Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Chapter 66.
The command headquarters concluded their discussions and completed reorganization preparations within thirty minutes.
First, they recalled all troops deployed along the third and fourth defensive lines to this location.
Having pinpointed the enemy's objective and attack location, they saw no need to disperse their forces.
270,000 soldiers were mobilized to the second defensive line.
They formed a curved formation spanning 10 kilometers left and right from Gieran's hut, facing the wall.
The moment the beasts charged toward the center, this encirclement would tighten to slaughter them all at once.
Inside the perimeter, the existing 70,000 troops were densely positioned to hold out against the Ains' attacks until the trap was fully sprung.
Specifically, heavy infantry armed with 6.5-meter-long pikes formed twenty disciplined regiments of a thousand soldiers each.
They resembled hedgehogs with their spines fully erect. Even if the first line fell, the second, third, and fourth lines of pikes would be waiting.
The spacing between regiments was deliberately widened to allow cavalry maneuvers.
Light infantry were organized into thirty battalions of five hundred each.
Their role was dynamic—intercepting Ains targeting the flanks of the heavy infantry or beasts attempting to breach the encirclement.
Aiden and Gieran served as bait to lure the beasts—the linchpin of this formation. The two positioned themselves at the rearmost point, guarded by the Execution Corps.
Additionally, archers, crossbowmen, siege towers, and catapults were stationed inside, ready to withdraw once the trap was sprung.
Thus, the snare was set.
A trap designed for creatures driven more by instinct than reason—blind entities.
Inside the encirclement, Aiden sat atop the hut's roof, surveying the frontlines.
Given the tight timeframe, the formation was impressively organized.
Beside him, Gieran gazed at the wall and spoke.
"Truth be told, exterminating the Black Wolf was nearly impossible."
The Sword Saint knew that monster's power better than anyone.
"The one I killed before wasn't even a mature specimen. Yet I nearly died countless times—too many to count."
Gieran's eyes swept over the vast army filling the plains.
"But your hands, boy, have made this possibility real. If we win, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you've saved humanity."
Aiden remained silent. Gieran smirked at him.
"And I doubt a man like you intends to settle for being a mere hero."
Aiden turned his head toward the Sword Saint.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't play dumb."
With that, the Sword Saint retrieved something from his coat and pressed it into Aiden's hand.
Fenrir's fang.
"But that path is thorny—tread carefully. Keep this with you for now."
Just as Aiden was about to respond, a long, blaring horn echoed from the wall.
Every soldier shuddered. Aiden and Gieran shot to their feet.
The troops atop the stone wall moved in perfect unison—retreating hastily to the ground.
The beasts' howls were already growing closer.
Waiting cavalry units spurred their horses to assist the retreating Maguan Army.
Then, moments later, the wall was breached—not by humans.
Even in the dark night, Aiden's vision pierced the distance of over three kilometers.
The black dots were unmistakably beasts, their numbers swelling rapidly.
Under the moonlight, the largest shadow loomed tall. Aiden narrowed his eyes—it was a tiger.
The beast seemed to hurl something, followed by a sharp whistling sound.
A heavy infantryman guarding the vanguard—his chest was instantly impaled.
A pale-white spear.
The soldier died instantly, pinned to the ground, his mouth frothing with crimson blood.
The entire army was stunned. A creature capable of throwing a spear over a kilometer? It defied belief.
Yet it existed. This was the Mountain Lord—the tiger chieftain and second-in-command of the beast horde.
The soldiers couldn't help but waver. This was a force beyond all reason—and they were about to face it.
Aiden immediately leaped from the roof and mounted Petra.
"Lord Aiden!"
"Commander!"
"My liege!"
The Execution Corps tried to stop him, but Aiden ignored them, urging Petra to full speed.
He raced to the frontlines, yanking the spear from the dead infantryman's body.
Then, taking a few more steps forward, he aimed Gargantua at the wall.
Planting his feet firmly, he twisted his torso to the limit.
As all eyes watched, Aiden unleashed his halo.
The sanctity built upon hypocrisy—a radiant white brilliance erupted, fanning across the night sky.
Its purity was overwhelming, inspiring awe and melting away fear.
Aiden clenched the divine spear, Gargantua greedily devouring the halo's radiance. The surrounding light dimmed, but the spear's blazing glow illuminated the night in its place.
Stretched to fifty meters, the colossal spear was no longer a human weapon.
Aiden roared:
"The gods are watching!"
His arm swelled. Crack—his gauntlet shattered. He no longer needed such armor.
BOOM! The ground beneath him crumbled.
"DO NOT FEAR!"
Drawing his arm back with all his might, he released the light.
A single streak of brilliance scorching the atmosphere—like a meteor crossing the cosmos, it left a long tail as it hurtled toward the wall.
By the time expressions froze in shock, Gargantua had already struck.
KABOOOOOM!
The deafening explosion sent chunks of stone flying in all directions.
But the divine spear wasn't finished. It detonated its condensed sanctity, melting away the beasts' vision.
As darkness flooded in, not a single soldier dared to speak.
Aiden remounted Petra and drew his holy sword.
Riding along the first line, he struck the soldiers' pikes as he passed.
A clear metallic resonance spread across the snowy plains.
Someone let out a battle cry. Like a spark igniting dry tinder, the fervor spread slowly at first—then erupted into an unstoppable wildfire.
"URAAAAAAAH—!!!!!"
The scorching heat burned through the winter night, shaking heaven and earth.
They were no longer afraid.
The wall crumbled.
Though the fortress protecting humanity was gone, the soldiers' morale remained unbroken—soaring, in fact, to the point their blood boiled.
The beasts had set foot on imperial soil.
But they would not be allowed to advance further.
With the charge commands from each cavalry commander—Ibishuller of the Grand Templar Order, Kairos of the Imperial Knights, Sword Saint Raiban of the Sachillier Legion, Kraum of the Imperial Light Cavalry, Rayan of the Imperial Mounted Archers, and Gafeld of the Vacheksar Heavy Cavalry—40,000 horsemen thundered across the white plains.
Drunk on bloodlust, the beasts madly charged toward Aiden, positioned at the rearmost line.
The north became a frenzy of war—battle cries, hoofbeats, and bestial roars blending into chaos.
Ibishuller's thunderous voice roared:
"CRUSH THEM—!"
A thousand paladins clashed with the beasts.
CRASH! Steel-shod hooves trampled bones to dust, sanctity-forged blades tore through tough hides, and trained warhorses savagely bit into bestial faces.
Soon after, the cavalry divisions hammered into the Ains' flanks. Fueled by overwhelming momentum, they swept across the battlefield like a storm.
Dull impacts erupted in rapid succession.
The crown prince, forcibly stationed atop a siege tower, trembled as he watched.
At first glance, the cavalry seemed to be trampling the beasts—but their strikes were fleeting.
In reality, isolated riders losing momentum were already falling left and right.
Horses with torn bellies collapsed, spilling entrails, while dismounted soldiers rolled across the ground with limbs ripped clean.
The snowfield drank deep of human and beast blood, staining it crimson.
The prince stammered:
"A-Aiden! Why is Aiden just standing there?! Order him to throw his spear again! Now!"
Yuriel smiled gently at Raphelart.
"Your Highness, please calm yourself."
"But...!"
Divine light flickered at Yuriel's fingertip. The prince stared at it.
"The gods would never permit their champion's defeat."
Only then did his expression ease slightly. The prince glanced at Yuriel's face.
"You... you're the Saint of Mercy, correct?"
"That I am—"
Before Yuriel could finish, a horrific roar drowned out all sound.
He snapped his gaze downward.
A bipedal beast towering over six meters—the Mountain Lord had begun crossing the snowfield.
Its frenzied shriek made many, including the prince, wet themselves in terror.
Then, the tiger dropped to all fours and charged.
"F-FALL BACK—!"
"RETREAT!"
The cavalry immediately wheeled their mounts to disengage.
Outside the encirclement, pre-positioned ballistae took aim at the tiger.
Under the archery commander's orders, 70,000 archers drew their bowstrings taut.
The distance between Aiden and the tiger rapidly closed—three kilometers became one in moments, entering firing range at last.
The archery commander's arm dropped sharply.
Instantly, the night sky was embroidered with red dots.
Fire arrows—blazing projectiles arcing toward the Mountain Lord.
Massive bolts tore through the air alongside them.
The tiger raised its head, watching the fiery rain descend.
It bellowed:
"YOU COCKROACHES HIDING IN STEEL—!!!!"
Simultaneously, everything launched from the ground plunged toward the beast.
THWACK-THWACK-THWACK!
A giant cactus seemed to sprout in the snowfield's heart—so densely packed with arrows its core was invisible.
Then, countless spells rained down anew.
KABOOOM!
Smoke and flames erupted, completely obscuring the area.
The remaining Ains still charged. Archers loosed volley after volley without pause.
The winter wind gradually pushed the smoke aside.
When visibility returned, every elite warrior—except Aiden and Gieran—had drawn their weapons.
Sword Saint Raiban of Sachillier, Imperial Knight Captain Kairos, Commander Ibishuller, High Marshal Crown, Maguan Army Grand Marshal Randaren, Divine Evangelist Grahan, Mounted Archery Commander Geiren, Spear Saint Rockhalin, Execution Corps First Rank Seth—and more.
As if synchronized, they lunged toward the "cactus."
The tiger, curled tightly within, slowly unfurled.
Amid the dense arrow shafts, its crimson-black hide reemerged.
The Mountain Lord's yellow eyes flashed as it exhaled a chilling breath.
"PALADIN—!"
Screaming with hatred and fury, it charged toward Aiden again.
At that moment, a crescent-shaped trajectory raked across its spine.
Yet it didn't stop.
A crimson greatsword pierced its trapezius, a holy blade tore through its occiput.
But the beast endured. Swiping away heavy infantry with one hand, it madly crossed the snowfield.
Even as a poisoned rapier gouged its eye, as internal organs exploded from within, as heavenly chains bound its entire body—the Mountain Lord kept moving.
The instant an aura-infused arrowhead pierced its temple, the tiger stood face-to-face with Aiden.
The Execution Corps surrounding Aiden trembled, stepping back.
The battered Mountain Lord slowly extended its arm. Its gaze burned with murderous intent.
"You... why...?"
"So that your kind may live."
Aiden batted aside the weakened limb and drew his holy sword. Pressing the blade against the tiger's brow, he drove it in with both hands.
Through tough bone, into soft tissue.
The beast's pupils dilated wildly.
Its yellow glow faded steadily.
Aiden twisted the blade inside. Finally, the Mountain Lord's massive form sagged.
He yanked the sword free in one motion.
Splat. Crimson blood spread across the snow.
One down.