Chapter 634: The Broken Procession

Juna crouched upon the vantage overlooking the lower road, resting the shaft of her glaive across her knees in silence.

Juna counted the first two patrols by the sound of their harness buckles and kept her glaive out of sight below the rock lip.

Distant wind whistled across the jagged cliffs above the gorge, carrying the hollow metallic clatter of marching patrols and harness buckles.

Her wolf ears twitched toward the canyon floor, separating the rumble of wagon wheels from the clatter of bronze bells.

"Three covered wagons and twenty foot soldiers," she murmured, watching the column wind through the rocky narrows.

The officer leading the column rode a sturdy draft beast, with a young bell carrier marching close beside him.

She recognized the brass bell immediately from the timing charts she examined after the previous day’s ambush.

The convoy was attempting to slip away toward the viaduct before sunrise, hoping the morning fog would mask their flight.

"They think leaving an hour before daybreak gives them an open road," she whispered to herself.

She rose to her full height, rolling her shoulders to loosen the tension accumulated from the night watch.

With a swift leap, she descended from the ledge, landing squarely in the middle of the narrow pass.

The lead draft beast reared up in panic, snorting loudly as the driver hauled back on the reins.

"Halt your wagons right where they stand," Juna announced, resting the crescent blade of her glaive against the gravel.

The mounted officer brought his mount under control, glaring down at her with a mixture of surprise and venom.

"The wolf girl from the southern sector," the officer spat, drawing a long curved saber from his scabbard.

"You really think you can block an entire armed detachment alone?"

"You are not marching in formation anymore," she countered, pointing her blade directly toward his chest.

"You are running away from the cisterns, and your baggage train belongs to us now."

"Form ranks and cut her down!" the officer roared to his guards, kicking his mount into an aggressive trot.

Instead of maintaining the defensive box she studied in the manuals, the officer charged ahead of his troops.

He abandoned the standard formation entirely, swinging his saber in a vicious diagonal arc aimed at her neck.

Juna did not retreat an inch, pivoting smoothly on her left foot to slip beneath the whistling steel.

Her four Wings snapped open behind her back, flaring with radiant brilliance that illuminated the shadowy gorge.

She swept the butt of her glaive upward, catching the charging beast across its armored shoulder plate.

The mount stumbled sideways, dumping the shouting officer onto the dirt road in an undignified heap.

"Shields up!" the lead sergeant shouted from the front wagon. "Swarm her before she resets her stance!"

Six guards lunged forward with polearms, thrusting their points in a synchronized pattern to pin her against the rock.

Juna spun on her heel, her glaive moving in an unbroken circle of spinning steel and golden light.

The flat of her blade shattered two spear shafts in a single sweep, disarming the front rank instantly.

She stepped inside their reach, driving her shoulder into the nearest guard and knocking him into his comrades.

"Do not bother reforming," she told them calmly, sweeping her weapon in a wide arc that forced them backward.

"Your officer gambled on a direct rush and failed... throwing your lives away will not save those wagons."

The officer scrambled up from the gravel, spitting dirt and blood as he lunged with a desperate thrust.

"We do not negotiate with beastkin bandits!" he snarled, pouring raw mana into the tip of his saber.

The blade ignited with sickly green flame, slicing through the air with a piercing shriek.

Juna did not rely on any memorized counter, adapting her stance instinctively to meet the sudden burst of speed.

She tilted her glaive at a sharp angle, allowing his flaming blade to slide harmlessly along the reinforced shaft.

Before he could recover his balance, she twisted the haft, wrenching the saber completely out of his grip.

The weapon flew over the edge into the gorge, clattering against the boulders dozens of feet below.

She reversed her stroke in the same breath, pressing the razor edge of her crescent blade against his throat.

"Yield," she commanded softly, her golden eyes narrowing with unmistakable authority.

The officer froze in place, the steel against his neck draining all the color from his face.

"I... I yield," he stammered, raising his trembling hands into the air.

Seeing their commander subdued, the remaining guards dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

From the surrounding gullies, Taren and his scouts emerged with crossbows leveled, swiftly securing the prisoners.

The surviving teamsters surrendered their supply wagons without raising their hands, kneeling in the loose gravel under the watchful eyes of Taren’s scouts.

Dawn broke across the jagged mountain ridges to the east, casting pale daylight over the captured transport train.

"Clean work, Juna," Taren remarked as he walked down the slope, securing the officer’s wrists with leather cords.

"We captured all three supply wagons intact, and none of the civilian teamsters were harmed."

"They were carrying munitions and fresh rations for the forward garrison," Juna explained, lowering her weapon.

She gestured toward a young man cowering behind the lead wagon, clutching a brass bell to his chest.

"Come out from behind the wheel," she called to him gently. "No one is going to hurt you."

The bell carrier stepped forward cautiously, trembling as he looked at the gleaming glaive in her hands.

"Where was this convoy ordered to deliver these supplies?" she asked, keeping her tone calm and steady.

"To... to the grand viaduct," the carrier whispered, his voice cracking with fear.

"The Incarnation is gathering all remaining reserve units at the central viaduct arches."

"They plan to establish a defensive bastion across the eastern approach before your main army arrives."

Footsteps approached from the rear of the column as Hajin walked down the road, accompanied by Ferra and Loccy.

The summoner looked over the captured wagons and the surrendered troops, nodding in sincere approval.

"You took the entire procession without suffering a single scratch," he said, offering Juna an appreciative smile.

"Their officer broke formation to attack me directly," she reported, standing beside him with her glaive grounded.

"He thought an aggressive duel would break our intercept, but it only left his convoy defenseless."

Hajin pulled out the regional heart network chart, spreading it across the tailgate of the nearest wagon.

"The viaduct matches our projections perfectly," he said, tracing the conduit lines with his finger.

"By intercepting this convoy, Juna prevented the Incarnation from fortifying the crossing points."

"Now we dictate the terms of the engagement instead of marching into an entrenched killing zone."

Loccy trotted over to the captured wagons, peering into the crates with wide, hungry eyes.

"Summoner, look!" she cheered, pulling out a sack of dried plums. "They brought emergency rations!"

"Leave the army supplies for the quartermasters, Loccy," Hajin chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"We have an appointment at the viaduct, and we cannot afford to be late."

Juna wiped a speck of dust from her blade, feeling a surge of quiet pride as she stood beside her companions.

Above the mountain pass, the celestial broadcast interface glowed with an avalanche of admiring messages.

[ Seoul_Tactician: "JUNA IS AN ABSOLUTE GODDESS! That solo interception was so clean and badass!" ]

[ StarlightScholar: "The way she disarmed that arrogant officer without breaking a sweat... peak martial mastery!" ]

[ IronVanguard: "Notice how she adapted instantly when he broke formation? True warrior instincts!" ]

[ HearthKeeper: "Taren’s scouts securing the perimeter like clockwork, the team coordination is unbeatable!" ]

[ ShadowMage44: "Next stop: the grand viaduct! The Incarnation’s army has nowhere left to run!" ]

Juna sheathed her weapon, turning her face toward the rising sun as the morning wind rustled her hair.

The path to the viaduct was open, and the decisive battle for the realm drew closer with every passing hour.