Chapter 615

During the time when Ha-shal-leur’s Special Forces were engaged in a pursuit with the Blue Army, Joshua’s main force was also retreating, evading the Enemy Army led by Ai-shan Gi-or, Targien, and War Chief Hatan.

Unlike the Special Forces, who were unable to shake off the pursuit due to the swift movements of Or-han and the Blue Army, the main force had some leeway as they moved immediately upon receiving reports of Or-han’s deployment.

By the time Targien and Hatan had tracked the main force’s movements and gathered the Enemy Army to begin their pursuit, Landenburg’s main force was already in full retreat toward Dane’s border.

Of course, they couldn’t relax entirely. The main force’s fatigue, having endured numerous fierce battles, was incomparable to that of the Special Forces, and the distance they had to cover for their escape was seven times longer.

Consequently, it was inevitable that they would eventually encounter the Enemy Army.

—

“Despicable Empire scum! How long do you think you can keep running?!”

Finally, Landenburg’s main force encountered the Enemy Army. Targien let out a fierce roar and charged toward them, leading six thousand of the Enemy Army.

The total strength of the pursuing Enemy Army was ten thousand, but not all of them were present here.

Targien and Hatan had divided the Enemy Army into five groups to search the southern regions of Ordos thoroughly. Only six thousand-man units had successfully tracked them down to this point, while the remaining four were still searching elsewhere.

Of course, Targien was confident of victory with just six thousand troops. The enemy was a mere two thousand cavalry, clearly exhausted from repeated battles.

“Enemy Army! Follow me! The time has come to avenge our comrades!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, he spurred his horse and charged toward the enemy, believing this was a fight they couldn’t afford to lose.

“Your Highness Targien! Leading the vanguard is dangerous…!”

Hatan, the de facto commander of the Enemy Army, urgently tried to stop Targien, who was charging ahead at breakneck speed. Even though Targien’s skills were at the level of a Paladin, not even a Paladin could evade the blind blades of the battlefield.

If it were just any Paladin, it might be different, but if the eldest son of Kagan were to fall in battle, the repercussions would be catastrophic.

—

But before Hatan could finish his sentence, Targien was already far ahead. True to his status as Kagan’s eldest son, his warhorse was a steed among steeds, galloping at an astonishing speed.

“…Damn it, that brat’s lost his mind again.”

Hatan furrowed his brow, muttering curses under his breath as he spurred his horse. He had no choice but to chase after Targien and protect him before he engaged the enemy. If Targien were to die in a battle under his command, the responsibility would fall on him.

“1st and 2nd Thousand-Man Units, flank them! Rain arrows on their sides! The rest, charge! Follow His Highness and break through the enemy lines!”

At Hatan’s command, the Enemy Army’s formation split into three as they pursued.

Splitting forces to flank while in pursuit might seem irrational at first glance. When you’re already struggling to catch up, why deliberately take a detour?

However, when there’s an overwhelming difference in mobility between the pursuer and the pursued, even irrational commands can become rational tactics.

Hatan was confident that the four thousand-man units charging straight ahead could pin down the Empire’s rear, while the two thousand flanking units could attack the enemy’s sides, creating a three-pronged assault.

‘With arrows raining from both sides and allies screaming and dying behind them, can they maintain their formation and escape? Not a chance.’

Those trying to flee and those trying to counterattack would clash, descending into chaos and disorder. That’s what Hatan believed.

“Savages of the grasslands! Behold, and be annihilated! This is the【Giant Hunting Sword】!”

Until an enormous mass of steel suddenly erupted from the rear of the retreating Imperial Army.

—

【Giant Hunting Sword】

It was the name of the heroic tale awakened by Joshua Blake, Landenburg’s first sword, after endless training.

A bizarre feat that maintained the weight and strength of the sword while increasing its length and width tenfold.

Physically, it was an impossible phenomenon. If the sword’s weight remained unchanged, its strength and size should have been inversely proportional.

But the essence of a heroic tale is to defy the laws of the world with the power of feats, forged from one’s soul.

Joshua Blake, the Empire’s second hero.

His soul, the feats he had accumulated over a lifetime, wielded a longsword that manifested the physically impossible in this world.

—

“Kwaaaahhh!”

In the form of a hero’s slash that swept across a radius of ten meters.

—

“Is that…! Joshua’s Conceptual Manifestation?!”

Hatan, the War Chief, was stunned, his eyes wide open at the sight of the massive sword slash that had obliterated the vanguard of the pursuing army with a single swing.

Joshua Blake, Landenburg’s strongest swordsman, who had steadfastly defended the western barrier for decades.

Although Hatan himself had surpassed the level of a Paladin and reached a higher realm, he had assumed Joshua had done the same… but he never expected to face him like this, of all times.

It was something even Hatan hadn’t anticipated.

Every time Joshua swung his sword, it grew to the size of a palace beam, sweeping across the battlefield.

Like a broom sweeping away fallen leaves, the relentless force. Soldiers who tried to block with spears and swords were cut in half, their screams mingling with the blood that dyed the battlefield red.

‘That bastard dares…!’

Hatan felt a surge of rage and fury in his chest as the vanguard of the Enemy Army, struck head-on by the hero’s slash, was literally being crushed.

The Giant Hunting Sword, they called it.

Perhaps it consumed a great deal of feats to maintain its size, as its power, despite its absurdly large form, was only at the level of a hero’s slash… but even that was an attack no one in the Enemy Army, except Hatan himself, could withstand.

Even a Paladin would be sent flying if they tried to block a hero’s sword head-on.

‘Wait, Targien! What happened to Targien?! Did he get hit?!’

Only then did Hatan think of Targien’s safety, frantically scanning the center of the battlefield.

Hoping not to find any pieces of Targien among the corpses with only their lower halves on their saddles or the upper halves crushed into pulp under hooves.

“Damn you, Empire scummmmmm!”

To Hatan’s immense relief, Targien roared with tremendous volume, announcing to the world that he was still alive.

Though his left arm was bent in the wrong direction after failing to deflect Joshua’s sword, he clung to his horse’s side with only his right hand gripping the reins.

“Your Highness! I’ll handle Joshua! Take command of the Enemy Army!”

Knowing Targien would charge at Joshua again if left alone, Hatan urgently shouted to stop him while rushing toward Joshua himself.

Attaching the pretext of commanding the Enemy Army to make it seem reasonable.

“Damn it, fine…! I’ll leave it to you!”

Targien ground his teeth in fury but didn’t ignore Hatan’s words. He, too, knew it was impossible to defeat Joshua with his own strength.

‘Even if I charge in anger, I’d only last a few exchanges. I have to leave it to Hatan.’

Though he was the most aggressive and reckless among Or-han’s children, his warrior-like nature made him prefer swinging his sword over using his head. But he wasn’t entirely devoid of rational judgment.

In short, he had enough sense to know when swinging his sword would only lead to loss. This was one of those times.

If Hatan hadn’t stepped in, it might have been different, but since he had, Targien had no reason not to comply.

As Targien remounted his horse and retreated, War Chief Hatan, wielding a Crescent Moon Blade, charged toward Joshua.