Chapter 769

Chapter 769
Kyle eventually made it to the residential sector of the dwarves he had been assigned to protect.
The dwarf-occupied territory was immense, however. He stood by, attempting to anticipate the location of the hostile incursion, yet determining the precise point of contact had proven nearly impossible.
Regrettably, there was a significant gap between the position Kyle had fortified and the actual entry point of the invaders.
Dark, returning from his reconnaissance flight, swooped in frantically while yelling,
“To hell with it! The bastards bypassed our position! They’ve already engaged the dwarves!”
“Damn, this is a disaster.”
Kyle’s brow furrowed.
His priority had been to persuade the dwarves to evacuate immediately. However, if the skirmish had already escalated, convincing them would be a lost cause.
Just as Kyle had anticipated, the dwarves were already locked in a brutal struggle against the monsters, their faces twisted with rage.
“You filth! Do you realize whose territory you’ve invaded?!”
“Shatter their bones!”
“Steady your hearts! We can hold them!”
The dwarves bellowed their defiance, throwing themselves headlong into the enemy formation.
Their drive seemed to pierce the clouds, and their expressions radiated the fearless courage of seasoned combatants.
Kyle’s face, however, remained grim.
No matter the angle, the disparity in raw power was insurmountable.
Regardless, the dwarves continued their desperate assault, swinging their steel with reckless abandon.
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Not a single step back!”
“Get the young ones to safety!”
It didn’t take Kyle long to grasp why they were sacrificing themselves so readily.
He gnawed at his lip as he looked toward the masses of dwarves retreating in the opposite direction.
“Dammit… is this one of those zones?”
A multitude of dwarven children were fleeing in a panicked scramble.
Much like the elves, the dwarves practiced a system of communal upbringing. The adults were usually preoccupied with the demands of the forge or the front lines.
Within Vallscrum, specific residential sectors were dedicated to parents raising their offspring together—a system built to maximize collective instruction and development.
The task of guarding and nurturing these children fell mostly to the elder veterans or blacksmiths who had retired from the hammer.
Kyle was familiar with this social structure. Now, it dawned on him that he was standing in the middle of such a sanctuary.
“Stand fast!”
“If we break, the children are lost!”
“Maintain the wall! To the last breath!”
The reason the dwarves were discarding their lives without a second thought was painfully clear.
It wasn’t just the biological parents; even those with no blood relation were doing the same. They were laying down their lives to safeguard the legacy of Vallscrum.
Why did I have to be the one sent here?!
With a look of sheer desperation, Kyle leveled his enchanted metal rod toward a colossal sandworm.
“Ghislain!”
KWAAAAAAANG!
Even though his intervention was delayed, the magical discharge that erupted from the rod was powerful enough to seize everyone’s focus.
While the combatants recoiled from the sudden magical detonation, Kyle’s voice rang out over the chaos,
“Retreat! Make for the royal capital! The main force is mobilizing there!”
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
He fired off spells in every direction, screaming his warning repeatedly.
The dwarves, however, did not heed him. More accurately, they were unable to.
GRAAAAAAAAH!
By this point, the dwarves were hopelessly entwined in a chaotic brawl with the surging monsters. Withdrawal was no longer a tactical option for them.
Kyle found himself unable to discharge the spells from his metal rods into the areas where dwarves and beasts were physically tangled.
He was restricted to targeting the monsters that managed to pierce through the dwarven defensive line.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
Kyle dumped his magical reserves into the fray, desperate to preserve even a single life. Yet, the more aggressively he fired, the quicker the metal rods suffered structural failure.
“Hurry! Give me the next one!”
The nearby mercenaries handed over their own rods to him.
Kyle maintained a relentless barrage, his frame absorbing the heavy recoil of each blast.
This departed entirely from the strategic plan. These metal rods were intended for conservation—meant only to stall the enemy long enough for an orderly dwarven withdrawal.
But looking at the slaughter, he could find no reason to hold back.
KWAANG! KWAANG! KWAANG!
Kyle threw magic at every encroaching threat.
He wished he could sustain the fire indefinitely, but the supply of rods was finite.
Because his rate of fire had eclipsed that of his peers in other sectors, his ammunition was soon depleted.
“Goddammit!”
The overwhelming power of Ghislain’s magic had managed to vaporize the majority of the vanguard.
The massive sandworm, in particular, had been obliterated after sustaining several direct impacts.
However, from the rear, an endless tide of horrors continued to crawl forward.
What is the play here…?
Kyle surveyed the scene.
The outlook was bleak.
The dwarves who had held the front were almost entirely slaughtered. Even so, the survivors refused to move an inch backward.
The retreating children moved at a crawl. The elderly dwarves, clutching infants to their chests, were just as slow.
This isn’t going to work…
He had bought them a mere moment. At this pace, the monsters would overrun the civilians in minutes.
The most pressing threat came from the Salvation Order’s ministers and dark mages, who were lingering on the periphery, analyzing the field.
They had initially flinched and pulled back after seeing Kyle’s magical display, but the moment they realized his rods were spent, they would resume their advance.
“Commander! We have to pull out!”
“The rods are all dead!”
“Deputy Commander! If we don’t move now, we’ll be encircled!”
The mercenaries pleaded with Kyle. There was nothing left for him to contribute.
Kyle pressed his lips into a hard line. His men were right.
Virtually none of the dwarven defenders remained standing. Those who had survived thus far only did so because of Kyle’s fire support.
Yet, escape was not an option for them. If they fled, the children would be slaughtered.
A dwarf hoisted his weapon once more and bellowed,
“Hold them! Just a few more minutes!”
“Aye! This is where we make our stand!”
“Keep the children moving!”
They roared as they threw themselves back at the incoming horde.
Kyle didn’t try to stop them.
Even if his magical support had ultimately failed to turn the tide, he couldn’t find fault in them.
The dwarves were merely fulfilling their duty.
“Sir! We’re leaving!”
A mercenary grabbed Kyle’s arm, trying to pull him away.
It was the window for flight.
The dwarves were paying for these seconds with their blood. This was their final opportunity to survive.
If they lingered, they would be swallowed by the tide as well.
Kyle bit his lip.
I am aware.
Logic dictated a retreat.
Even Ghislain had instructed him—do what is possible, then save yourself.
And yet, his feet remained rooted. Watching the dwarves perish and the children struggle to escape… he couldn’t reconcile leaving them behind.
Just then, a dwarf, drenched in gore, looked toward Kyle.
“I don’t know who you are, lad, but thanks for the hand. Now get out of here.”
His bloody face split into a grimacing smile as he added,
“Dwarf problems are for dwarves to settle. I don’t want a human’s death on my conscience today.”
“……”
“You’ve done more than enough. Go. We’ll finish this.”
After those words, the dwarf gripped his axe and charged back into the fray.
His limping, broken form, still attempting to strike a blow in that condition, seared itself into Kyle’s mind.
That sheer grit, that unwavering resolve—it struck Kyle like a blade to the chest.
Even Dark, who had been monitoring the perimeter from the sky, plummeted down and screamed urgently,
“This sector is lost! The plan failed! We have to move, now!”
Kyle remained silent.
He watched the dwarves fall one by one before him. Finally, after a long pause, he spoke.
“You guys—go assist the children.”
“Sir! The enemy is right on us! Even if we help, they’ll be caught eventually!”
“Just go! Pick up the ones who can’t walk and carry them!”
“What about you?!”
“I’ll hold the line. Now move. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
At that, Dark shrieked in disbelief.
“Hey! Have you lost your damn mind?! You’re insane! You think you’re the hero here?! You can’t even fight!”
“Go! Get those kids out of here!”
Driven by Kyle’s fierce command, the mercenaries were forced to pull back.
In truth, with their small numbers, there was little they could do for the children. Dying in the melee might have been more logical.
But Kyle had dismissed them to ensure their survival.
If he could stall the enemy long enough, perhaps—just perhaps—they could all reach safety.
Dark, naturally, was furious at this suicidal gamble.
“You idiot! How do you expect to stop a whole army alone?!”
“…I don’t have a clue.”
“What?”
“I said I don’t know!”
“You absolute lunatic! What is going through your head?!”
“Somebody has to buy time while the kids run!”
“That’s a death sentence! You’ll be torn apart! Don’t you get it?! You aren’t allowed to die!”
“……”
“Don’t you realize how critical your life is?! You’re the ally of the Hero and the Saintess destined to redeem the world! You have to be there to win the war against the Demonic Realm and save humanity!”
“……”
“If you fall here, the entire future could collapse! So run! That’s why your superior told you to flee! To keep the timeline intact!”
“……”
Kyle listened as Dark’s frantic arguments washed over him.
Like Julien, he had never truly cared for the grand narrative of “saving the world.”
And even if it were all true… right now, he couldn’t follow Dark’s logic.
Kyle spoke slowly.
“You said… I’m supposed to be the one who saves the world, right?”
“Yes! You’re far more important than you realize!”
“I know I’m amazing. There aren’t many people as impressive as me. I’m even more capable than Julien.”
“Then just leave! You can deal with the consequences later!”
Instead of fleeing, Kyle let his scabbard fall to the dirt with a dull thud.
Discarding the sheath was the ultimate signal of a fight to the death.
Dark’s eyes widened with rage as the realization hit him.
“You—! You’re actually going to throw your life away?!”
Looking at the fuming bird, Kyle answered with eerie calm.
“Saving the world… it’s a grand, noble pursuit. If that’s my destiny, I’d like to see it through.”
A ghost of a smile touched his lips.
“But there are plenty of others who can save the world.”
“What…?”
“There’s Julien, Deneb, and Astion. There’s Ereneth and Lionel. And Ghislain… well, who knows if he’ll stick around until the end.”
“Wh-what are you getting at…?”
Kyle turned his back and gave a short, sharp laugh.
“But right now… I’m the only one here who can save those children.”
“You…”
“Let the others worry about the world. I’m going to save the people right in front of me.”
RIP!
Kyle shredded his own garment and used the fabric to bind his hand tightly to his blade.
He was making sure the weapon stayed in his grip—unless his hand was taken off.
“Whew…”
He took a deep breath and scanned the battlefield with cold, focused eyes. The hesitation had vanished entirely.
Even as more dwarves fell in front of him, he didn’t charge in yet.
Intervening now wouldn’t change the outcome.
Better to let the remaining defenders stall the enemy for a few more seconds.
From this point forward, he wouldn’t fight with passion, but with cold, tactical precision.
That was the only way to ensure the fleeing children survived.
One by one, the final dwarven defenders collapsed with cries of agony.
“Gyaaaagh!”
“Filthy beasts! Our king will have your heads for this!”
“I’ll see you in hell!”
The dwarves screamed their final defiance, swinging their axes to claim one last enemy life.
Kyle etched their final stand into his mind.
At the same time, he analyzed the enemy’s formation, calculating his path of attack.
Dark, who had been staring at him as if he were a stranger, suddenly let out a dry, hacking laugh.
“You know… you’re a lot like Kaor and Alfoy, yet totally different.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re a fool, but a damn impressive one.”
“I’ve always been impressive.”
“Yeah, well, if you’re committed to this suicide mission, I can’t let you do it on foot. I’ll provide the mobility.”
“How?”
“Trying to cover this whole line by yourself will exhaust you in minutes. I’ll take a form you can ride—stay on my back so we can hit multiple points quickly.”
Dark had survived countless wars alongside Ghislain. That experience had taught him how to maximize efficiency in a slaughter.
Kyle glanced at him suspiciously.
“You’re not going to just bolt with me on your back, are you? That’d be a low move.”
“Well… if things get impossible, I might. But not yet. Calm down.”
Dark’s small sparrow frame began to expand and warp—until, shrouded in a brilliant blue aura, he took the shape of a stunning stallion.
Kyle’s eyes widened.
“I knew you could change, but I didn’t think you could look that good.”
“This is the form of the horse Aiden used to ride. Its name was Kkokko. Alfoy uses it now.”
“That’s a terrible name for something that looks like that.”
“Just get on. We’re losing time.”
As Kyle moved to mount him, he stopped and asked,
“Can you turn into something else?”
“I can, why?”
“Make it a massive, terrifying wolf.”
“A wolf?”
“Yeah, that’d be way cooler, right? Every man wants to ride a giant wolf at least once.”
At that, Dark gave a huff of amusement.
“Damn… you really are a dreamer.”
In an instant, Dark shifted into a gargantuan wolf. He even manifested a saddle and reins so Kyle could stay seated during the carnage.
Kyle’s face lit up at the sight.
A wide, genuine grin spread across his face—he was clearly enjoying the moment.
“Alright!”
He leaped onto Dark’s back, testing the seat as he settled in.
“Perfect. Very comfortable. Let’s move.”
“Let’s go, then. Let’s show these bastards what we can do.”
GRRRRAAAAAAOOO!
The final dwarven warrior fell.
Now, the horde of monsters began to surge toward the path where the children had fled.
And then…
Kyle and Dark lunged directly into their path—without a hint of doubt.