Chapter 314

Theo's body felt unbearably heavy.

Pain so excruciating coursed through him that even the mere act of opening his eyes seemed insurmountable.

"Am I… still alive?"

Theo struggled to lift himself, only for his body to give out, collapsing back to the ground. Turning his gaze to his right side, he was met with a horrifying sight.

His right arm had been severed completely at the shoulder, the gory wound still oozing blood.

The relentless bleeding left his head clouded, his vision blurred, and his body devoid of strength.

Yet somehow, Theo forced himself to rise again.

For what purpose?

Even he didn’t know. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, though whether it was his own or a bitter taunt from an unseen voice, he could not tell.

"Chieftain!"

A loud, urgent voice broke through his daze. Hoil rushed to Theo’s side, supporting him and snapping him back to reality.

"The… front line. What’s the status of the front line?"

Theo pressed his throbbing head as his eyes darted across the battlefield. The aftermath of the black wave had turned the entire area into a chaotic wasteland.

"Thanks to you, the damage isn’t as bad as we feared. But, Chieftain, you must retreat to the rear and receive treatment—"

Before Hoil could finish, Theo raised his remaining left arm, halting him.

"No… this is enough… I can still lead. Focus on rebuilding the line. Now."

Theo coughed violently, blood spurting from his mouth, yet he steadied himself, using his trident as a crutch.

Hoil, his voice choked with emotion, could only lower his head and nod, tears streaming down his face.

"It’s not over… That thing has exhausted its power. Gather any survivors, regroup the lines, and hold your ground. Now!"

Despite his grievous wounds, Theo radiated unyielding determination, his force of will rekindling the fighting spirit of the Naga warriors around him.

The massive chimera, once an unstoppable juggernaut, now stood weakened, its body frail and skeletal.

Hope flickered amidst the despair, a bitterly cruel hope.

But even that faint light was a heavy burden, like a cruel nightmare without end.

Then, suddenly, tendrils erupted from the skeletal chimera’s body, lashing out.

Squelch!

The tendrils pierced the smaller chimeras nearby, embedding themselves deep within their chests.

Gulp. Gulp.

With grotesque, pulsating motions, the smaller chimeras’ life forces were drained away.

As one after another collapsed lifelessly, the massive chimera’s monstrous frame grew more ferocious, regaining its terrifying might.

The sight smothered the flickering hope of the Naga, plunging them back into the abyss of despair.

Even Theo found his thoughts paralyzed, his resolve crumbling under the weight of what he witnessed.

Is this… truly the end?

Defeat tasted bitter on his tongue, but acceptance began to settle in.

If that chimera unleashed another wave of destruction, it would be over.

And there were still four more of its kind.

The enemy hadn’t even unleashed their full strength yet.

Clang. Clang.

Weapons slipped from trembling hands, clattering to the ground as the Naga warriors stood frozen, unsure of how to fight against such despair.

The massive chimeras began to move, their hulking forms advancing ominously.

What followed was a massacre.

"No, don’t eat me! It hurts! It hurts!"

"Run! At least one of you, get away!"

"No! Help me! Don’t leave me behind!"

Cries of agony and terror echoed throughout the battlefield.

The sweet moment of hope turned out to be nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

The front line collapsed with shocking ease, the chimeras now pressing into the villages at the sacred ground’s edge.

The children… the elders…!

Theo’s heart sank as he saw the chimeras heading for the vulnerable villagers.

"Someone! Go there and stop them! You must—"

Theo’s words caught in his throat.

The fragile grip he held on consciousness threatened to slip away entirely.

Around him, only a handful of Naga warriors continued to fight desperately, their numbers thinning by the second.

The rest of the battlefield was littered with mangled bodies, their faces twisted in agony.

"Enough… stop it! Stop, you beasts who’ve forsaken humanity!"

Theo’s anguished cry tore through the air, blood gushing from his reopened wound in a scarlet fountain.

Yet, the chimeras did not stop.

A massive shadow fell over Theo, its enormous footsteps heralding death as it slowly advanced toward him.

Thud. Thud.

Each step reverberated like a death knell, inching closer to his broken form.

***

Boom! Crash!

The chimeras that had breached the village rampaged savagely.

Their orders were clear: annihilate the Naga.

And the chimeras executed those commands with disturbing precision.

Their targets were the elderly and children—those unable to participate in the battle.

Three chimeras had broken through the defensive lines to hunt them down.

Though these weren’t among the masterpieces personally crafted by Nazariou, in this moment, even lesser chimeras sufficed.

Sniff. Sniff.

The chimeras began moving with purpose, as though they had caught the scent of their prey.

They tore through the rubble, overturning and destroying everything in their path.

Finally, one of the chimeras stopped, grinning hideously.

Before it stood a sealed iron door leading to an underground shelter.

The creature reached out its grotesque hand to grab it—

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Seven spears pierced its back mid-motion.

Hoil and six other warriors had launched a surprise attack.

They knew the risks.

They understood that going against a chimera meant certain death.

But they charged anyway.

Their lives would buy precious time for others to escape.

Just as Terepun had declared, they were prepared to block the enemy with their own deaths.

The chimera turned its head, confused by the spears sticking out of its back.

Yet, despite the blows, their exhausted weapons failed to pierce its thick hide.

“Refugees, run! Flee in the opposite direction with everything you’ve got! Move!”

Hoil’s voice carried desperation as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

How much time could they buy?

Perhaps only a few moments.

But as former legion captains had once done before them, they clung to hope.

Even if only one Naga survived, it would make their sacrifice worthwhile.

“Run! Escape the forest! You have to survive!”

The iron door swung open, and dozens of children and elders emerged.

Their sorrowful eyes met those of Hoil and the other warriors.

The elders quickly gathered the children, holding back their tears, and began fleeing in the opposite direction.

Seeing this, Hoil and the others felt a glimmer of relief.

If they could hold out just a little longer, it would be enough.

Boom!

A brutal swing from the chimera’s arm killed three warriors instantly.

Even in death, their faces remained calm, almost serene.

The remaining warriors suppressed their grief, forcing bitter smiles.

To cry would be an insult to their comrades' noble deaths.

“Just wait for us. We’ll be joining you soon enough.”

Now only Hoil and four other warriors remained.

They tried to maintain distance and evade the chimera’s attacks, but exhaustion made even dodging an overwhelming task.

“Krisa!”

One warrior, called Krisa, was impaled through the abdomen by the chimera’s claws, dying instantly.

Hoil, too, had lost sight in one eye, yet he continued to swing his sword with all his might.

His strikes, clumsy and desperate, resembled a pitiful dance.

But in that moment, it was the most noble swordsmanship the battlefield had ever seen.

Squelch!

Where did that sound come from?

Hoil, feeling a strange sense of unease, looked ahead with hazy vision.

A chimera, its body mangled and bleeding profusely, was collapsing before him.

He couldn’t see beyond it—two more chimeras had already moved to block his view.

Their expressions, if they could even be called that, seemed twisted with rage over the fallen chimera.

“Well, I suppose this was enough,” Hoil muttered.

His body was utterly wrecked, on the verge of collapse.

Even if the chimeras didn’t finish him off, death was a certainty.

Yet, he was content.

If his sacrifice had allowed even one Naga to escape, it was worth it.

Have I fulfilled my duty as a captain in the end?

Hoil forced himself to take a step forward.

He intended to join his fallen comrades, one final act of defiance.

If he could, he would take at least one chimera down with him.

The chimera’s claws swung toward him.

Hoil raised his sword, not to block but to let the chimera’s momentum drive his blade into its flesh.

Then, suddenly—

“What…?”

The chimera froze.

Slash.

A faint slicing sound echoed, and the chimera’s body was carved with countless lines.

Splat!

In an instant, the chimera’s flesh exploded, scattering in all directions.

Through the gory mist, a figure emerged—a handsome man bearing Ragnar’s emblem on his chest.

Their eyes met briefly.

Relieved, Hoil allowed himself to collapse to his knees.

Even as his consciousness began to fade, there was one question he had to ask.

“The children… are they safe?”

“They are,” came the man’s firm reply.

“I see… That’s good.”

“Yes. You’ve done well. I’m sorry we were late.”

There was no reply.

As Hoil’s body crumpled to the ground, it was caught by the surviving Naga who had come with Theo.

It’s truly… a relief…

That was Hoil’s final thought as he lost consciousness with a faint smile on his lips.

And then, a new sound filled the battlefield.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The rhythmic pounding of the Triple Core reverberated, growing louder with each passing moment.

A strange phenomenon occurred.

The sounds of blades slicing flesh and the despair hanging in the air vanished entirely.

The few remaining Naga, the Hexagrams, and even Nazariou’s chimeras—all of them stopped moving, turning their gazes toward the village.

Something was approaching.

Even from a distance, its figure could be made out.

They knew who it was, not because they could see his face, but because the very air around them seemed to announce his presence.

Terepun’s blurred vision sharpened as if drawn back into focus by sheer will.

He saw the emblem of Ragnar and the gleaming, ominous blade.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Above all, he saw the crimson eyes blazing with fury as they stared directly at the battlefield.

“You’ve come…!”

Tears streamed down Terepun’s face, unable to contain the emotion.

As Theo slowly approached, no one dared to move.

Everyone—Hexagrams, chimeras, and Naga alike—could only watch.

The only figure in motion was Theo himself.

Reaching Terepun’s side, Theo’s gaze swept over the battlefield.

The carnage, the massacre—it was all etched into his piercing eyes.

And Terepun, standing beside him, could feel it.

The sheer intensity of Theo’s seething rage.