The Kar Tribe's Ambush Collapses
“Kyaaaak!”
“Push them back! Push them back!”
The Kar tribe’s hidden ambush turned the battlefield into a chaos of screams in an instant.
Wails echoed endlessly, filling the narrow pass with the stench of blood.
“The Kar tribe has launched a surprise attack!”
“Don’t panic! Form up! Drive off the ones clinging to you!”
Lieutenant Colonel Hadel shouted loudly from the front.
The soldiers, following his lead, rushed to shove the Kar warriors who had latched onto them.
Although the ambush from above had been vicious, the damage had been limited thanks to Hadel’s quick thinking.
And then…
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The Empire’s soldiers, having repelled the Kar tribe’s first wave, began to form up hastily.
“Shield troops! Lift your shields all the way down to your eyes! Retainers and spears maintain one-step distance and ready your attack formations!”
They had overcome the momentary confusion and, true to their elite status, assembled their ranks with surprising speed.
Shields and spears.
Their combination had actually turned the narrow pass into an advantageous position.
The Kar tribe warriors stared at the Empire’s formation, which stood like an iron wall, unable to hide their shock.
It was far more solid than they had expected.
But…
“…”
Ulgraak, watching them, scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
‘…Not here.’
When the Empire soldiers had appeared, his instinct had immediately recalled Arteon.
They had seemed well-prepared, yet he had been certain they were already a step ahead.
But in the first wave, fewer than ten Empire soldiers had been killed.
A few had been wounded, but once they retreated into the formation, pursuit became nearly impossible.
“…Rather impressive.”
However, moving from one formation to another in such rugged terrain was impossible.
“Like a turtle curling up. The strategy of those timid Empire brats.”
Ulgraak thrust his axe forward.
“Crush them completely. This battle will end the war that has dragged on for so long.”
A fierce glint flashed in Ulgraak’s eyes.
Seran and Hadel.
They were the actual commanders holding the 4th Line.
Arteon’s absence was regrettable, but the fact that these two had come out here…
‘They, too… believe this battle will be their last.’
Their ability to read the tide of battle was unparalleled.
If they were pushed back here, the wounded would be treated, and the full strength of the Empire would be restored.
‘I read the tide correctly, but sending out the two most critical commanders here was a grave mistake.’
He had already clashed with Seran once before.
The man’s swordsmanship was nearly perfected; he was calm, unyielding, and a true warrior.
Yet despite possessing such skill, there was a stark difference between them.
It was aura.
While Ulgraak, who commanded aura, had a clear edge, Seran could not wield it.
In large-scale battles, that gap had not been apparent.
But in a small-scale fight…
‘…the story would be different.’
The physical and mental burden of aura was beyond comprehension, so it was less efficient against multiple enemies.
For that reason, they avoided using it unless absolutely necessary.
This battlefield had become the perfect opportunity for Ulgraak.
‘All in all… about a hundred men.’
Two units of fifty each.
They appeared to be well-trained elites, yet they could not stop them.
But…
“Gwaak!”
“Guk!”
The tide had begun to turn contrary to expectations.
“…”
They were attacking, yet the Empire soldiers’ shields were far more solid than expected.
The Empire troops defended and attacked as one, forming a wall of shields and spears that used the narrow pass to its advantage and repelled every charge with ease.
Thud! Slash!
“Guk!”
“Kyaaaaak!”
Spearmen impaled in the arm and torso screamed and tumbled toward the cliff on the side.
The steep slope on one side had been a perfect spot for an ambush, but now it had become a path that threatened the warriors themselves.
Ulgraak narrowed his eyes as he observed the situation.
The formation was far more solid than expected.
Unless they shattered this formation, there was no chance for the warriors.
Ulgraak lifted his axe.
‘I have no choice but to break through.’
To pull the two commanders from the rear, the Empire’s formation had to be destroyed first.
And to destroy it in a single strike without casualties…
“It can’t be helped.”
Soon Ulgraak raised his mana, his eyes flashing.
At the same moment.
Uuuuuuuung!
A clear aura began to form on the axe he held.
The four feather tattoos on his body, alive with deep breath, twitched as if moving.
“Hraaaaaaaaap!”
Intense red aura erupted from his entire body like a detonation.
The elite soldiers who had formed up, holding shields, recoiled as if struck.
The fear that had begun to seep into their eyes was now dominating their bodies.
They all knew how disastrous the result of that aura would be.
Ulgraak bared his teeth and lunged toward the soldiers.
Like a giant tiger charging.
“Resort to the underworld for your tricks!”
“G, gwaaaaaak!”
The soldiers, driven by the roar, could not suppress their own screams.
But at that exact moment.
Crack!
In a flash of blue light, the axe wrapped in red aura was repelled.
“…”
Ulgraak, thrown backward, could not understand the situation.
He stared at his trembling axe without even grasping what had happened.
‘What is this…?’
Ulgraak slowly turned his gaze forward.
And there stood a man.
“…Seran Belamot…?”
“Ulgraak.”
Seran extended the sword glowing with blue aura and said.
“You seem impatient. Pulling out the aura you almost never use.”
“…”
Ulgraak’s eyes sank upon hearing Seran’s taunting tone.
As he had said, it was an aura he hardly ever used.
Just pulling it out caused a sharp ache in his shoulder.
Yet the important thing was not that.
‘…When.’
When they had clashed in the past, the man had clearly been unable to use aura.
He had possessed excellent swordsmanship and strategy, but his own realm was not that high.
Then…
“Since when have you been able to use aura?”
“I have no obligation to answer.”
“…Arrogant.”
Thick killing intent filled Ulgraak’s eyes.
Seran was undoubtedly a warrior of outstanding skill.
One of the few he respected among the Empire’s soldiers.
Yet now he had mastered aura too.
Still, Seran stared at Ulgraak with a calm expression.
His eyes now flashed coldly.
“Ulgraak, I will kill you here today.”
“…Hehe.”
Ulgraak laughed softly.
It was indeed shocking that Seran had reached the aura realm.
“Impossible for your skill level, Seran.”
Ulgraak’s momentum surged violently.
“You were just resting in the rear. Why crawl all the way here and shorten your own lifespan.”
Kuguguguguguguung!
The ground around Ulgraak began to tremble slightly.
The momentum he released had become a tangible wave that devoured the surroundings.
But Seran did not retreat.
Kuguguguguguguung!
The condensed momentum became a single point and collided head-on with Ulgraak’s aura.
And the two men who glared at each other.
Boom!
Crack!
“Die here…!”
“Now let’s settle this, Ulgraak.”
They charged toward each other, kicking the ground simultaneously.
And at the moment their surging auras collided.
Kwaaaaaang!
With a tremendous roar, intense air currents swallowed the surroundings.
* * *
Strong.
It was hard to believe he had met such a strong man recently.
But more shocking was that the boy was still an Empire soldier who had not yet reached adulthood.
Among the combat nation they themselves belonged to, no one had achieved this level of accomplishment at his age.
‘Now I understand why Ulgraak showed such caution.’
He had thought it was because he was too fixated on the Empire soldiers.
It seemed like a matter of wounded pride.
But after clashing with the boy several times.
‘I must kill him here…’
Ten years from now.
No, there was no need to go that far.
In just five years, this boy’s growth would be impossible to predict.
He had not yet turned twenty, yet he had reached the 4-star realm of aura.
‘…No, perhaps even more.’
Unlike himself, who felt overstrain throughout his body from using aura, this young man maintained aura in an absurd way.
Crack!
He used aura the moment they collided, then immediately withdrew it as he fell, conserving his strength.
On the surface, it seemed like the obvious thing to do.
But it was far from easy.
It required extremely refined aura control and an incredibly strong mental state.
He himself could manage it a few times, but…
‘In real combat… I’ve never seen anyone do it so naturally.’
The longer time passed, the more disadvantageous it became.
Unlike himself, whose time to use aura was nearly exhausted.
“This monster…!”
He had no idea how much time remained for the boy.
Makcrowdon swung his axe to block Arteon’s incoming attack.
Uuuuuung!
The remaining faint aura vanished completely.
“…”
Makcrowdon, startled by the aura that had disappeared right before impact, quickly lowered his head.
Slash!
The axe blade made of blackened iron split neatly in half, as if cut through rock.
The Kar tribe warriors watching the strange sight of the axe blade splitting in two could not hide their shock and shouted.
“Taman!”
“Lord Makcrowdon!”
They had barely avoided the attack by lowering their heads, but the monster’s aura was still intact.
And when Makcrowdon was at his limit, Arteon did not miss it.
‘I end it here…!’
The memories of that monstrous past.
He cut away the dark fragments of memory here.
‘…One step closer.’
Around Arteon’s spear, an aura of overwhelming power unlike anything before erupted.
A single strike focused to the utmost.
“Die regretting coming here, Makcrowdon.”
And Arteon drove his spear deep into the man.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
As he struck, part of the hill collapsed, and the ground began to shake as if from an earthquake.