Armistice
Kallias Empire's command post.
Military advisor Kainus had set up defenses firmly with the enemy capital right before their eyes. The main enemy force had already been crushed, and the Giant Race warriors' morale was in tatters, so he figured the war would end with just a bit of pressure.
But the Giant Race proved fiercely belligerent. Even after their main force collapsed completely and the newly elected great chieftain Carlton surrendered, they showed unyielding will to fight to the end. Defying the new great chieftain's will, yet another great chieftain was elected in the capital—Agohr, the eldest son of the previous great chieftain Urka.
The surviving Giant Race warriors rallied around Great Chieftain Agohr and launched a preemptive strike with 100,000 troops. And from this morning, fierce combat had unfolded.
"Military advisor, sir, shouldn't we pull back our forces?"
"Hahaha, no need for that."
"Our liege wants to preserve our troops as much as possible. Rebuilding the north makes maintaining our forces essential. But at this rate, with the losses..."
At least 5,000 must have died already. And the casualties would only mount as time dragged on.
Whoosh!
Kainus unfurled his fan.
"You know from your battlefield experience that retreats cost the most lives. If we fall back now, we'll lose many soldiers and eventually have to cede the territory we've worked so hard to claim."
"Hm."
"And soon, the lord will arrive."
"How do you...?"
"Look over there."
Kainus pointed into the sky with his fan. At first, it looked like a bird, but it was a slender man gripping an enormous greatsword in his left hand—disproportionate to his frame—descending from the air. He'd ridden the wind from that distant hill; anyone would mistake it for a diving bird.
Rumble!
It was Viscount Aron.
He scanned the surroundings and uttered a single declaration.
"The one who will become your master has arrived!"
Then came the swing of the greatsword.
Groooar!
A whirlwind formed as he swung, sucking in the surrounding enemy troops.
"Gaaah!"
"Aaaah!"
The vortex hurled enemies into the air, and at one point, it dispersed—spewing flames, blades of wind, and lightning.
Boom!
It swept a vast area like high-tier magic, wiping out what looked like at least 5,000 Giant Race warriors in the blast.
Viscount Aron roared monstrously, rampaging everywhere, and the central enemy lines began crumbling in an instant.
"......"
Everyone watching fell silent, speechless. Even Kainus was the same.
He must have obtained the Holy Sword Veratus.
He'd become even more of a monster than before. The goal of this battle was supposedly to absorb the enemy, but he was sweeping them away like he meant to kill them all. A dazzling feast of multicolored sword auras. Blending magic, spirit arts, swordsmanship, and fist arts, he dominated the war single-handedly.
"The advent of the War God......"
No one could deny Marquis Reshid's words.
At the same time, Reshid and the nobles had to be grateful their judgment hadn't been wrong.
Bam! Boom!
A storm of blood sprayed. Spinning blades of aura created whirlwinds everywhere, and mixing in spirit arts and fist techniques collided the five elements, unleashing powerful shockwaves. Clever combinations of wind and fire, water and lightning produced unimaginable destructive power. Soon, the earth's crust flipped, and compressed air began exploding outward.
I've probably killed around 20,000 already. If I keep rampaging like this, I could take out 50,000.
Territorial battles were child's play for this level of power. But to wage full war against the empire, he still needed more forces.
His heart pumped furiously, flooding his body with blood. Was it the original protagonist's nature kicking in? He lost himself in bloodlust, and when he came to, pools of blood had formed streams around him.
Every sword swing excited the gods.
Bibian's voice snapped him back to reality. At this point, the Giant Race had lost all will to fight. Plus, they were whispering among themselves about the advent of the War God.
He raised his sword. The holy sword inherently intimidated the Giant Race—time to test its power.
"I have earned the right to be your master! Kneel and submit!"
The Giant Race warriors fighting around him dropped their weapons and knelt.
Giant Race command post.
Agohr, elevated to great chieftain by his father's legacy, couldn't believe the scene unfolding before him. The battle had been evenly matched, but something crashed from the sky and started massacring their warriors indiscriminately. Thousands died in each attack. Sucked into the whirlwind, they were shredded beyond recognition, armor and all, splattering across the ground.
Blood sprayed over 10 kilometers, some even flying here to splatter down. Monstrous strength that dismantled humans. The foe they faced wasn't human.
"Th-that's Viscount Aron!"
"Viscount Aron...... A monster?"
His heart pounded wildly. Agohr had denounced surrendering warriors as traitors and become great chieftain, but even he was losing his will to fight.
Viscount Aron raised his sword.
"Gasp! Th-that's!"
"The Sword of the Creation God!"
"The War God wields the Creation God's sword...... It must be divine descent. Does the Creation God's will reside in Viscount Aron?"
The sword from Giant Race legends had appeared. By challenging myth, Viscount Aron proved his worth and claimed their sacred relic, the legendary Sword of the Creation God. There was no other explanation for the instinctive pull of that power.
"I have earned the right to be your master! Kneel and submit!"
As Viscount Aron shouted, the Giant Race warriors submitted to the overwhelming pressure. Even the other chieftains did the same. As Agohr knelt, a domino effect rippled out—every Giant Race warrior prostrated, trembling.
"I will take you as my people. Those who submit to me, pack up and head to the empire's eastern region. You have two days. Prepare within that time. Any who don't move will be executed."
The Giant Race invasion ended with the emergence of the empire's stellar hero. The war was over.
They'd crushed the enemy main force, toppled their capital, and secured the chieftains' surrender. No warrior resisted the sword. He immediately issued a summons to the chieftains.
Chieftains gathered at the command tent. As he approached, soldiers showed their respect. Even the nobles did the same. After witnessing one man cut down tens of thousands, awe was inevitable.
Word of today's battle spreading as rumor across the empire—no one would believe it. Wars always exaggerated heroes for propaganda.
Whatever. It didn't matter.
"Congratulations on the victory!"
"Awe to the War God!"
"The God of War has descended!"
Knights pounded their chests in reverence. Kainus caught up from behind.
"You've won the soldiers' hearts, my lord."
"The real challenge is ahead."
"The war is over, my lord. What could be the problem?"
"Back at the territory, we'll push development, recruit troops, and train them."
"Hahaha, so the empire is next?"
"What the gods want."
"As expected."
Others might not get it, but Kainus understood. What the gods desired—and what that entailed. Most would call conquering the empire the start of an adventure insane, but Kainus comprehended.
Before the command tent.
Giant Race chieftains knelt on one knee, heads bowed, utterly still. As he arrived, they bellowed deafening cheers.
"We behold the Creation God's proxy!"
"Chuuuuwung!"
"Hm, my ears aren't deaf."
"We have awaited this day! The prophet has come at last—lead us!"
"Swearing loyalty?"
"We pledge eternal loyalty and offer even our souls!"
Dozens of Giant Race chieftains voicing in unison was majestic. Seeing their fervor, without Veratus, things might have gone south.
Massive builds honed for war like machines. Their gear lagged behind imperial standards, but raw physicality had pressured the empire. Arm them with standard imperial equipment, and their combat power would be formidable.
"Everyone, enter the tent."
"By your command!"
Even with just chieftains, his nobles, retainers, and knight captains, the tent was packed.
"As I said, pack up over the next two days and begin moving to the empire's east. From next year, we'll expand territory and build strength."
"Yes!"
The Giant Race seemed even more resolute in faith. Northerners had stronger piety, after all. Giant Race clung ironclad to myths, prophecies from their scriptures. He'd set it up that way in the original story, yielding this result.
The power of the setup is terrifying. Without protagonist buffs, subduing them would have been troublesome.
"You all know my goals roughly. This northern region isn't suited for humans—barren, tough for training. So we head east and start there."
"Yes!"
"All Giant Race will relocate. Those who stay are heretics—execute them all."
"We obey the heavenly mandate!"
Hm, heavenly mandate? Equating him with god was off.
"I am not a god. Make that clear."
They said as much, but their eyes showed disbelief.
"Marquis Reshid."
"Command me!"
Reshid and his faction stood rigidly disciplined. They'd never dreamed he'd actually take the Giant Race under his wing.
"The north is no-man's-land for now. Govern it until the time comes."
"By your command!"
"Dismissed!"
The crowd filed out. Human side seemed sorted...
Yeah! Time to crunch the numbers.