Roderick's lifeless body fell to the ground, and the soldiers around him froze in place...
They had seen everything.
They saw their strongest knight slaughtered like an animal.
They saw Alistair's sword gleam, still dripping with blood, and his gaze filled only with ice.
"Retreat!" shouted one of the remaining commanders of Raelyn's army.
But there was nothing left to save.
Alistair's soldiers pounced on them like starving beasts.
Only the clash of steel, screams of pain, and the explosion of blood filled the air.
And within minutes…
Everything was over.
The Goblin were dead...
The humans were dead...
A soldier from Alistair's forces stood, staring at the massacre in disbelief:
"Did we... win?"
"We won..."
"WE WOOOOON!!!"
"YAAAHHH!!"
"Long live the Verdell Province! Long live Baron Alvaren!"
It only took seconds before the cries of victory echoed throughout the valley.
Alistair stood among the corpses, silent and still—a stark contrast to the noise of celebration—watching the blood-soaked bodies of monsters and men flood the earth.
Arthur approached, blood-stained but unharmed, and said:
"No one is left alive, my lord... We've won."
"Any dead?" Alistair asked.
"No, only some minor injuries," Arthur replied, then knelt on one knee and added:
"All thanks to your wise leadership, my lord."
Alistair nodded while staring at the ground, now soaked in the blood of the fallen.
He then walked through the battlefield, gazing at the corpses of his men and their enemies, both human and goblin, as if measuring the cost of victory.
"Is this... truly okay?" Alistair murmured softly before shaking his head.
This world is terrifying and brutal. If I hesitate to swing my sword, my enemy's blade will reach me.
If I'm not decisive... I would be the one lying dead on the ground.
"My lord!"
A soldier arrived, dragging the fat Baron Raelyn.
"Alistair!!! You bastard! Do you know what will happen if you kill me? Don't you fear the royal court?!"
Alistair stared at him coldly, then smiled—a smile that to Raelyn looked more like a demon's.
He approached the baron while unsheathing his sword.
Baron Raelyn trembled, "W-what are you doing?!"
"Killing you? " Alistair said with a grin.
"The brave Baron Raelyn died honorably fighting demons... Don't worry, I'll make sure that's what they hear."
Raelyn's eyes widened.
Alistair had known about their plan from the start and had merely played along to turn it against them.
Swish!
A clean strike sliced through Raelyn's neck like butter.
Alistair wiped his blade, sheathed it, then spat on the baron's severed head and kicked it aside with cold indifference.
"Anyone who betrays me... won't even be granted the dignity of an honorable death."
"My lord!!"
A soldier rushed in, shouting:
"Baroness Elena and Baron Cain's forces have arrived!"
Suddenly, the ground shook, and the sounds of battle filled the air.
"Kill them all!!"
"YAAAHHH!!"
About 500 meters away, the troops of Baroness Elena and Baron Cain advanced relentlessly.
Alistair turned to his still-shocked soldiers:
"Armored unit! Form up! Archers, take positions!"
He issued a flurry of commands and drew his sword.
When the enemy was about 50 meters away, Alistair could clearly see their numbers—they were about 300 soldiers, three times his own.
His grip tightened on his sword.
This would be a difficult battle.
The narrow valley no longer offered strategic advantage. They had moved out into the open plains—now it was a direct confrontation.
He took a deep breath.
No matter. Despite their numbers, we're stronger.
Our weapons are superior.
We can win.
"Archers!! Fire!!" Alistair commanded.
The sound of arrows ripping through the air filled the battlefield.
The first volley rained down like a swarm of locusts, casting death's shadow across the sky.
Arrows struck the enemy, slowing their charge.
Some arrows snapped, but others pierced flesh.
"Aaaagh! My shoulder!"
"Stand your ground, coward! Don't retreat!"
As the enemies closed to within ten meters, the archers ceased fire.
Alistair stood behind his armored unit, sword raised, his face splattered with old and fresh blood.
Then he said, in a strangely calm voice amidst the chaos:
Then he shouted:
"Alvaren forces... CRUSH THEM ALL!!"
The clash began.
Steel clashed against steel.
Flesh collided with flesh.
The sound of swords rang like demonic howls.
Screams, blood, severed limbs.
The armored unit opened gaps in the lines, and enemy soldiers poured in.
Alistair cut down five with swift strokes.
Arthur, the giant knight, and others handled the rest.
The battle raged for minutes.
Then Baron Cain gave counter-commands:
"Raven, take 40 men and flank the left side!
Alfred, go with your unit to the right!"
He turned to Elena:
"Is your son ready to fight?"
Without turning, she replied coldly:
"He's already on the move."
Cain nodded and sent his own C-rank knight to fight Alistair.
Raven's unit flanked the left, killing several armored soldiers.
Alfred did the same on the right.
Alistair saw his soldiers fall but quickly reacted.
He adapted the formation to plug the breaches.
"Arthur! Take ten men and guard the left flank!"
He then signaled the giant knight to do the same on the right, while he stood in the center.
He ordered the archers to draw swords and join the fight.
The tide turned again in Alistair's favor.
Enemy bodies piled up.
Suddenly, Alistair felt a terrifying aura approaching.
He leapt from the formation like an arrow toward a C-rank knight, slicing his horse clean in half.
Lucas landed skillfully from his dead horse.
Alistair assessed him:
A man in his twenties, 190 cm tall, lean but muscular, brown hair.
"I didn't think you'd return to battle... after what happened to you," Lucas said calmly, as if detached from the war.
Alistair raised a brow.
What is he talking about? What happened to me?
He stared silently, sword ready.
"So you don't want to talk? Still arrogant as always... Fine. I'll kill you and see if you're still so smug afterwards."
Lucas's voice was calm, but his eyes burned with unending fire.
Alistair didn't reply.
He simply assumed his battle stance, eyes locked onto his foe.
In a flash... Lucas vanished.
Alistair raised his sword just in time to block a flurry—left, right, then a spinning strike toward his neck.
"You're fast..." Lucas muttered, retreating.
Then he charged again.
Lucas spun around like a whirlwind, unnaturally fast, wind swirling around him. Each step created a gust.
But Alistair kept dodging, almost like he could see the future.
"You're too slow, Lucas!"
A strike to the shoulder, a kick to the stomach, then a lightning-infused punch sent Lucas flying into an unfortunate soldier.
Lucas rose.
He wiped blood from his mouth.
"You... how?! Didn't your core get shattered?!"
Alistair remained silent.
Lucas snapped.
"I'LL KILL YOU, YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!!"
Alistair jumped high, spun midair, and brought his sword down with terrifying force.
Lucas barely dodged—but the impact carved the earth behind him.
Blow after blow.
Sparks flew.
Each of Alistair's strikes was so powerful that the leftover energy created 2-meter-deep craters, killing soldiers by accident.
The others had to flee... or die.
As Alistair pressured Lucas...
The ground trembled.
"ALISTAIR, WATCH OUT!!" Arthur screamed.
A massive earth knight burst from the ground, clad in brown armor, wielding a colossal hammer infused with earth energy.
"Hahaha! You're cornered now, devil!"
"An earth-element knight..." Alistair assessed.
He leapt back, but Lucas didn't allow it—he attacked again from the side.
"Your death will be glorious—double!" Lucas shouted.
Alistair was trapped.
Hammer strikes from the front.
Blades from the sides.
Kicks, slams, slashes.
He blocked most—some still hit.
The earth knight laughed:
"Is that all? Where's the great killer of Roderick now?"
But...
"Wrong." Alistair's voice was quiet.
He raised his head. He smiled.
"I split your attacks... perfectly. Now you're both in my range."
Lucas shuddered—he didn't know why.
Then...
"Explode."
Alistair stomped the ground.
The earth shattered.
A wave of energy erupted from him.
In the next second...
He was behind Lucas.
"Impossible!! How?!"
"Die."
A single slash ripped through Lucas's side—from his left shoulder to right thigh.
Lucas fell... dead.
Thrown thirty meters by the force.
"Pathetic," Alistair muttered, turning to the remaining knight, now emanating ice, fire, and lightning aura, trembling involuntarily.
"Your turn."
"SCREW YOU!!"
The knight raised his hammer.
But Alistair vanished.
Then appeared above him.
"RAAAAH!"
A downward strike split the knight—and his armor—in half.
"Is that... all you've got?"
Alistair asked coldly, face drenched in blood, body bleeding, but standing tall.
He stood atop his enemies' corpses, sword dripping blood.
"My son!!!" screamed Baroness Elena, eyes full of tears, rushing forward—
"STOP!"
Lord Cain grabbed her, eyes red with fury.
"Let me go! I'll kill the bastard who murdered my son!!"
"If we don't flee, we'll die too," Cain growled.
"If we reach the barony, he won't be able to touch us."
"But... my son!" Elena sobbed.
"We'll avenge him... but only if we're alive." Cain snapped.
Elena nodded and fled with him.
Both armies were shocked.
"Lord Lucas!!"
"He killed them!"
"C-rank knights... both of them! How?!"
Several notifications flashed from the system, but Alistair ignored them.
He raised his sword and shouted:
"Kill them all!"
The battle resumed.
But this time, it was one-sided.
The enemy, demoralized by the loss of their knights, collapsed.
"Arthur, go after Baroness Elena and Baron Cain!" Alistair commanded.
Arthur mounted his horse to begin the pursuit.
Alistair watched the enemy crumble, then joined the fight.
Eventually...
All was silent.
The clashing steel stopped.
The screams faded.
Only the wind remained—whistling above the corpses, over the bloodied earth.
The stench of iron and blood choked the air.
Behind him, his soldiers were exhausted.
Some sat on the ground.
Some aided the wounded.
He turned slowly and addressed them:
"Tend to the wounded."
Inside Alistair's Command Tent
"Losses?" Alistair asked the giant knight, Henry.
Henry stepped forward, eyes grim, voice calm:
"My lord... out of 105 men, 15 are dead. Thirty are seriously injured, but they'll survive."
Alistair bowed his head in silence, then said:
"Record their names... Make sure to give thier bodies to thier Families and give them a retirement salary money... They will be remembered."
"And the enemy?"Alistair said
Henry replied with a voice full of pride
"All the demons and Raelyn's men are dead.
Roughly 200 of Cain and Elena's soldiers were killed.
100 surrendered after throwing down their weapons."
Alistair nodded.
"Gather them. Imprison them. Kill any who resist."
"My lord... permission to enter?" came Arthur's voice from outside.
"Enter," Alistair replied calmly.
Arthur walked in—dark-haired, handsome, about 180 cm, looking almost like a boy next to Henry.
"My lord, I've brought the war prisoners—Baron Cain and the Baroness—"
"ALISTAIR!!! YOU MURDEROUS MONSTER!! HOW DARE YOU KILL MY SON!!"
A shrill voice interrupted.
Alistair stepped outside and saw Baron Cain and Baroness Elena bound in chains, beaten.
"You'll die! I'll cut off your head and hang it from the city gates to honor my son!!" Elena screamed, seething with rage.
Cain bowed his head.
Alistair chuckled coldly, not bothering to respond.
"You three planned to kill me and take the mine... I doubt you imagined it would end this way."
"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU, I'LL FEED YOU TO THE DOGS!" Elena shrieked again.
"Henry," Alistair said wearily. "Kill them."
Henry stepped forward... and crushed her head underfoot.
He spat. "Whore."
Then turned to Cain.
Cain trembled and begged:
"Please... have mercy. I'll do whatever you want. I'll kill whoever you want... just spare me..."
Alistair looked at him with disdain.
"Do it."
Henry crushed his head too.
Suddenly, system notifications appeared:
[Congratulations! You have defeated the barons and stopped their plans.]
[Congratulations! You have taken control of the gold mine.]
[Rewards have been credited to the host.]
Alistair smiled and looked at the sunset, which painted the bloody ground a strange hue.
"Finally... it's over."
He turned to his soldiers and ordered:
"Tend to the wounded. Bury the dead. Tomorrow... we return home."
The soldiers all smiled.
Finally... it was over.