Vihera’s expression flickered with surprise as she surveyed the Subjugation Army's Rear Unit, arrayed in a precise formation to intercept them. They appeared so composed that it was difficult to believe Rei and Seto had been trampling over them only a short while ago. The way they stood, ranks firmly established, spoke of a desperate determination to let no one pass. And yet...
"It appears only a portion of them are truly prepared," Tilleul muttered from just behind her shoulder.
To verify his observation, Vihera cast her gaze toward the back of the enemy force. Indeed, formations were crumbling there, replaced by visible signs of chaos. Gurgast must have sensed the same weakness. Still clutching his Battle Axes in both hands, he gave a derisive snort.
"A Rear Unit is fundamentally meant for reinforcements or supporting the vanguard. Naturally, their combat prowess is generally inferior to the units holding the front line. ...Of course, there are cases where a trump card unit is held in the rear to strike a decisive blow in an emergency, but this clearly isn't one of them."
Being a Battle Maniac, his instincts for combat were razor-sharp. Vihera offered a smile as he grumbled with genuine boredom.
"It’s certainly a shame you can't fight a strong enemy, but this battle has already been going on for a long time. Since they’ve been pushed back this far, the Subjugation Army's side probably has no cards left to play."
Though she didn't say it aloud for Gurgast’s sake, Noise—the Subjugation Army’s greatest strength—had already been repelled, and Digma, the next most powerful asset, had been taken prisoner. While there were likely other capable fighters, they were undoubtedly deployed across the vast battlefield. With Seto on the Right Wing and Rei on the Left Wing, it would be nearly impossible for anyone else to rush to this position.
(In Gurgast’s case, if he found out Noise had been on this battlefield, he’d probably start sulking.)
To someone seeking combat like Gurgast, an S-Rank Adventurer was a target he would practically drool over. Vihera was certain that if he learned Rei had repelled someone like Noise, Gurgast would undoubtedly pout, even if he didn't show it on his face.
The image of a man with such a terrifying face sulking was a sight few would believe, but those in a close relationship like Vihera and Tilleul understood that side of him. However, since he almost never showed it through his expressions, it was difficult for anyone else to notice.
"Now then... once we break through this Rear Unit, our victory will be certain. Are you ready? Don't go doing something stupid and dying now that we've come this far. If you do, I’ll turn it into a joke to laugh about once the war is over."
At Vihera's jokingly delivered words, the soldiers who heard her voice smiled. Considering they knew they were still at a numerical disadvantage, the fact that they could still laugh showed the strength of this army’s will. They believed they could never lose in a place like this.
The Subjugation Army's Rear Unit, waiting to meet them, also understood that if they were bypassed, the enemy would reach the Main Camp in a single surge, so they desperately tried to rouse their fighting spirit. However, a Rear Unit was fundamentally meant to support the Vanguard. They were inevitably inferior in terms of direct combat power.
"We have the numbers! In battle, the side with more numbers wins! Do not lose here, no matter what! We are the final shield protecting His Highness Cabajid and His Highness Schuls! Besides, if we hold out here, reinforcements will surely come from Both Wings eventually! I’m not saying we have to win. All we have to do is endure and buy time!"
One of the nobles leading the Rear Unit shouted to raise the soldiers’ morale. However, many of the soldiers didn't trust the noble’s words at all, and their fighting spirit showed no signs of rising.
It was only natural. Just a short while ago, they had been tormented by an existence whose quality far outweighed their quantity. Especially those who had seen their comrades blown away by Rei with their own eyes—they had confirmed the broken limbs and the hideous burn marks on the bodies of those struck by Rei while he was clad in his Flame Emperor's Crimson Armor. For those who had witnessed that single truth, a hundred false words were meaningless.
Even so, the noble continued to shout. Even if his words lacked persuasiveness, he couldn't afford to retreat now... and certainly couldn't allow them to break through.
(Damn it, if only the entire Rear Unit was in a state where they could actually fight...)
The noble spat out the words in his mind with hatred. Rei had broken through the Rear Unit at his leisure, and then the Gryphon had inflicted massive damage from the sky in an act that could only be called a massacre.
(A Gryphon breathing Fire Breath? Using Water, Ice, and Wind Magic? Just what kind of Gryphon is that?!)
The damage itself was great, but what confused the soldiers in the Rear Unit more than anything was the fact that the Gryphon had used numerous skills it wasn't supposed to possess. As a result, rumors spread that it was a Rare Species of Gryphon, and Rare Species were treated as monsters one rank higher than normal. In other words, talk spread that the Gryphon was an S-Rank monster, which only added to the chaos.
Considering that, this noble must have possessed a fair amount of ability to have managed to quell the confusion and reorganize them into a unit at all, even if it was a unit that was little more than a facade.
"Uooooooooh!"
The battle between the Subjugation Army's Rear Unit and the unit led by Vihera began. The one who opened the hostilities was, as expected, Gurgast, who charged toward the enemy while letting out a roar and brandishing his Battle Axes in both hands.
"Hi—Hiee!"
Gurgast, advancing while howling with his already fearsome face brimming with fighting spirit, was perfect for crushing the will of the Subjugation Army Soldiers. Several soldiers let out cries of fear at his appearance, which could only be described as diabolical.
The noble commander saw this and understood that they would inevitably be overwhelmed at this rate. At this initial stage, even before clashing blades, they were already looking to flee. And cowardice is instantly contagious.
(To prevent that... damn it!)
The collapse of the front line due to the spread of cowardice was imminent. The noble commander could think of only one way to prevent that worst-case future.
"Do not retreat! If we fall back here, our defeat is decided! If you don't want to be losers, hold your ground! Reinforcements will be here soon!"
"Shut up! Then you do something about it!"
The words shouted by an ordinary soldier were hardly the way to speak to a noble. It was a manner of speaking allowed only because they were on a battlefield, but the noble commander didn't rebuke him... rather, he shouted that he had been waiting for that.
"Very well! Then I shall go out myself! And I will show you that I can defeat Count Obrisin!"
As he shouted, he lightly kicked the sides of his horse, and at that signal, the horse broke into a gallop.
The plan the noble commander had devised was to go out himself and fight Gurgast—and even if he couldn't win, he would show that he could fight on equal terms. By doing so, he hoped to raise the soldiers' morale. It was an action taken because he understood himself to be the strongest in this place, but that was only in comparison to the ordinary soldiers.
Among those who had received specialized combat training, such as nobles, High-Rank Adventurers, or veteran mercenaries, he would be, at best, in the middle of the lower tier. Still, he had no other choice if he wanted to prevent the soldiers' collapse.
"Haaaaaaah!"
Letting out a roar to rouse himself, the Knight leveled his Spear and galloped his horse straight toward Gurgast. Since he was outclassed in skill, he would never win in a straight fight. That was why he intended to settle it with the first strike, aided by the momentum of his horse. With that thought, the noble rode his horse straight forward...
"Hmph."
Gurgast gave a small smile as he watched the noble on horseback charging straight toward him. The Spear the noble held was longer than those used by ordinary soldiers and was clearly a unique item of high quality. With such a weapon, it would certainly be possible to easily pierce even the metal armor he wore.
But...
"Nuoooooooh!"
The moment they clashed, Gurgast swung his Battle Axe along with a roar. The first to be swung was the left Battle Axe. It heavily parried the Spear that had been thrust toward his torso.
...At this time, if the Spear the noble held had been a cheap thing like the soldiers used, the tip would have shattered right then and there. But that Spear, brought into this world by the hands of a famous Blacksmith as befitting a noble, did not break or bend even after taking a blow from Gurgast's Battle Axe; it was merely repelled.
Additionally, the Battle Axe Gurgast held in his left hand was repelled just like the noble's Spear. Normally, this would have resulted in a mutual standoff, and they would have either put some distance between each other to clash blades again, or the soldiers’ morale would have risen at the sight of the noble fighting on equal terms with Gurgast for even a single exchange.
...Yes. Normally.
It was true that Gurgast's Battle Axe had clashed with the Spear, but that was only the Battle Axe held in his left hand. In other words, after the Spear was repelled, the Battle Axe held in Gurgast’s right hand was swung.
"Guh!"
The noble let out a groaning voice at the searing pain he felt in his torso... and his upper body collapsed toward the ground. After the lower body alone rode on the horse for about ten meters, it too collapsed to the ground, following the upper body as if it had lost its balance.
"That wasn't bad."
Those were the only words that escaped Gurgast’s mouth. However, the way he licked away the blood that had splattered onto his mouth when he severed the torso was hardly the behavior of a normal Warrior.
Berserker. That was what the Subjugation Army Soldiers... no, even the soldiers led by Vihera felt as they looked at Gurgast.
And the sight of the noble being defeated was nothing short of fatal for the Subjugation Army Soldiers gathered there.
"U-Uwaaaaaaaah!"
"Run! Run, run, run!"
"We’re gonna die! If we stay, we’re gonna die! Retreat!"
Each of them fled in all directions, reeling from the intense shock of the sight they had just witnessed. They hadn't expected their commander to be killed so easily, so the impact was devastating. Of course, it wasn't just people fleeing. Since there would be nothing left to block the way to the Main Camp if they were bypassed, fleeing meant the defeat in this Civil Strife would be decided immediately.
"Don't run! If you run here, it’s over for His Highness Cabajid and His Highness Schuls!"
Some shouted, trying to hold the line, but even the person shouting no longer believed they could turn the situation around. But even so...
(If the Princes can evacuate from the Main Camp while I buy time here... there should still be a chance for victory. If His Highness Cabajid and His Highness Schuls join forces, surely!)
Deep down, despite judging that it would be difficult given the current situation, he hoped to make something happen by convincing himself of that. Withdrawing from here itself wouldn't be that difficult. The area between this Brissa Plain and the Imperial Capital was within the Subjugation Army's sphere of influence, and there shouldn't be any Mercurio Army forces behind them.
However, the Subjugation Army's side had deployed their forces to the limit for this battle. Originally, the match should have been settled when they raided the Mercurio Army Main Camp, so they had used a large number of troops for that operation. Since that failed, they had prepared every bit of military strength they could muster. In other words, even if Cabajid and Schuls escaped this place, there were no more forces they could prepare.
(To be precise, forces like the National Army and the Imperial Guard remain, but those are held by His Majesty and will never be used in this fight. If that’s the case... then our defeat is already decided, huh. But even so, I’ll have my last-ditch effort!)
The commander who made that resolution intercepted the unit led by Vihera with his low-morale soldiers... but the soldiers, who had just seen the noble leading the unit killed so easily by Gurgast, couldn't possibly fight properly... and the Subjugation Army was scattered in an instant in a battle that could only be described as an overwhelming rout.
"...So that’s the Main Camp where my brothers are."
Vihera muttered after breaking through the chaotic Rear Unit and arriving before the Subjugation Army Main Camp. She took a step forward, leading her subordinates toward the place where her brothers were surely waiting.