In a World without God

Chapter 65

Murjana couldn't answer. Sobs threatened to escape if she opened her mouth.

"I want you to be happy. In Lutea's world."

The view of Edulis's back as he spoke felt incredibly lonely. She had to say something. But what? After fumbling with her lips for a while, she finally spoke up.

"Edulis, I'm...."

At that moment, Edulis stopped in his tracks. "Enemy."

Hundreds of soldiers stood in front of Edulis and Murjana.

"Surrender, Edulis the Murderer! Kneel before the great army of Astania!"

The soldiers in the front row held shields larger than a full-grown man's body, and behind the shieldmen, robed men held staves. Along with the kingdom's mages and heavy cavalry, they were among the kingdom's most elite troops.

A magic circle was prepared beneath Edulis's feet, and the medium infantry followed behind. Edulis, holding Kurzina's corpse, slowly placed it in a large crevice between rocks to protect it from being disturbed.

White magick gathered around Edulis' sword. Edulis swung the crescent-shaped blade vertically and slammed it into the ground, causing a straight fissure to appear on the ground.

"Breaking a magic circle without touching the core... that's impossible...."

Normally, the way to shatter a magic circle is to either kill all the casters or break the core. However, there's another, albeit unrealistic, method: forcefully breaking it with magic power that exceeds all the magic composing the circle. The elite mage corps of the kingdom had painstakingly constructed the magic circle and so breaking it forcibly was impossible for a normal human. However, Edulis could do it because he possessed the heart of Shamas, the apostle of Lutea, surrounded by an unprecedented amount of magick.

"Do not falter! Think of him as a dragon! It's a long game. Hold your ground until he's exhausted!"

But the odds were still stacked against Edulis. The enemy's strategy was effective: maintaining a solid formation and only attacking from a distance, especially since Edulis was trying not to kill them.

Murjana surveyed the surroundings. There was no escape. The siege line was tightly formed by the kingdom's elite soldiers. She could unleash curses and poison to kill them, but Edulis, who even cherished Kurzina's corpse, might hate her for it. But...

"Prepare the artillery, we must not stop attacking for a single moment!"

There was a look of exhaustion on Edulis's face, and it made Murjana think.

Being loved by Edulis is not as important as protecting him.

Murjana stepped forward. The black butterflies in her eyes moved, and black energy began to envelop her body. It was then.

"What is this?!"

The enemy camp was thrown into disarray.

***

Shieldmen in the Kingdom's Mage Corps carry special shields. Made of rare metals, these magical shields are much thicker and heavier than the armor of the Heavy Cavalry. It repels not only physical attacks but also magic and curses. Only those who could wield these shields were qualified to become shieldmen of the Mage Corps. In the wars against the Ur Empire, this shield has never been pierced. The enemy had to figure out how to get past it and attack the mages behind it. But then....

BANG!

With a tremendous explosion, the shield shattered like a brass bowl struck a hammer. And it didn't stop there. Dozens of vortexes formed around the shattered shield, knocking back any soldiers in their path. In an instant, the formation collapsed. The soldiers didn't immediately understand what had happened before their eyes. They stared at their shattered shields in disbelief for a moment.