“You must have lost a lot of troops on the Eastern Front, but I didn’t expect you still had this many soldiers left.”
“That just means the defenses around Hwangseong have been neglected.”
“If that’s the case, is it really necessary to fight here? Wouldn’t it be better to take advantage of the Empire’s distraction and strike Hwangseong instead? Whether in terms of importance or risk, either way… This sudden move toward Zbeta might be a miscalculation by Briol…”
“Hey.”
Jose, now undisputedly the strongest man in Bursen, looked at his aide.
“What are you talking about?”
“Pardon?”
“The one who ordered the advance was Prince Yuri. None other than Yuri Briol himself.”
The aide’s expression went blank. Jose straightened his chest and said firmly,
“So there’s no need to doubt. Something’s going on in Zbeta. Something far more important than attacking Hwangseong. That’s enough.”
“But still…”
The aide pointed toward the distant defensive line. The Empire’s army stretched so far it disappeared into the horizon.
“Suddenly changing course and charging headlong into that massive force doesn’t seem wise. We should be hitting Hwangseong, not some city like Zbeta…”
“Enough!”
Jose struck his aide’s back sharply.
“Have you ever faced Prince Yuri in battle?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Then keep your mouth shut. I’ve fought alongside Prince Yuri and learned just how incredible he is. Do you think a man recognized by Jose Aratur as the strongest is common?”
“Almost never.”
“Exactly.”
Jose was known for rarely giving others credit. He trained relentlessly to become the strongest, partly because he couldn’t stand seeing lesser men acting arrogant.
He continued.
“If Prince Yuri were the type to make reckless moves, I’d be the first to complain and overthrow Briol. I’d have drawn my sword against him, prince or not.”
“Yes…”
“Of course, I’d lose.”
“Excuse me?”
“The prince is stronger than me.”
“That can’t be true.”
It was the first time Jose had ever said something like that.
He knew Yuri Briol had succeeded his father as one of the Ten Greats, had performed unbelievably well in every war, and recently defeated the Black Knight. But he’d always thought some of those stories were exaggerated.
Yet here was Jose, a monster himself, openly admitting Yuri was stronger.
Considering Yuri’s age, it was almost unbelievable.
“Yeah.”
Jose nodded calmly.
“When we faced off by the Orphen Sea, we were evenly matched. So now, the prince is definitely stronger. I’m the one chasing him.”
“Hard to believe.”
“Same here.”
Jose laughed heartily.
“Do you know how thrilling it is to have a man worthy of being your target? There was no one like that in Bursen, so I decided to become the strongest myself. But now, there’s Yuri Briol. It’s a joyous thing.”
“You really admire him.”
“Of course.”
As they spoke, the sound of a horn echoed through the air.
The signal to begin the battle.
Briol’s army moved forward first. The Bursen troops behind them held their breath, tense before the advance.
Jose pointed toward Briol’s vanguard and shouted loudly.
“Look! I don’t even need to see to know who’s leading the charge and meeting the enemy first.”
“Ah…”
A few steps ahead of the following soldiers, charging forward was none other than Prince Yuri Briol himself.
His figure sprinted toward the enemy.
“The noblest man takes on the greatest danger. That’s why so many gather around him.”
Just as Briol’s forces neared the Empire’s defensive line, a flash of light appeared in the sky.
“I’m probably one of those many people, too.”
The glowing mass grew larger, then split into dozens of streaks pouring down like a meteor shower.
Each impact caused massive explosions.
The ground trembled.
The Bursen soldiers crouched instinctively.
The aide shouted.
“I’ve never seen magic actually used in war before! Are they ignoring dispel spells?”
“Yes! Archmage Inariel is by the prince’s side.”
“Amazing…”
“Right?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the prince for you. Always surprising everyone. But I won’t just be one of those who admire him from afar. I, Jose Aratur, will be an equal comrade, ready to lend my shoulder when the prince needs.”
With Briol’s advance complete, it was Bursen’s turn.
Jose drew his sword and charged forward.
This was an unplanned move.
As all the troops began to move, the image of Jose Aratur running alone toward the front line was burned into their retinas.
Raising his sword high, Jose shouted,
“Bursen!”
His voice cut through the noise of the battlefield.
“Are you going to be Briol’s sidekick?”
Jose bellowed.
“Charge like Bursen!”
The word “charge” echoed.
As the echoes faded, the roar of the Bursen army filled the void and soared into the sky.
“Chaaaarge!”
The Bursen troops surged forward and crashed into the Empire’s defenses. Some died, some killed. Spears and swords clashed, sending droplets of blood flying high.
Next came the Holy Kingdom, then Liberta. The allied forces of the smaller nations rained arrows down on the Empire’s soldiers like a storm.
After the initial shock of the clash, the struggle for dominance continued.
Suddenly, a burst of sword energy erupted in the heart of the Empire’s ranks.
“I am Jose Aratur!”
Jose roared like a lion as he plunged into the enemy.
The Empire’s soldiers surrounded him from all sides, but none could stop him.
Each swing of his sword lashed out like a whip, tearing through the enemy.
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Jose laughed, glancing around.
He’d thought the Empire’s army was too expressionless to be fun to fight, but seeing them steadily retreat with calm faces was a different kind of thrill.
Jose strode forward.
“You worthless Empire scum! Bring me someone who can stop me!”
Soon, a knight clad in black armor appeared. Jose immediately sensed he was a commander-level warrior.
There was an unnatural aura about him, likely altered by dark magic.
Now this was a fight worth having.
Jose flexed his muscles and asked,
“I am Jose Aratur of Bursen. What’s your name?”
The knight said nothing.
Jose snapped angrily.
“Empire bastards have no manners! It’s knightly etiquette to state your name before a fight, you rats!”
Jose swung his sword. After exchanging blows a few times, the Empire knight was pushed back.
More knights appeared, surrounding Jose and attacking together.
“Think numbers will make a difference?”
Jose ignored them and looked up.
The entire Empire formation was visible.
An enormous force.
This was going to be a long fight.
“Looks like a long day ahead.”
He spun around to parry an incoming knight’s strike, grabbed his neck, and slammed him to the ground. The knight’s skull cracked, blood and brains spilling onto the earth.
Jose straightened up again.
“Good. Today, I’ll kill more than the prince.”
While Jose vowed to fight fiercely, Yuri was locked in a brutal melee with the Empire’s forces.
He no longer counted how many he’d killed. There were too many to keep track of—likely over a hundred.
“Really a lot.”
Every swing of his sword sent another head flying, yet the enemy numbers never seemed to dwindle. Worse, grotesque creatures that could hardly be called human appeared intermittently, attacking relentlessly. Who knew how many more awaited?
He was fine, but the other soldiers would eventually tire.
The battle had to end before that happened.
“With this many troops here, Hwangseong must be nearly undefended.”
What was Cedric planning in Zbeta?
Yuri looked up.
“Inariel!”
He shouted toward the distant Briol forces, hoping his voice would carry.
“Send another one down!”
Of course, no reply came.
Just in case, he killed three more enemies and looked to the sky, but there was no sign of fireballs or glowing orbs.
He shouted again.
“Inariel!”
Then five more fell. Still no response.
Yuri growled.
“Hey! Inariel! Are you asleep?”
As if answering him, something began to form in the sky.
A dark cloud.
[Not asleep.]
“Huh?”
Suddenly, a voice whispered close by, startling him. It was Inariel’s voice, as if she were right beside him.
“Where are you?”
[In the rear. I’m sending my voice through magic.]
“You should save that mana for fireballs, not clouds.”
[Cut the nonsense.]
Yuri chuckled. He could almost see Inariel’s sulky expression.
[Dark magic will be cast soon.]
“Dark magic?”
Yuri closed his eyes, then opened them again. Within the realm of his mind, dark, tangled shapes flickered across his vision.
[If you just leave it be, you’ll lose.]
“Lose?”
[Even if you somehow win, the casualties will be devastating.]
“What should I do?”
[The moment that thing is used, I’ll hijack the flow and steal the magic’s very essence.]
“Huh?”
[There’ll be chaos. You need to command well. And don’t be surprised.]
“What kind of magic is it?”
[Handle it however you see fit. It’s up to you.]
Inariel’s voice cut off.
Yuri frowned.
“No, you should at least tell me what it is…”
At that moment, he felt his heart pounding wildly. The dark energy he’d seen earlier was spreading across the entire battlefield.
Darkness rose from beneath his feet.
“Uh…”
From below, a voice whispered beyond reality.
Yuri had seen something like this before.
Something grabbed his ankle.
“This is…”
The dead were rising, clutching at Yuri’s ankle. The corpses of fallen Imperial soldiers on the ground began to stir one after another.
They wielded broken weapons, their tattered bodies swaying as they lunged at the living.
Yuri stomped on the head of a reanimated Imperial soldier.
“This… this…”
As the corpses attacked, the Anti-Imperial Alliance forces faltered, shaken to their core. Even the knights failed to respond properly, leaving gaps in their defense.
The walking dead swarmed over fallen knights, tearing into their bodies.
It was like a scene straight out of hell.
“Damn it.”
Yuri looked up at the sky.
It seemed Inariel had anticipated this. If so, there had to be a reason he summoned those dark clouds.
Suddenly, raindrops brushed against Yuri’s cheek.
He wiped his face.
“Rain.”
The rain began to fall.
The dark energy animating the dead started to dissolve. The black mist, rising up to his ankles, soaked with rainwater and collapsed onto the ground.
“No way…”
But the dead did not fall back down.
Yuri felt a pang of disappointment.
“What the hell, it’s just rain and no effect…”
He didn’t finish his sentence.
Something was rising from the ground again. At first, he thought more enemies were appearing, as before. But looking closer, that wasn’t the case.
They were allies.
Yuri let out a bitter laugh.
If the black magic had raised the dead Imperial soldiers, then the rain Inariel sent absorbed that power and stirred the hearts of their own fallen comrades.
Yuri saw a soldier rise beside him.
His eyes seemed empty, hollow—but looking deeper, a faint spark flickered within.
The gaze of the dead soldier fixed on Yuri.
“…”
The dead should never rise.
The departed deserve peace.
But the natural order had already been overturned, the heavenly mandate twisted.
In a world where right becomes left and left becomes right, which path leads back to the true way?
Yuri reached out his hand.
“Hey, Noah.”
He was a soldier he knew well. Back in Bezos, Noah had been a clumsy rookie, but now he carried the air of a seasoned veteran.
“You died too soon.”
Noah stood there, dazed.
Yuri grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him close, holding him in his arms.
“Sorry. One more time, okay? We’ll rest soon.”
Patting Noah’s back, Yuri released him. When cradled against his chest, Noah gave a faint nod.
With his tattered body, Noah charged back toward the enemy.
His figure blurred in the rain.
Yuri lifted his head.
His eyes cooled, hardening.
The hilt of his sword spun once. Raindrops flicked off the blade.
Yuri’s gaze swept across the enemy lines.
Then, it stopped on a single point.
“Found you.”
Among the Imperial soldiers, a robed black mage appeared briefly, then vanished. The moment was fleeting, but it was enough.
Yuri’s foot struck the ground.
In an instant, he disappeared.