The Spear That Shattered the Dawn
Starlight itself had dimmed, swallowed by the pitch-black gloom of pre-dawn.
North of the horizon, the Karu horde surged like a tidal wave, smashing the ground beneath their boots as they advanced.
Their eyes, sharp as blades, lanced forward with deadly intent, and the earth trembled under the force of their charge.
“Hurry! Form up!”
The urgent shouts of the placed officers rang out across the field.
Soldiers scrambling into formation without even their helmets properly secured dashed in a panic, yet the window of time felt painfully narrow.
“Shield wall on the front! We must complete the line before they reach us!”
The unexpected Karu ambush plunged the Imperial Army into chaos.
Between the panting officers.
General Velkain Caeron sat atop his mount, frowning as he surveyed the battlefield from above.
At this speed, the line won’t even finish before it collapses.
The early hour still cloaked the plain in heavy shadow, though torches flickered in scattered spots, barely cutting through the darkness.
The Karu warriors’ heavy footsteps echoed across the frozen expanse, shaking the ground in every direction.
But then—
KWA-A-A-A-A-AANG!
Velkain’s gaze snapped to the right.
From the Karu formation came a golden flash on the left, followed by a deafening boom.
Time seemed to freeze. Every eye turned toward the source.
“…What the—?”
No one understood what had just happened.
Yet one thing was certain: the unstoppable charge of the Karu warriors had faltered.
Velkain narrowed his eyes, locking his stare.
“S-Silent Spear Unit!”
From beside him, Staff Sergeant Claw shouted at the top of his voice.
Like shadows slipping out of the dark, their assault carved straight into the heart of the Karu army, halting the massive force in its tracks.
Through the blizzard, the gleaming tips of their spears and the Imperial crests carved into their shields flashed.
Velkain’s eyes blazed.
“Now is our chance! Form up and strike!”
“…Huh?”
Attack while barely able to hold a defense?
But Velkain poured mana into his voice and roared, “The moment the shield wall is complete—advance! Have the cavalry ready! Archers, keep firing without pause! We protect our own!”
“Understood!”
Claw shouted and relayed the orders at once.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
In that brief lull while the Karu advance was stalled, the Imperial Army hurriedly formed up and prepared for battle.
Though it was a dangerous moment that could have cost them precious lives, it could also turn the tide.
If we can survive this, we’ll have the upper hand.
With supply lines stretched thin and long campaigns inevitable for them, this unexpected push from the enemy felt almost like a blessing.
Even if it came from a mere independent unit of a hundred men.
ROOO-OOOOOOOOO!
Eventually the line was set. The signal horns split the darkness and soared into the sky.
Now… the mood had changed.
“HAAAAAAAAP!”
The cry of one soldier burst out, and a spear drove straight through a Karu neck.
FWOOM!
SWISH!
The sensation of splitting bone and flesh traveled up the shaft.
Red blood bloomed and seeped across the white snow.
“Huff! Huff!”
Breathless gasps shook their shoulders.
The sight of the enemy losing all fight in front of them made their bodies jolt, but—
“Stay sharp! No time to hesitate!”
Corporal Barter grabbed his squad mate’s arm and shouted.
Private Dinbel, assigned to the first squad, nodded vigorously.
“Yes, sir!”
As his eyes cleared, Barter glanced at the man ahead—Grein.
They had lured the Karu eyes forward and slipped deep into the center, but—
One moment’s distraction… and we’ll die right here.
Surrounded by enemy warriors, death could come at any second.
But—
“Silent Spear Unit! Before this battle, remember what I said!”
Arteon, at the front, infused his voice with mana and bellowed.
What he had said—
You are stronger than you think.
“We… are…”
“Stronger…?”
A spark flashed through his mind at the shout.
With Arteon, Grein shouted right behind him, “Don’t hesitate! Tighten the formation!”
Grein called out to the squad leaders, “First Squad—wheel right and block their entry! Third Squad—left flank! Second Squad—clear the men in front and protect the platoon leader! Fourth and Fifth Squads—hold your positions and keep moving! Don’t fall behind!”
The orders crackled like a cannon as the squad leaders shouted to their men, “Form up and push the enemy back! Remember the commander’s words! We are the strongest—AAAAAH!”
“We are the strongest—AAAAAH!”
The battle cry rolled across the entire unit like a hypnotic chant.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
Even if Arteon had opened the path, the remaining Karu warriors would have to be handled by the soldiers themselves.
Each of them was far stronger than a normal Imperial soldier.
Yet they had never once been pushed back in battle.
They had always dominated and won.
Trust me—every brutal drill in this hell has been worth it.
Anyone who lived here long enough would know.
Recalling the training they had endured, a fierce glint settled into the eyes of the Silent Spear soldiers.
“Follow the commander! Break through and end this!”
“WAAAAAARRRRRGH!”
The morale of the Silent Spear Unit soared. Starting with Arteon’s razor-sharp spear, they began carving through the enemy line.
And…
“HUP…!”
KRRRRRRRRRUMBLE!
At 6-Star, Arteon was nothing short of a natural disaster.
“KRRAAAAAAGH!”
“Fall back! Fall back!”
“C-Cut him down! We have to stop him!”
Dozens of Karu warriors rushed to block Arteon, but—
“Stand aside.”
Mana surged into Iglis, and golden aura shot out in an instant.
KWANG!
The bodies of three warriors who had charged first were torn apart and tossed aside. The followers behind them flinched.
“U-ugh…!”
“It’s a monster…!”
Even warriors who carried the heart of a true soldier would fear such a sight.
Arteon halted the men who had stopped in place.
His gaze darted left and right.
Now… it’s time to move.
They had been carving into the center for quite some time.
The squad that had come to stop them earlier had been wiped out long ago, and the Karu on the left flank were now encircling in defense.
But even with them, stopping a 6-Star Arteon was impossible.
More than half the unit were at least 2-Star, and the rest knew how to use mana.
The skill gap was obvious, and to them it felt like the end of the world had fallen.
But then—
“…Here they come.”
Arteon raised his head and looked behind.
A fresh group of Karu warriors was rapidly approaching from the rear.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
Coming in with such a small force…!
The one leading them was Herkan Belot, one of the highest-ranking commanders in Belikezel.
He had lost his daughter Heritikan on the first day and brought Imperial victory on the second.
A leader among leaders.
His ferocious momentum made Arteon’s gaze darken.
This was where the real fight began.
“Grein.”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Lure them out and pull them toward the outer perimeter. Make it look like we’re giving them exactly what they want.”
“Today… will be a truly spectacular dawn.”
He was clearly a commander of terrifying power.
Not just running away, but holding a precise distance so they would follow—while dragging every nearby Karu warrior with them.
It was a risky guerrilla operation, but—
With the commander at my side…
He believed they could pull it off.
“I’ll follow no matter what!”
“We can do it!”
“We are the greatest Silent Spear Unit, after all!”
Grein’s shout lifted the soldiers’ spirits even higher.
A small smile touched Arteon’s lips at the sight.
It felt as if the unit had finally become one perfect whole.
Arteon’s eyes flashed.
Perhaps—just perhaps—
This war… still has room for a chance.
Arteon took a short breath and raised his spear.
“Silent Spear Unit, execute the operation.”
With that, Arteon charged forward and pierced through the Karu warriors blocking the way.
From now on… it would be the main army’s turn to fight.
The tide had turned.
They had attacked first, yet it felt as though the flow had changed.
…Did that handful of men really alter the course of such a vast battlefield?
Krelmuk, the Karu general, could not make sense of the situation at all.
The enemy was reeling from heavy supply losses and regrouping in a chaotic moment.
Instead of locking down the front and holding, they had opened themselves up and taken the offensive.
It was the perfect feint.
“…Baolk Sravan.”
“Yes, Taman.”
The atmosphere had shifted. Krelmuk rose from his seat.
“Today these men will be completely defeated and driven back here. That fact must not change under any circumstances.”
Cold eyes.
Already turned into a warrior, not a leader, Krelmuk’s gaze made Baolk instinctively swallow hard.
“O-Of course, Taman.”
“I will move my personal guard. I’ll take care of them myself.”
Krelmuk knew all too well what one warrior with his strength could do on the battlefield.
Moreover, the power he had witnessed—
If it’s real… it’s dangerous.
It was enough power to change the flow of the entire battlefield alone.
They had to deal with it now, or everything would unravel.
Krelmuk stepped down from the wagon and mounted his prepared horse.
And—
“If you give the order, Commander, my personal guard is ready to ride.”
Krelmuk’s own elite guard captain, Lycolta, spoke with sharp eyes.
Behind him, a thousand warriors had formed up in perfect lines.
Even from horseback, Krelmuk said, “Before the sun rises, we will clear these unexpected intruders who entered our formation.”
And with just these men, the war would proceed exactly as planned—
Just as it should.
“I will show these foolish Imperial dogs that the battlefield belongs to the gods.”
With that, Krelmuk’s personal guard charged fiercely toward Arteon’s Silent Spear Unit.