Thud, thud, thud, thud! At the front, Zwalter's sword glowed blue. With Ghislain’s mana cultivation technique, he now radiated a more powerful and imposing aura than ever. His hair flowed like a lion’s mane, his silver armor gleamed, and his eyes shone with resolute vigor, completing the image of a noble, fearless warrior. He and those following him looked like wolves tearing through the northern lands. “Charge!” Waaaaah! Zwalter’s command triggered an echoing war cry, one so mighty it seemed to shake the earth beneath them. We can do this! We have to do this! Zwalter clenched his teeth, his heart pounding. How long had it been since he’d felt his heart race this way? Up until now, defending the fortress had always been the primary tactic, avoiding any open battle outside. Yet now, they charged out of the fortress in full force, a first in Ferdium’s history. Thud, thud, thud, thud! Zwalter led the way, with every Ferdium knight and cavalryman following closely behind. Even the archers and all other fortress troops joined their charge. The barbarians were caught off guard by the sight. Until now, the fortress had always been a place of defense. They had no strategy for this turn of events. “What... What is this? Why are there so many of them left?” “Didn’t their main force already set out?” “Drop the ladders! We’ll face them here!” The barbarians were unaware that Ghislain had joined with reinforcements, so they assumed that the recent forces were merely a portion of the usual fortress defenders. Seeing an unexpected force emerge dampened the barbarians' initial spirit. But the leading warriors quickly laughed it off. Upon reflection, this situation seemed favorable. “They’re still outnumbered! This is perfect! We’ll crush them all!” Fighting outside the fortress suited them far better. While there were more than expected, it wasn’t enough to cause real concern. Altogether, the Ferdium force barely exceeded a thousand. In contrast, the gathered barbarian warriors surpassed five thousand. These men were hardened by the northern lands; fearing battle was a disgrace among them. So, seeing their numbers swell their courage instead. “They’re weaklings!” “We’ll crush every one of their skulls!” “The northern fortress falls today!” Roars of the savage warriors echoed everywhere. Oooooooh! A fierce killing intent emanated from the barbarians as they gathered their senses. Their cries were fierce and overpowering, drowning out Ferdium’s battle cries. With a steely gaze, Zwalter shouted back at the warriors. “Break through!” Boom! The Ferdium knights at the front swiftly broke through the ranks of barbarians, tearing through their line with newfound power. But the barbarians, equally adept at mounted combat, did not falter against the knights’ charge. The lead warriors began shouting, urging their comrades to counterattack. “Let’s go! Show these weaklings our strength!” To the barbarians, tactics to counter cavalry were unnecessary, fit only for cowards. Barbarians threw themselves directly at the mounted soldiers, unafraid of being trampled, swinging axes at the horses’ legs. Neigh! The horses stumbled, and as knights were knocked from their mounts, the barbarians grabbed them, rolling into brutal melees. Fighting those who feared no death proved to be a formidable challenge. In these chaotic clashes, the true strength of the barbarians surfaced. With their unrelenting advance, the knights found it difficult to maintain their momentum. Gritting his teeth, Zwalter pushed forward. “We can’t let them take the upper hand!” Zwalter was well aware of the barbarians’ ferocious fighting spirit. For this reason, he had avoided direct battles with them for years. Crack! “Die, you bastard!” “This ends today!” Fortunately, Ferdium’s soldiers were equally resolved. Their memories of past losses had only fueled their hatred, and their morale was high from recent victories against the barbarians. They grit their teeth and fought with all they had. The barbarians continued pressing forward, fueled by their numbers and fighting with reckless abandon. Despite heavy casualties, they charged on, seemingly unafraid of the consequences. Crash! A barbarian threw himself at a mounted knight. Knight Skovan barely managed to dodge the attack, yanking the reins, then countered with a quick slash of his sword. This is insane... Can we even win like this? Their numbers are overwhelming! Though Skovan was momentarily doubtful, he quickly shook it off. Ghislain and Claude had crafted the plan, and whatever Ghislain said would work, usually did. I’ll just trust him again. “Arrgh!” Skovan roared, slashing through the approaching barbarians. But despite his resolve, sheer numbers had their limits. Eventually, a barbarian exploited a momentary opening, knocking Skovan off his horse. “Ugh!” Clang! Clang! As soon as he hit the ground, multiple barbarians attacked him with their axes. Skovan channeled his mana, deflecting the blows with a surge of power. Slice! Rising quickly, he countered, cutting down the warriors who had surrounded him. Looking at the bodies sprawled at his feet, he let out a small chuckle. This insane mana technique... It felt like I’d die learning it, but it’s saved me. Though the technique had its drawbacks, the ability to unleash bursts of strength was invaluable. Thanks to it, he’d narrowly survived this ambush. Shing! “Haa... haa...” After fending off yet another wave, Skovan glanced around the battlefield with tired eyes. The tension of combat was overwhelming. The physical and mental toll of the battlefield wore on even the most seasoned soldiers. Skovan wanted to retreat, exhausted, but he forced himself to stay. Now that he had found his strength, he refused to die here. Ricardo, that bastard... He's probably lounging back at the camp in the Beast Forest. Thinking of Ricardo lounging around, Skovan felt a surge of frustration. I’m not dying! Not a chance! That thought renewed his determination, and he continued to swing his sword with a fierce resolve. “Shields! Form a defensive line!” In response to Zwalter’s command, the shield-bearers began forming a line. Unusually large and thick shields were raised, creating a wall where the knights and cavalry had fallen back. Clank! Clank! Clank! In the wake of the knights and cavalry’s retreat, a sturdy wall of shields rose up. Oooooooo! Seeing this, the barbarians roared triumphantly. They couldn’t understand why the Ferdium forces had come out of the fortress only to retreat to shields. Now emboldened, the barbarians redoubled their attacks. Though they had suffered initial losses, their overwhelming numbers fueled their fury. Crash! Crash! Crash! Axes pounded relentlessly against the shields. The Ferdium soldiers gritted their teeth, holding their ground under the brutal assault. Their sole focus was on defense, not counterattack. “Hah! They’re finally scared!” “This is what cowards do!” “If you’ve come this far, just give up your heads!” Emboldened by their advantage, the barbarians pressed forward, attempting to leap over the shield wall. Behind the shield-bearers, Ferdium’s spearmen thrust forward, dispatching those who tried to climb over, but the barbarians kept coming. Once their bloodlust took over, nothing deterred them. But in their frenzy, they failed to notice that the shield wall was extending sideways. And Zwalter, silently watching, waited, eyes gleaming. The formation is set... but the attack is happening faster than expected. Initially, the plan had been to engage the barbarians in prolonged battle before fully establishing the formation. But their ferocity made a longer fight impossible. The only way to prevent excessive losses was to rely on the shields. Hold on... just a little longer. While Zwalter steeled himself, the barbarian attacks grew more intense, convinced they were winning. The Ferdium army, vastly outnumbered, was bound to falter if they stayed on the defensive. As it was, only the barbarians were attacking now, with Ferdium fending off the worst of it. Clang! Clang! “Victory is ours!” “Push harder! Just a little more!” The barbarians, lost in the frenzy of combat, didn’t hear the distant sound of galloping hooves. Thud, thud, thud, thud! A lone figure appeared on the horizon, riding with fierce speed, catching Zwalter’s eye. But it was only one rider approaching fast, not the reinforcements he’d been expecting. What... why just one? Clang! Clang! Clang! Each axe blow against the shield line shook it. The general troops were struggling to hold up under the relentless assault of the half-crazed barbarians. Zwalter continued to encourage his soldiers while eyeing the approaching figure in confusion. What’s going on? Why is he alone? Though the plan had been advancing faster than anticipated, he’d hoped to hold out until help arrived. Yet here came someone, precisely when he needed them most, as if they had planned it all along. Though it was just one figure, the lone rider was closing in with remarkable speed, drawing the attention of several barbarians at the rear. “Enemy! There's an enemy behind us!” “What? Just one?” “Is this guy insane? Charging at us alone?” The barbarians in the rear turned, spotting a single rider galloping toward them with uncanny speed. Most barbarians simply scoffed, too absorbed in the main fight to pay attention to a solitary opponent. They expected their comrades at the back to handle him. But the few who stood ready to intercept him quickly recognized that something was unusual about this rider. Thud, thud, thud! With every blink, he seemed to be twice as close as before. “Why... why is he so fast? How is this possible?” He moved in perfect harmony with his mount, extracting every ounce of speed from it, displaying a level of horsemanship that stunned even the most seasoned barbarians. As the rider neared, his fierce red eyes became visible, and Zwalter, watching from afar, recognized him. “Ghislain—!” The rider’s crimson eyes burned with intensity, his spear beginning to glow a deep red as he drew upon his mana. A sinister smile crept across Ghislain’s face as he raised his spear. “Here I come, Father.”