"Aaaaagh!"
Neigh!
"Hold them back! Move, now!"
"Form ranks, I said!"
The Artrode Army fell into chaos due to Ghislain's sudden and devastating charge.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The moment Ghislain broke through their formation, he swung his spear mercilessly, attacking everything around him. Spears of mana flew out in all directions.
Horses reared and toppled, throwing their riders to the ground. Because of one man, the Artrode formation was crumbling rapidly.
Count Gyruss broke out in a cold sweat.
"Th-this lunatic…"
He had heard rumors of Ghislain's recklessness, but he never thought the man would actually charge alone into enemy lines.
The Fenris Mobile Army had yet to arrive, but the Artrode Army couldn't regroup and charge before that happened.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Like a madman, Ghislain swung his spear, blasting away everything in his path as he broke through the soldiers.
Adding to their troubles was Black King, Ghislain's ferocious warhorse, now empowered even further.
Neigh!
With every kick of its hind legs, soldiers' chests caved in, their bodies sent flying. The horse and its rider seemed to fight independently, yet their synergy was impeccable.
In truth, the Black King had grown significantly stronger. Although it couldn't cultivate mana itself, Ghislain had steadily infused it with mana, allowing the horse to absorb a small amount with every breath.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Ghislain and the Black King rampaged, Count Gyruss shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice hoarse with desperation.
"Form ranks immediately! Spread out! What are the priests doing?!"
While infantry could adapt tactically even in disarray, cavalry that couldn't charge were useless. They needed to spread out and move, but Ghislain's rampage made that nearly impossible.
The priests, forced to act despite the risk of hitting their own men, unleashed their energy.
Boom!
The priests' attack blasted friend and foe alike, finally encircling Ghislain.
Lowering his spear momentarily, Ghislain smirked at the priests.
"Oh, you're here now? Took you long enough."
Before the priests could respond, the Fenris Mobile Army crashed into the scene.
Boom!
"Aaaaagh!"
The Artrode Army, already unable to charge or form ranks, was overwhelmed by the sheer force of the Fenris Mobile Army's attack.
Their lines were swept away in an instant, yet the Fenris soldiers didn't stop, relentlessly pressing forward.
The vanguard of the mobile army consisted of Fenris Knights, most of whom had now reached mid-to-high-level of skill.
"Let's go!"
Paladin Gordon, who couldn't use holy power but fought with pure might, shouted energetically. His fellow senior knight, Lucas, demonstrated his rapidly growing skill alongside him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Artrode Army was being pushed back with shocking ease. It was hard to believe they were the elite force that had conquered the Kingdom of Grimwell.
This was all thanks to Ghislain. By drawing all attention to himself, he had shattered the Artrode formation.
The priests panicked. At this rate, complete annihilation was inevitable.
"Kill him!"
"We must take out Duke Fenris!"
Boom!
Four priests began their attack on Ghislain, who was now engaged in combat. The Fenris Mobile Army pivoted to continue pushing the rest of the Artrode forces.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The priests, desperate, unleashed their energy without holding back. Yet, every blast of black energy was deflected by the crimson spear Ghislain wielded.
'Oh… not bad.'
Ghislain raised an eyebrow. These priests were clearly stronger than those he had faced before. Their coordinated attacks were not to be underestimated.
At this level, even an average superhuman would be hard-pressed to withstand their assault.
'I didn't expect them to have mastered cooperative techniques.'
It seemed they had developed methods to combat powerful opponents. However, Ghislain was far beyond the scope of "ordinary" power.
Whoosh!
Activating his third core, Ghislain's spear glowed with an even deeper crimson hue.
The strength imbued in his spear was many times greater than that of a typical superhuman.
Boom!
"Ugh!"
In a flash, Ghislain's spear pierced one priest's heart with thunderous speed and overwhelming power.
The priests, though superhumans themselves, didn't miss the opening. They counterattacked immediately.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Hah!"
The priests were shocked. Ghislain's spear effortlessly deflected the black energy they launched. His attacks were impossibly fast and precise.
Before the priests could mount another attack, Ghislain struck first.
Boom!
With a sound like rolling thunder, Ghislain's spear drove through another priest's neck, the sheer force bursting it apart.
Splat!
The Black King joined the fray, kicking a priest in the chest as he tried to attack from behind.
"Ugh!"
The struck priest staggered back. The horse's kick felt as powerful as that of a knight's blow.
Together, Ghislain and the Black King fought like maniacs, overwhelming their opponents. The remaining two priests gritted their teeth in frustration.
"What kind of horse is this monstrous?"
"I didn't think Duke Fenris would be this strong…"
Though they had heard of his strength, they hadn't expected it to be this overwhelming. Even with their cooperative techniques, two of their numbers had already fallen.
At this rate, they would die as well. Conventional techniques wouldn't suffice—they needed to unleash everything they had.
Hummm…
The priests began drawing upon their life force to fuel their attacks. They had no other choice.
"Oh?"
Ghislain widened his eyes in admiration. It was rare to see priests burning their life force in battle. As expected, these were the elite of the Artrode Army.
"Duke Fenris!"
"You'll die here with us!"
Boom!
The power of the priests, amplified by their life force, was immense. Yet even now, Ghislain didn't dismount.
He merely shielded the Black King and continued fighting. To him, even this was a form of training.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Ghislain and the priests clashed at blinding speeds, Count Gyruss watched helplessly.
The situation was hopeless. The cavalry alone couldn't turn the tide. The only hope was for the priests to kill Duke Fenris.
But Gyruss knew that was unlikely.
Duke Fenris hadn't even dismounted while fighting the superhumans. Having already killed two priests, there was no reason he couldn't handle the remaining two.
That left Gyruss with one option.
"Hold the line! Just hold out as long as possible! The 2nd Corps will come for us!"
The 4th Corps still had 30,000 soldiers. Even killing that many would take time.
Despite their broken formation, the Artrode Army resisted desperately.
Surely, the 2nd Corps had received news of the battle and would be on their way. If they could hold out until then, they might survive.
The enemy's momentum was also beginning to falter.
Gyruss ordered his men to send word to the 2nd Corps, urging them to hurry.
"Get word to the 2nd Corps immediately! Go, now!"
His escort knights rushed to carry out the order, but they never made it out of the battlefield.
Boom!
A pillar of fire erupted at the rear of the Artrode Army, engulfing the knights trying to escape.
The flames erupting at the rear of the Artrode Army were the work of Vanessa, who had followed the Fenris Mobile Army. She had been avoiding direct combat, focusing instead on intercepting any forces attempting to escape.
Count Gyruss stared in disbelief, his face pale.
"Why… how is this magic… possible?"
The Artrode side had deployed a considerable number of mages to maintain their mana barrier, yet the enemy had cast magic effortlessly. This meant there was at least a 7th-circle mage among them.
Because this mage hadn't participated in battle until now, Gyruss had completely failed to anticipate such a presence.
"This can't be happening…"
There were no other options left. All they could do was hold out until the 2nd Corps arrived.
By now, cavalry from both sides were fully engaged.
"Aaaagh!"
"Push harder! Don't stop!"
"Hold the line! Just hold, and we'll make it!"
Shouts and cries filled the battlefield as the Fenris Mobile Army relentlessly drove their spears and axes into the Artrode forces.
Their initial momentum had waned, but the Fenris Mobile Army had already broken through nearly half the enemy formation. Their morale, discipline, and effectiveness far outstripped that of the crumbling Artrode forces.
The Artrode lines were in complete disarray, leaving them unable to resist effectively.
More than anything, the individual skill and superior equipment of the Fenris troops made a significant difference.
Boom!
Lucas twirled his spear with precision, decapitating an enemy blocking his path.
Meanwhile, Gordon, boasting his massive frame, wielded an axe in one hand and a spear in the other, tearing through enemies.
"Hey, crybaby, you've improved!"
"Shut up! I'll kill you before this battle ends! I'm a knight personally appointed by the Saintess!"
"More like a disgraceful knight."
The two bickered back and forth while cutting down enemies.
Having undergone grueling training and countless battles, the Fenris Knights demonstrated overwhelming strength. Even though only half of them were present, they numbered 200, more than enough to slay thousands of enemies.
The mobile army troops were just as formidable. As Fenris's elite, their unparalleled skill pushed the enemy into a corner.
Despite their resistance, the Artrode soldiers were filled with despair.
Ting! Ting!
"Damn it! Our weapons can't penetrate!"
"Aim for the gaps! Try to knock them off their horses!"
"How can they move so fast in that heavy armor?!"
The Galbanium armor worn by the Fenris Mobile Army boasted extraordinary defensive power. Ordinary soldiers couldn't penetrate it.
Lightweight yet strong, the Galbanium allowed the mobile troops to move as swiftly as if they wore light armor.
To take them down, one would need to exhaust them first and then overwhelm them. That required multiple soldiers ganging up on a single target—something impossible in the current chaotic battlefield.
The Artrode forces felt as if they were facing an insurmountable wall.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Fenris knights and mobile army troops continued cutting down soldiers, leaving trails of blood in their wake. The Artrode knights attempting to stop them were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and slaughtered.
The battle was slowly turning into a massacre.
"Ugh…"
Despite this, the Artrode Army fought on. They tried to hold back the Fenris Mobile Army and inflict any damage they could, no matter how small.
Their pride and experience, built up over countless campaigns, kept them fighting even in the face of overwhelming odds.
Indeed, they were the elites of the Artrode Army.
"Hmm."
Even as Ghislain fought the priests, he observed the battlefield with interest.
This scenario had been orchestrated intentionally. He wanted to gauge the average skill level of the Artrode Army's elite forces.
Without the Galbanium armor, the Fenris Mobile Army would have suffered considerable losses. Even in a disadvantageous situation, the Artrode troops had been determined to fight.
"It's time to finish this."
Having seen enough, Ghislain clenched his jaw and drew upon his mana.
Boom!
"Ugh!"
One of the priests he had been fighting was struck by the shaft of his spear and sent flying.
Without hesitation, Ghislain thrust his spear toward another priest.
Clang!
The priest, burning his life force for power, managed to block the attack. But Ghislain's attack didn't end there.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The spear moved at incredible speed. The priest tried to block, but the attacks came as if hundreds of spears were being thrust at once. It was impossible to deflect them all.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each failed block resulted in a spear piercing his body. The priest's shoulder, abdomen, neck, and thigh were mercilessly impaled.
"Ugh…"
It all happened in an instant. Despite his desperate resistance, he couldn't stop the onslaught.
As the priest, riddled with holes, collapsed, another lunged at Ghislain.
"You bastard!"
This priest, though enraged, was also terrified. He knew he couldn't defeat Ghislain alone.
The difference in skill was too great, and his shaken resolve made his attacks sloppy.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Splat!
In the end, the remaining priest barely managed to block a few attacks before Ghislain's spear pierced his head.
"Haa…"
Ghislain exhaled deeply. To onlookers, it might have seemed like an easy victory, but it hadn't been effortless.
Activating his third core consumed a substantial amount of mana. While he could now sustain it for a longer duration, nearing the capabilities of his past self, it still placed strain on his body.
Moreover, these four priests were stronger than the ones he had fought previously.
Ghislain turned toward where Vanessa and the mages were stationed, gesturing silently.
It was time to end this.
Receiving the signal, Vanessa cast her spell, breaking through the mana barrier.
Boom! Boom!
Pillars of fire erupted behind the Artrode Army. Though the spell's power was diminished due to the barrier's interference, it was more than enough to devastate the already collapsing enemy.
"Aaaagh!"
The Artrode Army, already overwhelmed, crumbled further under the magic attack. Even the mages maintaining the mana barrier were consumed by the flames.
"R-run! Everyone, escape! Someone must survive to report this!"
Count Gyruss screamed, tears of blood streaming down his face.
But Ghislain, raising his spear, coldly declared:
"Don't let a single one escape."
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]