Trenches, Guns, and Magic

Morin originally just asked casually, but unexpectedly, the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 actually gave him an answer.

"Hmph, merely two defeated foes..."

This sentence rose from the depths of Morin's mind carrying a sense of arrogance. Aside from retaining an archaic flavor, this time even the emotion transmitted quite completely.

"Defeated foes?"

The Holy Sword's answer meant that it had crossed paths with the two weapons in the hands of Ferdinand I and his wife.

In that instant, Morin felt his vision shift. Everything in his sight fractured like shattered glass, replaced by a flood of entirely different scenes flashing before his eyes.

Soldiers battled across mountains and plains... Yet this wasn't any battle Morin had experienced.

Those soldiers wore medieval chainmail and plate armor, covered by surcoats of various colors and crests, wielding spears, broadswords, and battleaxes.

The banners raised in the formation were embroidered with the Holy See's double-key emblem, along with several other crests Morin didn't recognize.

Fifteen knights radiating golden holy light marched at the very front of the army.

Every single one of their armors was unique, similar in style to the white heavy armor Cleric Cristiano currently wore.

But more ornate and heavier, with different holy words and holy symbols affixed to the pauldrons.

At this moment, Morin realized he was "watching" all this from the perspective of one of those Paladins.

Or rather, he directly became the one in the very center of the fifteen Supreme Paladins. He could even feel the temperature transmitting from the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 gripped in his palm.

The Holy Sword was far more "active" now than Morin felt in reality. The golden light on the blade almost turned it into a golden "lightsaber."

Ahead lay a dark red sky—almost identical to the blood-colored dome over Bucharest, just thicker, and expanding as if it covered the entire horizon.

"Supreme Paladins, advance with me!"

A resonant voice issued from Morin's mouth. The owner of this perspective tightened his grip on the Holy Sword, leading the other fourteen Supreme Paladins in a charge forward.

The scene jumped, cutting rapidly through a series of bloody close-quarters melees.

The Paladin in the primary perspective swung the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】. Every eruption of golden flame incinerated the surrounding vampire creatures.

But there were too many vampires. Like a Zerg swarm from another world, as soon as one wave fell, the next immediately filled the gap.

And in the center of the vampire army stood a figure clad in pitch-black full plate armor.

The man was tall, his face cold and pale, his features sharply defined.

Dark gold patterns, even more intense than Ferdinand I's, flowed within his scarlet pupils. He exuded a suffocating, oppressive aura.

Vlad III...

The man known over four hundred years ago as the "Impaler," the Wallachian ruler once hailed by the Holy See as the "Shield of Christ" who ultimately fell to darkness.

And the longsword in his hand looked exceptionally familiar to Morin... or rather, it was identical to the one gripped by Ferdinand I.

The scene jumped again.

The Paladin had fought his way to Vlad III. The two swords clashed in mid-air, golden and dark red light exploding as they intertwined.

The next instant, Morin felt a figure suddenly appear on the right.

It was a slender warrior in dark red armor, striking from the flank at an extremely tricky angle. Clearly, this was a Blood Dragon Knight, Vlad III's personal guard.

The Paladin spun sharply, sweeping the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 horizontally.

Golden holy light engulfed the Blood Dragon Knight's entire body. Armor... flesh... bone, everything turned to ash in the flames.

It was obvious the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 of the past was far more powerful than it was now. Facing vampires, it was basically equivalent to rapid-firing a light cannon.

But the very moment this strike landed, Morin felt a sharp pain erupt under his left armpit.

Looking down, a longsword had pierced into his body through the gap under the armor's armpit. He recognized the style of that sword too; it was the weapon wielded by the Blood Dragon Knight just now.

In the final moment before being incinerated by holy light, the knight launched a desperate thrust.

And this weapon was identical to the one in Queen Marie's hand.

Simultaneously, a complex emotion transmitted from the Holy Sword. At the very least, Morin tasted anger, regret, and unwillingness in it...

Morin could feel the Supreme Paladin's reaction upon realizing he had taken a fatal wound.

He showed no fear or hesitation. He merely gripped the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 tighter, and alongside the remaining surviving Paladins, launched a final charge at Vlad III.

The scene froze here.

Vlad III's cold, pale face began to blur. His features gradually twisted and deformed, ultimately solidifying again.

It morphed into Ferdinand I's gloomy face...

This massive flashback concluded in an instant.

When Morin's consciousness returned to his own body, Queen Marie was still in the state of having just finished their clash. Nothing around them had changed.

In other words, that entire sequence of events had been condensed into the split second after the two swords collided.

Morin quickly digested this information, letting out an involuntary sigh in his mind.

"So new grudges and old debts have come together..."

The "Dark Sword" in Ferdinand I's hand—let's call it that for now—was Vlad III's relic.

The rapier in Queen Marie's hand belonged to the Blood Dragon Knight who ambushed the Holy Sword wielder over four hundred years ago.

In the last clash between these three weapons, someone survived, and someone didn't.

And today, through a twist of fate, they met again.

"Focus on the battle, Swordbearer!"

The voice of the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 interrupted Morin's thoughts. The previous arrogance was gone from its tone, replaced by solemnity.

After saying this, the Holy Sword spoke no more, but the golden holy light erupting from the blade intensified significantly.

That power surged along the hilt into Morin's palm. It felt as if this ancient weapon was telling him in its own way: "What couldn't be finished last time is up to you this time... Swordbearer."

Morin: "A tsundere sword indeed. Why not just say it straight..."

Despite his thought, Morin gripped the hilt tighter.

Opposite him, Queen Marie clearly sensed the change in the Holy Sword as well. Her scarlet pupils contracted slightly as she stepped half a pace back.

But this retreat was only to gather momentum. The next second, she charged again.

Meanwhile, from the corner of his eye, Morin caught sight of Ferdinand I deeper in the main hall. The king stood his ground, spreading the five fingers of his left hand.

Guided by his fingertips, dozens of thick, blood-red tentacles ripped from the floor and walls, sweeping toward Klaus and the Thunder Warriors.

Morin stopped overthinking it. He stepped forward to meet Queen Marie's assault, swinging his silver-edged longsword in his left hand from another angle.

Queen Marie leaned back gracefully to dodge, then coiled her body against the wall like a spring. Bouncing back at an unnatural angle, her longsword blurred into a red streak.

The twin swords crossed. Gold and blood-red light clashed once more.

Morin had to admit, Queen Marie's fencing was truly impressive. She had clearly undergone extensive, systematic training before becoming a vampire.

For the nobility in this era dominated by gunpowder and bullets, fencing had become a "social sport" for physical fitness.

But right now, it heavily amplified Queen Marie's combat power. Her attack rhythm was elusive, and her sword strike angles were tricky to the point of artistry.

Sometimes the sword tip aimed straight at Morin's left shoulder, only to suddenly flip the wrist mid-way, turning into an upward slash at his lower abdomen.

A normal human physique couldn't execute such rapid feints.

But as a vampire, superhuman muscle reflexes and joint mobility made every one of her feints silky smooth.

"Clang!"

The 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 blocked another rapid slash.

Golden flames exploded at the point of contact, and Queen Marie swiftly pulled her weapon back.

A shallow scorch mark remained on the flat of her blade, proving the holy light wasn't entirely ineffective against her weapon.

The problem was, this minor burn was far from enough to render her weapon useless.

"Your sword is very annoying..."

Queen Marie spoke for the first time.

She spoke in Britannian with a pure accent, carrying an elegant tone belonging to royalty.

"To think the piece of trash weaving through the Dresden banquets would become today's formidable enemy."

Morin didn't reply. Mostly because he didn't have the face to answer that...

Besides, he was busy using the silver-edged longsword in his left hand to intercept a tentacle sneaking up from the other side.

The blade sliced into the tentacle's surface tissue. The burning effect of the silver caused the tentacle to twitch violently and retract, but two new tentacles immediately burst from the cracks in the floor.

Ferdinand I's control grew increasingly precise.

The tentacles no longer just attacked the Thunder Warriors indiscriminately. A portion of them began consciously disrupting Morin's combat rhythm.

Whenever Morin found an opening to counterattack, a tentacle would thrust from an unexpected direction. The royal couple's coordination was far more seamless than Morin anticipated.

"Quite the clear division of labor..."

The thought flashed through Morin's mind. Queen Marie handled the close-quarters melee to drain his stamina and attention, while Ferdinand I held the rear, using the power of the "Blood River" for ranged harassment and continuous attacks on the Thunder Warriors...

This tactic was smart and disgusting, forcing Morin to simultaneously deal with two completely different types of threats.

The crucial issue was that the counter-spells he prepared today were temporarily useless.

He had tried to use 【Dispel Magic】 and 【Counterspell】 during the fight, but the system prompted him that they couldn't be cast.

Clearly, these vampire spells weren't influenced by traditional magic systems; they operated on an entirely different set of rules.

Three more exchanges.

After cleaving a tentacle with his left-hand silver blade, Morin redirected the sword tip toward Queen Marie's throat.

Her reaction was brilliant. Seizing the recovery frame of Morin's attack, she brought her longsword up from below at an impossible angle, deflecting the silver blade, and seamlessly launched a kick while spinning her body.

The kick planted squarely on Morin's lower abdomen.

Even cushioned by 【Mage Armor】, Morin skidded back several steps, his boots leaving two skid marks on the slick, fleshy tissue.

"Tch, this Duo Boss fight is brutal..." Morin muttered.

He then swept the silver-edged longsword low from the right, while bringing the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 down high from the left. The two different colored sword lights crossed in mid-air.

Queen Marie was forced to block the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 with her sword—since that weapon posed the greater threat—then leaned backward using the momentum to dodge the horizontal sweep of the silver blade.

But Morin didn't stop. As she retreated, the tip of the silver sword darted straight for Queen Marie's right shoulder.

"Ding!"

The sword tip struck the shoulder guard of her blood-red breastplate, showering sparks.

It failed to penetrate the armor, but the burning effect of the enchanted silver blade still left a clear corrosion mark on the surface.

Queen Marie groaned in pain and finally opened up some distance. In this brief gap, Ferdinand I finally stopped "standing still and dealing damage."

He appeared on Morin's right, swinging the pitch-black longsword in a horizontal slash.

The dark red liquid flowing on the blade whipped outward during the swing, forming an arc of sword energy carrying a corrosive effect.

The slash was fast, but compared to Queen Marie, the concealment of his attack path was a tier lower.

Morin blocked backward with the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 in his right hand. The two swords collided in mid-air.

"Clang!"

A dull metallic clash echoed.

Immediately following, the royal couple pressed in from two directions simultaneously.

Morin raised a sword in each hand to the left and right, blocking attacks from two different directions in a single breath.

"Boom!"

"Ding!"

Two distinct collisions rang out almost simultaneously.

On the left, the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 met Ferdinand I's power-heavy cleave. On the right, the silver-edged longsword intercepted Queen Marie's rapid thrust.

Morin's body was pushed back two steps by the pincer attack. Ferdinand I's second strike followed closely. Forced to sidestep, Morin parried upward from below with the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】, deflecting the Dark Sword.

Through these exchanges, Morin became increasingly certain of his judgment.

Ferdinand I's fencing was merely average.

Compared to his wife's exquisite technique—systematically trained and further enhanced post-conversion—the King's swordplay relied mostly on brute strength and speed.

The transitions between his moves were slightly stiff, and his defense had obvious flaws...

If it were just Ferdinand I alone, Morin was confident he could find a fatal opening within ten exchanges.

But what made this man truly terrifying was never his sword.

Just as Morin prepared to counterattack during an opening after Ferdinand I's swing, the floor beneath him bulged violently.

Four tentacles shot out from the fleshy tissue simultaneously. Two whipped toward his ankles, and two thrust straight at his waist.

Morin had to abort the counterattack and leap backward.

Landing, he found tentacles waiting behind him as well, forcing him to swing his swords to clear them.

In those few seconds of delay, Ferdinand I adjusted his stance, and the opening vanished.

"Tch..." Morin frowned.

This was the disgusting part about fighting the master of the "Blood River" in its core area.

Ferdinand I didn't need brilliant swordplay. As long as he stood here, the entire main hall was his weapon. Every flaw in his fencing was covered by the power of the "Blood River."

Queen Marie also saw that Morin's attack rhythm was disrupted by her husband's entry. She quickly adjusted her position, forming a delicate cross-encirclement with Ferdinand I.

The couple's "Affectionate Swordplay" coordinated flawlessly. Added to the omnipresent tentacles, Morin felt like he had been shoved into a blender.

The 【Mage Hand】 hovering above Morin kept firing the pump-action shotgun. However, the silver pellets only kicked up black smoke against the blood-red barrier automatically rising before Ferdinand I, failing to penetrate.

This barrier's strength was a whole tier higher than the tentacles outside.

This meant that against the boss in the core area of the "Blood River", a shotgun lacked the necessary punch. It required a larger caliber and payload...

Morin stole a glance backward.

Klaus and his men had retreated to near the main hall's entrance. The tentacles were multiplying, but relying on their armor and teamwork, the Thunder Warriors hadn't suffered any casualties yet.

Ferdinand I scoffed at the sight.

He spread the five fingers of his left hand and suddenly clenched them into a fist. A massive number of tentacles swarmed toward the main hall entrance, trying to block the Thunder Warriors' escape route.

But the next second, a golden light erupted before his eyes.

Morin charged directly at Ferdinand I. The golden light of the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 flared several times brighter during his sprint.

The tentacles attempting to intercept him retreated under the golden light, like snow meeting blazing fire.

Ferdinand I was forced to redirect part of his control to deal with Morin, instantly halving the tentacles blocking the entrance.

Klaus seized the window.

"Push out!"

Led by him, the twenty-seven Thunder Warriors broke out of the main hall's entrance in one vigorous surge.

Morin breathed a sigh of relief. Now it was just him alone against two High-Tier Vampires and a main hall full of tentacles.

Without having to worry about others, fighting actually became more liberating.

He pushed his movement speed to the absolute limit. The superhuman physique granted by the modification potion and the 【Ability Enhancement】 cast before entering the hall was fully unleashed. He blurred across the main hall, twin swords striking in alternation.

Every time he passed a dense cluster of tentacles, the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 unleashed a ring of burning golden ripples, driving back all tentacles within several meters.

Even so, Queen Marie kept up the pursuit.

Her speed was indeed slower than Morin's, but she only needed to strike the moment he launched an attack. This forced Morin to free up a hand to defend, allowing Ferdinand I to open up the distance between them.

A longsword thrust at his back. Morin dodged right. The sword tip grazed his flank, sparking blue ripples. 【Mage Armor】 and 【Arcane Ward】 proved their worth at a critical moment once again.

But that was as far as it went. Morin had no intention of prolonging the melee.

To his opponents' surprise, he charged directly toward Queen Marie.

This sudden change in direction left Queen Marie briefly stunned... Morin had been trying to create distance; why charge her now?

Her combat instincts took over instantly. She raised her longsword defensively, preparing to meet Morin's frontal assault.

However, Morin didn't attack her.

A short distance away from Queen Marie, he hit the brakes hard, spun sharply, and faced Ferdinand I squarely.

His right hand raised high.

The golden light of the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 reached unprecedented intensity.

"Off you go!"

The next instant, Morin hurled the Holy Sword.

The moment the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 left his hand, it turned into a streak of golden light. Moving too fast to see the blade, it shot straight at Ferdinand I dozens of meters away.

A system prompt flashed in Morin's mind: 【Thrown: Expend 1 charge】.

Ferdinand I reacted swiftly. He sensed the terrifying holy aura barreling toward him before the Holy Sword even left Morin's hand. He swung his left hand violently, weaving dense tentacles into a shield wall before him.

The golden light of the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 incinerated the tentacles without losing any speed. By then, Ferdinand I had raised the Dark Sword, condensing a dark red blood aura barrier in front of the blade.

"Boom!"

The golden Holy Sword and the blood-red barrier collided violently. The resulting shockwave blew the surrounding tentacles and fleshy tissues to pieces.

Ferdinand I was pushed back several steps by the force. He barely managed to twist away from the Holy Sword's direct impact, but the golden afterglow of the blade swept across his left arm.

"Hiss!"

A deep gash tore from his elbow to his shoulder, slicing through his robe and flesh. The golden burning effect spread madly along the edges of the wound.

Ferdinand I grunted. The dark red light on the Dark Sword in his right hand flared, forcefully suppressing the burning effect on his arm.

But the wound didn't heal rapidly like normal injuries. A holy power continued to erode the gash.

The effect of this strike was better than Morin expected.

While throwing the Holy Sword, he had also freed a hand to grab three silver-thermite bombs from the leather pouch on his lower back.

Using hand and mouth, he pulled the pins, then whipped them outward.

The three bombs flew directly toward Queen Marie, covering the area in front of Morin.

Seeing the incoming bombs, Queen Marie abandoned her pursuit and flashed away to a distance.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three explosions detonated.

The distinctive white-hot light of the silver-thermite instantly illuminated half the main hall.

The 2500-degree heat formed three searing incineration zones at the impact points. The fleshy tissue covering the floor and walls rapidly carbonized under the intense heat.

The tentacles vanished completely within the incineration zones. Seizing this momentary chaos, Morin used 【Misty Step】 to flash toward the main hall's entrance.

As he dashed out the doors, he threw his right hand toward the sky.

The 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】, which had embedded itself into the wall deep inside the hall, violently wrenched itself free and flew back to Morin in a golden arc.

Its flight path passed right by Queen Marie, who was preparing to pursue.

Sensing the holy light fluctuations approaching from behind, she jumped up, tapping the Holy Sword's path with her longsword to parry and deflect it, avoiding taking holy damage again.

But this action also broke her pursuit rhythm.

The deflected 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 continued its flight, drawing an arc above the main hall entrance, and finally landed perfectly in Morin's outstretched right hand.

Morin didn't linger. As he turned and ran out of the main hall, he activated the portable magitech communicator on his belt to contact the L15 armored airship.

"Colonel Morin!" Lieutenant Colonel Andreas's voice rang out.

Morin: "Lieutenant Colonel Andreas, commence unrestricted bombardment of the Old Royal Palace main hall immediately! Drop every explosive satchel you have! Do not cease fire without my order unless you run completely dry!"

The line went quiet for two seconds. Andreas was clearly weighing the risks of emptying their payload.

Once an armored airship depleted its ammunition reserves, it became a floating target—even if the chances of being shot down were minuscule.

But ultimately, he chose to execute the order.

"...Understood! L15 executing unrestricted attack! Colonel Morin, please maintain a safe distance!"

After cutting the comms, the airship's engine pitch changed above Morin's head. The L15 accelerated, moving directly over the Old Royal Palace main hall.

Soon, the first wave of explosive satchels poured out from the cargo bay hatches.

In stark contrast to the fierce battle at the Old Royal Palace, the combat situation in other areas of Bucharest was undergoing a bizarre shift. Inside the joint command post a set distance outside the urban area, Lieutenant General Marwitz stood before the operational map, listening to battle reports from all directions.

"General, 173rd Infantry Regiment reports all frontline enemies have broken contact and are retreating toward the city center."

"31st Engineer Battalion reports no vampires visible in their assigned blocks, and the sewers have gone quiet."

"177th Infantry Regiment reports massive numbers of Blood Servants leaving their defense sector, moving southeast... That direction is..."

"The Old Royal Palace." Lieutenant General Marwitz finished the sentence for his chief of staff.

As the acting supreme commander of the "Morin Kampfgruppe" in Morin's absence, Kleist stared at the map markings, his expression growing increasingly serious.

"General, troops from at least six directions in the urban area have reported similar situations." Kleist summarized the current intel.

"The enemy vampire creatures seem to be breaking contact with our forces on a massive scale, uniformly moving toward the Old Royal Palace in the city center."

"This doesn't look like a trap."

Kleist paused, then continued, "They are moving too hastily, completely ignoring whether there are pursuers behind them... If they were luring the enemy in deep, it wouldn't be this disorganized."

Lieutenant General Marwitz frowned, tapping the Old Royal Palace on the map twice.

"Tell me, is it possible..."

He looked up at Kleist.

"...that the vampire boss in the city is recalling all vampires to his side?"

Kleist thought for a moment, nodded, and replied, "That is indeed possible. According to the Holy See personnel's prior explanation, the controller of the Blood River can command all vampire creatures within a certain range... If he issued an assembly order, the reaction of these Blood Servants makes sense."

Manstein, who had been silently taking notes nearby, suddenly looked up.

"If that's the case... it means the Colonel's decapitation strike has taken effect."

Lieutenant General Marwitz and Kleist looked at him simultaneously.

"A vampire boss wouldn't recall vampires scattered across the entire city for no reason," Manstein continued.

"There's only one explanation for this—he feels threatened. And a severe threat at that, enough to force him to consolidate his forces for self-preservation."

Lieutenant General Marwitz's eyes lit up instantly.

In his long military career, he had seen many such moments... When a commander pulls all his reserves to his side, it usually means one of two things.

Either he's preparing to launch a final, desperate counterattack.

Or he's been beaten into sheer terror.

Either way, it proves the enemy's core is shaken.

And at a time like this, there's only one thing the attacking side should do...

"Full-scale assault."

Lieutenant General Marwitz issued the order with absolute decisiveness.

"Order all troops to attack immediately! Push toward the Old Royal Palace at all costs!"

The chief of staff opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to issue a warning. After all, reckless pursuit had cost the 48th Corps dearly before.

But Marwitz didn't give him the chance to speak.

"The vampires are retreating; their attention is entirely focused on the Old Royal Palace... If we pursue now, the resistance we face will be much lighter than before."

He jabbed his pencil hard onto the Old Royal Palace on the map.

"But if we don't pursue, and let all these vampires flood into the palace, relying solely on Colonel Morin and the Holy See people... they will drown in a sea of blood!"

This judgment was exceptionally clear, and Kleist and the others agreed. After all, they were genuinely worried about Morin, who had run off to execute the "decapitation strike."

The 48th Corps' chief of staff hesitated no longer, turning to issue the orders. The communications soldiers sprang into action.

Soon, Saxon siege troops in all directions within Bucharest received the urgent command from the joint command post.

"Advance toward the Old Royal Palace across the entire line at all costs!"

Less than five minutes after the pursuit began in full, the magitech communication device in the joint command post rang.

Kleist answered, and Morin's voice came through.

"Put Lieutenant General Marwitz on!"

Kleist handed over the device. Lieutenant General Marwitz took it and spoke into the transmitter.

"This is Lieutenant General Marwitz..."

"Your Excellency, this is Morin... Situation is critical, I'll keep it brief."

Morin's voice was mixed with distant explosions.

"I need you to coordinate every artillery piece capable of hitting the Old Royal Palace and execute a concentrated bombardment on the palace complex... The faster the better. Do not spare the ammunition; hit it with everything!"

Lieutenant General Marwitz fell silent for a moment, then spoke: "Colonel Morin... where are you and your men right now?"

"We just pulled out of the main hall, currently in the palace courtyard."

"Then when the shells fall—"

"We'll manage our own safe distance!"

Morin cut him off, adding, "Your Excellency, we can't worry about that right now... If we don't force the enemy out of the main hall with firepower, we'll have to fight a battle of attrition inside. If this drags on, we're all dead!"

Lieutenant General Marwitz took a deep breath. As a general with a cavalry background, he knew all too well the price of hesitation on the battlefield.

"Alright... And Colonel Morin, you must be careful. It seems all the vampires in the city are converging on the Old Royal Palace. I've ordered a full-scale assault, but you must stay vigilant!"

"Don't worry, General." With that, Morin ended the communication.

Lieutenant General Marwitz turned to his chief of staff.

"Order all artillery positions to strike the Old Royal Palace immediately!"

The chief of staff quickly checked the artillery deployment map, then reported with some difficulty.

"General, due to limitations in angle and field of fire, only about half of the artillery positions outside the city can guarantee delivering shells accurately within the Old Royal Palace perimeter... The other half are either blocked by buildings or have restricted fields of fire, risking significant deviation."

Lieutenant General Marwitz: "Then use the half that can fire! We must find a way to support Colonel Morin and his team regardless!"

"Yes, General!"

The orders cascaded down the chain.

Sometime later, at the artillery positions outside the city, the 105mm howitzers began adjusting their azimuths and elevations.

Soon, dye-loaded spotting shells howled toward the center of Bucharest, bursting into distinctly colored clouds of smoke and dust around the Old Royal Palace.

The observation balloons outside the city quickly relayed the impact coordinates to the artillerymen, who rapidly corrected firing parameters, conducted two more rounds of spotting fire, and then commenced fire for effect.

As shells began exploding in the Old Royal Palace area, Morin and the Thunder Warriors ran headlong into the elite formation led by Blood Dragon Knights returning to reinforce the palace from the outside.

The Blood Dragon Knights in blood-red armor led the charge, followed by at least a hundred High-Tier Blood Thralls and an innumerable swarm of Blood Servants.

At the rear of the formation was the flesh construct that had fled earlier.

Morin quickly assessed the enemy's weak points, then waved to Klaus.

"Charge with me! Punch through their weakest route! Don't get bogged down in fighting, just ram through them!"

With that, he wielded his twin swords and charged at the very front of the group.

The twenty-seven Thunder Warriors followed closely behind, forming an acute triangular assault formation.

At the tip were Klaus and several sword-wielding Shield Guards. Behind them were Shooters with ranged weapons, while the flanks were covered by warriors providing rear-flank cover with shotguns.

A gray "bulldozer" simply crushed into the flank of the vampire formation.

The first to make contact were the Blood Servants running on the periphery.

These low-tier grunts couldn't last half a second against Morin. Every swing of the 【Thorn of the Sacred Remains】 took down a massive swathe. Wherever the golden flames swept, Blood Servants carbonized and crumbled like dry leaves.

The silver-edged longsword handled the other side. The enchanted silver blade sliced into the Blood Servants' bodies without any resistance, much like cutting tofu.

In the blink of an eye, Morin carved a path through the horde of Blood Servants. Close behind, Klaus and the other sword guards swung their greatswords to widen the breach.

Light machine guns and large-caliber rifles fired simultaneously. Enchanted bullets threaded precisely through the gaps between Morin and the vanguard, while Shield Guards obliterated any vampires attempting to flank. The entire team literally tore a hole through the flank of the vampire formation and punched right through.

"Keep moving! Don't stop!"

Morin shouted from the front, his pace undiminished.

Their destination was the main road outside the royal palace's main gate. Cleric Cristiano's assault team should be in that direction.

But before he could run a few more steps, golden light and intense gunfire erupted not far ahead.

Cleric Cristiano was leading the surviving Paladins and instruction unit soldiers in a fierce battle against the enemy just inside the Old Royal Palace gates.

His white heavy armor bore many new dents and scratches, and a frightening dent marked his hound-faced helmet, but the macho man's combat prowess had not diminished in the slightest.

He swung his weapon, weaving through the horde of Blood Thralls. Every swing claimed one or two lives.

The surrounding Paladins were fighting desperately as well. Golden holy light and dark red blood aura clashed repeatedly in the plaza.

"Your Excellency!"

Morin's shout pierced the din of the battlefield. Cleric Cristiano looked over, revealing a hearty laugh beneath his hound-faced helmet.

"Excellent, Colonel Morin! You're still alive!"

"Obviously!"

Morin led the Thunder Warriors cutting into the plaza from the flank, regrouping with the Church assault team.

"The armored airship and artillery are attacking!" Morin quickly briefed Cristiano as he approached. "I had them blow up the Old Royal Palace's main hall!"

"Good!"

"But there's a problem..." Morin's expression grew serious. "According to Lieutenant General Marwitz, all the vampires in the city are converging here."

In fact, after Lieutenant General Marwitz informed him, Morin also saw this on the system map.

The red unit cards in Bucharest had formed a massive vortex, and the palace district was its center...

Cleric Cristiano's smile vanished.

He looked up at the dense, dark figures pouring in from the streets in the distance, then looked back at the Old Royal Palace main hall being battered by artillery and explosive satchels. White smoke and fire completely obscured the area, blowing away many of the vampires that had just rushed in.

"Then we really can't delay." The cleric's voice dropped.

"We only have a chance to kill Ferdinand I before the vampire army completely surrounds us, otherwise..."

He didn't finish, but everyone present understood the rest.

Otherwise, they would all be drowned in a sea of blood.

For a palace with hundreds of years of history, concentrated bombardment by a 105mm artillery group was already devastating, let alone the armored airship dropping bombs relentlessly from above.

The 105mm howitzer shells flew in from outside the city, crashing into the Old Royal Palace main building complex one after another.

The L15 armored airship was dropping bombs like crazy. Although the hastily made explosive satchels were crude, the explosive yield was undeniable. Once the quantity increased, quantitative changes led to qualitative changes.

Lieutenant Colonel Andreas was executing Morin's orders thoroughly.

From Morin's position in the plaza, the direction of the Old Royal Palace main hall was completely engulfed in thick smoke and fire. Occasionally, a shell with a high trajectory arced overhead and exploded in the distance.

The ground trembled constantly.

A heavier, more muffled boom echoed, followed by a prolonged sound of collapse—the sound of a mountain slowly crumbling.

Morin looked closely. Through the thick smoke, he could faintly see the dome of the Old Royal Palace main hall caving in.

That once-exquisite dome cracked from the center like a crushed eggshell and collapsed entirely.

Dust, bricks, and tiles, along with the fleshy tissues covering them, crashed into the interior of the main hall, kicking up a cloud of dust that blotted out the sky.

Following several more muffled thuds, the side walls of the main hall couldn't hold up either, toppling outward.

Under continuous bombardment, the main building of the entire Old Royal Palace slumped irreversibly, like a sandcastle taking a kick.