Luther's apprentice

Leier summoned every ounce of strength to lift the barricade and pry open the heavy gates. Fortunately, the defenders were preoccupied with climbing the walls and taking care of the injured, allowing Leier to move the barricade without being noticed.

Moreover, the gates were one of the safest locations in the city since the king's army was too far away and unable to approach due to the barrage of arrows raining down on them. The defenders didn't pay attention to the location and left only one guard to watch over it.

However, as the gates creaked open, exposing the city to the invaders, the soldiers felt their hearts jump out of their throats, only to be forcefully swallowed back as the cavalry made a swift U-turn and charged towards the gates, leaving a thin trail of snow in their wake. They were in a dangerous situation.

"Ah! Whore! I am going to kill you!"- Duchess Codicia's furious voice echoed throughout the city as she slapped one of the men beside her, who was watching the situation lifelessly -"Imbecile! Close the gates!"

The slap was a necessary tool for him to wake up to the present. He didn't seem to mind the Duchess action and rapidly descended the walls, followed by a group of armed soldiers. They had to rapidly close the gates.

-x-

From afar, on top of his Snowfire Horse, Henry could make out a solitary figure draped in black, bravely standing her ground against a crowd of soldiers. She wielded a small dagger with fierce determination, tiredly blocking the attacks of her enemies, trying her best to stall the enemy for the approaching cavalry.

"She is getting tired." – Henry noticed that Leier's grip on her dagger remained firm, but her movements were becoming slower and less precise, indicating that she was becoming fatigued.

Moreover, Codicia's assaults were becoming increasingly intense in an attempt to stall the cavalry's advance towards the gates. Henry knew that if the situation persisted and Leier fell to the increasing number of enemies, only a handful of the cavalry would be able to make it past the gates. This would lead them to be sealed, swarmed, and annihilated inside the city.

"Luther, you take care of Codicia!" – Henry commanded, reigning his horse and dashing towards his troops– "I will take charge of the troops and lead the attack on the city."

Henry had never considered himself a protagonist blessed with overpowering strength capable of destroying all obstacles in his path since coming to this world. He would never put himself in harm's way, not if he had someone capable enough to deal with the problem ahead.

He felt himself lucky to walk away from all his fights against powerful enemies without any serious injuries or long-lasting scars. That's why when facing a formidable opponent like Codicia, Henry ordered Luther to take care of it since he couldn't do it without risking his life. He wasn't a brainless idiot.

As a Fourth Stage Warrior, his skills were limited and he would barely survive a confrontation against twenty soldiers mounted on Snowfire Horses, while Codicia was able to take care and even decimate his entire cavalry with just superficial injures.

In the world of warriors, the difference between the Fourth and Fifth Stage was colossal, especially when it came to instinctual awareness. A Fifth Stage warrior could sense every attack that was coming his way and dodge it with lightning-fast reflexes, as if a radar was implanted in their mind, giving them an upper hand over their enemies.

In sum, the Fifth Stage was like an infant Transcendent, a being capable of surpassing all human's limitations, stretching their lifespan and becoming someone capable of destroying a mountain with their attacks. They were beings rejected by the heavens and kept in secret by the nations.

Luther was someone who had stepped into this state, but continued to be vulnerable to mortal weapons and be swarmed by a huge number of soldiers. In sum, he could take on multiple enemies in the Fifth Stage but could still be killed by a sufficient number of them

Henry's Snowfire Horse was fast, managing to dodge all the barrage of arrows that came towards him. He was dashing towards his infantry, who were already running towards the gates under the orders of his Captains.

"Listen up, everyone!" - Henry shouted as he took position in front of them -"We're going to charge straight through the enemy lines and take control of the city! Don't hesitate, don't falter - we have to be quick and decisive if we're going to win this!"

They moved slowly, fearful of being shot down by the barrage of arrows from the walls. However, they couldn't maintain this passive action as time was running out, delaying their advance. The infantry was the core of this army, being those with the most numbers and the squad necessary to swarm the city and take control of it. The cavalry was the spearhead, responsible for opening the way and harass the enemies.

Henry needed the infantry to move faster, and nothing better than some motivation.

"Those who bring me five enemies' heads will be getting double of their salaries this month" – He screamed loudly from his lungs, raising his sword high.

The soldiers looked at each other, some with hesitation, others with determination shining in their eyes. They knew they were outnumbered, but the promise of extra pay was enough to make them push forward. The previous winter made them remember the importance of food and shelter.

"AHHHHH!!" - The sound of clashing swords and battle cries filled the air as they charged towards the city gates, Henry leading them from the front.

Unfortunately for the defenders, even under Codicia's madly shooting and significant losses in their numbers, thirty-five deceased, the cavalry arrived to support the injured Leier, buying Henry and the cavalry enough time to cross the gates.

As for Luther, he was already facing Codicia, who was unable to continue to kill the king's soldiers.

"Luther!" – Codicia gnashed her teeth as she took out a sword.

"It's been a while, my apprentice!" – Luther said, with a sad smile on his face.