“D*mn it… these monsters!”
“Stop! Don’t get left behind!”
The attack from the Lizard Folk suddenly broke through the castle wall. Some knights lost their lives helplessly in the surprise assault from beings whose fighting power easily surpassed that of ordinary humans.
However, Frank’s knights were not easily overwhelmed. As some of the strongest knights on the continent, proficient in wielding mana, they responded calmly, despite facing these enemies for the first time.
“Watch out for their teeth! Weak, but full of mana!”
“Close the gaps! Reinforce the defense so they don’t rampage!”
In addition to their teeth, the Lizard Folk possessed tails and claws of considerable strength. If they swung once, the knights could defend against it, but ordinary soldiers were tossed aside in vain, some even losing their lives. These beings were like living weapons, and the only way to deal with them was to limit their ability to run amok as much as possible.
“Shields up! Hold the line! Protect the soldiers while the knights go for their throats!”
Frank’s troops, truly deserving of the title “elite army,” responded swiftly even in unfamiliar situations. Despite their efforts, the situation did not go smoothly.
The Tarkic soldiers took advantage of the gaps between the knights and soldiers who were protecting the barrier against the Lizard Folk.“Keoouk!”
“This… these d*mn beasts!”
The Tarkic soldiers of the Tarkic Empire pushed through the weak spots in the defense. The troops, barely holding their own against attacks from both humans and demons like Beowulf, began to falter.
“Quaaagh!”
“Gah!!”
One by one, the knights battling the Lizard Folk fell to the surprise assault from the Tarkic soldiers. The regular soldiers who supported them also fell, and eventually, the barrier was breached. Countless soldiers of the Tarkic Empire began flooding into the formation.
“The barrier has been captured!”
“Wipe them all out! For the glory of the Tarkic Empire!”
The pendulum of balance, which had been maintained by a thread, collapsed instantly, and the situation quickly worsened. Despite the fierce resistance from the Frankish army, the barrier was lost. The remaining soldiers began to retreat to the next line of defense, responding promptly to the retreat order.
***
“Frank’s barrier has been breached,” the adjutant reported.
“It’s much earlier than expected… Is this truly the Tarkic Empire’s army?” Gerard’s expression grew even more grave.
He had expected to buy more time by using the geographical advantages of the rivers and barriers, but that expectation had been shattered. There was still another defensive line made up of simple roadblocks, but now that the first line of defense—the strongest besides the fortress walls—had fallen, there was little hope.
“I can’t leave things like this. Ready my horse. I’ll buy some time myself.”
“Are you sure? There are demons and shamans among the enemy. If they target you…”
“Even so, I can’t let Frank’s troops suffer like this. Now that the first line of defense has been breached, we must give them time to reorganize their formation and safely retreat to the castle.”
With those words, Gerard drew his sword. At the same time, a surge of mana began to radiate from his body.
“If something happens to me, defend this place to the end. Hold out until the relief army arrives.”
“I understand, Commander Gerard.”
For the commander-in-chief to personally step onto the battlefield was a dangerous move. It could boost the army’s morale, but if he were to fall at the hands of the enemy, morale would plummet, and the command structure would be thrown into disarray, leading to defeat in mere hours. It was a high-risk tactic, often viewed as reckless in strategic warfare.
But in this situation, things were different.
***
“Advance!”
“K!ll them all!”
After breaching the barrier and reorganizing, the Tarkic Empire’s forces charged forward with terrifying momentum. Now that the barrier had been broken, they faced little resistance and rapidly advanced toward Frank’s camp.
At the front were the Lizard Folk, who had played a key role in breaking through the barrier, followed by cavalrymen and werewolves. Their approach inspired a sense of dread that far surpassed that of ordinary human soldiers.
The Frankish soldiers, armed with spears and shields, instinctively began to tremble. They had fought in countless battles, but they had never faced such terrifying creatures head-on. Even with the advantage of the barrier, their comrades had already been defeated once. If not for the generals holding swords at the rear and driving them forward, many soldiers would have likely dropped their weapons and fled.
In this grim situation, with the overwhelming presence of the enemy looming over them, the thought of victory seemed too distant to grasp.
And just as the wave of death reached their frontlines…
“Quaaagh!”
“Keoouk!”
“Damn it! Die, you monster! I’m dying… Ugh!”
The forces of the Tarkic Empire easily trampled the Frankish soldiers, who fought in fear. The Lizard Folk scaled the barriers in an instant, breaking through the soldiers’ shields, while the Tarkic cavalry and werewolves followed closely behind, slaughtering mercilessly. Their combat method, leveraging their overwhelming physical strength, crushed the tactics of ordinary humans.
As the formation began to collapse, General Fabre issued urgent orders.
“Target those giant lizards! Mobilize all the archers and mages if you have to! Take them down, no matter the cost!”
“Yes, General!”
The archers and mages immediately followed Fabre’s command, raining down attacks on the Lizard Folk and the giant lizards charging through the lines. Though this caused considerable damage to their own troops, they managed to take down the Lizard Folk, who had been leading the assault, slowing the collapse of the formation.
Watching this unfold, Fabre felt a renewed sense of awe at the power of the Tarkic Empire, the most formidable force on the continent.
“To lead demons that can hardly communicate and operate an army with such precise tactics… It’s terrifying. This is beyond what Frank’s strength alone can handle.”
Fabre, who had always fought with pride against the Holy Church, now felt true fear. The size of the Tarkic army, their operations, their strategies—they were far beyond anything Frank’s forces could match.
Yet, alongside his fear, a burning fighting spirit welled up within Fabre.
“A force of evil with this much power… As I told General Gerard earlier, this is a truly worthy battlefield.”
With that, Fabre focused all his energy on commanding his troops once more, determined to fight this formidable enemy to the end. As the Lizard Folk were finally eliminated, the Frankish army attempted to reorganize. However, the aftermath of the earlier battle and the relentless offensive from the Tarkic forces made it difficult to regroup.
“They’re relentless… They’re not giving us any time to catch our breath. We have no choice…”
Fabre hesitated. He knew that if the knights stepped forward, they could buy some time, but sending them into this chaotic melee without the advantage of a barrier would come at a high cost. Above all, if they lost their last line of defense, they would have no way to respond to any unforeseen threats that followed.
Still, he had no other option. If they didn’t regroup, the entire army would collapse. Just as Fabre prepared to give the difficult order…
Bang!
“What… what was that?”
A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield, drawing Fabre’s attention.
To his astonishment, a portion of the Tarkic Empire’s army had been obliterated by a sudden explosion. Charging through the gap were knights on black horses, tearing through the enemy formations with terrifying speed and precision.
Hundreds of knights in black armor cut through the imperial forces like a scythe through grass.
Recognizing who they were, Fabre’s voice wavered between relief and concern.
“The Black Legion… And leading them… It’s General Gerard.”
I NEED YOUR HELP: During the recent unrest in the country I am from, our family hardware store was broken into and looted by thugs. I don’t know why they did it, since my family has always been minding our own business, without bothering anyone else. I’m guessing some people are taking advantage of the current lawless and chaotic state of the country.
Anyways, the incident now leaves me as the only earning member of my family. Long time readers know that I was already dealing with a mountain of trouble (that I inherited from my father), and was already struggling. I had created a plan of action, and was steadily moving forward. But this incident destroyed whatever plans I had, again. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to me again and again. I might as well be cursed or something.
So here I am, after much hesitation, once again asking for your support. If you are reading this, please help if you are able to, I repeat, help only if you are able to. I am not asking something for free, you can become a Patron at Patreon to gain access to more chapters, or sponsor as many chapters you can from any of the novels you enjoy on Goblinslate here at BuymeaCoffee. Or if you just want to help, you can donate any amount at the Wishlist at BuymeaCoffee. Thank you.
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