My Students Regret It After I Retired

70 – It’s Because I’m Stronger Than You.

The sword, whirling as if dancing, detonated all the bombs before they even touched the ground.

“Damn it. It’s not the artifact’s power. Just what the hell is that?”

Rather than be surprised by the current situation, Keltazar tried to grasp it. There was no need to panic. At this moment, the artifact resources that the Emperor had provided them in abundance were enough to respond to any situation.

They just needed to figure out what the opponent was doing and what to do to break it. The execution would be made possible by the numerous support resources.

With that mindset, Keltazar watched his subordinates fall, trying to figure out how Leos was making the sword float in the air.

‘It’s not an artifact. Then it’s an artificial ability…’

At that moment, one thing came to Keltazar’s mind. The incident during the first skirmish with Leos where a barrier was deployed, saving them all.

‘Could it be…?’

An ability that surpassed artifacts, an alien power. It was as if Leos had awakened some kind of psychic power. There was no other explanation for this situation.

“Everyone spread out! You must maximize the distance!”

Keltazar was certain. That the handling of the sword was not due to an artifact but Leos’s power. That meant that the sword was ultimately moving according to Leos’s will. In other words, because it was an ability that a human had to perceive and control, the solution was simple.

“Everyone spread out and protect yourselves with defensive artifacts!”

In an instant, all the Dark Shadow Squad members scattered in all directions, deploying defensive barriers. The five swordsmen didn’t know where to move, flying haphazardly in the sky. Of course, it didn’t last long. Leos quickly broke through the closest one’s barrier and continued his slaughter.

But at that moment.

“Unleash a barrage on those b*stards behind him!”

Keltazar wasn’t attacking Leos, but the Executioner members behind him. Problem was, Bendict and Heresia were there too.

Leos immediately retrieved one sword, trying to block the barrage, but there were too many shells. He quickly recovered all five swords, and started taking them down one by one.

-Shishshshsh!

Lines of light began to streak across the sky at incredible speed, and then, again, shells began exploding *whump* *whump* in the air. Keltazar grinned and whispered to Leos.

“You must be having a hard time, protecting your comrades while fighting us. How selfish and arrogant to think you can kill while safeguarding the precious.”

Keltazar looked directly at Bendict and Heresia behind Leos and shouted,

“Barrage! Barrage them all, however you can!”

Leos’ movements were being tied down as much as possible. It seemed Keltazar’s sole purpose was to buy time.

‘Soon our thousand troops, withdrawn to the rear, will launch a surprise attack. For now, the priority is to drain Leos’ power as much as possible.’

Keltazar judged that attacking Leos was pointless, and cowardly went after his companions. And his plan worked perfectly.

The Executioners were desperately trying to defend, but no human, not even Leos, could slice through hundreds of shells raining down from the sky in an instant.

“Leos, trust us and attack the enemies! We’ll protect your group!”

Racart shouted, but Leos couldn’t move. If, by some terrible chance, he made even one mistake, Heresia and Bendict would die.

He couldn’t lose anyone else. That mindset kept Leos rooted in place.

‘If I lose them again… I’ll truly be alone.’

He was scared. Scared of seeing the bombs explode before his eyes and his comrades dying. Terrified at the thought of being alone again, having to continue this bleak fight.

It was horrible. To be moving forward alone in a place where no one was on his side.

As he fought, Leos understood. He was a person who needed people. A person who needed comrades he could trust, rely on, and move forward with. A person who was weaker than he thought.

-Crunch…

Leos blocked a few attacks, but he was starting to realize he was being pushed back. Keltazar, with his vast resources, filled the sky with endless bombs. Yet, their supplies showed no sign of running out, and the assassin squad members who’d come with him were busy trying to detonate the bombs and their debris. In the process, several were badly injured or killed.

Others couldn’t swing their swords from a distance, so they had to resort to throwing their blades to detonate bombs up close, a ridiculously dangerous maneuver.

Using artifacts was pointless. The moment you tried to pull one out, the enemy jammed its mana communication with a disruption device.

“Fucking hell… how the fuck are they so cocky? This is enough to wipe out a whole city. What the hell were they thinking…!”

Lacart spat out a curse. It wasn’t a joke; that much manpower and supplies could obliterate a city. He couldn’t understand why the Emperor would throw this much force just to capture Leos. The same b*stard who wouldn’t even give a single floating artifact to protect his own treasures had suddenly authorized this ridiculous level of support, and Lacart couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

Leos, on the other hand, had a hunch.

‘The Heavenly Assembly…’

They were probably involved in all this. Knowing who was behind it didn’t change anything. The situation was incredibly disadvantageous. The enemy was launching long-range artifact attacks, and Leos was the only one capable of countering them.

If he left his position, his comrades would be in mortal danger, but if he just kept defending, they’d be at a disadvantage as time went on, and they’d end up dying anyway.

Seeing Leos torn, Lacart gestured to his comrades, and then, forming a circle around Herisia and Bendict, yelled,

“We’ll protect you, so attack the enemy! Leos! You know it too! If this keeps up, we’re all gonna die anyway! We’ll risk our lives to protect you! So trust us! Trust us and attack the enemies! You’re the only one who can do long-range attacks right now!”

The terrain favored the enemy, they were the only ones using artifacts effectively, and they were outnumbered. In every way, the assassins were outmatched. But they had one thing that was second to none.

Leos.

Leos trusted Lacart’s words and took off. Leos’s body was propelled into the sky, seemingly vanishing in an instant. He then soared upwards, using floating swords as stepping stones.

Seeing Leos approach, Keltazar immediately mobilized all his aerial artifacts to drop bombs below. But Leos didn’t even glance at them, instead directing his five swords straight for Keltazar’s neck.

– *Squelch!*

Keltazar’s shoulder was pierced by the blade, and taking advantage of the enemy’s shock, Leos used his five swords as footholds to land back on the ground. Rising from the hollowed-out lower section to the top of the ridge, he could now see the enemy’s full force at a glance.

Leos glanced back briefly, and the bombs falling from the aerial artifacts were being neutralized by the assassin squad with loud crashes. But that wouldn’t last. It wouldn’t be long before they broke through.

‘I have to bring them all down.’

He had to force all the enemy’s forces and artifacts to target him. Leos believed that was the only way to protect his comrades. And the way to achieve that was very simple.

-Ratatatatat!

Leos charged towards Keltazar’s forces at breakneck speed, and Keltazar pulled out the large ultrasonic emitting artifact he’d brought.

The maniacally blasted ultrasonic waves caused blood to immediately start flowing from the ears of those around them. But one of Leos’s five swords pierced through the air and shattered the emitting artifact to pieces.

After that, Leos held two swords in his hands and levitated the other three in the air, beginning a brutal slaughter. Those who rushed at Leos fell, one by one, with every single strike, their lives extinguished and bodies sprawled on the ground. When he was almost upon Keltazar, the ones behind him slowly moved forward.

Briggs and Tarken.

They spoke to him telepathically from behind Keltazar.

[Leos. We told you clearly. These ones are not to be killed yet. Go back. If you don’t, we will kill you here.]

“You’re the ones who are going to die.”

The moment Leos responded, an unknown barrier, exactly like before, enveloped everything.

-Whoosh!

In an instant, the surroundings began to darken, and as before, everyone except Briggs, Tarken, and Leos vanished, and an independent space appeared. A dark space where only faint light existed. There, Briggs spoke.

“Leos. So you think you’re something special just because you’ve awakened a pathetic little power? You don’t remember almost dying before, do you? Let me refresh your memory. And if you pass out again this time, I’ll take one of your companions’ heads.”

Briggs said that and used his power. Black arms instantly shot out in all directions, lunging towards Leos’s throat. But.

-Pshhh!

As each of Leos’s five swords swung horizontally, lines were randomly drawn across the enemy’s power.

-Thudthudthudthud…

Dozens of arms fell in an instant. Looking at this, Briggs muttered.

“Shit, what is this…? How the hell…?”

Leos whispered, looking at him.

“Can’t you comprehend the situation? The reason you’re getting your ass kicked is because I’m stronger than you.”