Boom! Boom!
“Uwaaak!”
“Th-Those crazy bastards are using magic again!”
“Run!”
The Mandus camp descended into chaos.
Soldiers were collapsing in droves from the sudden explosions. The commanders, unable to understand what was happening, screamed at the top of their lungs.
“Do not retreat!”
“Have you all abandoned the pride of the Mandus tribe?!”
“Form ranks! I said form ranks!”
“Do you want to show those pathetic imperial dogs such a disgraceful sight?!”
But no matter how much they shouted, it was useless.
Warriors were falling by the dozens with every explosion—bodies riddled like honeycombs or blown apart entirely. Even the Mandus, renowned as berserkers, could not endure the collapse of their morale.
“Damn it, what kind of attack is this?!”
Baskan Magres, the hero who had united the eastern barbarians, let out a deep sigh.
Humans in crisis usually found solutions from past experience. But nothing came to mind. This was something he had never encountered before.
In the end, Baskan arrived at a vague conclusion.
“If it is magic, it will eventually run out. We hold until then!”
Boom! Boom!
His resolve was meaningless. The bombardment continued without pause. Eventually, the Mandus had no choice but to hide behind the hill.
Only then did the attacks stop.
“Aha! Their mana must have finally run out. Everyone, move in! Attack!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Unfortunately, Baskan’s judgment was wrong. The moment they crossed the hill again, the bombardment resumed. Only then did the Mandus realize one terrifying fact.
“If we cross the hill, our bodies explode.”
“No matter how brave a warrior is, no one wants to walk into certain death……”
“If it was for honor, I could do it. But this is just meaningless slaughter.”
Morale plummeted rapidly.
Hearing his subordinates’ murmurs, Baskan furrowed his brows. It seemed they would have to retreat today. If they forced an attack now, the support base they had built could collapse.
But they could not simply slink away either. That would destroy their dignity just as thoroughly.
“Groskal!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Go and cut that bastard’s throat.”
“You mean the one swinging the hammer in the last battle?”
“Yes.”
As expected, Groskal understood immediately.
If he won a one-on-one duel, they could at least save some face. Moreover, since he was approaching alone, the enemy would not unleash that crude bombardment.
As predicted, Yates Fortress showed no reaction.
Groskal walked forward confidently.
Soon, his booming voice shook the battlefield.
“Stop hiding behind magic like cowards and face me in single combat! Anyone, come out! I, Groskal, will personally split you in half!”
A small commotion broke out atop Yates Fortress. It seemed they were debating who should step forward.
Groskal grew even more arrogant.
“Uahahaha! So the imperial dogs really are cowards. Is there not a single one willing to face me in a duel?”
All kinds of provocations followed, but the fortress remained silent. Then, as if a decision had been made, someone peeked over the wall.
A slender young man wearing strange clothes.
He looked neat, but his outfit was completely unsuited for the battlefield. He had no armor, no shield—only a warhammer in his hand.
Groskal thought the imperials were mocking him.
“To send out such a greenhorn…… You must be terrified of me.”
It was common to throw away a losing card in a fight one could not win. But Groskal’s eyes soon widened in shock.
The noble-looking young man had suddenly jumped down from the wall.
“What the—?!”
It was not uncommon for commanders to do bizarre things. Some launched filth with catapults or brutally desecrated enemy corpses as a performance to break morale.
Groskal assumed this was the same kind of dirty trick.
Until the moment the young man lightly touched the ground after falling from dozens of meters up.
“Huh?”
Very few humans could fall from such a height and remain completely unharmed. Even those who had reached high levels of aura would suffer serious injuries if they made even a small mistake. If unlucky, they could die instantly.
Yet the young man’s movements were far too relaxed.
A deep crease formed between Groskal’s brows.
“What the hell is that rotten bastard doing?!”
“Commander! Please give me this chance. I will smash that barbarian dog in one blow and return!”
The reactions of the knight-turned-officers were intense. They had been properly provoked by the Mandus warrior named Groskal.
But I had no intention of sending any knights into a one-on-one duel.
There is no one who can guarantee an overwhelming victory.
There were several people at a similar level to Groskal. But if asked whether they could dominate him? That was a different story. The people capable of that had already died—fighting desperately to resolve difficult situations. Thanks to those sacrifices, Yates Fortress had been able to hold out until now.
No choice, then. I will have to go myself.
For a commander to personally enter a one-on-one duel was generally the worst possible move. However, what if victory was 100% guaranteed? What if it could raise morale without any losses? And what if it could completely shatter the enemy’s mental state?
It was not a choice that had to be avoided at all costs.
I drew Hector Punisher and spoke.
“I will go.”
“Pardon?”
“P-Pardon?”
“Pardooooon?!”
The officers’ shocked voices overlapped. But no one tried to stop me.
Who was I?
The man once called the Northern Berserker. Could I not handle a single duel like this? They seemed to have organized their thoughts that way.
“If the commander achieves victory, it will have an enormous effect on morale.”
“Indeed. It could also instill fear in the enemy.”
“This is the perfect chance to show them who the real berserker is. That is not true madness.”
The cheers continued, but the atmosphere sank after the last remark. The officers shot glares at the one who had spoken.
It was Zyler Spencer, the former commander of the 1st Knight Division. I had given him a brigade commander position after hearing he had recovered from his injuries, but he seemed to lack tact.
As long as he does his job well, a little nonsense does not matter.
I roughly waved my hand to dismiss the officers, then revealed myself atop the wall.
“Please be careful, Commander!”
“The Mandus’ ranged attacks are on the level of living siege weapons!”
“At least put on some armor……”
Worried voices called out, but I lightly refused.
“It is fine.”
Imperial armor provided tremendous defense, but it was also extremely heavy. While it did not completely immobilize the wearer, it definitely slowed them down. It also continuously drained stamina, and heat dissipation was a serious issue.
I tried wearing it before. It was just cumbersome.
Besides, I would not be hit by stray arrows anyway. Beast’s Heart granted me transcendent senses. No matter what came flying, I was confident I could deflect it all. And even if I took a few hits, it would be fine. The burning energy also provided its own defensive power.
“I will be back.”
I lightly jumped down from the wall.
Gasps erupted from behind me.
“Hup!”
“C-Commander!”
Thud thud thud!
The sound of urgent footsteps rushing over. But contrary to the officers’ worries, I landed without issue. Red energy was already burning around me. Beast’s Heart had completely absorbed the impact.
At the same time, cheers exploded from atop the wall.
“It is the Commander!”
“Uwaaaaaah! You bastards are finished now!”
“How dare you barbarians look down on the Empire? Kekeke!”
It was an overwhelming level of trust. There had probably never been a commander who earned such passionate support from soldiers this quickly. It showed just how severe the crisis facing the Eastern Allied Army had been.
I was the spiritual pillar who had helped them overcome it.
“Those filthy things can shout all they want. I will extinguish the expectations placed on you in an instant.”
Groskal growled with a fierce expression.
I simply stood there blankly.
I had come out, but I did not actually know how one-on-one duels were supposed to start.
Should I just smash his head in right away?
That felt a bit off. Almost cheap.
So I stood still and waited. Suddenly, my opponent moved first.
“Die, you worthless imperial pretty boy!”
Shwaaaaang!
Groskal swung his axe in a surprise attack.
It was a battle axe with a blade as long and wide as a spear. It was so massive that it could practically be called a halberd. And he was swinging something like that with one hand as if it were nothing.
His strength was truly terrifying.
But I felt no particular impression.
“What the—? We are starting just like that?”
This was my first time experiencing a one-on-one duel, yet it was proceeding in such an uncool manner. I lightly raised Hector Punisher to block.
Claaang!
Groskal’s arm was flung upward. His eyes widened in shock. He must have been deeply surprised that someone half his size had overpowered him in strength.
“Kraaap!”
But his shock lasted only a moment. With a deeply furrowed brow, he brought his axe crashing down. As expected of someone the Mandus had sent as their great warrior, an aura blade coated his falling axe.
Boom!
The attack was so powerful it seemed to break the sound barrier, followed by shockwaves and explosions. But his finishing blow was easily neutralized.
Wuuuung~
「Choice ‘Defense’」
「‘Water Fist’ state activated.」
Extreme Choice activated.
Crack!
Even his extremely refined aura could not pierce Extreme Choice. He could probably stand right next to a nuclear explosion and be fine.
Ah, of course, that is just an expression. I am not actually volunteering to test it.
After blocking Groskal’s axe head-on, I immediately counterattacked. After such a powerful strike, most people would need time to recover from the impact. But I did not need any such thing. It had not affected me at all.
“Take this.”
Thud! Thud! Smack!
The sound of fists striking leather armor rang out. The Mandus had not developed advanced metallurgy, so even skilled warriors like him basically only wore crude monster hides. Of course, that did not mean their defense was weak. The problem was that it was somewhat vulnerable to moisture and surprisingly heavy.
Still, he seemed to be able to take quite a beating. After getting hit three times in a row, he was still standing.
Well, I am in Water Fist state right now.
Even so, it must have hurt like hell. My base attack power was still extremely high even if it was reduced.
Yet Groskal endured it cleanly. As expected of the Mandus’ number one great warrior.
But his composure would not last long.
“Why, you ask? Because I am going to keep hitting you.”
“Krgh! What nonsense are you spouting? You think I will just stand here and take it……”
Smack! Crack! Thud thud thud!
Groskal tried to resist, but his counterattacks missed helplessly. In such an extreme close-quarters fight, shorter weapons were advantageous. On top of that, my strength was overwhelmingly superior to his. In other words, escaping was impossible.
Groskal had no choice but to be thoroughly beaten until he lost consciousness.
Thud! Thud! Craaack!
Only the crisp sound of impacts echoed across the silent battlefield. Then, finally—
The last strike landed.
“Krrrk!”
Groskal’s eyes rolled back as he collapsed.
Only then did the frozen atmosphere begin to thaw.
Soon after, cheers erupted from behind me.
“W-Waaaaah……”
“Uh……? Are we supposed to cheer now? Waaah! Waaah!”
……Why was their reaction so weird?
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