"Zeke Draker!"
The first to spot Zeke as he appeared on the battlefield was Alicia.
She had ventured deep into the monsters' main camp to eliminate the dark mages, and upon sensing the erupting light of thunderbolts, she had rushed over, anticipating his arrival.
Zeke greeted her with a smile.
"Grand Duke, it's good to see you again."
But he soon wiped the smile from his face. While reuniting with Alicia brought him joy, there was urgent business to attend to first.
"I'll leave the situation here to you."
At his words, Alicia slung her Fang-Wolf Sword over her shoulder and replied.
"Hmm? The gate has collapsed, and the monsters are already scattering. Wouldn't it be better to stick with me and head back to the main camp?" Zeke shook his head at Alicia's suggestion.
"I've heard about the current situation in Jupiter. This crude ploy must be Castro Pollock's doing. But the real danger isn't him."
Alicia's expression hardened at Zeke's words.
"You mean the Red King is using Castro Pollock as bait for something else?"
"A man who held off the mighty Murk Empire's grand army with just a dilapidated castle wouldn't end things so easily."
As Alicia nodded gravely, a black shadow surged up from beneath Zeke's feet.
He floated into the air and said to her.
"Grand Duke, pass this on to Sir Duke. Tell him not to advance on Jupiter—hold position here."
After conveying his message, Zeke pierced through the sky and flew toward the front lines.
Alicia watched him go, shaking her head slowly.
"He changes every time I see him. I wonder if I could even last one exchange against him now."
She muttered in brief lament, then gripped her Fang-Wolf Sword tightly and assumed a stance as she eyed the dispersing monsters.
"Clear Mirror, Still Water! Every movement precise! Old Sword King, I'll do as you taught— make me stronger than Zeke Draker!"
With her eyes gleaming once more, Alicia swung her Fang-Wolf Sword, turning the monsters' area into a wasteland of devastation.
The gate, created abruptly to disrupt the allied forces, was swiftly subdued by the prowess of the Draker Family Black Sword Knight Order and the Himonas Knight Order.
The battlefield seemed to be resolving more easily than expected.
Just as Alicia wondered if Zeke might have been overthinking it, something caught her eye.
"What's that?"
Black shadows dotted the sky, heading straight for the allied camp.
*
Boom!
From Jupiter Castle, Castro Pollock watched the battlefield through a telescope, then slammed his fist into the sturdy rampart railing.
"Damn it! What the hell are those Narak bastards doing right now!"
His original plan had been to open a gate at the rear to sow chaos among the allied forces, then send in the Dracul Knight Order and mercenaries to completely shatter them.
But contrary to Castro's strategy, the Black Sword Knight Order and Himonas Knight Order had blocked the rear monster wave far too easily.
Castro bellowed at the Narak dark mage beside him.
"Contact the mages immediately! Tell them to summon stronger abominations!"
The dark mage, with his pallid face and blackened lips and nails, shook his head.
"Summoning abominations isn't that simple. They're already pushing their limits, expending a great deal of mana."
At the dark mage's words, Castro flew into a greater rage, stomping about.
"Damn it! What's the point of expending mana if the monsters are all dropping dead like that!"
Breathing heavily, Castro turned to his adjutant.
"Fine, no choice. Tell the Dracul Knight Order to prepare to sortie." The adjutant hesitated with a troubled expression before nodding.
He descended from the castle to relay Castro's order to the Dracul Knight Order.
But soon after leaving, the adjutant returned with a stiff face, rushing back to Castro. "Legion Commander!"
Panting, he said to Castro.
"I went down to check... The Dracul Knight Order has already marched out of the castle." Castro's face flushed red at the adjutant's words.
"What?!"
No matter how renowned the Red King was compared to Castro, he was the current lord and commander of Jupiter Castle.
For the Red King and the Dracul Knight Order to act on their own disregarded Castro, the one in charge, entirely.
Trembling with clenched fists, Castro said to the adjutant.
"...Bring out Emperor Nero's secret weapon."
The adjutant was startled by Castro's command.
"Legion Commander, that..."
As the adjutant faltered, Castro grabbed his collar.
"The monsters are getting slaughtered, and the allied forces' morale is sky-high. The Red King's vanished! In this situation, what the hell is there left to hide?!"
The adjutant knew full well that holing up in the castle would have prevented this mess, so he felt deeply wronged but could do nothing.
"...Understood."
Turning his head, Castro glared fiercely at the Narak dark mage as well.
"The monsters failed. Summon stronger ones to collapse their camp."
The dark mage replied with his unchanging, wax-like face.
"It's no longer possible to summon monsters. However... We can call forth magical beasts."
The adjutant, startled, said to Castro.
"Legion Commander! A monster wave is like a random natural disaster, so we can deny any connection to us. But... If we use magical beasts too, the entire continent will condemn us. Our already shaky justification could vanish entirely." Castro pointed beyond the ramparts.
His eyes blazed red as he shouted.
"The whole continent has already turned its back on me! In this mess, you want me to worry about their condemnation?!"
Though a racial supremacist, Castro was usually shrewd and rational as a commander.
But cornered by the dire situation, he had lost his usual composure and gentlemanly demeanor, frantically seeking only to resolve the immediate crisis.
Realizing it was futile to dissuade Castro now, the adjutant nodded.
"As you wish."
Resigned, the adjutant descended to carry out Castro's orders.
Left alone, Castro gnawed his nails, staring beyond the ramparts in an unstable state, muttering to himself.
"I have to kill them. I need to crush them quickly."
The dark mage, who had been silently observing Castro, sent a magical message.
[Castro's mind is nearly broken. Report to the Red King and release the magical beasts.] *
Amid the battlefield's orderly progress, Helen encountered an unexpected snag.
"As knights, how can we abandon the enemy before us and retreat elsewhere? For the honor of knighthood, we absolutely cannot!"
The cadets from central noble houses refused to budge despite the supreme commander's order to fall back to the rear.
It was a matter of pride; since the other nobles weren't moving, they wouldn't either, digging in their heels.
To Helen, the Draker guardian knight and renowned Knight of Steel, this was incomprehensible, but with so many noble knights acting this way, she felt like the odd one out.
'I knew the central nobles' arrogance and empty formalities well enough, but I never imagined they'd pull this on the battlefield.ʼ
Originally, when monsters appeared at the rear, the cadets should have been the first to charge and engage them.
But leaving it solely to the Black Sword Knight Order and Himonas Knight Order, they hadn't stirred from the main camp at all, rendering the allied forces' assembly meaningless.
The vice captain of the Iron Knight Order standing beside Helen wore a troubled expression, then seemed to steel himself and said to her.
"Supreme Commander, if you give the order, we'll move them by force if necessary." No matter the central nobles, the Draker Knight Order could compel them.
But doing so risked further disintegrating the already disorganized allied forces.
'The rear held well, but the Red King would not let this opportunity slip.ʼ
He was sure to attack the allied forces somehow, so Helen needed to reposition the central nobles for defense.
With no choice, Helen dismounted.
"I'll go persuade them myself. Start by moving those sympathetic to the allied forces to the rear first..."
As Helen calmly outlined her plan, an odd sensation came from the sky.
Looking up, she saw hundreds of dots hovering in the air.
No, they weren't hovering—they were flying toward the allied camp.
Boom boom boom boom!
Moments later, the hundreds of incoming shells exploded all around the allied camp.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Boom boom boom!
The wooden barricades hit by the shells, along with temporary supply depots and barracks, were destroyed in an instant.
"Argh!"
The massive shells crashing everywhere devastated the central allied cadets' position.
Those who had lounged in luxurious tents, voicing complaints from their mouths, were startled by the sudden aerial bombardment and finally assumed defensive postures, heaving their heavy frames into motion.
"Fall back! To a range beyond the shells' reach!"
The shells fired from Jupiter Castle had an unbelievable range. They flew distances impossible for ordinary artillery, penetrating deep into the allied camp.
The secret weapon Castro had ordered deployed was none other than the long-range cannon developed by Rom's mad emperor, Nero.
Developed in collaboration with the Siemens family, it could strike far and accurately compared to existing cannons, making it perfect for hitting distant, complacent foes.
Kept hidden to deploy at the decisive moment and shatter the allied forces, but with the situation dire, Castro had unleashed it first.
Boom boom boom boom!
Helen, with the Iron Knight Order, worked to control the panicking central nobles and cadets, minimizing casualties.
It was their fault for ignoring the alert signals and staying in camp, but with every cadet precious now, there was no time for blame.
Helen raised her Dragon Buster, batting away incoming shells while shouting.
"Fall back, don armor, and raise shields! Follow-up attacks are coming!" Despite Helen's loud commands, the central nobles ignored her again.
More accurately, they couldn't hear properly. Most had rushed out of their tents without armor or shields.
They preached knightly honor with their words but showed none on the battlefield.
Then, more shells launched from Jupiter Castle.
Boom boom boom boom!
This time, they arced higher.
But the shells' reaction differed from before.
Incredibly, they exploded mid-air.
Rumble rumble rumble—
Shrapnel from the exploding shells sprayed everywhere.
Those who had heeded Helen's warning and donned armor and shields blocked the fragments, but the unprepared were riddled with holes and died on the spot.
"Gah!"
People collapsed bleeding from sharp shards embedded in their bodies.
Glancing at the rear, Helen shouted while directing the chaotic camp. "Take the wounded and fall back! With the monsters routed, the rear is safer!" The wounded nobles had to be evacuated before the next volley.
But the injured nobles dawdled, whining instead of moving quickly.
Then, another wave of shells arrived.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
More than before.
Helen gritted her teeth and infused power into her Dragon Buster.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Her armor disassembled into fragments, forming a massive shield.
"Haaah!"
Helen unleashed her special technique, Steel Technique.
The shield became a wall of steel, blocking the shrapnel from the shells.
Ping ping ping ping ping!
But blocking every fragment was impossible.
To save as many as possible, Helen had converted all her armor pieces into the shield, yet shards still pierced her body.
"Ugh."
Red blood trickled from the wounds, but Helen endured the pain, gripped her sword, stood, and shouted again.
"While I hold them off, get the wounded to the rear!"