Krelmuk Appears
The unexpected advance of the Kar tribe had accelerated the flow of the war to a terrifying degree.
“Kill them! Kill them all!”
“We have to break through before the empire dogs can form ranks! Slaughter the imperial scum!”
The Kar warriors hurled themselves forward with reckless ferocity, while the imperial forces scrambled to hold the line.
“Raise your shields! Throw them back!”
“Archers, keep loosing at the rear ranks! We have to stop their momentum!”
The two armies locked together in a brutal, grinding clash.
Velkain watched the fighting at the center of the main force for a long moment, then turned his gaze elsewhere.
The Kar left flank.
That was where the Silent Spear unit had driven deep into the enemy lines. A great many Kar warriors were already peeling off to hunt them down. Thanks to that diversion, the center had been given just enough time to fully form its ranks.
But…
If the Silent Spear unit was wiped out here, the losses would far outweigh any gain. No—beyond any cold calculation of profit and loss, Velkain knew exactly how vital Arteon was to the army. He had to be saved.
Velkain’s brow furrowed as he spoke to Claw at his side.
“Claw. Gather every spare man the commanders can spare and send them to support Silent Spear. Whatever it takes, force a path into that sector and cover our people.”
“Th-that place, sir?”
Claw’s eyes wavered. He could agree a hundred times over that Silent Spear needed support. But how in the world were they supposed to punch through that sea of Kar warriors?
He swallowed hard and looked at Velkain. The commander answered without hesitation.
“We go in with the cavalry that’s standing by. If they clear the way, the charge will open a corridor for us.”
“……There could be heavy casualties.”
“In a situation like this, hoping for victory without any sacrifice from our own is nothing but greed, isn’t it?”
“…….”
He was right. One wrong move and more than half the army could die. They had to find a way—any way.
Still…
To throw the cavalry—currently the army’s single strongest striking force—into the role of mere path-clearers. Wasn’t that squandering a card they should have held in reserve?
Claw shook his head a moment later.
No… precisely because of that, it might be the move they least expect.
They had to change the momentum of the battle, no matter the cost. Claw nodded.
“Understood.”
He agreed with Velkain’s thinking. They could not simply abandon Arteon’s Silent Spear unit to isolation and death.
Claw hurried to relay the order to the battalion-level officers. The command spread quickly; units had to be formed for the relief force at once. Yet the officers only shook their heads.
“……Insane.”
“Send troops into a place like that?”
The battalion commanders stared at the sector they were supposed to reinforce, muttering in disbelief. It was the perfect killing ground—right in the middle of the enemy host, completely surrounded. And that was secondary. How were they even supposed to reach it? Even with cavalry, the risk was far too high.
Then a voice cut in.
“Battalion Commander.”
“What is it, Captain Isaac?”
Luokal looked at the man who had come to find him. Isaac answered without flinching.
“I’ll go. My company and I will break through and provide the support.”
“What?”
“If the cavalry opens the path, we can drive deep inside. Once we link up with our people, we can fight our way out together.”
Isaac’s explanation came rapid-fire, but Luokal cut him off at once.
“Impossible. Even if the cavalry gets you in, there’s no guarantee you’ll get out again.”
“If we don’t, our own forces will be in danger. Silent Spear is one of the strongest assets this army has.”
“……We watch the situation for now. Holding this ground is already hard enough.”
“Battalion Commander!”
Isaac’s voice hardened.
“I cannot leave Lieutenant Arteon to die. Send me.”
The look in his eyes said that if he was refused, he would go straight to the supreme commander himself. Luokal’s face twisted slightly. Isaac was simply too capable a subordinate to throw away lightly.
“……And your company agrees?”
“Yes. I’ve already confirmed it.”
Every one of them had received help from Arteon at some point. If they lost this war, they would all die anyway. Turning the tide required this.
Luokal let out a long breath.
“I’ll attach you to the force immediately. But…… you will come back alive. That is an order.”
“Yes, sir.”
Isaac turned on his heel at once. He gathered his ready company and moved to the assembly point—only to find an unexpected figure already waiting there.
That man is…
Isaac looked across at him. Captain Tairen, commander of the 4th Company’s 4th Platoon of the 4th Battalion. Tairen spotted him in turn, strode over, and thrust out a hand.
“Tairen, 4th Company, 4th Battalion. I had a feeling you’d be here…… It’s an honor to fight alongside you.”
“The honor is mine.”
Tairen was already known as one of the strongest fighters in the 4th Battalion—somewhere between 3-star and 4-star. He had yet to fully manifest aura, but his swordsmanship and long years of battlefield experience made him formidable.
“Is everyone here?”
Two companies plus the cavalry brought the total to a thousand men. It was fewer than ideal, yet given the situation on this field…
“We will extract the isolated friendly unit and return. The operation carries high risk, but with the enemy’s attention fixed on the center, it is possible.”
Velkain then turned to the cavalry commander, Major Periexon. Beneath the deep-set helm, eyes burning with fighting spirit flashed sharp as blades.
“We will succeed and return.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Velkain offered the same firm encouragement to Isaac and Tairen. He knew both officers had volunteered of their own free will.
Once Velkain left, Periexon faced the two captains.
“I am Major Periexon, and I hold overall command of this operation. Our cavalry will strike into the enemy’s left flank and open a path. The two of you will then drive inside, link up with our forces, and withdraw together. Any difficulties?”
It was a simple plan—and anything but simple. Isaac and Tairen only nodded, faces calm.
“None.”
“None.”
“Then we move at once. Time is short. Fortune favor us.”
Every man present knew the danger was the same for all of them, yet they still exchanged words of encouragement as they prepared.
And then—
Bwooooooooooo!
The trumpet blared the start of the operation.
“Concentrate forces on the center!”
“Loose arrows! Stop their advance!”
The imperial soldiers at the head of the center began their push, arrows raining into the Kar rear ranks. The sudden movement of the imperial army drew every Kar eye toward the middle of the field.
“They’re moving! Shift warriors to the center and crush them!”
“This is the end of the war! Drive the filthy empire dogs from this land!”
Kar officers bellowed orders, racing toward what they believed would be the final blow.
And in the exact moment the main force’s attention locked on the center—
Bwoo! Bwooooooo!
“Hyaah!”
“Go!”
The waiting relief force exploded into a full charge straight at the Kar left flank.
At the same instant, far inside the enemy lines—
Slash!
“Don’t stop! Keep moving!”
Arteon cut down a Kar warrior who barred his path and roared the order. They were deep in the heart of the enemy host. The moment they halted, the surrounding warriors would close the noose. The only way to keep drawing their eyes and stay alive was to keep running—keep shaking them off.
But…
“Hah…! Hah…! Hah…!”
“Huuuh! Huuuh!”
The ragged breathing of the men behind him made Arteon’s expression harden. They had already been fighting for more than an hour since first plunging into the enemy ranks. That long, desperate delay had given the main force time to form up and fight on equal terms. It was not everything, yet simply stopping the Kar advance in the opening moments had been enormous.
The real trial, however, was only beginning.
“……He’s coming.”
Arteon muttered, eyes fixed on one direction. The presence approaching was on an entirely different level from the warriors they had been fighting. As if to confirm the thought, the movements of the Kar chasing Silent Spear suddenly changed.
“……?”
“Lord Arteon, their movements are strange!”
They no longer charged directly. Instead they shadowed the unit from the flanks, keeping distance, refusing a direct clash. The soldiers’ faces filled with confusion—until the reason became clear.
“The Taman has come! Open the way!”
A Kar shout rang out, and the warriors parted like water before a ship’s prow. At the far end of the newly opened path, riders thundered forward at full gallop.
“……!”
“Th-that one—!”
“Lord Arteon!”
The men who recognized Krelmuk cried out in shock. They had seen him once before. Grein, standing at Arteon’s side, swallowed hard without realizing it.
“The supreme commander of the Kar.”
“…….”
Arteon’s eyes grew cold and still. The first time he had faced this man, it had felt like standing before an unscalable wall—a gap so vast that even opposing him had seemed impossible.
But…
Now that he had fully absorbed Ether’s Heart and stepped into the 6-star realm, the same man felt different. The once-overwhelming presence was something he could measure clearly. That did not mean he could overpower him. Yet… he believed he could fight.
“……Huu.”
Arteon let out a quiet breath.
Perhaps here…
The thought came unbidden: the victory or defeat of this entire war might be decided in this place. A supreme warrior bearing six feather tattoos. In the life Arteon remembered, fewer than ten such men existed across the whole of the Kar tribe. This was a Taman among Taman—the true ruler of the vast plains of Belikezel.
If they could not overcome him, there would be no victory.
Arteon’s gaze grew heavy.
“All units.”
His voice rolled low across the battlefield. As one, the soldiers of Silent Spear tightened their grips on their weapons. In this moment every man understood that the balance of the war—no, the very outcome—might be decided. Fear and dread filled them, yet not a single one thought of retreat. As long as Arteon stood at their head, they would follow him even into the fires of hell.
And the instant that resolve settled—
“Charge.”
With Arteon at the point, the Silent Spear unit launched its preemptive assault straight at the elite guard led by Krelmuk.