Chapter 356: The Battle of Fonein (4)

“Ugh... Damn it...”

Tiren gritted his teeth, glaring at Karyl with helpless fury as the blades of the Black-Eyed tribe hovered inches from his throat.

“Ten thousand soldiers, and what good are they? In the end, the outcome of a war is decided by capturing the leader,” Karyl said calmly.

“You... Have you forgotten who leads the imperial army? Even if you take me, my father’s sword will find your neck,” Tiren spat back, defiance flickering in his eyes.

“True, the commander of the imperial army is Kuwell MacGovern, but the son he cherishes most is now at my mercy. I wonder what decision he’ll make,” Karyl said wryly.

“Karyl...!!” Kuwell’s voice boomed across the battlefield.

“Kill him,” Karyl ordered, his voice unwavering.

Tiren, unlike Bran Gamunt, would continue to be a major obstacle to the future Karyl envisioned. Karyl knew this better than anyone—Tiren’s disdain for the so-called immigrants was a thorn that couldn’t be ignored.

After Bran’s death, Karyl’s perspective had shifted. He now saw more clearly what needed to be sacrificed and what needed to be eliminated.

Just as the Black-Eyed were about to strike, the sharp clash of blades rang out.

Clang, clang, clang!

The assassins suddenly found themselves on the defensive, barely able to parry the flurry of attacks directed at them.

“Protect yourselves!”

“Knights, defensive formation now!”

Zigra staggered as he blocked a heavy blow aimed at his back, the sheer force nearly knocking him off balance.

“Hmph...!”

Even in the face of such a powerful assault, Zigra lunged forward, aiming to plunge his blade in Tiren’s throat.

“Stop!” A commanding voice echoed through the air.

Zigra was forced to stop as a golden Mana Blade, burning like fire, descended upon him.

“Ugh?!”

Zigra barely managed to dodge the strike, countering swiftly, but once again, his attack was intercepted by the same heavy blade.

“...”

As one of the most skilled warriors among the Black-Eyed tribe, second only to Karliak, Zigra couldn’t help but wonder who this new opponent was. Lowering his stance, Zigra glared at the figure before him, readying himself for a counterattack.

The swordsman with flowing hair stood ready, not attacking further but maintaining the distance between them, reading Zigra’s movements.

“I’ll protect him,” said the warrior, calm and steady as he retrieved Tiren from his horse and hoisted him onto his shoulder.

“Now! Surround the enemy!” shouted another man, his long hair streaming behind him as he raised a sharp spear.

Looks like even the House of the Sword has joined the war this time.

Karyl frowned slightly at the sudden intervention.

The three men were none other than Sacred Silver Elan, Spear Demon Faiman, and Archipelago King Magtou. They were disciples of Kuwell MacGovern, trained at the renowned House of the Sword. In time, they would become known as the Three Divine Generals of the Empire—powerhouses with unmatched strength.

Their presence feels far sharper than when I met them at Heim.

Karyl assessed their strength instantly.

Just as Greys had ascended to the rank of Sword Master in this life, these three had also reached that same level. It was clear that the power ceiling had risen significantly compared to his previous life. If before there had been only five Sword Masters, now there were more than ten.

The survival of warriors like Gordon and Ganeth, who had perished from illness and war respectively in the previous timeline, was a testament to how much had changed. However...

The problem is that four of those Sword Masters are now my enemies

.

“Surround him!”

“Don’t let him escape!”

“The main army is on its way! No matter what, hold him down! All units, attack!!”

The arrival of the Three Divine Generals had rapidly shifted the momentum of the battle. Though they weren’t part of Kuwell’s First Division, they had come ahead of the main forces, part of the empire’s Second Division.

“Lord!”

At that moment, Ganeth extended his hand from the top of his wyvern, reaching out to Karyl.

“Scatter.”

At Zigra’s command, the Black-Eyed assassins vanished into the shadows, disappearing like phantoms just as the wyvern carrying Karyl took flight with a powerful flap of its wings.

Whoosh!

“Fire! Unleash all arrows and magic!” Tiren shouted, rallying the soldiers and sorcerer to attack.

But of course, against Sword Masters, such attacks were ineffective.

Boom! Boom!

As arrows and magic bolts soared through the air, Ganeth deflected them with his halberd, leaving nothing but loud explosions in their wake as his wyvern ascended higher into the sky.

“Look! That dust cloud in the distance—it’s getting closer. That must be the main imperial army approaching,” Ganeth pointed out, his eyes locked on the imperial banners advancing from afar.

Karyl glanced toward the horizon. Indeed, the banners of the empire were moving closer.

“Yes. The three who saved Tiren must have come ahead of the main force. Their arrival means that the first division has been held up for quite some time,” Karyl remarked.

“The Water King and the Sea King did more than we could have hoped for.” Ganeth nodded.

“They did.” Karyl looked toward the severed heads of the two monstrous kings, strapped to the side of the wyvern, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

“Still, it’s an ugly situation. We sacrificed two great beings, and yet we’re the ones retreating now, unable to strike our enemy.”

“Even though they were powerful, they were just monsters. Stopping an army of 100,000 led by my father was never going to happen,” said Randol, seated behind Karyl.

“And now you’re standing against that same father of yours, Randol. You've made yourself a clear enemy of the empire. How does that feel?” Karyl asked, glancing back.

Randol simply shrugged in response.

“With all due respect, even with the Wyvern Squadron joining us, defeating the First Division while Kuwell and the other three Sword Masters are still there is nearly impossible,” Ganeth interjected cautiously.

“You’re right.”

“At best, we could slow them down, but that would be meaningless if we tried to make this battlefield our final stand. It would only put us at a disadvantage. It’s better to withdraw for now and regroup. The next battle will be the real one,” Ganeth added, gauging the atmosphere between the two men.

“Indeed.” Karyl’s eyes narrowed, his instincts sharper than ever. “The next battle will be crucial.”

It was during that confrontation with the entire imperial army, once the main force had joined, that Narh Di Maug—the legendary figure Karyl had awaited—would finally reveal himself.

***

“You’re here!”

“Lord!”

As soon as the Wyvern Squadron arrived, Dushala rushed forward to check on Karyl. Standing next to her was Anthem Howard.

Ganeth nodded slightly, acknowledging their arrival. He had known that Karyl had dropped Anthem off at Tatur before heading to Fonein.

“I heard you’ve done well, gathering the forces in Tatur. Good work,” Karyl praised.

“N-No, it’s nothing...” Dushala stammered as she bowed deeply.

“What about the other two dragons?” Karyl asked.

“The Golden Dragon is still engaged with Lady Viola at the defensive fortress in Fonein, and the Green Dragon is in combat with Lady Miliana,” she reported.

“Hmm... No requests for support?”

“None so far. The northern immigrant tribes and Aidan’s Burning Darkness are providing aid to both fronts, according to the latest reports.”

“I instructed the tribes to assist, but I was a bit worried about Digon... seems like the timing worked out. I also told Alteman to assist Digon if he escaped the island, but I didn’t expect the timing to be this perfect,” Karyl mused.

If Aidan has arrived, that means Alteman is with him too. With his power, far beyond that of a Sword Master, they should be more than capable of handling the Green Dragon.

Not only that, but the defensive fortress at Fonein—strengthened by Hwarin, who bore the will of the Lycanthrope and held the sealed power of Psammead, the Spirit King of Wind—could also stand up to the Golden Dragon.

Now that the two dragons, which could have posed a major threat, were balanced on either side of the conflict, Karyl could finally focus on the main force, the 500,000-strong imperial army.

“Dushala, give me the full report on our current situation. How many troops do we have in Tatur?”

“Yes, this way,” she said, leading him to the war room where maps were spread across the table, detailing the various strategies in place. It was evident how much preparation had gone into this.

“We have the 100,000-strong Free Army in Tatur, 50,000 from the Ranion Alliance, 10,000 magic troops from the Ulkas Guild and the Immortal Council, and 1,000 wyvern riders from Sir Ganeth’s unit. Our total forces stand at around 160,000,” Dushala reported.

“160,000 against 600,000... The numerical disadvantage is striking. However, the Immortal Council’s sorcerers and Ganeth’ Wyvern Squadron are far more powerful than their numbers,” Karyl noted.

“Exactly. That’s why I’ve factored their power into our strategy, estimating our effective force to be around 200,000,” Anthem added confidently.

“It was the right decision to drop you off here earlier,” Karyl commented.

“It was thanks to Dushala’s brilliant foundational strategy that we were able to adjust so quickly.”

Dushala lowered her head, her blushing hidden beneath the veil.

“Why’s she acting like that?” Kamma scoffed silently, only to catch a sharp glare from her in return.

“Even though we’re at a disadvantage, we have a fighting chance,” Dushala quickly regained her composure, turning back to Karyl. “We have the geographical advantage. The imperial forces don’t realize that Fonein’s real threat isn’t just the river’s strong current."

Karyl smirked, understanding immediately. “Indeed, the Fonein is known for its fierce currents, but the real danger in this war comes not from the river, but from the forest.”

“Exactly...” Dushala let out a quiet gasp of approval.

“I know Tiren’s tactics well. He’ll try to construct a perfect battlefield, meticulously setting the stage,” Karyl said, his eyes narrowing.

“A stage, you say...”

“And when he does, he’ll uncover the forest’s secret. I’m eager to see the surprise on his face when that happens. Anthem, you’ve already accounted for the forest’s secret in your plans, correct?”

Anthem gave a confident nod and said, “Of course.”

“Good. There’s no need to rush. In this war, numbers aren’t everything. Time is on our side.”

“Yes, sir!”

As his subordinates answered with determination, only Dushala hesitated, her face clouded with uncertainty.

“And... there’s one more thing to report.”

“What is it?” Karyl asked, noticing her expression.

“...”

“What’s the matter?” he pressed.

“...It seems we have lost contact with Suan Hazer and Israphil, who were dispatched to the Blood Cave,” Dushala revealed cautiously.

At that, Karyl’s eyes widened, his expression twitching slightly.