"Boom!"
The clash between the two armies resounded as swords from each side met in a cacophony.
"Clang!"
The resolute clash of swords, spears, and an array of other weapons echoed fiercely, each collision accompanied by a deafening noise.
The two forces relentlessly engaged in combat, intertwining offense and defense through their distinct capabilities.
Nonetheless, Roy's contingent was comprised of specialized non-elemental troops, and as such, elemental powers were absent from their combat repertoire.
In contrast, Roy himself remained stationary, mounted atop his horse.
Alongside him, Don and three cloaked figures observed the unfolding skirmish, mirroring his passive stance.
In the theater of war, leaders refrained from direct engagement on the frontlines, instead regarding each other with watchful vigilance.
"True to their reputation, the barbarian troops are formidable," Roy murmured, appraising the ostensibly evenly matched armies.
Yet it was Savaran's forces that held the advantage, boasting superior physical condition, more substantial armor, and potent equipment.
His gaze then shifted toward the four figures within Savaran's ranks, assessing their capabilities.
"I would undoubtedly meet defeat by confronting them head-on," Roy pondered, pausing before opting against immediate action.
His hesitation wasn't born of fear but rather adhered to a directive laid out by Duke Asvold—an instruction to exercise caution and refrain from impetuously confronting the quartet.
The plan dictated patience, awaiting the timely arrival of reinforcements meticulously arranged by Duke Asvold.
In the interim, the battlefield surged with relentless momentum.
"What's your take on this?" inquired one of the cloaked figures, a note of curiosity lacing his words as he turned to Don.
In response, Don's lips curled into a casual smile, his confidence palpable as he replied, "Naturally, it's only a matter of time before Balka's imperial army succumbs to our might."
The assurance in his expression mirrored his words.
These barbarian soldiers constituted a force he had meticulously and relentlessly trained, their prowess a testament to his dedication.
Furthermore, these troops hailed from his personal battalion and were meticulously selected from the ranks of the elite.
A single battalion comprised two million soldiers, and this particular contingent of five hundred thousand constituted his full-fledged vanguard, poised to exact revenge on David by attacking the Balka Empire.
"Hehe! Seems like that fellow isn't making a move," Don remarked, directing his gaze towards Roy, who remained motionless, an observer of the unfolding conflict.
"Indeed, he appears to be rather unnerved by the four of us," one of the cloaked figures chimed in, sharing a playful glance with Don.
Acknowledging this, Don nodded, a cruel smile curving his lips as he turned his attention to Roy.
"Since he's unwilling to approach, I suppose I'll make the first move, hahaha!" Don spurred his horse onward with determination, his massive black spear whirling into motion on his back.
"Whoosh!" The horse surged forward with remarkable speed, an air of madness enveloping Don's visage.
"As unhinged as ever, I see!" One of the cloaked figures chuckled, their jest intermingling with mockery.
Their attention then shifted to the remaining two cloaked figures, eliciting nods of agreement.
"We should expedite the resolution of this conflict, particularly while David remains absent," the three figures concurred before vanishing seamlessly like the wind.
Their departure left behind their unattended horses, which gradually grew restless in response to their departure.
In stark contrast, Roy, who witnessed Don's swift approach, welcomed it with a subtle smile devoid of trepidation.
"Very well, no room for fear," Roy murmured to himself, the twin swords at his waist now gripped in hand as he took aim at the oncoming Don.
"Whooshhh!" Roy and his horse surged forward, accelerating towards Don with impressive speed.
"Engaging!" Don spun his spear with masterful precision in response to Roy's charge.
"Boom!"
Both combatants dismounted their horses mid-stride, converging mid-air as they utilized their mana to hover within the expansive sky.
"Clang! Clang!"
Their weapons clashed with such fervor that the very air seemed to rupture around them.
"You certainly pack a punch," Don chuckled, his gaze dancing playfully upon Roy.
"No doubt about it!" Roy's smile held a hint of amusement as they engaged fiercely, relying solely on their physical weaponry and eschewing the use of elemental arts.
"Clang!"
The two pushed against each other, creating a distance spanning hundreds of meters.
Both figures maintained a steadfast silence, their expressions hinting at a readiness to escalate.
"It seems we'll need to tap into our primal abilities," Don declared with a wave of his hands, prompting the ground beneath them to shudder.
"Earth Elemental Art: Crushing Blow!" Don uttered softly, and an immediate tremor coursed through the earth below.
"Boom!"
An enormous earthen hand materialized abruptly, hurtling toward Roy with formidable momentum.
Observing this, Roy clasped his hands together and intoned his elemental incantation.
"Earth Elemental Art: Earth Wall!" Roy's proclamation resonated mightily, conjuring a colossal earthen barrier to thwart the colossal hand's charging assault.
"Boom!"
The two forces collided in an eruption of sound, with the shockwave reverberating with tremendous force.
Fortunately, they had distanced themselves from the ongoing battlefield where the soldiers battled.
"Not too shabby," Don remarked sardonically to a visibly strained Roy.
The disparity in their skill levels was evident, with Don standing at the pinnacle of the high elemental saint stage while Roy remained at mid-stage.
"Uhuk!" Roy coughed, enduring the intense discomfort coursing through his body due to the aftermath of Don's potent elemental arts.
"Give up, Roy Valha, hahaha!" Don's laughter dripped with derision.
Yet Roy's determination remained unshaken as he caught his breath.
"Hah! It's sheer luck on your part!" Roy retorted lightly, adopting a combative stance.
"Whoosh!" He propelled himself swiftly towards Don, extending his hand skyward.
"Earth Elemental Art: Earth Pillar!" Roy's bellow reverberated, summoning four colossal pillars to surge from the earth, encircling Don.
"Boom!"
The pillars adopted a strategic alignment, zeroing in on Don before swiftly converging.
Don, however, appeared to have anticipated this move, offering only a faint smile before snapping his fingers.
"Earth Elemental Art: Defense!" The ground surged upward, sculpting four towering walls that encircled Don.
"Boom!"
The ensuing clash reverberated with explosive force, resounding across the battlefield and inducing profound tremors.
"You're defeated, Roy Valha!" In a swift motion, Don materialized behind Roy, delivering a forceful kick.
"Doom!"
Roy soared through the air, hurtling three kilometers before colliding with an imposing boulder.
"Cough!"
The impact's severity was evident as Roy expelled blood from his mouth, his body reeling from the blow.
"Damn, he's far too formidable!" Roy grumbled inwardly in vexation.
Suddenly, Don reappeared before him, his laughter ringing through the air as he jeered at Roy.
"Hahaha! It seems victory eludes you, Roy!" Don's head shook with a chuckle, a mirthful commentary on Roy's weakened state.
In response to Don's taunting, Roy remained silent, channeling his energy to mend his battered body.
Meanwhile, Don appeared oblivious or deliberately indifferent to Roy's attempts at self-healing, encircling him with a mocking look on his lips.
"Observe the battlefield, where my barbarian forces now hold the upper hand." Don gestured towards the conflict, a faint smile playing on his lips.
With effort, Roy directed his gaze in the indicated direction, witnessing his own troops locked in a precarious struggle.
To his astonishment, the barbarian soldiers seemed transformed—more relentless and merciless than ever before.
"How could this be?" Roy's disbelief was palpable as he beheld this unexpected turn of events.
Initially, he had anticipated that his troops would withstand the barbarian assault for a time, but the reality before him shattered that assumption.
This sight truly revealed the staggering might of the legendary barbarian army.
"Hahaha! Witness the might of the Savaran army and my elite forces!" Don's laughter resounded, brimming with triumphant exultation.
Seeing his adversaries succumb to despair was a delight he relished, an amusement that had evolved into his most cherished pastime.
Don had carved a notorious reputation on the battlefield as the "Black Demon Don."
This moniker encapsulated his proclivity for imposing psychological and physical agony upon his vanquished foes, a legacy of torment that lingered long after his victories.
Many adversaries had met their demise under his hand, left broken and scarred, both mentally and physically.
Yet his first experience of utter defeat came at the hands of David, a traumatic event that haunted him for years—the massacre of absolute power left an indelible mark.
And now, reliving this sensation has rekindled a potent excitement, slowly chipping away at his former trauma.
"This sensation... it's truly invigorating!" Don's inner laughter resounded as exhilaration coursed through him.
He turned his gaze to Roy, a fusion of pity and mockery in his eyes.
"Since I have no intention of enduring another encounter with you and your feeble forces, I shall end it now." Don's cruel laughter echoed.
"Regrettably, it seems David trembles in fear, lacking the courage to appear," he mused with a feigned sense of disappointment.
Without further ado, Don vanished from his location, reemerging within the sky alongside the three cloaked figures accompanying him earlier.
The quartet assumed a formation—each in one cardinal direction—with Roy at the center, a palpable nucleus.
"Goodbye, Roy Valha!" Don's voice thundered, elemental energy cascading forth in unison with the three cloaked figures.
However, just as their mana coalesced, an enormous detonation erupted from the south.
"Boom!"
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