Chapter 219

Under the Berengeiria Wall.

The war that had suddenly begun had now turned into a chaotic battle with no end in sight.

The White Flag Troops cavalry, having successfully flanked, let out eerie war cries as they charged toward the rear of the Medium Cavalry. Despite being turned into porcupines by the rain of arrows pouring from the wall, they showed no fear. With each silver downpour, their numbers visibly dwindled.

The once-parched plains were now soaked with the blood of horses and men.

“Knights of Randenburg! We will break through the enemy lines! Medium Cavalry, reverse! Protect the rear!”

Nigel, throwing aside a corpse impaled on his spear, shouted sharply. His armor was scratched all over, and his surcoat was torn and tattered, but the spear he wielded still carried a fierce momentum.

Right beside him, a knight clad in jet-black full plate armor followed Nigel’s lead. With a single longsword, the knight skillfully deflected a thrusting lance and then extended the blade to sever the opponent’s neck.

The seamless flow of defense and counterattack. Though not yet at the level of a master, this knight was close enough that ordinary warriors couldn’t even block a single strike.

Leonor… no, for now, she should be called Rene. It seemed she hadn’t wasted her time, as her skills had improved since their last spar.

—

The real problem was the center.

“Ahhh! My stomach, my stomach…!!”

“Hold on! Just hold on until the knights arrive… Ugh!”

“These barbarian bastards!”

Screams, war cries, and the clashing of steel blended into an indistinguishable noise. Soldiers drenched in blood swung their weapons in desperation.

The stench of blood, sweat, and excrement mixed into a nauseating, putrid odor. A blood-soaked imperial corpse lay beneath a blood-soaked Ka`har warrior.

Distinctions were meaningless. Once their breath was cut off, they were nothing more than dozens of kilograms of flesh. In the face of death, they finally became equals.

While the Medium Cavalry on both flanks were pushing back against twice their number, the Heavy Infantry in the center had suffered devastating losses. Half of the initial four hundred had been lost, and the additional four hundred were only now engaging in close combat.

“Even if we die, we’ll take the imperial bastards with us! Our ancestors are watching over us!”

“Kieeeeee!”

With each swing of the Ka`har warriors’ curved swords, the Heavy Infantry’s blood sprayed.

The only reason they were holding on was that the battle had turned into a chaotic melee. If the White Flag Troops had maintained their triangular formation and pushed forward, and if Havar had repeated his cavalry charges, they would have been annihilated long ago.

And I—

—

– Kwaaaang!

With a shock that rattled my entire body, my vision flipped. The dusty sky filled my sight.

“Haah!”

I kicked through the air, twisting my body. The world spun halfway, and the sky and ground flipped in an instant. I faced the rising wall of earth head-on.

I was falling—not downward, but backward.

The Ice Blade I had extended forward gripped the ground.

– Kwaddddduk!

The tip of my foot slid across the ground, tearing through the grass. My left hand left deep claw marks as it dug into the earth.

“Kuuu… This isn’t easy.”

How many times had this happened now? Blocking the glaive as it charged from a distance, only to be sent flying helplessly into the air.

[ Pathetic. ]

Hersela muttered mockingly.

…Well, what can I do? It’s trickier than I thought. That mounted combat wasn’t just about enhancing the horse’s physical abilities.

“You’re holding up well!”

Havar, having created distance, twisted his body and pulled the reins to the side. The galloping horse sharply changed direction.

– Kadduk!

The hooves scraped the ground, emitting a rough friction sound. A wave of dust rose, spreading in a semicircle.

It was a scene that felt eerily familiar. I had seen humans doing similar things before. Though what they rode wasn’t a horse, but a bike.

Yes, he was drifting on horseback…!

For an ordinary horse, such a move would have shattered its legs instantly. Not to mention, a normal horse wouldn’t even move like that in the first place.

But it wasn’t just drifting. If I aimed low, he would leap up to avoid it, and even bring the hooves down on me.

It was like being struck by a vertical hammer of steel weighing dozens of kilograms. And two of them at that, since a horse has two front legs.

If I tried to fight from the side, he would kick at me while I was blocking the glaive. I reflexively twisted my body, taking the hit on my armor, but my head almost got smashed.

It was similar to the Locust Centaur I had encountered in the Karmaine Dungeon, but the tactics were quite different. That creature flailed its limbs in place, but Havar kept his distance, repeating hit-and-run attacks.

I could manage to keep up with him, but when he tried to shake me off and create distance, there was no way to stop him.

‘You said you developed that technique too. Don’t you have any way to counter it?’

[ A countermeasure… Even if I knew, I have no reason to teach you. Figure it out yourself. A warrior who stops thinking is as good as dead. ]

…Fair enough.

I raised my sword once more, watching Havar charge toward me with a roar.

The faintly glowing blessing of Durandal. Half-depleted Life Force. Five daggers and my right wrist beginning to burn.

With just this, how could I stop that charge…?

“Traitorous scum! I’ll strip you bare and trample you under my horse!”

Beating the ground like a drum, the excited warhorse closed the distance at an astonishing speed. Not even caring about the scratches and tears in its armor.

…Ah, I don’t know.

Since when did I start relying on intricate techniques to fight?

Using Life Force threads to perform all sorts of tricks was Hersela’s skill, not mine. Even if I tried to mimic her over her shoulder, I couldn’t wield it as skillfully as she could.

So… let’s just do it my way.

“Haaa…!”

Giving up precise control, I just pull up as much power as I can.

The thin, wavy crimson threads scatter and lose their sharpness.

The freed Life Force energy surges like fire, enveloping my entire body.

A primal method of protecting the body and enhancing strength. I pour all my power into this ridiculously simple approach.

Yeah, this definitely suits me better.

I’ll smash you head-on.

“Who’s gonna get wrecked…?”

Gripping Durandal with both hands, I charge forward with all my might.

The amplified force shatters the ground beneath my feet, accelerating me.

In an instant, the distance between me and him closes.

“It’s gonna be you!!”

Right before the glaive and longsword clash, I push all my strength to the limit.

No. Beyond the limit. Squeezing out every last drop.

The world slows down.

My senses, sharpened to the extreme, perceive everything around me.

The flow of air. The movement of force.

Even the tiny fragments of stone floating in the air.

The sweat droplets scattering behind me. The thunderous heartbeat of the horse. The chipped and cracked blade of the glaive.

Everything feels vividly clear.

Havar’s blade, aiming for my waist, draws a long arc as it approaches.

In this slowed-down world, his weapon is still flying toward me at a terrifying speed.

Just like mine.

Gritting my teeth, I stomp the ground with my right foot.

– BOOOOM!

In the slowed world, the echoing explosion felt bizarre.

Like beating a drum underwater—muffled and heavy.

The ground caves in, and chunks of dirt float upward as if weightless.

The blade closing in on me.

I swing Durandal with all my might toward the glaive, its teeth now jagged like a saw.

The blue blade rises, leaving a crescent-shaped afterimage.

– KWAHAAAAANG!

A roar like a beast’s cry.

The slashing blade collides with the heavy glaive, unleashing a flash as bright as the sun.

My vision flashes white.

Not yet.

Clenching my teeth so hard they might shatter, I forcibly twist my wrist.

The blade, scattering sparks, embodies the fundamental principles of Empire swordsmanship.

Deflecting and redirecting the incoming attack, twisting the flow of the fight itself.

– GRRRRRR!

A massive load bears down on both arms holding the sword.

Muscles tear, bones creak, but I endure, reinforced by the Life Force energy.

Then, the direction of the force shifts.

The horizontal momentum of the glaive is bent at a right angle, pressing me down.

Both feet sink deep into the ground.

Gradually, the world speeds up again.

My needle-sharp focus shatters under the impact, and my senses, which had briefly transcended limits, are forcibly dragged back down.

“KYAAAAH!”

In the final moment, I push with all my might, and the blade finally shoves the glaive aside, drawing a pale blue arc.

“KHUH…!”

Havar’s body is flung into the air.

– CRACK!

The taut saddle chain snaps under the strain.

For a moment, Havar and his horse are completely separated.

The opportunity I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.

[ You’re taking that head-on…? There’s a limit to how barbaric you can be, you savage wench! ]

“If your body’s strong, your brain doesn’t have to suffer!”

My knees, having absorbed the shock, throb like they’ve been hammered.

My forcibly twisted wrist feels like it’s been sliced by the blade, pain shooting up my nerves.

My left ear is muffled, and something warm trickles out—probably a ruptured eardrum.

Doesn’t matter.

I force my trembling legs to leap.

[ Taking the horse won’t help! That thing won’t obey anyone but its master! ]

“Not planning to!”

Hersela urgently warns, but her advice is pointless.

My goal isn’t to mount the horse.

I couldn’t pull off Havar’s bizarre mounted combat anyway.

I spring upward like a bouncing ball, aiming for Havar, who’s barely keeping his balance.

“Not a chance!”

The glaive swings desperately.

Unlike when he charged on horseback, its momentum is significantly weaker.

Now that he’s off his horse, he’s just an ordinary master.

My body’s not in great shape either, but the blue blade still carries a fierce, unstoppable force.

– KAAAAANG!

Bright flames scatter into the air.

A collision in midair with no footing. Both our bodies are flung backward.

The distance between him and his horse grows wider.

Now’s the time.

“MAGICIIIIIIIIANS!!”

I scream until my throat feels like it’s tearing.

Loud enough to be heard clearly above the barrier.

“Roast that little colt! Turn it into horse barbecue!!”

As if answering my scream, dozens of fireballs fly toward his horse.

Now that it’s separated from the Grand Warrior, it’s no longer some bizarre demon steed. Just a regular warhorse.

It won’t have the skill to dodge incoming magic.

Let’s see if that fancy armor can block fireballs.

“You despicable wench!”

– KWAHOOOOOM!

With Havar’s furious roar, the meteor-like fireballs explode with a deafening blast.

A wall of flames rises, spreading intense heat.

Amid the raging inferno, the agonized screams of the scorched horse echo.

[!– Slider main container –]

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