Chapter 27: Chapter 26

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Sorry for the late post but this chapter was the longest I've ever wrote and took quite a bit out of me to write. I hope you enjoy it! -Prov

Arlan, JD, Wren, Chrysta, Noah, Sayla, and Layla buried Miss Petrah in front of the Manor. They also buried the orphan’s remains as best they could. Not much was said.

JD and Arlan scouted the area around them to ensure there were no more Swora soldiers. They returned shortly to see a platoon of Midland soldiers had just arrived. Leading them was Count Emile in his armor. His face was grim and he knew what had happened. Arlan stepped forth between the rest of the orphans. The hate in his heart had retreated to the dark corners.

“Count Emile, the Swora soldiers have entered our borders. This is an act of war,” stated Arlan.

Count Emile replied while dismounting his horse, “The Swora has just declared war and the south is in rebellion. I’m sorry about what happened here.”

I miscalculated. I thought we’d have at least another three months. My own mistakes have now cost the lives of this orphanage and many more. Have I gotten complacent?

“How far have they come?” asked Arlan.

“A Swora Army of ten-thousand have captured Tudora. This area isn’t safe anymore. The South is in too much disarray for us to tell but we do know Auron is under siege. A rebel army is also positioned between Galdo and Auron. I can tell you more but for now, please come back to Galdo with me,” stated Count Emile.

Arlan agreed and the walk back home felt even heavier. Arlan, JD, and Noah were vigilant along with the soldiers as to watch for more potential Swora scouting parties.

It had taken them only a few hours before finally reaching Galdo City at night. The streets were normally bustling but there were far less people inside and the Galdo Garrison was at full strength along with Count Emile’s banner. Count Emile commanded an army of five-thousand soldiers and they were out in force.

The entire region had been put on high alert due to the turn of events. Refugees were pouring in through the north gate as well. They were mostly from Tudora and were being sorted out by the Galdo Ministry. As they entered Highmane, the same was happening all over, the staff, guards, and officials were all scrambling around. Wren, Chrysta, Sayla, and Layla were told to head to Arlan’s quarters. JD and Noah were tasked to assist Arlan.

The young lion knew what was to come. Count Emile ordered out, “Arlan, you and your retinue are to come to the council room immediately. The war council is happening now.”

The young lion answered, “By your command, Count Emile.”

JD and Noah nodded at Arlan as they followed their commander through the halls of Highmane. Soldiers and guards were rushing around gathering weapons and issuing orders. Servants were preparing supplies and different logistics. Highmane was the stepping stone to attacking Auron.

The trio arrived at the council room and were allowed inside by the elite guards. Upon entry, the room was crowded with numerous different officials, commanders, generals, and nobles. Some were smaller houses while some were higher houses.

Arlan’s father sat at the helm of the table and nodded at his son’s entry. Lord Commander Jermaine was standing right behind him with blood on his armor. It didn’t appear to be his. Count Daxton sat to the left of Duke Louis while Count Emile sat to his right.

There was constant chatter until Duke Louis raised his hand and spoke, “Let us began this war council. At the moment, the south is in chaos between loyalist and rebels. The Royal Army has been dispatched from Oreta. The King has re-appointed Dink as the Grand Marshal of the Royal Army. The only issue is that the Royal Army may not be enough to stop the south but Dink has guaranteed me that he can at least hold the line for two months time.”

A nobleman from the corner of the room asked, “And what of the Swora to the North and the rebels outside Auron?”

“I’ll get to that,” answered Duke Louis as he continued, “Auron City is under siege by a rebel army from House Beaumont while another unknown rebel army is a day away from here. Both armies number thirty-thousand soldiers each. House Lansley has promised that they can hold the siege but will not be able to provide support until Auron’s siege is broken. To the north, an advanced Swora Army of twenty thousand has captured Tudora. The Swora main army will depart from their capital in one month and arrive here in three months.”

Everyone gasped and there was panic. Not only did the rebellion start sooner but the Swora also declared war at the same time. This was the worst possible scenario.

A loud thud hit the table silencing the chatter. It was Duke Louis fist. The Duke resumed, “Here’s what I want, gather your banners and assist Count Emile with defending Galdo City. Then after defeating the rebel army enroute here, ride south to assist House Lansley. As for the Swora, Count Daxton and I will ride out with our banners to meet the twenty thousand Swora soldiers. With Count Daxton and I both command a banner of twenty thousand so we can easily retake Tudora but won’t be able to hold for long against the main force. Combined with Count Emile’s army, you all should number twenty-five thousand. That should be enough. We cannot lose the north. If we do, all of Midland will fall. Understood?”

Everyone nodded in agreement and realized the sacrifice that Duke Louis was about to make. He was going to hold the north against the Swora while he was outnumbered heavily.

“You’re all dismissed but Arlan, you stay.”

After everyone filled the room, only the young lion and his father left. Arlan answered, “Father, I’m ready for your words.”

“Ar, I know your heart is heavy. I already received the report from Count Emile before he departed and I assumed the worst. This was even beyond your prediction and that’s okay. Right now what matters is that you stay alive. Without you, Midland will fall. Do not thrust yourself into anything that will endanger that, you understand?”

“Yes I do, but let me ride with you to meet the Swora on the field.”

“No! Arlan, my boy, I know the pain that carries your thirst for Swora blood but understand that I need you to secure the route between Galdo and Auron. Without that route open, I will most likely die holding back the Swora.”

What? Oh, I understand now. Without that route open, we may face a lack of support, supplies, logistics from Oreta. I understand. That was the Swora plan all along, it was to divide up all of our strengths and kill us one by one.

“I see now. I must assist Count Emile in securing Galdo and Auron then ride north before the main Swora Army arrives?”

“Yes, my son. The fate of Midland relies on that.”

 

Inside Arlan’s quarters, the young lion returned to see the girls were still mourning the event from earlier that day. JD and Noah followed in behind Arlan. Wren stood up and asked, “So what's the news?”

JD answered, “Arlan, Noah, and I are to head out to battle tomorrow. You guys are to head to Galmora and stay there. It should be far from the fighting.”

More crying could be heard from Chrysta, Sayla, and Layla as Arlan, Noah and JD were to head to fight. Their lives would be at risk, there was no guarantee they would come home alive.

The group hugged each other and made peace with the moment.

“Arlan, Noah, and JD, please stay safe,” Chrysta pleaded.

“You all better avenge our late mother,” declared Wren.

“When you all come back, I’ll show you our favorite restaurant!” said Sayla.

“I won’t ever forget you all!” said Layla as she hugged each one of them.

“Thanks everyone but I’ll come back,” exclaimed Noah.

After everyone finished their goodbyes, Arlan said, “There’s a carriage in the courtyard I’ve arranged for you all to head to Galmora. You should pass by the Banner of the Claw, they’ll be here in a few hours.”

The four non-combatants left and only Arlan, Noah, and JD remained. The three soldiers sat in Arlan’s quarters with a bottle of wine that Sayla and Layla left for them. It was meant to be a gift for Miss Petrah.

“The Banner of the Claw should be here tomorrow morning in time for us to depart so drink up,” stated Arlan.

“I’ve never had wine before till tonight,” admitted Noah.

“First of many, Noah,” teased JD as he sipped the wine, “First of many…”

“Sayla slipped me a note saying that I should see her when I get back,” admitted Noah.

“What?!” cried both Arlan and JD.

“Yeah, it says to see her first when I get back,” declared Noah.

“Sayla is feeling Noah now that he’s all handsome,” said JD.

Noah also admitted, “I once told Sayla I liked her a few years ago.”

“You never told me this,” said JD, “What else are you hiding?”

“I never told you cause I was too embarrassed,” exclaimed Noah, “She said didn’t like boys back then.”

“You better go back to see Sayla when you are back,” instructed Arlan.

“Of course, I will!” stated Noah as he took another sip of wine. The three young men talked and drank through the night. They were trying to keep their minds busy as to not think too much of the moment earlier in the day. They all fell asleep on Arlan’s bed as the wine got to them.

 

The next morning, a quiet fog had taken over but the city nonetheless was in full preparation for the war. Denizens were buying what they could, some were thinking of fleeing. Some were scared and sat on the streets crying over lost loved ones from Tudora. Rumors circulated that the entire garrison of Tudora was massacred after surrendering.

A messenger knocked on Arlan’s door to let him know that the Banner of the Claw had just arrived outside the south gate and was formed up with the rest of the other banners. The combined army with Count Emile was now formed. All twenty-five thousand soldiers outside were going to meet the rebel army of thirty-thousand.

The Banner of the Claw was at battalion strength with three-hundred soldiers. While made of mostly younger soldiers, Arlan’s intense training has elevated them to become second-tier orange cores. They were quite formidable and stronger than the average soldiers.

The young lion made his way outside along with Noah and JD. There, he laid eyes upon his soldiers. All in full steel armor now and donning the red cape. They looked like the elite soldiers of the Midland Army.

JD could swear he saw the Pennington kid from his training days look at them in admiration. Arlan made his way to the front of his soldiers and was greeted by Trent and Dimitri. They both saluted Arlan and stated they’d come as soon as possible.

The young lion caught them up to speed about the current situation and what their objectives were. Trent and Dimitri turned and organized their companies into columns to prepare to march alongside Count Emile’s combined army.

A large number of other Midland soldiers had arrived. Katalina and Countess Vivia bid Count Emile and Arlan goodbye as they started their march south. Many people cheered Count Emile’s Army on as they departed.

Their march would last six hours before they would meet the enemy. During the trek, it was quiet. Not many spoke as it would give away their position. Count Emile’s banner led at the front followed by a few smaller nobles and lords.

The roads that were once busy and full of life were now quiet. Only the swarms of footsteps could be heard. Finally, the Galdo Combined Army finally reached the Gal-Auro plains. This would be the site where both sides would finally meet.

A war camp was established and Arlan’s tent erected alongside his banner. All of whom were currently brandishing their weapons with their hardened resolve. They prepared themselves for the inevitable fight. While they have fought multiple battles, this would be their first battle against another human army.

While inside his tent, Arlan equipped his blacksteel armor and readied his blacksteel claymore. He sheathed the claymore on his back at an angle. Arlan held his pendant with his right hand and thought of the late Miss Petrah. His solemn emotions slowly faded as two hooded figures entered the tent.

Arlan had his back to them but he knew who it was. The two hooded figures knelt and the right one said, “Mi’lord, it seems the other Galdo Banners have found the expected rebel army on the opposite side of the plains. As Count Emile had predicted, they number thirty-thousand. House Rainhall banner is the largest with twenty-thousand while smaller southern houses make up ten-thousand.”

“I see. Have the rest of the Umbras set up all along the edges of the forest and await my command,” ordered Arlan.

The Umbras acknowledged, “By your command.”

A secret division of rogues called the Umbras served as Arlan’s elite clandestine unit. They were formed for both warfare and subterfuge purposes. During wartime, they could be used for reconnaissance, sabotage, assassination, or even guerrila warfare. But when they weren’t in warfare, they could be used for spying, infiltrating, intelligence, and many other clandestine missions.

The Umbras were unknown to everyone except Arlan and Jovann. Even JD had only hints of their existence. This was to protect their identities in the event of capture.

After the two Umbras left the tent, Arlan took a few more moments to himself. The young lion had been preparing himself for this war for the last three years. What he had always been good at, being a soldier.

Arlan emerged outside and started towards the large tent where the war council was to be held. As he walked through the Banner of the Claw’s area, his soldiers all looked at him with respect and admiration. They knew what they were fighting for and that Arlan could help them succeed, even if they died in battle.

After arriving at the large tent, the guards let Arlan through as many different captains and higher were seated. In the middle was Count Emile and a few different nobles who commanded thousands. The meeting started as only a few more officers filed in.

Count Emile started first, “Let us begin. We’re going to be discussing the strategy that we will use to win. I know we’re outnumbered greatly by five-thousand but we can win if we’re careful. First, I’m going to go over the formations. Everyone will be assigned to either the left, center or right banners. The left will focus on playing passive and luring the enemy out while the center and right will clash aggressively with the enemy lines.”

A high-ranking noble raised his hand and asked, “Why are we having the left hold back and not attacking?”

“I can explain,” stated Count Emile, “The left will only join the fray when the right has been secured. The left will then aggressively clash while the right pushes towards the enemy’s general. It will force enough pressure to allow us to succeed on all fronts.”

Interesting, your strategy is well thought but you place such a huge emphasis on the right’s success.

“Who will be tasked with the right flank then?” asked another captain.

“The 2nd Galdo Banner led by Commander Ragnar will be in charge of this task,” answered Count Emile. Murmurs could be heard, the 2nd Galdo Banner consisted of only six-thousand men.

Arlan looked over at a massive man in his forties who towered at six feet and three inches. He stood up with dark red hair combed back with a great beard around his chin. A small scar can be seen on his left cheek. He was clad in steel armor. He showed no qualms with his given objective. The young lion could tell that Commander Ragnar was experienced.

“Each banner will be given an assignment to assist each group. The 1st Galdo Banner led by me will take the center while a combined force of all the smaller houses will assist the left flank,” ordered Count Emile.

Each banner was then given an assignment by Count Emile. The Banner of the Claw was assigned to the right flank under Commander Ragnar. Afterwards, everyone was dismissed back to their banners to prepare for the upcoming battle. Before Arlan could return back to his banner, Commander Ragnar approached him.

“You must be Baron Arlan,” greeted Commander Ragnar, “You’ve been assigned to the right flank with me. I’d like to discuss my plans with you before we meet the enemy.”

“Commander Ragnar,” answered Arlan, “I agree, it is most wise that I am aware of your plans.”

“I’ve heard of your abilities and the strength of your men. This entire battle rests on our success. We need to be able to kill the enemy commander commanding their left. I believe it’s House Blackwind commanding ten-thousand. The enemy will attempt to go after my head naturally. So I propose that your men dive straight for them while I act as the decoy and subvert their attention to me. That should only leave a thousand men for you to defeat. The right-wing enemy commander of House Blackwind is Lord Ferrant Blackwind. Do not underestimate him, Arlan. He is at least a fourth-tier white-core.”

“Understood, Commander Ragnar. I will do as ordered and take caution. I will not let you down.”

“I know you won’t. Count Emile directly ordered this plan. If he trusts you, then so will I. The fate of this battle rests on us winning the right-wing as soon as possible. When you have taken the enemy commander’s head, I want you to blow this horn twice,” instructed Commander Ragnar as he hands a military horn to Arlan.

“I will personally blow this horn once my task has been completed. I will now take my leave and see my men and prepare them for the battle.”

“Good. I will see you in an hour when we form up for battle.”

Arlan returned to his men and briefed them of the plan. Each soldier could feel the weight of their objective. Commander Ragnar was risking his life and his men’s life as a decoy in order to buy them time to wipe out the enemy. Arlan reviewed the entirety of the battle in his mind.

Banner of the Claw is at battalion strength with three-hundred men. Two companies of three platoons each. Each platoon had three squads. Each squad consisted of sixteen or seventeen soldiers each. A Company is stronger than the Second Company, which was still inexperienced. The average core strength of A Company was second-tier white cores while the average core strength of B Company were still fresh second-tier red cores.

The enemy will likely leave a detachment of at least a thousand soldiers. We will need to puncture through them quickly before the enemy can react to our speed. Our advantage relies on our speed and force of violence. I will have to helm this attack.

After forty-five minutes of preparation, Arlan led his men to the right-wing formation. His banner formed on the right of Commander Ragnar’s main unit. JD was right behind him with his steel longsword gripped ready. Trent and Dimitri were at the front of both companies. Noah stood behind Trent while wielding a two-handed steel mace.

The Banner of the Claw was only a small force compared to the rest of the army. The hilly plains in front of them would soon be littered with blood and corpses. The green Gal-Auro plains had also a few meadows here and there.

Within ten minutes, the enemy army appeared before them. Arlan could see the enemy left-wing advancing as a few hills blocked the enemy center and right-wing. Flags with troops clad in armor were all over. This was now the moment they all had prepared for.

Arlan could hear Count Emile’s voice faintly as he was rallying his men. Commander Ragnar stepped forth and started to rally his men as well. Arlan knew what he had to do. The entirety of the Banner of the Claw locked their eyes on Arlan as he waltzed forth on a rock in front of his men. They admired their captain.

Arlan yelled out, “Brothers, hear me now! The moment that we’ve trained for is upon us! You’ve earned the strength to overcome this enemy and acquired the courage to stand against them! Do not let fear grasp your hearts. For today, we will show the world who we are. Our names will be etched into Althean history as victors of this battle. Follow me, Banner of the Claw, and we will live forever!”

All three-hundred of the Banner of the Claw let out a roar to signify they were ready to dive into the depths of hell and back. Commander Ragnar looked over at Arlan and smiled at the young lion.

Thousands of rebel soldiers lined the field across from them. They wore steel cuirass also and were decently equipped. Arlan’s [Battle Trance] could detect that most of them were still first-tier yellow cores. But there were definitely units of much stronger men among them.

The center led by Count Emile were the first to charge. Commander Ragnar saw this from his position and blew his horn. This was the signal to charge. Arlan and the Banner of the Claw stormed across the two-hundred meter gap. The enemy held their ground as fear overtook their eyes, they were not given any orders to charge as well or defend. Chaos overtook them. It seemed the lower leadership echelons weren’t properly trained.

The Banner of the Claw was now in a wedge formation with Arlan as the spearhead. Their thunderous steps echoed through the plains alongside the others charging. Cries could be heard to Arlan’s left as the center had clashed with the enemy. The young lion gave a thought to the safety of his uncle but threw it out as he had to focus on his objective.

The young lion and his men were only a few seconds from clashing the enemy lines when Dimitri and Trent yelled out, “Now!”

All three-hundred men and Arlan activated [Rampage] together, thrusting them forth at blinding speeds. Due to the sheer number of the skill being used, each one of them generated a massive barrier that blocked damage. They tore through the first four rows of a company and decimated over a hundred troops. The coordinated skill usage tore the enemy troops limb from limb. Enemy arms, legs, limbless torsos and heads rained from above.

At the end of [Rampage], Arlan swung his blacksteel claymore out and cleaved four enemy soldiers in half who were stunned and confused. Five more enemy soldiers who saw their comrades get cut down, angrily lunged at Arlan with their spears. JD leaped over Arlan with his longsword and activated [Trifecta] as he immediately cut all three down. JD had trained under Arlan and learned some of his Mar-Tech.

The Banner of the Claw was off to a good start. They had blown through an enemy company in a matter of seconds. They were way further along than any other friendly banner from the right-wing.

The enemy realized how exposed the Banner of the Claw was and diverted an extra battalion to destroy the Banner of the Claw. Arlan and his banner were already battling over six hundred men when the new battalion of enemy soldiers appeared. While the first company melted like butter, the troops before them put up more of a fight and tried to push into A Company’s right flank.

Trent cried out to Arlan that the new enemy battalion clashed into their flank and killed a few Banner of the Claw soldiers.

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So it begins, the first deaths among us. This was inevitable. I must get their names later.

“I’ll rotate to defend the flank!” stated Arlan, “JD, you stay here and keep pushing this position here!”

“Yes, Captain!” answered JD as he cut down a few more soldiers.

Arlan made his way over to A Company’s right flank and saw that at least eight of his soldiers were killed and ten more wounded all over. They were fighting tooth and nail against the enemy who also took equal casualties.

Arlan’s [Battle Trance] revealed that the enemy were all second-tier orange cores as well. The young lion rushed forth and engaged the enemy. Arlan was strong enough to take them on but it would hold him back from completing his main objective before Commander Ragnar could be overwhelmed.

The young lion had to make a decision. The A Company were all veterans from previous battles, so losing any number of them would hurt them in the long run. Arlan decided that if he could kill the battalion commander and reduce their numbers low enough, the A Company could manage to wipe out this new threat with minimal casualties.

Arlan pushed forth with the remaining platoons from A Company behind him. Trent and Erin were next to him locking blades with more elite infantry from this battalion.

I have to find this enemy commander quickly and return to the center.

Arlan figured that his new magic spells would deal with the enemy faster at this moment. The cost was that his new magic spells used up quite a bit of mana. He wouldn’t be able to use his runes as often. The enemy elite infantry were all better equipped than the Banner of the Claw. They were likely sent directly by Lord Ferrant Blackwind.

Arlan swung his blacksteel claymore against two nearby elite soldiers who challenged him and the claymore easily broke through their armor and killed them in a near instant. Other soldiers nearby were demoralized at seeing such a young soldier wield such a massive and heavy weapon so effortlessly.

The enemy commander of the elite battalion saw Arlan cut down two of his men. He greedily saw this as an opportunity to take Arlan’s head. He ordered his men to focus their attention on attacking this position and surrounded Arlan as best he could.

Two-hundred and seventy more elite infantry turned towards Arlan’s position and began their push towards him. They cut down a few more Banner of the Claw soldiers caught off guard but Trent and Erin leading two platoons each reorganized their formations and defended the two sides on Arlan.

A hundred of the elite infantry soldiers got through from the front. Trent and Erin realized this and tried their best to stop any remaining soldiers from getting towards their captain but Arlan yelled out, “Let them through and hold your ground defensively!”

Trent and Erin both knew that if Arlan ordered it, they followed it. The enemy commander of the elite battalion heard this and laughed as he thought he was going to claim an easy victory.

As the elite infantry started charging towards Arlan in the chaos, the young lion responded by activating his [Undying Zeal]. This allowed his mana lanes and essence lanes to combine as one. He was able to cast any spell or use any Mar-Tech at the cost of his mana and essence combined.

The young lion spun forth towards the first eight soldiers and activated [Titanstrike] while also casting [Arc Flare] from his left hand. The young lion held and swung the blacksteel claymore with his right arm which shocked everyone around him, including his own soldiers who had never seen such a heavy and massive weapon wielded in one hand.

Not only was Arlan able to activate [Titanstrike] one-handed but he was also casting a fourth-tier magic spell that was elevated to fifth-tier’s spell potency. The eight soldiers were diced into an oblivion by the [Titanstrike] while another ten soldiers behind them were melted into skeletons by the [Arc Flare] spell.

With such a powerful force pushing against this elite enemy battalion, the Banner of the Claw’s A Company were able to regain their second wind and push back into the enemy. Fury and anger were in their eyes as they had lost some comrades in this skirmish for the first time ever.

Arlan’s heart held the same fury and hate as his men. They had never lost anyone in a battle before until now but they did know that going into this battle, they would suffer some form of losses. Minimizing the losses was one of the priorities for Arlan but he couldn’t be everywhere.

The young lion pushed forth while Erin and Trent pushed their platoons to envelop the enemy battalion before them. The enemy commander started to panic, he had always won his battles easily with their strength but this was the first time he had seen such losses on his side.

Meanwhile, Banner of the Claw’s B Company was making great progress pushing towards Lord Ferrant Blackwind. The multiple companies of infantry were all inexperienced conscripts with poor training. B Company had only suffered six deaths and twenty wounded while they had already decimated two whole companies of infantry.

Back at A Company’s position the elite battalion before them started to fight tooth and nail due to being on the verge of collapsing. The enemy commander of this elite infantry battalion had already fled.

Only a mere ten minutes had passed and Arlan had cut down nearly an entire company by himself. The enemy was on the verge of collapsing and A Company had regained their fighting strength. Arlan decided it was time to return to the center of the formation with JD. A Company could now turn back to pushing with B Company towards the enemy right-wing commander.

The Banner of the Claw was now joined back together with Arlan at the front with JD. The two were nearly unstoppable. The bulk of the enemy forces were still clashing with Commander Ragnar’s 2nd Galdo Banner. This left a thousand troops in the rear with Lord Ferrant Blackwind but Arlan and his Banner had already cut down half those numbers.

At the enemy’s left-wing headquarters, Lord Ferrant Blackwind received a report that would shock him to his core. “Sir! The Elite Blackwind Guard has received heavy losses and are now retreating! Some kind of elite enemy battalion is making their way here,” said a Blackwind messenger soldier.

“What?! The Elite Blackwind Guard got routed that fast and easily?!” cried Lord Ferrant Blackwind in disbelief.

“Yes sir, and half our reserve defense line has already been broken by this elite enemy battalion. Our main force is too far to pull back in time. They are also dealing with the main enemy right-wing unit,” reported the same Blackwind messenger soldier.

“Gather the remaining reserves here, I will personally destroy this rabble. The Blackwind Knights will lead the charge,” proclaimed Lord Ferrant Blackwind.

Two-hundred meters away, Arlan and his banner had just finished routing another enemy company of infantry. There was now nothing standing between the young lion and his prey. It was time for them to engage the enemy.

The Banner of the Claw had reduced the enemy strength from a thousand soldiers down to three-hundred. But the Banner of the Claw had suffered casualties as well. Of the three-hundred men, twenty had been killed and forty had been wounded and were combat ineffective. So only two-hundred and forty Banner of the Claw soldiers remained.

The young lion called out for his banner to continue on towards the enemy headquarters. As they covered the open ground, a hundred Blackwind Knights formed up in a wedge and started to charge at the Banner of the Claw. At the helm of the charge was Lord Ferrant Blackwind with a steel halberd, he was leading his Blackwind Knights.

Behind the Blackwind Knights were another two hundred infantry. They weren’t push overs as they were Lord Ferrant Blackwind’s personal unit. Arlan knew they weren’t like the cannon fodder they had chopped down earlier.

This enemy was just as strong as the elite battalion they fought earlier. The Blackwind Knights were at second-tier orange cores. They were the most formidable opponents that the Banner of the Claw had ever fought en masse.

There was about thirty seconds before the two sides would meet. Arlan used this time to raise his left arm up and fired two manabolts that exploded only fifteen meters up. This was a signal for a special formation. The young lion already had a countermeasure in place for a calvary charge.

All of the Banner of the Claw halted and each of it’s platoons quickly changed into a square formation of around fifty men each. Some had less due to casualties. There were only five of the six platoons left. Third platoon from B Company had already lost most of their men from the clash and retreated under Dimitri’s orders.

Lord Ferrant Blackwind laughed at what he saw, he’d never seen such a weird formation but he thought the ridiculous formation wouldn’t stop his knights. So he pressed on. Arlan smiled as he stood at the front of A Company’s first platoon while they were in their square formation. JD stood behind him ready to kill.

That’s it, come take the bait.

The Blackwind Knights reached the first Banner of the Claw platoons and JD lunged forth with his longsword and cleaved Lord Ferrant Blackwind’s horse leg’s down. It sent the Blackwind Lord flying a few meters as he landed on the ground.

The other Blackwind Knights tried ramming into the formations but were met with an incredible essence barrier that stopped their horses and spears were sent out with precision and speed. One after another, Blackwind Knights were sent off their horse and stabbed while they were on the ground.

Lord Ferrant Blackwind looked up to see his glorious Blackwind Knights being cut down one after another without landing a single blow on their enemy. Of the hundred, half were already killed. Arlan leapt over his platoon at ten meters up and landed on Lord Ferrant Blackwind’s position with an overhead swing from his blacksteel claymore.

The Blackwind Lord managed to dodge out of the way in time before his life was claimed. Arlan aimed his left palm in the air and fired a single manabolt. This signified the front three platoons to engage the two-hundred soldiers charging from behind the Blackwind Knights. The remaining two platoons engaged with the dismounted and disorganized Blackwind Knights.

Lord Ferrant Blackwind looked around in disbelief that they would be demolished in such a manner by a single banner. The young lion took advantage of his enemy’s confusion and thrust his blacksteel claymore forth toward his prey.

The Blackwind Lord riposte the attack with all of his essence and managed to barely deflect the attack. He had never seen such a powerful attack from such a young soldier. “What kind of damn monster are you?!” cried the Lord Ferrant Blackwind.

“A monster born to take your life, Lord Ferrant Blackwind,” answered Arlan coldly as he prepared himself for another attack.

“Let me live! I’ll pay you riches beyond your imagination!”

“No.”

Arlan’s [Battle Trance] showed that Lord Ferrant Blackwind was a fourth-tier white core. He wasn’t going to be a match for Arlan. The young lion activated [Undying Zeal]. His essence and mana lanes were merged into true lanes now. His black marks enveloped his skin and armor.

The young lion’s strength with this awakened ability amplified his fighting prowess to fight on equal strength with a sixth-tier orange core while he was only at a fifth-tier red core.

Arlan threw his blacksteel claymore at a horizontally at Lord Ferrant Blackwind and a rune could be seen emitting from the blade. The Blackwind Lord enhanced his essence barrier to a max.

This wasn’t enough though, the blacksteel claymore easily broke through and cleanly sliced through the steel armor at the abdomen. The blacksteel claymore stopped right after and returned back to Arlan’s right hand. Lord Ferrant Blackwind was now missing his bottom half and was crawling away with his innards leaking out.

The Blackwind Lord muttered, “I.. I must return to home. My fam-”

Arlan’s blacksteel claymore dove straight into the neck and separated the head before Lord Ferrant Blackwind could finish his sentence. Arlan showed no remorse. The young lion then thrust his blacksteel claymore into the ground as he pulled out the horn that Commander Ragnar gave him.

The young lion blew the horn loudly with wind magic and a unique sound reverberated across the battlefield. This meant Arlan had completed his objective. The right-wing had claimed the enemy left-wing’s commander. But the battle wasn’t over, Arlan knew this.

The remaining fifteen Blackwind Knights retreated, and the remaining enemy infantry were also routed. Arlan rallied his banner back to him and they had taken a seven more deaths as well. But their losses weren’t nearly as bad as the enemy. Arlan had only two-hundred men left.

The next phase was to capitalize on their momentum and blow through the enemy center and the enemy right-wing. The young lion held his primary awakened ability in for this moment. He deactivated [Undying Zeal] releasing his black marks. A golden aura emitted out a hundred meters from him and surrounded his Banner of the Claw.

It was the Warlord’s Regalia. It’s ability didn’t amplify Arlan but instead, it amplified the entirety of his banner. The reason Arlan couldn’t activate it before this was it only lasted about forty minutes. They had to claim Lord Ferrant Blackwind’s head first and it’s usage was most important after.

The young lion was now at the center of a wedge formation surrounded by the remaining two-hundred Banner of the Claw. They had already lost thirty-five men and about sixty-five wounded to combat ineffective. It was less than Arlan had hoped for but they could still do serious damage to the center and enemy right-wing.

They begin charging forth towards the center which was five-hundred meters away. Arlan looked over and saw the 2nd Galdo Banner had basically won against the enemy left-wing’s main force which started out as nine-thousand but have been reduced to three-thousand soldiers. The 2nd Galdo Banner started off with six-thousand men but were already down to four-thousand men.

The young lion felt a heavy heart as so many of his soldiers had fallen and there were heavy losses across the board. He could only hope that Count Emile was alive and that they hadn’t taken too many losses.

As the Banner of the Claw reached the center fight from the right-wing, they were in a perfect flanking position on the enemy’s backlines. The center was horrid. Both sides deployed ten-thousand men but both sides loss four-thousand men respectively. Whoever was commanding the enemy center, was just as good as Count Emile. Thousasnds of bodies littered all over and formations of soldiers were moving in and out as other formations were completely wiped.

The young lion detected Count Emile was still alive but holding on barely as he was fighting Count Meric of House Rainhall, the second of the three Rainhall brothers. Duke Stefan Rainhall wasn’t here. The two exchanged blows as their men around them struggled to gain the upperhand of the area.

Arlan knew he had to end that fight and kill Count Meric Rainhall. The young lion’s awakened Warlord Regalia amplified all two hundred of his men to third-tier white cores. They basically doubled in strength and could feel it. Their charge grew louder as they got within a hundred meters of their prey.

The enemy center unit didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late. Arlan’s Banner of the Claw dove right through the enemy chopping down swaves of infantry. They moved so fast that the enemy didn’t have time to react. Their speed and force of violence allowed them to take out three-hundred soldiers in the first thirty seconds. Arlan let out high level magic as well while charging forth.

JD, Trent, Dimitri, Erin and Lem were all in the thick of the battle cutting down foes and leading their respective companies. While A Company suffered more losses than B Company did, their battle experienced allowed them to greatly shine and were managing to keep up.

The enemy formations were being obliterated one after another. Only limbs, body parts and heads were left in the Banner of the Claw’s wake. The enemy center’s reserves saw what was happening and started to run as they didn’t want to be apart of the one sided slaughter.

Count Emile who was still fighting Count Meric noticed what was happening and knew exactly who was demolishing the enemy’s backlines. Count Meric felt a cold sweat drip as he felt a deathly gaze from behind him. Count Meric was a fifth-tier red core and Count Emile was only a fourth-tier white core. The two fought for this long but were exhausted mentally and physically.

The young lion could see their fading strength through his [Battle Trance]. After cutting down over fifteen-hundred men, Arlan finally reached the two and he leapt over with [Undying Zeal] activated.

The young lion was pushing the limits of his body. He could feel the pain from the amount of essence and mana flowing out from his true lanes.

Upon landing, Arlan swung his blacksteel claymore repeatedly at Count Meric who was wielding two mithril swords. Count Meric couldn’t believe what was going on, a young soldier swinging a blacksteel claymore with such a monstrous strength was forcing Count Meric back and his men saw this. They couldn’t believe such a powerful warrior was on the Reeve’s side.

Count Emile jumped into the fight and swung at Count Meric from his left while Arlan swung from his right. Count Meric was on a complete defensive posture as he was using [Automatic Parry] as well. Arlan could tell as essence exhuded out from every deflection. Count Emile thrusted his mithril rapier forth over and over again as well.

Count Meric was about to call for a retreat when he felt a powerful wind from behind him. It was a high potency [Wind Shear] Arlan secretly casted and it pushed Count Meric forth into a unfavorable position. The young lion’s blacksteel claymore dove forth and pierced past the mithril armor. Before Count Meric could respond, a mithril rapier thrust forth hundredths of times in a few seconds. It was Count Emile and his [Thousand Needles] attack. It severed Count Meric’s head.

A relieved Count Emile said, “Arlan, thank you but the battle still isn’t over, our left-wing is losing badly. I couldn’t send help but they requested reinforcements.”

Arlan nodded and regrouped himself with his Banner of the Claw who were still cutting down enemy soldiers like nothing. The enemy center unit was now on the verge of collapsing as they suffered heavy losses and Count Meric’s death sent shivers down their spines. What made their situation worse was the Commander Ragnar from the right-wing slammed the 2nd Galdo Banner into what remained of the enemy center.

Arlan was already speeding through with his men who were now covered in blood, wounds, and exhaustion. But they knew they had to push on, they drew out every ounce of strength and stamina they could. They knew what was at stake if they didn’t. Their captain demanded nothing less.

Once the Banner of the Claw reached the left-wing, it was in shambles far worse than the center. The enemy was on the verge of forcing their left-wing to retreat. The ten-thousand that was deployed here was reduced to three-thousand. The lord who commanded this left-wing was killed already and the left-wing was in disarray.

The enemy right-wing here was still at least six thousand strong. Arlan only had fifteen minutes left on his awakened Warlord’s Regalia. So they had to deal as much damage as they could within that time. The young lion was still at the forefront as JD yelled out to him, “Arlan! We’re nearing our limits!”

“I know, JD,” answered Arlan, “but we must limit the amount of casualties to our side as much as possible with our strength!” The Banner of the Claw were running on fumes and nearing their limits, even with Arlan’s awakened regalia.

After twenty seconds, they collided with the enemy. It was more hardened infantry for sure, they were definitely much tougher than the ones in the center unit. But with the awakened ability, they still cut down over five-hundred enemy soldiers in a matter of two minutes. The Banner of the Claw had already obliterated a battalion before enemy reacted to their presence.

Two-thousand soldiers in the enemy’s reserves started to surround the young lion. Arlan casted [Arc Flare] repeatedly while swinging out his blacksteel claymore. The cries of soldiers burning alive to the spell rang throughout the battlefield. The Banner of the Claw still hadn’t experienced any casualties.

The enemy right-wing commander made his appearance on a horse with a blacksteel greataxe and rode directly towards Arlan. The young lion knew the enemy commander would make an appearance. It came down to this moment. If Arlan could kill the last enemy commander here, then the enemy right-wing would collapse and they would win.

Arlan channeled his last ten percent of essence. The awakened regalia ability was draining his essence and mana. He had to finish this fast or they would be stuck in a sea of enemies with half their fighting strength gone.

The enemy commander was clad in blacksteel armor charging toward Arlan. Two Banner of the Claw soldiers attempted to strike down the horse. “Fall back you two,” yelled Arlan loudly, “Don’t get close to him!”

But it was too late, their heads immediately exploded into multiple pieces as the blacksteel greataxe swung diagonally with incredible speeds. Arlan’s [Battle Trance] detected this enemy commander at fifth-tier red core with fourth-tier mana lane. He was the strongest opponent that the enemy had at this battle. He was nearly on par with Arlan.

The young lion ordered his men to focus on fighting everyone else and not to get close to his duel. JD continued to cut down the enemy forces at the same speed as Arlan did with his longsword. JD was a trained Knight with Arlan’s aura on. He was incredibly powerful now as well.

Arlan started the bout first by firing an [Arc Flare] at the enemy right-wing commander. The blacksteel greataxe sucked the spell into nothing. The horse continued charging toward the young lion anyway.

That blacksteel greataxe, has some kind of magic nullifying enchantment.

The enemy commander pressed on with a powerful essence barrier deployed. Arlan knew he had to use [Titanstrike] properly in order to take it down but if he missed, he may not be able to win against him. Right as the mounted enemy commander reached Arlan to pummel him, the young lion rolled to the side with his blacksteel claymore out in order to cut the horse’s legs.

The horse responded by leaping over the sword with speed and height. Arlan was now aware that this horse was no ordinary mount. The mounted enemy commander turned around for another charge and this time the blacksteel greataxe glowed red.

He’ll expect me to dodge the horse. I have no other option.

As Arlan’s powerful opponent reached him, the young lion held his ground and enhanced his barrier to a maximum with only five-percent of his essence left. The horse was sent flying along with Arlan. The charge broke the barrier and dented into the blacksteel armor.

What in the world is this fucking horse?

The enemy commander was sent flying but managed to land on his feet. Arlan on the other hand landed on his back. The young lion could feel a killing gaze. The enemy commander had already reached over to Arlan and swung his blacksteel greataxe down with titanic strength. The young lion received the blow with the flatside of his blacksteel claymore and it violently recoiled down into Arlan. Blood splurted out from the young lion’s mouth. Parts of his chest was definitely damaged and if it weren’t for the armor and his deflect, he would’ve died for sure.

The young lion rolled over and pushed himself up with a [Wind Shear] and managed to recover. Everyone around them could not believe it. The enemy couldn’t believe that Arlan survived a blow while his allies couldn’t believe that an enemy stood toe to toe against the rumored Captain from the Banner of the Claw.

Arlan had to wear down the enemy slightly or find an opening. So he lunged his weapon forth while emitting a rune on it. The enemy responded by parrying the attack with his blacksteel greataxe. Right after, another attack from Arlan swung forth catching the enemy commander offguard but still managed to dodge it.

Sparks flew out as blacksteel weaponry collided with immense force. The young lion swung his blacksteel claymore faster and faster. The enemy commander was able to keep up with the increase in speed but showed signs of struggling.

“Captain, you can do it,” cheered Erin, “Don’t let us down!”

“Yeah, we believe in you,” yelled Dimitri, “Don’t let our fallen brothers down!”

The words rang true in Arlan as the his men were cheering him on more and more. They managed to throw in cheers while fighting for their lives. The young lion increased the veracity of his attacks.

I have to overcome this. I’m at my limits and my body is in all sorts of pains but I mustn’t let that stop me. For the fallen brothers, for Miss Petrah, for MIDLAND!
Arlan was on his final one percent of essence as his rune was building up his attack speed and strength. The blacksteel claymore swung at inhuman speeds and the enemy commander couldn’t keep up and was struck over and over again. The blacksteel armor that the enemy commander wore was dented repeatedly by Arlan’s swings.

More and more attacks landed to the point where the enemy commander’s body gushed out blood and popped like a balloon. Within five seconds, the enemy commander’s body had received over thirty swings from Arlan and was unrecognizable.

Arlan had used up all of his essence and was at his limits of fainting. JD immediately placed Arlan’s arms over him and supported his friend from falling. Cheers rang through the battlefield, Count Emile and Commander Ragnar had arrived on the left-wing and started demolishing the remaining troops as they were routed back into the forest towards Auron City.

The Banner of the Claw didn’t pursue the enemy but instead formed a square formation around JD and Arlan. They let Count Emile through in order to see his nephew injured and with no essence left. “JD, thank you for being at Arlan’s side,” said Count Emile, “Arlan, Commander Ragnar will take over with chasing down the remnants. I want the Banner of the Claw to fall back.”

“Have we won?” asked Arlan with little strength in his voice.

“Yes, my boy, we won. It was all thanks to you and your men,” answered Count Emile proudly, “Now, get some rest.”

“Yes, uncle,” replied Arlan as he slowly lost consciousness.

On the 13th Day of the 5th Month, 1243 Mundeas, the Combined Galdo Army decisively defeated the Rainhall Rebel Army at the Gal-Auro Plains. The Combined Galdo Army lost thirteen-thousand men while the Rainhall Rebel Army lost twenty-thousand men.

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