Caspar, his throat pierced, tried desperately to gather energy and recover.
But the axe handle lodged in his neck made recovery impossible. The Aura Blade continued to surge relentlessly.
"Cough! You… how… urgh…"
Caspar's eyes widened in disbelief as he coughed up blood.
Moments ago, his opponent had clearly been inferior. While Gillian's skill was troublesome, it hadn't been enough to surpass someone who occupied a different dimension of time.
And yet, in such a short span, Gillian had broken through the wall and ascended to the realm of the superhuman!
"Urgh… So, I'm the one who made you awaken…"
Caspar realized the truth and let out a hollow laugh.
His opponent had been a high-level knight, always on the verge of enlightenment and breaking through the wall.
Most never reached the level of a superhuman, so he hadn't accounted for the risk. But now, through his own actions, he had created a powerful new enemy of the Salvation Church.
With a cold expression, Gillian spoke.
"Thanks to you, I risked my life and crossed the wall. Allow me to repay you by sending you off peacefully."
Slash!
The Aura Blade erupted violently, completely severing Caspar's throat.
The Arbiter of the Salvation Church, a superhuman, met his end as the price for his carelessness.
"Cough!"
No sooner had Gillian finished Caspar than he collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood. His wounds were too numerous, and he struggled to stay upright.
Looking up, he saw that even more Delphine knights and soldiers were climbing the walls.
Using their overwhelming numbers, they had finally broken through the royal army soldiers and reached the fortress.
"Kill that man first!"
A Delphine knight shouted, and several soldiers charged at Gillian.
Gillian gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't support him.
The Fenris knights nearby saw this and rushed to his aid, but the Delphine soldiers were faster.
As they closed in on Gillian, Erenes moved.
Boom!
"Argh!"
In an instant, Erenes summoned spirits, pushing back the Delphine knights.
Fenris knights seized the moment and attacked the fallen enemies.
Thrown off balance, the Delphine knights couldn't put up much resistance and were quickly killed.
After ensuring the area was secure, Erenes turned to Gillian and smiled.
"Congratulations. You've finally crossed the wall."
"…Thank you. Was this your plan all along?"
"I thought I'd try, seeing as someone who should've crossed long ago still hadn't."
"I nearly died."
Gillian laughed as he spoke, and Erenes replied with a matter-of-fact expression.
"If you can't establish a world so firmly that you'd risk your life for it, you'll never reach the realm of the superhuman."
With that, Erenes turned away.
Despite her words, she had been unable to fight at full strength until now, constantly worrying about keeping Gillian alive.
But now, she could finally focus on the battle.
Looking out beyond the fortress, she spoke.
"Count Fenris has arrived. The more I see him, the more remarkable he becomes."
It had been only a few days since he had dealt with the 3rd Corps, yet he was already here.
When it comes to war, he truly is a genius.
With him, they could finally root out the Salvation Church.
"My choice was the right one."
Smiling, Erenes began to draw upon her energy. Joining the Northern Army had indeed been a wise decision.
Of course, this was a sentiment she could express only because she didn't know about the covert manipulations Claude had orchestrated.
Boom!
Erenes summoned numerous mid- and low-level spirits, spreading them throughout the battlefield to assist their allies.
Using powerful energy would cause collateral damage, so she opted for methods better suited to the chaos of the skirmish.
As Gillian took down the Arbiter of the Salvation Church and the fortress gradually came under control, chaos erupted at the base of the fortress.
"Count Fenris's forces are here! Fenris's cavalry is approaching!"
At the panicked cries of his advisors, Count Falgau swallowed a curse and turned his head.
Thud, thud, thud!
An enormous cavalry force, numbering at least 20,000, was charging forward under the Fenris flag.
At the forefront was a man Count Falgau had never seen before, yet his identity was unmistakable.
"Count Fenris!"
His appearance was far too well-known. With the cavalry behind him bearing Fenris flags, there was no doubt who it was.
How he had arrived so quickly was a mystery, but there was no time to dwell on it. The cavalry charge was imminent.
"We're going to be flanked!"
At the frantic cries of his advisors, Count Falgau surveyed the battlefield. His troops were already in disarray at the sight of the charging Fenris cavalry.
Caught between scaling the fortress and the approaching enemy, their panic was understandable.
Count Falgau shouted loudly.
"Pull back! Everyone retreat! Stop the cavalry charge first!"
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Bwooo!
Drums and horns blared from all directions.
Receiving the new orders, the soldiers hurriedly retreated and tried to reorganize their formation. That's what they intended to do.
"Don't stop firing!"
From atop the fortress, Gillian shouted, and the Fenris archers continued to unleash arrows without hesitation.
Whoosh!
A rain of arrows blackened the sky, falling upon the retreating Delphine soldiers.
"Argh!"
"Block them! Block them!"
"Fall back slowly!"
Knights and commanders shouted at the top of their lungs, trying to rally the soldiers.
But the approaching enemy made them anxious, and the arrows raining down from the fortress only further disrupted their formation.
Thud, thud, thud!
Meanwhile, the Fenris cavalry closed the distance at a frightening speed. They were about to collide.
Unable to bear it any longer, Count Falgau shouted again.
"Mages! Mages, attack them now!"
"It's impossible! All our mages are holding back the spirits! If the spirits are unleashed, we'll be defenseless against the arrows!"
Releasing the magic restraints would free the high-level spirits, causing chaos among both the soldiers at the fortress's base and their own formation.
In the current disorganized state, such an attack would destroy them.
Erenes was still pouring most of her energy into the high-level spirits. Her goal was to keep the mages occupied at all costs.
This was why Claude had sent Erenes here. She could counter both the mages and the conventional forces of the Delphine Army.
Whether the mages attacked the spirits or the enemy forces, the Delphine Army would collapse either way.
"Argh!"
Count Falgau was at a loss.
Even the superhuman he had relied on was dead. Their formation was at the mercy of the spirits. Now, an enemy cavalry charge was upon them.
"It's over."
This battle was lost. The 4th Corps was doomed to annihilation.
Only one option remained for him.
"Attack Count Fenris! Now!"
He decided to sacrifice the soldiers. If they were going to lose anyway, they had to inflict as much damage as possible on Count Fenris and his cavalry.
The mages, understanding Count Falgau's intentions, redirected all their magic.
At that moment, the high-level spirits summoned by Erenes began to move.
Boom! Boom!
The massive fire lizard, bound at the base of the fortress, roared to life, spewing flames. Retreating soldiers were engulfed in fire and fell.
The earth spirit, which had delved deep into the ground, collapsed the terrain, sending soldiers tumbling.
In their helpless state, the soldiers were struck down by the relentless rain of arrows.
"Kill them!"
Count Falgau shouted over and over.
It was an attack that came at the cost of his own troops. He had to inflict significant damage on the Fenris cavalry.
Whoosh!
Magic cast by the mages flew toward the charging cavalry.
The ground began to rumble as massive mana surged.
At that moment, Parniel, riding beside Ghislain, leaped from her horse.
Thud!
Parniel slammed her mace into the ground, unleashing a brilliant light that spread in all directions.
The light bathed the battlefield, forming a powerful shield of divine energy.
Rumble!
The magic erupting from the ground was stopped by the shield, exploding harmlessly in place.
The ground trembled as if struck by an earthquake, collapsing in places, but the highly skilled cavalry maintained their formation, with only a few stragglers.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The countless spells flying toward them collided with the shield and dissipated. The light shield trembled under the impact but did not break.
Whoosh!
Dozens of mana spears formed around Ghislain, shooting upward into the sky.
Boom!
The spears of mana collided with the incoming spells and vanished simultaneously.
The magic cast by the Delphine mages was thus blocked by Ghislain and Parniel.
"This, this can't be…"
The Delphine mages looked bewildered, their expressions crumpling. Aside from disrupting the formation slightly by knocking over a few soldiers, their attacks had no effect.
It had been an attack made with the last remnants of their already dwindling mana. With it blocked, they couldn't muster the will for another attempt.
Their minds were consumed with only one thought—how to escape.
As they floundered, unsure of what to do, Ghislain charged into the disoriented Delphine formation.
Boom!
"Arghhh!"
The Delphine Army, whose formation was already in shambles, had no way to withstand Ghislain and the Fenris cavalry as they plowed through.
"Wipe them out!"
Ghislain and the Fenris cavalry relentlessly pressed forward, mowing down the Delphine soldiers. Their charge was so ferocious that it left a massive dent in the Delphine lines.
That wasn't all. Parniel, leaping off her horse and charging into the fray, unleashed an attack that was nothing short of extraordinary.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Swinging her oversized mace recklessly, Parniel crushed dozens of enemies at once. Her overwhelming presence on the battlefield earned her the title of a slaughterer of war.
"Arghhh!"
"Spare me!"
"Run away!"
Seeing this, the Delphine soldiers completely lost their fighting spirit. Even as the Fenris cavalry's charge began to wane, Parniel's rampage only grew more ferocious.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Watching Parniel crush enemies like cockroaches, Ghislain was filled with admiration.
"Should I get Elena a new weapon? A blunt weapon seems better for making use of her holy power."
Having handed her an axe simply because it was the most suitable large weapon available, he thought he might need to ask Galbarik to forge a new one.
"Come on, we can't let the saintess outshine us! Push harder!"
"Rhaaaa!"
The Fenris cavalry's thunderous cheer echoed across the battlefield. Having secured a decisive advantage, they continued their relentless slaughter of the enemy.
Cheers erupted from the fortress walls as well. The tide of battle, which they thought would be difficult to endure, had turned completely in their favor.
The Fenris archers, brimming with determination, fired arrows ceaselessly. Their rapid volleys were so frequent that they were already running low on arrows.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Arghhh!"
The battlefield echoed with the screams of the Delphine soldiers.
Caught off guard by the cavalry charge, with spirits running rampant in their ranks, and unable to retreat due to the relentless rain of arrows, the Delphine Army was in complete disarray.
They were utterly defeated, no longer resembling an army. Soldiers abandoned their weapons and desperately tried to flee, even when there was no way out.
Count Falgau stared blankly at the battlefield.
'What is this?'
They had been at an advantage. Even after their supply unit was attacked, buying the enemy time, he had tried to avoid playing into their hands.
Unless they retreated, his decisions had been correct—at least until a moment ago.
Even after the Arbiter's death, they could have captured the fortress.
If only Ghislain Perdium hasn't appeared.
"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"
The mages were the first to shout and flee. Scraping together their remaining mana, they poured all their energy into escaping the battlefield.
The soldiers nearby also began scattering in all directions.
This wasn't a situation where surrender was an option. With attacks coming from all sides and chaos everywhere, there was no guarantee that surrendering would be accepted.
This accelerated the collapse of the Delphine Army. Overcome by fear, the soldiers scattered like a swarm of ants.
"Come back… Stop them…"
Count Falgau muttered helplessly, still dazed.
One man.
Just one man had completely overturned the tide of battle.
What were the other corps doing that they couldn't keep this man occupied?
"You must flee, my lord!"
At the shout of his escort knight, Count Falgau bit his lip and drew his sword.
Where could he flee to? Count Fenris would never let him escape.
At that moment, Dark reappeared above his head and shouted.
"Here he is—!"
Count Falgau looked up with a stunned expression. What kind of raven could speak?
His confusion was short-lived, as a deafening explosion brought his head back down.
Boom!
"Arghhh!"
A man was cutting through the soldiers blocking his path, charging forward.
Black energy, shimmering like a mirage, radiated from his body.
A savage grin stretched across his lips, and his red eyes glowed ominously.
It was the first time Count Falgau had seen him in person, yet he felt an eerie familiarity, likely from the countless stories he had heard.
The man straightened on his horse and drew back his spear.
Count Falgau could only stare, dumbstruck.
Thwack!
The spear flew through the air and pierced his chest in an instant.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]