Chapter 180

Chapter 180. Decisive Battle, Blood-Red Noon

Time flew by amid tense pre-battle preparations, and noon of the next day arrived as scheduled.

At the edge of Dragonbreath Plain near Storm City, Eli stood solemnly behind the simple temporary line they had built.

His calm gaze swept over the soldiers making their final preparations.

The soldiers silently checked the straps of their armor and wiped their sharpened blades. The air was filled with the murderous stillness that came before a great battle.

Just then, several riders came galloping from the direction of Storm City like arrows loosed from the string, their horses kicking up rolling clouds of dust.

They were the scouts Eli had sent in advance to monitor the area around Storm City.

They rushed to the front of the formation, swung down from their horses cleanly, and without even taking the time to steady their breathing, hurried before Eli and dropped to one knee.

“My lord! They are coming! From the direction of Storm City, a black mass of men—by our estimate, at least nearly three thousand! Leading them is a giant wearing a horned helmet!”

Eli merely nodded slightly and instructed the personal guard beside him, “Take them down to rest.”

Then he abruptly turned and faced all the soldiers waiting in formation.

“Soldiers! The enemy has come! They come with arrogance and a desire to slaughter!

“But they have chosen the wrong opponents! Today, on this plain, we will make sure none of them return!

“With their blood, we will forge our merit! Glory! Titles! They are right before our eyes! Tell me, are you afraid?!”

“Kill—!”

The answer that came back to him was a roar like mountains collapsing and seas overturning.

The last trace of nervousness in the Western Frontier soldiers’ eyes was replaced by feverish fighting spirit.

They struck their shields hard, producing a dull, rhythmic rumble, and their morale instantly climbed to its peak.

Buck immediately stepped forward as well and began making the final adjustments to the formation.

“Everyone, take your positions according to the drills!

“Shield-and-saber soldiers in the front row, hold your ground like nails hammered into the earth! Without an order, not one step back! Spearmen, stay close behind them and listen for my command!”

“Aika!”

“Here!”

“Gather all the spearmen at once and fill the gaps between the shields! Quickly!”

“Yes!”

The orders were swiftly passed down, and the formation that had still been somewhat loose immediately became tight and orderly.

Shields overlapped in layer after layer, like a moving wall, while spears rose like a forest, thrusting out from the gaps between the shields and flashing with cold light.

The entire army formation was like a steel hedgehog gathering its strength, quietly waiting for the storm to arrive.

.........

Almost at the same time, on the other side of the plain, the main force led by Viscount Armand had also encountered the Federation remnants attempting to coordinate from inside and outside.

Compared to the defensive formation Eli had prepared, Armand’s side appeared far more proactive.

He calmly observed the Federation soldiers across from him in their mismatched equipment. There was no trace of underestimation on his face, but his eyes were filled with the conviction of victory.

“It seems Storm City has moved,” Armand said, decisively ordering the adjutant beside him. “Quickly! Light the signal rockets! Notify Marquess Claire!”

“Yes, my lord!”

The adjutant immediately took out the signal tube that had already been prepared and lit the fuse.

Whoosh—!

Whoosh—!

Whoosh—!

Three signal rockets trailing crimson tail flames shrieked sharply and shot into the sky one after another.

Even beneath the bright noon sun, they were still clearly visible, like three drops of scarlet blood branded upon the blue curtain of heaven.

Naturally, the Federation remnants charging toward Armand’s formation also saw the signal rise into the air.

The nobles mixed into the middle of the force, such as Baron Greenwood, felt their hearts jolt, and a strong sense of foreboding surged within them.

“What signal is that?”

“Not good! This is probably a trap!”

But by now, the two sides were already close. The arrow had been loosed from the string, and there was no room for them to think further.

One Aslaed leader commanding the front line had a savage expression on his face. He swung his massive blade and roared.

“All forces, attack! Kill these Western Frontier brats! Once we charge into Storm City, we will have a way to live!”

“Kill!”

Driven by their desire to survive, the Federation soldiers let out chaotic shouts and quickened their charge.

.........

Near the exit of Kigaka Gorge, in the temporary camp of the Claire Family cavalry,

the scouts responsible for watching the distance saw the three glaring red signals in the sky and immediately scrambled toward the central command tent.

“Lord Frey! Lord Armand’s forces have sent the signal! Red signal! Three rockets!”

The scout reported breathlessly, his face filled with excitement and tension.

The tent flap was suddenly lifted, and Marquess Frey Claire strode out in an exquisite black military uniform, a black cloak draped over him.

His sharp gaze swept across the sky, and surprise appeared on his face. “So soon?”

But that surprise was immediately replaced by decisive fighting spirit.

He no longer hesitated. His voice rang out like a great bell.

“Pass down my order! All cavalry! Assemble at once! Prepare to attack!”

“Quickly! Alai! Bring me Windchaser!” he shouted to his groom.

The entire Claire Family camp instantly began to boil.

The well-trained cavalry rushed toward their warhorses at astonishing speed and mounted cleanly.

The neighing of horses, the clash of armor, and the urging cries of officers intertwined together.

Before long, nearly four thousand elite cavalry had finished assembling, like a silent forest of steel.

Marquess Frey Claire rode at the very front. He drew his sword and pointed it straight toward Dragonbreath Plain.

“Warriors of Claire! Let the enemy hear Claire’s judgment! Charge with me!”

“For Claire! For the Western Frontier!”

RUMBLE—

The thunder of hooves suddenly exploded like muffled thunder and swiftly joined into one continuous wave, becoming a terrifying sound that swept across the earth.

Four thousand cavalry surged out of the camp like a black flood bursting through a dam, racing wildly toward the direction where the signal had risen.

The silver bells tied to the horses’ manes rang clear and urgent as they galloped.

The sound that once symbolized guidance and hope had now become the death knell urging the enemy toward the grave.

..........

The scene returned to Eli’s position.

He had also clearly seen the signal rockets rising behind him. He understood that Armand had already engaged the enemy and sent the signal according to the plan.

But now, he had no time to think of anything else, because the enemy from Storm City had already drawn close enough for their features to be seen clearly.

Eli’s army still maintained its tight defensive formation. Every soldier held his breath, gripped his weapon tightly, and fixed his gaze on the enemy surging toward them like a tide.

A suffocating pressure filled the air.

Eli coldly raised his powerful recurve bow and nocked an armor-piercing arrow wreathed in faint black aura.

His gaze locked onto the most conspicuous figure at the front of the enemy formation: a giant wearing a savage horned helmet and roaring as he waved a huge axe.

In the distance, Hammer looked at the Western Frontier army waiting in strict formation ahead, and confusion appeared on his rugged face.

His limited mind could not understand why the other side seemed to already know their plan, yet still dared to use such inferior numbers to block them head-on.

But that did not stop his savage fighting spirit from erupting.

“Brothers! Brothers!” Hammer swung his huge axe, his voice like a cracked gong.

“These Western Frontier bastards who do not know life from death actually dare face us Federation warriors head-on! Give me—”

Before he could finish the rest of his morale-boosting words, an icy premonition of death seized him in an instant!

In his field of vision, a speck of black light rapidly enlarged at a speed almost impossible to capture with the naked eye.

An arrow!

An arrow wreathed in black aura!

Hammer’s battle instincts, tempered through countless bouts of slaughter, saved him at that moment.

Almost as soon as he realized it, his heavy axe had already moved faster than thought, rising instinctively to guard his face.

CLANG—!

A piercing, deafening impact of metal on metal exploded, and sparks scattered everywhere.

Hammer felt a tremendous force come through the face of the axe, numbing his arm.

When he looked closely, he saw that a clear notch had been blasted into the face of his beloved axe by that strange black arrow!

After the shock came fury, erupting like a volcano.

“AAAAH! You damned sneak-shooting bastard!”

Hammer’s eyes instantly became bloodshot, and he completely lost his reason.

“Kill them all! Leave none alive!”

He utterly abandoned command, clamped his legs against his horse’s belly, and charged alone toward Eli’s formation like an out-of-control battering ram!

The Hofgard soldiers behind him, seeing their commander so ferocious, were also stirred into barbaric bloodlust. They let out wild battle cries and followed him into a full charge!

“OHH—!”

“Kill them all!”

Looking at Hammer, who actually dared to charge alone into a disciplined formation, Buck frowned inwardly, feeling that the man was far too arrogant.

But he had to coordinate the entire army and could not easily leave his position.

Just then, Eli’s steady voice sounded behind him.

“Wolfgang! Stop him! Do not let him break our formation!”

“ROAR—!”

Wolfgang, who had long since been unable to restrain himself, let out an earthshaking wolf howl. His powerful hind legs suddenly kicked off the ground.

With several of the fiercest Wolf-kin warriors, he crossed swiftly over the shield-bearers at the front of the formation like several streaks of gray lightning, actively meeting the rampaging Hammer!

Seeing Wolfgang charging toward him, Hammer revealed a cruel sneer.

“Wolf pup who doesn’t know death! I will use you first to consecrate my axe!”

Before his words had even fallen, the warhorse beneath him suddenly let out a shrill cry. Its forelegs gave way, and it crashed heavily to the ground!

It was Eli!

The moment Wolfgang moved out, Eli had drawn his bow again and shot an arrow with perfect accuracy through the warhorse!

Hammer reacted extremely quickly. The instant the horse fell, he was forced to use the momentum of the charge to leap violently from the saddle.

Like a boulder hurled by a catapult, he raised his huge axe high in both hands and brought it down toward Wolfgang’s head with enough force to split mountains and shatter stone!

That strike contained the full power of his Gold-Tier battle aura, and its might was astonishing.

However, Wolfgang was not a slow, strength-type warrior.

Facing that thunderous blow, a trace of contempt flashed through his golden pupils.

His powerful body displayed astonishing flexibility and agility. With only a light sideways slide, he easily avoided the direct edge of the axe.

BOOM!

The huge axe smashed hard into the ground where Wolfgang had just stood, carving a deep pit and sending dirt flying everywhere.

And in the instant Hammer’s old force was spent, with the huge axe embedded deep in the earth, Wolfgang moved!

Like a venomous snake that had been waiting to strike, his claws were instantly covered in a dense layer of golden light as his Gold-Tier battle aura erupted in full!

The wind from his claws shrieked, swift as lightning!

RRRIP—!

A teeth-grating sound of metal tearing apart rang out.

Wolfgang’s claws swept with precise cruelty across the weakest connecting point of the armor on Hammer’s chest.

That excellent Hofgard breastplate was torn apart like ragged cloth!

“Guh—!”

Hammer felt an irresistible force slam into his chest, and his burly body flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

Across his chest, five claw marks deep enough to reveal bone were savage and horrifying. Blood instantly dyed his shattered clothes and armor red.

The soldiers who had been lagging behind him hurriedly rushed forward and supported him in a flurry.

Hammer was both shocked and furious, his eyes nearly splitting apart. He glared fixedly at Wolfgang, who stood proudly not far away, and roared like a wounded beast.

“You... you damned animal! I will tear you apart alive! I will eat your heart and liver!”

Wolfgang watched him coldly and squeezed two icy words from between his teeth.

“Foolish.”

“Lord Wolfgang is mighty!”

“Hahaha! These Federation brats are nothing after all!”

Eli’s formation instantly erupted with deafening cheers.

The soldiers had witnessed their own powerhouse heavily wound the enemy commander in a single exchange, and their morale soared. The slight fear they had held toward the enemy’s numbers vanished completely.

Buck also keenly seized this excellent battle opportunity.

The enemy commander was wounded. The vanguard had fallen into a brief state of chaos. And their own morale was at its absolute peak.

He abruptly drew his longsword, pointed the blade forward, and with all his strength, released a roar that seemed to split stone and shake the sky.

“All forces—charge!!!”