The Sage that the Sword Saint is Obsessed With

19 – 5. First Battle (2)

1.

The demon army was sucked into the swirling space like a whirlpool.

-Kaddeudeuk! Kkadeuk! Kwagagagak!

Solid bodies and sturdy armor twisted along the vortex, turning dozens of demon soldiers into mere rags.

“Efficiency doesn’t seem to be their strong suit.”

Tenth-rank magic could inflict significant damage on the enemy, but using it consecutively incurred excessive mana consumption. The higher the rank of the magic, the greater the mana expenditure.

It was a waste to use such advanced magic on these small fries.

Still, Evan was satisfied.

The fact that he could apply the magic he had honed in the Tower of the Sage for three years in actual combat against these small fry was reason enough to justify employing tenth-rank magic.

“If this is the case, even fifth-rank might be overkill.”

The demon army, though presumed formidable, didn’t exude much threatening aura. They weren’t particularly resistant to magic or equipped with means to block enemy spells.

The battlefield, momentarily static, reverberated with the sounds of marching once again.

Boosted by the sight of Evan’s magic, the morale of the knight order surged, and without hesitation, they charged more ferociously. The demon army, unable to retreat and cornered, roared aggressively, preparing to clash with the knights.

Two waves collided.

As shouts clashed, the cacophonous sound of fist-to-fist combat echoed loudly.

The battle had begun.

Evan prepared for the next spell.

Using only tenth-rank magic would probably end this battle within three minutes. However, such a move would deplete all his mana, leaving him bedridden for several days.

In reality, when he pushed his limits with mana usage during magical research in the Tower of the Sage, he had fainted and remained bedridden for over a fortnight.

So, he decided to use spells that could deal significant damage to the enemy while consuming less mana. If a formidable foe appeared, he would then resort to powerful magic.

Evan dismounted from his horse.

Reinforce Mana.

Reinforce Body.

Strike.

Wearing the magic circle like a gauntlet, Evan thrust his fist forward.

-Boom!

Creating a momentary explosion by forcefully pushing the space with intense pressure.

The demon army, swept away by the explosion, disintegrated.

A nearby figure had a gaping hole in their abdomen.

Securing the position, they immediately cast the next spell.

Reaching out their hand,

Mana, undulating, shook the air.

Storm.

As if space itself were warping, a whirlwind began sweeping away the enemies.

Magic like a natural disaster swallowed the foes.

Flame.

Fire ignited at the tail of the whirlwind, burning the struggling enemies trapped within.

Feathers were singed.

The scorching armor inflicted additional damage.

A gradually dying scream, torn apart by the pain, echoed.

Evan leisurely walked through the battlefield along the path opened by the whirlwind.

Ordinary wizards typically specialize in one or two magic disciplines.

Fire if it’s fire.

Water if it’s water.

That’s how it usually goes.

It’s more efficient, and different magic disciplines require studying twice as much, given their fundamentally distinct nature. It’s better to carve and strive on the path one has chosen than to spread oneself thin.

But Evan was different.

With innate magical understanding and memory, he mastered almost every magical discipline.

Strike.

Without hesitation, he swung a fist at the face of a monster charging to bite into his neck.

-Crunch!

The fist’s impact was substantial, considering the body was already enhanced.

The monster’s face contorted as the fist sank deeply.

Unpleasant stickiness stained his palm.

He didn’t pay much mind.

He had been drenched in blood from head to toe before; this was nothing.

It was while he was sweeping through the enemies that it happened.

“Kuuaaahh!”

In the battlefield, one never knows what variables may arise.

An enemy, presumed to be dead, may come back to life and plunge a sword into one’s back.

Just like now.

A demon soldier, who had been scattered like a corpse, let out a roar and swung an axe above Evan’s head.

They were too relaxed.

Because it was their first time on the battlefield, they let their guard down.

But it doesn’t matter.

Even if they allowed the enemy to approach, it would only take one punch to end it.

The power strike magic could be used as easily as breathing.

Just as Evan turned around to swing his fist-

-Tshuak!

The enemy’s body was cut in half and fell to the ground without any strength.

“…Watch out.”

It was Leuen.

She had also come into the enemy lines.

“You’re meddlesome.”

She hadn’t needed any help just now.

Not just now.

“I don’t need your help anymore.”

He wasn’t the Evan of the past.

He was no longer in a position to only cheer from behind.

He could defeat enemies on the front line as much as he wanted.

“Don’t talk and focus on the battle.”

During the battle, one must suppress all unnecessary emotions, but just by briefly meeting face-to-face, anger welled up inside. Evan suppressed this anger in order to focus on defeating the enemies only with power strikes, putting other magic aside.

Following him, Leuen also charged at the enemies.

She bit her lower lip.

She killed her emotions and focused only on her sword.

With each passing, leaving a golden glare in its wake, the enemies’ bodies were sliced into multiple pieces.

Just like how a reed falls powerless to the fierce wind, the enemies fell.

From a distance, the journalists watching this scene thought,

“Do they really only need those two?”

The monstrous duo swept through the enemies.

But it didn’t stop there.

They fought in harmony, as if they had battled together before.

It seemed like they understood each other’s movements, fighting without hindering each other.

“It’s a dragon!”

One knight exclaimed.

In that moment, the battlefield was overshadowed by a colossal shadow.

“Kwaaah!”

It seemed the demon army had prepared for this, sharpening their swords this time.

Not an ordinary dragon, though.

It had two heads and was the size of a castle.

With the appearance of the dragon, the morale of the demon army soared.

However,

Distortion.

Evan’s magic seized the dragon, preparing to leap while breathing out its breath.

The dragon’s two wings twisted in opposite directions.

The creature, pulled down to the ground, struggled like a prisoner bound by chains.

In the moment Evan was about to finish it with another spell,

“Ssskk! Ssskk!”

Two silver threads cut through the air, severing the dragon.

“Thud! Thud!”

The dragon’s head fell to the ground.

Its tongue stuck out, spewing blood upward and downward.

The knights marveled.

Whether intentional or not,

the synchronization between the two was astonishing.

Evan glared at Leuen, displeased like a hunter who had his prey stolen by another.

It didn’t matter who caught the dragon.

However…

Just the fact that that woman intervened made me feel bad.

The Demon King’s army began to retreat.

Seeing the dragon, the secret weapon, appear and exit the battle at the same time, the Demon King’s army decided to flee, believing that they would definitely be defeated.

“Chase them!!”

At Karen’s shout, the knights screamed and chased after the Demon King’s army.

“Hu….”

Evan let out a sigh and turned back.

The battle had ended.

It was the Star Knights’ victory.

Evan had done his duty, so he could leave the rest to the other knights.

He had tried to focus only on the battle during the fight, but that woman kept trying to stir up strange emotions.

She was truly like a curse.

2.

After finishing the battle, they returned to the village.

When they arrived at the village, it was still early in the evening.

The villagers were startled to see the knights return so early.

They had expected this battle to be difficult considering the enemy’s forces.

But the faces of the returning knights showed no signs of hardship.

Instead, they were excited, laughing, and talking loudly.

There were some who were injured, but there were no casualties.

Just that fact alone brought them joy.

But what made them even more joyful was the performance of the two men and women they had seen on the battlefield.

The woman known as the Sword Saint.

The man who would become a Sage.

In fact, it could be said that this battle was mostly concluded by the two of them. No, it was concluded by the two of them.

“The head of the dragon defeated by the commander and the magician!!”

A knight shouted to the villagers, pointing at the large head of the dragon on the carriage as if waving a triumph.

Seeing the size of the dragon’s head and the number of heads, the villagers gasped and revered at the same time.

How did it happen?

I’m curious about how they managed to end the battle so quickly, even with a dragon appearing. The children in the village couldn’t contain their excitement and their eyes sparkled with anticipation, eager to hear what had happened.

The village immediately began preparing for a celebration.

Today, it would be even grander than before.

They were most relieved that no one had died, even though the battle had ended quickly.

During the daylight hours, they prepared food and drink.

The children who had been waiting for an opportunity flocked to Luen.

“Leader! Leader! How did you catch the dragon?”

“Did the dragon breathe fire?”

Their young eyes glittered like stars.

As the questions poured in, one child’s question struck Luen.

“Leader, is the magician as strong as you?”

Upon hearing this question, Luen glanced briefly at Evan, who was heading towards the inn.

A knight grabbed Evan.

Inviting him to join the celebration.

But Evan casually entered the inn, saying he would rest.

“…Strong.”

Luen narrowed his eyes halfway.

“…Stronger than me.”