Chapter 5 – The Heavenly Emperor And The Ice Emperor, Part 3
While the warm moonlight pours down on the ground, the freezing blade wind is also blowing on the ground. On top of a small hill, amidst the strong winds, there is a group of people reflecting the black light from the moonlight.
The young man at the head of the group, Hiro, stretches out his hand to the full moon, his smile deepening.
“It’s a nice full moon. It’s a perfect day for a surprise attack.”
When he looked down, he could see Fort Mitte and the Felzen remnant army surrounding it.
Hiro came from the Grand Duchy of Dral to the Felzen region in just one day. There is a reason he could get here in such a short period, a journey that would normally take three days.
It was because he had instructed General Bakish to prepare horses for the transfer in advance. The number of people who were able to follow this forced march was 1,500 out of 3,000, which was quite impressive.
“Hugin has infiltrated the enemy lines. We are ready to charge at any time.”
“All right.”
Now all the conditions for rescuing the girl are met.
“We’ve come this far. It has been so long.”
Hiro called out for the Heavenly Emperor. The silvery light in the dark night illuminated the soldiers as if to relieve their fatigue. Hiro grasped the hilt of the Heavenly Emperor as he slowly descended.
“All we have to do is wait for the signal.”
His instructions to Aura were simple. The idea was to disperse the enemy’s forces and also to keep their eyes glued to Fort Mitte.
“Aura has made her move, and it seems that Munin has successfully infiltrated.”
He could see a large number of bonfires being lit on the north wall of Fort Mitte. At the same time, the enemy was attacking the other walls, which had been thinly defended. From Fort Mitte, the sound of drums rang out, carrying through the air to Hiro’s ears. It must have been a provocation to attract their attention.
“Gentlemen, I’m honored that you’ve followed me this far.”
Hiro quietly drew the Heavenly Emperor from its sheath and turned to look behind him. He looked at the faces of the soldiers as they waited for the order. Thanks to the moonlight, he could clearly see their strong expressions. A feeling of gratitude welled up from deep within, and Hiro naturally smiled.
“Let us dedicate our victory to the Spirit King.”
Turning to face the front once again, Hiro pointed the tip of his Heavenly Emperor sword at the night sky. Someone let out a sigh of admiration. With the moonlight at his back, he is unmistakably the Hero King of the Twin Black.
There is no one here who doubts that he is the “God of War” revived in the present age. Therefore, they believe that victory is guaranteed.
“Come on, let’s go.”
There is no need for words to slaughter the enemy. And no terms of beauty are needed to go into battle.
What do they want, what do they need, what are they trying to say? All that is necessary is to look at his back.
He is the epitome of conflict.
He is the transcendent of authority.
Therefore, even if the God of War doesn’t speak, his mere presence can move the hearts of others.
“――All forces, charge.”
Hiro swung down the “Heavenly Emperor” and ran down the hill first. The other horsemen were unable to keep up with the speed of the swift dragon, but it didn’t matter.
They were concentrating on Fort Mitte and were not paying any attention to the rear. If that were the case, there would be no problem even if there was a slight delay. The surprise attack will surely succeed.
The Felzen remnants must be thinking that this is their moment to succeed. Thanks to that, they can easily penetrate their bellies.
“Where the hell did they come from?”
The enemy soldiers noticed the sound of horseshoes coming from behind and turned around. But it was too late.
“E-enemy――!?”
With a single swing of his sword, Hiro cut off the enemy’s head and slashed into the enemy ranks with his swift dragon. The cavalry that followed avalanches in one after another, and the “Raven Army” pushed forward at a furious pace.
Armor was crushed by horseshoes, and the distorted sound of heavy steel cut through the night air, reverberating eerily.
Unable to put up any kind of resistance, the Felzen remnants were dying out. Like a sharp needle, the “Raven Army” runs in all directions, slaughtering the enemies it passes without fail.
The Felzen remnant army, which had been designed only for siege warfare, consisted mainly of lightly armored infantry.
In other words, there were no shields to stop the rushing power of the cavalry. Therefore, the “Raven Army” could not be stopped. Even if they wanted to use archers, the Raven Army was already in the front line.
There are also long spearmen, but all of them have a throwing role, so they are often deployed at the front of a siege.
Even if they are in the rear, they are reserve units. Aligned thorns are painful, but sparse thorns are not. They were often relaxed, and it was easy to crush them if the cavalry was in high gear.
If the battle becomes a melee with a mixture of friend and foe, the commanders cannot make decisions and become confused. They are unable to see things calmly and go to their own deaths due to impatience and frustration.
And with no superior to look up to, the troops begin to run amok, and now that night has fallen, they invite each other to fight. Shouting, screaming, crying, shrieking, and various vindictiveness intertwine to become a battlefield of the dead.
“Wise brother!”
A voice was heard. Hiro narrowed his eyes and looked around to find Hugin waving a torch to announce her location.
How reckless of her… That would even lure in the enemy.
But when he reached her, he realized that his fears were unfounded. Every single enemy soldier who may have attacked her had been shot in the forehead by her unparalleled archery skills.
“You go and fight with Ghada.”
He jumped down from the dragon and patted its neck, then turned to Hugin.
“…Wise brother.”
“Did you find Liz?”
When Hiro asked, Hugin cast a large shadow over her face and lowered her eyes.
“Eh, yes… I found her.”
“Where is she?”
Seeing as how they are not together, she might be injured. Liz likes to surprise people, so she might jump out and hug him, but… that’s unlikely in this situation.
“Right there.”
Hugin pointed to ― a block of ice.
Hiro choked up when he saw who was trapped inside it.
She always seemed to enjoy modifying her military uniform. There had even been days when Hiro had been asked about what had changed in her uniform. Her pride and joy, her red military uniform, had been torn in a flashy way, and what was peeking through the gaps were probably bandages. The bandages were wrapped around her body like a mummy. There were lacerations on her forehead and many scratches on her cheeks and mouth.
“A-ah――…”
It was the moment he had been waiting for, but he hadn’t wanted this kind of reunion.
Slowly, he approached the frozen girl. He reached out his hand. But he couldn’t touch her. A cold, icy wall blocked his way. Even in this form, the bitterness and resentment did not disappear, and many swords are stuck in the ice.
“…..”
No words came out. Even if he touched the ice, he could not feel any of her vitality. Even when he tried to ask the “Flame Emperor” a question, he got no response.
Hugin couldn’t say a word to Hiro, who sat there and looked at Liz in a daze.
“Sorry… I’m always so late.”
Or maybe if he had scrapped the whole plan and just focused on her, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.
“Wise brother, there must be a way to get Liz-neesan out of――.”
Hugin was about to offer her opinion, but she closed her mouth and stepped backward.
“…..Wise brother?”
Disastrous darkness was spreading around Hiro. A deep, deep jet black was rampaging around him. It was just a bizarre sight. Just looking at that somber figure was enough to crush one’s heart.
The Heavenly Emperor in Hiro’s hand was flickering.
――The silvery-white sword that had been shining so beautifully had begun to turn black and stagnate.
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