Chapter 37 - The battle (1)

As the two armies charged towards each other, the ground shook beneath their feet. The barbarian riders thundered forward, their beast's feet pounding the earth. The grand duke's soldiers formed a tight phalanx, their pikes, and shields held steady like a turtle's shell.

The barbarians crashed into the wall of shields, and spears with reckless abandon, screaming battle cries as they tried to break through. The grand duke's soldiers held firm, bracing themselves against the impact of the charging horde.

Meanwhile, the wyvern knights soared overhead, raining arrows and fireballs down upon the barbarian army. The skies were ablaze with flames and smoke, as the deadly rain of death fell upon the enemy.

In the center of the chaos, the grand duke and the barbarian chief faced off. Their weapons glinted in the sunlight, each covered in a powerful aura. The barbarian chief wielded a black aura, while the grand duke's was a bloody red.

As the two clashed, the sky itself seemed to split open. The clouds parted, revealing a bright blue sky above. The sound of clashing steel echoed across the battlefield, drowning out the screams and cries of the dying.

Suddenly, two figures leaped into the air. Artoxares and his white leopard soared high above the battlefield, while Dante and his wyvern descended rapidly. They met in the middle, the force of their impact sending shockwaves across the battlefield.

It quickly became clear that fighting from horseback was leading them nowhere. With a silent agreement, both leaders dismounted and landed on the ground. They stood face to face, their eyes locked in a fierce stare-down.

As they stood there, their soldiers continued to fight and die around them. The air was thick with the stench of blood and smoke, and the ground was slick with mud and gore. Yet the grand duke and the barbarian chief remained focused solely on each other, their weapons at the ready.

Dante smirked as he locked eyes with the imposing figure of Artoxares, "Come at me," he challenged, his sword at the ready.

Without a moment's hesitation, Artoxares let out a deafening roar and charged straight towards the Grand Duke. The ground shook beneath their feet as he swung his axe down at Dante with a force that could level entire cities.

But Dante was quick to defend himself. He parried Artoxares' attack with his sword, and the clash between the two weapons caused a mana shockwave that reverberated throughout the battlefield. The sheer power of their collision was enough to kill countless bystanders who had the misfortune of being too close.

Dante's chest heaved as he caught his breath. "Huff… World's End Sword Art: First Form - World Divide," he muttered, his eyes fixed on Artoxares.

In a blink of an eye, Dante slashed his sword downwards with incredible speed and precision. To onlookers, it appeared as if his sword had been pointing skyward one moment and pointed straight towards the ground the next.

Artoxares knew exactly what Dante was capable of and quickly grounded his axe. "Barbarian Lord's Axe Technique: Defense Stance - Defender of the Motherland," he muttered under his breath. The technique covered his entire body and weapon in a glowing aura of mana that expanded in size, resembling a giant made of pure energy.

Within a split second, the earth split open, and a massive chasm tore through the ground as far as the eye could see. Lava spewed from the gaping hole, and the world seemed to come apart at the seams. Yet, somehow, the barbarian chief managed to stand his ground.

"Crazy bastard," Artoxares muttered, his eyes locked onto Dante.

Dante's expression turned incredulous as he gazed upon Artoxares. "You managed to block that?" he asked in disbelief.

Artoxares laughed. "Did you think I'd fall for the same move twice?"

"Well, yes," Dante said with a hint of sarcasm. "I didn't think you knew how to think."

Artoxares smirked. "Think twice, then. Barbarian Lord's Axe Technique: Offense Stance - Yridna's Revenge."

With a swift motion, Artoxares compressed all the mana from the mana giant into the edge of his axe. He then hurled it at Dante with all his might.

Dante braced himself, pumping mana into his sword in a bid to block the incoming attack. The sword and axe met with a deafening clash that echoed across the battlefield, each weapon screaming as they collided.

As the Duke and the Barbarian Chief fought with ferocity, John and Nicholas made their way towards the light cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the Barbarians from the flank.

Nicholas spurred his horse and urged John to follow, his voice laced with urgency, "Come on, boy, pick up the pace. If you don't move faster, the horses behind you will trample you." John responded with a determined nod and kicked his horse, urging it to run faster. The wind rushed past his face, and the sensation of the galloping horse brought back memories of his time in the military.

Nicholas was amazed at John's horse riding skills and shook his head in disbelief under his visor. "The lad is a natural," he muttered to himself. As they approached the enemy lines, Nicholas contacted the heavy cavalry commander through his communications crystal, "Heavy cavalry unit, prepare to separate."

"Roger that," the heavy cavalry commander replied, and his unit began to move away from the light cavalry.

Nicholas turned towards his troops and yelled, "Hard right, boys, hard right." As they closed in on the Barbarian infantry, Nicholas instructed his men to ready their spears, "Let's go, boys. Prepare for contact."

Arvandus, who was leading the infantry division, shouted, "Enemy on the left! The enemy cavalry unit is on the left. Prepare the pike wall."

The soldiers responded with a resounding "Yes, sir," and pulled up their pikes. The shield unit readied their shields and spears for the impending attack.

Nicholas gave the command, "Making contact!" and the sound of metal clashing against metal, the clack of shields, the spurting of blood, and the neighing of horses filled the air. Chaos ensued, with soldiers from both sides screaming as the light cavalry of the Grand Duke's army charged towards the Barbarians, while the pike walls impaled them.

The Barbarian soldiers attempted to defend themselves, but the horses of the Duke's forces ran over them, causing further casualties.

"Keep going! The enemy flank is still weak," Nicholas shouted, urging his soldiers to push forward.

"Move in! Move in!" he commanded, leading the charge. Arvandus shouted to his soldiers to keep their pikes up, "Don't let them in!"

The sound of screams intensified as the two armies collided in a frenzy of blood and guts. The clash of metal against metal, the smell of blood, and the screams of soldiers filled the battlefield. The barbarian soldiers fought with desperation, but they were overwhelmed by the Duke's forces, who fought with a calculated ferocity.

"Keep charging!" Nicholas yelled, leading his troops through the chaotic battle. The Duke's forces continued to advance, pushing the Barbarians back. The battle raged on, with neither side giving an inch.

Arvandus raised his spear, its sharp tip glinting under the bright sun. "Spear of the Wild: First Form - Beastly Strike!" he shouted, his voice commanding attention amidst the chaos of the battlefield. With a swift thrust, he plunged the weapon into the chest of one of the Grand Duke's soldiers, felling him instantly.

Nicholas, riding his horse by Arvandus' side, was taken aback by the sudden violence. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed, before dismounting as the spear sliced through his horse's head, killing the beast instantly.

"Shit!" Arvandus cursed, realizing he had failed to take down the enemy commander. He gritted his teeth in frustration, surveying the battlefield for his next move.

But Nicholas was already taking action. "Glacial Lance Style: First Form - Crystal Dance!" he cried out, jumping into the air and spinning rapidly. A frosty aura emanated from him, and he directed a chilling blast at Arvandus.

"Shit!" Arvandus repeated, dodging the icy attack. He knew he had to regain the upper hand, and quickly.

Meanwhile, John had already dismounted from his horse, and was moving through the battlefield with deadly purpose. He darted between the combatants, his knives flashing in the sunlight as he struck down enemy soldiers with brutal efficiency.

"Ugk!" one of the soldiers cried out, his leg severed at the knee.

"The fuck is this kid doing here?" said another barbarian, incredulous at John's audacity.

But before he could react, John had already struck again. "Die, fuckers!" he snarled, plunging his knives into the barbarian's eyes with savage force.

As he pulled his weapons free, a knife came hurtling towards him, but John deftly blocked it with his sword. "Clank!" the blades collided, ringing out across the battlefield.

"Long black hair, and blood red eyes…you must be the third prince?" a beastman with a massive build and lion-like mane said, stepping forward from the fray.

"Who are you?" John asked warily, sensing danger.

"Someone who will profit greatly from your death," the beastman growled, lunging forward with bared claws.