"I'll keep two of them busy! You all take this opportunity to break its two pectoral fins!"
The White Whale was a magic beast resembling a whale, with its enormous fins serving as wings for flight.
Old gentleman Wilhelm was filled with rage at the sight of the White Whale. The beast had killed his wife, and the hatred of that act had stayed with him ever since. The "Sword Demon" had dreamt countless times of cutting down the White Whale to avenge his beloved.
However, given the current situation, Wilhelm had to admit that if they prolonged the battle, it would only work against them. With a total disregard for his life, he engaged two of the White Whale's clones alone, hoping Julius and the others could seize the chance to turn the tide.
"If only I were twenty years younger, I would cut you down myself and avenge her!"
Wilhelm swung his longsword, a sharp slash shot out like a crescent moon, leaving a deep gash across one of the approaching White Whale's faces.
Blood sprayed into the air as the beast roared in pain, its deafening call echoing as it crashed toward Wilhelm. Despite his age, Wilhelm's well-trained body was still agile. He kicked off the whale's head and landed on the back of another, his sword plunging into its back.
Considering the White Whale's massive size, the damage Wilhelm's sword inflicted should have been quite limited. But judging by the beast's agonizing cries, it was clear that the damage he dealt was significant.
Watching Wilhelm seriously injure two of the White Whale's clones in a matter of moments, Wilhelm's comrade Wilkin, wielding a broad-bladed sword, couldn't help but comment, "This old man is really something. If he were twenty years younger, he could probably take down the White Whale on his own."
Even if it was just a clone, it still possessed the same size and considerable power as the original White Whale, something Wilkin understood all too well after fighting against it earlier.
"Don't underestimate that old man," Julius replied, full of trust in Wilhelm's strength. "He is called the 'Sword Demon' for a reason.
For now, all we need to do is focus on bringing down the original White Whale. Wilhelm will handle the clones."
Unlike Wilkin, who didn't know Wilhelm well, Julius had complete faith in Wilhelm's abilities. Growing up in the capital, Julius had heard stories of Wilhelm's prowess for as long as he could remember.
The "Sword Demon" Wilhelm was a legendary figure in the capital. In his youth, he had an indomitable spirit, unmatched by ordinary men. His swordsmanship was exceptional, and yet he possessed no blessings.
In this world, lacking a blessing or an aptitude for magic put one at a great disadvantage compared to those blessed by the world.
But Wilhelm had been proud in his youth. He believed that even without blessings or magic, with enough effort, he could become a strong person in his own right.
Without a blessing or magic, Wilhelm had devoted his entire being to the sword, offering his soul to the art of swordsmanship. Through sheer determination, he reached a level on par with the "Sword Saint."
During the closing ceremony of the Demi-Human War, Wilhelm even challenged Theresia van Astrea, the then-current Sword Saint who was being honored, and defeated her despite lacking blessings and magic. That was how Wilhelm earned the title of "Sword Demon," a tale that became legend.
The Sword Saint's blessing was unique, meant for one wielder in the world, and Theresia was one of the "Three Heroes" of her era. That alone showed how powerful she was.
Yet, even against someone like Theresia, Wilhelm won, proving the strength of his swordsmanship.
Years passed, and time had worn down Wilhelm's sharp edges. The once reckless swordsman who would "strike anything close enough" had become calm and composed.
While Wilhelm's raw power had decreased with age, his long years of experience had honed his already exquisite swordsmanship to an even higher level.
With the two clones occupied, Wilkin and Julius had only to deal with the real White Whale, primarily avoiding its "Vanishing Mist," as the other aspects of battle were now less challenging.
The White Whale was large, but precisely because of its size, it wasn't very agile—little more than a giant, stationary target.
After an exhausting struggle, the enormous White Whale let out a final pained cry, and its pectoral fins were crippled, causing it to plummet from the sky.
Once the White Whale lost its ability to fly, it was nothing more than prey waiting to be slaughtered. Both the beastmen of the Iron Fang and the knights of the Karsten family rushed forward, weapons in hand, ready to finish off the magic beast.
Under normal circumstances, the White Whale would likely be beaten to death by the Iron Fang mercenaries and Karsten family knights, bringing an end to the battle.
However, just as the beastmen and knights moved to strike the fallen White Whale, an unexpected development occurred!
A group of individuals dressed in black robes, identifying themselves as members of the Witch's Cult, suddenly entered the battlefield.
The beastmen and knights charging towards the White Whale found their bodies suddenly lifted into the air as they ran.
With screams echoing from above, these well-trained knights and powerful beastmen were torn apart mid-air, their bodies splitting into pieces.
Blood splattered down like a fountain, covering the ground with dismembered remains in mere moments.
Judging by the mangled corpses, it was apparent that these knights and beastmen had fallen victim to some sort of forceful attack, their bodies violently torn apart.
"Look what we have here… a group of beastmen and knights attempting to hunt the Fog Beast—the White Whale.
Although we have no personal connection, as one of the Sin Archbishops, I cannot stand by and watch the pet of another Witch being killed like this.
Surely, someone as diligent as myself will receive the Witch's affection! While you slothful beings will soon pay for it with your lives here."
The individual who appeared and began rambling nonsense was a crazed man with short green hair, whose face was devoid of any color, and whose skin seemed to be almost necrotic.
As soon as Julius saw the man with green hair and the others in black robes, he immediately warned his allies.
As the vice-captain of the Royal Guard, Julius could hardly be ignorant of the infamous Witch's Cult. He recognized this madman as Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, the Sin Archbishop of Sloth.
The Witch's Cult was a religious group that worshipped the Witch of Envy, Satella, made up of Sin Archbishops and faceless followers.
Their primary goal was related to the resurrection of the Witch of Envy. Each Sin Archbishop carried a "Witch Factor," and because they were unrestrained and ruthless, most were complete lunatics wanted by kingdoms far and wide.
The Sin Archbishop of Sloth was anything but idle—he was actually the most active member of the Witch's Cult. Therefore, the Royal Guard had ample information on him.
The Sloth Archbishop carried a "Gospel," which was essentially a more powerful version of Roswaal's "Book of Wisdom," giving him instructions and guidance for his next moves.
Sloth referred to this guidance as the Witch's love and would act with fervent diligence to earn even more affection from her.
The reason Sloth appeared here was due to the instructions within his Gospel—it informed him that someone with strong connections to the Witch would soon be in the area.
The book said that if he saved the White Whale, this person would appear. So even though Sloth had no connection to the Fog Beast, he chose to intervene.
Just as they had finally brought down the White Whale, another Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult intervened. Crusch, as the commander of the subjugation force, gritted her teeth in frustration.
There were not many members of the Witch's Cult present, but even one Sin Archbishop, especially Sloth, was a formidable enemy.
His abilities were unknown, but his strength was undeniable. Before the knights and beastmen even realized what was happening, they had been dismembered.
Due to his strong affinity with spirits, Julius could sense that Sloth's attacks were something invisible. But sensing them was all he could do; he couldn't determine their exact location or number.
Aside from his invisible attacks, Sloth also had an ability called "Mental Pollution," which affected a large area, inflicting mental torment on enemies within its range.
Only those with high spirit affinity could resist the attack, which was why many beastmen and knights screamed in agony and collapsed after approaching Sloth.
Wilhelm continued to fight the two clones in the air, while Julius and the others struggled to even get past Sloth, let alone deal a finishing blow to the downed White Whale.
As one of the Three Great Beasts, the White Whale also possessed powerful regenerative abilities. Its pectoral fins gradually began to heal over time.
With a loud call, the massive White Whale flew into the sky once more…
The intervention of the Sloth Sin Archbishop resulted in heavy losses for Iron Fang and the Karsten family. As an excellent commander, Crusch knew that if they continued to fight, they would be wiped out entirely.
She decisively ordered a retreat, planning to regroup and make another attempt after reorganizing.
However, the problem lay with the White Whale—it was no ordinary magic beast. It was incredibly intelligent.
As one of the Three Great Beasts, it was not a raid boss you could just respawn whenever you wanted and attempt over and over.
The White Whale, having regained control of the sky, let out a piercing call and released thick fog from the many vents on its body…
"Prepare the special flares! It's trying to block our vision with its mist again!" Crusch quickly shouted to her subordinates as she saw the white fog spreading around the White Whale in the sky.
"But Lady Crusch, we've run out of flares…"
The team leader looked at Crusch with a troubled expression, explaining that the prolonged two-day battle had exhausted their supply of flares, which interfered with mana.
Originally, they had prepared enough strategic supplies to easily defeat the White Whale, but no one had expected a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult to suddenly appear.
"Damn it! Everyone, listen up. Mount your dragons and escape the fog's range as fast as you can!"
Once you were enveloped by the White Whale's fog, escaping was impossible. Crusch knew this well, so her only choice was to try and save as many as she could.
Crusch and the members of Iron Fang began to retreat, but the White Whale wasn't about to let them get away.
The dense fog spread out rapidly, surging like waves toward Crusch and Anastasia.
At the same time, Subaru and Venomous Thorn's caravan had just entered the area, right as they had decided to split up. Before they could move, the expanding fog engulfed them.
"Julius, you damn bastard… and Anastasia too…"
Seeing Julius and Anastasia riding their ground dragons toward him, Subaru was utterly confused. He initially thought their trade plans had somehow been exposed.
But soon, Venomous Thorn stepped forward, glaring at Julius and Anastasia and growling, "It's you lot, isn't it?! You messed with the Fog Beast and then came running to drag us into it!"
Unlike the clueless Subaru, Venomous Thorn, who had been active in the underworld for years, immediately recognized the fog surrounding them.
It was the White Whale, one of the Three Great Beasts! It was said that no one ever escaped its pursuit.
Judging by the tracks earlier, it was clear that Julius and his group had come prepared to face it. But it seemed they had failed, and now they were dragging the enraged White Whale toward them, getting them all caught up in this!
"We sincerely apologize for this," Julius said, the virtues of a knight shining through. "We didn't expect to find others passing through this area."
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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