"I'm already dying. And before I go, Dragon must die. If he lives—even if we win—the Vise family won't gain full control of Zero Crossing County."
"You can't kill him. But I can."
"Who would blame a dying man? For the sake of the Miles family… for the Earl's greater plan… even if I'm condemned, I'll kill him."
Miles stared straight at Castor, eyes full of fury and conviction.
After a long silence, Castor sighed.
"If that's your decision, then so be it."
At dawn the next day, both armies once again assembled on the battlefield. This time, the forces of Viscount Miles and Castor displayed a terrifying level of ferocity.
"Win this war, and I shall exempt you from all taxes for the year! I shall free all slaves—all I ask is that you bring me victory!"
Viscount Miles no longer appeared frail and dying—he hovered in the sky, and the entire army stared in awe. This great mage used Levitation Magic to float above his soldiers, demanding their faith.
On the other side, Viscount Dragon looked up at the levitating Viscount Miles and sneered.
"The old bastard… Looks like he really is at death's door. A final burst of energy using magic—but how long can he keep it up?"
"Let's end this farce today."
His gaze was icy, with a trace of mocking anticipation. Then he raised his longsword and waved it down.
"Soldiers—charge!"
"Kill them!"
The clash erupted. As the infantry from both sides collided in the center of the battlefield, Miles's cavalry—600 strong—suddenly appeared from the flank, charging straight toward Viscount Dragon's position.
Behind them came one hundred towering barbarians.
"Grey will handle all resistance," Castor said confidently, watching the massive figure at the head of the barbarian warriors. That man was his core assurance of victory.
As the cavalry surged forward, each knight raised a small vial of blood-red elixir. While chanting oaths of knightly honor, they drank the Fury Elixir.
"Kill!"
Even their warhorses shuddered—they could sense the overwhelming vitality surging from their riders. The terrifying aura of apex predators made the horses instinctively recoil.
When both sides' cavalry met at the edge of the battlefield, the knights of Viscount Dragon's army were instantly shaken.
"What is this power?!"
Many were shocked. The sheer force in the clash made their arms go numb. Some knights, caught off guard, were slain outright in that first charge.
Those who survived stared into the blood-red eyes of their enemies—and fear gripped their hearts.
"They've taken elixirs!"
Baron Enzo's expression changed drastically, and he roared:
"Hold them off! Just hold out until the effects wear off!"
"Hold them off? With what?"
A thunderous voice rang out—Grey had already appeared before Baron Enzo.
Wielding a giant battle-axe, Grey's beast-like aura frightened nearby horses into rearing up. His axe came down, cleaving through the chest of a warhorse, tearing it in two with brute strength. Enzo finally reacted—but too late.
Thrown from his horse by the sudden loss of balance, the baron hit the ground hard, coughing blood.
Grey stood over him, calm yet lethal. There was still rationality in his gaze—if there hadn't been, he would have killed Enzo outright along with his horse.
Now, Grey raised his axe in one hand and clenched his fist with the other, punching down toward Enzo.
The sheer force caused Enzo's armor to cave inward. Around them, knights began to realize what was happening and cried out anxiously:
"Lord Enzo!"
Dozens of knights charged toward Grey in rage, but Grey felt no fear.
These knights were on foot. Without the momentum of a mounted charge, how could they hope to defeat him?
Boom!
With a sweep of his axe, Grey cleaved through another warhorse, killing its rider instantly. Standing beside the unconscious Baron Enzo, he continued his bloody assault, cutting down knight after knight.
After over a dozen had fallen, none dared approach.
At this moment, the hundred barbarians finally caught up and surrounded Grey.
Now only a few hundred meters away from Viscount Dragon, Grey turned and led the barbarians straight toward him, ignoring the knights still trying to rescue Enzo.
He knew his mission—to destroy all defenses around Viscount Dragon.
"How dare you stand in my way?"
Ordinarily, a hundred barbarians were no match for several hundred knights. But with Grey, a Golden-ranked barbarian, in the lead—and dozens of Fury-enhanced knights as support—Viscount Dragon's cavalry began to collapse within minutes.
Knights were still human. They could feel fear. Like slave-soldiers, they panicked when morale broke.
They may have touched the edge of transcendence, but that didn't make them fearless.
As the cavalry lines began to crumble, Viscount Dragon grew uneasy.
Though he kept his expression composed, he ordered nearby soldiers to fire a flaming signal arrow into the sky.
"What's that?"
In the distance, Lager, beside Viscount Miles, narrowed his eyes. He then noticed movement in the forested hills to the side—a mass of soldiers emerging.
"Viscount Dragon has reinforcements?!"
Miles was stunned. But soon, he saw the banners among the enemy troops.
"Baron Roche… and Baron Kendra?!"
His face darkened.
Earlier, Baron Roche had led troops into conflict with Baron Kendra. Kendra had even left Zero Crossing City with soldiers Miles lent him. But now…
"Kendra! You dare betray House Miles?!"
Lager roared, equal parts fury and fear.
Baron Kendra had been one of the strongest nobles in House Miles's faction—perhaps second only to the Miles family itself. In all of Zero Crossing County, Kendra's wealth was on par with even Baron Barnes.
No one expected him—after decades of loyalty—to switch sides and support Viscount Dragon.
Lager was furious. But in the distance, Baron Kendra showed no emotion. He raised his knight's longsword and ordered his troops to attack the Miles faction's cavalry:
"Soldiers, help our friends. Slaughter the knights of House Miles!"
"Hahaha!"
As Baron Kendra's army appeared, Viscount Dragon burst into laughter, immensely proud of his hidden card. No one would have expected that Baron Kendra—who had long stood behind the Miles family—would betray them.
---
R a t r e on.com/c/WorldsConquest for early access to more chapters