Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 181

2. The Duel of Father and Daughter

1

“Holy Bullet!”

“Hah, that level is easily blocked with Aegis.”

Luke effortlessly blocked the divine power bullets Karen fired in succession by deploying a defensive magic.

Then, Karen vanished from Luke’s sight using Blink, and launched a powerful attack from behind.

“Thunderclap!”

Kwarurung!

The moment she chanted the spell and made a hand seal, lightning flashed and struck Luke.

Fortunately, Luke managed to block the attack by layering shield magic before it hit him directly.

However, the powerful impact pushed him back.

‘Is that a Mystic Art? I almost got into serious trouble.’

He felt numbness in his left hand, which had deployed the shield magic.

He was fortunate to have deflected the shockwave by being pushed back; otherwise, he might not have been able to use his left hand for a while.

“Rain of a Thousand Flowers!”

Taking advantage of Luke’s momentary hesitation, Karen launched a series of Mystic Art attacks.

A fragrant scent filled the air, followed by a rain of flowers pouring down on Luke.

‘Huh, it’s different from what it looks like!’

Each petal carried the power of a Dark Bullet.

Kwakwakwakwang!

Faced with the terrifying barrage, Luke hurriedly used Blink.

However, the rain of flowers chased after him as if it were alive.

“To think she can use Rain of a Thousand Flowers!”

“How can such a young child… !”

Jomi and Jahye, who were from the Southern Continent, were speechless.

Rain of a Thousand Flowers was developed by the Sichuan Tang Clan, a famous assassination family of the Song Empire [a fictional empire].

It was the ultimate technique of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

Initially, it was thought to be the act of throwing countless flower-shaped hidden weapons, but it was later revealed to be a martial art combined with Mystic Arts.

It was a technique of dispersing and firing hardened Qi [internal energy] as thin as needles with the power of Mystic Arts. The dispersed Qi bullets spread out thinly as they flew, making them look like scattered flower petals.

Those who were deceived by this were almost always found dead on the spot.

However, Luke was skilled enough to be called an absolute master, and he successfully shook off the Rain of a Thousand Flowers.

“Wasn’t she called Princess Karen? Who on earth taught that child Mystic Arts?”

“Could it be a court Mystic Art master?”

Hwangbo-sung gave an awkward smile at Jomi and Jahye’s questions.

They had guessed correctly, considering they were just taking a shot in the dark.

In the future world, it was Zhuge Soha, the court Mystic Art master of the Symphonia Kingdom, who taught Karen Mystic Arts.

She admired Luke and did not leave the Symphonia Kingdom after his death.

And while bickering with Erewin, she raised Karen well.

‘But I don’t think she was taught Mystic Arts to use them like this…’

As Hwangbo-sung continued to watch with a troubled expression, Karen launched another Mystic Art attack at Luke, who was about to launch a counterattack.

“Eternal Frost!”

“Hah, you think I’ll keep getting hit! Unstoppable Momentum!”

Luke’s body seemed to grow larger, and he appeared right in front of Karen in an instant, breaking through the pouring sharp ice rain.

“M-Mystic Arts?”

“Did you think your old man only knew old tricks?”

The Mystic Art that Luke had just used was one of those he had learned from the Gwangbeop Sillok [a book of mystic arts].

Luke had learned the Gwangbeop Sillok to gain even a little more power to defeat Arsen.

However, he was worried that it would take a long time to learn Mystic Arts, which were different from magic.

Those worries disappeared like smoke as he read the preface of the Gwangbeop Sillok.

Huichang, the first Mystic Art master of the Southern Continent who left behind the Gwangbeop Sillok.

He revealed that his techniques were based on those taught by goblins from the North, that is, fairies.

In other words, the basis of Mystic Arts was magic, and even ancient magic from the Avalon era of the Magic Empire.

Luke, who was already well-versed in ancient magic during his Seimon days.

He realized that Mystic Arts were a transformation of ancient magic based on the language and philosophy of the Southern Continent.

If magic was about accelerating the mana circle in the heart to control and transform the surrounding mana, Mystic Arts were about the practitioner becoming one with the surrounding mana, or energy, and transforming it.

In other words, if magic was like breaking a dam to change the course of the water, Mystic Arts were like becoming a rapid current to break through the water’s path.

This kind of Mystic Arts had the disadvantage of being difficult to learn compared to magic.

However, because the body and mind became one with the surrounding energy, it was more stable than magic, which could be neutralized if the mana circle in the heart was damaged.

Furthermore, Mystic Arts made it possible to harmonize and use energies that were considered contradictory, such as light and darkness, chaos and order.

“An old sage of the South once said, ‘Give a beautiful child one more beating.'”

Snap!

“Ouch!”

Luke flicked his finger and hit Karen’s forehead.

It made a loud sound, but it didn’t hurt as much as she thought.

However, Karen’s pride was hurt. She thought her father was making fun of her.

“Do it properly! You said you were going to punish me!”

“Yes, I am punishing you properly.”

Luke smiled faintly at his daughter’s reaction as she charged at him.

He had heard that Karen was called the hope of the dying world.

Naturally, she would be a child with a strong sense of pride.

More than anything else, he needed to break that pride.

‘You may have been the hope of the future, but I am the one who must settle this era. So don’t act rashly.’

Luke, who had easily evaded Karen’s attacks, struck her back with the flat of his sword.

“Kyaaak!”

“Princess Karen!”

Hwangbo-sung was startled and rushed over as Karen fell from the sky after being struck by Luke.

He was about to catch her, but Karen did a somersault in the air, regained her balance, and landed lightly on the ground.

“Ugh… !”

“Is that all the skill you have to try and follow me? Do you think combat is that easy?”

Karen, provoked by Luke’s words, shouted.

“This isn’t all of it!”

“Alright, show me more of your tricks.”

Luke gestured with his hand as if to say, ‘Come at me as much as you want.’

Karen, who was angry at his attitude, made a hand seal and chanted a spell.

“Lin, Pyo, To, Ja, All, Array, Forward, March!”

‘What is that, a summoning spell for a wooden ox?’

Did Karen have a wooden ox like Hwangbo-sung?

As Luke wondered, something popped out from under Karen’s feet with a flash of light.

A giant steel doll with a white outer shell and wooden ox Mystic Art spells engraved all over it.

Luke, as well as Hwangbo-sung, Erewin, and the princesses of the South, were all speechless.

“A Gigant?”

It wasn’t just any Gigant [a large humanoid war machine].

It was the Hero-class Gigant Veda, created by the Artenia Imperial Magic Tower, a top-tier weapon of the Holy Empire.

Moreover, the Veda that Karen had summoned was not a mass-produced model.

Judging by the clover emblem on its shoulder armor, it was definitely a custom-made unit with various options for Grand Duke Gregory.

“Where did you get that…”

“I stole it.”

“W-What?!”

Not only did she run away from home, but she also committed theft! And it was the Gigant of the Grand Duke, who was considered a pillar of the Holy Empire!

Karen, who stuck her tongue out at Luke, who was speechless with disbelief, immediately opened the hatch and climbed into Veda.

“You told me to show you more tricks, right?”

Luke hurriedly tried to stop her as he heard Karen’s voice through the communication device.

“Wait! If you make a fuss with that, the Baroque Empire’s army might notice us…”

Boom!

Luke’s words were drowned out by the flames that erupted from Veda’s hand.

Fireballs amplified by the core engine.

And not just one, but hundreds were scattered like buckshot all at once.

Kwaang! Kwang! Puh-uh-uh-ung!

The hundreds of fireballs that were scattered into the sky exploded at once, shaking the air with a powerful blast and heat.

“M-My goodness!”

“This isn’t a duel, it’s a war!”

Jomi and Jahye were in an uproar.

And for good reason, the attack was almost as powerful as firing thousands of cannons.

Could anyone survive such a terrifying attack?

Unlike them, who were worried, Erewin was calm.

She thought that Luke, whom she knew, would be able to block or evade such an attack. And her prediction was correct.

As the smoke in the air subsided, a huge silver Gigant appeared majestically.

It was the Avenger, the Symphonia Kingdom’s royal family’s exclusive unit.

Luke had summoned the Avenger from subspace and boarded it just before the fireballs were launched, and at the same time, he deployed Aegis magic.

Thanks to that, he was safe, but his startled heart did not calm down easily.

‘That girl, even when I told her not to!’

Luke was secretly leading a special unit to infiltrate Nemesis’s imperial palace and destroy the ruins.

They were moving through a sparsely populated area, but if they used such flashy techniques as before, the enemy might notice something.

‘I guess I’ll have to give her a good scolding.’

With that in mind, Luke landed the Avenger on the ground.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t fight in the air, but the ground was better for unleashing the Gigant’s full combat power.

“What on earth is going on?”

“It seems like His Majesty is fighting someone!”

The members of the special unit, who had been resting a little distance away, were startled by the unusual sounds of fighting and rushed over.

They were speechless for a moment when they saw the Veda confronting the Avenger, and then they looked at Hwangbo-sung.

As if asking him to explain the situation.

“His Majesty is disciplining Princess Karen.”

“Huh?”

What kind of discipline required them to pull out Gigants and fight?

As the special unit members were bewildered, Luke, who had drawn his greatsword, charged towards the Veda that Karen was riding.

Ta. Ta. Tat!

The Avenger lightly stepped on the ground and leaped forward, almost as if it were flying.

The Veda showed even more impressive mobility.

It moved smoothly and nimbly, like skating on an ice rink, evading the Avenger’s sword strikes.

“Did you use Grease magic?”

“It’s a miscalculation if you thought I’d be clumsy at piloting a Gigant!”

“I didn’t think you’d be clumsy. I just thought you’d be reckless.”

“Eee… !”

Karen, provoked by Luke’s taunts, swung her greatsword.

He thought she would use the Gold Sword, but a completely different swordsmanship came out.

It was a swordsmanship that was as elegant as a butterfly and as sharp as a bee, and judging by the smooth flow of the patterns, it seemed to be a swordsmanship from the Southern Continent, not the Rodisia Continent.

‘It looks similar to the Zhuge family’s swordsmanship.’

His guess was correct.

Karen was using the swordsmanship she had learned from Zhuge Soha.

However, she did not think that she could defeat her father with this.

The Zhuge family’s swordsmanship was just a feint before launching a real attack.

Clang!

The Veda dropped the greatsword it was holding due to Luke’s counterattack.

However, Luke did not smile, but rather felt an ominous premonition.

‘That girl dropped her sword too easily.’

As a result, the Avenger’s posture, which had struck the sword, became slightly unstable.

Karen took advantage of that gap.

Just as the Veda lowered its stance slightly, sharp lightning flashed from its fist, and a golden fist of energy pierced the Avenger’s abdomen.

Kwaaaaaang!

“Y-Your Majesty!”

The two princesses and the special unit members were shocked.

It was one thing that Karen could use such a technique, but it seemed to be quite powerful.

Even if he was riding a Gigant, Luke must have taken quite a bit of damage.

“Hehehe! How was the taste of my fist, Father?”

“Ugh, quite spicy. When did you learn the Three Thunder God Fist?”

“A while ago. More importantly, why don’t you just give up now?”

“I’m sorry, but I think that’s what I should be saying.”

Swordsmanship, Hermit Arts, magic, Gigant piloting, and now even the Hwangbo family’s martial arts… there seemed to be nothing Karen couldn’t do.

It was amazing and admirable, but he couldn’t back down.

Luke, raising his greatsword, began to unleash the latter part of the Gold Sword in earnest.

He realized that he couldn’t subdue Karen without using his full power.

Golden aura erupted from the greatsword, and like a storm accompanied by thunder and lightning, it began to surge towards Karen.

“Hmph, you can’t beat me with the latter part of the Gold Sword, you know?”

Karen, recognizing Luke’s swordsmanship, wore a mocking expression. She had also mastered the latter part of the Gold Sword.

She was about to deflect the golden aura with a punch when she was startled.

Suddenly, the world seemed to slow down as if it had stopped, and the Avenger abruptly appeared right in front of her, placing the tip of the greatsword right above the cockpit.

Checkmate.

If this were a real battle, Karen would have been dead.

2

“W-What is this?”

Karen asked in a surprised voice.

Luke retrieved his greatsword and answered.

“It’s called the Clock Up Sword, the final technique of the latter part of the Gold Sword.”

“Clock Up Sword? There was no such thing in the secret manual Father left behind…”

“Hah. Of course not. I completed it recently when I went to the Southern Continent.”

The Clock Up Sword was a swordsmanship Luke had learned when he went on an expedition to the Southern Continent a few months ago.

He had first used it when facing the Red Dragon King, Lee Yung-mu.

In other words, the future Luke wouldn’t know it.

After returning the Avenger to subspace, he approached Karen, who had also de-summoned Veda, and said,

“Anyway, you’re quite skilled.”

“Hmph, so what? I still lost to Father in the end.”

She thought she could put up a decent fight, but to lose so easily…

Karen hadn’t expected her father’s skills to be this high.

Luke, with a mysterious smile, said to her, who was constantly pouting,

“Actually, I have a secret you don’t know.”

“What is it?”

“Hehehe. If I tell you, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?”

Frankly, Karen’s talent was immense. When purely comparing talent, she was even better than him.

However, he had the experience of fighting a war against the Rodisia Continent 500 years ago.

And after being reborn as Luke, he had become several times stronger than before, including the Gold Sword and the Gwangbeop Sillok [a martial arts manual] he had learned.

No matter how talented Karen was, he could definitely win.

“Anyway, since you lost, go back to the Holy Imperial Palace.”

“No!”

“Hey, are you going to keep being so stubborn?”

Luke glared at her, but Karen didn’t back down.

“Father is a liar. What did you say in the last magic communication? You said that you would contact me again after gathering information about the ruins since I know them better, right? But what did you do? You didn’t contact me at all!”

“That’s…”

Even though it was for his daughter, it was true that he had lied.

Luke, at a loss for words for a moment, looked embarrassed and then soothed his sulking daughter.

“I’ve told you before. You’ve done enough. I want to finish what’s happening now.”

“Hmph, that’s the problem with you, Father! It’s the same even when Mother nags you every time!”

“The same?”

“Yes, even with all the vassals and people around you, you always try to solve things yourself! Okay, let’s say there’s a reason for that. But is it okay to ignore the help of people who are capable enough?”

Luke looked like he had been hit by Karen’s harsh words.

She was definitely right. He had always tried to fight alone in important battles.

It was the same when he was Seimon 500 years ago.

He had fought Rakan one-on-one back then and eventually lost.

‘Come to think of it, the reason I won against Arsen last time was also thanks to Hwangbo Sung’s help.’

If he had fought alone back then, the result might have been different.

Even now, while leading the special unit, Rudolph was thinking of facing him directly.

It was because he was confident in his ability to eliminate Rudolph, but…

‘That might be arrogance. Yes, what Reina and Karen are saying is right. But…’

Others might call it selfishness.

However, Luke had no intention of giving up that selfishness.

“You’re right. But I don’t want to drag my precious family into the fight, at least not others.”

“What do you think it feels like for your precious family to watch you fight alone?”

Luke was speechless at Karen’s retort.

“Father wouldn’t know. When you went on an expedition to the Southern Continent last time and fought the Grenada pirates, Mother couldn’t sleep properly. She knelt on the cold temple floor and prayed all night for your safe return, not just once or twice.”

“Reina…”

“Of course, I think she’s worried about me disappearing now. But it’s better than sending Father alone.”

And this time, she had to finish the matter of the ruins herself.

Seeing Karen’s determined eyes, Luke was lost in thought.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he opened his mouth.

“Okay, Karen. I will allow you to come along.”

“Yes? Really?”

Karen looked at him with wide eyes.

“Why, do you not want to?”

“Ah, no. I’m happy, Father. Hehehe!”

She hadn’t expected Luke to allow it, so she grabbed his arm and acted cute.

“Instead, promise me that you will absolutely follow my instructions.”

“Yes! I promise in the name of Elkasel.”

“Good, then I’ll introduce you to the others.”

Luke took her to the two princesses and the special unit members, who were looking at them with sparkling eyes, and introduced her.

“Hello, Princesses. I am Cho Mimi, the princess of the Song Empire. I was truly impressed by your amazing martial arts and magic.”

“I was also surprised. To be so skilled at such a young age… If someone didn’t know, they would think you were an old master who had returned to youth.”

Karen was inwardly taken aback by Princess Ja-hye’s words.

It wasn’t that she wanted to become younger, but it was true that she had returned to youth.

Just as Karen was inwardly sweating, Luke connected to the Holy Imperial Palace of the Holy Empire via magic communication.

He explained to Reina the situation of Karen following the special unit. And that he was taking her along after various circumstances.

Reina jumped up after hearing the explanation.

She was already sending people everywhere to find her missing child, and now she was hearing this!

– No, honey! Where are you taking that child! Send her back immediately!

Luke calmly persuaded Reina at her urging.

“I was against it at first. But after fighting her directly, I concluded that Karen is stronger than most Sword Sages.”

– What? That child is stronger than a Sword Sage?

“She might even be on par with Grand Duke Gregory.”

Reina looked completely bewildered at her husband’s answer.

She knew that Karen was no ordinary child.

Her origins were shrouded in secrecy, and for some unknown reason, she could even use divine power and aether.

But she had never thought that she would be on par with a Sword Sage, especially Grand Duke Gregory.

“Even if we are surrounded by the Imperial Army in Nemesis, she can easily get herself out of trouble. So, let’s do what Karen wants.”

– Haa, if you say so, I can’t help it. But you have to bring her back safely. You must.

“I understand. I will make sure she doesn’t get a scratch.”

– By the way, is the advance of the Continental Allied Forces going smoothly?

Luke occasionally contacted Duke Hans in Brenden to check how the war was going.

If the Continental Allied Forces were defeated or their advance was sluggish, he might have to change his plans.

Of course, magic communication within the Baroque Empire was at risk of being detected by the enemy.

However, Luke was an exception.

His magic level was so high that no ordinary detection method could catch his magic communication.

‘I just need to be careful in Nemesis, where the Imperial Magic Tower is located, which is covered with all sorts of detection magic circles and devices.’

Thinking so, Luke told Reina what he had heard.

“The 1st Corps is currently advancing smoothly. It seems that the resistance from the Baroque Imperial Army and local lords is not as strong as expected. However, the 3rd Corps has stopped its advance and is responding to a 100,000-strong army that suddenly appeared from the west.”

– Oh no, where did such a force come from?

“I think the Kingdom of Livia is up to something.”

– Livia, which was fiercely fighting with the Baroque Empire until recently, sent reinforcements?

Luke nodded as Reina looked incredulous.

“There are no eternal enemies or allies in international relations. If necessary, even enemies can join hands, and even in-laws bound by blood can betray each other.”

Reina nodded at Luke’s cold words and asked,

– Then should we send additional troops?

In addition to the 200,000 troops already dispatched, the five allied nations were continuously sending troops to the Symphonia Kingdom.

Their true purpose was to conquer the Kingdom of Livia, which had joined hands with the black mages.

“No, there’s no need to send more troops to the Baroque Empire. They should be able to handle that much of a variable.”

In the 1st Continental Allied Forces, in addition to Marquis Rogers and Count Ferrero, many nobles and knights from various kingdoms participated.

They were all well-known generals and commanders from each country, and Luke trusted them.

– I see. I believe in them too.

It was an alliance for the future of the continent.

Reina hoped that the Continental Allied Forces would overcome the variables and occupy Nemesis.

– Anyway, please be careful. And take good care of Karen.

“I understand. I will make sure nothing happens to worry you.”

Luke, after repeatedly promising, cut off the magic communication.

However, he had no idea what would happen next.

Reina, who was not relieved even after hearing his words, secretly sent additional reinforcements.

This was beneficial to Luke, but it was quite troublesome for Karen.

Because those who had been in trouble because of her were among the secret reinforcements.

3

The war situation was changing rapidly.

The side that was most sensitively observing the current situation was, of course, the invaded Baroque Empire.

“Commander, the enemy is retreating!”

“Hehehe. Of course. They must have been surprised by the sudden appearance of a large army.”

At the messenger’s report, Count Mikhail, the commander of the Western Army of the Baroque Empire, smiled with satisfaction.

In fact, even he didn’t know if he could create such a large army until two days ago.

He couldn’t withdraw the troops stationed at the border with the Kingdom of Livia, and even if he did, the total number of troops would not exceed 30,000.

But suddenly, a magic communication came from the Imperial Palace.

It was an order to defeat the enemy with the support troops from the Kingdom of Livia.

At first, he wondered what this was all about.

But the next day, 100,000 troops and 100 Gigants were approaching the border fortress.

Although most of them looked like mercenaries, and most of the Gigants were low-output Warrior-class, it seemed enough to stop the enemy.

No, just the fact that a large-scale support army had appeared would prevent the enemy from advancing recklessly.

Mikhail, with a bright expression, welcomed the support army and, combined with the Western Army’s forces, set out to stop the self-proclaimed ‘Continental Allied Forces.’

“Countess Sabina, what do you think we should do now?”

Mikhail asked, looking at a voluptuous woman wearing tight-fitting leather armor.

Sabina was the leader of the Livia support army that had arrived this time, and she was said to be from a well-known pirate family in Grenada.

Her husband and father were also pirates, but her husband died in the Symphonia Kingdom expedition, and her father was captured by the Holy Empire army that occupied the Grenada Kingdom and was hanged.

“Grrr! Of course, we must pursue the enemy.”

The Continental Allied Forces, which included the Holy Empire and Symphonia Kingdom armies, were her mortal enemies.

So, she was the first to apply for this mercenary recruitment and brought all the pirate remnants she knew.

In addition, she had also prepared weapons and military supplies separately by emptying out the wealth she had brought when she escaped Grenada.

This was not only because she had decided to actively participate in this war, but also because the military supplies provided by the Livia royal family were so poor.

The quality of the weapons was the worst, and more than half of the military rations were rotten or mixed with sand.

Because of this, Sabina judged that the Kingdom of Livia was using them as a disposable pawn.

However, she didn’t have any particular complaints.

Just having the opportunity to avenge her husband and father was a great gain.

“The enemy is currently in a state of panic after seeing the sudden size of our army. We must destroy each of the three enemy corps before they can unite.”

Count Mikhail nodded with a satisfied expression at her answer.

“That’s right. It would be right to attack them before they know our situation and respond, and inflict as much damage as possible.”

Mikhail was also aware of the true state of the support troops. Their quality was terrible compared to their size. So, he thought they should press the attack while they had the chance. Shortly after, Count Mikhail ordered all units to pursue the retreating Continental Alliance forces at full speed. A total of 130,000 troops and 150 Gigantes [large, humanoid war machines] began to chase after the retreating Continental Alliance forces. After about half a day of pursuit, they encountered a hastily constructed camp. “What is that?” Count Mikhail, who was observing the enemy camp with a telescopic device, widened his eyes. He saw a very familiar flag among the flags of the allied forces. ‘Count Ferrero!’ The moment he thought of someone’s name, a Gigante rumbled out of the enemy camp. The huge Gigante, which looked like a Hero-class [a high-performance Gigante] at first glance, walked to the middle of the two camps. Shortly after, a familiar shout was heard through the transmission device. “Count Mikhail, if you have the guts, come out and face me one-on-one!” “Tch, was it Ferrero after all? You filthy traitor!” Mikhail knew the circumstances of Ferrero’s downfall. However, he had always been inferior to him in terms of skill and achievements, and had only moved from one local army to another, so he felt a sense of schadenfreude [pleasure derived from someone else’s misfortune] rather than sympathy. After learning that he had defected to the Symphonia Kingdom, it was only natural that he considered him a traitor. “Commander, you must not fall for the traitor’s provocation!” Sabina stepped forward to dissuade him. She could clearly see what Count Ferrero’s intention was. It was to buy time for the Continental Alliance forces to regroup and reorganize their lines. Mikhail nodded as if he knew, and said, “Yes, there’s no need to be played by that filthy turncoat. However, if we leave him alone, ignorant soldiers or immature knights who support him might be shaken, so we need to do something about it.” Mikhail was jealous of Ferrero, but he wasn’t stupid enough to ignore his skills or influence. As a former leading general of the Baroque Empire, there were still many knights in the Imperial military who admired or respected him. This was evident from the fact that the Riders [knights who pilot Gigantes] and knights who had come forward to stop him did not make any particular rebuttals or criticisms of Ferrero’s provocation. In any case, Mikhail boarded his Hero-class Gigante. He wasn’t going to fight, but rather to respond to Ferrero’s provocation. “Listen, you filthy traitor Ferrero. Once, I saw you being devoted to His Majesty the Emperor, and I thought you were a loyal subject. But seeing you clinging to the traitor Luke de Lacan, you’re no better than a mongrel.” “What did you say?” When Ferrero seemed to be enraged, Mikhail raised his voice even louder into the Gigante’s transmission device. “My desire to cut off the head of a traitor who abandoned his lord and country is boundless, but my sword is too precious to cut off the head of a filthy mongrel.” “You, Mikhail… !” “Remember this, Ferrero. I’m not avoiding you because I’m afraid. I’m avoiding you because you’re disgusting.” After speaking, Mikhail gave a sly smile. Just by looking at Ferrero’s Gigante trembling, he could tell how effective his response was. ‘Heh heh heh! Come at me if you dare, Ferrero. The moment you charge, you’ll be riddled with holes.’ Before boarding the Gigante, Mikhail had instructed Sabina to prepare the artillery. This was to shower Ferrero with artillery fire if he charged in, enraged. No matter how skilled a Sword Master he was, and even if he was riding a Hero-class Gigante, he would be riddled with holes if he was hit by a barrage of artillery fire at point-blank range. Of course, some immature knights would grumble that it wasn’t fair, but it was absurd to even discuss a fair fight against a traitor. ‘After all, a dishonorable man deserves to die dishonorably.’ While Mikhail was justifying his actions, Ferrero, who seemed to be at the peak of his anger, threw down his Gigante’s shield and drew his greatsword. “You crazy Emperor’s lackey! I will never let you die peacefully! I’ll see if you can still wag your tongue after being skinned alive by the mongrel you mentioned!” “Hahaha! Yes, come at me if you dare. Who would be afraid of a mongrel?” Kwarurururung! As if reflecting Ferrero’s intense emotions, a sound almost like thunder echoed from the core engine of his Gigante. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Ferrero’s Orion seemed to stomp heavily on the ground, and then began to charge forward fiercely. The terrifying charge that shook the earth made even Count Mikhail, a top-tier Sword Expert, as well as the Baroque Empire Riders, feel a chill run down their spines. ‘Did I provoke him too much? No, even if he gets hit by artillery fire at point-blank range, he will…’ That was as far as he got with his thoughts. Kwaaaang! Suddenly, a loud noise came from behind. 4 Mikhail asked in surprise. “Wh-what’s going on?” “It’s an enemy surprise attack! The enemy has suddenly invaded from the rear!” A lieutenant who was watching the rear shouted in surprise. “What?!” It was Count D’Alrange’s Gigante and mixed cavalry unit that attacked the rear of the Baroque Empire’s Western Army. While the other soldiers were setting up camp, they had secretly made a detour. Hiding nearby, they had taken advantage of Count Ferrero’s distraction to stab the Western Army in the rear. “Charge! Crush the enemy to pieces!” “Waaaaaah!” The mixed unit fearlessly pierced through the Western Army’s camp. D’Alrange, who was physically weak and not skilled in swordsmanship, was more of a specialist in defense than in field battles. His abilities shone when he was able to hold off several times his own number of enemies with thorough preparation. However, if the enemy’s main force, including the Gigante unit, was focused on the front to stop Count Ferrero, he could easily attack from the rear. “Damn it, they tricked us! Ferrero, he tricked us!” Mikhail gritted his teeth. Count Ferrero, who had seemed like he was about to charge like a storm, had stopped as if nothing had happened and was laughing heartily. “Hahahaha, you fool Mikhail! How does it feel to be played by a mongrel?” “Ughhh!” Count Mikhail’s fists trembled at Ferrero’s taunt. He wanted to kill Ferrero right away, but now was not the time. He had to intercept the enemy forces that were wreaking havoc on his allies from behind first. If the rear collapsed like this, the front wouldn’t be safe either. “Hurry and rescue our allies!” At his command, the Gigantes at the front tried to retreat. Count Ferrero clung to them. “Hey, where do you think you’re going? Do you think I’ll just stand here and watch?” The Western Army’s Gigantes, who were retreating, hesitated at his threat. They couldn’t leave Ferrero alone. It would be dangerous to turn their backs on him, a Sword Master riding a Hero-class Gigante. There was also the risk of being attacked from both the front and the rear. In the end, Mikhail made a decision. “Half of the Gigante unit will stay, and the other half will quickly eliminate the enemy in the rear!” “Yes, sir!” However, the movement of the Western Army’s Gigante unit was not smooth. Because of the infantry that had been pushed back by the attack from the rear, there was not enough space for the Gigantes to move. Moreover, while they were hesitating, Ferrero was approaching rapidly. “Damn it! What are you doing! Move quickly!” “But the infantry…” “Never mind them, just move! Now!” At Mikhail’s angry shout, the Western Army’s Gigantes had no choice but to start trampling over the infantry. “Kuaaaak!” “You bastards! There are people here!” “Hiiik! Get out of the way, get out of the way!” In fact, the battlefield was not that narrow. However, due to the surprise attack by the enemy’s mixed unit, the battle lines collapsed, and the command was not working properly, so they were just retreating haphazardly. A significant number of them fled to the front where the Gigantes and knights were gathered, causing a bottleneck. The weakness of the Livia mercenary support troops, which were large in number but had not been organized for long, was revealed. “Don’t panic! Reorganize the battle lines!” “You morons! Is that how you act like men of the sea?” “Damn it, this is land, not the sea!” “If you’re so confident, go out there and stop them!” Sabina and her subordinates tried their best to control the mercenaries. However, contrary to their will, the chaos did not subside, and only curses and resistance erupted everywhere. And to make matters worse, even the enemy Gigantes and soldiers who had remained in the temporary camp were pouring out, trying to follow Count Ferrero. “Wh-what are the artillery units doing? Fire!” As Ferrero approached right in front of him, Mikhail urged the artillerymen. The moment the artillerymen were about to fire in a hurry, Ferrero raised his greatsword and slammed it hard into the ground. Kwaaaang! “Uwaaaah!” The ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred, as the Gigantic Aura [a form of energy] embedded in the greatsword exploded from the ground, causing the surface of the earth to crack. Because of this, the muzzles of about a hundred cannons that were aimed at Ferrero’s Orion were misaligned. Some fired their shells uselessly into the sky, some buried their shells in the ground. Others even hit their own troops or Gigantes. “You idiot artillerymen!” “We were fools to expect anything from you!” The remaining Gigantes of the Western Army rushed at Count Ferrero all at once. They had been the object of respect until recently, but now that the battle had begun, they were just enemies to be killed. Thump thump thump thump! Several dozen Gigantes charged at once. However, Ferrero was not flustered at all and dealt with them one by one. He cut down the first Gigante that charged at him with his greatsword, deflected the attacks of the enemy units that followed, and then grabbed their necks and slammed them hard into the ground. Then, he dodged the greatsword that was thrusting at him and floated into the air. “Th-that jump!” “Unbelievable, how can he move so fast and lightly!” A skilled Rider could make a heavy Gigante jump. But there was a limit to that. However, Ferrero’s Orion jumped so high that it almost seemed to fly. Ferrero’s own piloting skills were excellent, but it was also because Orion’s performance was outstanding. The powerful core engine that had been there from the beginning and the artificial muscles that had been introduced just before the war doubled the elasticity of the Gigante’s movements. “Hahaha! It moves just like my own body!” “Uwaaaat!” Kuuung! Swish! Swish swish! The moment Count Ferrero landed on the ground, he swung his greatsword, which was imbued with Gigantic Aura, wildly, cutting down more than a dozen Gigantes in an instant. Then, he charged straight at Mikhail, who was startled and hesitating. “You said you weren’t running away because you were scared? Fine, try and cut down this mongrel!” “Ughhh! Damn it!” Panicked, Mikhail threw his shield and greatsword at Ferrero in succession, and then ran away. He knew very well that he could not face Ferrero head-on with his own skills. “Save Commander!” The remaining Gigantes rushed to stop Count Ferrero. But before they could reach him, Ferrero’s greatsword reached the back of Mikhail’s Gigante. Mikhail tried his best to dodge. However, with his skills as a top-tier Sword Expert, he could not shake off the attack of Ferrero, who was a high-level Sword Master. Thud! Swish! Thick red blood dripped from the greatsword that had pierced through and been pulled out, scattering into the air. Mikhail’s Gigante, which had been staggering, soon collapsed to the ground with a thud. “C-Commander!” The faces of the Western Army Riders and knights turned pale. Count Ferrero, who had cut off Mikhail’s breath, shouted at the top of his lungs through the transmission device. “Surrender! If you don’t want to, run away! But anyone who tries to protect that crazy Emperor will be killed by my own hands!” The thunderous shout echoed throughout the battlefield. The Continental Alliance forces that had departed from the temporary camp were also nearby. As a result, the Western Army completely fell apart, like dominoes falling. The soldiers were the first to throw down their spears and weapons and run away, and many Riders also threw away their greatswords and surrendered. Thus, the large army that had surprised the Continental Alliance forces was defeated in a single battle. However, Ferrero and D’Alrange had no idea what a huge event would happen next.