At the same time, Leonard crossed his arms and stepped back.
A sharp red line appeared across his mana-infused arms.
'What is this?'
Leonard couldn't hide his astonishment as he retreated.
His arms had been cut with no warning. If he weren't a superhuman, his neck would have been severed instantly.
The thought sent chills down his spine.
'How can such a technique exist?!'
Leonard had worked with the Salvation Church and seen numerous superhumans.
Even the half-baked priests of the Salvation Church could wield considerable power akin to superhumans.
Then there were people like Gartros and Idun, whom Leonard couldn't confidently say he could defeat.
And what about the Duke Fenris? Even in the brief moment Leonard had seen him, he'd demonstrated strength beyond the rumors.
But the man before him was different. No matter how powerful a superhuman, Leonard had never imagined they could use such a technique.
The man on the horse, Yulian, stared at Leonard with his usual emotionless expression.
"I'll handle him."
That single line was enough. The mobile army moved past Yulian and began attacking the villagers.
Boom!
"Ahhh!"
The villagers, who had been preparing to flee, were swept away by the mobile army's charge.
Leonard ground his teeth.
'These madmen.'
Even with intelligence on their side, their methods were excessively brutal. They didn't bother with confirmation or procedure—they simply destroyed everything.
Leonard had never seen anyone more extreme than these people. They seemed even worse than the Salvation Church.
Although the Revolutionary Army members hiding in the village were being wiped out, Leonard couldn't move to assist them.
'There's no opening.'
The man in front of him was not someone he could face while distracted. On the contrary, Leonard needed to focus entirely on him to survive.
If the Duke Fenris was a storm tearing through everything, this man radiated a cold, razor-sharp energy so refined it was chilling.
Even a momentary lapse would result in being cut down. Leonard had no choice but to concentrate all his attention on him.
Seeing Leonard's reaction, Yulian, too, felt a tinge of curiosity.
'He's no ordinary opponent.'
He was stronger than the half-baked priests of the Salvation Church. It was unusual for someone of such strength to be in a place like this.
Dismounting from his horse, Yulian asked, "Who are you?"
"…."
Leonard didn't answer. He was more accustomed to hiding his identity.
But he soon reconsidered.
He had already encountered the Duke Fenris. By now, others could probably deduce who he was. There was no reason to keep hiding.
So, he answered boldly.
"I am the leader of the Revolutionary Army."
"…."
Yulian's eyebrow twitched. This was a bigger figure than he'd expected.
As Yulian drew on his mana, Leonard asked, "Who are you?"
"Yulian."
Leonard nodded. He recognized the name.
A prince of Turian and the hero who had saved his kingdom from crisis.
To think that he was working alongside the Duke Fenris' mobile army.
Leonard began to slowly step back as he asked, "How did Duke Fenris relay this information to you?"
"…."
Yulian didn't answer. Instead, he asked his own question.
"Why is the leader of the Revolutionary Army here?"
Leonard smirked.
He was curious about what tricks the Duke Fenris had pulled, but he hadn't asked out of genuine desire for an answer. His goal was to buy time through conversation.
If the other side started asking questions, that was even better. It gave him more opportunities to escape.
"I—"
Swoosh!
"Guh!"
Leonard quickly stepped back again. A slash appeared across his chest.
He had started a conversation, only to be attacked mid-sentence!
From what Leonard knew, Yulian wasn't the type to resort to such tactics. According to intelligence, Yulian was cold and aloof but preferred direct confrontation over ambushes.
Or rather, with his level of skill, he had no need for trickery.
But now Yulian's actions contradicted the reports. Leonard frowned and said, "I didn't expect this kind of tactic. Aren't you a prince of Turian? Did you learn this in war? Have you thrown away your knightly honor?"
It was an attempt to provoke him, but Yulian replied with a candid, emotionless expression.
"I learned it from a friend."
"What? What friend?"
"Duke Fenris."
"…."
Leonard let out a hollow laugh. He'd heard rumors that Duke Fenris' associates were all eccentric, but it seemed they were rubbing off on each other.
In truth, it was Ghislain who had taught Yulian this approach.
— "You can attack through space, right? Just strike while you're talking. No need to drag things out."
When Yulian tried it, he found it effective. Against someone of lower skill than Leonard, it would have been devastating.
Though his upbringing had ingrained in him a certain grace, Yulian saw no reason to adhere to chivalry when dealing with an enemy. He had little interest in such ideals.
Seeing Yulian's nonchalant demeanor, Leonard gritted his teeth. It seemed nothing could shake this man's composure.
"Fine, let's see your strength."
Boom!
Leonard unleashed his full power, spreading an overwhelming amount of mana into the surrounding area.
At the same time, Yulian moved, swinging his sword.
Clang!
Leonard's sword blocked Yulian's. Yet, despite blocking the attack, Leonard's clothes tore, and his body bore shallow wounds.
Blocking wasn't enough. The residual mana from Yulian's strikes crossed space to inflict damage.
But Leonard wasn't just anyone. As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he was as cautious as he was adaptable.
Whirr.
In an instant, Leonard's body blurred, creating several afterimages. It was a technique capable of deceiving most people.
But not Yulian. He could see the flow of mana.
He quickly identified the real Leonard and swung his sword.
Swoosh!
Leonard was cut again. Twisting his body at the last moment, he avoided a fatal injury and threw several beads from his hand.
Bang!
The beads shattered, filling the air with dense smoke, obscuring vision completely.
To a superhuman, such an attack was of little use. It might obscure vision slightly, but they could still detect their opponent's presence.
Leonard knew this. He wasn't trying to hide—just to create a more favorable battlefield for himself.
Clink!
From behind his waist, Leonard drew chain scythes. Unlike typical chain scythes, these were smaller, with unusually thin chains.
The scythe handles had a special mechanism to retract the chains, making them look like ordinary small scythes when not in use.
These two chain scythes, always carried at his waist, were Leonard's true weapons. While they seemed to lack killing power due to their compact size, in the hands of a superhuman, the story was different.
Whoosh!
Leonard swung the mana-infused chain scythes with a powerful motion. The extended chains allowed him to attack from a distance.
Yulian easily dodged the scythe emerging from the smoke and immediately countered with a slash in the direction it came from.
Swoosh!
He felt the blade connect, but the cut was shallow. Leonard had already shifted his position, using the chain scythe embedded in the ground to maneuver to Yulian's side.
Whoosh!
Superhumans moved in an instant. Even the briefest lapse in attention could be fatal.
But before Yulian could turn his head, his sword was already raised.
Clang!
Yulian's sword collided with Leonard's, sparks flying from the impact.
Blocked, Leonard retreated into the smoke again. At the same time, the chain scythes whipped through the air, aiming for Yulian.
Clang!
The chain scythes and Leonard's sword attacked Yulian from all directions.
As time passed, their speed increased. Leonard had finally unleashed his full strength.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yulian, unable to take the attacks lightly, swung his sword rapidly to defend himself.
If he dodged the chain scythe, Leonard's sword would strike. If he blocked the sword, the chain scythe would come at him.
It felt as if two superhumans were attacking at once.
Leonard's skill with his weapons was exceptional—enough to make Yulian furrow his brow slightly.
Amid the dense fog, the two figures moved at incredible speed, exchanging blows. However, the battle didn't last long.
Yulian changed tactics. He decided to cut through the entire space around him.
It would consume a lot of mana, but there was no reason to be dragged into his opponent's superb weapon skills.
Clang! Clang!
After a brief clash, Yulian seized an opening and swung his sword in a wide arc.
He wasn't targeting anything specific—his strike was aimed at everything within his blade's range.
Swoosh!
"Ugh!"
Leonard, who had been moving frantically, groaned as a slash tore through his stomach.
'What kind of monster is this?'
He had considered himself quite strong, but this was on another level entirely.
Despite his relentless attacks, the opponent was unfazed. Leonard had only managed to inflict a small wound on Yulian's side.
Meanwhile, Leonard was accumulating injuries, his body covered in blood.
Even the potent poison on his weapons seemed to have no effect on Yulian, who moved as if completely unaffected. Leonard couldn't comprehend it.
'This isn't working.'
He had never intended to fight to the end. His plan was always to escape when the opportunity arose.
Whoosh.
Leonard hurled his sword.
Clang.
As expected, Yulian deflected it. But Leonard had one more trick up his sleeve.
Whirr!
The remaining chain scythe at his waist shot toward the opposite direction.
At the same time, another chain scythe flew toward Yulian.
Clang.
Yulian deflected the chain scythe and advanced, but Leonard had already used the other scythe to propel himself far away.
He exploded his mana and sprinted madly.
"Stop him!"
The mobile army, which had already cleared the village, surrounded the area. Leonard threw several beads from his pocket.
Bang! Boom! Bang!
Thick smoke filled the surroundings, so dense it was hard to even open one's eyes.
"Ugh! What is this?!"
"I can't see anything!"
"Chase him!"
The mobile army couldn't track Leonard in the fog.
Yulian tried to sense Leonard's movements, but the latter swung his long chain scythe repeatedly, creating a barrier.
After several such exchanges, Leonard finally managed to widen the distance. Without looking back, he fled.
Yulian halted his pursuit. His opponent was too skilled, and with the distance now between them, it wouldn't be easy to catch him.
Moreover, Yulian wasn't in a state to exert his full strength.
"…He's quite strong."
Yulian spoke in genuine admiration. It had been a long time since anyone had lasted so long against him in a one-on-one fight.
The leader of the Revolutionary Army was indeed formidable and exceptional.
"Lord Yulian, are you alright?"
As the smoke began to clear, soldiers hurried toward him.
"I'm fine."
Black blood flowed from Yulian's side. He had been using mana to suppress the spread of the poison.
Most poisons could be neutralized entirely with mana, but the poison Leonard used wasn't so easily removed.
It was the most potent poison Yulian had ever encountered, stronger than any he'd been exposed to, even during an ambush in his youth.
It was almost impressive that Leonard had acquired such a rare toxin.
Yulian, however, remained nonchalant as he poured a potion over his wound. This much would fade with a few days of focused training.
Still, he decided it was worth warning others about. Even if a superhuman wouldn't die from such poison, it would severely impair their combat capabilities.
"Let's return."
At Yulian's command, the mobile army finished clearing the village and loaded the supplies onto wagons.
Their mission here was complete. It was time to regroup with the Allied Forces.
As they returned, Yulian fell into quiet contemplation.
'It's not enough.'
While his opponent was formidable, it wasn't someone Yulian couldn't defeat. In fact, he had all but dominated the battle.
But in the end, the target had escaped.
It was due to Leonard's cunning, but at a certain level, such tricks could no longer be dismissed as mere cheap tactics.
Moreover, Leonard's adaptability had been exceptional. Even Yulian had been affected by the poison—proof of Leonard's greater experience.
'As expected.'
Yulian was still relatively inexperienced. Though his talent was extraordinary, he hadn't had many opportunities to fight opponents of equal or greater strength.
Perhaps his first such fight had been with Hellnik.
Even for someone who gained strength seemingly just by breathing, innate talent couldn't make up for a lack of experience.
This war was teaching Yulian that, little by little.
Meeting the leader of the Revolutionary Army today had been a valuable experience. It allowed him to once again realize what he was lacking.
'Next time…'
Next time, he wouldn't fall for the same tricks. Today was another step in his growth.
He was becoming stronger every day.
***
The mobile army returned to the Lutania army's base after raiding the Revolutionary Army's hideouts.
Claude exclaimed at the sight of the loaded wagons they brought back.
"Wow! Why do you bring so much every time? It's overwhelming!"
Ghislain always returned with valuables whenever he went out, just as he had during his days in his territory.
The mobile army had divided its forces and raided six Revolutionary Army hideouts, including Stonebrook Village.
Unsurprisingly, they had amassed a tremendous amount of wealth.
Ghislain arrogantly tilted his chin and said, "Distribute this to the Allied Forces. And you sent troops to the other areas too, right?"
"Of course. I've sent some of our forces."
Troops had been dispatched to other nearby hideouts outside the mobile army's reach. After all, the mobile army now needed to fully participate in the campaign to capture the Kingdom of Artrode.
"Good. We'll rest for two days and then move. The Allied Forces will advance simultaneously."
As commander-in-chief, Ghislain's orders were relayed to everyone.
Now, they would each march toward their assigned targets.
And after taking a rare moment of rest, Ghislain…
…dreamed that mysterious dream once more.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]