Overwhelming Firepower

The very second they agreed, the Martial God tapped their foreheads, and the two fainted on the spot.

When Cael opened his eyes, he was back home in Ironhold. He was confused; wasn’t he just in a Temple talking to someone?

Before he could even remember anything, the ground shook. A knight then entered his room.

”Young Lord! What are you doing? The monster wave is about to come; we must flee!”

’What is this knight talking about? Why would we run from a monster wave? When does a Thornehart ever run from monsters?’

”What are you talking about? Where is my Father, and my Big Brother? What are they doing?”

The second the knight heard those questions, he reacted weirdly. Cael noticed the subtle changes in the knight’s reaction, from panic to sympathy to pity.

”... Young Lord... The former Lord and the Young Master have long since entered the hall of heroes.”

Cael froze; his mind could not comprehend what was just said to him. ”Huh?”

’Former Lord? Both are in the hall of heroes?’ Cael’s mind was now in disarray as his head started hurting, but after a few seconds of thought, he looked at the knight.

”Is this another one of my Big Brother’s jokes? I do not find this one particularly funny.”

”Young Lord! Get a hold of yourself! Remember, the Former Duke and the Young Master died on the battlefield. They died as the shields of Norvaegard, as Thorneharts!”

Cael staggered backward. The headache grew stronger. Memories came flashing into his mind.

His father was there, standing on the wall, wounded yet unwavering. Even dying, he never bent the knee.

His Big Brother was covered in blood, laughing as he fired his last bullet. He took down the enemy despite being surrounded.

Not only did he lose his Father and Big Brother, but even most of Thornefang was decimated.

He remembered the funeral, the overwhelming pain and loss he had at the moment. The only remaining family he had was gone just like that.

Many came to honor the two who had protected Norvaegard without ever breaking. Even in their final moments, they succeeded in protecting what needed to be protected as Thorneharts.

Unfortunately, Cael Thornehart was nothing like his Father or Big Brother. He did not know how to command armies or inspire broken men. All he knew was how to swing his sword better than most.

And no matter how hard he tried, that was never enough to become Vardon Thornehart or Lucen Thornehart.

In the end, even Sir Vahn and Sir Thalos were lost in the continuous battles of the monster waves. Eventually, even the Stellhart knights had become a shell of their former glory.

The only reason they’re able to keep on going is because of the weapons his Big Brother created. It also helped that Robert Duskwell and the dwarves still remained to maintain them.

Most of the Barbarian Warriors had already fallen a few waves ago, and those who remained had decided to continue and die gloriously in battle as well.

The unshakeable North was dying. That realization struck Cael harder than the shaking ground.

Ironhold, which had once stood like an unbreakable fortress, was now barely holding together.

The walls were cracked. The banners of House Thornehart were torn. The soldiers were exhausted, and the people inside the fortress no longer had the eyes of those waiting for victory. Their eyes were dead as they were waiting for the end.

Now the walls were nearly breached, and the hope for victory is no longer in sight.

”I’m sorry, Young Lord, but we must go,” the knight said, his voice desperate. ”The evacuation route is still open. If we leave now, there is still a chance.”

Cael, whose headache was no longer hurting as much, returned to his usual stoic expression and looked at the knight.

”Are you telling a Thornehart to run from monsters? Are you telling me to retreat before the people do?” His voice sounded calm, but there was a deep anger within it.

The knight did not know how to answer that question and was quiet for a few seconds. At this moment, Cael was furious at everything that was happening, but most of all, he was furious at himself.

’I’m truly a failure as a leader, a failure as a son, a failure as a brother, and a failure of a Thornehart. I can’t even inspire hope, much less victory. I have even made the brave Stellhart Knights want to save me before the people.’

Cael’s stoic expression was slowly breaking as he gnashed his teeth. He hated this; he hated everything about this.

’Why was I the only one who survived? If it were Big Brother who survived instead of me, then none of this would be happening... Yes, if it were him, he would simply smile in this situation and find a way to victory like he always does.’

The second Cael thought of that, he quickly shook his head. ’What am I even thinking about at this point?! To indulge in fantasies in such a dire situation... I can’t be my Big Brother, and I can’t be my Father. I can only do what I can as Cael Thornehart.’

The second Cael reached that thought, the chaos inside his mind became strangely quiet. That’s right, the only thing he can do now is to do the best he can as himself.

Cael looked at the knight in front of him. Cael unsheathed his sword and spoke with conviction. ”Focus on evacuating the civilians. Guard them with your lives. I will make sure that no monster enters Ironhold before the last citizen is evacuated.”

The knight did not move as ordered and spoke. ”I cannot do that, milord. You are the only remaining Thornehart. I have sworn to protect the Thorneharts, to serve them. I have failed to join my brothers in arms in the hall of heroes, I have failed to protect my Former Lord, and the Young Master! I cannot fail to protect you too!”

Cael stared at the knight in silence. The words entered his ears clearly, but they no longer shook him like before. Instead, it just made his resolve even firmer.

”My Father once said a noble’s duty is to protect those who serve him, not the other way around. My Big Brother told me that when the time comes, and I don’t know what to do, I just need to follow the will of my heart.”

As he spoke those words, Cael’s grip on his sword became tighter. ”If I run away now, I will be betraying everything that makes me a Thornehart! Everything from me has been taken away; all I have left are the people of Ironhold, my sword, and my name! Will you deny me the glory to die as a Thornehart?! Will you take from me my chosen place to die?! Will you take that from me too?!”

The knight could not say anything and, in the end, lowered his head. Cael did not wait for another answer. He walked past him and into the corridor, but then stopped and spoke again.

”Make sure to protect them for me.” After saying those words, Cael sprinted forward. He was running as fast as he could as the ground continued to shake.

The moment he reached the outer wall, the cold wind struck his face. Below, the monster wave was already at the base of the fortress. Beasts clawed at the cracked stones.

Ogres hammered the gates with frozen clubs. Winged monsters circled above like vultures waiting for a corpse to stop twitching.

Cael gripped his sword tightly as he enveloped himself with his aura mantle. Right now, he was only at the third mantle.

He was only a bit stronger than he was a few months ago, but that was not enough to make him back down.

Cael stepped onto the edge of the wall. The monsters below noticed him. Their roars rose together, shaking the cracked stones beneath his feet.

Cael did not hesitate and jumped down. Cael landed in the middle of the wave, and the snow beneath his boots exploded outward. The first monster lunged at him with its jaws open. His sword moved before thought.

One cut, and the beast split apart.

Another came from his left. Cael turned his wrist and severed its forelimbs. A third crashed down from above, and he stepped forward instead of back, driving his blade through its throat.

Blood stained the snow. The roars around him grew louder, but Cael’s mind was quiet. There was no Father standing before him. There was no Big Brother smiling behind with a plan.

He was the only one left to protect the people whom the two cherished. He continued to kill the monsters that were near him.

Slashing right, left, forward, behind, above, and below. It was not just the snow filled with blood, but even his sight was stained by the blood. He did not have time to wipe it as the monsters never ceased coming.

He could not tell how much time had passed, but his aura mantle was barely holding on, his arms were becoming numb, and his breathing was heavy.

’Is this all I can do?... I hope that everyone was able to evacuate.’

It was at that moment that he saw two people in front of him, the two who no longer exist in this world.

His Big Brother Lucen Thornehart, with that confident smile on his face, and his Father with that unyielding stance.

’Right, how can this be my limit?’

”I’m a Thornehart! Isn’t that right, Father, Big Brother!” Cael shouted what he was feeling, which would surprise most of those who knew him.

His aura mantle, already thin and broken, wrapped around his sword one last time. The monsters rushed him like a black tide.

The first monster lost its head. The second was split from the shoulder to the waist. The third tore into his side, yet Cael stepped deeper, cutting its throat before its claws could pull free.

Pain spread through his body. His vision blurred. His legs no longer obeyed him properly. Still, his sword moved.

Again, and again, and again. His sword would not stop moving as he cut down one monster after another.

When his right arm was torn away, he held the sword with his left. When his left hand shattered, he held his blade with his teeth.

Even as the monsters were tearing his body, Cael did not yield. Even when his sword broke, he bit through the monsters; he continued fighting until the very end.

As his consciousness was fading into white, he had but one thought. ’Next time, I’ll cut every last one of them down.’