Time passed.
The Anti-Imperial Alliance had encircled the Empire’s borders, centering on four nations: Briol, Liberta, Bursen, and the Holy Kingdom. Up until then, the Empire had shown no sign of movement.
Despite the clear military provocation, the Empire’s silence led the soldiers to hope that perhaps this crisis might be resolved diplomatically, without any clashes.
But that hope was in vain.
The Empire’s army began to move.
Their first target was the western siege line—the link between the Holy Kingdom and Bursen.
Jonathan gasped for breath.
The Imperial troops who finally broke the long silence were overwhelmingly strong—almost incomprehensibly so.
They didn’t seem to have much skill with swords, but their strength and speed were exceptional, and they showed no fear of battle.
“Ha ha…”
He let out a laugh as he killed an Imperial soldier charging at his back.
Most soldiers would avoid knights rather than confront them directly, but the Imperial army had no such hesitation. No matter who the opponent was, they charged recklessly, disregarding their own lives.
Because of this, Jonathan and the other Bursen knights were drained of energy quickly.
“Huff, huff…”
He raised his sword and charged forward, eyes scanning all around.
The Imperial forces stretched endlessly before him.
“No wonder it’s been so quiet.”
Until now, the Empire had only been tightening internal control, showing no real signs of action. Some had hoped the Empire might be reluctant to go to war.
But it was all an illusion.
They were simply waiting for the right moment.
The proof was the endless stream of well-trained soldiers pouring onto the field.
“Hold the line! Reinforcements will come!”
Jonathan shouted as he charged forward. Several enemies swarmed him at once. Whether soldier or knight, he cut them down, trying to boost morale.
This was the first battle since the Anti-Imperial Alliance was formed.
They could not afford to lose here.
The outcome of this fight would set the tone for the long war ahead.
He refused to let the Anti-Imperial War be recorded as having begun with Bursen’s defeat.
As he rallied his troops, an arrow suddenly flew toward him.
He dodged instinctively.
Looking up, he saw a knight clad in black armor approaching him.
The aura was formidable. This was clearly a high-ranking knight from the Empire.
Jonathan smirked.
“I’m more of a thinker than a brawler…”
But that didn’t mean he intended to avoid a sword fight.
The Imperial knight charged, black energy crackling like lightning around his blade.
Jonathan swallowed hard and summoned his own sword energy. This opponent was clearly stronger.
But if he didn’t stand his ground, the soldiers around him would suffer.
Their swords clashed.
His hand tingled from the impact.
He twisted his blade to counterattack, but the enemy rammed him with a shoulder strike instead. The force sent Jonathan staggering backward.
The enemy’s sword came crashing down from above.
Jonathan barely blocked it.
If he stayed still, he’d be finished.
He rolled to the ground and scrambled away, eyes darting to block the next flurry of attacks.
But someone else was intercepting the enemy for him.
Seeing that broad back, Jonathan felt relief.
“Jose!”
“Leave it to me, Sir Jonathan.”
Though now a member of the Ten Strong, Jose was unchanged from before. He hefted a massive sword fitting his large frame and strode toward the Imperial knight.
By now, no one in Bursen didn’t know Jose’s name. Mention Bursen, and Jose was the first to come up.
Yet the Imperial knight showed no fear facing Jose. He simply advanced, swinging his sword as he had against Jonathan.
But Jose was unfazed.
With a powerful swing, Jose forced the Imperial knight to drop his sword and fall to the ground.
Jose kicked the struggling man, who soon stopped moving.
Jonathan shuddered watching the scene.
The Imperial soldiers fought like something other than human.
Without emotional turmoil, they felt no pain and fought relentlessly until death.
Only now did the battlefield feel different.
All the Empire’s troops fought like that.
“Damn…”
Jonathan cursed once, then raised his sword again.
He couldn’t lose to those things.
That resolve only grew stronger.
Together with Jose, he plunged into the wave of Imperial soldiers pressing forward. Blades rained down overhead as he weaved through, striking at the enemy’s lifelines.
But the Imperial numbers didn’t dwindle.
The Empire’s territory was vast, and their forces overwhelming.
“Where’s the reinforcements?”
“They’ve sent people!”
“They need to get here fast.”
The closest were the Holy Kingdom’s troops. Jonathan waited anxiously for their arrival, sword raised once more.
“Fight!”
The brutal hand-to-hand combat continued.
Jonathan lost count of how many enemies he’d slain—and how many comrades had fallen beside him.
For every enemy killed, an ally was lost. It was a grim war of attrition.
“Why aren’t the reinforcements coming?”
Jonathan shouted.
Then, from afar, cheers began to rise. He turned his gaze.
The Holy Kingdom’s banner fluttered in the distance.
“Reinforcements!”
As they arrived, the Imperial forces began to collapse like a wave breaking.
“Sir Jonathan.”
The Holy Kingdom’s commander quickly found him.
A man who, due to bitter history between their nations, had once been an enemy but now fought alongside them in the Anti-Imperial Alliance.
He frowned.
“Why aren’t you using that weapon?”
“What weapon?”
“The orichalcum-coated sword.”
“That one?”
Jonathan shook his head.
“I prefer the weapon I’m used to.”
“Tch…”
The commander clicked his tongue.
“Didn’t I tell you to use it against the Empire’s army?”
“It’s no different. I like my sword better.”
“Orichalcum is supposed to be effective against the Empire.”
“Not much difference, really.”
“Watch closely.”
He gestured.
The Holy Kingdom’s troops had joined the fray, fighting alongside Bursen’s forces against the Empire.
Jonathan raised an eyebrow.
“Uh…”
“See?”
Though reluctant to admit it, Jonathan had to concede the point.
The Empire’s soldiers, who had charged fearlessly before, now showed more human reactions against the Holy Kingdom’s forces.
They winced when stabbed and retreated when at a disadvantage.
“The Empire’s soldiers have been altered by dark magic. Orichalcum resists that magic, so using it weakens their power significantly.”
“I see. I can tell now, seeing it in action.”
“After this battle, issue orichalcum weapons to everyone. We’re not supplying them just for fun.”
“Understood.”
Currently, the Holy Kingdom was responsible for coating weapons with orichalcum. They were the only ones who possessed and could handle it.
“Any trouble on other fronts?”
“This is the only active battle.”
“Really?”
“Apparently, the Empire judged this area to be the weakest point.”
“What nonsense.”
Jonathan shouted and charged forward, grabbing a sword from a fallen Holy Kingdom soldier and swinging it.
The orichalcum coating definitely made the fight easier.
“Bursen! Forward!”
“Forward!”
The morale of Bursen’s troops soared as they shouted.
With Jose’s efforts added in, the Empire’s advance slowed.
“Fall back to the Empire!”
“Die, you Imperial scum!”
“Long live Bursen!”
Curses and screams echoed across the field.
Then suddenly, a commotion stirred in one part of the battlefield.
Jonathan looked over.
“Huh?”
Something caught his eye.
Among the approaching Imperial forces, a giant moved—several times larger than any soldier. At first, he thought it was a siege weapon, but watching closer, it was clearly a living creature.
A name flashed through his mind.
“Donchichi?”
The ogre who had been defeated by Moyongchan while ravaging Liberta had returned.
To face the Ten Strong, the Ten Strong must respond.
Jonathan turned his head.
“Jose!”
But there was no answer. A knight beside him panted heavily.
“Sir Jose is currently fighting Imperial knights.”
“What?”
Jonathan looked and saw Jose surrounded by several enemies.
“What are you waiting for? Go help him—”
Just then, a Bursen knight stepped forward to aid Jose but was immediately beheaded and collapsed. The skill gap was immense.
“It seems they prepared special troops just to deal with Sir Jose.”
“Damn…”
Sending more troops to help Jose now was risky.
Jonathan spoke to the Holy Kingdom commander.
“Where’s Sir Francesco?”
“He’s holding the line.”
“Why isn’t he coming?”
“All fronts are on alert. The Empire’s forces have appeared everywhere. We can’t concentrate all our core troops here, not knowing where they’ll strike next.”
“This isn’t waiting—it’s an attack!”
“Stop whining.”
“Damn…”
Jonathan gritted his teeth as Donchichi drew closer.
It was huge.
If a creature like that rampaged in the middle of the battlefield, the soldiers wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Donchichi is coming! Everyone, prepare yourselves!”
Jonathan shouted.
“I need to gather the knights. We have to pin Donchichi down with as many of us as possible.”
“I’ll help too.”
“Thank you.”
Jonathan called over the knights nearby. But with the battle still raging, few had the luxury to step away.
“I-I don’t think we can.”
Some knights voiced their fear.
Donchichi’s presence on the battlefield was that overwhelming.
As Jonathan tried to steady them, a sudden shout rang out.
“He’s coming!”
Donchichi’s movements quickened.
He broke into a run.
Every time his massive frame moved, soldiers around him were swept aside. Donchichi didn’t care if he trampled his own imperial troops; he charged madly toward where Jonathan stood.
With each stomp, several of Bursen’s soldiers were sent flying into the air.
“C-Can we stop him?”
This time, Jonathan had no answer. Inside, he was just as uncertain—should he dodge, or hold his ground?
Donchichi was breaking through the imperial lines, fully entering the heart of the battlefield.
Boom.
A thunderous sound echoed as Donchichi collapsed sideways.
Time seemed to slow.
Everyone saw the once-mighty Donchichi, charging fiercely, suddenly flung aside and crashing to the ground in a pitiful heap.
Jonathan’s face brightened.
He knew exactly who had appeared out of nowhere to deliver that flying kick.
“Yuri Briol!”
The prince of Briol, one of the Ten Greats and a hero leading the Anti-Imperial Alliance, had covered a great distance to arrive here.
Since no Briol troops were visible, it seemed he had come alone.
But that alone was enough.
“My goodness…”
Yuri Briol knocked Donchichi down, then swung his sword relentlessly. Donchichi scrambled to his feet, retreating while raising his defenses. The ogre’s body was taking more and more damage.
Though they were both among the Ten Greats, the difference in power was clear.
Who would have thought the young prince Jonathan had seen in the Alliance would grow this strong?
Lost in thought, Jonathan suddenly heard a voice.
“You don’t have time to watch others. Looks like you’re lucky to be alive.”
The tone was mocking. Yet strangely familiar.
Jonathan turned his eyes.
“Huh?”
It was definitely someone he knew. But that person would never speak like that. Always polite, a model knight.
The face was the same.
But the cold, cynical expression cast over it made him seem like a different person.
Jonathan muttered, stunned.
“Sir Roland…?”