Boom! Boom! Boom!
An overwhelming number of fireballs struck the charging cavalry of the Artrode Army head-on.
The soldiers couldn't react to the sudden barrage of fireballs.
Under normal circumstances, skilled soldiers might have evaded or blocked the attack.
But at the moment, they were fully focused on maneuvering their horses, and within their tight formations, there was no space to dodge.
Moreover, no one would have expected such an attack in a cavalry battle.
"Uwaaahhh!"
Hiiiiiing!
The attack spared neither horse nor rider. The cavalrymen collapsed and became entangled with their mounts.
The Fenris Mobile Army's formation was just as stretched out as the Artrode Army's, and the fireballs covered a wide area, raining down relentlessly.
The Artrode Army's front ranks were decimated. Those following behind couldn't stop in time and tripped over the fallen soldiers.
As the frontlines fell in droves, the middle ranks scrambled to halt their horses.
But the attacks didn't stop there.
Fwoooosh!
From the rear of the Fenris Mobile Army, more fireballs were unleashed.
There was no particular precision in the targeting; the fireballs rained down indiscriminately, striking the Artrode Army once more.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of fire devastated the Artrode Army yet again. Some soldiers managed to dodge or block attacks heading for their bodies, but when their mounts were hit, they had no choice but to tumble to the ground.
"Move! Move out of the way!"
"No, stop!"
Crash!
Even the cavalry coming from the rear couldn't reduce their speed in time and collided with their fallen comrades.
Screaming as they fell, the soldiers tangled with each other. Falling with their horses, most were severely injured and couldn't rise again.
Thus, the Artrode Army's formation completely collapsed.
And yet, the sound of galloping hooves still echoed powerfully across the battlefield.
Dudududu!
The fireballs had stopped. But now, the Fenris Mobile Army was charging toward the shattered Artrode Army.
Their speed only increased, and their momentum grew more terrifying with every second.
"Get up!"
"Quickly reform the lines!"
"Hold them! We must hold them back!"
Artrode commanders shouted from all directions.
If the charge was allowed to proceed unopposed, their forces would be completely overrun. They had to stand and reform their ranks somehow.
The soldiers who could still stand abandoned their horses and grabbed their weapons. Others hurriedly mounted uninjured horses.
But the time they had to prepare was far too short.
Before the soldiers could fully regroup, the enemy was upon them.
BOOOOM!
"Aaaagh!"
The Fenris Mobile Army swept through the Artrode Army as if piercing straight through them.
The Mobile Army had been meticulously trained by Ghislain from the very beginning.
Under his guidance, they had grown into an exceptional force through the rigors of war. Extreme training and battlefield experience had forged them into warriors stronger than anyone.
Boom!
Through the gaps left in the frontlines, the Fenris Mobile Army's rear ranks charged in, exploiting every opening.
This dual-charge strategy inflicted even greater damage. It was a tactic that could harm their own side if executed poorly, but the Mobile Army succeeded flawlessly.
Idun snapped out of his daze and shouted, "The mages! What are the mages doing?!"
He couldn't fathom how such an overwhelming attack was possible. But one thing was certain—it was magic.
He had ordered his mages to risk their lives to block enemy spells. How could something like this have happened?!
Turning to the mages, Idun's face twisted in frustration, but he couldn't speak after seeing their condition.
"Guh… guh…"
The mages, even those up to the 6th circle, were bleeding from their noses as they desperately fended off enemy magic.
Some of their hair had turned white—a sign that they had drawn on their life force to supplement their mana.
Above the two armies, bursts of red and blue light repeatedly flared and vanished.
It was the phenomenon of magic being cast and dispelled. The mages were truly giving their all to block the enemy's magic.
And yet, the Mobile Army continued to use magic.
Idun bit his lip furiously, his mind in turmoil.
"How… how are they doing this?"
The Artrode Army's mages weren't idle. Some of the spells cast by the Mobile Army had indeed been dispelled.
Within the range of the Artrode Army's mana field, neutralizing the magic itself wasn't too difficult. The problem was the sheer number of spells.
Already at a disadvantage against the Fenris mages, they now faced an additional onslaught of fireballs, numbering in the thousands. The Artrode mages could only manage to block a few hundred at best.
Watching Artrode Army crumble in an instant, Ghislain smirked.
"They never imagined an attack like this."
Even without Vanessa, the Fenris mages could suppress the enemy mages.
Vanessa, however, deliberately intervened to put more pressure on the Artrode mages. Forced to draw on their life force, they were pushed to the brink.
Meanwhile, it was as if 20,000 low-circle mages had joined the battlefield, casting spells simultaneously.
The resulting surge of mana was immense. Even a superhuman could only protect themselves and their immediate surroundings, not dispel all the magic.
Idun felt like he was going insane.
"How are they doing this?! The entire Mobile Army can't be mages!"
One of the nearby mages, panting heavily, replied,
"It… it seems they're using artifacts."
"What?! That many soldiers are using artifacts? Does Fenris have gold pouring out of their coffers? That many Rune Stones—"
Idun stopped mid-sentence as something dawned on him.
Rune Stones.
Duke Fenris had first risen to fame because of the Rune Stones.
He had developed the Forest of Demonic Beasts and used its resources to amass great wealth.
Among those resources, Rune Stones were his most significant foundation. Duke Fenris had used them to accomplish many feats.
But soon after, the Fenris territory had reduced its sales of Rune Stones.
'That's right… after the drought, they replaced everything with food. They've just been stockpiling Rune Stones.'
It all made sense now. They had enough Rune Stones to craft artifacts.
On top of that, Duke Fenris had consistently captured and recruited enemy mages during the war. Recently, even an 8th-circle mage had joined the Lutania forces.
In other words, Fenris had the money and manpower to create low-circle artifacts in large quantities.
'They were making those… just for me?'
Of course, they hadn't been made specifically for Idun. But they were meant for critical battles like this one.
Being self-centered, Idun couldn't help but think they had been prepared solely to face him.
Regardless of the intent, the result was that the Fenris Army had equipped themselves with monstrous gear. At this rate, they would surely lose.
Idun turned to the Silver Knight Order and shouted, "Attack them now! Attack those bastards immediately!"
He had no choice but to use his hidden trump card. Duke Fenris and the 7th-circle mage could be dealt with by the priests.
BOOOM!
The Silver Knight Order unleashed their mana and charged forward.
They had already dismounted. This was no time for fighting on horseback.
The Silver Knight Order was considered the greatest knightly order on the continent. Each member was at least of mid-level skill, and there were 100 of them.
With that kind of power, they could even bring down a superhuman through coordinated efforts.
Their charge would surely halt the Mobile Army's advance. The Silver Knight Order alone could sweep through thousands of soldiers in an instant.
During that time, Idun planned to regroup the surviving forces.
Watching the Silver Knight Order move, Ghislain lightly waved his hand.
"Now, go. Pair up and take them on. Show them who the strongest knights on the continent really are."
"Full-body workout today, boys!"
"Let's goooo!"
Paladin Gordon and Lucas roared as they charged forward, followed by 200 Fenris knights.
The Fenris knights had grown as strong as the Silver Knight Order. All of them far surpassed mid-level skill.
Gordon had become a high-level knight, and Lucas was nearing the peak.
And they outnumbered the Silver Knight Order.
Watching his knights charge, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.
"In my past life, I was so frustrated."
Back then, with his forces in shambles and injured himself, Ghislain had faced the Silver Knight Order's coordinated attack. He had killed them all but was left too weakened to defeat Idun.
That memory had driven him to train his knights tirelessly. Knowing the Silver Knight Order's strength, he ensured his knights reached at least mid-level skill.
He had even taught them the secret Mana Cultivation Technique.
The result was 400 knights raised with his utmost effort. He had brought only half of them here, but even that was more than enough to crush the Silver Knight Order.
"Hurry up and run!"
Boom!
Lucas surged forward, radiating mana as he led the charge. The other knights unleashed their mana as if refusing to be outdone.
The Silver Knight Order had to navigate through their fallen allies. But the Mobile Army, as if on cue, widened their formation, creating a path for their knights to pass through.
Thanks to that, the Fenris knights intercepted the Silver Knight Order before they could reach the Mobile Army.
As the Silver Knight Order spread out to attack the Mobile Army, the Fenris knights mirrored their formation, spreading out to meet them.
"Hey, hey, hey! You'll be playing with us!"
Gordon shouted loudly as he charged in. At the same time, more than a hundred knights clashed with one another. Their battle was on a completely different level from that of the soldiers.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Mana erupted from both sides as they tried to kill each other. Naturally, the soldiers distanced themselves from the knights.
At first, it seemed evenly matched. The knights were of similar skill, after all. But one side moved in pairs.
Clang!
The moment the swords clashed, another Fenris knight struck the opposing knight's body.
Most of the Fenris knights had lived rough lives, like mercenaries. For them, the concept of chivalry didn't exist in the slightest.
They would do anything to win a fight.
"Hey, hey, hey! Look at this!"
One knight, in the middle of combat, suddenly spoke to his opponent and threw sand in his face. Meanwhile, another knight, pretending to coordinate, tackled the enemy and knocked him over.
Some even spat in their opponent's eyes when their attacks were blocked.
The Silver Knights were dumbfounded. It didn't feel like they were fighting knights but rather lunatics.
"You filthy scoundrels! How dare you call yourselves knights?! Where is your honor?!"
"We don't care about that, you bastard! Here, have some of this!"
Fwoosh!
One knight sprinkled a special spicy powder made by Belinda, a tactic Kaor had previously used effectively.
Two knights ganged up on one opponent, fighting with extremely dirty tactics. With their similar skill levels, it made them much harder to deal with.
Moreover, the Fenris knights displayed perfect teamwork, thanks to Ghislain's grueling training.
"Guhhh!"
Silver Knights began collapsing, coughing up blood.
They had never experienced such crude and shameless fighting. Confused and disoriented, they died one by one.
Even the Mobile Army soldiers glanced at the scene.
'Wow, thank goodness they're not our enemies.'
'They're on our side, but man, they're filthy.'
'They really might be the strongest knights on the continent—strongest in being dirty, that is.'
Unaware of the atmosphere around them, the Fenris knights were exhilarated. It was hard not to enjoy an overwhelming victory.
"Hahaha! These bastards are weak! All show with their fancy armor!"
"The monsters in the forest are tougher than this!"
"We're the best in the north! The best in the kingdom! No, the best on the continent!"
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
They made sure to finish off even the fallen knights. The battle was clearly turning in Fenris's favor.
Idun's face turned pale.
"M-my knights…!"
The Silver Knights, whom he had believed to be the strongest on the continent, were falling far too easily.
They weren't supposed to die like this. They were supposed to fight for him, win for him, and die for him.
At the very least, they should have drained Duke Fenris's strength before falling. How could they die so pitifully, without achieving anything?!
"No, this can't be! Stop them! Kill those bastards!"
An enraged Idun shouted at the priests, abandoning all pretense of composure.
The priests understood the gravity of the situation. They couldn't just sit back and wait to capture Duke Fenris.
They had to intervene and start cutting down the Fenris knights and the Mobile Army.
But before they could act, Ghislain was already charging forward, sword in hand.
BOOOOM!
His speed as he ran, dismounted from his horse, was nothing short of dazzling.
Seeing the approaching red light, Idun shifted his focus.
"Kill that bastard first!"
There was still time before all his forces were wiped out. If they could kill Duke Fenris, they could still turn the tide.
With the combined strength of himself and the priests, they could sweep through the remaining Fenris knights and Mobile Army.
BOOOOM!
The priests ignored everything else and charged at Ghislain. After a moment's hesitation, Idun joined them.
There was no longer time to play games or overthink things.
'We'll have to catch him while he's come out to fight on his own!'
Idun briefly considered leaving Duke Fenris to the priests while he reduced the Fenris forces, but he couldn't risk weakening himself.
If the priests died, he would be left isolated amidst enemy forces.
Ghislain, now in the midst of the battlefield, shouted loudly.
"Everyone, fall back!"
There were still enemies present, but not enough to interfere significantly. If left unchecked, his allies could end up suffering from the aftershocks of the battle.
The Fenris knights and Mobile Army swiftly spread out and retreated.
At the same time, Ghislain's sword clashed with the priests' energy.
BOOOOM!
The combined energy of the four priests was powerful, but Ghislain could handle it.
The priests weren't the main threat.
BOOOOM!
From behind the priests, a brilliant blue sword appeared.
The sword sliced through the air, descending toward Ghislain's head.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]