Baron Hutton hastily raised his sword to block Ghislain’s downward strike. Clang! “Ugh!” The sheer force behind the attack made him stagger. He tilted his blade slightly to redirect some of the impact, but it wasn’t enough. Crack! The ground beneath Hutton’s feet split as he slid backward. His eyes widened in disbelief. ‘What in the...?’ It was just a simple strike, yet it felt like his sword was on the verge of shattering. If he hadn’t redirected the force, it might have broken not just his blade but his bones as well. This wasn’t the same strength he’d experienced earlier when blocking the arrows—it was far beyond that. A creeping sense of dread began to take hold. Rumble. Ghislain didn’t relent, continuing to press his blade against Hutton’s. The baron’s sword was steadily forced downward, inching closer to his head. Ghislain’s crimson eyes glowed with a wild, almost demonic glee. His smile only deepened, radiating an unsettling aura. ‘This... This isn’t the power of an upper-tier knight!’ The intelligence reports had labeled Ghislain as an early-stage upper-tier knight, primarily because he’d never gained notoriety for his strength in battle. Even that estimation was generous, based on rumors of his participation in the *Cavaldi War.* Hutton himself had assumed this evaluation to be accurate. Despite being injured, he believed his superior skill and experience would allow him to dictate the flow of the battle. But this power was absurd! ‘This has to be wrong! There’s no way—’ At that moment, Ghislain abruptly withdrew his strength and raised his blade. The sudden shift caused Hutton’s sword to jerk upward, as if chasing after Ghislain’s. Whoosh! Clang! Hutton twisted his arm with difficulty, barely managing to parry Ghislain’s follow-up strike before retreating a few steps. ‘Directly contesting strength is a losing battle. That bastard’s power isn’t normal.’ Ghislain’s youthful energy surged with raw might, and with his mana reserves still full, he was unrelenting. Baron Hutton resolved to rely on his technique instead, but Ghislain gave him no chance to breathe, pressing forward with a series of relentless strikes. Clang! Clang! Clang! Sparks flew as their blades clashed repeatedly in mid-air. Despite Hutton’s attempts to turn the tide, he found himself increasingly on the defensive. It became harder to dodge or counter Ghislain’s attacks, leaving him with no choice but to block them. Even so, Hutton’s composure didn’t waver. His technique remained precise, methodically fending off each of Ghislain’s unpredictable strikes while searching for an opening. Ghislain grinned, clearly entertained. “You’re good. If you weren’t injured, this might’ve been a fun fight.” He meant it. A knight of Hutton’s caliber wasn’t easy to come by outside the duchy’s elite forces in the Rutania Kingdom. But Hutton’s injuries, combined with the arrow wounds, prevented him from fighting at full strength. Even so, his skill was impressive enough to explain how he’d been able to battle Gillian on equal footing. ‘His physical capabilities and mana are a bit lacking, but his swordsmanship is among the best in the North.’ “Unfortunately, the battlefield isn’t a place for sympathy,” Ghislain said, his tone growing colder. He had no intention of prolonging the fight. Dwelling on a weakened opponent’s potential wouldn’t change the outcome. Taking a deep breath, Ghislain adjusted his stance, his expression hardening. Hutton, despite being pushed to his limits, remained unshaken. Even as Ghislain’s superior strength and speed bore down on him, the baron’s resolve never faltered. But facing such an opponent with skill alone would only drag out the fight unnecessarily. The answer was simple. Overwhelm him with even greater strength and speed. Whirr— The energy of Ghislain’s third-stage core activation surged through him, and his eyes glowed an even fiercer shade of red. “Let’s start again.” Hutton, realizing the shift in Ghislain’s power, braced himself. BOOM! Each swing of Ghislain’s blade now roared like thunder. The sheer power of his strikes left Hutton reeling. ‘How can he have this kind of strength?!’ Clang! Each block left Hutton’s posture unstable, his insides churning from the shock. Clang! Clang! The relentless assault was too much. Despite his mana reinforcement, Hutton’s sword began to crack under the strain. Crack! Crack! With each clash, the cracks grew wider, until— Shatter! Hutton’s blade broke with a deafening crack. His mana could no longer hold up against the overwhelming force. “This... can’t be...” Slice! Before he could retreat, Ghislain’s sword tore through the air, severing Hutton’s right arm. “AAAAARGH!” As Hutton collapsed, Desmond’s knights surged forward in desperation. “Save the Baron!” Panic was etched across their faces. The duel was clearly over, and interrupting would dishonor Hutton’s name, but preserving his life now took precedence. However, before they could reach him, Ghislain’s blade swept horizontally. Slash. Hutton’s head separated from his body, rolling to the ground. The battlefield fell silent. “Th-The Baron is....” “Baron Hutton is dead....” “How... could this happen?” Desmond’s soldiers stared in stunned disbelief, but Ghislain wasn’t about to let them wallow. Pointing his bloodied sword at them, he calmly commanded: “Wipe them out.” Whirrr— The Fenris knights and cavalry, waiting behind him, glowed faintly as they activated their cores. Over 300 knights and 1,000 cavalry surged forward with thunderous momentum. Thud! Thud! Thud! Desmond’s soldiers, startled by the sudden charge, scrambled to ready themselves. “Prepare for battle! Get into formation!” Despite their efforts, the Fenris knights reached them first. Slash! Ghislain, still in third-stage activation, cut down a knight before the others could react. Boom! Boom! With Ghislain breaking their lines, Desmond’s formation fell into disarray. “Hold the line!” “Stop them! Stop them now!” But it was futile. The Fenris knights and cavalry tore through the scattered ranks like a storm. Desmond’s troops, already demoralized by Hutton’s death, couldn’t mount a meaningful resistance. Within moments, their pursuit force was utterly destroyed. “Retreat! Fall back to the main army!” “Scatter and regroup!” Desmond’s surviving knights and soldiers fled in every direction, hoping to escape the chaos. Some of the Fenris forces moved to chase them, but Ghislain raised his hand to halt them. “That’s enough. Don’t pursue.” The Fenris troops obeyed. Watching Desmond’s forces scatter, Ghislain chuckled softly. “Quite a few managed to escape. Annoying, but not unbearable. We’ll meet them again soon enough.” Cheers erupted from the Fenris troops as they raised their weapons high in triumph. “We did it!” “Our Lord is truly unmatched in battle!” “As expected of the Lord!” The soldiers and knights celebrated their victory. The quick elimination of Baron Hutton had decisively turned the tide, and they couldn’t help but admire their Lord's strength. Ghislain, looking pleased, allowed himself a small, confident smile as he walked toward Gillian. The troops parted to clear a path for him, their gazes filled with respect. Gillian, supported by medics, watched Ghislain’s approach with deep emotion. He had believed death was certain, but once again, Ghislain had saved him. The man was truly extraordinary. “My Lord....” “Gillian!” Without waiting for further words, Ghislain spread his arms and pulled Gillian into a firm embrace. The two men stood silently for a moment, surrounded by the soldiers who looked on with reverence. After a while, Ghislain stepped back and spoke solemnly. “Honor those who have sacrificed their lives for the land. Show respect to all who fought to protect our territory.” Clank! Clank! The soldiers raised their weapons in a solemn salute. The fallen warriors of Stonehaven had given their lives to defend their homeland, earning the honor and admiration of all who survived. After a moment of silence, Ghislain’s expression shifted to a playful smirk as he looked at Gillian. “So, what’s this? You’ve gotten soft in your old age? Look at you—battered and bruised. I barely recognized you.” Despite the teasing tone, the warmth in Ghislain’s gaze was unmistakable. Gillian chuckled, though his voice was shaky with emotion. “...I’m fine.” “Fine? You look anything but fine! Get yourself and the wounded back to the fortress. I’ll handle the rest here.” Gillian nodded weakly, but something in his expression changed as he realized something important. “My Lord... how did you know to come here?” “It was obvious,” Ghislain replied with a shrug. “When I realized we were losing ground, I knew this would be where the pursuit would lead. Simple, isn’t it?” Gillian nodded in understanding. Of course, their Lord’s insight in battle was unmatched. But his expression turned serious as he asked another question, his voice trembling slightly. “My Lord... does this mean the preparations are already complete?” Ghislain grinned confidently. “No.” “...What?” “There’s no way everything could be done this quickly. Even I’m not that amazing.” 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖 “Then why... why are you here?” Gillian asked, his voice rising in disbelief. Ghislain replied with a nonchalant shrug. “I got the essentials done. Enough to avoid total disaster.” The casual response left Gillian momentarily speechless. Hadn’t they fought to buy time so more thorough preparations could be made? “Essentials...?” “Hey, don’t take it the wrong way,” Ghislain said, waving his hand dismissively. “Thanks to you, we were able to get the bare minimum done. If I’d waited any longer, you’d all be dead. Timing’s everything, right?” Gillian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at his Lord’s confidence. The weight of their sacrifices had not been lost on him, but it was clear Ghislain had no regrets about his decision. “Still, we’re not prepared enough... we can’t take on Desmond’s army like this. You should’ve waited—” “And let you all die in the meantime?” Ghislain interjected, his tone firm. “Even if we—” “What’s the point if you’re all dead?” “...” “There’s no point in a perfect plan if it means sacrificing everyone to get there. A leader’s first priority is the lives of their people. I won’t abandon you for the sake of a little more preparation.” Gillian’s eyes welled up with emotion, as did those of the other soldiers. Their Lord had risked everything for them, prioritizing their lives over strategy. But Gillian quickly snapped back to reality, urgency returning to his voice. “My Lord, I understand, but we need to move immediately. Desmond’s main force isn’t far from here. He’ll already know about the situation and could be closing in on us right now!” Ghislain turned his gaze toward the horizon, cutting Gillian off mid-sentence. “Looks like you’re right. We’re out of time.” Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground began to tremble as Desmond’s main army approached. The rhythmic march of thousands of soldiers echoed ominously. The Fenris troops looked to the sides in alarm as additional forces began encircling them. The fleeing remnants of Desmond’s pursuit force had already regrouped, and the massive army was closing in from all directions. Ghislain smirked as he took in the scene. “At last, we meet face to face, Harold Desmond.”