The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

Chapter 119

At the same time…

Those who had been communicating through magical channels were now silent. Originally, there were seven of them, but now only three remained, excluding the bird mask who was in Hatzfeld.

The fox, the dragon, and the scorpion.

Only these three were left.

After a long period of silence, the one with the fox mask broke it.

"Things have gotten serious. The second and third seats are dead."

"Is that even possible?"

A woman with the scorpion mask responded, her voice grave.

Shortly after, the voice of the dragon mask joined in.

"Maybe they killed each other while competing?"

"Yeah, maybe the Guardian Lord or the Blue Flash stepped in."

To them, the Guardian Lord was pure terror. He was one of the top three strongest among the Twelve Star Lords. Even the Blue Flash, his closest aide, was stronger than the Executioners.

It was thanks to these two that the fallen Rehinar had managed to persist for so long. If not for them, Rehinar would have collapsed long ago.

"It wasn’t those two."

"Then who was it?"

"Kane Rehinar took down both the second and third seats. It seems he has fully absorbed the Blood Star."

"Can a human even absorb that?"

"Most humans wouldn’t be able to handle it; their bodies would explode."

The Blood Star was different from the other elemental stars. It was the power of demons, an elixir made by the Demon Lord, who had melted his very essence into it.

Even a Blood Knight couldn't fully absorb its power. Long ago, even the highest-ranked Blood Knight had been consumed by demonic energy.

The Blood Star was beyond what any human could endure. And yet, they were expected to believe that Kane Rehinar had absorbed it?

But the next words from the fox mask left the other two shocked.

"Even though the second seat used the power of oblivion, they were utterly defeated. The third seat joined in the middle of the fight but was taken down without even landing a proper attack."

"No way!"

"That makes no sense. They’re both Beginner-tier 7th Class, almost ready to advance to mid-tier. And they were beaten by that kid?"

"Are you saying Kane Rehinar is on the level of the Twelve Star Lords?"

"Maybe. If he wasn’t at that level, the second and third seats wouldn’t have been defeated so easily. Even the knights they brought along were all killed."

The fox mask shuddered as he spoke. In the past few hundred years, had there ever been a threat like this? Everything had gone according to the Meyer Family’s plans, without the slightest mistake. But recently, every operation had failed, all of them involving Kane.

He was a threat they needed to take seriously.

"We can’t underestimate him anymore."

"It’s hard to believe. We’re being shaken up by a mere 21-year-old kid."

"We should halt our internal competition for now."

"It’s disgraceful as an executioner."

"I’m sure the Clan Lord is furious."

"It seems he’s keeping an eye on how we handle this. There are plenty in the House of the Sun who could replace us."

"What should we do now, Fifth Seat? I’ll follow your lead. We can't just sit here and let this happen."

"I agree with the Fourth Seat. If this continues, someone else will take my place."

The Scorpion-masked Fourth Seat and Dragon-masked Sixth Seat waited for the fox-masked Fifth Seat to speak.

Though he held the position of Fifth Seat, the fox mask had been in this role the longest. While ranking was determined by strength, how long one held their position was another matter. No one knew how long the Fifth Seat had been in this role or even how old he was or what status he held.

They simply recognized him as their senior, but everything else about him was shrouded in mystery.

"Honestly, I’d prefer to lay low for a while... but it seems the Clan Lord’s patience is wearing thin. Until we bring Rehinar under our control, his anger won’t subside."

"Is there no other way?"

"The only option is to infiltrate Rehinar with our people."

"But that’s difficult. Rehinar has been purging anyone they suspect of being a spy."

"All of our people were killed. How can we infiltrate now?"

Rehinar was actively hunting down anyone who seemed suspicious, especially those who hadn’t lived there for a long time. Even if they replaced someone with one of their agents, Rehinar would find them in no time. Sending more people risked exposing their entire network, so they had stopped trying.

"We’ll have to plant spies through other means."

"How?"

"Rehinar’s main source of income right now is their military academy. The fees paid by noble children are enormous. Rehinar will likely continue to rely on this academy. That’s our opening."

"A friendly exchange!"

"You’re suggesting we host an exchange program?"

"Looks like you’re finally catching on."

"As expected of the Fifth Seat. You really know how to maintain your position as an executioner."

"But even if we get into Rehinar, that’s not the end, is it?"

"From what I’ve seen... Kane Rehinar reminds me a lot of the Guardian Lord."

"In what way?"

"His love for Rehinar. Whenever an enemy shows up, he always goes out alone to face them. He did it with Dyer, Tegelo, and even with the second and third seats. Heh."

The fox mask’s lips curled upward into a sinister smile, a grin that matched the wickedness of his voice.

---

Kane’s BloodSky Blades transformed into a bow.

He pulled the string without an arrow, and a flaming purple arrow materialized. It was made of pure mana—a Mana Arrow.

"Let’s turn this place into a fucking sea of flames."

Kane had no intention of talking with McCarthy. His mindset was simple: see the enemy, kill the enemy. What was the point of talking when they would just spew the same nonsense? It was better to eliminate them quickly and move on to the next battle.

[Blood Phoenix’s Breath has been activated.]

Bang!

The Mana Arrow shot forward, not in an arc, but in a straight line. Skimming across the ground, it blazed a trail of fire as it sped through McCarthy’s forces.

It was a recreation of the first move of the Phoenix Spear Technique: Flames of Severance, but using a bow.

McCarthy’s formation was split, and flames erupted between the gaps.

Bang!

Another arrow flew, this time tracing an arc through the sky. The arrow transformed into a phoenix and plummeted into McCarthy’s camp.

Boom!

An explosion rocked the area, sending up a cloud of dust. The fire spread to the forest, turning it into an inferno.

Kane didn’t stop there. He shot dozens of Mana Arrows into the sky.

And then...

Dozens of mana arrows exploded in the sky.

They created hundreds of meteors, small flaming masses that rained down on McCarthy's camp. Each time one hit the ground, the gruesome sound of flesh being torn filled the air.

"The fireworks should be enough. Time to finish the rest."

"I'll lead the charge."

Mikhail, mounted on a Blood Tiger, surged ahead. Kane followed closely behind, his BloodSky Blades having transformed into a spear.

"Quite the spectacle of flames you’ve created."

"They were confident fire wasn’t a weakness of theirs. That’s why I exploited it."

"True, they never would’ve expected someone with a stronger fire rune on the opposing side. You’re quite clever, Young Master."

"Let’s say I have a knack for finding the enemy's weak spots."

Mikhail burst into hearty laughter. Despite his rough appearance, the Young Master had a surprising sense of humor. At first, Mikhail thought he was nothing but stern and serious, but recently, he’d started cracking more jokes. There was a surprising humanity beneath his exterior, though Mikhail still saw him as a monster—especially in moments like this.

Thwack!

Kane hurled his spear forward, the flaming weapon slicing through the air. As it spun, it generated a fierce current, creating a vortex of fire that scorched everything in its path. Anyone within range was consumed by the blazing inferno.

That wasn’t all. When the spear struck the ground, a deafening explosion followed.

Boom!

The earth shook as limbs and bodies were flung into the air. The battlefield had already turned into a hellish landscape.

"Aaaah!"

"Spare me!"

"M-my arm!!"

The agonized cries of McCarthy’s soldiers filled the air, but Kane showed no hesitation. He moved his spear once more, unleashing a vacuum slash that tore through their ranks.

Kzzzzt!

McCarthy’s forces were cut down without mercy. Kane’s spear offered no reprieve.

"Let them taste death!"

Hundreds of Blood Tigers rampaged alongside him. These beasts, which thrived on blood, grew twice as large after feeding on the blood of McCarthy's soldiers. Kane's mana only amplified their power.

Crack!

The Blood Tigers tore through the soldiers, their hulking forms battering everything in their path. The screams of hundreds, even thousands, echoed as McCarthy’s forces were slaughtered. A river of blood flowed from the bodies of the fallen, turning the battlefield into a crimson nightmare.

* * *

"Extinguish the flames with mana!"

The Count shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the chorus of screams. Thousands of agonized cries filled the air as chaos consumed his forces.

Despite his orders, the soldiers were uncontrollable. The commanders, too, were gripped by confusion. Some soldiers were ablaze, caught in the inferno, while others had been instantly killed by the fireballs raining down from the sky.

The Count desperately tried to extinguish the flames around him, but they refused to die down.

"How is this possible?"

As someone with a fire rune, he should have been able to control or suppress the blaze. But the flames continued to rage. Moments later, he realized the source of the problem.

"Could it be because of them!?"

Two figures were spreading the fire across the battlefield. Their flames were far stronger than anything he had seen.

"Do they possess a fire rune more powerful than mine?"

Just as confusion clouded his thoughts, his gaze met Kane’s. The young man's eyes glowed with a purple hue.

"Purple flames? I’ve never seen mana like that."

The Count furrowed his brow as Kane suddenly charged at him.

Boom!

Their spears clashed, and the force nearly made the Count lose his grip on his weapon. He struggled to regain his footing, preparing to strike again. But then, a sly grin appeared on Kane’s face.

"How foolish. Do you not know what Rehinars are famous for?"

With Kane’s low voice, his spear split apart. Now dual-wielding blades, the eerie and sinister aura of the twin blades filled the air.

'Dangerous—'

Before the Count could retreat, Kane’s twin blades moved.

Flash!

In a single stroke, the Count’s spear was cleaved in two. A thin red line appeared on his neck, blood slowly trickling from the cut.

"...So you are the one who killed my son..."

Those were the Count's last words before he collapsed.

"Th-the Count... he's dead..."

"This can’t be happening."

"Something is terribly wrong."

The vassals of McCarthy stood in shocked silence. Their leader, who had survived even encounters with the Guardian Lord, had been defeated so easily.

"R-run! We can’t win this!"

With their commander dead, the McCarthy forces crumbled. Complete and utter defeat followed as their soldiers fled in all directions. But their escape was short-lived.

The soldiers of Rehinar charged forward, cutting down the retreating McCarthy forces.

Camilla, mounted on horseback, raised her sword high and shouted,

"Aid the Young Master! Annihilate the enemy!"

The soldiers of Rehinar fearlessly rushed into the flames, cutting down their opponents without hesitation.