At the same moment, Leonard crossed his arms and leaped backward.
A bright red line had been carved across his mana-infused forearms.
‘What...?’
Leonard stepped back, his expression full of disbelief.
He had been cut without any warning. If he weren’t a superhuman, his neck would have been severed in an instant.
The thought alone sent chills down his spine.
‘What kind of technique is this?!’
Leonard had witnessed countless superhumans after joining hands with the Salvation Order.
Even the Salvation Order priests, though half-baked, displayed power comparable to superhumans.
Figures like Gatros and Aiden were strong enough that Leonard couldn’t guarantee victory against them.
And then there was the Duke of Fenris, whom Leonard had glimpsed earlier—he was even stronger than the rumors suggested.
But the man standing before him now was different from any superhuman he had seen. Leonard couldn’t fathom that any technique like this could exist, even for a superhuman.
The man on horseback—Julien—stared at Leonard with the same calm, emotionless face.
“I’ll handle him.”
That one sentence was enough. The mobile forces knew exactly what to do, charging past Julien to mow down the villagers.
Boom!
“Uwaaah!”
The Revolutionary Corps members who were preparing to flee couldn’t stop the charging cavalry.
They were swept away, crushed under the might of the mobile forces.
Leonard gritted his teeth.
‘These lunatics.’
Even with the information they had, their methods were far too brutal. There was no confirmation or double-checking—they simply obliterated everything in their path.
Leonard had never seen anyone more violent than themselves. These forces were worse than the Salvation Order.
Even as his comrades fell around him, Leonard couldn’t move to assist.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
‘No openings.’
The man before him wasn’t someone he could take lightly. He had to focus all his attention on this opponent, who was more than capable of killing him in an instant.
If the Duke of Fenris possessed a storm-like power that could tear through everything, this man exuded a chilling, refined killing intent.
A single mistake—one brief lapse in focus—would result in being cut down. Leonard had no choice but to direct all his attention to Julien.
Observing Leonard’s reaction, Julien was equally surprised.
‘He’s no ordinary man.’
He was stronger than the half-baked priests of the Salvation Order. The fact that such a formidable individual was here was strange.
Dismounting his horse, Julien calmly asked, “Who are you?”
“......”
Leonard didn’t answer at first, being used to concealing his identity.
But he quickly reconsidered.
He had already met the Duke of Fenris, and others could probably deduce his identity anyway. There was no reason to keep it hidden.
He answered proudly.
“I am the master of the Revolutionary Corps.”
“......”
Julien’s eyebrow twitched slightly. This was a bigger catch than he had anticipated.
As Leonard gathered his mana, he asked in return, “Who are you?”
“Julien.”
Leonard nodded. He had heard that name before.
The prince of Turian and the hero who had saved the kingdom in its time of crisis.
To think he was now moving with the Duke of Fenris’s mobile forces.
Leonard began to step back slowly as he asked, “How did the Duke of Fenris even relay the information to you?”
“......”
Julien didn’t answer. Instead, he asked his own question.
“Why is the leader of the Revolutionary Corps here?”
Leonard smirked.
He was curious about how the Duke had pulled off his trick, but he didn’t need an answer. His main purpose was to buy time while they talked.
If the other side started asking questions, even better. That would make it easier to escape.
“I was just—”
Swish!
“Guh!”
Leonard quickly leaped backward again, clutching his chest where he had been cut.
Julien had struck suddenly, mid-sentence.
To ambush him while pretending to converse!
According to the information Leonard had gathered, Julien wasn’t that type of person. The reports described him as aloof and cold, preferring straightforward fights over underhanded tactics.
And with skills like his, there was never any need for tricks.
Leonard scowled, glaring at Julien.
“I didn’t think you’d resort to tricks like this. Aren’t you the Prince of Turian? Did you throw away your chivalry during the war?”
His words were meant to provoke Julien, to shame him. But Julien replied calmly, his face as blank as ever.
“I learned it from a friend.”
“What? What friend?”
“The Duke of Fenris.”
“......”
Leonard let out a hollow laugh. He had heard rumors that the people around the Duke of Fenris were all eccentric, but this was ridiculous.
In truth, it was Ghislain who had given Julien the advice:
— You can strike through space, right? Just distract them with words and slice them down. Why make things complicated?
Julien had tried it out, and it worked surprisingly well. Against someone weaker than Leonard, it would have been even more effective.
Although Julien’s stance, refined through years of practice, prevented him from acting sloppily, he saw no reason to adhere to outdated notions of chivalry.
He simply wasn’t interested in such things.
Leonard gritted his teeth as he realized Julien was completely unaffected. There was no shaking this man’s composure.
“Fine. Let’s see how strong you really are.”
Whoooosh!
Leonard unleashed his full power, mana erupting around him like a storm.
At the same time, Julien moved forward, swinging his sword.
Clang!
Leonard blocked Julien’s sword, but his clothes tore, and fresh wounds appeared on his body.
Even blocking wasn’t enough. The aftermath of the mana still reached him, cutting through space itself.
But Leonard wasn’t an ordinary man. He had led the Revolutionary Corps from the shadows, and his quick thinking had saved him many times before.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, his body flickered, creating multiple afterimages. It was an impressive technique that could fool most opponents.
But not Julien.
Julien could read the flow of mana. Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward one of the afterimages.
Slash!
Leonard was cut again, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow by twisting his body. Desperate, he pulled out a handful of small orbs from his pocket and hurled them.
Boom!
The orbs shattered, releasing a thick cloud of smoke that obscured everything.
But such tactics were meaningless against a superhuman. Even if their vision was blocked, they could still sense their opponent’s presence.
Leonard knew that. He wasn’t trying to escape—he was just creating a battlefield that suited him better.
Rattle!
Leonard pulled out two chain sickles from his waist. Smaller than usual chain sickles, their thin chains and compact design made them look unimposing at first glance.
But they were his true weapons. Lightweight and portable, they might not seem dangerous, but in the hands of a superhuman, they were lethal.
Whoosh!
Leonard infused the chain sickles with mana and swung them wide. The chains extended, reaching far beyond normal range.
Julien easily dodged the attack, slicing through the smoke toward the source.
Slash!
He felt the faint resistance of a cut, but it was shallow. Leonard had already moved, pulling the sickle back to reposition himself.
Whoosh!
Using the chain’s momentum, Leonard reappeared at Julien’s side.
In a fight between superhumans, even a split second of obscured vision could be fatal.
But before Leonard could strike, Julien was already prepared.
Clang!
Their blades clashed, sparks flying.
Leonard retreated back into the smoke, using the chains to harass Julien from all directions.
The pace of the battle quickened as Leonard unleashed his full strength. The chain sickles and his sword alternated seamlessly, attacking Julien from every angle.
At times, it felt like two superhumans were attacking Julien at once.
Leonard’s weapon skills were that exceptional. Even Julien furrowed his brow slightly in annoyance.
The two clashed repeatedly, their movements blindingly fast. But the fight didn’t last long.
Julien changed tactics. Instead of focusing on Leonard, he began cutting through the entire area.
It consumed more mana, but there was no reason to let Leonard dictate the flow of the fight.
Clang! Clang!
After a brief exchange, Julien swung his sword wide, slashing through everything in range.
Slash!
“Guh!”
Leonard groaned as his stomach was cut, blood spilling from the wound.
‘What kind of monster is this...?’
Leonard had always been confident in his strength, but this was on a completely different level.
No matter how fiercely he attacked, Julien remained unfazed.
Meanwhile, Leonard’s body was covered in wounds, his strength draining with every moment.
Even the deadly poison coating his chain sickles seemed to have no effect.
‘I can’t win this.’
Leonard took advantage of a brief moment and threw his sword with all his strength.
Clang!
As expected, it was blocked. But Leonard wasn’t done yet—he had another trick up his sleeve.
Rattle!
The other chain sickle tied to his waist shot out in the opposite direction.
At the same time, the second chain sickle flew straight at Julien.
Clang!
Julien deflected the chain sickle with ease, but Leonard had already used the other to propel himself far away.
He burst forward, exploding his mana, and sprinted as if possessed.
“Stop him!”
The «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» mobile forces, who had already secured the village, began to surround the area. Leonard pulled more smoke orbs from his pocket and hurled them wildly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thick smoke quickly engulfed the surroundings, so suffocating and dense that it was nearly impossible to keep one’s eyes open.
“Ugh! What is this?!”
“I can’t see anything!”
“Chase him down quickly!”
But in the blinding smoke, the mobile forces couldn’t easily pursue Leonard.
Julien tracked Leonard’s presence and chased after him, but Leonard repeatedly swung his long chain sickle to keep Julien at bay.
After several exchanges, Leonard had finally gained enough distance. Without looking back, he bolted from the battlefield.
Julien stopped his pursuit. The enemy’s skills were too refined, and with that much distance, it would no longer be an easy catch.
Besides, Julien wasn’t in perfect condition to give full chase.
“...He’s quite strong.”
Julien muttered this with genuine admiration. No one had held their own against him in a one-on-one duel for that long.
The Revolutionary Corps leader was both strong and exceptionally skilled.
“Lord Julien! Are you all right?!”
As the smoke began to clear, the soldiers rushed toward Julien in panic.
“I’m fine.”
A trickle of black blood ran down Julien’s side. He had been using mana to prevent the poison from spreading.
Ordinary poisons could be neutralized or burned away with mana, but the poison Leonard used was different—it was far more potent and persistent.
It was the strongest poison Julien had encountered, even worse than the one he had been struck with during an ambush in his youth.
Julien couldn’t help but wonder where Leonard had gotten such a rare toxin.
Nevertheless, Julien remained unfazed, calmly applying a potion to his wound. A few days of focused training would be enough to expel the poison entirely.
Still, he realized he needed to warn others about this. While superhumans could survive being poisoned, their combat strength would drop significantly if they were caught off guard.
“Let’s head back.”
At Julien’s order, the mobile forces quickly secured the village, loaded the wagons with resources, and began tidying up the area.
Their mission here was complete. It was time to rejoin the coalition forces.
As Julien turned to leave, a small thought lingered in his mind.
‘It’s not enough.’
Leonard had been a formidable opponent, but not one Julien couldn’t overcome. In truth, Julien had been in control for most of the fight.
And yet, Leonard had managed to escape.
While Leonard’s tricks had played a part, Julien couldn’t dismiss those “tricks” as insignificant. At a certain level of skill, even tricks became part of mastery.
Leonard had also demonstrated incredible adaptability. In the end, it was Julien who had been poisoned, a sign that Leonard’s experience far exceeded his own.
‘As I thought...’
Julien knew he still lacked experience.
His overwhelming talent had always carried him forward. He had rarely fought anyone of equal strength or greater, let alone been pushed into a corner.
Perhaps the first time had been during his fight with Helgenique.
Even for someone who could grow stronger simply by breathing and observing, natural talent couldn’t compensate for the lack of experience.
Julien had begun to realize this over the course of the war.
Just meeting Leonard today had been a valuable encounter. It made Julien reflect once again on his shortcomings and what he needed to improve.
‘Next time...’
Next time, he wouldn’t fall for the same tricks. He had learned something new today, another small enlightenment that would push him forward.
He was growing stronger every single day.
***
The mobile forces returned to the Ruthania army’s base after raiding the Revolutionary Corps’ hideouts.
Claude, upon seeing the carts loaded with goods the mobile forces had brought back, made a fuss as usual.
“What the hell! Why do you keep bringing all this stuff every time you come back? It’s too much!”
Whenever Ghislain went somewhere, he always returned with something valuable. It was no different from when they were managing the Fenris territory.
The mobile forces had split into several units, raiding a total of six Revolutionary Corps hideouts, including Stonebrook Village.
Naturally, the wealth they had plundered was enormous.
Ghislain tilted his chin arrogantly and said, “Make sure this gets distributed properly to the coalition forces. You sent troops to the other hideouts too, right?”
“Of course. I’ve already sent part of our forces.”
Troops had been dispatched to clear out hideouts in slightly more distant regions. This was because the mobile forces now needed to focus on the full-scale campaign to occupy Atrode Kingdom.
“Good. We’ll rest for two days and then move out. The coalition forces already waiting will advance at the same time.”
As the Supreme Commander, Ghislain’s orders were relayed to everyone.
Now, the troops would begin marching toward their designated strongholds.
And after taking a rare moment to rest, Ghislain—
Once again—
Dreamed that mysterious dream.