Chapter 47: Not Over Yet [3]
The Gnoll, who had made his way into the ranks, saw the fallen Carl and jumped in.
Carl did not learn how to swing a sword while lying flat on the floor.
"Whoa!"
Carl reflexively raises his sword at the scenery seen through the visor slit.
Kaang!
Carl's long sword collided with Gnoll's axe as sparks from both weapons flew away in the air.
There was going to be only one who can be alive after this.
Carl held the sword with all his might, but he could not withstand the power of the monster gnoll, which was stronger than an adult man.
The sword bounces in vain from his grasp and flies away.
However, the gnoll's ax, made with crude metallurgy, could not withstand the blow and its head was broken.
Shattered fragments fall from the sack.
In a split second, the gnoll puts down the sack and stabs its claws, aiming for Carl's head and neck.
His death is visible in Carl's eyes.
He wanted to live.
"Kwaaah!"
Carl screams as his head and neck are grabbed.
Carl's body shakes helplessly like a toy due to the enormous power of the gnoll.
Crack! Crack!
The gnoll opens its mouth wide and tries to bite Carl's neck. Fortunately, the sturdy helmet provided by the imperial family covers everything from the neck down.
The teeth that slipped on the armor tore the collar of the clothes and harshly scratched the slightly exposed collarbone.
'Awesome power and a terrible stench. And the pain of my skin being torn!'
Before he knew it, Carl's screams had stopped, and it looked as if his neck had been bitten and he was already dead.
Brust! Brust! Brust! Brust!
Woooow!
However, the moment a series of short bursts were heard, the gnoll that was biting Carl screamed, twisted its body, and ran away.
The moment the gnoll retreated, Carl jumped up, ran towards the crouching gnoll, clung to him, and mercilessly stabbed the gnoll's neck and shoulders with the dagger in his right hand, killing him.
Thrust-!
Spurt-!
"HahahaHaha!"
Carol threw away the dagger before his breathing calmed down and frantically fumbled around to grab her sword.
In that brief moment when the gnoll rushed in, Carl's cool-headed, machine-like survival instinct immediately thought of a way out.
Trying to block it with his arms will only make him an vurble. So he trusts his armor and gives his head and neck.
Then, pull out the dagger from its right side and kill it.
Even Carl himself couldn't figure out how he came up with it or how he did it.
Carl stumbled, drenched in blood pouring from the gnoll who was riding on top of him.
But he stood firm again, and coolly turned his head to find where he was needed.
"Heal others! I am OK!"
Carl stopped Milton, who was trying to rush over, with a loud voice.
Really, Carl was fine.
'My whole body feels like it's burning hot, and it also feels like it's freezing cold.'
'Maybe it's because of the adrenaline, but I can't even feel the pain.'
Even though his body was at its limit, he made eye contact with Bilford, who was trying to crawl towards him on all fours.
However, there was no time to say anything, so Carl immediately raised his sword and ran towards another direction.
The battle is not over yet.
***
Fortunately, my body did not neglect training and did not get tired even after fierce attacks without mana.
'surprising.'
The moment Carl was attacked by the gnoll and screamed, Catherine tried to use her mana to save him. She thought that things couldn't go on like this, so she tried to run away with Carl.
However, Carl killed the gnoll with his own strength and escaped.
As if that wasn't enough, he suddenly stands up and continues swinging his sword to kill the gnoll.
Incredible mental strength, judgment, fighting spirit, and survival instinct.
There is no point in crouching in fear, so he will fight against it at the risk of danger and open a way forward.
That thought is conveyed intact.
But there were still too many gnolls, the conscripts were now virtually annihilated, and the imperial soldiers were also greatly exhausted.
Even Milton and Catherine have almost no mana, and Bilford has barely recovered his stamina.
The battle can't be turned around with just one Carl.
It seems like everything is over.
Nevertheless, Catherine did not use all of her remaining mana to escape with Carl.
It was not an unreasonable thought, such as not being able to leave the others alone or respecting Carl's will, but a decision made after carefully reading the situation as a knight.
"Hold on just a little longer!"
'We fought for a while. Nevertheless, it is difficult to even estimate how much longer we will have to fight.'
In the meantime, there is no point in Catherine saying things like 'just a little more'. Anyone can clearly see that this is just verbal encouragement.
"Hold on just a little longer and help will come!"
Support, support...
Carl smiled wryly inside his helmet at Catherine's words.
No matter how well Harmon did, he don't think reinforcements will come already.
The punitive force moved too quickly.
Even if the reinforcements left immediately after Carl left, considering the number of soldiers remaining in the castle and the supplies they would bring, they would have to wait at least another 30 minutes at the earliest.
Looking at the current situation, it seems that in 30 minutes, Carl can eat one meal and still have plenty left over.
"Whoa! Phew!"
Carl was no longer able to encourage the soldiers as loudly as he had at first.
'My voice was so hoarse that I couldn't speak well, and it was hard to catch my breath, and I felt like I was going to collapse if I did that.'
"Huh!"
Carl let out a helpless cheer and raised his sword diagonally from the lower right to the upper left.
chin!
Wooow!
The gnoll's sword was blocked by Carl sword, and Carl's sword cut a long line across the gnoll's stomach and chest.
Carl pushed his arms forward against the power of the gnoll that was charging at his.
Thanks to the strength and weight of the gnoll's lunge, the blade penetrated the gnoll's chest even with Carl's weak strength.
Gnoll, who had been pierced through his right chest, is breathing heavily in pain. Blood spurts out from the nose and mouth.
Carl didn't even flinch despite the fishy smell coming from the blood splattering on her visor.
The moment he endured the pain and tried to swing the axe, he suddenly lowered his stance.
Swish…
The axe passes over the helmet in vain.
The hilt of the sword naturally lowered along with Carl's lowered body. When the hilt of the sword is lowered while the sword is stuck and fixed, the wound opens wide and the sword is easily pulled out.
Rather than backing down, Carl pulled out his arm and pulled out his sword, then naturally thrust the sword standing in the middle with all his might.
Grrr…
It cleanly pierced the gnoll's neck, which was already filled with blood in its lungs. The sound of blood foam flowing from a neck wound is unpleasant.
"Whoa! Whoa! Sooooo… ! Phew!"
Carl steps back and catches his breath.
His mind was constantly repeating the linked movements taught by Catherine and Bilford, teaching him how to move.
Carl only learned the basic posture, and the linked movements are just movements derived from the basic posture.
However, as if to prove that basics are not basics for nothing, Carl was able to easily kill an axe-wielding gnoll.