NOVPUBZamon still couldn’t believe the scene unfolding before him.
The enemy's strategy and tactics seemed otherworldly, and the power and speed of these intruders were equally unbelievable.
The Fenris forces charging toward both walls numbered only a few dozen.
Yet, to counter them, he had stationed several times their number in defensive lines.
How are they breaking through so quickly?! How does Fenris have knights like these?
Most of Count Cabaldi's soldiers were heavily armored infantry, ideal for defensive battles.
Even a trained knight would struggle to cut down such soldiers this swiftly.
Are all of them high-ranking knights? No, it’s not that. It’s the ones leading the charge.
Zamon’s eyes focused on the knights leading each side. They were Gillian and Kaor.
Gillian, in particular, was showing incredible power in this chaotic battle.
In the previous war, he had been mostly tasked with protecting Ghislain and hadn’t had much chance to shine.
But now, leading an assault unit, Gillian was a completely different figure.
Covered in various pieces of armor, he wielded his skills without holding back.
Thwack!
Throwing weapons he hurled pierced through enemies’ heads even before he reached them.
With each swing of his sword, Gillian decapitated any enemy foolish enough to approach.
The Cabaldi soldiers’ stabs and thrusts with spears and swords were effortlessly blocked by his shield.
“Retreat!”
“He’s a monster!”
“We can’t take him on!”
There was no way to overcome him.
If they could at least leave a scratch on him, it might inspire them to keep fighting.
Terrified, the Cabaldi soldiers began stepping back, raising their thick shields defensively.
Gillian, sneering, tossed aside his sword and shield and drew the axe strapped to his back.
Crash!
“Aaargh!”
The shields were no use; Gillian’s axe shattered them, slicing through the soldiers behind.
With each step he took, enemies fell like weeds under a scythe.
It was hard to believe these were Cabaldi’s elite northern soldiers.
Eventually, three knights charged forward, attempting to confront Gillian.
Slash!
Gillian’s cheek was cut as he dodged, blood trickling down.
Seizing the moment, two knights attacked him from both sides.
“Die!”
Northern knights were known for their aggressive combat style, and the Cabaldi knights attacked Gillian fiercely.
But Gillian’s counterattack was even more brutal.
Rather than dodging, he swung his axe at one of them with full force.
Boom!
The axe shattered the knight’s sword, cleaving his chest open.
“Gah!”
The knight let out a dying scream as his chest split open.
The remaining knight swung his sword in that brief window.
But Gillian twisted his body, blocking the sword with his thick forearm.
Thunk!
The blade stopped with a dull sound.
“W-what the...?”
The Cabaldi knight was stunned. How could a human block a mana-infused sword with his arm?
It was possible thanks to the protective gauntlets made from Blood Python skin and infused with mana, but the knight would never know that.
Crunch!
Gillian’s axe came down, splitting the knight’s head.
“You bastard!”
The last knight, furious, swung his sword with all his might.
Gillian narrowed his eyes, recognizing him as the one who had landed the first hit on his cheek—the squad captain, judging by his skill.
Clang!
Gillian blocked the sword with his axe, then swiftly drew a shorter, broader blade strapped to his back and slashed at the knight’s waist.
Squelch!
And that was it.
With the knights who had been leading them slain, the soldiers were paralyzed with fear, retreating even further.
Holding his axe and sword, Gillian continued his rampage, smashing through any enemy in his path.
Boom! Boom!
“Aaargh!”
“Run!”
With each step, the enemy line was broken open.
Gillian, who had grown even stronger thanks to Ghislain, was a true force of destruction on the battlefield.
With Gillian smashing through the enemy's defensive line, the Fenris knights had a much easier time pushing forward.
Their skills weren’t sufficient to cut through the thick shields in one blow, but thanks to Gillian, they could quickly break through the defense line in front of the wall.
On the other side, Kaor was advancing at an even faster pace.
“Move it! If you’re slower than the old man, you’re dead!”
Kaor urged his knights forward as he sprinted.
If Gillian was like a giant hammer smashing through obstacles, Kaor was like a sharp awl, piercing straight through the enemy’s core.
He charged relentlessly toward the center of the enemy formation, flanked on both sides by his allies.
Naturally, his breakthrough was faster than Gillian's but also more dangerous.
Despite the risk, Kaor wore a wide grin.
“Ha, it feels great to be fighting again!”
Kaor was someone who thrived on danger. The knights following him were no different.
The former members of the Mad Dog Corps were all following Kaor’s lead.
“Haha! This is the life!”
“Sticking with the young lord really pays off, doesn’t it?”
“Flying in the sky, killing enemies! Now this is a real man’s life!”
These men had survived the brutal northern lands with nothing but sheer tenacity. Becoming knights hadn’t dulled their instincts.
They didn’t fear injury, instead clinging even closer and swinging their swords wildly.
Their tenacity forced the Cabaldi soldiers to retreat in fear.
Three knights emerged to confront Kaor.
“Finally, some real opponents.”
Kaor grinned savagely as he engaged the three knights.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A few quick exchanges followed. Kaor, whose skills had significantly improved, easily deflected the knights’ attacks.
Kaor’s fighting style was different from Gillian’s. He didn’t immediately counterattack; he observed his opponents, almost like a predator stalking its prey.
He spotted a brief opening and seized it.
Stab!
“Gah!”
Kaor’s sword pierced the throat of one of the knights.
He had found the smallest gap in the armor, slipping his blade through with deadly precision.
The remaining two knights attacked, but Kaor pulled the dead knight's body in front of him as a shield.
Clang! Clang!
Their swords struck their comrade's lifeless body.
“You bastard! How dare you desecrate a knight's body!”
The Cabaldi knights were appalled. They hadn’t expected someone who looked like a knight to resort to such tactics.
Kaor, however, didn’t miss their momentary distraction, stabbing through the corpse and striking the remaining two knights.
Stab! Stab!
His specialty was targeting vital points. The two knights fell with their throats slashed.
Wiping blood from his face and spitting, Kaor grinned in satisfaction.
“Dead bodies don’t care. Looks like I’m the strongest around here after all. Hah!”
Looking around at the terrified Cabaldi soldiers, Kaor shouted, “I’m moving ahead! Kill the rest and catch up. No time to waste!”
With that, Kaor dashed forward, his mind solely focused on reaching the wall first.
Thanks to Kaor’s brutal assault, his path was clear. The Cabaldi defense line was in shambles.
The remaining Fenris knights had no trouble dispatching the retreating soldiers.
“These weaklings are nothing! Kill them all!”
“Charge! Hahaha!”
The Fenris knights mercilessly cut down the terrified soldiers as they surged forward.
And all of this happened in mere minutes.
Watching Fenris’ rapid advance toward both walls, Zamon felt a chill down his spine.
The walls are finished.
Soon, the walls would fall, and the command tower he was in would be attacked.
There was only one hope left.
Somehow, he had to hold the gate long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
But that was just wishful thinking on Zamon’s part.
The man slaughtering the troops at the gate was even more monstrous than those on the walls.
Zamon screamed as he watched.
“Hold them! Whatever it takes, keep that gate shut!”
The fighting at the gate was even fiercer than at the walls. Zamon had concentrated his forces there.
But despite the thick defense line, they were being torn apart.
Boom!
“Aaargh! He’s a demon!”
With red eyes gleaming, Ghislain’s sword tore through the Cabaldi soldiers.
Ghislain’s movements were like lightning.
After consuming Blood Python venom, his mana reserves had grown astonishingly. To control this power, Ghislain had tirelessly trained his body.
Now, he was unleashing that accumulated strength.
The Cabaldi soldiers couldn’t even approach Ghislain, let alone surround him.
Slash!
Every time a red streak cut through the darkness, a head rolled.
Behind him, the Fenris knights showed no mercy, pressing the Cabaldi forces relentlessly.
Unable to bear watching, the Cabaldi knights all targeted Ghislain.
“Get back! Fall back!”
Five Cabaldi knights, their best, charged at Ghislain.
Knowing his strength, they launched a coordinated attack from the outset.
Taking down this monster was their only chance to turn the tide.
It was only natural for the strongest defenders to confront the most formidable enemy.
As the skilled knights closed in, Ghislain gestured for the Fenris knights to fall back.
Clang!
A space cleared instantly, and the battle of five against one began.
The Cabaldi knights were astonished as they swung their swords at Ghislain.
He effortlessly dodged or blocked every angle of their attacks.
Then came his counterattack.
Whir.
Ghislain’s sword spun once in his hand, and a head fell from the closest knight.
A second knight, seizing what he thought was an opening, launched an attack—only to see a red flash as his vision blurred and his consciousness faded.
The remaining three knights now fully realized they were no match for this opponent.
In terms of speed, strength, and skill, they were hopelessly outmatched.
Even the renowned commander of the Cabaldi knights would likely be unable to best this man.
Slash!
In an instant, another knight’s head was severed, though he had no idea when Ghislain had moved.
Every time Ghislain moved, a beautiful red arc seemed to hang in the air, slicing through the darkness like strokes of an artist’s brush. To the Cabaldi knights, it felt like watching an elegant, deadly dance.
Slash!
While they were transfixed by the striking red line, another knight’s head fell to the ground.
“Sword Master...”
The final remaining knight, unable to summon the courage to attack, lowered his sword, muttering under his breath.
He had never seen a true Sword Master before, but if anyone deserved that title, it was the man before him.
If the title of “Master” was to be bestowed on someone, it should surely go to this man.
This was the true lord of the sword.
A final flash of red approached.
The Cabaldi knight, having abandoned any hope of resistance, closed his eyes.
He had always dreamed of reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship, and now, at last, he had glimpsed it with his own eyes.
Slash!
There was no regret. That was his final thought.
