The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (light Novel)

BOOOOM!
Ghislain raised his sword to block Aiden’s attack.
The force of the blow pushed him back, leaving deep furrows in the ground where his feet had slid. The impact shook his insides, but Ghislain still managed to smile.

“You really are strong.”
Aiden’s power and technique were unmatched, truly befitting someone considered one of the Continent’s Seven Strongest. Despite his rotten personality and despicable deeds, his strength was undeniably real.
“I’ve always wanted to face you properly,” Ghislain said.

He hadn’t gotten the chance in his previous life. Aiden only moved when he was certain the battle would end in his favor, always ensuring victory before taking action.
But this time, Ghislain had prepared extensively. His first priority was to eliminate the priests.
Aiden’s face twisted with rage as he sneered. “You’re going to die here, Duke Fenris.”

BOOM!
The two swords moved like flashes of lightning, each clash sending shockwaves rippling through the surroundings. Despite the intense impact, the priests endured, continuing their coordinated assault on Ghislain.
THUD!

As Ghislain parried Aiden’s sword, a priest’s attack landed on his side. Each time he blocked Aiden, the priests took the opportunity to strike at his body.
BOOM!
After a few more such exchanges, Ghislain was eventually forced back by Aiden’s relentless onslaught, stumbling to regain his footing.

“Ha ha ha! Did you really think you could win in this situation, no matter how strong you are?” Aiden laughed, exhilaration in his voice.
If the Fenris Duke became too endangered, his forces would surely move to rescue him. But if Aiden could weaken Ghislain enough before that happened, victory was still within reach—or so he thought.
BOOOOM!

“What?” Aiden instinctively turned to look behind him.
In the rear, a massive pillar of fire erupted into the sky. The Atrodé mages’ mana field had finally been breached.
The mages of the Atrodé Army, who had pushed their life force to the limit, had begun to fall one by one. They had been drained of their magic and strength, their white hair evidence of their overexertion.
Once the balance of power tipped, there was no recovering it.

“This… this can’t be…” Aiden couldn’t hide his shock. The mages, who were supposed to hold on longer, had collapsed.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
“AAARGHHH!”

The flames spread, engulfing the mages at the rear of the Atrodé Army. Even the survivors, those who had barely managed to avoid earlier attacks, were now caught in the inferno.
Aiden shouted at his troops. “Spread out! Retreat! Move away from the flames!”
Despite his orders, the Atrodé soldiers couldn’t evade the magical onslaught. At this rate, his army would be annihilated before Ghislain could be killed.

If that happened, Aiden himself would surely die.
Blue light blazed in Aiden’s eyes as he roared, his sword striking out toward Ghislain.
The only way to survive was to kill his opponent as quickly as possible.

BOOOOM!
Aiden’s sword was stopped mid-strike. His expression twisted in frustration.
“Who the hell are you?”

Vanessa had appeared, her shield blocking Aiden’s attack.
“Do not move,” Vanessa said, her face rigid with determination. She was stalling for time, giving Ghislain the opportunity to deal with the priests.
Aiden’s lips curled into a grotesque sneer. “Ah, I see. You must be Vanessa, the mage. But you dare, as a mere woman, to stand in my way?”

To Aiden, women were meant to admire and worship men—especially a man as “great” as himself. For one to oppose him, let alone block his attack, was an unforgivable insult.
His eyes gleamed with murderous intent. The situation was already critical, and having an exceptional mage join the fray only made things worse.
While Ghislain fought the priests, Aiden decided he would kill this mage first.

“I’ll show you your place.”
Aiden pressed his sword against her shield, forcing it forward.
GRRRRRRRR…

The blade, cloaked in blue mana, slowly pierced through the shield—not breaking it but slicing through as though it were a thin membrane.
CRACK!
Vanessa stepped back ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ in alarm, but Aiden was already closing the distance. He swung his sword again.

Vanessa hastily summoned another shield, but Aiden’s blade tore through it like paper.
CLANG! CLANG!
“Ugh!”

Vanessa staggered backward, a deep gash opening on her shoulder. Blood seeped through her robes.
She extended her hand, casting a spell.
BOOOOM!

A concentrated burst of fire surged toward Aiden, its power immense and precise. Unlike ordinary flames, it didn’t spread indiscriminately—it targeted Aiden alone.
This time, Aiden stopped, recognizing the threat.
THUD!

He stomped the ground and thrust his sword forward.
SWOOSH!
The fire split apart, the blazing tendrils dissipating as Aiden’s blue mana devoured them.

Vanessa, unfazed, moved her other hand. Magic circles began to materialize in the air around her.
Realizing what was happening, Aiden’s brow furrowed.
“Simultaneous casting?”

Simultaneous casting was no ordinary feat. Even among transcendents, only those with extraordinary talent could manage it.
It was possible to split a spell into two or three parts through brute force, but such a method required immense focus and drained mana at an accelerated rate. Most transcendents avoided it, opting instead for rapid casting of consecutive spells.
But Vanessa’s casting was on another level.

“Five… seven… ten?”
Ten spells began to take shape simultaneously, filling the air around Aiden with their presence.
Aiden let out a bitter laugh of disbelief. He had never seen a mage like this.

Before he could react, Vanessa unleashed her magic.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, crashing onto Aiden.

BOOOOM!
Pillars of fire erupted from the ground. Spears of ice shot toward him. A barrage of various spells assaulted him from every direction.
RUMBLE!

The ground caved in, massive boulders burying Aiden beneath them.
The area where Aiden had stood was completely devastated. The sheer concentration of mana had turned the battlefield into a wasteland, a mountain of rubble marking the spot where he had been.
“Haa…” Vanessa exhaled heavily.

She was utterly drained. The amount of mana she had used could have overwhelmed even a transcendent caught off guard.
She had pushed herself to the limit to eliminate such a dangerous foe. Originally, her goal had been to buy time, but if this attack had succeeded in killing Aiden, it was an even better outcome.
CRAAAAACK!

The massive pile of rubble exploded as Aiden burst forth.
His hair and armor were disheveled, and he looked as though he had been through hell, but his eyes still burned with fury.
“You… how dare a mere woman challenge me!”

Aiden’s eyes glowed with deadly light as he charged forward, his sword slashing through the air.
Vanessa tried to retreat as he emerged, but she was a moment too slow.
SLASH!

A deep wound opened across Vanessa’s chest, blood spraying into the air.
“Ugh!” she gasped, collapsing to her knees, blood dripping from her mouth.
Exhausted from her earlier spells and drained from her prolonged battle, Vanessa could no longer fight back. She had spent the last of her mana trying to match Aiden’s relentless strength.

THUD. THUD.
Aiden walked toward her, his sword raised, as she looked up at him with despair in her eyes.
‘How… How is he this strong…?’

Vanessa was well aware of her weaknesses in one-on-one combat. Her expertise lay in powerful area-of-effect magic, primarily deployed from the rear lines.
However, her destructive power was immense—so overwhelming that even a transcendent would struggle to withstand a direct hit.
Yet, Aiden endured. To say he "endured" was an understatement; he emerged from her devastating magic without a single wound, only appearing slightly fatigued.

Vanessa couldn’t help but wonder—what was the source of such incredible defense?
“Whew, I didn’t think I’d have to use my secret art,” Aiden muttered, irritation flashing in his eyes.
“You must be curious how I blocked your spells, magician. Well, you’ll just have to die wondering.”

He was furious. Having been forced to exert himself against a mage he had underestimated, his pride was deeply wounded.
The battle had drained a considerable amount of his mana, and his frustration boiled over.
He was so incensed that he temporarily forgot about the Fenris Duke, who was still locked in combat with the priests. Though his confrontation with Vanessa had been brief, her power had left a lasting impression.

“It’s no wonder I kept losing wars—there were too many dangerous factors like you. You’re no ordinary mage.”
He had known Vanessa was skilled, but simultaneous casting of this magnitude? That had been unexpected. The true extent of a rear-line mage’s power was difficult to assess until directly confronted.
Now it was time to eliminate this threat for good.

“Repent for your sins and worship me, even in death.”
Aiden raised his sword. The Fenris knights who had been holding back rushed forward, but they were still too far to intervene.
Vanessa’s gaze remained defiant. Even in the face of imminent death, she stared directly at Aiden and spoke.

“I will never worship someone like you.”
“Everyone gets cocky before they die.”
“No, you’re the one who will die.”

“What?”
At that moment, Aiden’s sword abruptly changed direction.
BOOM!

The weapon flying toward Vanessa shattered into countless fragments, as if struck by an invisible force.
“What… my sword?”
Aiden’s expression hardened. A discarded blade that had been lying on the battlefield had moved on its own, intercepting his attack.

There was only one person who could pull off such a feat.
Step. Step. Step.
Ghislain approached, flicking the blood from his sword with a casual motion.

As he drew closer, a relaxed smile spread across his face.
“Hey, it’s about time we settled this one-on-one, don’t you think?”
Aiden’s focus shifted entirely to Ghislain, no longer concerned with Vanessa retreating behind her allies. If he attacked her again, that invisible force would undoubtedly strike him down.

He glanced around, realizing he had paid too much attention to Vanessa and lost track of the broader battle.
His forces were in shambles. At the rear, spells continued to rain down, killing the remaining retreating soldiers.
Most of the enemy troops now surrounded him, with knights assisting Vanessa as she was carried to safety.

And then…
“You’ve already killed all the priests?”
All four priests, masters of combined martial and magical arts, lay dead—hearts pierced and throats slashed.

The time he had spent tied up with Vanessa hadn’t been long. Yet, the priests, some of the most skilled members of the Salvation Order, had been killed in that short window.
“Haa.”
Aiden let out a short sigh, biting his lower lip in frustration.

For a moment, he appeared flustered, but he soon placed his hands on his hips and surveyed the battlefield again.
“Hmm.”
There was no longer any reason to rush. With a detached demeanor, he calmly assessed his surroundings.

Escaping didn’t look feasible.
“Thorough, aren’t you?”
The Fenris troops were tightly packed, blocking every possible avenue of retreat. At the front, rows of knights stood ready. The mages remained intact, and the Fenris Duke was as formidable as ever. Attempting a cowardly retreat would only result in a pitiful death while exhausted.

He couldn’t allow that. If he had to die, it would be glorious and dignified.
Running his hand through his hair, Aiden asked, “So, will you all charge me together?”
If the entire Fenris force attacked at once, no matter how strong he was, he wouldn’t survive. But the answer he received was unexpected.

“No, I’m going to kill you myself.”
At that, Aiden covered his mouth with his hand and laughed.
Could someone truly be this stupid?

They could have easily worn him down with waves of soldiers, ensuring his defeat, yet this man insisted on fighting him personally.
“Are you serious?”
“I wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble otherwise. Every move I’ve made was to ensure I could kill you myself.”

“Ha… ha ha ha! You really think you can beat me? You’re so confident in your abilities?”
Aiden’s laughter turned into a twisted sneer. He wanted to crush that arrogant attitude immediately.
Ghislain nodded slightly.

For him, Aiden was no ordinary enemy. Their relationship was, in some ways, special.
After all, this was the man who had personally taken his life in the previous timeline. Simply overwhelming him with numbers wouldn’t satisfy the grudge burning in his heart.
And from the moment he had returned to the past, he had always planned for this.

Ghislain pointed his sword at Aiden, a chilling smile on his face.
“If it’s one-on-one, I’ll win.”
In his past life, he hadn’t been able to prove it.

If he hadn’t been granted a second chance, Aiden—the so-called noble knight—would have claimed glory for slaying the Mercenary King, rising to even greater heights.
But now, it was time to prove that Ghislain was stronger.
Ghislain moved his sword, and Aiden matched him.

BOOOOOOM!
The clash of their blades sent crimson and blue light surging in all directions, lighting up the battlefield.