Screech—
That sound rang out, like the snapping of a reed.
But the outcome was far from simple.
Sagnard's severed right arm was flung into the air.
"What... What is that…?"
"Lord Sagnard!"
In an instant, the soldiers rushing to aid Sagnard stood frozen, their faces blank with disbelief.
To them, the scene before their eyes seemed utterly unreal.
Who was Sagnard, after all?
He was one of the "Four Claws" of the Red Lion family, who had long prided themselves on being the shield of the Eastern territories.
Discovered in the back alleys where he was growing up as a street thug, his immense talent was recognized by the Lord Wynz, who personally took him in and trained him in swordsmanship. He had served the Red Lion family ever since, becoming a legendary figure.
And now his right arm was severed?
Yet as a fountain of blood sprayed beautifully onto the ground, the soldiers were finally able to grasp reality.
"Save Lord Sagnard!"
"Run! Quickly!"
"Stop that bastard!"
The knights were the first to react, rapidly raising their mana to the extreme as they kicked off the ground.
Their minds were filled with only one thought: reach Sagnard as soon as possible and save their commander.
But Elric had already launched his next attack.
His energy was quickly depleting from his earlier assault.
Just using possession alone consumed a significant amount of mana, and the technique
He knew he had to finish off Sagnard as quickly as possible. A chain of attacks followed.
He stomped hard on the ground and swept Sagnard's lower body with his leg.
If
Slash, slash, slash!
The strikes were sharp, like a well-forged sword.
Following a forward kick using kicking techniques, came a spinning kick using leg techniques, and even a rising knee strike.
In front of that, Sagnard was no more than a falling autumn leaf. No matter how much he tried to retreat, a powerful gale surrounded him, trapping him in an inescapable prison.
Bam!
Crunch—
The spinning kick struck Sagnard squarely in the waist, and something broke. His spine shattered, his vertebrae fractured.
Cough.
Sagnard spat out blood. Mixed with the blood were pieces of his internal organs, which had been crushed.
In a desperate attempt to halt Elric, Sagnard gathered his remaining mana and thrust his left hand forward, but it was far too weak to stop Elric's movement.
Bam, bam, bam!
In the end, Elric's relentless chain of attacks completely destroyed Sagnard's spine, even severing his neck vertebrae. Sagnard died instantly.
『One minute.』
Gasp…!
Elric felt his mana suddenly drain to nothing. He had reached his limit, and the possession was broken, leaving his body overwhelmed by a wave of weakness.
But Elric knew that collapsing here would be dangerous. With a sharp motion, he raised his hand. The soldiers were already approaching. Before they could surround him, there was something he needed to take.
Slash!
With a swift hand chop, he slashed through the throat of Sagnard, who was crumbling. Then he reached out with his left hand to grab the severed head before it hit the ground and kicked off the earth.
"[Soar!]"
Fwoosh!
Using the last remnants of his mana, Elric's body shot up into the air.
He created mana platforms under his feet as if making steps in the air, using them to leap higher and higher.
The winter storm was ending just in time. Below him, the reformed barrier became visible once more.
"Catch him!"
"Don't let him escape!"
"We must reclaim Lord Sagnard's head!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Ignoring the barrage of arrows being shot at him, Elric traced a wide arc in the air and landed in the place where Isabelle and the Star's Legion were waiting.
"Elric…!"
Isabelle gasped in awe when she saw him.
The other members were no different.
Their eyes were all glued to the severed head of Sagnard, which Elric held in his left hand.
To think that he had stormed a castle alone, slain the enemy commander, and returned with his head!
Even though Elric had given them the scroll to enter the castle, they hadn't truly believed such a reckless plan would succeed.
The fact that it had, and considering the enemy was a 4th chain Master, was enough to cause a massive uproar once the news spread.
However,
The battle wasn't over yet.
Elric and Isabelle's goal wasn't just to assassinate the enemy commander.
They aimed to capture the castle.
"Isabelle!"
Elric called out, forcing himself to remain standing despite the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm him. Brian quickly rushed over to support him. Having squeezed out so much energy in such a short time, Elric's body was utterly drained.
Isabelle understood what Elric wanted to say and nodded. Then she shouted to the Star's Legion.
"Prepare to retreat, everyone!"
Ate responded by infusing his voice with mana as she led the army.
"Everyone, retreat!"
"Retreat!"
"Retreat!"
Following the crisp orders of their officers, the Star's Legion, already prepared to withdraw at a moment's notice, swiftly began their retreat.
Their faces were filled with joy.
Bang!
Rumble, rumble—
At that moment, the gates of the castle swung wide open, and a cavalry corps charged out toward them.
They were determined to chase down the Star's Legion.
From their perspective, they had to retrieve Sagnard's head and capture Elric, the one responsible for this catastrophe.
But
This was all part of Elric and Isabelle's plan.
"Be careful, please."
There was only one point of concern: Elric's mana consumption had been far greater than anticipated.
Isabelle watched Elric with a worried expression.
But Elric, now dressed in Brian's robe, had already switched outfits. With their hoods pulled low, it would be difficult to tell the two apart from a distance.
Now, Brian was to impersonate Elric and lure the pursuing forces into the trap, while Elric quickly replenished his mana and prepared for the next phase.
It was a gamble they could only attempt once, but if it succeeded, they stood to gain the grand prize of Ketrain Castle.
"You take care as well, Isabelle."
Elric nodded heavily at Isabelle.
Isabelle smiled faintly and then, with the Star's Legion, slipped away like a receding tide.
"They're escaping!"
"Don't let a single rat get away!"
"Spread out and surround them!"
The pursuing forces split into four platoons, quickly scattering to block all escape routes and set up a perimeter.
"[Obscure.]"
Elric drew upon the shadows, concealing his presence within space itself. His mana signature scattered, making it seem as though he had never been there at all.
***
Rumble, rumble!
Isabelle glanced back briefly as she rode her horse hard. The cavalry was rapidly closing the distance.
Most of the members of the Star's Legion hailed from distinguished families and were well-versed in horseback riding, but even so, the cavalry's skill was astonishing.
'They say they spend more time on horseback than on the ground.'
For the cavalry of the Wynz Border Province, this was probably second nature.
The Eastern Frontier had long suffered from barbarian raids, who made their home in the rugged terrain of the valleys and mountains.
The barbarians were known for their immense stamina and strength. However, what made them truly fearsome was their horsemanship, which allowed them to traverse the treacherous mountain terrain effortlessly.
The horses of the Eastern Frontier, born from the energy of the Great Dragon Mountains, had long been prized throughout the empire as top-tier steeds. Naturally, the barbarians, who mastered such horses, had developed exceptional riding skills.
Thus, it was no surprise that the cavalry of the Wynz Border Province had honed their own skills to match.
Isabelle never expected to outrun such skilled horsemen.
In fact, here, a counterattack was necessary.
Her goal was to whittle down as many enemy forces as possible.
That was her objective.
'Now it's my turn.'
Isabelle bit her lower lip.
Until now, Elric had proven his worth time and time again. And he had just achieved another outstanding feat.
To stand by his side, she too had to prove her value. This war would be the start of that.
As that thought solidified in her mind, all the tension washed away.
In its place, a calm, cold calculation took hold.
"Brian."
"Yes, strategist."
Strategist.
The word lingered on Isabelle's lips, and she gripped her reins tightly.
"Turn!"
It was an order to change direction.
Brian didn't question why they were suddenly veering off instead of heading straight for their destination.
"Ninety degrees left!"
He simply pulled the reins hard to the side, changing their course sharply, kicking up dust in the process. The rest of the group followed, turning in the same direction just as another cavalry corps suddenly emerged from the forest.
The ambushers had been lying in wait, having predicted the path the Star's Legion would take.
When their plan to strike the Star's Legion from the side and break their ranks failed, the pursuing cavalry quickly turned their horses to target the rear of the retreating force.
However,
"Ate!"
"Use Scroll 3, now!"
At Isabelle's command, Ate, who had already moved to the rear, quickly signaled to the others. The members pulled out the third scroll from their pouches and tore them one after another.
'Falling fireball.' Commonly known as Fireball, it was a well-known spell from the fire-type, famed for its powerful offensive and destructive capabilities.
Boom, boom, boom!
Rumble—
"Damn it!"
"Take cover!"
"Aaaah!"
The cavalrymen at the front were hit directly by the fireballs, causing them to be thrown from their horses.
Sparks flew and scattered across the ground, with flames erupting in various spots.
Horses, by nature, are skittish animals. Especially when confronted with fire, they often panicked uncontrollably.
Neighing!
"Damn it!"
"Whoa, whoa!"
Terrified, the horses bucked wildly, throwing the formation into complete disarray.
Though the rear lines, less affected, quickly scattered and regrouped to continue the chase, the Star's Legion had already widened the distance once again.
"You think we'll be caught so easily?"
Bam!
The cavalry corps's officer ground his teeth in frustration and lashed his reins forcefully.
"I'll chase you to the ends of hell."
His eyes were filled with fury.
So much so that he failed to realize something important.
The Star's Legion was leading them toward a narrow and treacherous valley—a place even they would usually avoid approaching.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]