The Rockfall operation had been an overwhelming success. In truth, “successful” was far too mild a word. The boulders dropped from the top of the canyon had created something close to a landslide. When tens of thousands of soldiers were packed together, what could they possibly do? Once rocks weighing dozens of tons came crashing down, they could only be crushed without so much as a scream.
I looked down at the spot where the enemy had been standing with cold eyes.
“It’s over with a single strike.”
The ones who had broken through the new first wall had to be their elites. With them annihilated, the future of the Mandus tribe had effectively vanished. Their main force had likely lost all will to fight and would scatter in every direction. At this point, the only actual combatants left in their camp were probably a few thousand warriors. The rest were non-combatants.
If I leave even them alone, they’ll become seeds of future trouble.
I lightly tapped the white bat hanging from my shoulder.
“Feltron, give the order for a full assault. The target is their main camp.”
—Got it!
Soon after, the cries of crows and bats echoed from all directions.
—All forces, charge! Wipe out the enemy camp!
Move quickly, you bastards!
—If we don’t uproot them now, there will be no future!
I didn’t remember giving those exact words, but Feltron’s subordinates each phrased things with their own nuance. It was only natural since their personalities and speaking styles differed. I could have forced stricter control by pressuring Feltron and feeding him a few points of spirit energy, but I saw no need.
As long as the meaning gets across, it’s enough. Right now, speed of transmission matters more.
I raised Hector Punisher high.
“Eastern 1st Knight Division! Break through to the first wall and crush the enemy’s second line. Charge!”
“Chaaaaarge! We accept the order!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The knights were slightly excited. In war, one had to maintain cold reason at all times because anything could happen at any moment.
It’s fine right now. The momentum has already shifted in our favor.
Even so, I could not allow individual actions. A knight division displayed its greatest power only when it moved as one. I kept the knights under proper control as we advanced toward the first wall.
“Follow me!”
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
We adjusted our speed and soon reached the shattered gate. The Mandus were truly formidable. They had torn apart thick gates without a single siege weapon. Of course, I had deliberately made the gate somewhat weaker so they would charge in eagerly. Still, I hadn’t expected them to break through quite this easily.
Second line. Just as expected.
The only way in or out of the first wall was through the broken gate. Without securing a retreat route, any survivors of the Rockfall would have no way back. I had assumed they would desperately try to hold this position, and sure enough, the entire second line had gathered behind the gate—roughly five thousand men. It wasn’t a small force. Against an ordinary wall, they could have held out for hours.
But things would not go the way the Mandus wanted.
“Break their formation as is. Lances ready!”
“Uwooooo!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The Eastern 1st Knight Division attempted a lance charge. Bright blue glowing cavalry lances. When they shifted into a wedge formation, it felt as though a massive skewer was being thrust forward.
But at that exact moment—
“Stop, you rotten bastards!”
Whoosh! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Someone dropped from the sky and tore the ground apart. A tall earthen wall rose horizontally, blocking the path. The Eastern 1st Knight Division had no choice but to go around it. In that time, the horses lost speed and the power of their aura would naturally decrease. Unlike swords, lances were so large that maintaining aura projection was difficult. They could re-inject aura, but the lost timing was what mattered most.
“So we finally meet, you disgusting bastard.”
Step. Step.
Accompanied by curses, a figure climbed onto the earthen mound. He was large enough to make even Feltron’s possessed body look small. The demonic face tattooed on his bald head was extremely intimidating. Most people would not even be able to meet his eyes. It felt as though his killing intent had taken physical form and was strangling their throats.
He’s in a completely different league from Groskal.
This man was most likely the hero of the Mandus tribe—the Great Chieftain, Baskan Magres. Tension shot through my entire body. Until now, I had rarely fought opponents of similar level. The only one I could name was the demigod I encountered in the southern sea. Albanoquetus had been the most difficult opponent I had faced. Everyone else had been far beneath me. Perhaps that was why a sense of pressure slowly crept up on me.
But I had no intention of backing down.
If I fall here, the entire Eastern Allied Army will be in danger.
The current soaring momentum originated from a single person—me. It was a bit embarrassing to say out loud, but that was the truth.
“Are you Baskan Magres, the Great Chieftain of the Mandus tribe?”
“That’s right, brat. I’ll tear you apart right here.”
“Your language is crude. Do you know why your people still haven’t been able to establish a proper nation?”
“What the hell are you spouting all of a sudden?”
“Because you lack the necessary honor. Since your subordinates do not offer respect to their leader, no system can be maintained.”
“Go say that bullshit after seeing my loyal subordinates.”
“That isn’t loyalty. It’s fear and madness. Groskal still hasn’t returned to the main camp, has he?”
“Of course not. Because you captured him.”
“What are you talking about? I released him a long time ago. He knows it too—that barbarians can never defeat civilized people.”
Baskan’s face twisted as he glared at me fiercely. He seemed somewhat flustered by the claim that I had released Groskal. There could only be one reason a loyal subordinate had not returned yet. It meant Baskan was not a particularly charismatic ruler. However, this provocation contained one trap.
Yeah. That was a lie.
It was true that I had released Groskal, but I had never said he could leave the fortress. I had simply allowed him to wander freely inside. His reaction had been rather amusing. He had been unable to hide his admiration for the Eastern Allied Army’s overwhelming logistics and superior equipment. Of course, he had pretended otherwise for the sake of appearances, but it had been obvious from his expression.
Baskan was the same. He suppressed his emotions, but I could feel him boiling inside.
“Do you think I’ll fall for such nonsense?”
“If you don’t believe me, go get captured yourself and check.”
“You crazy bastard!”
Boom!
As if his rage had reached its peak, Baskan slammed his greatsword into the ground. Then he closed the distance in an instant. His speed did not match his massive frame. It was a simple downward swing. Yet the power contained in that single strike was beyond imagination.
Boom! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The moment his sword touched the ground, it sounded as though a fragmentation grenade had exploded. The shockwave was so powerful that the earth itself cracked open.
That was close.
If I hadn’t moved on instinct, I would have been completely crushed, just like the Mandus warriors who had been caught in the Rockfall. Before I knew it, red energy had wrapped around my entire body. Beast’s Heart had activated on its own. That alone told me how dangerous the situation was.
“As expected of the one who defeated Groskal. You’re not easy.”
Baskan smiled leisurely as he spun his greatsword. The fact that he could wield such a massive weapon with one hand showed just how monstrous his physical strength was.
If raw power won’t work, I’ll have to win with technique……
As expected, I only had Abel Carius’s latent abilities. My body was that of an absolute being, but my brain was…… well, let’s just say it was all brawn and no brains. Actually, it wasn’t that I couldn’t use technique at all. It was just a rough comparison.
Let’s do our best. You never know how a fight will go until you try.
Wooooong!
[Choice: Attack Power]
[You will enter Glass Body state.]
Extreme Choice activated.
I still didn’t know how good Baskan’s defense was. But from the way he had toyed with me earlier, the answer was obvious. He would either deflect or lightly parry most attacks. In that case, I needed to throw something powerful enough that he couldn’t afford to take it lightly. Something like this, for example.
Shuuuuaa!
Destructive Retribution activated.
A brilliant flash of light settled into Hector Punisher. It was no longer just glowing pale blue-white. It now carried an eerie discharge as well.
Crackle! Crackle!
The condensed energy flowed out in the form of lightning. That was how much tremendous power had been concentrated.
“Haaah!”
With a shout, I swung Hector Punisher. If I had more time, I could have unleashed an even stronger strike. But the moment the minimum requirements were met, I launched the attack immediately. Baskan had sensed something strange and was already rushing in.
He’s annoyingly sharp.
As the system functions continued to improve, Destructive Retribution had also grown. In the past, it had felt like barely swinging an unmanageable force. Now it felt much more comfortable. As a result, the skill activated far more stealthily. The power infused in Destructive Retribution was something only I could perceive. However, the moment light gathered on the warhammer, Baskan began to move. That alone proved how high his realm was.
Shuuuung—! Kwa-ching!
His greatsword, wrapped in dark red energy, clashed with the brilliant flash of light.
“Urgh!”
An intense shock ran through my entire body. Along with a terrible nausea, my vision spun. Unlike me, whose insides were churning, Baskan looked relaxed. He was already preparing his next attack.
He really was an absurd monster. No wonder he was able to unite the wild and unruly Mandus tribe.
The title of hero of the eastern plains was not given for nothing. I forcibly raised Hector Punisher.
Kwoong! Pa-pa-pa-pa!
A pillar of discharging light shot upward and completely blocked my vision. Taking advantage of that opening, I quickly threw myself backward. A hot sensation brushed past my chin.
Whoosh!
Baskan’s horizontally swung greatsword grazed past me. He had instantly split apart the powerful mass of energy from Destructive Retribution. Normally, everything it touched should have been ground to dust. Yet his greatsword, wrapped in dark red energy, did not have a single scratch.
“Khahahahaha! If you thought I was on Groskal’s level, you were gravely mistaken, brat!”
Baskan burst into loud laughter and continued raining down attacks. I threw myself backward once more and barely managed to save my life. Of course, that wasn’t entirely true.
Half of it is acting, but this is still pretty tough.
Ta-da-dak!
The shockwaves from his sword strikes pushed my body away. I kicked off the ground repeatedly to reduce my momentum, then staggered and dropped to one knee.
“C-Commander!”
“Protect the Commander!”
The knights who had been dealing with the Mandus second line shouted loudly. They had all been pretending not to watch, but they had clearly been keeping an eye on my duel with Baskan. It couldn’t be helped. The outcome of this fight would determine how thoroughly the Mandus were crushed. If I lost here, they would gain a foothold for recovery. They would use the fame of having slain the commander of the Eastern Allied Army to organize an even stronger army.
“But…… your dreams are too big.”
“Huhuhu! That’s not something you should be saying when you’ve been getting beaten from start to finish.”
Baskan walked forward leisurely with a crooked smile. The probability of a master defeating a lesser opponent was very high, but it was not always guaranteed. Occasionally, completely unexpected reversals occurred. In most of those cases, the reason was the same.
Carelessness.
I stared at Baskan with a crooked smile of my own.
“Farewell, young commander of the imperial army.”
The moment he leisurely raised his greatsword—
This was the moment of reversal.
“You go first. Great Chieftain of the barbarians who could never become a king.”
Remote Detonation activated.