General vs. General

"This is the Lion King of Britain..."

The massive figure ahead was slowly striding forward. Despite there being only one man, Lucius still felt a chill rise from within.

As the small giant drew closer, Lucius slowly made out the appearance of his opponent in this war.

Clad in heavy plate armor with a quilt-like blue cloak draped over his shoulders, stained with dark brown blood, carrying a lance on his back and a greatsword in hand, his frame—taller than the trees lining the road—looked from afar like a ferocious beast from an ancient era.

His dull blonde hair was combed back, revealing a grim and terrifying visage. A pair of eyes brimmed with undisguised killing intent, stinging every inch of Lucius's skin like needles; even from this distance, he could smell the thick scent of blood on the man.

Lucius knew that in the eyes of his subjects, his own image was less that of a detached emperor and more that of a general, one who craved battle and slaughter, with some even viewing him as a beast in human skin.

Yet, seeing the Lion King of Britain now, he realized by comparison that he was not a true beast after all.

He was, at least, somewhat human.

The opponent was but one man, yet he dared to face his army of over twenty thousand head-on.

What terrifying presence.

What arrogant confidence!

The twenty thousand soldiers he had scrambled to assemble were the largest force he could muster in such a short time, and that was only thanks to the previous war mobilization.

These twenty thousand troops, organized into four legions, were not mere peasants plucked from the fields, but professional soldiers who had undergone formal military training and survived the hell of many battlefields.

Even with such an elite legion, and with him, the Emperor, leading them in person, he could feel an indescribable pressure radiating from the enemy.

When Lucius learned that the frontline legion at the coast had been completely annihilated by the Lion King alone, he knew he was no match for him.

The Lion King had seized the coast and was now advancing inland. If he were to strike while the mages' trump cards were not yet ready, the war would be lost entirely.

Though Lucius knew he was no match, he, the Sword Emperor, was the only one in Rome qualified to test the man.

Even if his martial arts were truly inferior, he still had over twenty thousand elites; under his command, they should be able to block a single enemy and buy time for the mages.

Yet, seeing the man in the flesh, Lucius felt his previous conclusion had been somewhat hasty.

Will we win this battle today?

How many of these soldiers he brought would survive when it ended... even he himself would likely face a grim fate.

In the end, what were the odds of winning this war?

The figure of the approaching enemy reflected in his purple eyes. Lucius gripped the magic sword at his waist that signified the sovereignty of the continent, gritted his teeth, and steeled his heart, a fierce smile spreading across his face.

Then I shall face you head-on and see if you are truly as strong as the rumors say!

To fight such a powerful opponent—it would be worth dying for!

"Form ranks!"

The moment he saw Leon, Lucius gave the order. Though the soldiers had not yet spotted the enemy, they hurriedly formed layers of defensive lines, three deep inside and three deep outside, protecting him at the very center.

When Leon's figure appeared in their sight, everyone felt the overwhelming killing intent radiating from him. They all realized that something dangerous had descended upon the battlefield.

Kill or be killed.

Even if the enemy was only one man!

The instant they saw Leon, this thought surfaced in the hearts of all the Roman soldiers. A chill rose from within, and they trembled, determined to kill this lone, formidable enemy at any cost.

The soldiers in the front row swallowed hard, cold sweat streaming down their faces, yet they had no choice but to obey the military order, bracing their spears and great shields to face Leon, who was charging toward them like a fully armored war chariot.

Compared to Lucius's fighting spirit, Leon felt only relief. He had been on his way to find Lucius's main force, and for them to charge headlong into him like this—it was truly effortless.

He looked at the Roman legion before him. The soldiers were arranged in neat columns, an endless sea of men, and the overflowing aura of slaughter marked them as Rome's elite.

Judging by the banners and the formation, Leon roughly estimated at least twenty thousand men.

It was not just a human army; his eyes were sharp, and he even spotted exotic beasts of various shapes, giants standing like copper walls, fairies flying in the sky, mages hiding between the ranks, and sorcerers in strange attire.

"A truly bizarre army!"

With just one glance, Leon passed a death sentence on these miscellaneous races.

As for the likes of fairies and exotic beasts, Leon could allow them to exist as individuals, but to unite, form an army, and march in formation under orders—this was something he could never overlook.

"Kill!"

With killing intent erupting in his heart, Leon charged at the battle-ready Roman legion, lance in his left hand and sword in his right.

Any soldier who stood in his way was sent flying by the force of his charge or cut down like straw, man and armor alike. With one horizontal sweep of his sword, both man and horse were shattered.

Seeing that ordinary soldiers could not halt Leon's advance—that they couldn't even delay him, as he pierced through two or three layers of the formation in a single encounter—the giants in the front three or four ranks formed a makeshift battle line. Ignoring the wails of their comrades beneath their feet, they swung giant axes, heavy swords, and clubs toward Leon.

The first to fall was an axe larger than his own frame. Leon used the Holy Spear as a shield to block the sneak attack.

Clang!

A massive sound wave echoed across the chaotic battlefield. Leon exerted strength in his arm to deflect the axe, then leaped into mid-air, instinctively preparing to throw the Holy Spear, only to hear a whistle in his ear as other giants' attacks followed in quick succession.

Bang!

Leon blocked again with the Holy Spear, using the immense force to propel himself toward another giant. With his lance and sword ready, he parried the giant's weapon with the lance and used the momentum to leap onto the giant's face, driving the Holy Sword into its eye and through to its brain.

As he pulled the sword out, blood gushed from the giant, and Leon reveled in the exhilaration brought by this moment of battle.

No matter how many times he has experienced this sensation, he feels a heartfelt joy every single time.

Redemption is found within it as well.

Leon's face reveals an irrepressible excitement, much like a predator in the midst of a hunt, as he looks toward the giants already closing in around him.

His figure vanishes from where he stood, slamming into another massive beast with incredible speed; his lance and Holy Sword of the Stars sweep out, and the beast falls dead.

These incredibly tough beasts, powerful giants, and highly skilled humans are like children playing before him. Even if their size exceeds his, their strength is far inferior, and their massive frames only result in sluggish reaction times.

Except for the initial ambush that Leon had to block, the rest are no match for him at all. They cannot even withstand a single exchange, being slaughtered almost entirely by his lance and sword.

Every thrust of his lance claims a giant's life, and every swing of his sword leaves another enemy dead.

Wherever he goes, whether fairy or human, they are all swiftly cut down by Leon.

Lucius, positioned near the center, clearly sees the direction of the battle. The Lion King's attacks are currently too sharp, nearly shattering the morale of his own army.

To continue sending in reinforcements would only lead to the Lion King completely crushing their spirit. But if they retreat, once the main force pulls back, a feigned defeat will turn into a real one, and they will lose even more thoroughly.

Lucius feels his scalp tingle; his intuition tells him to run, to run as far away as possible, yet his heart does not wish to retreat in such a cowardly manner.

It seems the time has come for him to enter the fray himself.

A flash of white light erupts beneath his feet, and an unknown attack seems to have locked onto Leon's body.

Leon looks up to see the fairies in mid-air and the mages scattered around the perimeter. They have already inscribed magic circles before them and are fully prepared. Torrents of magical power surge and flow, transforming into colorful beams of light and various weapons, pouring down toward Leon.

The fairies' attacks disregard friend or foe, willing to implicate their own people just to kill Leon. As for the giants and humans on the ground, even when the fairies' attacks hit them, they do not dodge, instead risking their lives to pin Leon down.

Leon is entangled and unable to break free for the moment, forced to let these beams and weapons rain down upon him.

BOOM!

A roar like a nuclear explosion erupts from the earth. A massive, black-red flame, shaped like a giant egg, instantly expands into the air, seemingly kicking up a mushroom-shaped cloud of dust.

Before the light and flames of the magical attack can dissipate, a giant figure breaks through the fire and dust, charging out with a valiant posture. Holding his lance and sword, his body bathed in blood, he looks like an invincible god of war.

"Our attacks... were useless?"

The fairies are in disbelief. Even though the mystery of the continent has faded and they can no longer act as freely as they once did, this was the strongest attack they could currently muster.

The mages are even more stunned, their expressions one of shattered cognition, frozen in shock.

This attack had been brewing for a long time, and both the mages and fairies had exerted all their strength. They had imagined the Lion King being battered and severely wounded, or perhaps nimbly dodging, but they never imagined he could withstand it head-on and remain unscathed.

Walking out from the massive, overwhelming attack, Leon ignores the astonishment of the fairies and mages, pushes off with his legs, and leaps toward the fairies' position in mid-air.

Facing Leon's sudden assault, the fairies cannot react in time. They can only watch helplessly as Leon approaches and then swings his holy sword down upon them.

SHING!

A sword aura like a white streak is unleashed by Leon, tearing through the sky and the atmosphere. With incomparable speed and sharpness, it slices the majority of the fairies in two, leaving them to fall to the ground, half-dead.

The surviving fairies are all terrified. In the blink of an eye, their companions were cut in half, yet they could only watch, unable to do anything.

Although some fairy mages react and launch attacks or cast curses at Leon, it has no effect whatsoever. Even the raw magical power cannot touch him, being blocked by an invisible barrier.

Leon remains unharmed.

He carries the Holy Sword of the Stars and its scabbard gifted by Merlin, making it nearly impossible for ordinary attacks to harm him; even if he were injured, he would recover rapidly.

Although he had always known the power of the scabbard, this test has finally given him peace of mind.

It seems that Merlin can occasionally be quite thoughtful.

By now, the massive flames on the battlefield have begun to dissipate, revealing various severed limbs and fragments lying within, with a faint, nauseating scent of cooked meat lingering in the air.

Those humans, giants, and beasts caught in the crossfire perished in the magical barrage; even those lucky enough to survive are severely wounded, wailing in agony.

Leon glances at them with his peripheral vision before looking away, turning his gaze back to the fairies and mages. Since they were willing to implicate their own comrades just to kill him, it seems they have realized his strength and the threat he poses.

SWISH!

A sound of tearing air strikes!

Leon senses the attack from behind and reflexively parries with his lance. As a fierce, dull thud echoes, he sees the face of his attacker.

The first thing that catches his eye is the opponent's blood-red hair, pressed against his forehead. Beneath it, his eyes are slightly widened, glaring at Leon with murderous intent. Veins bulge on his forehead, yet the corners of his mouth are still curled high in a wicked grin.

Lucius!

The Emperor of Rome!

Leon had glimpsed him from afar before entering the formation, but he couldn't see him clearly; only now does he see the appearance of his primary opponent.

He is indeed as the rumors described—a man like a beast.

How brainless!

Leon hadn't even broken through to execute a decapitation strike, and the enemy commander had come to deliver himself.

However, it must be said that for Lucius to dare step onto the battlefield and draw his sword against him, he is indeed a Champion.

Very well, I shall accept your kindness and cut off your head!

At that moment, Leon suddenly receives a telepathic message from Merlin.

Considering this is a critical moment to slay the enemy commander, Leon ignores it for now, focusing entirely on the enemy before him; it's only a matter of seconds anyway.

After Leon blocked Lucius's attack with the Holy Spear in one hand, he prepared to strike him down with the Holy Sword held in the other, only to see the smile on Lucius's face grow even wider.

Lucius gripped the silver-red Sword of Kingship, which shone with a brilliance more dazzling than any precious metal. Magic power swirled upon it, intermingled with crimson lightning, transforming into a galloping roar that swallowed Leon's figure whole.

BOOM!

This dark red beam of light vented entirely upon Leon, piercing through mountain peaks and ley lines behind him. Along the way, the rampaging lightning turned the surroundings into a crimson hell.

Having landed the hit, Lucius did not rashly approach. Instead, he leaped back a distance. The magic sword, which continued to release magic power to its heart's content, did not stop; rather, he increased the output, nearly doubling the attack range of the light beam as if the magic power within his body were endless and he were sparing no expense.

Pat, pat.

Just as Lucius was unleashing the destructive power of lightning and light beams, amidst the roaring sounds, a steady set of footsteps rang out, then quickened.

Though the sound was not loud, it drew the attention of many.

"Your Majesty, he, he... is actually still alive?"

Whether they were the humans, fairies, or giants nearby, none were unaware of their Emperor's might, and it was precisely because of the Emperor's strength that they sincerely submitted and pledged their loyalty.

It would be one thing if their own attacks had been ineffective, but the Emperor had unleashed a full-power attack, and the Lion King of Britain had taken it head-on without any preparation—how could he possibly still be alive?

Lucius ignored his surrounding subordinates and soldiers, instead quickly withdrawing his magic output. He sensed that intense and familiar killing intent approaching.

A massive figure suddenly lunged out from the light beam that had yet to dissipate, swinging the sharp blade in his hand. The speed and the ferocity of the force left Lucius unable to make any other reaction.

Seeing a cold glint about to strike him, Lucius could only exhaust all his magic power, swinging his sword-wielding arms upward, squeezing out every ounce of potential within his body until blue veins burst across the skin of his arms.

"AH!"

As he collided head-on with the descending Holy Sword, Lucius clearly felt just how powerful this force truly was.

Abundant force accompanied by intense vibrations conducted through the magic sword. Lucius felt a sharp pain in the web between his thumb and forefinger, which had already split open, spraying blood. Then, his hands went numb, his bones had been shattered, and he could no longer hold the hilt, letting his magic sword slip from his grasp.

With no obstruction left, the incoming blade smoothly sliced into Lucius's right shoulder, down to his chest.

Leon watched as his Holy Sword sank completely into Lucius's body, the cold blade protruding more than fifty centimeters from his back.

"Urgh... ah..."

Lucius held his hands against the broad, thick blade, trying to stop the Holy Sword from cutting any further.

But Leon exerted force through his arm once more, and the Holy Sword, like a hot knife through butter, sliced through half of Lucius's body and half of his palm with effortless fluidity.

"The Emperor of Rome is nothing more than this."

At this moment, seeing that the outcome was decided, Leon finally connected the transmission from Merlin.

He heard Merlin's voice sounding exceptionally weak.

"...King, the mages on this side have truly prepared a weapon sufficient to kill you."

"What is it?"

"A black spear shaft..."