# Chapter 64
Levi stood as if blocking the opening of the gate, swinging his fierce dagger and throwing daggers at the enemy soldiers coming in, cutting off their breath. Those he failed to block were hit by sharp poisoned arrows that unfailingly flew from somewhere, rolling on the ground. Levi didn’t miss the vital points of those who fell either.
Despite the knights in silver armor being superior to ordinary soldiers in individual skill, aside from their immortality, they were considerably flustered and hesitant. They couldn’t understand why they were collapsing helplessly to Levi’s dagger and throwing knives when they normally wouldn’t flinch at ordinary attacks and would quickly recover even from fatal wounds.
Yet they couldn’t charge in to attack him either.
Since their lord, Grand Duke Ion Verdit, had given the order “Never lay hands on the young man with black hair and black eyes,” they found it difficult to try to subdue him rashly. For the Immortal Army, the orders of their lord Ion Verdit were so absolute that they took precedence even over imperial decrees from the emperor, which meant they could only watch as their comrades—who should have been unkillable—had their lives taken.
It was an extremely serious problem if they couldn’t touch the opponent even if it was just one person. Moreover, whatever trick the opponent was using, he was nullifying their immortality and taking their lives.
To the Immortal Army, the young man before them wrapped entirely in black from head to toe was their only natural enemy, truly a god of death.
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The immortal soldiers rushed in first as soon as they saw the gate opening, following Ion’s orders. Although they had managed to open the gate by catching the enemy off guard, if the soldiers who entered first died immediately and the gate closed again, there would be no solution. That’s why he deliberately ordered the Immortal Army, who wouldn’t die even when killed, to clear the way.
For the Immortal Army, who had no fear of death, entering a fortress full of enemy soldiers was not a difficult task at all.
The problem was that something had happened inside, and the gate stopped after opening just barely enough to peek through. Unlike what was expected, the gate wasn’t opening properly, so at most, only two mounted knights at a time could rush in.
Though slow, it was still a gap sufficient to enter, so the immortal soldiers attempted to quickly enter the fortress without delay. But from a certain point, they began to hesitate near the gate.
Seeing the gate opening, Ion approached the south gate, easily deflecting or avoiding arrows that flew indiscriminately toward him as he got closer, and headed to the rear of his army.
Owen emerged as if he had been waiting and ran alongside Ion, explaining the situation.
“The person you mentioned is single-handedly blocking the gate. A few have managed to enter, but most are being blocked by him and can’t get inside.”
“What?”
Ion was quite surprised to hear that Levi was defending the gate.
Though Levi had natural combat abilities, he was also someone who had received the title of Count and hadn’t shown any notable battle command within the Caron Empire. So Ion thought he would be somewhat forcibly seated in a safe place, but he was right in front of them?
Ion felt a strong pounding as if he had run on his own two feet rather than riding a white horse.
“But something is strange.”
“What’s strange? Surely… you haven’t pointed swords at him?”
A freezing chill flowed out as the latter words continued, enough to make even Owen tense. Owen shook his head.
“How could I disobey an order given by Your Grace?”
Owen’s words, like those of other immortal soldiers, were underlined with blind loyalty toward Ion. Because of that absolute command, they couldn’t rush into the fortress all at once, but Owen didn’t blame Ion.
After shouting for the Immortal Army clustered as if blocking the gate front to make way, Owen carefully spoke to Ion.
“It seems that this Levi person is using some strange ability.”
Ion frowned, guessing what Owen was trying to say.
“But his ability shouldn’t affect you all?”
When Levi’s Black Hand touched the Immortal Army, who had Ion’s blood flowing in them, nothing should happen due to the cancellation of their respective abilities. Ion himself knew this best, having been touched by Levi’s Black Hand countless times.
Owen made a troubled expression.
“Well…”
Before he could finish, the path cleared, and Ion quickly rushed toward the opening in the gate. Then he stopped, halting his white horse.
Ion, mounted on his horse, saw Levi fiercely swinging his dagger. As soon as he saw him, his heart beat violently. Despite being in the midst of a battlefield where countless people were dying, Levi was still busy capturing all of his attention, to the extent that nothing else mattered.
Then Ion belatedly realized what Owen had meant by “strange ability.”
Several immortal knights had collapsed around Levi, bleeding. Despite the life energy in his blood that should quickly heal physical wounds, they lay motionless, each trickling blood from their necks as if they were merely ordinary humans.
Even the immortal soldiers were confused by this unprecedented occurrence. The Immortal Army, who had no need to fear death because they didn’t die, was now experiencing genuine fear and tension for the first time.
Ion looked carefully at Levi.
Levi wasn’t using his Black Hand ability. On his right hand, though not gloves made of Etlun leather, he wore long leather gloves like those from the previous night, and the strange bracelet fastened around his wrist was still there. Even if the gloves and bracelet had nothing to do with sealing his ability, he wasn’t trying to directly touch anyone to end their life.
Although he couldn’t figure out the details at the moment, one important thing was that Levi was right in front of him, and he was the only natural enemy who could kill his soldiers.
Suppressing the various impulsive emotions that arose upon seeing Levi, Ion calmly gave orders.
“According to plan, our allies planted inside the Iron Fortress will soon open the east and west gates. Divide the troops into three; two should escort Count Kairous’s army toward the east and west gates.”
“Understood.”
“One will follow me to break through the south gate. I’ll capture that person, so follow behind and occupy the interior of the fortress.”
Owen showed a worried look.
“Will you be alright? If you would rather revoke your previous order, we could rush in and capture him, even if we die.”
If Levi’s strange ability worked on Ion just the same, his life would also be in danger.
Furthermore, Ion was “human,” unlike the immortal soldiers he had created. Owen knew that even without Levi’s ability, Ion would die if his heart was pierced or his neck was cut.
Nevertheless, Ion spoke coldly without taking his eyes off Levi.
“I’m the only one who can capture him. So no one else touch him.”
With those sharp words, Ion’s white horse charged forward.
❖ ❖ ❖
Around the time when many immortal soldiers’ corpses were piling up neatly.
Levi swallowed his rough breath and pointed his dagger forward.
Unlike ordinary humans, such heavy breathing would improve in just a few seconds of composure, but he was too busy cutting down enemies to even have that time. Since this was the only gate that had been breached, the number of soldiers crowding toward it was impossible to gauge.
The one fortunate thing for Levi was that the gate had only opened a very small amount, making it possible for him to somehow block it alone. Of course, there was also Count Lance helping him from the ramparts, and the immortal soldiers who had managed to enter the fortress before he could block them were being handled by Baron Husdinen’s soldiers.
‘I need to close the gate…’
Just as Levi was thinking this, fortunately, a few allied soldiers were heading toward the pulleys that opened and closed the gate. If he could keep blocking the immortal soldiers in front of him, they could firmly close the gate again. For some reason, the enemy soldiers were hesitant even to grab him, let alone point their swords at him, so now was the opportunity.
At that moment.
“Make way!”
Someone shouted loudly from behind the hesitant Immortal Army. The knights in silver armor parted at once, and through that gap, a man in dazzling white armor jumped into the gate on a white horse.
“Levi!”
Levi, who had been pointing his dagger to kill anyone instantly, abruptly raised his head. That voice calling his name belonged to the hateful man he could never forget.
The opponent charging toward him on a white horse, about to crash right into him, was unmistakably Grand Duke Ion Verdit.
Around them, the Immortal Army that hadn’t been blocked was already ransacking the fortress interior, and Delos Empire soldiers who had climbed the ramparts using ladders and siege towers were quickly subduing the interior. Amidst the sounds of weapons clashing and screams filling the air, only Levi and Ion seemed to be on an entirely different battlefield.
Ion Verdit, mounted on his white horse, came charging without slowing down and stretched out his arm. The moment Levi swung his left hand to stab a dagger into Ion’s side, Ion caught his wrist in one swift movement as if he had predicted it. Levi’s light body was pulled up into the air by the powerful force.
