Volume 5, Chapter 4 – Awakening of The Flame Emperor x Soaring of The Flame Princess, Part 5
“…Your acting skills are as good as ever. Why don’t you join a theater company or something?”
Hiro brushed aside Ghada’s sarcasm with a calm face and pointed the tip of the Heavenly Emperor forward. There was the first group of enemies approaching with tremendous speed.
“Prepare the flaming arrows!”
From the way they were coming straight at them, they were probably trying to climb over the short, overlapping trees at a distance of 20 roos (60 meters).
Some of the archers, perhaps pressured by the angry shouts of the enemy forces, faltered. The roar of the horseshoe from the enemy forces created a sense of urgency that spread to the others, causing them to become tense.
(If this had been the “Raven Army,” there would have been no problem.)
However, it was expected ― there was still some distance to go. It was not a situation to panic.
Hiro didn’t say anything. He decided to wait for them to finish their preparations.
At a time like this, if he rushed them, he would invite more mistakes. That’s why he gave strict orders to the unit commanders not to reprimand them unless there was a serious problem.
And…
“Wise brother, the flag-bearer gives the signal! The archers are ready!”
Reacting to Hugin’s voice, Hiro also saw the black dragon’s crest flag waving at the edge of his vision. Hiro raised his left arm high in the air and swung it down with great force. Hundreds of arrows shot out from the archers at once. The sight of the flaming arrowheads flying through the sky was reminiscent of the night sky, even in the daytime.
However, the rain of fire arrows did not head for the oncoming enemy army but stalled and fell on the overlapping trees 20 roos (60 meters) away. The trees, soaked with oil, burned well. The fire erupted with great force, creating a wall of flame in the blink of an eye.
However, the first group of the enemy did not seem to be shaken. They began to slow down as if they knew what they were doing. Even so, some of the enemy soldiers were unable to stop their momentum, and more than a few of them fell off their horses when they got too close to the flames and were frightened.
“Fire the second shot.”
Hiro quickly gave the order, and the arrows that cut through the air were released one after another.
The arrows spread out in a fan shape and flew into the enemy army.
The next moment ― they rained down mercilessly on the fallen enemy soldiers, plucking the life out of them.
Some of them raised their shields to protect themselves, but their legs were caught in the mud, and they lost their stance, causing the arrows to pierce their throats. Some were trapped underneath their horses, begging for help as they succumbed.
However, the damage to the enemy forces was still minimal. Only a few dozen lives were swallowed up by the mud.
“Wise brother, the enemy has split in two from the center. They’re dodging the trees and heading towards us!”
It seemed that he couldn’t reduce the enemy’s momentum.
Then make one more move, deeper.
“Next.”
As soon as Hiro gave the signal to the bannermen, the “Raven Army,” a detachment of cavalry horses waiting at the edge of the army, began to run vigorously. However, the direction was the opposite of the enemy.
“Prepare for the third shot.”
Hiro instructed the archers. Ahead of them, in the burning trees, there was a change in the ground.
A rope that had been submerged in the mud appeared. It is tied to the burning trees, connecting to the cavalry that has begun to move. It was only natural that the rope should be taut, and the enemy soldiers who could not avoid it in time fell one by one, their legs entangled.
“Release!”
Arrows were released with great force. The arrows pierced the fallen enemy soldiers without mercy, killing them one after another.
The screams, groans, and throat-slitting screams of the enemy soldiers shot up into the sky.
The spattering blood and mud mixed together and dyed the earth black, and the blood smoke produced by the soulless lumps of flesh polluted the air.
And then…
“The enemy’s first line seems to be bypassing us! They’ve completely read our move!”
“Good gracious, they’ve read this too?”
Originally, the enemy’s damage would have been enormous. It should have been able to inflict enough damage to cripple the enemy’s first line of defense.
“I see; this is the power of former General Loing.”
The enemy’s first line seems to have been split in two due to the turmoil, but the coordinated movements show that they had intended to do so from the start.
In fact, the dragon wing formation had been completed. The first group of the enemy, split into two, opened its mouth wide to surround them. The fact that the wings are wider than usual is probably because oil has been planted in the dark-colored ground scattered about.
“Haha… that’s great. He seems to have a flexible mind.”
He is able to assess the situation carefully and yet make bold moves.
He is a good warrior who has both flexibility and strength. There is no stagnation there at all. There is no hesitation in the army led by the former general Loing… who may have earned the trust of the past war history.
They are trying to minimize the damage and reap the enemy’s life with all their might.
“I admire you. I can’t help but admire you.”
All of the traps that Hiro had set had been activated, and Loing had successfully seen through them.
He has avoided only the most important trap and is trying to come for Hiro’s head.
This would make the oil he had set up to look like mud meaningless.
“…I’m sorry.”
Hiro apologized and turned his face down, and began to shake his shoulders. It was then that the wind blew.
His silky black hair dances in the sunshine, emitting a glow.
“…I’m so sorry.”
Hiro raised his face from the ground.
“Trickery ― The oils were never set up in the first place.”
Quietly, silently, he laughed.
Yes, there is no such thing as oil in the first place.
The only reason why they designated this place as a battlefield and why they bought up all the oil was to make people think that there would be a fire gauge there. Above all, if they set up such a trap, they would be harmed themselves.
“…Let’s get started.”
Hiro’s smile deepened as he held down his eye patch to suppress his aching left eye.
“Ghada.”
“I know! But I can’t do this for long!”
Hiro called out his name, and Ghada, who had jumped down from his horse to the ground, answered him.
“I don’t care. If you can distract them for a moment, that’s enough.”
“Hmph, you’ve got me all worked up!”
He slammed his hands on the ground, complaining.
“Hurry up. A sandstorm won’t do you much good if there’s mud on the ground!”
Ghada’s whole body radiated fighting spirit, and the magic power released from his hands hit the ground.
Then, a strange phenomenon occurred in front of Hiro’s gaze.
The ground under the control of the magic power rose up, and a sandstorm containing mud rolled forward.
“I’ll do my part then!”
“Oh, please!”
Hiro called out to the back of the mounted Ghada and gave Hugin a look.
Hugin shouted loudly, sensing Hiro’s intentions.
“Burn the horse fence! Make way for the front line! Cavalry, prepare to charge!”
The order was faithfully carried out. Archers shot fire arrows one after another at the horse fences on both sides. The oil-soaked fences spewed out flames and black smoke, rapidly painting the blue sky black.
While the sky was dyed an eerie color, Hiro and the others on the ground were quietly beginning to move.
“Wise brother! We’re ready. We can go at any time!”
“Then let’s go and see the former General Loing.”
With a slow movement, Hiro pointed the tip of the Heavenly Emperor forward.
The sandstorm still showed no signs of abating. Hiro narrowed his eyes and looked at the raging wind.
It was as if he was aiming at the unseen one on the other side.
“Attention, all troops…”
Just one word.
With that, the sound disappeared from the world.
The voice of the enemy, the voice of the wind, the voice of the earth, the voice of the heavens, all was lost.
Except for one thing ― the young man’s voice.
Everyone is forced to listen. No one could resist the allure of the young man’s voice.
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be frightened, and if you are cowering in fear, look forward.”
Everyone looked at Hiro in dismay.
Perhaps they remembered the nostalgia of their childhoods. It was a heroic tale that anyone born in Grantz must have heard.
“Just follow my back. Victory will always be there.”
A thousand years ago, there was a young man who possessed a color that no human could have. It is said that everyone looked at the young man with an eye of avoidance because of his unusual appearance.
But eventually, people began to praise the young man for his courage and bravery.
Because he never retreated, he never knew “defeat,” and his military prowess was unmatched.
Because he never escaped, he never knew how to run away, and his strategy was flexible.
He did not know defeat because he never lost a battle, and his military strategy is unparalleled.
When he leads 10,000, there is no enemy in the heavens, and when he leads 1,000, there is no enemy on earth.
Therefore, people praised him as such.
――He is the undefeated hero king.
“Everyone, under the banner of the God of War, defeats the rebels and offers victory to the twelve great gods of Grantz.”
As soon as Hiro finished, the “Heavenly Emperor” shone brilliantly. The flag of the black dragon swept away the dust and floated gracefully under the sky, beating the air.
At that moment, a battle cry erupted. The loud volume of the spears clanging against the shields shook the atmosphere.
Furthermore, the soldiers stamped their feet and loudly stomped their war boots as if to intimidate the enemy army.
Hiro hears them, wears their heat, and stokes the flames of his heart with firewood.
“Quick battle, quick decision ― all troops charge!
He gave a fierce order with a voice from the heavens that echoed far and wide.
Hiro kicked the Swift Dragon lightly in the stomach, and it began to run across the plain with a brave cry.
“The only thing I want is the head of the enemy general, former General Loing.”
A huge amount of light overflowed from the shining blade of the Heavenly Emperor, creating a line that seemed to illuminate the road. The five hundred cavalrymen that followed at a furious pace were followed by warriors who had switched from bows to spears and swords. The weapons in their hands were different, but all of them had the fearless look of warriors.
Although the enemy forces had been dispersed, they were only down a few hundred and still had a little over 14,000 soldiers left. And yet, not a single one of them showed any fear. They believe that if they follow this man, they will be victorious.
“The only thing that will determine whether we are reckless or not is the result.”
In front of Hiro’s eyes, the sandstorm that had been raging earlier cleared up as if it were a lie.
Even so, Hiro could see through the dirty black smoke that the obstacle ahead had been removed. The separate “Raven Army had pulled down the trees that had been engulfed in a blaze of fire,” and the wall had been removed. This removed the obstacle that had been blocking the center and instead opened up the front for Hiro to see the surprised expression on Loing’s face.
“Did you really think you could take on an army of 15,000?”
He may not have heard him, but Hiro couldn’t help but ask.
“No need to be surprised. Dispersing the enemy’s forces is the first step in tactics, isn’t it?”
Currently, the first 8000 enemy troops were divided into two groups, scattered to the left and right, and were running at full speed to surround Hiro and the others. The enemy’s second line of 5,000 is moving in pursuit of the rear, and now that the burning trees that separated the two armies ― the wall ― have been removed, the enemy’s main force is completely naked. Still, the gap in numbers had not narrowed. The real battle of flesh and blood would begin here. Although the enemy had been thwarted, this did not mean that their overwhelming inferiority had been overturned.
“I’m not going to go easy on you since we’re running out of time.”
“Wha!?”
A flash of lightning struck the neck of a soldier defending the main force of the enemy. Hiro slaughtered enemy soldiers one after another with the same momentum.
Losing their momentum, the cavalry also attacked, running in a straight line without looking aside from the enemy that existed in a straight line. Even if it was only five hundred cavalries, they could not endure the harsh attack like sharp needles.
The blood spurting from the enemy soldiers poured all over the area, and the eerie sound of horseshoes crushing the massive breastplate reverberated. In addition, screams and cries of anguish were sewn together, and the enemy’s main force, which had begun to be killed, turned into hell like a feeding ground for ferocious animals.
“Let’s eradicate them before their ranks grow thicker…”
They have only peeled off a thin layer of skin. If the dispersed enemy forces return, they will be wiped out at once. Still, the sharp needle can reach the heart now.
Then, let’s plunge our fangs into its throat and devour it without leaving a single piece of its soul. Tear its flesh, crush its bones, crush its organs, and declare victory in high spirits.
“Ha, you’re not very good at hiding, are you? I found you.”
Hiro shouted in excitement and flew away from the Swift Dragon.
“Hello, former General Loing, it’s been a long time.”
“Your Highness Hiro…?”
“I’m sorry to have met you here, but I’ll take your head!”
He swung the “Heavenly Emperor” down on the surprised Loing’s neck.
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