Ace cheered as he watched the Empire’s army melt away in flames.
He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but someone had unleashed a massive spell that completely incinerated the enemy.
The entire Anti-Empire Alliance roared and pushed forward.
The Empire’s forces were caught off guard.
Enemies in front, fire blazing behind.
The monsters thrashed wildly, expanding their tentacles and lunging in all directions, but they were soon pierced by blades or driven back into the inferno, their forms twisted and burned.
“Monsters can’t stand fire! Push them all back!”
Ace shouted.
“Push forward! Drive them back!”
“Aaaahhh!”
With the roaring flames at their backs, the Empire’s soldiers fought desperately.
No matter how much they were under the influence of dark magic, the fear of death never fully vanished.
It was a primal instinct.
They blinked in disbelief, their heads tilting as if unable to comprehend what was happening, then with a deflating sound, they collapsed.
One Empire soldier even shed tears just before falling.
Ace felt a flicker of sympathy, but it was fleeting.
To survive on the battlefield, you had to abandon pointless emotions.
Every ounce of your mind had to focus on survival and slaughter if you wanted to see the sun rise again tomorrow.
“Kill them!”
His sword plunged roughly into an Empire soldier’s abdomen. The familiar sensation of piercing flesh and organs was now routine. He twisted the blade once before pulling it free. Blood splattered across his face.
Looking up, he saw a monster swinging its charred tentacles.
Though a massive spell had struck the enemy’s center, countless troops still remained.
“What a monstrous country…”
In population, in power, in every way, the Empire was overwhelming.
Even though several of the continent’s strongest nations had banded together, it didn’t feel like they had the upper hand.
If anything, the prolonged war of attrition was wearing down the Anti-Empire forces.
The black army, fearless in the face of terror, was terrifying enough—but now they were summoning monsters like these.
Could they win?
That thought crept in.
No matter how many fire-wielding mages or resolute soldiers they had, could they truly triumph against this endless tide of enemies, advancing like machines?
When his eyes met those of an Empire soldier locked in combat, that doubt only deepened.
Whether it was the soldier bewitched by dark magic or himself struggling desperately, they were both headed for the same fate.
No matter who won, the world after the war would likely hold no place for him.
His strength drained from his hands.
Beyond the enemy’s shoulder, through the flames, he caught sight of a monster spreading its tentacles like a peacock’s tail.
Taking advantage of Ace’s momentary daze, the enemy pressed harder.
His body was pushed back.
The enemy’s blade slid past.
“Hey, Ace.”
A voice called from behind.
“You really are a gambler. Pretending to give up just to turn the tables at the last moment, huh?”
The dust of the battlefield that had filled his lungs was suddenly washed away.
The acrid smoke hanging in the sky, the grim faces of the Empire soldiers standing firm—it no longer looked hopeless.
It was as if a refreshing breeze had blown through.
Suppressing a smile, Ace answered.
“Of course. The best move is always saved for last.”
“Can’t beat you, as usual.”
“Don’t play weak. I remember exactly how much money you took from me.”
“Thanks to you, I’ve enjoyed some fine drinks.”
Just his presence changed the atmosphere of the battlefield.
It always did.
Yuri Briole was that kind of man.
“If you want revenge, come find me anytime.”
“Wait for it. I’ll drain your resources soon enough.”
“Looking forward to it.”
Yuri Briole, the prince of Briole, clapped Ace on the shoulder and passed by.
With his arrival, the path opened.
The Empire’s army, fighting as if they had lost all fear, faltered.
Ace raised his weapon and shouted.
“For Briole!”
Yuri was moving busily.
While frontline soldiers grew weary from constant battles, Yuri himself fought almost nonstop, except for brief moments to eat or sleep.
The Empire had struck multiple fronts in succession, and Yuri went from place to place, aiding his allies.
Every time he appeared, tangible results followed—no one could stop him.
His hardships were the lifeline of their forces.
Of course, when the Empire attacked several fronts simultaneously, Yuri prioritized Briole or the most critical lines.
“Phew…”
Yuri exhaled deeply.
Reports of unusual activity from the Empire had brought him to the small nations’ front, where an unidentified monster was slaughtering soldiers.
“Lord Inariel.”
“I know.”
“Let’s blow it away with something hot and satisfying.”
“Hot and satisfying? What exactly do you mean?”
“You know.”
Inariel was the master of the ‘Immutable Mana Technique,’ capable of overcoming even dispel magic.
Now that dark magic had broken the world’s limits, he could unleash a massive spell against the enemy army.
Yuri requested the huge fireball he had long called for.
“Make it feel like the end of the world.”
Before Inariel could answer, Yuri stepped forward.
Inariel didn’t refuse.
A blazing flame rose above their heads.
“Let’s go!”
Yuri urged his horse forward.
Soon, another sun appeared overhead and crashed into the heart of the enemy lines. An explosion erupted, and the flames spread, incinerating the Empire’s troops.
But the black army, stripped of distracting emotions, responded calmly.
Even amid the roaring fire, their morale remained unbroken, holding the line.
That sight seemed to deflate the Anti-Empire soldiers instead.
Yuri kicked his horse’s saddle and charged ahead.
Ironically, he spotted someone he knew well.
He’d heard the Allied Veterans had joined the fight, and apparently, a seasoned veteran had been dispatched to the small nations’ alliance.
But the man looked worn down.
It was a symptom often seen in soldiers exhausted by endless fighting.
Yuri passed by and casually spoke.
“You really are a gambler. Pretending to give up just to turn the tables at the last moment, huh?”
The man flinched sharply.
As if coming to his senses, Ace replied.
“Of course. The best move is always saved for last.”
“Can’t beat you, as usual.”
“Don’t play weak. I remember exactly how much money you took from me.”
“Thanks to you, I’ve enjoyed some fine drinks.”
Yuri smiled wryly.
When facing such an incomprehensible opponent, especially one radiating dark magic, it was easy to get caught up in their spell.
Those who fight darkness must always remember they could be swallowed by it.
But they don’t have to face it alone.
Sometimes, a simple pat on the shoulder is enough.
Just like how he had helped Ace.
“If you want revenge, come find me anytime.”
“Wait for it. I’ll drain your resources soon enough.”
“Looking forward to it.”
With that, Yuri pressed forward.
He glanced around.
No allies stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
This was the vanguard.
He stood at the very front, facing the enemy.
Since his miserable end in a past life, that fact had never changed.
As Yuri, the spearhead, emerged, enemy resistance focused on him.
With no one to guard his sides, attacks came from all directions—left, right, front, and rear.
Yuri summoned Guilty.
A vortex wrapped around him, then tore through the surrounding Empire soldiers.
Beyond the shredded bodies, strange creatures surrounded Yuri.
“Are you one of Cedric’s inventions?”
They were bizarre beasts with tentacles. They crawled on insect-like legs attached to their bodies, tentacles waving from their backs. Their heads were unseen.
The tentacle stalks looked like soft-bodied creatures, but their tips were razor-sharp.
They seemed made for war.
“Disgusting.”
Yuri slashed at the incoming tentacles one by one, then brought his sword down hard.
The creature was sliced in half.
Its surface was tougher than expected, so it didn’t die immediately.
More tentacles flew in from all around.
Recognizing Yuri as an enemy, they focused their attacks on him.
Several tentacles scattered through the air, aiming for vital points. Even Yuri couldn’t block them all.
He summoned mana to raise a shield.
The tentacle tips struck the barrier and slid off harmlessly.
Then—
Several monsters lunging at Yuri shattered into pieces, scattering into the air.
Following their trajectories, black mana discharged.
Yuri smirked and called out a name.
“Laurent, you’re late.”
Laurent glanced at Yuri with a sullen look, shrugged, and swung his sword again.
Each time he swung, dark mana rose.
Twisted by dark magic and then returning, his mana had turned black. Having stayed that way too long, his core was completely tainted, making his mana akin to pure malice.
Laurent, with his shining blond hair, emitted a black sword aura that didn’t suit him.
“Who was the damn mutt that ran ahead with his tail on fire?”
Yuri burst out laughing.
No matter what Laurent said, Yuri just laughed it off, which seemed to annoy him, but he didn’t change his attitude.
“Stop laughing and focus.”
“Right. My loyal knight, Sir Laurent.”
“I’m no longer a knight…”
Before he could finish, Jared came running up again, shouting,
“Why are you two in such a hurry? Like puppies with their tails on fire?”
Laurent fell silent, and Yuri chuckled.
But there wasn’t much time to laugh. The enemy kept pressing in, and the fighting grew fiercer. Even as they swung their swords, their comrades were falling.
In the Anti-Empire Alliance, morale dropped as troops were lost, but the Empire kept producing soldiers without pause.
They couldn’t afford this war of attrition any longer.
They had to push forward.
Yuri glanced beyond the front lines at the Empire’s commander standing silently.
A knight clad in black armor.
Each front had its own commander, and in the case of the small-nation alliance, this knight always led the Empire’s forces on the battlefield.
His guards were so tight that they hadn’t been able to kill him yet.
“Listen up.”
Yuri killed a monster blocking his path and spoke.
“This time, we’re taking him down.”
“Is that even possible?”
Between them lay layers of Empire soldiers.
Not just foot soldiers and monsters, but the Empire’s knights too, their eyes gleaming fiercely behind black helmets, glaring at them.
If they weren’t careful, they’d be surrounded and trapped.
“We can’t keep dragging this out.”
Yuri said.
Not just here, but on every front, everyone was growing exhausted.
It was time for a change.
“Maybe you should reconsider—”
“I’m going!”
Yuri charged forward. Jared sighed and followed. Laurent cursed under his breath and moved after them.
The three of them pierced the Empire’s lines in a triangular formation, with Yuri leading.
Yuri blazed a path at the front, while the other two flanked him on either side.
Like a blade slicing through tofu, they cut swiftly through the heart of the Empire’s forces.
This time, the knights formed a wall around them.
Clad in black armor and empowered by dark magic, the Empire’s knights were no easy foes.
But Yuri didn’t care.
He felt like he could go anywhere.
His eyes entered the realm of the soul. Mana from the Soul Slash technique surged through his entire body, and his sword’s energy, having crossed into the realm of chaos, unlocked unknown potential at a level he’d never seen before.
Guilty trembled violently, letting out a roar.
The wind picked up.
In an instant, it transformed into a massive whirlwind.
Right in the middle of the Empire’s camp.
A gigantic vortex of sword energy connected the sky and the earth.