"Haaaaaaaaaa!"
With a roar to psych himself up, the man swung his Mock Battle Longsword downward.
His speed far outstripped that of an average soldier, proving that he was a reasonably capable warrior.
However, his opponent simply held out his weapon as if he had already seen through the trajectory of the descending blade.
As if choreographed, the longsword was parried the moment it made contact, its force diverted. In the next instant, the man realized a sharp blade was hovering right before his eyes.
"That’s enough!"
At the command that echoed across the field, the man with the longsword exhaled a long sigh of relief.
Despite his relief, a flicker of frustration remained in his eyes as he looked at his opponent.
He was well aware of the disparity in their skill; their past records made that clear. Still, as a warrior, he couldn't help but want to land at least one blow.
Even if his opponent was younger than him, the boy’s strength was undeniably superior. He felt respect... no, something closer to worship. Precisely because he held such high regard for the boy, he wanted his own strength to be acknowledged.
"That downward swing was impressive. Your footwork and center of gravity were fine too. However, if possible, you should make your step-in a bit sharper. Try to be conscious of that extra step... no, even half a step."
The blade was pulled away from his neck as Rei spoke.
"Thank you very much, Captain Rei!"
Rei nodded lightly at the Mobile Unit soldier’s words and shouldered the Death Scythe.
Following the Wyvern Dismantling and the delivery of materials to the blacksmith, they had held mock battles to determine who would receive the Wyvern Leather Armor. Afterward, they had celebrated with a Grilled Meat Party using the wyvern meat.
Naturally, the meat from five wyverns was far more than the Mobile Unit could consume alone. It had turned into a massive banquet involving everyone in the vicinity.
Even so, almost no one was nursing a hangover the next morning—a sign that they were all aware the final confrontation was at hand.
Regardless, on the day after the wyvern business was settled, Rei found himself conducting mock battles with the members of the Mobile Unit.
Of course, with the decisive battle so close, he couldn't engage in full-contact sparring. They were scheduled to march toward the designated battlefield tomorrow, spend the night there, and then engage the enemy the morning after.
He couldn't risk anyone getting injured during these drills, nor could he leave them too exhausted to fight. Consequently, these weren't full-scale mock battles but light training sessions, like the one Rei had just finished.
To the spectators watching from the sidelines, however, it likely looked like anything but "light" training.
The training Rei provided was almost always grueling. When such training was applied to an elite unit like the Mobile Unit, even if the participants themselves felt it was a light workout, it looked like a harsh drill to any outsider.
"What’s wrong? For all your talk about continuing to train while I was in the Imperial Capital, you've hardly gotten any stronger. Is this your limit?"
Rei’s provocative tone caused the Mobile Unit soldiers to flare with fighting spirit.
(Yes, just like that,) Rei thought, nodding inwardly with satisfaction.
...Though his outward expression remained one of exasperated boredom.
In truth, the Mobile Unit had been one of the primary reasons the Mercurio Army—the Rebel Army at the time—had managed to withstand the Subjugation Army’s siege of their camp. They had spent a significant amount of time in the jaws of death.
Continuing to fight off waves of enemies that attacked endlessly had forced the members of the Mobile Unit to grow... whether they wanted to or not.
A single instance of real combat outweighed three days of training.
Since those battles had been far more intense than any typical encounter, it was only natural for the soldiers' skill levels to skyrocket.
"I'm coming!"
The next soldier shouted, gripping a Mock Battle Spear as he kicked off the ground to close the distance.
The spear and the Death Scythe were roughly the same length, but the Death Scythe lacked a traditional thrusting method. While it was possible to jab with the butt end, the presence of the massive blade on the Death Scythe meant it naturally lacked the reach and speed of a dedicated spear.
The soldier likely aimed to exploit that weakness, unleashing Consecutive Thrusts.
The speed of the strikes was something no ordinary soldier could have achieved. Yet, Rei parried every single one with the Death Scythe. He didn't just deflect them; bit by bit, he was actually closing the distance.
To the soldier, the pressure Rei exerted was suffocating. Rather than lunging in, Rei approached slowly, his menacing presence growing with every step.
"Damn it—!?"
Rattled by the overwhelming pressure, the soldier flubbed his timing when pulling his spear back after a thrust.
Against any other opponent, he might have been able to bluff his way out of the mistake. But his opponent was Rei, and that split-second opening was a perfect, golden opportunity.
In the blink of an eye, the Death Scythe's Blade was pressed firmly against the man's throat.
Rei only had to move his hand slightly to slice his neck open. The soldier involuntarily held his breath at the mental image of his own demise.
However, the blade was pulled away as quickly as it had appeared.
"That was close. Those thrusts were quite good, but your impatience made you mess up the recovery timing. Consecutive attacks like that are delicate; a single moment of mental agitation will throw your balance off. If you're going to strike, never doubt your own ability. At least not until the attack is finished."
"Y-Yes! Thank you very much!"
In this manner, the day passed as Rei sparred with the members of the Mobile Unit.
While Rei and his unit spent their time relatively leisurely, the rest of the Mercurio Army was in a frantic state as they prepared to strike camp and prepare for the sortie.
It wasn't just the military that was busy, either. The merchants who had been doing business within the encampment were also packing up their shops.
It was only logical. Tomorrow, the army would depart this camp to head for the final battle of the civil strife. If they won, they would march straight for the Imperial Capital; if they lost, they would never return.
Essentially, this encampment, which had functioned as a small town for quite some time, would see its role end tomorrow.
...Of course, more cynical individuals pointed out that it would be convenient to have the camp ready just in case they were defeated by the Subjugation Army and had to come fleeing back.
As it was their final night in the camp, some held rowdy celebrations to use up the alcohol and food that couldn't be packed. Since the encampment was already the size of a town, the sounds of revelry echoed from every corner.
Listening to the voices of the feast as if they were prayers for victory, Rei let his thoughts drift to the battle two days away before falling asleep.
The next day, under an autumn-clear sky that seemed to bless their departure, Mercurio took his place upon a high Rostrum and began to speak.
"From here, we march toward the decisive battle with the Subjugation Army. However, I feel no anxiety. I have no fear because I believe in the power of this army! The truth is, we have achieved victory after victory against them until now. As long as that remains true, no matter what they plot, there is no way we will lose! Now, let us go! Let us seize victory and glory with our own hands!"
The words, spoken in a tone far more resolute than Mercurio's usual manner, were broadcast to the ten thousand troops of the Mercurio Army by a mage serving under Theoreme.
Preparations had been underway since the dark hours before dawn. This speech was the final event before the march began.
"Uooooooooooooooooooo!"
The roar of the entire army shook the surrounding air.
It was a cry that showed no doubt of victory. It was fueled by the confidence of their successive victories against the Subjugation Army and, above all, the belief that the person who had brought them those victories was on their side.
Mercurio looked out over his troops and swept his hand to the side. With that single gesture, the soldiers immediately fell silent.
"Mercurio Army, depart!"
Mercurio’s voice rang out, followed by another deafening cheer.
Amidst an excitement so intense it made them tremble, the Mercurio Army set out.
However, moving a force of over ten thousand soldiers was no small feat. There was a strict order to the departure, and many units faced a long wait before it was their turn to move.
"We can win, we can definitely win!"
"Yeah! We'll win! All for the sake of making His Highness Mercurio the Next Emperor!"
"For His Highness Mercurio!"
"One way or another, we haven't had a proper fight since that defensive battle. My arms are itching for action."
"Is that so? I think fighting that defensive battle was more than enough experience."
"Really? I've been with this army since it was just a small Rebel Army, right from the first battle against the Subjugation Army..."
"Man, I'm jealous."
The soldiers of the units that hadn't departed yet chatted excitedly among themselves. Since the departure schedule had already been communicated, they didn't feel irritated by the long wait.
"Uoooooh! I can't take it! My blood is boiling after His Highness Mercurio’s speech! Somebody, spar with me!"
There were even those who were so worked up they looked ready to start a brawl out of sheer hype.
"All is right with the world... or something like that? Though I suppose I can't really say that while we're in the middle of a civil strife."
"Guruu."
Rei muttered to himself as he flew through the sky on Seto’s back, acting as the advance reconnaissance for the army. Seto let out a soft reply.
In truth, Rei was enjoying a sense of total freedom, thanks to being up in the air.
Autumn was in full swing, and despite the clear weather, the air was biting. Furthermore, they were flying at an altitude of about a hundred meters; normally, the cold would have forced anyone back to the ground shivering.
But Rei was wearing his Dragon Robe, which automatically regulated his body temperature. As for Seto, it was a Gryphon; this level of chill was nothing to it.
"Still, I wonder if the Subjugation Army side will try something before the scheduled time..."
"Gururururuu?"
Given that they had been confident enough to specify the date and location of the battle themselves, Rei didn't think they would pull any cheap tricks.
At the same time, he knew Cabajid was the type of person who would use any means necessary to secure a win. Even though Mercurio had been the one to ultimately choose the battlefield, Rei couldn't quite shake his unease.
"And that’s why we have to go out on scouting. And if anyone’s going to do it, Seto and I are the best choice."
"Gururuu."
Seto let out a proud trill at Rei's words. As the strongest members of the Mercurio Army, they were the only ones suited for the job.
Sensing that Seto was saying exactly that, Rei reached out and stroked its neck. Purring happily, Seto flapped its wings and surged forward.
"Whoa, Seto. You're going a bit too fast. We've got over ten thousand troops below us moving at a snail's pace, not to mention the Transport Unit carrying the supplies. If you fly at full speed, we'll lose them in no time. Keep it slow."
"Guruu..."
Seto let out a slightly disappointed rumble. When they had been traveling with the Frizion Army, the smaller numbers meant they could move relatively quickly. But with the sheer scale of the Mercurio Army, rapid movement was out of the question.
Large numbers meant long travel times. For the light-footed Seto, who only had to worry about its own body, the pace was clearly frustrating.
"Hey, don't look so sulky. You experienced army travel during the Spring War too, didn't you?"
"Gururuu."
Seto let out a cry of acknowledgement, though it still sounded a bit dissatisfied. The previous march had been inconvenient as well, but perhaps because they had moved as part of the Mercurio Army several times now, a certain sense of familiarity had set in.
In fact, compared to the Spring War, this internal conflict had dragged on for quite a while. To be blunt, Seto was simply getting bored.
"Take it easy. This conflict will likely end with tomorrow's fight. ...Well, assuming the other side doesn't try any pointless, last-ditch resistance, that is."
In Rei's mind, victory was already a foregone conclusion.
Vihera, Theoreme, the White Rose Knight Order, the Mobile Unit, and the Beast Soldiers. ...And of course, himself and Seto. With such a lineup, he was certain they could beat the Subjugation Army.
The enemy would surely bring their own forces to bear, but Rei predicted they wouldn't stand a chance against their current might.
...And that prediction was, for the most part, absolutely correct.
If the Subjugation Army had only the forces they had deployed previously, Rei could have incinerated them with his specialty Firestorm or, failing that, wiped them out using the Overlord's Armor.
However, Rei had made one single, critical miscalculation.
It was the fact that the S-Rank Adventurer, Noise the Immovable, was waiting within the ranks of the Subjugation Army specifically to counter him.