The soldiers of the Subjugation Army failed to grasp what had happened when the Beast Soldiers they had been fighting vanished into thin air.
Only a few possessed the keen intuition required to sense the overwhelming presence of Rei—the same power that had prompted the Beast Soldiers to retreat.
The front lines were composed mostly of regular soldiers and conscripted farmers brought from the territories of the nobles belonging to the First Prince Faction and Second Prince Faction. To such men, the ability to gauge the strength of an opponent was a rare gift.
Consequently, seeing the Beast Soldiers withdraw only emboldened them, and they roared to psych themselves up for a decisive charge.
Of course, the battlefield was not comprised solely of conscripts. Professional soldiers from the various noble houses and knights were also present. However, the conscripts were by far the most numerous, and they were not about to overlook a golden opportunity to push the enemy back and claim merit for themselves.
"Wait! Halt! Do not attack recklessly!"
Had the battle only just begun, the commander’s voice might have carried. But the fighting had raged for quite some time, and the adrenaline of staking their lives on the field had pushed many of the men into a state of mindless frenzy.
"Uooooooooh! Merit! Give me the merit!"
"For my wife's sake! Right here, right now!"
"If I distinguish myself here, I might be promoted to the regular army! Go, go, goooo!"
"I'm strong! I'm strong! You lot ran away because you're weak! Now, die!"
"Hyaha! Hyahahahahaha!"
As the men screamed their various war cries, they prepared to launch an all-out pursuit of the retreating Beast Soldiers.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, several Pillars of Flame erupted before the soldiers, forming a scorching barrier between them and the Beast Soldiers.
The abrupt appearance of the towering inferno brought the frenzied soldiers to a grinding halt. To complete the blockade, a Line of Flame traced its way across the ground, connecting each pillar.
"Anyone who steps past this line will be dealt with by my own hands," a voice declared. "I will say this one last time: Surrender. If you lay down your arms now, you will be treated as prisoners of war. But if you choose to fight me, know that I cannot hold back."
As Rei stepped through the parting flames, the soldiers recoiled several steps, utterly overwhelmed.
Under normal circumstances, they might not have been intimidated by a youth of small stature with a girlish face. However, the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor he wore radiated an aura that instilled unconditional terror in all who looked upon it.
The combat high that had gripped them seconds ago vanished instantly. Some even dropped their weapons where they stood, choosing surrender over a fiery death.
"Do not be cowed! He is only trying to intimidate us!" one of the commanders shouted. He understood that numbers were meaningless against the person currently standing before them, but he was merely a low-ranking officer in the chain of command. If it had been his personal choice, he would have retreated long ago, but his duty forced him to rally the men. "Our numbers are superior! Never give up! If we hold here, reinforcements will arrive soon!"
"I see. In that case... here I go!"
Clad in the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, Rei swung his Death Scythe in a wide arc.
A faint burst of Deep Flame trailed the movement, and a Flame Wall erupted along the trajectory of the strike. As the men cowered, Rei took a single step forward.
"I believe that is far enough. I cannot allow you to pass so easily."
Holding a Magic Sword, Pelfeel stepped into the fray.
She had been engaged with a Beast Soldier resembling a Lizardman-Centaur, but now her focus was solely on Rei.
The Subjugation Army commander breathed a sigh of relief. Pelfeel was famous within the First Prince Faction for her martial prowess. He believed that even if she couldn't defeat Rei, she could surely buy enough time for them to utilize their numerical advantage and crush the Beast Soldiers elsewhere on the wing.
From his perspective, the plan seemed to have a high chance of success. However...
"Do you seriously intend to face me?" Rei asked. "With your level of skill, surely you must already be aware of the difference in our power."
"Even so, my position does not allow for retreat. If I let you run wild here, our casualties will be catastrophic. ...I assume it would be pointless to ask you to let me withdraw peacefully?"
Rei’s only answer was to ready his Death Scythe.
Currently, the main force of the Mercurio Army led by Vihera was attempting a Central Breakthrough. Their objective was to slay or capture the Supreme Commanders, Cabajid and Schuls.
Since Vihera was in command, Rei considered the success of that offensive a foregone conclusion. However, if the woman before him were to reinforce the enemy center, the situation could change.
Rei recognized her name. Theoreme had described her as a knight who earnestly sought her own strength and possessed the deep trust of Cabajid. Rei had encountered her once before at the Castle Entrance during Frizziore's escape from the Imperial Capital, and he knew exactly who she was.
"Quite right," Rei replied. "If I let you go now, you'll only cause us trouble later. Since I know that, I'll finish you here while I have the chance. ...Besides, you don't really have any intention of running, do you? Your fighting spirit is practically screaming."
"If you were to let me go, I would take the offer," Pelfeel countered, her eyes fixed on Rei as she looked for an opening. "But since you will not, I have no choice but to fight."
"If you surrender, you will be treated as a prisoner," Rei offered, just to be sure.
"Impossible. I serve His Highness Cabajid. I will not repay his kindness with betrayal. More importantly, shouldn't you ready your weapon? We are at war; I could strike at any moment."
Rei let out a small sigh. Every second he spent here meant more casualties for the Beast Soldiers on the Left Wing. While the Beast Soldiers in his immediate vicinity had retreated from the heat of the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, the battle still raged across the rest of the Entire Left Wing.
In other places, the Beast Soldiers were being pushed back by sheer numbers. To minimize their losses, he had to end this engagement immediately.
"If you insist on fighting, so be it. ...Don't lose focus for even a second. The gap between us is that wide."
It was an arrogant statement, and the Subjugation Army soldiers glared at Rei, incensed that he would underestimate Pelfeel. However, those among them who were truly skilled felt that Rei's words were no mere boast. They were already drenched in cold sweat.
Pelfeel herself was under no illusions. She silently accepted the warning and pointed the Magic Sword Tip toward Rei.
"I won't call those empty words. However, as His Highness Cabajid's Sword, I cannot lose so easily!"
Hearing her declaration, Rei poured his remaining Magic Power into the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor, replenishing the Crimson's Magic Power he had consumed with the Deep Flame.
Considering her personality, it would be a waste to kill her, Rei thought. Her earnest, honest character would be a great asset once Mercurio takes over the Bestia Empire. Her loyalty to Cabajid is high, but I can leave the details of handling that to Theoreme or Tilleul.
Rei had taken a liking to Pelfeel’s gallant nature and decided to opt for a live capture rather than a kill. He understood that killing her would be the quickest way to secure the Left Wing for the Mercurio Army, but he felt he owed Theoreme. Furthermore, if the Bestia Empire moved toward a friendly relationship with the Kingdom of Mireana, he wouldn't have to worry about being conscripted for future wars.
"Then, let us begin."
The moment he muttered those words, Rei kicked off the ground. In the next heartbeat, he was already inside Pelfeel’s guard, swinging the Death Scythe's Shaft in a Horizontal Slash.
"Wh—!?"
Pelfeel let out a cry of shock. Rei had closed the distance in an absolute instant. Even with her martial skill—which far exceeded that of a regular soldier—his movement was nothing more than a faint blur.
In truth, it was only because she was Pelfeel that she had even seen his shadow. To the Subjugation Army soldiers watching, Rei had simply vanished and reappeared. Some of the Beast Soldiers fared slightly better, but they too struggled to track him.
The heavy shaft of the Death Scythe slammed into Pelfeel's side, followed by a high-pitched metallic crack and a stifled scream.
"Heh, you actually blocked that. I have to say, between you and Noise, you’re both remarkably good at using your weapons as shields."
Rei’s voice was a mixture of surprise and genuine amazement. Before him, Pelfeel was forced down to one knee, her Magic Sword Blade snapped cleanly in two.
She had attempted the same maneuver as Noise, but she lacked the strength to fully negate the attack. This was despite the fact that Noise had been hit by a surprise strike amplified by the Bracelet of Herculean Strength, whereas Rei had considerably held back this blow with the Death Scythe's Shaft.
"Guh... cough... impossible... that much power... in one strike..."
She had used the sword as a shield, but the kinetic energy had transferred regardless. She coughed violently as she tried to force herself back up, but the impact had completely deadened her legs.
In a normal fight, Pelfeel would never have been overwhelmed so one-sidedly. However, she had been fighting the Beast Soldiers on the Left Wing for hours. Her stamina was depleted, and she simply didn't have the reserves left to withstand Rei’s onslaught.
"Dammit... how could I..."
"It's unfortunate, but your part in this battle ends here. You have a life as a prisoner ahead of you, so you might as well get some rest."
Pelfeel looked up to see a wave of intense heat as Rei closed the distance once again, raising his Death Scythe.
"Do not think for a second that you can take me prisoner!"
She drew a Dagger from her bosom—her spare weapon—and tried to Thrust it toward Rei. But the Death Scythe's Shaft swung again. The violent impact sent her flying sideways.
She had barely managed to block the first strike with her magic sword, but with that weapon broken, she had nothing left to defend herself with. The dagger was swatted aside like a toy, and she felt her metal breastplate buckle and shatter where the shaft struck her torso.
She was blown back five meters, carving a furrow in the dirt as she slid.
Since the battle had begun—if it could even be called that—Pelfeel had been unable to even cross blades with him. Yet, driven by a sheer, disciplined will, she forced herself back up. Her legs were trembling and useless, but she stood unsteadily, swaying on her feet.
"Just go to sleep already."
The moment the words reached her ears, a final shock registered against the crushed section of her armor. Pelfeel felt herself collapsing toward the earth, and her consciousness surrendered to the dark.
"...Well, I suppose that's that," Rei muttered, looking down at the unconscious knight.
He had expected this result once he activated the Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor. After his grueling fight with Noise, he had been wary, but it seemed his concerns were misplaced in this instance.
"Take this woman back to the Main Camp," Rei ordered. "She's high-ranking, so make sure you don't pull anything strange."
"Yes, sir!"
The Beast Soldier resembling a Lizardman-Centaur chimera—the one who had been fighting Pelfeel earlier—nodded. He scooped up Pelfeel’s limp body and carried her away.
The Subjugation Army Soldiers could only watch in stunned silence. They wanted to stop him, but none dared to move against Rei. They stood paralyzed as the woman who had commanded the Entire Left Wing was taken away as a trophy.
"Now then... this wing is essentially finished. I suppose I should go see if the others need a hand."
Rei turned his gaze toward the Central Front Line.