Puak!
An arrow pierced straight through the forehead of an imperial soldier. Flora Lawrence quickly put another arrow on the bowstring and focused her eyes on the surroundings.
‘We are being pushed back.’
It was as expected. Joining Count Vandenberg’s forces, she did expect that the surprise attack wouldn’t give them too much of an advantage. Anyone with a brain and common sense could guess that.
The soldiers of the Kronos Empire differed in quality right from the start, and that issue was already discussed too. In conclusion, they bet on the odds. Despite knowing they were at a disadvantage, Cairo’s soldiers went ahead with the plan.
“Commander!”
Flora shouted.
She calculated the variables that would happen on the battlefield all night long and presented a plan on how to respond to them. But there was a backlash from the captains. They said it went against the purpose of the plan, but Flora decided that her plan was the perfect way to use the weapon called Roman Dmitry.
And hearing Flora’s cry, Count Vandenberg raised his voice.
“Put up a Shield Wall right now!”
“Create a Shield Wall!”
The orders were spread quickly, and the soldiers of Cairo, who were scattered in all directions, gathered in one place. Among them, the soldiers with shields stepped forward to form a wall with square shields.
It happened quickly. They didn’t prepare for a long time because they had practiced such things before coming to the battlefield.
Tak.
There was a rapidly rising wall of shields. The Kronos Empire had a puzzled expression. The Shield Wall was a strategy commonly used on the battlefield, but it wasn’t a formation suitable for a surprise attack.
Hearing Flora’s operation, Baron Noel said,
“Flora. Speed is important for this mission. The Shield Wall is a way to bridge the gap in our powers, but it will be dangerous for the troops attacking in the middle if we waste time creating a defense formation. We also need to make sacrifices and be aggressive. That way, the surprise attack can at least proceed without any issues.”
It was a valid opinion. Flora didn’t deny it, but one fact separated their opinions—her faith in Roman Dmitry.
Flora Lawrence was confident that Roman Dmitry would make a difference even if they were attacked on both sides, so it was important for Cairo’s army to preserve their strength as much as possible.
Well, the army of the kingdom couldn’t deal with the empire’s army from the rear alone. Flora’s strong opinion was accepted, and when they were pushed back after the surprise attack, they formed a Shield Wall.
“Put the shield on your bodies!”
“Don’t allow any gaps!”
The battle changed. They went from attacking to defending. The Kronos Empire’s army pushed forward with the idea that they had gained momentum, and Cairo’s soldiers held on tenaciously, blocking the enemy’s attacks with their shields.
But they weren’t just defending. They tried to attack by thrusting their weapons into the small gaps between the shields, and Flora, along with the other archers, would fire arrows.
Swish!
Papak!
“Kuak!”
Arrows rained down. The empire’s army screamed and collapsed, and Flora shook off the drops of sweat as she pulled another arrow. Her ears were deafened by the screams of people. In the past, she couldn’t look at the blood-stained world, but now she was unshaken by it.
The battle was fierce. Time passed by so slowly. Even after killing and killing and more killing, the number of enemies didn’t decrease, and the gaps in the Shield Wall began to widen. Every time that happened, the soldiers would have to step in to close the gap. Stepping on the corpses of their colleagues, they clenched their teeth to not let Kronos pass.
They felt dizzy. They kept wanting to give up under the hot sun, but they couldn’t lose their concentration in the fight for their lives.
It was when the heat of the battle reached its limit that Flora confirmed something in the distance and shouted with a bright face.
“Allies have arrived! Release the Shield Wall and attack!”
Far away, she noticed the allies running. It was the start of the counterattack that Cairo had been waiting for.
The captain of the troops who arrived was Chris. He appeared with troops and raised the aura on his sword as he rushed toward the enemies.
“Follow me!”
Rumble!
Aura exploded. The soldiers of the Kronos Empire attacked Chris, but the moment they collided, Chris’s sword tore their bodies apart. His simple sword movement gave them chills.
He slashed the first one down and then cut down the heads of the two that came after, and later, when the empire’s soldiers with terrified faces showed hesitation, he hurled himself at them first.
“Kuak!”
“Stop him!”
It was definite. Dmitry’s soldiers, led by Chris, unilaterally slaughtered the Kronos Empire’s forces.
The battle with Barco, the Southern Front, and the civil war—Dmitry’s soldiers were veterans who had seen a lot of war, which they could not normally experience. They became bloody warriors on the battlefield and did not care if their opponents were as great as mountains, like the empires.
The wars they experienced were weak every time. Overcoming their fear, they went against their opponents, who looked weak and brought victories.
The situation was reversed. Now that they were being attacked from behind, the knight, who was leading the Kronos Empire’s army, raised his voice,
“Hold on a little while. Our allies will arrive. So hold on!”
Contrary to what he said, they were clearly at a disadvantage. And in order to reverse the situation, they had to take down Chris first.
Rumble!
“I will deal with you.”
A 3-star swordsman’s aura exploded. He slashed the soldiers who blocked him and rushed for Chris. He was so focused, despite the chaotic battles happening everywhere. Even though Chris showed a terrifying amount of strength in a short period of time, he still thought that because he was a 3-star swordsman, he would have the upper hand.
At that moment…
Puak!
“…!”
The knight’s head was blown off. The moment he appeared in front of Chris to swing his sword, he momentarily closed his eyes, and the moment he opened them, his head flew to the sky.
Just with one swing, he was able to take care of a 3-star swordsman. Chris didn’t use aura. He just watched the enemy approach him, and as the enemy attempted to attack, he waited for a gap.
Chris experienced defeating a 3-star swordsman two years ago. His skills and the experience he had gained from the past until now were huge. This was just the start.
The Kronos Empire’s aura swordsmen ran at once. Aura raged from all sides, aiming for Chris’s life, but they were knocked out in one hit, just like earlier. In one attack, there was one death.
His swift sword reached its peak. Chris’s ruthlessness terrified the troops of the Kronos Empire.
The Swift Sword of Cairo—it was the moment when his existence would make a name for itself on the continent and reveal his worth.
By the time Count Fabio arrived at the scene, it was horrendous.
“…W-What is this?”
It was Roman Dmitry. That person blocked their path and butchered their troops.
He felt goosebumps rise. They had the numerical advantage, but Roman Dmitry was able to get the upper hand.
The Kronos Empire’s army formed a long procession. As the middle was attacked, all the soldiers who were moving in front flocked to the middle, but Roman Dmitry blocked their path. And that meant that when they arrived there, they would have to face Roman Dmitry.
He chose to block the path alone for that reason, despite the fact that it was the worst situation to be in.
‘Does that mean that he can handle all of us?’
No other explanation was needed. The bodies under Roman Dmitry’s feet proved that his choice was correct.
Countless troops were already slaughtered by the time Count Fabio arrived on the scene, and even if they passed him, Dmitry’s soldiers were waiting right behind him.
His eyes were confused by the scene in front of him. He was surprised by Roman Dmitry’s boldness, and he couldn’t understand Dmitry’s power, which was stronger than he thought.
Roman Dmitry. The rumors were true. At first, he thought Roman Dmitry was just a frog in a well, but he was a monster hiding in plain sight. It was at that moment…
“Commander! The situation in the rear isn’t good! At this rate, the troops near the rear might be attacked and annihilated.”
The lieutenant. After receiving a call from the rear, he spoke in an urgent voice. This wasn’t the time to admire the opponent. Cairo made a bold move to come out of the city gates, and heaven sent them a chance that couldn’t be missed.
‘If something like Cairo can come outside to fight and do this, I will not be able to head back to the empire with a proud face. Taking advantage of Cairo’s civil war had become useless, and if the enemies’ arrogance is not punished, then Kronos will be ridiculed by the continent. I need to let go of the benefits of this battle and punish them.’
“Knights of Kronos.”
“Yes.”
They were Count Fabio’s escort. They were the 10th group of the 10 Knight Troops of the Kronos Empire.
As they looked at Count Fabio to carry out the order, he spoke in a voice seething with murderous intent.
“Get rid of that Roman Dmitry now. If that guy is taken down, Cairo’s troops would no longer be able to hold on, and then we will move to the rear…”
At that moment, Count Fabio stopped talking. It could have been an illusion, but Roman Dmitry, who was far away from him, was looking his way as if he heard Count Fabio speak.
There was a saying that when one comes across a beast, their body hardens. Their roar causes overwhelming fear, and Roman Dmitry’s eyes alone completely distracted him. Seeing those eyes made him go stiff. While he was giving out orders, it suddenly felt like the world had stopped.
And it was then…
“Kuak.”
Roman Dmitry cut down a soldier and kicked the ground.
He was sure of it. As soon as he met Count Fabio’s eyes and realized he was the commander, he rushed for him.
It was such a reckless decision. The distance between them wasn’t short, and along the way, there were a lot of Kronos’s soldiers. Common sense made it impossible to think he could pass through them.
And as expected, the empire’s army blocked his path and attacked Roman.
‘He is finished.’
He blinked, and in that fleeting moment, things changed. Roman Dmitry slaughtered the soldiers who rushed at him, and the path was now open. Their distance was shorter than before.
Dozens of soldiers who were willing to die to stop Roman Dmitry rushed to him. And the Knights of Kronos also rushed ahead. Even though Count Fabio wasn’t able to finish giving the order, they knew what he wanted to say.
And among them was a 4-star aura swordsman. His rising aura gave Kronos’s troops confidence.
Blood splattered. The 4-star aura swordsman’s head flew to the sky, and the faces of the other Knights of Kronos had gone pale.
Each time Count Fabio blinked, something shocking happened. He thought Roman Dmitry could never get close to him, but before he knew it, everything changed. Only then did he realize…
‘Insane bastard!’
Roman Dmitry. He was sincerely going to break through the crowds and kill the commander of Kronos.
