The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 172

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

A hundred knights of the Rose Knight Order galloped forward on horseback.

At the front of the charge, Piaren’s sharp gaze fixated on Nardern in the distance.

“Good, we’re not too late.”

Piaren had chosen to ride ahead with the knights, leaving the slower soldiers behind.

This decision allowed them to arrive much earlier than planned, reaching Nardern before sunrise instead of at noon.

Piaren’s eyes scanned the city.

‘That explosion just now.’

He turned his gaze to the left, where the sound had come from, sensing a powerful energy.

Though brief, it was strong enough to make Piaren raise his guard.

‘An Aura Master...’

Had Celestine from the Artian Kingdom arrived here?

He couldn’t tell who it was, but it didn’t matter.

‘Whoever it is, I will not lose.’

Gripping the reins tightly, Piaren urged his horse into an even faster gallop.

“Rose Knight Order! The moment we enter Nardern, engage the enemy immediately. Take no prisoners—kill anyone you find!”

“Yes, understood!”

The knights responded in unison, racing toward Nardern.

The soldiers guarding the northern gate of the city shouted in alarm.

“It’s the banner of the Rose Knight Order! Open the gate! Open the gate!”

Rumble!

The gates creaked open urgently, welcoming the knights.

The northern gate of Nardern was thrown wide open.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

Piaren and the Rose Knight Order charged through, heading swiftly toward the eastern sector.

At the same time.

“...!”

The Caion Unit, having breached the eastern gate, charged toward the southern gate, where the main force was locked in a standoff.

Their priority was to open the southern gate and allow their main army to enter the city.

However—

“What is it?”

Dianal asked as he noticed Damian suddenly halt in his tracks.

Damian turned his head in the opposite direction, staring into the distance before speaking.

“Dianal, we need to hurry.”

“Pardon?”

“He’s here.”

“Who?”

“The Empire’s Aura Master.”

“...!”

Dianal’s eyes wavered slightly at the revelation.

An Aura Master had appeared. While shocking, the southern gate had to be opened before facing such an opponent.

Raising his twin swords, Dianal issued an order.

“Caion Unit! Pick up the pace! Overwhelm the enemy guarding the southern gate and secure it!”

“Yes, sir!”

Damian turned back toward the southern gate and resumed his charge.

By this time, Bertom had already stationed dense ranks of soldiers along the path to the southern gate, fully aware of its strategic importance.

“Block the enemy! Hold this line!”

“Kill them all!”

“Uaaaarghhh!”

The Empire’s soldiers, renowned for their discipline and prowess, surged toward the Caion Unit without hesitation.

Their determination and skill were evident.

But they had chosen the wrong opponent.

Shunk! Shunk-shunk!

With a flash of his spear, Damian pierced through the throats and hearts of three Imperial soldiers in an instant.

They fell lifelessly, their faces frozen in disbelief, unable to comprehend how they had died.

Damian methodically cut through his foes. Although using his aura was taking a toll on his body—

‘I can feel it. He’s getting closer.’

The Aura Master who had entered through the northern gate was rapidly closing in.

While Damian didn’t know exactly who it was, he reserved his strength for the inevitable confrontation.

Boom!

Suddenly, Dianal launched himself forward, leaping into the ranks of soldiers blocking the way.

Spinning through the air, he slashed with his swords.

Slash! Shlick! Splat!

“Arghhh!”

“My arm! Aghhh!”

The merciless blades of Dianal tore through the Imperial soldiers.

“Uwoooaaahhhh!”

Kyle, wielding a massive tower shield, charged like a bull, scattering the enemy as he barreled through.

Boom!

“Arghhh!”

“Waaahhh!”

With a single, forceful blow, Kyle created an opening in the enemy line. He turned to Damian with a grin.

“We’ll handle clearing the path, Captain. You’d better save your strength—you’ll need it soon, hehehe!”

The sight of Kyle’s cheeky smile oddly eased Damian’s tension. He chuckled.

“Then hurry up and clear it, you idiots. They’re right on our heels!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood! Charge team, move out!”

At Kyle’s command, the charge team formed up, raising their shields.

Like an ironclad carriage, they advanced relentlessly, making the Imperial soldiers flinch.

Even the Empire’s disciplined soldiers knew they couldn’t stop the Caion Unit with their own strength.

Still—

“We won’t let you pass unscathed!”

“Cripple them! Do anything to slow them down!”

The Empire’s soldiers fought with desperate resolve.

Damian acknowledged their bravery.

“They are strong and fearless,” he admitted.

But their valor couldn’t absolve them of their sins.

‘How many lives have been lost because of them?’

Recalling the battles of his past, Damian spoke softly.

“Caion Unit, annihilate the enemy.”

That single command lit the spark.

“Uwaaaarghhh!”

Led by Kyle, the charge team mercilessly plowed through the Imperial soldiers, carving a path to the southern gate.

Even as they advanced, Damian’s senses stayed sharp, tracking the rapidly approaching figure from behind.

Whoever it was, they were closing in fast.

‘Just a little... further.’

With the southern gate now in sight, the Caion Unit surged forward with renewed determination.

***

Tooooot!

The blaring of the battle horn echoed across the battlefield, lifting the soldiers’ morale ever higher.

“Our forces have already breached the eastern wall and entered Nardern! The gates will open soon! Advance! Crush the enemy blocking your path and charge forward!”

“The enemy is exhausted! Shove them back with your shields and kill them once they fall!”

“Push! Harder, push harder!”

The arrows that had rained from above were long gone.

At the forefront of the battle near Nardern, the soldiers clashing with the enemy resembled demons incarnate.

“Die, you bastards!”

Crash!

A soldier swung his wooden shield with all his might, smashing into an Imperial soldier.

But the enemy wasn’t easily pushed back.

“You lowly scum dare to raise your blades against the Empire? This will be your grave!”

“Bring the hooks!”

The Imperial soldiers at the front line, using their shields to hold off the allied forces, shouted loudly.

From the rear, soldiers armed with long hooks emerged.

Shick!

Slash!

“Aaaargh!”

“My leg!”

“Gaaahhh!”

They thrust their hooks below and yanked, slicing through the calves and Achilles tendons of the allied soldiers.

Thud-thud-thud!

In an instant, the soldiers at the allied forces’ vanguard collapsed with agonized screams.

But those cries were short-lived.

The spears of the Imperial soldiers rained down on the fallen, ending their lives with ruthless efficiency.

Shunk! Shunk! Shunk!

The battlefield reeked of blood, sweat, and death.

The stench of bodies intertwined in mortal combat fouled the air, but none of the combatants paid it any mind, fighting with every ounce of strength they had.

At that moment—

“Out of my way, you bastards!”

A commanding officer of the allied forces swung a mace as large as a human head, its iron head smashing through enemies.

Crash!

“Gaaahhh!”

“Guh—!”

The sight of soldiers being hurled into the air left the Imperial soldiers momentarily breathless.

The commanders had finally entered the fray.

But the Empire wasn’t going to let such audacity go unchallenged.

“Where do you think you’re flaunting your strength, you fool?”

An Imperial commander wielding a massive axe in both hands stepped forward, his piercing gaze locking onto his adversary.

Both commanders exuded an aura of raw, unyielding power.

The allied commander smirked.

“A frog in a well who’s never seen the vast world beyond the Empire. I’ll crush your skull and show everyone that the Empire’s reputation is nothing but hollow pride!”

“Pathetic frog. Do you think you’d even have become a commander had you served the Empire?”

“Raaahhhhh!”

“Uwaaaahhhh!”

The two commanders charged at each other, their weapons colliding with earth-shaking force.

Clang! Crash! Boom!

Each clash of their weapons produced ear-splitting metallic shrieks, forcing nearby soldiers to retreat in fear.

No one wanted to become collateral damage in this battle of titans.

In the midst of this chaos, Kiaran shifted her gaze toward the interior of Nardern.

She had faith in Damian’s success.

But even if the gates were opened, failure to break through the Imperial army guarding the way would render it all meaningless.

Kiaran raised her hand, pointing toward the Imperial forces.

“Now it’s our turn to attack.”

Tooooot!

The horn signaling a new assault blared once again.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

A loud commotion came from the rear as the allied soldiers parted to either side.

From the clearing emerged a cavalry unit.

“We can’t let Damian outshine us. Let’s break through this line quickly.”

Determined to showcase overwhelming power, Kiaran watched as the cavalry surged forward, mapping out the entire battlefield in her mind.

Meanwhile, near the southern gate, Damian observed the heavily fortified line of Imperial soldiers blocking the path.

The archers stationed atop the walls had already descended, forming a defensive line with shield-bearers to block the Caion Unit.

“They’ve dug in pretty deep here.”

“They know exactly where the critical point is.”

Bertom, having positioned his forces, had created a near-impenetrable defense. Archers and shield-bearers stood in a semicircular formation to guard the gate.

With Piaren Tale and the Rose Knight Order already inside Nardern, Bertom couldn’t afford to lose the southern gate.

‘If this gate falls and we’re attacked from both sides, the war is over.’

If Nardern was captured, the enemy would march straight to Everblade.

That meant the capital itself would be in jeopardy.

‘We just need to hold a little longer.’

Bertom narrowed his eyes at the advancing Caion Unit.

The wide avenue provided an advantage for maneuvering, but the Imperial defenses were nothing short of flawless.

However—

“Paul! Move to that position and flank the enemy. They’ll be vulnerable to arrows from the side.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Jerka! Take some men into the alley on the right and climb onto the rooftops. Use the roofs to attack their formation directly.”

“Understood!”

Damian issued rapid orders, his familiarity with such situations evident.

It wasn’t just Nardern—his experience told him exactly what was needed to crack the Empire’s defensive lines.

‘The key to breaking through is a flank attack.’

Damian’s instincts, honed from countless battles, guided his decisions.

“Step aside. I’ll take the lead now.”

“Are you sure, Captain?”

“It’s time to act.”

With resolve in his voice, Damian began channeling his aura.

Thanks to Kyle and Dianal holding the line, he had conserved his strength until now.

Damian’s spear glowed with an intense blue energy, radiating an overwhelming presence.

Whooooom!

As mana rippled through the air, concentrating on his spear, Damian fixed his gaze on the Imperial soldiers before him.

And then—

“I’ll break you all in one strike.”