?”】

While letting out his unconvinced thought that would have probably had Skuld crying if she had heard it, Kurats readied himself to fight.

【”Let’s get back to it”】

【”I’m not in my perfect state at the moment so do go easy on me, will you?”】

【”――You want me to take it easy on you with the way you treated Skuld?  I’ll think about it, but first, I’ll give you a grade based on how well you’ve studied me.”】

(Now then, how much will I be able to take…?) Asked Gunther to himself, all the while watching Kurats attentively, looking for any opening in his guard.

Gunther was realist.  Kurats was the man who had defeated Skuld.  Gunther did not believe he could defeat him with Farenheit being in a state where it could only use half of its power.

Of course, if he used his trump card, he would likely be able to create an opening for himself, but that was his last resort.

What took priority above everything in his mind was his survival.  Aside from that, he would only fight when he could guarantee his victory.

That was the obsession and the way of life of the warrior named Gunther.

【”H.  E.  A.  T.”】

Gunther’s first move was to enchance his sword with fire magic and swing it at Kurats.

He figured that even if he failed to get a direct hit on him, the heat of several thousand degrees celsius would cause fatal burns just by passing by him.

――But that quantity of heat was naturally ineffective against Kurats.

At this point, it was becoming doubtful whether Kurats was truly a human being or not.

Especially since he was not using any magic-blocking or magic-nullifying spells.

In other words, Kurats had simply trained his muscles to the point where they could bear with ridiculously high temperatures.

Gunther wanted to call this absurd, but that would change nothing to the facts laid before him.  There was no going around this.

『As the magic king, these muscles are the one thing that can go beyond my imagination.  Or rather, they clearly break several laws of life. 』

The fact Bernst had this much to say about Kurats’ muscles was proof enough of how powerful they truly were.

【”Man it’s hot!”】

【”That temperature is high enough to melt actual steel, you know?  Don’t you feel bad keepting that calm expression on while the soldiers have to bear with the heat?”】

【”Sorry, but babying some grown men’s ego is no hobby of mine!”】

Contrarily to the leisurely tone of their conversation, the two enemies’ sword were hectically clashing against each other.

The Farenheit rider’s massive sword and Kurats’ Warcry were releasing shrill sounds and sparks at a dizzying speed.

Though Farenheit was barely able to handle the attacks, the rider was running out of power.

(――You have got to be kidding me.)

---