Chapter 1054: A Frightening Reality

Clang!

The two swords clashed with a deafening ring, startling the soldiers around them.

Freya spun around and swung her sword, but the slender man easily dodged it.

"Tsk! You move as nimbly as a leech," she taunted.

The man chuckled softly, keeping his distance.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Freya merely smiled before darting toward him. She leaped forward and swung her sword.

"Let’s settle this!"

Clang!

The man parried Freya’s attack, but her strength was so great that the impact sent him flying backward.

Before he could react, Freya kicked his leg, sending him crashing to the ground.

She then spun around and pointed her sword straight at his face.

"You’ve lost."

Instead of showing any fear, the man burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! I really have lost. It seems I’m just too old. The younger generation truly is extraordinary."

His eyes shone with genuine admiration.

Freya furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean? Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you right now?"

Humans feared death. No, it wasn’t just humans. Every creature in this world feared death.

Even the bravest soldiers didn’t want to die. Yet Freya couldn’t see even a trace of fear in the slender man’s eyes.

"Afraid?"

The man chuckled softly.

"I’m not afraid! Ever since I stepped onto this battlefield, I’ve made up my mind to die here," he said indifferently.

Freya narrowed her eyes, unsure how to respond. She couldn’t detect any hint of a lie in his voice.

"Go ahead and kill me. I’m tired of this life."

The man let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

Freya didn’t hesitate any longer. She was about to strike when the man suddenly called out.

"Wait!"

Her sword stopped just two centimeters from his neck.

"What? Are you getting scared now?" Freya sneered.

"It’s not like that."

The man opened his eyes, his expression still calm and impassive.

"I just wanted to tell you that the rebel forces will be receiving reinforcements from the Holy Empire of Valtanir."

Freya’s eyes widened at the news.

"How many?"

The man gave her a faint smile.

"Forty thousand."

Freya’s heart pounded.

Forty thousand was an enormous number. The imperial army had only thirty thousand soldiers.

Scrk!

A sound came from below. Freya looked down and saw that the man had already stabbed himself in the throat with his own sword.

"Y-You..."

Freya was speechless. For a moment, she thought the man was trying to take advantage of her distraction, but that wasn’t the case.

She then recalled the man’s words.

"Forty thousand..."

Her expression turned serious as she took two steps back.

"This is really dangerous."

***

Clang!

Elina and Corvin’s swords clashed.

With his large, muscular build, Corvin packed tremendous power into every attack. Even a trained soldier would struggle to withstand his blows.

But Elina was different. She had learned swordsmanship from several mentors, each of whom was incredibly skilled and powerful—far stronger than the Corvin standing before her.

"Damn it! How did you block my attack!?" Corvin shouted as he raised his sword and swung it at Elina.

Clang!

Elina easily parried the attack.

She then shoved Corvin back before dashing toward him. Leaping into the air, she spun gracefully and swung her sword.

Clang!

Their swords clashed again. This time, however, Elina had the upper hand. She used the momentum of her body to add even more force to her attack.

Caught off guard, Corvin was forced down onto his knees.

Elina didn’t waste the opportunity. She kicked him in the face, sending him flying backward and crashing to the ground.

Before Corvin could react, Elina pinned him down by pressing her knee against his chest and pointed her sword at his neck.

"Move even a little, and I’ll kill you right here," she said coldly.

"Ugh..."

Corvin gritted his teeth in anger.

He wanted to fight back, but the blade was already pressed against his neck. One wrong move, and his head would be cut off.

"Give up. You don’t stand a chance against me," Elina said indifferently.

Corvin stared at her intently.

"In your dreams!"

Elina frowned. She wanted to kill Corvin right then and there, but she couldn’t.

He was the key to the rebellion, and she had to bring him before Seira alive.

"Do you think you’ve already won, Elina Lorian?"

Corvin suddenly grinned.

"What do you mean?"

Elina narrowed her eyes.

Corvin chuckled softly.

"Actually, there’s something I’ve been hiding from you. The troops I brought are just bait. No, calling them bait might not be entirely accurate. How should I put it? Well, let’s just say their job is to keep your forces occupied."

His words made Elina tense up.

"You mean..."

Before she could finish, a shout rang out from behind her.

"Look! Who are they!? Is that the enemy army!?"

Elina reflexively turned and looked up. A black speck was rapidly approaching them from the distance.

As it drew closer, the figures behind it gradually came into view—a massive army.

"Hahaha! See? I wasn’t lying, Elina Lorian!"

Corvin burst out laughing, raising both hands into the air.

"Our reinforcements have arrived! The troops of the Holy Empire of Valtanir will lead us to victory!"

The imperial soldiers who heard his words immediately turned pale.

Meanwhile, the rebel soldiers, both wounded and uninjured, couldn’t hold back their laughter.

"Reinforcements have arrived! Victory is within our grasp!"

"Victory is within our grasp!"

The shouts of two thousand soldiers echoed across the battlefield.

Their numbers weren’t particularly large, but for some reason, the imperial troops felt immense psychological pressure.

"Bastard..."

Elina gritted her teeth, then turned toward Corvin with hatred in her eyes.

"What? Surprised? Scared? Or... panicking?"

Corvin showed no sign of fear. He grinned widely, as if mocking Elina for realizing the truth too late.

"I’ll kill you!"

She drew her sword and was about to slice off his head when a kick from her right sent her flying two meters away.

"Argh!"

Elina groaned in pain as she clutched her trembling right arm.

She turned and saw a tall man in silver armor standing beside Corvin.

His face was hidden behind an iron helmet, leaving Elina unable to tell who he really was.

He was also absurdly tall, standing over two meters high.

He had a muscular build and held a sword in his right hand.

"You..."

Elina grew wary. She hadn’t sensed his presence at all. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere.

Corvin rubbed his sore neck before slowly getting to his feet. He brushed the dirt off his chest and buttocks, then looked at Elina with a faint smirk.

"All right, enough fooling around. The real battle is about to begin..."