Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Chapter 338: Cruelty of War

Marco suddenly pounced towards his opponent, his figure blurred and reappeared almost instantaneously in front of the other!

Whoosh!

With a swing, his sword caused a sharp keening sound as if the air was torn apart!

Caught unprepared by his unexpected burst of speed, the enemy cavalry commander was late to react.

No!

He managed to lift his arms halfway, but Marco’s sword was faster.

Khshhkk!

A warrior at the peak of Transcendent died, his body split in half with a slash of a sword!

Marco stared at the dead warrior, using his sword as a crutch to prop himself up, and whispered.

“You have fought well.”

He then lifted his head and observed the situation.

His troops were still fighting tooth and nail with the enemy cavalry. Despite being outnumbered by more than twice, they somehow managed to defend their positions, preventing the enemy troops from advancing further.

However, Marco could see that his soldiers were already beyond exhausted. It was a miracle that they managed to hold on until now.

He jumped onto an ownerless horse and shouted. “Warriors of Astania, retreat to the fortress!”

Hearing his loud roar, the soldiers didn’t hesitate. They abandoned their opponents and retreated without looking back.

The enemy cavalry tried to pursue them, but the archers on top of the fortress fired their arrows upon them to cover their comrades’ retreat.

I managed to stay alive.

Thought Marco as he jumped off his new horse.

In this battle, he had expended almost every ounce of mana in his body, leaving him feeling incredibly weak.

“You survived…” A familiar voice drifted into his ears.

He turned around and saw Derrek on horseback, approaching him with a broad grin. His armor was drenched in blood and he also had new wounds all over his body. There was even a new cut on his face that exposed his bones underneath.

While trying his best to stand on his feet, Marco responded with a faint smile. “You look hideous. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Derrek chuckled and shook his head. “You look even worse.”

Marco looked around, searching for someone. “What about His Highness? Where is he?”

He saw the second prince joining them in battle, but he lost sight of him when he fought with the enemy cavalry commander.

Derrek pointed with his finger and replied. “He is fine. He got a few cuts, but nothing life-threatening. The healers should be able to heal him.”

“You don’t look very worried about him.” Marco raised an eyebrow.

“You misunderstand me. His Highness will never die as long as I live. Besides, there are three more Transcendents by his side. If they want to kill him, they would have to go through the four of us first.” Derrek shrugged.

Marco didn’t bother to argue with him and left after excusing himself.

The enemies were still engaging with the troops so he had to check the situation and make sure that things were under control.

While he was observing the battle, an injured warrior came up to him and reported in a grim voice. “My lord, Sir Vitaly has fallen.”

Hearing this, Marco was stunned, his eyes flashed with disbelief.

Vitaly was a Transcendent Knight who was ranked 83rd in the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard. He was one of the most prominent warriors in Iron Sand Fort and also one of his direct subordinates.

His death was a huge blow to the fortress city, but Marco couldn’t wallow in sadness. He had to remain calm in front of his subordinates to keep them composed.

“Were you able to retrieve his corpse?” He asked while feigning indifference.

The injured warrior lowered his head and replied in a sorrowful voice. “Yes, my lord, but his body isn’t intact. We only managed to take back his upper torso…”

The warrior suddenly kneeled and muttered, his voice choking up. “Your subordinate is incompetent! I failed to protect Sir Vitaly’s body!”

Marco’s shoulders trembled upon hearing this.

“Stand up. It’s not your fault. The blame is on me.” Marco grabbed the injured warrior and helped him stand up.

“My lord…”

“Where is Sir Vitaly’s body?” Marco asked.

The warrior pointed at one of the hundreds of corpses beneath the wall.

With his keen vision, Marco quickly spotted the familiar face among the corpses.

My friend… You have fought well… Leave everything to me…

He clenched his fists and pulled his eyes away.

When the sun was about to set, the enemies finally retreated.

Mountains of corpses were scattered all around the battlefield, filling the air with the strong stench of blood.

Looking at the bodies outside the fortress, Marco was filled with profound grief.

A moment later, another warrior approached him to give his report. “My lord, the enemy has retreated and all our warriors have…”

“…Four thousand five hundred sixty-seven of our soldiers were pronounced dead…”

“… Another issue is the corpses outside. If nothing is to be done, it might cause an epidemic. What should we do, my lord?”

Marco took a deep breath to gather his thoughts. Each information was difficult to take in.

After a moment of silence, he responded with a gloomy face. “Burn the corpses.”

The warrior was so shocked by his instructions that he was unable to speak for a few seconds. “But our comrades…”

Marco raised his hand and shook his head. “We don’t have the time and energy to retrieve our comrades’ remains. Our enemies might also take the chance to attack us if we try to take back the corpses.”

He knew that it was a difficult decision to make, but there was nothing he could do.

“Just do as I say.”

The warrior lowered his head to acknowledge the command. “Your subordinate obeys.”

Marco coldly watched as his subordinates poured oil onto the corpses.

In the next moment, the corpses were lit ablaze, creating a massive fire that engulfed the remains of the warriors!

Rest in peace, my brothers…

Marco felt emotional as he watched the corpses burn.

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