Chapter 481: It'll Be a Bit Easier for Now. (2)
Gallop, gallop, gallop.
The Black King advanced with an unhurried gait. Ghislain, seated atop, wore an equally composed expression.
It was only natural. Though their numbers were twice as many, the Fenris Army was more than capable of handling them.
And then there were the ones following Ghislain.
Ereneth, Parniel, Belinda, and Gillian were all warriors who had reached the level of Transcendents, and Kaor was also an elite knight of the highest caliber.
Including Ghislain, the army boasted five Transcendents. With such a force at his disposal, the exhausted and demoralized Fifth Legion was hardly a threat.
Only Kaor, who had just learned that Gillian had ascended to Transcendence, wore a particularly sullen expression.
‘Damn it… I wanted to surpass that old man first.’
But the barrier remained firmly in place, completely unyielding. Neglecting his training even slightly had been a mistake. At times like this, throwing himself into battle with his life on the line seemed like the better option.
Snort.
The Black King snorted violently, eager for the moment it would be unleashed once again.
“Hm, looks like I won’t have to use my head too much today.”
Ghislain chuckled, resting his spear against his shoulder. Their firepower was overwhelming compared to the enemy. Strategy and tactics were nearly irrelevant in such a situation.
But Count Kandore had not yet given up entirely.
“Pull yourselves together! We outnumber them two to one! No matter how strong Count Fenris is, we have Transcendents on our side too!”
His shout snapped the commanders and strategists back to their senses.
They had been intimidated by Count Fenris’ notorious reputation and his absurd mobility.
But upon reflection, their own forces were not weak by any means.
Though fatigued, their troops were still well-trained elites soldiers who had fought and won repeatedly against the enemy coalition.
Individually, they might not match the infamous Fenris Army, but they had the advantage of numbers twice as many, to be exact.
The strategists nodded in agreement.
“If the priests of the Salvation Church can just hold off Count Fenris, we can take advantage of our superior numbers.”
“Yes. We have no choice but to fight. There’s no point in being afraid now.”
“Besides, Count Fenris isn’t using his specialty ambush tactics. He’s engaging us head-on. That works in our favor.”
With that reasoning, the soldiers found renewed determination.
Retreating would have been ideal, but if that was not an option, surrendering to death without a fight was out of the question.
They had only one choice to fight with everything they had and claim victory.
The commanders of the Delfine Forces spread the word among the troops, trying to raise morale.
“Yeah, Count Fenris is still human, right?”
“He’ll die just the same if we run him through with a spear.”
“We haven’t lost a single battle so far.”
“There’s no reason to cower before we even fight!”
Slowly, the morale of the Delfine Forces began to rise. They had no intention of simply rolling over and dying. That was the mark of true elite soldiers.
Even Count Kandore felt his fighting spirit reignite as he observed his troops.
“Count Fenris, you arrogant brat. A few victories and you’ve gotten way too full of yourself. You dare challenge me to a head-on battle? And you only brought a portion of your forces instead of the entire Northern Army?”
The more he thought about it, the more it grated on his pride.
He had been a lord and a military commander long before Ghislain was even born.
Even if it cost him dearly, he intended to crush him completely this time.
It wasn’t because he feared Count Fenris that he had avoided battle it was because he couldn’t afford to face the full might of the Northern Army.
He repeated this to himself several times, steadying his resolve.
“The priest must hold Count Fenris down. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Understood. Do not worry. I’ll put an end to his nonsense today.”
The one who responded arrogantly was Gribail, an Inquisitor of the Salvation Church.
He had never taken Ghislain seriously.
The first priest slain by Ghislain, Lavierre, had been more of a theologian than a warrior, and the others were no different.
But Gribail was cut from a different cloth.
From a young age, he had enjoyed physical training and had learned various combat techniques.
In truth, he had wanted to become an Executor like Aiden, but his exceptionally high Divine Power had led him to be appointed as an Inquisitor instead.
“To be honest, I disliked the idea of retreating just because of that brat. Now that I get to fight him, this is quite the pleasant turn of events.”
At Gribail’s arrogant remark, Count Kandore frowned.
Count Fenris aside, the Northern Army alone numbered 80,000. On top of that, a force of 25,000 led by Maurice was approaching.
In front, the 20,000 troops of the Kingdom Army and the allied forces had formed a defensive line, while at the rear, Raypold’s forces threatened the supply route.
They were on the verge of being surrounded from all sides, yet he dared to speak such words. He was truly a man with nothing but brute strength and no insight.
“Well, that’s not the only reason. There’s quite a difference in numbers, after all.”
Though displeased, Count Kandore made a vague excuse. With a critical battle ahead, there was no need to engage in a war of nerves with an ally.
By the time the 5th Legion had finished their preparations, Fenris’s forces had drawn near.
With a resolute voice, Count Kandore shouted.
“They’re coming! Everyone, prepare yourselves!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Delfine forces clenched their teeth as they raised their shields and spears.
The might of the Fenris Cavalry was well known. They had to muster all their strength to withstand their powerful charge.
Watching them approach slowly, Ghislain smiled faintly.
“Hmmm… Yes, that’s how it should be.”
Slaughtering enemies who had lost their will to fight held no appeal for him.
Only when his enemies burned with fighting spirit could the flames in his own heart blaze just as fiercely.
“Let’s go. If we break through them, things will be easier for a while.”
Clatter, clatter, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The Black King, which had been moving at a slow pace, gradually picked up speed before breaking into a full gallop like a raging storm.
At the same time, Ghislain’s closest aides and the Fenris Mobile Corps increased their speed as well.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
As the fierce momentum of the Fenris forces bore down on them, the Delfine troops gritted their teeth. They only had to endure the initial charge.
The mages gathered their mana, preparing to unleash their attacks at the most effective range.
Then, as Ghislain, leading the charge, came into range, Gribail suddenly leaped forward.
Fwoooosh!
Shooting forward at an incredible speed, he bellowed.
“You and I should have a proper duel, Count Fenris!”
Gribail gathered his energy and swung his arm, aiming to sever the horse’s neck in a single blow.
Swish!
“Huh?”
His attack cleaved through empty air. The Black King had leaped high, soaring over him.
“What a ridiculous fellow.”
Leaving only those words behind, Ghislain continued to charge forward.
Spinning around, Gribail shouted in fury.
“You bastard! Where do you think you’re running?!”
Even as Gribail roared, Ghislain did not respond. He was too busy leading the charge into the enemy lines.
Gribail’s face turned red with anger. How dare he ignore him like this!
As he gathered more energy to give chase—
Rumble!
Vines suddenly sprouted from the ground, wrapping around his ankles.
As he struggled, Ereneth passed by him with an indifferent expression.
“What the hell is this?!”
Just as Gribail tried to cut through the vines binding him—
Fwoosh!
Dozens of daggers suddenly surrounded him.
“What the…?”
Each floating dagger was coated in an Aura Blade. It was an unbelievable technique. In the brief moment Gribail was stunned by the sight, the daggers moved.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
“Aaargh!”
The daggers moved like streaks of light, slashing through his body.
He had no idea how to defend against the overwhelming barrage. His only option was to gather all his strength and endure.
As Gribail struggled against the onslaught of daggers, Belinda ignored him entirely and rushed past.
Boom!
“Gaaah! Damn you all!”
Blood poured from the countless wounds that had been carved into his body, but he gritted his teeth and desperately deflected the daggers one by one.
Dark energy flickered around him, wrapping around his injuries. They would heal quickly after all, their power lay in their incredible regeneration.
But the attack wasn’t over.
Just as he gathered himself to fight back, an enormous mace suddenly appeared before his eyes.
“Gah!”
Boom!
He barely managed to raise his arm to block it, but the moment he did, he realized something was terribly wrong.
Crunch!
The arm that had blocked the mace shattered, and the leg that had been supporting his weight snapped.
Faced with a force beyond comprehension, Gribail collapsed to the ground without realizing it.
Glancing at him briefly, Parniel simply ignored him and dashed forward.
“Urgh… What the hell?! Who are these monsters?!”
The Count of Fenris had disregarded him, and those passing by had overwhelmed him without even sparing him a proper fight.
How many superhumans did these people have?
“Y-You bastards… I won’t let this go!”
Unlike the other priests, Gribail had confidence in his combat skills. This situation was a bitter humiliation.
Grinding his teeth, he struggled to rise for revenge.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
A middle-aged man with white hair was seen riding towards them on horseback.
He didn’t recognize the ones who came before, but this man stood out enough for him to identify.
"White hair? Gillian?"
Contrary to the information that described him as a top-tier knight, the massive axe he wielded was clearly enveloped in an Aura Blade.
Shocked, Gribail tried to channel energy into his legs to stand up. However, his wounds did not heal as quickly as he expected.
"D-Divine power!"
The divine power of Parniel still lingered within his body, obstructing his recovery.
"Kraaaah! You bastards dare!"
Gribail forced his energy to explode outward, attempting to smother the divine power. With that force, he wrapped his broken body in energy, trying to move again.
But Gillian was faster.
Lowering his posture to one side as he charged forward on horseback, Gillian swung his axe like a bolt of lightning.
Kwa-zzzzik!
"Keuk…!"
A harsh sound echoed, like metal being crushed. Gribail’s neck was torn apart, unable to withstand the blow from Gillian’s axe.
Though he had superior combat skills compared to other priests, that was only because the others were utterly incompetent.
To those who had experienced countless battles, Gribail was nothing more than a strong but naive brat.
His lack of self-awareness had cost him dearly he was beaten to death without any dignity.
Without sparing another glance at the severed head, Gillian continued forward.
Following at the rear, Kaor found himself with nothing to do.
"Tch."
He simply spat on the ground as he passed by. Neither the Delfine Forces nor Gribail were of any concern to him now.
"……"
Kaor only stared at Gillian’s back with a bitter expression.
"If only that old man wasn’t here… I would be first… No, I wouldn’t."
Even without Gillian, he wouldn’t have been first.
The frustration gnawed at him. Belinda and Gillian both had surpassed their limits far too quickly.
He felt like he was the only one falling behind, and it made him restless. Perhaps it was simply in his nature.
"Damn it, just wait. Someday, I'll surpass all of you!"
Clenching his teeth, Kaor rode his horse with all his might. For now, he could vent his rage by crushing the Delfine Forces.
Dudududududu!
Behind him, the Fenris Mobile Corps all grinned.
They had only struck once while passing by, yet that fearsome priest of the Salvation Church had died just like that.
Did this kingdom ever have an army this powerful? No, at least not on the surface.
Surely, they were the strongest army in the kingdom.
The enemy forces drew near. Leading the charge, Lucas shouted loudly.
"Lower lances!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
At his command, the knights and soldiers of the Mobile Corps firmly braced their lances under their arms.
Then, Gordon roared with a booming voice.
"Charge!"
"Waaaaaaaah!"
The Fenris Mobile Corps echoed his war cry.
Their collective roar shook the battlefield.
It was a sound that seemed capable of sweeping away any enemy in an instant. A roar that could bring any opponent to their knees.
Dudududududu!
The soldiers of the Delfine Forces paled as they watched Ghislain and the Fenris Mobile Corps approach.
They had been confident at first. They thought they had a chance.
But that was merely an illusion.
A priest of the Salvation Church an existence considered superhuman had died without even putting up a proper fight.
They weren’t fools. They could tell exactly what this meant.
It meant that every single one of the warriors who had attacked Gribail while passing by was also a superhuman.
Dududududu!
They were getting closer. The Delfine soldiers trembled.
"T-This is the strongest army in the North…?"
"How the hell are we supposed to win against that?"
"We can’t. We’re all going to die."
Even before the battle had begun, fear had already taken hold of them.
Just look at that terrifying momentum. They could feel the overwhelming force, as if it would consume everything in an instant.
And then, they realized something anew.
Who was responsible for creating such a powerful army?
"Ghislain Ferdium."
Someone muttered the name, but it spread like an epidemic.
That name rang in their ears.
The man who had single-handedly wiped out four entire legions of the Delfine Forces, despite their streak of victories against the kingdom’s army.
Dudududududu!
And now, at the very front of this army, that very man was charging toward them his crimson eyes gleaming, his savage grin stretching wide.
The Delfine forces, still holding their defensive formation, already knew the outcome.
They could not defeat this man.
And then—
Hiiiiiing!
With the thunderous cry of a warhorse—
He finally crashed into their ranks.
Kwaaaaaang!