Time passed quickly, and several days went by in the blink of an eye.
At the edge of the Katze Plains, across a vast stretch of open land—
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Dust rose into the air as thunderous footsteps echoed across the battlefield.
On the slightly crimson-colored ground, the armies of two nations stood facing each other from afar.
The Kingdom's army numbered a total of 250,000 troops: 70,000 on the left flank, 70,000 on the right flank, and 110,000 in the center.
In comparison, the Empire had only 60,000 soldiers.
Judging purely by numbers, the Kingdom's army far outmatched the Empire.
Yet the Empire's soldiers showed no sign of worry.
The Empire followed a strategy built around elite troops. Every soldier had passed strict selection and was a well-trained veteran.
On the Kingdom's side, however, most of the troops were militia conscripted from the common people.
This created a massive difference between the two sides.
The Kingdom held overwhelming numerical superiority.
The Empire held overwhelming individual combat strength.
If one judged the battle based solely on the soldiers themselves, the outcome would still be uncertain.
But this time was different.
At the very front of the Imperial army stood a single man who drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield.
Golden hair fluttered in the wind.
He wore armor that looked as if it had been forged entirely from gold, and a long sword engraved with magical runes rested lightly against the ground.
Even though he made no movement, he radiated the imposing presence of a ruler.
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
The moment they saw him, the Imperial army erupted into loud cheers.
The morale of the entire army instantly surged to an unprecedented level.
"The Emperor of the Baharuth Empire… Jircniv!"
"With his noble status, how could he personally come to the battlefield?"
At the center of the Kingdom's forces, the captain of Blue Roses, Lakyus, stared at that figure with disbelief.
"Uh… are we really going to fight?"
Gagaran swallowed nervously, her voice filled with hesitation.
Fighting Imperial soldiers was one thing.
Fighting soldiers personally led by the Emperor of the Empire was an entirely different matter.
Even with their status as Adamantite Adventurers, one wrong move could bring serious trouble.
As thieves, Tia and Tina quickly realized the same thing. Their expressions became unusually grim.
As unpleasant as it felt, they had already begun considering the possibility of retreat.
But they were not the only ones thinking that way.
When they heard the Imperial soldiers shouting, the Kingdom's troops, who had not realized who the man was before, finally understood.
More than two hundred thousand soldiers immediately fell into chaos.
Most of them were civilians who had been forcibly conscripted without really understanding what they were getting into.
Looking at the Bloody Emperor clad in golden armor and radiating overwhelming authority, they felt immense pressure.
Their legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
Some even threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground on the spot.
"Damn it!"
"This can't go on! Pass down my orders, the entire army attack!"
The commander of the Kingdom's army watched the situation with growing anxiety. Without thinking further, he immediately issued the order to charge.
No matter what the outcome would be, he had to launch the attack now, before the army completely collapsed.
"Is the Kingdom's intelligence department completely useless? They didn't even know the Bloody Emperor personally came to the battlefield."
The commander cursed inwardly.
But another thought also crept into his mind.
If they could take this opportunity to capture or even kill the Bloody Emperor, then…
With the order given, the Kingdom's army began a massive charge.
Most of the soldiers had not even reacted yet before the troops behind them pushed forward, forcing them to rush ahead.
Even Blue Roses and their group were caught up in the tide.
Although Gagaran and the others wanted to withdraw, the dense sea of people left them with no choice but to watch as they were pushed closer and closer to the Empire's army.
...
On the other side, the Empire was already prepared for the Kingdom's rushed assault.
A figure wearing a dark mage robe and holding a staff stepped out from the army.
The Magic Casters raised their staffs. Magical particles in the air surged like a tide, forming one crimson magic circle after another.
[Overlay Magic: Fire Thorn]
Fire elements seemed to sing in response, as if praising the moment. Invisible magic gathered into a red glow.
Hundreds of flames fused together, rising into a massive flaming thorn that swept straight toward the charging enemy army.
The Kingdom's Magic Casters stared at the scene with sweat pouring down their faces. All they could do was desperately cast water magic, trying to block the attack.
The Kingdom had never expected this.
Or rather, the nobles had never expected it.
At a moment like this, the Empire had abandoned its usual harassment tactics and launched a full-scale war against the Kingdom.
The Bloody Emperor appearing in person, along with the massive force of Magic Casters, made one thing very clear.
This time, the Empire was serious.
...
On the battlefield, the armies of the two nations collided head-on.
Blades flashing with cold light swung again and again, while colorful magic covered the sky.
Roars, shouts, and countless other sounds echoed across every corner of the battlefield.
At that moment, a figure broke through the blockade and rushed straight toward the Bloody Emperor.
Gazef stared ahead as he sprinted forward, tightly gripping the Kingdom's national treasure weapon, [Razor Edge].
There had always been a saying in the Kingdom.
Whenever Gazef drew that cold, shining blade, victory would always follow.
Facing the Bloody Emperor, Gazef did not hesitate.
He raised his sword, activated several Martial Arts, and then swung with all his strength.
The Kingdom's defeat was already inevitable. Gazef understood this clearly.
Against the well-prepared Imperial army, the Kingdom's collapse was only a matter of time.
There was now only one way to turn the situation around.
"You are a great emperor… but for the sake of His Majesty, forgive me."
Gazef felt a trace of regret in his heart. In truth, he greatly admired the Bloody Emperor's abilities.
But for the sake of the Kingdom, for the sake of his king, he had to kill him.
Yet when facing Gazef's attack, the Bloody Emperor showed no panic at all.
"Naohara-sama and Momonga-sama must be watching all of this right now."
Feeling the slight boiling of blood within his body, the Bloody Emperor shook his head.
Then he looked at Gazef and slowly raised the weapon in his hand.
[Slash]
Golden magic wrapped around his entire body. The Bloody Emperor lightly swung the sword.
The air rippled, and a golden slash appeared, rushing toward Gazef with unstoppable force.
Bloody Emperor Level: 43 (Human Blood effect continuously active…)