Chapter 44: 044: The end of the battle
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The White Whale writhed, trying to escape from the earth pillar that traps it.
when at the tip of its nose—
"—I dedicate this to my wife, Theresia van Astrea."
Raising above his head the Kusanagi sword he had borrowed from Arthur, alone Sword Devil swooped down—to lower the curtain on that
ferocious battle upon which hung life or death, vindictiveness spanning
fourteen years, and a history of conflict between man and the White Whale
spanning four hundred years.
—He raced like the wind, and the gleaming, treasured sword rent the stone-like hide with ease.
"Ooooooooooo—!!"
The shout the aged swordsman raised seemed to trail behind him. Whale
blood spewed from the fresh blade wound, dying the sky scarlet.
He appeared wounded all over his body.
Then as before, blood seemed to be dripping from his left shoulder, but
the blood spatter drenching his entire body had mixed with his own blood,
turning its color to black.
Over such a brief period of time, no more could be expected from healing
He was still in a gravely injured state, told he must have complete rest.
But seeing Wilhelm as he was that moment, none could laugh him off as
an old man on death's door.
Even if they control the fight mistake will happen sometime, and that mistake is the one that leads him to his current injury.
But...
Seeing the gleam in both his eyes, seeing the strength in his steps as he
raced, seeing the vividness of the slashes of the sword he wielded, hearing the
earsplitting cry echoing forth, and captivated by the glimmer of his soul, none
could laugh off the old man's accumulated life as that of a fool.
His blade ran, a scream rose, and the White Whale's enormous, suffering
body was wracked with intense pain.
With the demon beast crushed between the earth pillar, unable to move, the
Sword Devil racing along its back did not hesitate to use his blade. The slash begun at the tip of its head ran down its back and reached its tail, and when
the Sword Devil stood upon the ground, he turned right around, rending its
belly on his way back to the head.
In one swing—sharp, deep, and very, very long—the single flash of silver
cut the White Whale in two.
With a leap, the Sword Devil came down onto the tip of the unmoving
White Whale's nose once more.
looked each other eye to eye—their two fates merging together.
"…I have no intention of speaking ill to you. There is no use explaining
good and evil to a beast. Between you and me, there is only the law of life
and death: The weak are cut down by the strong."
" "
"Sleep—eternally."
Leaving behind one last little murmur, light faded from the White Whale's
eyes.
Its enormous body went limp, and when it collapsed, the earth shuddered;
No one could put the feeling of blood running underfoot into words.
A silence befell the Liphas Highway. And then—
"It's over, Theresia. It's finally…"
Atop the head of the immobile White Whale, Wilhelm turned his face
skyward.
When the treasured sword fell from his hand, he brought that hand up to
cover his face, and with a quivering voice, the weaponless Sword Devil said,
"Theresia, I…"
The voice was raspy, but there was boundless, undiminished love within
"I love you—!!"
They were words of love only Wilhelm knew. Things he had never told
her.
They contained feelings accumulated over many years, words he had not
spoken even once to the one he loved most, right up to the day he lost her.
Finally, after the passage of decades, Wilhelm had voiced the words with
which he should have answered her question so long ago.
Atop the corpse of the White Whale, his sword fallen from his grasp, the
Sword Devil cried out his love for his departed wife, and he wept.
"—Here, the White Whale has fallen."
Haltingly, the sound of a stirring voice echoed across the silence of the nighttime plain.
At that voice, the men, lost for words, lifted their faces.
Their gazes poured over a young woman calmly advancing to the fore on
the back of a white land dragon.
Her long, green hair was frayed, and she was cruelly adorned by wounds
suffered at the height of the battle, her face sullied by her own blood, a most
sorry state for her to be seen in.
And yet, in their eyes, the girl had never shone brighter.
That was natural for those who judged the worth of others by the glimmer
of their souls.
"..."
With the knights gazing upon her, the gallant young woman lifted her face
and took a deep breath.
Crusch thrust her fist toward the heavens as if to show her
closed hand to all present as she announced:
"The Demon Beast of Mist that menaced the world across four centuries
of life—has been slain by Wilhelm van Astrea!!
In this battle, we are victorious—!!"
With their lord loudly proclaiming victory, the surviving knights raised
shouts of joy.
With mist clearing over the plains, signs of night returned once more—a
proper night, with moonlight illuminating the people on the ground far and
wide.
And there, after four hundred years, the Battle of the White Whale came
to an end.
➡️➡➡
The casualties from this battle not too many but can't say as light either, even if Ludwig make large contributions for covering the frontline fighter but it is impossible for achieving zero casualties.
Many wounds people also need to get treatment as fast as possible, including the one who leads it, Crusch.
"Your master said this armor will protect Crusch-sama with barrier if there is incoming damage! How can Crusch-sama still getting wound, mew?!"
"Arthur-sama said, the barrier will protect her if there is an attack that can inflict a fatal wound to her, shallow wound like that didn't include in this protection" Ludwig answer lightly to Felix outbursts
"Even if like that-"
"That's enough Felix, Ludwig is right if the barrier deploy easily than our efforts to pour a large amount of mana to this armor will be a waste"
Crusch stops Felix outburst and stands up with Felix help.
"The Lightning at the end of the battle, who is it?" Crusch know who might it be but that's something out of her expectations to be true so she wants to find it if her deduction is wrong so she asks Ludwig
"That's my master" but Ludwig answer decisively
"That's absurd... such attacks and from that range"
Crusch still didn't believe it because if he can really attack from that range then there is no one can stop him.
"Believe it or not that's your problem, not me or my master" replied Ludwig
"Hey! How can you rude like that to Crusch-sama?!"
"She is your master, not mine. So I didn't have obligations to give her respect if she continued to doubt my master and ask about his secret"
"I'm sorry, that's a very immature act of me" Crusch know she is wrong so she apologizes without hesitating, and Kise appears to take over the conversation.
"Well there you're Ludwig, ah Crusch also here that's very convenient I want to discuss something with you" Kise is the only one who knows how much Ludwig respect at Arthur and the opposite, Ludwig also know how much Kise feel thankful to Arthur. Because of him, they can reunite, so they can't have a good feeling for someone who didn't respect him.
"What will you do with expeditionary forces?"
"We will go to Roswaal territory and bring them all, no matter it was who have an injury or in good condition. Arthur tells me beforehand to come and find him at the Roswaal mansion so I will do it. But we need to wait for reinforcements from Anastasia before we can move"
"Then I will cut the head of the white whale for a souvenir when the force comeback to the capital"
Half an hour later a group of mercenary hired by Anastasia is coming with the finest of knight, Julius Euclius who lead it.
He unmounts his land dragon and walks to Crusch to greet her.
"Congratulations, Crusch-sama. You success leading this expeditionary force to slain the beast who terrorized the whole world for four hundred years"
"I'm just acting as a leader here, all of the people here who participate is the one who did it. And there is another person who must get the most credit rather than me"
"Are you mean..."
"You can ask all of them who is have the highest contribution to this battle and you can ask Anastasia who is the one lend them to me. Let's drop it here, we need to go to Roswaal territory as fast as we can, you also see that lightning right?"
"Yes, that's very terrifying lightning magic, as expected of Margrave Roswaal"
"Well, I doubt the one who releases it is Roswaal, even if he is the greatest magician in the kingdom of Lugunica but he still far from achieving light magic like his fire, wind, and earth magic. Well we can find the truth after we arrive there so let's not waste our time more than this"
"Yes, Crusch-sama" even if Julius still have a doubt about Crusch answer, but like what she said they will know about it after they arrive at the Roswaal territory.
Crusch leads the convoy and drags the head of the white whale that tied to their mounts, their next destination is Roswaal territory.
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The White Whale writhed, trying to escape from the earth pillar that traps it.
when at the tip of its nose—
"—I dedicate this to my wife, Theresia van Astrea."
Raising above his head the Kusanagi sword he had borrowed from Arthur, alone Sword Devil swooped down—to lower the curtain on that
ferocious battle upon which hung life or death, vindictiveness spanning
fourteen years, and a history of conflict between man and the White Whale
spanning four hundred years.
—He raced like the wind, and the gleaming, treasured sword rent the stone-like hide with ease.
"Ooooooooooo—!!"
The shout the aged swordsman raised seemed to trail behind him. Whale
blood spewed from the fresh blade wound, dying the sky scarlet.
He appeared wounded all over his body.
Then as before, blood seemed to be dripping from his left shoulder, but
the blood spatter drenching his entire body had mixed with his own blood,
turning its color to black.
Over such a brief period of time, no more could be expected from healing
He was still in a gravely injured state, told he must have complete rest.
But seeing Wilhelm as he was that moment, none could laugh him off as
an old man on death's door.
Even if they control the fight mistake will happen sometime, and that mistake is the one that leads him to his current injury.
But...
Seeing the gleam in both his eyes, seeing the strength in his steps as he
raced, seeing the vividness of the slashes of the sword he wielded, hearing the
earsplitting cry echoing forth, and captivated by the glimmer of his soul, none
could laugh off the old man's accumulated life as that of a fool.
His blade ran, a scream rose, and the White Whale's enormous, suffering
body was wracked with intense pain.
With the demon beast crushed between the earth pillar, unable to move, the
Sword Devil racing along its back did not hesitate to use his blade. The slash begun at the tip of its head ran down its back and reached its tail, and when
the Sword Devil stood upon the ground, he turned right around, rending its
belly on his way back to the head.
In one swing—sharp, deep, and very, very long—the single flash of silver
cut the White Whale in two.
With a leap, the Sword Devil came down onto the tip of the unmoving
White Whale's nose once more.
looked each other eye to eye—their two fates merging together.
"…I have no intention of speaking ill to you. There is no use explaining
good and evil to a beast. Between you and me, there is only the law of life
and death: The weak are cut down by the strong."
" "
"Sleep—eternally."
Leaving behind one last little murmur, light faded from the White Whale's
eyes.
Its enormous body went limp, and when it collapsed, the earth shuddered;
No one could put the feeling of blood running underfoot into words.
A silence befell the Liphas Highway. And then—
"It's over, Theresia. It's finally…"
Atop the head of the immobile White Whale, Wilhelm turned his face
skyward.
When the treasured sword fell from his hand, he brought that hand up to
cover his face, and with a quivering voice, the weaponless Sword Devil said,
"Theresia, I…"
The voice was raspy, but there was boundless, undiminished love within
"I love you—!!"
They were words of love only Wilhelm knew. Things he had never told
her.
They contained feelings accumulated over many years, words he had not
spoken even once to the one he loved most, right up to the day he lost her.
Finally, after the passage of decades, Wilhelm had voiced the words with
which he should have answered her question so long ago.
Atop the corpse of the White Whale, his sword fallen from his grasp, the
Sword Devil cried out his love for his departed wife, and he wept.
"—Here, the White Whale has fallen."
Haltingly, the sound of a stirring voice echoed across the silence of the nighttime plain.
At that voice, the men, lost for words, lifted their faces.
Their gazes poured over a young woman calmly advancing to the fore on
the back of a white land dragon.
Her long, green hair was frayed, and she was cruelly adorned by wounds
suffered at the height of the battle, her face sullied by her own blood, a most
sorry state for her to be seen in.
And yet, in their eyes, the girl had never shone brighter.
That was natural for those who judged the worth of others by the glimmer
of their souls.
"..."
With the knights gazing upon her, the gallant young woman lifted her face
and took a deep breath.
Crusch thrust her fist toward the heavens as if to show her
closed hand to all present as she announced:
"The Demon Beast of Mist that menaced the world across four centuries
of life—has been slain by Wilhelm van Astrea!!
In this battle, we are victorious—!!"
With their lord loudly proclaiming victory, the surviving knights raised
shouts of joy.
With mist clearing over the plains, signs of night returned once more—a
proper night, with moonlight illuminating the people on the ground far and
wide.
And there, after four hundred years, the Battle of the White Whale came
to an end.
➡️➡➡
The casualties from this battle not too many but can't say as light either, even if Ludwig make large contributions for covering the frontline fighter but it is impossible for achieving zero casualties.
Many wounds people also need to get treatment as fast as possible, including the one who leads it, Crusch.
"Your master said this armor will protect Crusch-sama with barrier if there is incoming damage! How can Crusch-sama still getting wound, mew?!"
"Arthur-sama said, the barrier will protect her if there is an attack that can inflict a fatal wound to her, shallow wound like that didn't include in this protection" Ludwig answer lightly to Felix outbursts
"Even if like that-"
"That's enough Felix, Ludwig is right if the barrier deploy easily than our efforts to pour a large amount of mana to this armor will be a waste"
Crusch stops Felix outburst and stands up with Felix help.
"The Lightning at the end of the battle, who is it?" Crusch know who might it be but that's something out of her expectations to be true so she wants to find it if her deduction is wrong so she asks Ludwig
"That's my master" but Ludwig answer decisively
"That's absurd... such attacks and from that range"
Crusch still didn't believe it because if he can really attack from that range then there is no one can stop him.
"Believe it or not that's your problem, not me or my master" replied Ludwig
"Hey! How can you rude like that to Crusch-sama?!"
"She is your master, not mine. So I didn't have obligations to give her respect if she continued to doubt my master and ask about his secret"
"I'm sorry, that's a very immature act of me" Crusch know she is wrong so she apologizes without hesitating, and Kise appears to take over the conversation.
"Well there you're Ludwig, ah Crusch also here that's very convenient I want to discuss something with you" Kise is the only one who knows how much Ludwig respect at Arthur and the opposite, Ludwig also know how much Kise feel thankful to Arthur. Because of him, they can reunite, so they can't have a good feeling for someone who didn't respect him.
"What will you do with expeditionary forces?"
"We will go to Roswaal territory and bring them all, no matter it was who have an injury or in good condition. Arthur tells me beforehand to come and find him at the Roswaal mansion so I will do it. But we need to wait for reinforcements from Anastasia before we can move"
"Then I will cut the head of the white whale for a souvenir when the force comeback to the capital"
Half an hour later a group of mercenary hired by Anastasia is coming with the finest of knight, Julius Euclius who lead it.
He unmounts his land dragon and walks to Crusch to greet her.
"Congratulations, Crusch-sama. You success leading this expeditionary force to slain the beast who terrorized the whole world for four hundred years"
"I'm just acting as a leader here, all of the people here who participate is the one who did it. And there is another person who must get the most credit rather than me"
"Are you mean..."
"You can ask all of them who is have the highest contribution to this battle and you can ask Anastasia who is the one lend them to me. Let's drop it here, we need to go to Roswaal territory as fast as we can, you also see that lightning right?"
"Yes, that's very terrifying lightning magic, as expected of Margrave Roswaal"
"Well, I doubt the one who releases it is Roswaal, even if he is the greatest magician in the kingdom of Lugunica but he still far from achieving light magic like his fire, wind, and earth magic. Well we can find the truth after we arrive there so let's not waste our time more than this"
"Yes, Crusch-sama" even if Julius still have a doubt about Crusch answer, but like what she said they will know about it after they arrive at the Roswaal territory.
Crusch leads the convoy and drags the head of the white whale that tied to their mounts, their next destination is Roswaal territory.
The White Whale writhed, trying to escape from the earth pillar that traps it.when at the tip of its nose"I dedicate this to my wife, Theresia van Astrea."Raising above his head the Kusanagi sword he had borrowed from Arthur, alone Sword Devil swooped downto lower the curtain on thatferocious battle upon which hung life or death, vindictiveness spanningfourteen years, and a history of conflict between man and the White Whalespanning four hundred years.He raced like the wind, and the gleaming, treasured sword rent the stone-like hide with ease."Ooooooooooo!!"The shout the aged swordsman raised seemed to trail behind him. Whaleblood spewed from the fresh blade wound, dying the sky scarlet.He appeared wounded all over his body.Then as before, blood seemed to be dripping from his left shoulder, butthe blood spatter drenching his entire body had mixed with his own blood,turning its color to black.Over such a brief period of time, no more could be expected from healingHe was still in a gravely injured state, told he must have complete rest.But seeing Wilhelm as he was that moment, none could laugh him off asan old man on death's door.Even if they control the fight mistake will happen sometime, and that mistake is the one that leads him to his current injury.But...Seeing the gleam in both his eyes, seeing the strength in his steps as heraced, seeing the vividness of the slashes of the sword he wielded, hearing theearsplitting cry echoing forth, and captivated by the glimmer of his soul, nonecould laugh off the old man's accumulated life as that of a fool.His blade ran, a scream rose, and the White Whale's enormous, sufferingbody was wracked with intense pain.With the demon beast crushed between the earth pillar, unable to move, theSword Devil racing along its back did not hesitate to use his blade. The slash begun at the tip of its head ran down its back and reached its tail, and whenthe Sword Devil stood upon the ground, he turned right around, rending itsbelly on his way back to the head.In one swingsharp, deep, and very, very longthe single flash of silvercut the White Whale in two.With a leap, the Sword Devil came down onto the tip of the unmovingWhite Whale's nose once more.looked each other eye to eyetheir two fates merging together."I have no intention of speaking ill to you. There is no use explaininggood and evil to a beast. Between you and me, there is only the law of lifeand death: The weak are cut down by the strong."" ""Sleepeternally."Leaving behind one last little murmur, light faded from the White Whale'seyes.Its enormous body went limp, and when it collapsed, the earth shuddered;No one could put the feeling of blood running underfoot into words.A silence befell the Liphas Highway. And then"It's over, Theresia. It's finally"Atop the head of the immobile White Whale, Wilhelm turned his faceskyward.When the treasured sword fell from his hand, he brought that hand up tocover his face, and with a quivering voice, the weaponless Sword Devil said,"Theresia, I"The voice was raspy, but there was boundless, undiminished love within"I love you!!"They were words of love only Wilhelm knew. Things he had never toldher.They contained feelings accumulated over many years, words he had notspoken even once to the one he loved most, right up to the day he lost her.Finally, after the passage of decades, Wilhelm had voiced the words withwhich he should have answered her question so long ago.Atop the corpse of the White Whale, his sword fallen from his grasp, theSword Devil cried out his love for his departed wife, and he wept."Here, the White Whale has fallen."Haltingly, the sound of a stirring voice echoed across the silence of the nighttime plain.At that voice, the men, lost for words, lifted their faces.Their gazes poured over a young woman calmly advancing to the fore onthe back of a white land dragon.Her long, green hair was frayed, and she was cruelly adorned by woundssuffered at the height of the battle, her face sullied by her own blood, a mostsorry state for her to be seen in.And yet, in their eyes, the girl had never shone brighter.That was natural for those who judged the worth of others by the glimmerof their souls."..."With the knights gazing upon her, the gallant young woman lifted her faceand took a deep breath.Crusch thrust her fist toward the heavens as if to show herclosed hand to all present as she announced:"The Demon Beast of Mist that menaced the world across four centuriesof lifehas been slain by Wilhelm van Astrea!!In this battle, we are victorious!!"With their lord loudly proclaiming victory, the surviving knights raisedshouts of joy.With mist clearing over the plains, signs of night returned once moreaproper night, with moonlight illuminating the people on the ground far andwide.And there, after four hundred years, the Battle of the White Whale cameto an end.The casualties from this battle not too many but can't say as light either, even if Ludwig make large contributions for covering the frontline fighter but it is impossible for achieving zero casualties.Many wounds people also need to get treatment as fast as possible, including the one who leads it, Crusch."Your master said this armor will protect Crusch-sama with barrier if there is incoming damage! How can Crusch-sama still getting wound, mew?!""Arthur-sama said, the barrier will protect her if there is an attack that can inflict a fatal wound to her, shallow wound like that didn't include in this protection" Ludwig answer lightly to Felix outbursts"Even if like that-""That's enough Felix, Ludwig is right if the barrier deploy easily than our efforts to pour a large amount of mana to this armor will be a waste"Crusch stops Felix outburst and stands up with Felix help."The Lightning at the end of the battle, who is it?" Crusch know who might it be but that's something out of her expectations to be true so she wants to find it if her deduction is wrong so she asks Ludwig"That's my master" but Ludwig answer decisively"That's absurd... such attacks and from that range"Crusch still didn't believe it because if he can really attack from that range then there is no one can stop him."Believe it or not that's your problem, not me or my master" replied Ludwig"Hey! How can you rude like that to Crusch-sama?!""She is your master, not mine. So I didn't have obligations to give her respect if she continued to doubt my master and ask about his secret""I'm sorry, that's a very immature act of me" Crusch know she is wrong so she apologizes without hesitating, and Kise appears to take over the conversation."Well there you're Ludwig, ah Crusch also here that's very convenient I want to discuss something with you" Kise is the only one who knows how much Ludwig respect at Arthur and the opposite, Ludwig also know how much Kise feel thankful to Arthur. Because of him, they can reunite, so they can't have a good feeling for someone who didn't respect him."What will you do with expeditionary forces?""We will go to Roswaal territory and bring them all, no matter it was who have an injury or in good condition. Arthur tells me beforehand to come and find him at the Roswaal mansion so I will do it. But we need to wait for reinforcements from Anastasia before we can move""Then I will cut the head of the white whale for a souvenir when the force comeback to the capital"Half an hour later a group of mercenary hired by Anastasia is coming with the finest of knight, Julius Euclius who lead it.He unmounts his land dragon and walks to Crusch to greet her."Congratulations, Crusch-sama. You success leading this expeditionary force to slain the beast who terrorized the whole world for four hundred years""I'm just acting as a leader here, all of the people here who participate is the one who did it. And there is another person who must get the most credit rather than me""Are you mean...""You can ask all of them who is have the highest contribution to this battle and you can ask Anastasia who is the one lend them to me. Let's drop it here, we need to go to Roswaal territory as fast as we can, you also see that lightning right?""Yes, that's very terrifying lightning magic, as expected of Margrave Roswaal""Well, I doubt the one who releases it is Roswaal, even if he is the greatest magician in the kingdom of Lugunica but he still far from achieving light magic like his fire, wind, and earth magic. Well we can find the truth after we arrive there so let's not waste our time more than this""Yes, Crusch-sama" even if Julius still have a doubt about Crusch answer, but like what she said they will know about it after they arrive at the Roswaal territory.Crusch leads the convoy and drags the head of the white whale that tied to their mounts, their next destination is Roswaal territory.
