The face of the remaining knight hardened.
To split a knight skilled in mana control in half with a single blow—it was no ordinary feat.
'Could someone like that really be in Perdium? Could that be Randolph?'
The knight took a step back to assess the situation.
Thud, thud.
Ghislain dragged his blood-stained axe across the ground as he advanced quickly.
"If you're going to attack, come all at once. I don't have time to waste."
Provoked by Ghislain's arrogant words and gestures, the knight twisted his face in anger and shouted.
"Form ranks! Attack together!"
Clank!
The soldiers raised their shields and pointed their long spears forward.
"Charge!"
"Yaaaaah!"
Over a hundred soldiers charged at the lone figure before them.
Narrowing his eyes, Ghislain swung his arm back, gripping his axe firmly.
"Hup!"
Once again, his axe swept in a wide arc, crashing into the ground.
Boom!
"Aaagh!"
Dozens of soldiers at the front exploded, shredded by the sheer force of his blow.
Their shields were useless against such power.
Whoosh!
Crunch!
As Ghislain spun halfway around, wielding his axe with both hands, the front line of soldiers was sliced clean through.
"Huh? What?"
"What is this guy?!"
"This isn't someone we can handle!"
With the front line obliterated in an instant, the charging soldiers hesitated and began backing away.
Normally, a warrior of such caliber would be dealt with by another knight, not regular soldiers.
Common soldiers only confront a powerful foe like this when they have overwhelming numbers to exhaust him.
Hiss!
Red smoke seeped out from the gaps in Ghislain's black armor, prompting the soldiers to take another step back.
Approaching him felt ominous. He looked like a demon incarnate.
The knight commanding the area was even more alarmed than his soldiers.
"What are you doing? Attack! Attack him now!"
With just one clash, their morale had plummeted.
Typically, he would confront such an opponent himself, but he had little confidence he could win.
If he clashed with that massive axe, his sword would shatter in an instant.
The knight swallowed hard.
'I should've brought a bigger weapon myself…'
His own sword seemed laughably small compared to that fearsome axe.
While everyone stood frozen, the dark demon moved again, emitting more red smoke.
"You're not coming? Then I'll come to you."
Boom!
Ghislain leaped and landed in the middle of the soldiers.
Crash!
With each swing of his axe, soldiers burst apart, their bodies ripped to shreds.
Ghislain released his full power, opening up his second core and unleashing his strength without restraint.
When the soldiers tried to pull back, the knight, driven by desperation, screamed.
"Attack, you fools! Run, and you're dead anyway! Stab him however you can!"
A few brave soldiers thrust their spears at him, following their training.
Clang! Clang!
But their desperate attacks couldn't penetrate his armor.
With mana reinforcing his armor, ordinary attacks were ineffective against Ghislain.
Had they been able to wear him down gradually, they might have had a chance, but fighting him head-on was impossible.
Crash!
Ghislain shrugged off their attacks, sending soldiers flying.
Thud!
Just as his axe smashed into more soldiers, the knight seized a tiny opening and thrust his sword toward Ghislain.
Unable to face him alone, he had used his own men as bait, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Sensing the sharp intent aiming for his neck, Ghislain tilted his head.
Screech!
Slash!
The black armor at his shoulder split open, and blood spurted out.
Thud!
Despite the bleeding wound, Ghislain ignored it and grabbed the knight's face.
"You're actually quite good."
It was a sincere compliment.
The knight had the skill to pierce his mana-infused armor and the cold strategy to use his own soldiers as a decoy.
Ghislain knew he'd face more foes like this.
"Which means I can't go easy on you."
Boom!
Ghislain slammed the knight's head into the ground.
The knight's neck snapped instantly, killing him.
Crunch!
He stomped on the head of the knight's corpse, crushing it underfoot, and picked up his axe once more.
Crash! Crash!
With a few swings of his axe, over half the remaining soldiers were wiped out.
With their knight commanders all slain, the soldiers had neither the strength nor the will to hold on.
"Run! Run for your lives!"
The few surviving soldiers scattered in all directions, while Ghislain took a moment to catch his breath and looked up at the towering siege engine.
An enormous monster on the battlefield, it shattered the spirit of his own forces by its very presence. Destroying it would change the tide of the battle entirely.
"Time to take it down."
He strode inside the siege tower, attacking the rear of the soldiers climbing up.
Slash! Slash!
"Aaargh!"
Caught off guard, the soldiers fell without any real resistance.
The siege tower's structure was closed on all sides except for the entryway at the base, to protect against attacks from multiple directions.
The soldiers inside the tower were slow to realize what was happening outside.
"An enemy! There's an enemy in the siege tower!"
The soldiers at the base turned around in alarm, but none could stop Ghislain as he swung his axe, spewing red smoke.
The soldiers on the lower level were wiped out in an instant.
"Go up!"
"What is he doing here?!"
"He's a monster! A demon!"
The soldiers on the upper levels frantically shoved each other, scrambling upward to escape.
Covered in blood, Ghislain's appearance was the embodiment of terror.
While those on the wall fended off the Perdium soldiers, the soldiers in the siege tower were trapped in panic.
Fearing they'd be caught from behind, they trembled, but Ghislain did not chase them up the tower.
Standing amidst the corpses, he looked around briefly before smashing the staircase leading up.
Boom! Boom!
With just three swings, the first-floor staircase of the three-tiered tower was obliterated.
Now the enemy soldiers couldn't descend.
Trapped between the Perdium soldiers outside and Ghislain's destruction within, they were helpless.
"Hoo…"
Standing amidst the rubble and bodies, Ghislain took a deep breath.
Thrum!
The three cores within him spun fiercely, releasing an even greater surge of power.
Bright red mana enveloped his axe as he swung it.
Boom!
The left side of the siege tower exploded, leaving a massive gaping hole.
Creak.
The structure groaned ominously, but the giant tower still held.
Gritting his teeth, Ghislain drew on even more mana and swung his axe at the opposite wall.
Boom!
With another explosion, debris scattered as the opposite wall crumbled.
Thud!
At last, the tower began to shake. With only two walls remaining, it couldn't support its own weight.
Groan, crack!
The thinly remaining metal and wood creaked and twisted.
"Uh… it's going to collapse!"
"Quick! Head toward the wall!"
Realizing what was happening, the soldiers shoved each other in desperation, spilling onto the wall.
Human strength in the face of death was astonishing. For a brief moment, the Perdium forces were pushed back.
"Hold the line! Stand firm!"
Randolph, shouting furiously, led the charge, cutting down enemy soldiers from the front.
They had to block the entrance to prevent the enemy from taking the wall.
As both sides clashed fiercely on the wall, Ghislain swung his axe once more.
Boom!
Finally, the remaining wall of the siege tower crumbled.
The giant was no longer able to stand.
Crack!
The wood holding up the tower splintered and shattered, followed by a cascade of collapsing beams.
"It's collapsing!"
A despairing cry echoed from within the shaking tower.
Crash! Boom!
The interior structure collapsed first, dislodging platforms and supports.
Thud!
"Aaaargh!"
The bridge connecting the siege tower to the wall broke away, sending soldiers tumbling down with it.
Thud! Thud!
With a final, ear-splitting crash, the once-mighty siege tower collapsed entirely.
Puff…
A thick cloud of dust rose from the wreckage, like the last breath of the fallen giant.
For a moment, silence fell over the battlefield.
"Did the young lord… do that alone?"
On the wall, Randolph and the Perdium soldiers stared down in a daze.
"The siege tower… it's been destroyed…"
"Did… did the captain do that? Alone?"
Soldiers on both sides and the mercenaries blocking the path were all stunned, staring at the ruined tower in disbelief.
But in that heavy silence, one person moved.
"Young master!"
"Young lord!"
Belinda and Gillian dropped their foes and turned.
The rubble was piled high like a giant's grave, with bodies torn and pierced strewn among the debris.
Some survivors twitched faintly, clinging to life.
As the two grimaced and moved to clear the wreckage—
Crash!
Ghislain burst from the rubble.
Hiss!
Blood evaporated from his armor, shrouding him in a cloud of red steam.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Without missing a beat, Ghislain charged toward the stunned enemy.
Boom!
Slash!
One soldier's head split in two, and he fell, dead, his face frozen in confusion even in death, as if unable to comprehend what had happened.
Whoosh!
Crash!
With another mighty swing of his enormous axe, Ghislain sent the surrounding soldiers flying.
The startled enemies finally came to their senses, frantically scrambling to retreat.
Seizing the moment, Ghislain shouted loudly.
"Get it together! Fall back to the walls!"
The retreat route back to the walls was held barely by Kaor and the mercenaries, who were fighting to keep it open.
One section of the wall was now completely secured by Perdium's forces, and Ghislain and his mercenaries quickly withdrew toward it.
"What's this? We're falling back now?"
"The siege tower has been destroyed! Completely shattered! Did the captain really do that alone?"
"Shut up and follow the captain!"
Even the mercenaries were bewildered, but it was only natural that the enemy was even more disoriented.
The soldiers hesitated, unable to react to the sudden shift.
"What are you doing? Chase them down!"
"They're retreating!"
"Don't let them get away!"
By the time the commanders barked their orders, the mercenaries were already some distance away.
Some soldiers tried to pursue the mercenaries, others stood around in shock, and still others, terrified, withdrew altogether.
In the chaos, soldiers tripped over one another, turning the formation into a chaotic mess.
Randolph seized the opportunity and urgently shouted.
"Fire! Cover the young lord!"
Arrows that had been suppressing the enemy archers now turned toward the advancing soldiers, raining down upon them.
Pft-pft-pft!
The panicked soldiers were cut down by the arrow storm.
While the enemy archers scrambled to return fire on the wall, many of their soldiers had already fallen.
Leading his mercenaries, Ghislain took advantage of the confusion, steering them toward the broken section of the wall.
"Head through the breach!"
The main gate had already been shut by Skovan and the other soldiers, so the mercenaries darted through the gap in the wall.
"Now block the breach! Move up!"
Clang! Clang!
Following Ghislain's orders, the mercenaries swiftly formed a shield wall to seal the opening.
Watching from atop the walls, Zwalter felt his heart pounding with exhilaration.
'How… how did he pull that off?!'
Even seeing it with his own eyes, he could scarcely believe it.
Breaking through the flank, destroying the siege tower, and routing the enemy before returning to the walls—all in the blink of an eye.
The speed of it all had left the enemy no time to respond.
Even Zwalter, with his extensive battle experience, would not have dared attempt such a bold strategy.
'How… how did someone with no real experience in warfare manage this?'
Zwalter felt as if he were witnessing a ghost. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of it.
More than simply taking down the siege tower alone, it was Ghislain's bold leadership on the battlefield that had upturned the tide.
This wasn't a premeditated tactic; it was instinctive, seizing on the enemy's intentions and the flow of the battlefield in an instant.
'To think he had such skills… such raw, innate talent!'
This was something only those born with extraordinary insight and decisive judgment, honed through relentless training, could achieve.
Zwalter shook his head, refocusing himself.
'I'll figure it out later. For now, thanks to Ghislain, we can breathe on this side.'
The siege tower was rendered useless, and the battering rams had yet to be deployed.
The enemy now had no means of reaching the walls.
Meanwhile, Randolph let his raw emotions show.
Though he was as shocked as the rest, his reaction was one of anger.
"You lunatic! It was pure luck it worked! If it had gone wrong, we'd all be dead! We'd all have been overrun!"
As a commander, his frustration was only natural, but Ghislain just shrugged, as if he hadn't heard a word.
Randolph, his fury unabated, cursed under his breath, but his words were soon drowned out by the soldiers' triumphant cheers.
"Wooooah!"
The soldiers' morale soared, inspired by Ghislain's unbelievable heroics.
With the siege tower down, they had more breathing room, and they could more easily fire arrows.
One of the enemy knights, helplessly driven back from the wall, shouted desperately to his troops.
"Damn it! Get it together! What are the unit captains doing? Control the soldiers! Group up by the breached wall! Shield-bearers, block the arrows! Archers, pull back and cover us! You idiots!"
With the formation in disarray, controlling the soldiers was nearly impossible.
Pandemonium had broken loose, and no orders were being relayed from command.
'Damn it! Is the main camp too shocked by what's happening? Why is there no signal? They should be sending in the battering rams and reinforcements or calling us to regroup and reorganize—something!'
At times like this, the battlefield demands quick thinking and action.
The knight, his voice hoarse, rallied the scattered soldiers, pulling them together one by one.
"Everyone, rally! Over here! Charge the breached wall!"
Now, the only course left to them was to swarm toward the broken section of the wall.
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]