Chapter 359: The Great War (3)

“They’re coming,” Kayla said warily.

As she raised her hand, the five thousand cavalrymen charged forward.

“Block the entrance to the gorge!! We must not let the enemy get inside!! Spear unit! Form the Fierce Fire Formation!!”

The Spear warriors obeyed promptly, positioning themselves at the narrow entrance of the gorge. The vanguard formed two rotating circles, while the rest of the soldiers lined up along the width of the gorge.

Thud-thud-thud-thud...!!

The cavalry warriors clashed with the imperial troops first. Spinning in circles, they converged like a drill, breaking through the imperial line and splitting off to both sides.

“Second and third waves, attack!”

The fierce and fiery tactic of the Spear family didn’t end with a single charge. The two vanguard circles broke through the enemy lines as if to open a door. Then, the following cavalry units charged through the narrow gorge, keeping up the momentum.

“That young leader is quite impressive. She seemed to be trembling just before the battle, but her gaze changed the moment it began.”

“Kayla helped me create the Formless Formation. She’s one of the most skilled in tactics, especially when it comes to overseeing multiple battles at once.”

Dushala nodded in agreement to Anthem’s remark.

“We’re splitting the troops so we can respond quickly to situations and move more flexibly. But no matter how good the coordination is, it’s still harder than moving a single army.”

“It’s practically impossible. Once a battle starts, managing your own unit is already hard enough, so keeping track of others as well...”

“Yeah, it’s even more difficult in this kind of terrain. With hills blocking the view and the paths divided, you can barely see where your allies are positioned.”

Dushala nodded again.

“And yet, that girl seems to be managing the impossible.”

“Yes. Only the Spears could pull off something like this.”

Anthem looked at the long strings trailing behind each unit, led by Kayla Spear, connected to the magical kites hovering above.

There were five large square kites flying in the air, and wherever the clash of arms could be heard, the kites moved as if they were alive. These were flown by units of the Spear family, each consisting of a thousand cavalrymen.

Whissshhhh...!!!

The strings were of different colors, and even in the midst of fierce combat, the kites moved left and right freely, as though the winds had no effect on them. Whenever a specific corner of the square kites pointed skyward, the Spear units received the signal, maneuvering through the gorge with precision.

Even though the units couldn’t see each other, they could learn each other’s positions and coordinate thanks to those kites flying above them.

“A most interesting way for the units to relay their status. It seems Kayla has not only helped develop Formless Formation but also advanced the Fierce Fire Formation.”

“Yes. It’s a technique that only the skilled hands of the Spear family could pull off. Controlling kites while riding horses isn’t easy, and you can’t just learn overnight to interpret the signals and react promptly.”

“Indeed. As the leader of one of the Five Great Families, Kayla Spear is finally proving her worth.”

“Perhaps that’s why Lord Karyl brought her to the center of the battlefield. While the northern immigrant tribes and the southern warriors from the Great Plains have earned glory, the Five Great Families haven’t had many opportunities to shine. He has created a stage for her to earn merit.”

Dushala nodded. “She’ll earn her share of glory alright, especially if the Spears cut down an enemy commander,” she remarked with a mysterious smile, as if she had something in mind.

“In that case, a little assistance wouldn’t hurt.”

When Anthem raised his hand, the soldiers behind him proceeded to beat their drums in unison.

Doom— Doom— Doom—!!!

If the Spear family used kites, the Free Army moved to the rhythm of the resounding drums, falling into line as they charged behind the Spear family’s forces.

Leading them at the forefront was none other than Randol.

“Should I say you’re quite remarkable, or just cold-blooded...? In a way, I suppose a strategist must be like this,” Dushala remarked as she took in the scene before them, giving Anthem a faint smile.

“I’m still not sure whether we can trust him as one of us. He might become an obstacle to our lord. We need to confirm whether he’s pledged genuine loyalty or if he’s just here for some hollow comfort.”

“Well, that’s just his nature. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad. Sounds like you’re speaking from experience, huh?”

A rueful smile strayed on Anthem’s face. After all, Fran Lurein, the man he had followed with utmost faith, had turned out to be a mere pawn of the Wooden Cloud.

If Randol still harbored loyalty to the empire, then he would undoubtedly become a threat to the free nation Karyl sought to build.

“Maybe so,” Anthem murmured as he scanned the battlefield.

“In that case, it seems the person who truly needs to prove their worth isn’t Kayla or Randol.”

“Huh? Then who?”

Dushala turned to him, her gaze firm. “It’s you.”

***

“This... This can’t be...”

Tiren stood at the top of the hill, his face ashen as he watched the enemy forces pouring in. He was clearly at a loss, unsure of how to proceed.

“We have... an urgent report!”

“All three vanguard units that passed through the gorges have been annihilated! The enemy has counterattacked and is now pushing forward!”

“That’s impossible! How could this happen...?”

“The gorges are too narrow for us to effectively employ magic. As much as I hate to admit it, the barbarians are better than us at mounted combat. Prioritizing cavalry for a swift attack was, in hindsight, a mistake. We need to reorganize our forces and prepare for battle immediately.”

“...”

Tiren bit his lip as he listened to Martte. As he made up his mind, he shouted, “Send the cavalry in again. Have five thousand troops follow the same path the vanguard took. Hurry!”

“Yes, sir!”

As the soldier ran down the hill to relay the order, Martte quickly protested, “The vanguard was wiped out on that path. By the time we send in more troops, the enemy will have regrouped, and the same thing will happen again.”

“It doesn’t matter. The main objective is for our father to break through the bottleneck and advance to the enemy’s rear. If we don’t send more troops, the enemy will focus all their attacks on where our father is.”

“...What? Are you saying you’re going to use the rest of the imperial soldiers as bait?” Martte asked incredulously.

“We just need to capture the central hill,” Tiren explained. “Controlling that area will allow us to dominate the enemy. Right now, the only one who can stop our father is Karyl. If we can pin down Karyl, the rest of our forces can break through.”

“You... Are you planning to use our father as bait instead?!”

Martte’s eyes widened in fear as he realized what Tiren was suggesting, horrified at the sight of the imperial soldiers dying below.

***

“You’re still the same, Tiren. But soon enough, you’ll feel the air tightening around your neck more and more,” Karyl murmured as he activated the Infinity Circle, bringing Tiren’s face, perched on his horse far in the distance, into clear view.

He nodded in satisfaction, having managed to accurately predict Tiren’s scheme.

[I can’t believe he’s using his own father as bait... That one’s a real piece of work.]

“He’s probably trying to capture me.”

[So that’s why you put Randol in front of Kuwell. And it seems Anthem isn’t just some guy either. He’s the only one who can hold Kuwell back, not with strength but with something else. Heh... Color me intrigued.]

Allen let out a strange laugh, clearly entertained by the ongoing battle of wits.

Tiren, this is the battlefield where I’ve fought and struggled. The countless deaths that follow will make your throat tighten even more. If you think this is over, you’re mistaken

.

Karyl stared ahead, his gaze cold and piercing. He covered his face with his hand and said softly, “It’s time to move.”

The Black-Eyed warriors behind him slowly nodded, ready to follow his lead.

***

“

Huff

...!!”

Kuwell MacGovern exhaled sharply as he swung Yulstern.

Crackle...!! Zzzzzz...!!

The electric charge blocking his path split apart, scattering weakly to the sides. There were still a few traps set along the narrow path on the hill, but Kuwell simply absorbed the weaker spells and picked up the pace.

“I can’t believe he could disable a 6th Class magic trap with a single stroke... What monstrous strength...”

Thompson gasped, a mix of disbelief and awe, as he watched the traps he had painstakingly devised since leaving Azor fall apart one by one.

Although aided by elemental stones, Thompson had nonetheless managed to become a high-ranking 6th Class sorcerer. Even as a 5th Class, he hadn’t lacked talent, and the traps he had set were far from weak.

However, none of them managed to slow down Kuwell, who was leading the charge on horseback without missing a beat.

“Don’t slow down! More of our men will die if we fail to reach the top!!”

At Kuwell’s command, the cavalry of the Blue Knights surged forward, spurred on by his unwavering determination.

“Deploy all the traps and spells we’ve prepared, not that it would make much of a difference. I doubt anyone short of our lord himself could stop him...”

The magic battalion of the Ulkas Guild nodded to Thompson’s order and proceeded to chant their spells.

Boom...!! Boom!!!

Swoosh!!

However, Kuwell simply pressed forward through the bolts of lightning and pillars of ice raining down on him.

Fwoosh...!!

Though, he was finally stopped in his tracks by the fierce blaze that engulfed him.

Digon Twin Blade Technique - First Form: Crimson Moon Wind.

It was just one sword, but it felt as though countless blades rode the wind with tiny flames swirling like a storm, all converging on Kuwell.

“...!!”

Kuwell quickly raised Yulstern vertically, deflecting the oncoming flames. Amidst the fiery storm, sharp blades accurately aimed for his vital points.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kuwell demanded, his voice low but brimming with anger. “Randol.”

He was no longer wearing a mask. The Liberated Flame in his hands burned fiercely.

“After you went to the capital, we heard nothing from you. Why are you here now? Or rather, why are you on

their

side?”

“I believe you already know the answer. In any case, doesn’t it seem strange to you?”

“What does?”

“This war.”

“Territorial conflicts have been a constant throughout our founding history, and this war was inevitable. We cannot allow a free nation that threatens the empire to go unchecked.”

“I’m talking about the dragon.”

“...What?”

“How is it that His Majesty knows about the dragons? Not even the late emperor, Titan Shutean, knew who the Platinum Dragon was. And now, on top of him, three other dragons who couldn’t give a damn about the human world have stepped forward.”

“That’s because...” Kuwell began but hesitated.

“Is this war truly being waged by His Majesty? Or is it the dragons pulling the strings?”

At that, Kuwell’s expression hardened.

“You must be aware that my brother Tiren has secretly made contact with the Wooden Cloud on His Majesty’s orders.”

Faced directly with the question he had been avoiding for so long, Kuwell was completely caught off guard.

“The Wooden Cloud has been searching for an artifact that is said to be in the empire’s vault. You know what that vault is called, don’t you, Father?”

Keeping his gaze steady on Kuwell, Randol continued, “It’s called the Dragon Bone Tomb.”

“...So what of it?”

“It’s said that during the old empire, Kaye Aesir built that vault using Riseria’s bones. But when I saw it, Karyl said something strange to me.”

“What are you getting at?”

“He told me that the tomb in the capital is actually a dungeon.”

“That’s ridiculous...!”

Randol’s voice dropped to a calm, ominous tone. “A dragon would never help the empire out of goodwill. But if the dragons are connected to the Wooden Cloud... Father, don’t you sense that Tiren and His Majesty might be heading down a dangerous path?”

“Enough!”

The imperial troops around Kuwell flinched at his shout. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Spurring his horse, he charged at Randol.

“What are you trying to protect, Father?” Randol’s voice remained calm, almost gentle, even as his own father charged at him. “Is it the empire? Or is it your family?”

BOOM―!!

The clash of Kuwell’s Yulstern and Randol’s unleashed flames erupted with a deafening roar. Though he had blocked Kuwell’s blow, Randol was pushed back several meters, a thin crimson line trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Let me ask you again. What is it you wish to protect...?”

Kuwell’s sword had shown no mercy, his power overwhelming.

As Randol struggled to rise, he asked once again, this time his voice barely above a whisper, “Is it His Majesty? Or is it Karyl?”