Chapter 162

Chapter 162 - Blackout (4)

"Knights, maintain a trot. Rex, commence harassment."

"Leave it to me!"

Horse archers split off to both sides of the knights approaching from the front. What they are riding are the tribe's traditional racehorses. Their speed is fast and their endurance is excellent.

The elite cavalry dug into both flanks of the Hydra in an instant. Most passable monsters might be flustered by the sudden formation change and encirclement, but not the Hydra.

The bastard's heads number a whopping 7. Two pairs of vertically slit eyes each guarded against the left and right horse archers, and 3 pairs of eyes still glared at the knights at the front.

'No wonder an army including Free Knights along with the Holy Knights Order was smashed.'

Eugene also admired the un-monster-like composure.

Simply having many heads did not end with the meaning of having a wide field of vision. The point that each head individually thought and responded to changes was important.

- The Hydra is the most calm bastard among monsters. It absolutely never freezes on the battlefield. Because even if a few heads panic, the other heads move the body.

This was the advice Rex gave during the pre-battle briefing.

- Thinking in parallel, I see.

- Parallel? What is that?

- There is such a thing.

- You often use words that are hard to understand, Sir Knight.

Even if some fall into a panic, the other heads continue thinking, so the body continuously selects the optimal option and maneuvers.

Considering that even powerful monsters like Ogres make wrong choices during battle due to anger, annoyance, decreased concentration, etc., accumulating losses and getting hunted, it is a tremendous advantage.

"The Minor Chief is properly drawing the bastard's attention!"

Eugene, confirming the Hydra's attention was divided, issued the next command.

"Canter!"

The warhorses that had been driving their horses with mincing steps increased their speed. Now it's a momentum of running no matter who looks.

"Discard the thought of becoming a hero! A fluke won't work against that bastard! Whatever surprise attack you pull will be discovered, so move strictly only as trained!"

Eugene shouted numerous times to control the knights' hot blood.

Meanwhile, as Rex leading the horse archers at the front shot the first arrow, the tribe warriors following behind also released their bowstrings consecutively.

"Aim for the face! It won't stick anyway even if you shoot other places!"

At that moment, the sharp-eyed individuals including Eugene witnessed the Hydra's bizarre reaction.

Shyaaaak-!

A few Imugi heads opened their jaws as if saying 'Are you little things daring to act up?!' and then immediately closed them. The fierce expressions also looked as if they had snapped to their senses like being scolded.

'Close your mouths!'

'You stupid bastards!'

'Those guys are of a different class.'

'Arrows will get stuck inside your mouths!'

As if being thoroughly scolded by the other heads, like that.

"Damn it! Such a quick-witted bastard."

"An incredible hide as expected."

The tribe warriors lamented. Arrows helplessly bounced off near the snouts closed by a hair's breadth.

"It seems communication between the heads is possible without conversation!"

"Linked as one body, it's not particularly strange either."

Unlike the amazed Hind, Eugene was calm. It was something he had guessed to some extent.

'A born mutant and conjoined twins are different as expected.'

The Hydra is a product of genetics designed to possess multiple heads from the start. He expected the method the brains communicate with each other would have naturally evolved accordingly.

"Minor Chief! I did hear they were sturdy, but truly not even a single shot works?"

"Then would the records of our ancestors be wrong!?"

The horse archers, entering swarm maneuvers with the Hydra in the center, shot arrows ceaselessly.

The enraged Hydra approached to punish them, but it was impossible to catch up to the light cavalry that maintained a distance with determination.

"We are not the main attack, so scatter their attention to the maximum. Over there at the front! The heads at the front are glaring at the Sir Knight!"

Rex nocked an arrow once again. This one wasn't an arrow for killing.

A whistling arrow. A pine cone-shaped arrowhead pierced with 5 holes aimed toward the Imugi heads glaring at the knights.

As Decurions who likewise nocked whistling arrows released their bowstrings, a bizarre sound cleaved the battlefield.

Piyuuuuuuu!

An irritating sound that would occur when a massive iron ball drops from the sky. With that striking from the flanks, even the Hydra watching the front couldn't help but have its attention stolen.

Eugene did not miss that opening.

"Commence attack!"

Dududududu!

The knights entering a gallop state rapidly drew closer to the Hydra.

Lances hoisted toward the sky came down to the front simultaneously.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Hind's heart beat as if it would burst. Sweat formed on the hand gripping the lance, and the armpit where he tucked the stick in the couched lance technique was likewise drenched.

The body of a reptile the size of a house getting rapidly closer, and 7 massive snakes swaying. The tip of his own spear aimed to pierce that.

'I trained as a knight for this moment today!'

Only that single thought lingered in Hind's mind. Fear of potentially dying didn't even dare to squeeze in near that thought.

The lance weighing over 10kg accurately aimed at the joint parts of the Hydra's legs with minimal shaking even from atop a charging horse.

Fighters who refined both body and mind up to their limits for a single point of destruction. A charge only knights were capable of sweeps over the Hydra.

Smash!

Crack!

Crunch!

Lance charges concentrating massive destructive force into a single point battered the Hydra's lower body simultaneously.

Kkiyaaaaaaat-!

The 7 Imugi heads soared into the sky simultaneously and let out a terrible shriek.

The city subjugation army watching terrified from a sufficiently secluded distance blinked their eyes.

Because despite engaging in countless skirmishes while pursuing it all the way here, it was their first time seeing the bastard in such pain.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

The knights discarded their broken lances and immediately drew back.

The Hydra, with metal tips bringing ballistae to mind stuck in it, opened its jaws with bloodshot eyes. However, biting the knights failed.

Dudududu!

Because the knights were riding desert warhorses purchased in Tripoli.

Desert warhorses trained stepping on the sandy terrains of Samur possess outstanding direction-changing abilities even if their speed is somewhat slow. They were able to swiftly turn and break away after the lance charge.

"Amazons!"

"Hua!"

Furthermore, the tribe female warriors who arrived riding twin-horse chariots swung their staff slings and hurled jars.

The Hydra felt threatened by the lumps approaching alongside intense sounds of cleaving the air and halted its pursuit.

Shyaaa-!

Perhaps mistaking the flying jars for stones, one of the Hydra's heads opened its mouth wide. It thought of breaking the enemies' spirit by crushing them mid-air.

However, this time too, the jaws immediately closed. It seems it heard rebukes from the other heads. That was correct advice.

As the jars shattered, a pitch-dark and sticky highly flammable liquid mixture covered the surroundings.

At that foul smell, the Hydra got startled and stepped back. Through its long experience in battles against humans, it realized what this liquid was.

However, it cannot hide its massive body from attacks flying in via staff slings.

Thump!

Crunch!

Because they were thrown from atop chariots, half missed, but the remaining half struck the Hydra's body and smashed into pieces.

"Shoot!"

Fire arrows were launched toward the Hydra covered in the sticky combustive agent.

Fwooooosh!

Intense flames surged. It's the hide of a Hydra that secretes noncombustible mucous, but it's a different story when covered with a catalyst transmuted through alchemy.

Kyaaaaaa-!

The bastard began going crazy at the terrible burning pain.

'Exactly according to the plan. It's effective.'

Eugene clenched his fists tightly.

The lances used this time are items specially crafted by requesting the Dwarf blacksmith Worker.

- Surround 1m from the tip with iron, you say?

- Yeah. Make the rest with wood, but ensure the point where the iron ends can break easily. You must pierce a hole in the center of the tip and have empty space inside.

- You mean like a quill pen. And you will fill that inside with poison instead of ink, I assume?

- As expected, tell you one and you know two.

- Hahaha! You flatter me.

As the Hydra writhed in pain, the blood-coagulating venom inside the deeply embedded lance tips finished being injected. Blood clots clumped like seonji rolled off from wounds dead pitch-black.

One Imugi head, its eyes rolled back in pain, lunged at Eugene who happened to be visible.

The sight of him confronting it alone while everyone else retreated was truly ridiculous. Losing its reason, it couldn't pay attention to the abnormally sized warhorse and the massive axe.

'Danger.'

'Step back.'

'Idiot.'

The other heads sent thoughts through the connected spinal cord, but the head swallowed by anger did not listen to their words.

Blackout punished that arrogance.

Slice!

A large head capable of swallowing an Anaconda was decapitated in a single strike.

The Imugi head soaring into the sky spun around 3 times before falling to the ground. Blood poured out like a fountain from the severed cross-section reflexively retreating.

"Iyaaah!"

"The Lord has beheaded the bastard!"

Although 6 heads still remain, the soldiers shouted as if they had already won.

The knights running with their backs turned to the Hydra wanted to see that sight to death but endured it. They couldn't ruin the intricately constructed plan of their Lord out of personal greed.

"Sir Hind!"

"Sir Luden!"

From the opposite side of the knights, Dark Elf retainers come riding horses. They were holding new lances.

The knights and retainers with sufficient spacing on both sides crossed each other. The lances the retainers were holding had been transferred to the knights' hands.

"Thanks!"

"I wish you luck!"

The retainers turned left and returned to the main camp to receive the 3rd lances.

The knights turned right and dared a 2nd charge toward the Hydra.

At that sight too majestic to just be called wonderful, the subjugation squad knights admired it while also feeling resentful.

"Are you all watching? I have never seen such a beautiful sight in my entire life!"

"The City of Water? The bottom field of Goldford? They wouldn't even reach the feet of those valiant knights."

"Damn it! I should have been in that spot too."

The charge of knights. That concept was being manifested in the most artistic form in the world.

"Bring my spear! I will join that fight even now!"

"You cannot, Master! Your wounds will open!"

"Eeyit, shut up! I said shut up!"

"What are you doing? Not stopping him!"

Eventually, a knight heavily wrapped in blood-soaked bandages tried to run out again. Only after retainers and slaves clung to him and begged pleadingly could they barely stop him.

Crack!

Crunch!

At that moment, the 2nd lance charge took place. The sounds of lances breaking noisily could even be heard by those watching from afar.

The Hydra went crazy with pain and humiliation, but missed the knights this time as well.

"Where are you taking your eyes off to?"

Might, running like the wind. Because another neck fell to the massive axe blade swung by Eugene riding it.

With 2 heads dying, it had to focus its entire mind on the monster-like knight in front of it, forget about lances and all. It was then an unexpected disruption occurred.

"Charge! Charge!"

The subjugation squad, watching Eugene's army overwhelmingly pushing the Hydra, recovered their courage and came running. At the forefront of that were the knights from the Appen Peninsula.

"Viscount! We have come!"

"We will partake in the glory!"

'What the, these crazy bastards?'

The knights' eyes were blazing with madness. Sentiments of respect and greed for honor incited them.

The Hydra's body is contained in the knights' sights. Dozens of lance tips are stuck in it, leaking blood profusely.

"The bastard is not immortal."

"We can defeat it!"

The sight as if human will had conquered the Hydra's massive body. That cleanly washed away the fear of an immortal monster from the knights' memories.

The problem was that they weren't moving according to a thoroughly planned strategy like Eugene's army. Such a defenseless charge was merely perfect for the Hydra to counter-attack.

Kuwaaaaang-!

The five Imugi heads roared simultaneously toward the subjugation squad knights.

Neigh!

Snort!

"Uaaack!"

"Keuk"

Receiving the killing intent of a large monster head-on, the warhorses fell over and fled.

Horses are smart creatures. Through the humans and warhorses that died innumerably during the pursuit battle so far, learning of how dangerous an enemy the Hydra is had been completed.

"Wh, where are you going? The enemy is over there!"

Flustered knights coaxed their horses, but it had no effect. The knights who pushed through the chaos were also in a state where their speed decreased and their balance collapsed.

Thud!

The Hydra's massive front paw flattened a knight and his warhorse.

Smash!

A knight hit by a tail swipe flew away like a pinwheel. Seeing him motionless after rolling thumpingly on the ground, it's certain he died instantly.

"Heuk!"

A certain knight was lifted up, bitten horizontally by the Hydra. Since the Hydra was quite exhausted and the knight wore a brigandine protecting his chest with iron plates, he avoided instant death.

"Kek!"

However, as the Hydra put strength into its jaws, the armor broke and wind escaped from the knight's lungs.

The Hydra got excited finally executing a counter-attack worthy of its name after only getting beaten up since clashing with Eugene's army.

The problem is that it got too excited even with the truly dangerous enemy still going strong.

Slice!

As the massive axe blade fell like a thunderbolt, the Hydra's neck was severed for the 3rd time.

"Are you alright?"

"Thank you, Viscount! Thanks to you, my life... Uaaack!"

"Save the greetings for later."

When Eugene grabbed the released knight and threw him backwards, Might immediately kicked off the ground.

Bang!

By a hair's breadth, the Hydra's jaws smashed into that spot. Might quickly moved its feet and presented its master in front of the bastard's neck.

Kyaaa...

Snip!

The 4th neck fell.

The remaining 3 heads are wise corresponding to having held out until the end. Perhaps thinking they would really die at this rate, they gave up the fight and decided to flee.

The 3 brain signals emitted through the spinal cord were unanimous. At the sight of the 3 necks swelling up simultaneously, Eugene's face also stiffened.

"Rex! Does the bastard also shoot something like a breath?"

"No! No! Definitely in our ancestors' records..."

"Everyone step back! The bastard is trying to do something!"

He respects the records of the Blackhand Tribe, but there is no absolute. All troops under Eugene stepped back from the Hydra just in case.

And a moment later, they could know why the Hydra's necks swelled.

Guweeeeek-!

Because the Imugis' mouths vomited the things they had eaten just earlier.

"It seems to be trying to lighten its body to flee!"

At Hind's words, the knights couldn't hold back and guffawed even in the middle of a battle.

That that giant monster yielded to their strength and miserably tucked its tail between its legs was incredibly satisfying. It felt as if the arduous training they had gone through to be completed as knights was being rewarded.

Splat.

The male Hydra swallowed after copulating was still intact. The bastard was bewildered, but seemed to have immediately understood the situation. To protect the rear of the fleeing female, it lunged fiercely.

"It's truly a husband who gives unsparingly."

"That devotion is worthy of acknowledgment."

The Dark Elves, a culture respecting wives and women befitting a matrilineal society, nodded their heads.

However, it is a meaningless resistance. Lacking thick hide and muscles like the female, it became a lump of meat from attacks flying in from all directions.

In vain with the husband's sacrifice, the female also failed to escape. A situation of having suffered the knights' lance charges 4 times on its lower body.

Joints shattered from the lance tips, and the blood-coagulating venom necrotized all its leg muscles.

Whenever the Hydra walked with difficulty, it vomited *glug glug* jelly from the dead pitch-black leg blood vessels. Under these circumstances, escaping from the cavalry is impossible.

"We will fight too!"

"Don't act arrogant and step back. It's not a place for greenhorns to meddle in."

The knights handed long glaives by their retainers joined Eugene swinging Blackout.

Their Lord was slamming down on the Hydra's tail. Because it was so thick it didn't get cut in one hit, but 70% was severed and dangled. Slapping down once more, it cleanly split into two pieces.

'Are there no more risk factors now?'

Eugene sighed.

The tail was cut, and the 4 legs are crippled. The remaining three heads are one-eyed having their eyes hit by arrow attacks.

"It's time to reap the harvest!"

The long glaive blades swung by the tribe knights aimed at the Hydra's leg tendons.

They are individuals possessing considerable anatomical knowledge from numerous hunts and hide dismantling. Finding out where the tendons are during the 4 lance charges finished.

Pounding!

As its Achilles tendons were butchered from all sides, the Hydra eventually sank down. At that sight, both Eugene's army and the subjugation squad let out shouts with momentum to tear the world apart.

Grrrk-.

Eugene holding Blackout stood confidently at the front of the Hydra. The bastards stare at the victor with a resigned face.

A black thunderbolt fell like a guillotine, and the Hydra's heads rolled on the muddy ground one by one. The massive frame that shook Sicily thus completely stopped.

* * *

There were survivors among the food the Hydra vomited to lighten its body for fleeing.

"P, please spare me!"

"It hurts! It hurrtss!"

They are those who hadn't been swallowed long. They suffered burns from broken bones and digestive juices, but their lives were not in danger.

"It would be better to knock them out first. Burn sleeping incense."

"This skin must be carved out. Give me the obsidian blade."

Medics composed of tribe witches and witch apprentices busily entered first aid.

"Recover the bodies of the knights. Do not let the flesh of brave individuals roll in the dirt and dust."

Eugene pointed at the knights who died after cutting in late.

"I have keenly realized the reputation of the Demonic Beast Punisher was by no means exaggerated, but rather understated!"

The Peninsula knights dismounted from their horses and expressed their courtesies to Eugene.

"I will remember your valor, Sirs. It is not an easy task to strengthen your fighting spirit once again even when wounded and exhausted."

"It was what must rightfully be done as knights."

Moved to tears at Eugene's praise, the Peninsula knights pounded their chests with their fists.

'Anyway they properly played the role of bait at the end, so whatever.'

Eugene could give as much lip service as he wanted to the knights who laid down their lives and drew attention.

"Those guys seem slightly weird in the head."

"Where did they sell their conscience?"

On the other hand, the tribe warriors secretly clicked their tongues. From start to finish, Eugene's army cooked up everything, and the Peninsula knights merely laid a spoon on top at the end.

"Oh, Lord. Please remember today's victory."

However, the knights were genuinely intoxicated by the sensation of having taken part in glory.

Originally, creatures called knights went their own way. They consider strategies like drawing attention with numerous arrow attacks or executing fire attacks with oil jars as merely side branches.

Charging at monsters on horseback!

Whether they committed that act or not was the only important thing. They possessed a fascinating brain structure believing that distinguishes merits in monster hunting.

"We won't be able to use much of the hide."

Rex lamented looking at the charred body parts here and there.

"It's fine. Having no casualties on our side is best."

"Well, it seems there's enough to make armor for you, Sir Knight, so it's fortunate."

What burned were the relatively weaker lower body hides, and the hides of the sturdiest parts were mostly intact.

"Armor made of monster hide, huh."

"If it's a Hydra too, it's a top-tier product. Sir Godfrey's armor is wonderful too, but isn't it about time you wore something better?"

Rex grinned.

"Keep digging. If the seonji all comes out, clear blood will be pooled inside."

"Can't you pay attention? Muscle is coming out along with the hide! I'm telling you to carve it properly!"

Dark Elves who changed trades from warriors to artisans surrounded the Hydra and entered dismantling.

Puhwaaak!

"It, it burst!"

"Don't spill a single drop! It's more expensive than gold of the same weight!"

What's also called the elixir of immortality is Hydra's blood. An ultra-expensive alchemy material evaluated several grades above troll's blood, which is of a similar lineage. The blood was carefully gathered into barrels placed everywhere.

"What idiot told you to throw away the seonji?"

"Witch? Isn't this unusable because it suffered from the blood-coagulating venom?"

"Look at this damn bastard! Who is your superior? What dumbass forgot the training?!"

Startled seeing the seonji thrown on the ground, the witches came running and roared.

"U, um?"

"Aigooo."

The wounded subjugation squad members neglected during treatment looked on plaintively, but no one paid them any mind. They weren't from the same family in the first place, and dismantling the Hydra was far more important.

"Khem."

"Because it has a big size, it seems a lot of quantity is coming out."

The Peninsula knights watched the Dark Elves seemingly enviously. The Hydra is being carved out as if mining a 100% pure gold mine.

However, since knights are humans too, they couldn't demand more than the glory of the hunt.

"Everyone empty your canteens. Hurry and go contain the blood..."

Strictly speaking, a few shameless knights did try to take a sip leading their servants.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, well Viscount? We also, of the hunt..."

"I asked where you are going."

Eugene's somewhat kind face turned frosty like the axe blade he was holding.

Thud!

Might slammed its front paws down and glared fiercely. The horses ridden by the knights and servants backed away terrified.

'Don't cross the line. You'll die, really.'

At the posture seemingly expressing that single phrase through avant-garde art, the knights merely sucked on their fingers.

If they got greedy here, it felt like the massive axe blade dripping Hydra blood would also fall on them.