The Last Tribe Yet to Taste Defeat

Western Border of the Empire.

The setting sun glowed blood-red, and the deafening sounds of cannon fire and battle had finally subsided.

The battlefield, scarred and devastated, lay silent as the mass slaughter came to an end. Among the piled corpses, cries of pain and sorrow could still be heard, and the air reeked of blood. The land was soaked with it, and the world felt eerily still and desolate.

"Hurry up!"

A group of battered soldiers from the Western Kingdom, stripped of their armor, were being herded back by the victorious Imperial Army.

Covered in blood and dirt, they stumbled along, their hair matted with blood, dripping down from their ruined armor, leaving a trail of red behind them.

In contrast, the Imperial soldiers under Esdeath's command were brimming with morale. Though their armor was also stained with dirt and blood, and showed signs of wear, their savage demeanor was unmistakable.

Amid the rough shoves and harsh commands, the terrified faces of the captured soldiers from the Western Kingdom showed panic. Their bloodshot eyes reflected the terror of defeat and a deep sense of hopelessness about their future.

"Move faster!"

Any soldier who slowed down even slightly was met with a barrage of punches and kicks from the Imperial soldiers. The more irritable ones would not hesitate to execute them on the spot.

Seeing the sluggish pace, an officer clad in a commander's armor frowned. "This won't do! They're moving too slowly. At this rate, we'll barely capture any prisoners!"

"Separate the wounded from the rest. If they can't walk, kill them. The General doesn't need crippled laborers."

Soon, amidst a cacophony of cries and desperate pleas for mercy, blades were drawn, and cold steel flashed.

Slash—!

This was just a small snapshot of the battlefield. The outcome of the war was already clear: Esdeath had won decisively, and the Western Kingdom had been utterly defeated.

Though the Imperial Army had been exhausted from their long march, Esdeath had immediately launched an attack upon arrival. While the bulk of her forces rested and recovered, she led her elite squad and the local defense forces to strike the enemy, gradually wearing down the Western Kingdom's troops and morale with her overwhelming strength.

Once the main force had finished resting, the Imperial Army launched a massive final assault, crushing the Western Kingdom in one swift, overwhelming blow.

Initially, Esdeath had intended to execute all the captured soldiers, but Selene had sent prior orders: every healthy laborer was to be spared for use as slave labor.

Standing atop a small hill, overlooking her triumphant soldiers returning with their spoils and chanting her name, Esdeath felt unfulfilled.

"Is there truly no one in this world who can challenge me, someone who can satisfy my desire for battle?" she muttered in frustration.

Of course, Selene didn't count. Esdeath had no masochistic tendencies; she was a sadist, not a masochist.

"To crush the Western Kingdom so swiftly—truly, you are unparalleled, General Esdeath!" said Daidara, looking at her with eyes full of admiration.

"I still have a long way to go…"

Suddenly, the shadow beneath Esdeath stirred, and a black-clad ninja emerged, presenting a military dispatch.

"Najenda has rebelled, effective immediately. All her military ranks are stripped, and she is to be killed on sight... Also, the Empire is preparing for a full-scale war with the northern barbarians?"

After quickly reading through the document, Esdeath found herself torn. She had sworn to avenge her father and her tribe, but Najenda was a formidable adversary, one she'd hoped to face in battle. It wouldn't feel right if she didn't have a chance to fight her properly now that she had turned traitor.

"Ah… Both tasks seem worth doing personally! Why do I have to choose… What a shame…"

After a brief moment of internal conflict, Esdeath made her decision—to head north and exact revenge for her father and her people.

There would always be other opponents to fight, but she only had one chance to avenge the massacre of her tribe.

Moreover, Esdeath trusted Najenda. They had fought together before, and she believed Najenda wouldn't die so easily. If Najenda did fall quickly, then she wasn't worthy of being Esdeath's opponent in the first place.

"Order the troops to clean the battlefield swiftly. Our next destination is the Northern Frontier."

...

Meanwhile, beyond the Great Northern Wall, another battle was brewing.

The sky over the far north was a dull, oppressive gray, with snow falling endlessly, covering the earth in a white blanket. On the horizon, two heavily armed armies faced each other, creating an atmosphere thick with tension, like the calm before a storm.

The contrast between the two armies was striking. The formation of the northern barbarians was chaotic and noisy, while the Imperial Army stood in stark silence, disciplined and orderly.

At the rear of the Imperial formation, Selene sat atop a white danger beast with a long spiral horn, casually flipping through the pages of her [World Chronicle], completely unfazed by the tense, bloodthirsty atmosphere around her.

"General… You don't plan to get involved, do you?" Gensa asked nervously beside her.

Hearing this, Selene snapped her book shut and shot him a withering look with her crimson eyes. "What? Afraid that if I get involved, you won't get any of the credit?"

Gensa chuckled nervously. "Hehe… General, you know those policing missions didn't offer any real challenge. If we don't get a chance to stretch our legs soon, we're all going to rust…"

"This time, we've finally run into a tough enemy... and there's plenty of loot to go around. Please don't wipe them all out with one of your 'Heavenly Wrath'…" he added, choosing his words carefully.

"I'm not that bloodthirsty. Besides, the enemy has plenty of valuable labor potential. I'd have to be insane to use a large-scale attack."

Patting the horn of the unicorn-like creature beneath her, Selene gave Gensa a playful smirk. "If it weren't for the fact that you brought me this danger beast that happens to fit my aesthetic, I would've tossed you out by now."

The danger beast beneath Selene had been an unexpected bonus. Although they hadn't found Tyrant, the super danger beast they were searching for, within the Great Northern Wall, they had encountered plenty of other rare and exotic beasts.

"Relax... As long as nothing drastic happens, I'll only supervise. You lot will handle the battle."

Upon hearing this, Gensa's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, General! I will do my best to secure a complete victory!"

"Don't get too excited just yet…" Selene tugged on the reins, and the unicorn beneath her pawed at the ground. "With all the advantages of superior equipment and training, if you don't win decisively... you'll pay for it!"

"Yes! If we don't secure a total victory, I'll offer up my head as punishment!" Gensa answered resolutely.

"Good... Oh, by the way, where's Hak Foo?" Selene asked, her gaze shifting across the battlefield to focus on a young commander standing at the front of the northern barbarian army.

"Hak Foo is on the front lines, serving as the vanguard for this battle."

"Hmm, tell Hak Foo I want to see how much he's improved over the years. As for that barbarian leader, Numa Seika, he's Esdeath's sworn enemy. I want him captured alive."

"Yes, General!"