Chapter 372: Let’s See Each Other Again Soon. (2)

The Rodrick army, overwhelmed by Ghislain's presence, had forgotten about the Fenris troops waiting in front of the castle gate.

The knights, now rid of their cloaks, spurred their horses forward, raising their spears.

Thudududududu!

Howard, solely focused on Ghislain, finally noticed them and shouted in alarm.

"Cavalry charge! Soldiers, block them!"

When 400 cavalrymen charge in formation, the resulting power is devastating. Howard, knowing this, screamed in desperation.

The soldiers, who had been unable to join the fight and had only surrounded Ghislain and the knights, turned around.

However, their ranks had long since been broken by Ghislain's attacks. The remnants of the spears still circled around, making it difficult to focus on any single task.

Zing—!

The armor of the Fenris knights glowed, and their spears began to radiate blue mana.

They charged before the Rodrick army could properly reform their lines.

Boom!

"Arghhhh!"

The soldiers were instantly torn apart, creating a path.

The Fenris knights held nothing back with their mana.

Had their enemies been fewer in number, they might have conserved their strength for a prolonged battle, but that wasn't the case here.

To fight against such overwhelming numbers, they needed to kill as many as possible in the initial assault.

Thududududu!

The charge only stopped once they had penetrated halfway into the enemy lines. Immediately, the Fenris knights formed a circle and began fighting the soldiers who surrounded them.

The Rodrick soldiers gritted their teeth and attempted to counterattack.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

It wasn't the same as fighting Ghislain. While the knights were undoubtedly strong, their armor was occasionally struck by weapons.

"The attacks are landing!"

"Gather quickly! Stab them!"

"Surround them! Tighten the encirclement!"

As the commanders shouted, more soldiers rushed forward.

The Fenris knights killed numerous soldiers in an instant. But as soon as gaps appeared, they were quickly filled with more soldiers.

"Wow, there really are a lot of them."

"Just when I thought we'd have some fun fighting…"

"Stop the chatter and focus already."

The Fenris knights, overwhelmed by the endless stream of soldiers, clicked their tongues. If this continued, it was clear they would tire and collapse.

As the pressure intensified, Gillian grabbed the massive battle axe on his back with both hands and leaped off his horse.

Boom!

"Graaaah!"

With a single swing of his axe, several soldiers were split apart. Gillian, too, spared no mana, clearing as wide an area as possible.

"Tch, I can't lose to this."

Kaor drew his dual swords and also leapt from his horse.

Slash! Slash!

His sharp strikes targeted vital points, quickly taking down soldiers. But no matter how much he killed, it felt like he was slower than Gillian.

'I should've brought a bigger weapon.'

Kaor inwardly clicked his tongue, regretting leaving his greatsword behind.

Still, thanks to Gillian and Kaor's efforts, the attacks on the other knights were significantly reduced.

Both had been personally trained by Ghislain, surviving countless battles that had put their lives on the line.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their skills now rivaled those of high-level knights.

Watching the Fenris knights fight in the middle of the enemy formation, Ghislain firmly gripped the reins of Black King.

"Good, they'll hold out well enough. Let's go!"

Boom!

The red mana emanating from Ghislain's spear burned even brighter.

In an instant, the head of one knight fighting him flew off. Another knight swung his weapon to aid his fallen comrade, but Ghislain easily dodged and deflected the attack.

Howard, pointing at Ghislain, screamed.

"Surround him properly!"

The knights gritted their teeth and tried, but they couldn't form a proper encirclement. Count Fenris's skill was one thing, but the Black King's movements were beyond imagination.

Unlike them, who needed to adjust their horses' direction using the reins, this crazed horse seemed to understand what to do with just a squeeze of its rider's legs.

Boom! Boom!

Ghislain and the Black King darted across the battlefield. He evaded and blocked the knights' attacks while simultaneously mowing down the soldiers in his path.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

The Rodrick knights, chasing Ghislain, also had to fend off fragments of spears flying at them.

Ghislain systematically cut down his enemies one by one.

Howard, unable to contain his boiling rage, shouted.

"Arghhhh! You bastard! Fight me fair and square! Come here and face me! How can you call yourself the North's Finest Sword with such cowardice?"

Every time the knights turned to reposition, Ghislain seized the opportunity to attack. When Howard tried to close in, Ghislain would flee as if he had never struck.

Just when Howard thought he had cornered him, something would fly out of nowhere to disrupt his timing.

The underhandedness of these attacks was driving him insane.

"There's no such thing as fairness in war."

Ghislain sneered, cutting down the neck of another knight who failed to turn in time.

Even the soldiers trying to approach Ghislain instinctively backed away whenever he moved.

One man was toying with an entire army. Howard's desperation grew by the moment.

"Press harder!"

Howard and the knights were fully occupied with Ghislain. This kept the soldiers' losses relatively low, but the problem was the battle against the rest of the Fenris troops.

"Arghhh!"

"Why are these guys so strong?!"

"Don't retreat! Stay on them!"

The soldiers' screams and the commanders' shouts echoed everywhere.

With just one charge, the Fenris knights had killed hundreds. Even now, their superior skills were cutting through the soldiers mercilessly.

Howard alternated between watching Ghislain and the Fenris knights.

"That… that bastard needs to be taken down quickly…"

The soldiers' casualties were mounting. Even if the enemy grew exhausted, it wouldn't matter if their own losses were too great.

He considered ignoring Count Fenris and focusing on the others but dismissed the idea. Leaving a Master unchecked would lead to even greater losses. There was no point in stopping anyone else.

Howard gritted his teeth. Ultimately, the most important thing was Count Fenris's head. Even if the sacrifices were significant, taking his head would end everything.

"Kill him now!"

Howard, his eyes bloodshot, roared.

Nearly 100 knights from Rodrick's forces were present here. The marquisate had sent reinforcements, and knights had been gathered from neighboring territories.

Such was the weight of the name "Master."

"No matter how strong a Master is, he can't kill this many people alone! Keep pushing!"

Howard's reasoning was sound. But the enemy didn't move as he wished.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Boom!

Ghislain didn't simply accept the knights' attacks. He cleverly retreated, killed one whenever he found an opening, and withdrew again. If soldiers blocked his retreat, he killed them instantly to create space.

Hissss!

Blood-drenched, Ghislain's body began to emit crimson steam.

'Monster.'

That was the only thought in Howard's mind.

Even as he fought, Count Fenris grinned, baring his teeth as if enjoying the battle.

'So this… this is the power of a Master…'

Count Fenris singlehandedly manipulated the battlefield to his liking. Despite their numerical advantage, the Rodrick forces were dancing to his tune.

They wanted to end the battle, but the enemy wouldn't engage properly.

As each soldier fell, fear seeped into everyone's hearts like a slow, soaking rain.

'Now I understand why masters must be stopped by masters.'

To hold down a Master, someone of equal skill is necessary. Only then can the rest of the army move strategically.

But even this was Howard's misconception. If this were Count Desmond's army, they wouldn't have been so helpless.

And Ghislain had not yet even unleashed the full power of a Master.

Boom!

"Arghhhh!"

The battlefield was filled with the screams of Rodrick's forces. The Fenris knights silently continued cutting down their enemies.

Of course, though they didn't show it, even they were beginning to grow fatigued. The sheer number of enemies was overwhelming.

"Ugh."

Some knights forcibly swallowed the bitter taste and blood rising in their throats.

Unleashing all their mana from the start allowed them to display overwhelming strength, but it also meant their endurance was greatly reduced.

'Not yet?'

The Fenris knights suppressed their growing impatience and swung their swords, awaiting news.

But Howard, unaware of the knights' struggles, made a decisive command under pressure.

"Spread out! Create space! Knights, regroup and form up beside me!"

Shhhk!

The soldiers, who had been reluctant to fight Ghislain from the start, eagerly widened the gap between them and him.

The Rodrick knights also gathered beside Howard, reforming their stance.

"Go! Surround and capture him!"

In the short time since the battle began, Ghislain had already killed more than twenty knights, but there were still many more who remained alive.

These knights, too, now realized that they couldn't defeat him through ordinary methods.

Thududududu!

The Rodrick knights unleashed their mana and spurred their horses forward. Their goal was to properly surround and capture him.

Ghislain, still smiling, spun his spear and rode forward to meet them. It was time to exert just a little more strength.

Boom!

In the first clash, two knights were instantly cut down, their bodies and armor shredded to pieces.

Simultaneously, the spears of the other knights flew toward Ghislain.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Ghislain deflected all the attacks. But the knights who had attacked him didn't stop, charging past him while the next wave continued their assault.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Once again, Ghislain blocked their attacks. Seizing a brief opening, he cut down the last knight in the second wave. By then, more knights were already thrusting their spears at him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They attacked Ghislain in this manner as they passed by.

Their horsemanship was far inferior to Ghislain's, so instead of trying to fight while moving, they adopted the most basic form of mounted attack.

"Not bad."

Ghislain laughed again. Even a lazy army's knights were still knights.

They circled around him, attempting to surround him while attacking simultaneously—a tactic used by knights to fight a powerful enemy in greater numbers.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Surrounded by knights, Ghislain ceaselessly swung his spear, blocking their attacks and killing them one by one.

Seeing this, Howard clenched his fists and shouted.

"Yes! Keep going like that! Eventually, he'll tire and collapse! A Master is still human!"

Despite being hastily assembled, the knights were still knights. Their coordination seemed especially sharp today.

When facing a superhuman like this, ordinary soldiers served no purpose beyond wearing him down. They should have been withdrawn much earlier.

As the Rodrick knights circled around Ghislain and attacked, suddenly, a thunderous cheer erupted from all directions.

"Waaaaahhhhh!"

Howard, startled, looked around. So focused on the battle with Count Fenris, he hadn't been paying attention to the battlefield at large.

"What, what is that army?!"

An army bearing the flag of Fenris had surrounded them.

"The Fenris forces were supposed to be just a small raiding party…"

At a glance, there were thousands of them. Such numbers couldn't have arrived without leaving any trace.

Howard scrutinized the attire of the Fenris reinforcements. While they were mounted, their clothes and weapons were all mismatched. They were clearly not a regular army.

"Could it be…?"

Howard had long heard that hundreds of mercenaries followed Count Fenris, transporting resources from various territories. But capturing the count had taken priority, and they had ignored the mercenaries.

In hindsight, there were no troops left in the territories Ghislain had plundered to block the mercenaries' movements.

"Are… are all the mercenaries gathered here? Did they come in such numbers? How did they…?"

With the abandoned territories failing to provide intelligence, there was no way for Howard to have known. This outcome was the result of the arrogance of the Marquis Rodrick and the western lords.

While Howard was in a daze, Dominic, leading the mercenaries, shouted loudly.

"Let's go! Save the captain!"

"Waaaaahhhhh!"

The mercenaries cheered and spurred their horses forward. To those who had joined the Fenris Mercenary Corps, Ghislain wasn't a lord but their captain.

Hearing their cheers, the Fenris knights smiled.

"They're finally here."

A wave of relief washed over them. Fighting so many enemies had been exhausting.

Ghislain, battling the Rodrick knights alongside his Black King, also smiled.

"Now, I can really let loose."

Crackle!

Blocking an approaching knight's attack, Ghislain's eyes gleamed sharply.

Grrrrrooooar!

Red mana began to materialize like threads, flowing out from his body.

The energy, wrapping around Ghislain like a cloak, soon enveloped even the Black King.

"What… what is that…?"

The sight instinctively filled Howard with fear as he swallowed dryly. The oppressive aura made even breathing feel difficult.

Count Fenris and his horse, shrouded in the undulating dark red energy, appeared like shadows. Only their eyes shone red in the overwhelming darkness.

The Rodrick knights, struck by the sheer intimidation, momentarily froze.

Howard realized then that his earlier thoughts had been wrong. This wasn't a monster.

'A demon…'

Count Fenris was a demon incarnate on the battlefield.

As if delivering a death sentence, the demon spoke to everyone.

"Let's begin."

Boom!

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