Ch.703Internal Organization

“Hear me! And behold! Your Khagan, Aishan-Gioro Orhan and War Chief Hatan have met their deaths! Now, only you remain!”

Upon returning to the battlefield, I raised the enemy’s red blade I had taken as spoils and shouted. Loud enough to echo not only throughout the city but beyond the walls as well.

“Lord Median has struck down Orhan! Victory belongs to us, to the Empire!”

Knights and messengers who followed behind me out of the command post spread the same information in all directions with raised voices.

“We’ve won! We’re saved!”

“Elpinel, bless His Majesty and the Sword of the Starry Sky!”

Good news suddenly arrived on a battlefield that had been plummeting toward defeat. The morale of the Imperial army soared at this unbelievable news.

Those who had been lamenting with eyes full of despair now jumped to their feet and cheered.

They swung their swords and spears joyfully as if they had already won. Their hearts filled with courage and fighting spirit gifted by hope.

—-

Meanwhile, the Ka’har’s reaction was pure shock.

“What did you just say… the Khagan has fallen…?!”

“Impossible… it can’t be…!”

They stared up at me blankly, as if forgetting even to fight, their eyes filled with fear, confusion, doubt, and shock.

They must have guessed the battle had been decided as the destructive rampage between Orhan and me throughout the city had subsided… but they couldn’t imagine that Orhan might have lost.

“Don’t fall for it! It’s an obvious trick! It must be a lie to confuse us. How dare you spread such falsehoods…!”

Someone who appeared to be a Champion shouted angrily while pointing at me. Was he denying reality? Or trying to somehow manage the confusion among his soldiers? His tone sounded quite desperate.

“B-but… Gulmahai sir. That sword…!”

“What about the sword?!”

However, a warrior standing beside him refuted with trembling eyes, unable to take his gaze off the red blade in my grasp.

“You know it too, sir! That sword, that demon blade is Redblood! The fact that the Heretical Wolf is holding his beloved weapon means…!”

The warrior trailed off as if unable to speak what was on his mind, but all the steppe people who heard his voice seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

It might not be as convincing as holding up Orhan’s severed head… but the fact that his cherished weapon Redblood was in my hand, and that Orhan hadn’t appeared despite my proclamations, clearly proved his death.

The shock was so great that they reflexively denied it, but the warriors must have realized it too. That their Khagan had truly met his death at my hands.

Now… how would they respond?

I watched their reactions while sharply tensing my senses despite my exhaustion.

Would they surrender, resist to the end, or retreat to fight another day?

Either way, the outcome would be the same.

—-

“…I don’t believe it. I will not believe it!”

The Champion called Gulmahai shouted, shaking his head roughly. Was he going to deny it to the end?

No, looking at his expression, I understood. He too had already accepted Orhan’s death in his mind.

He was simply lying to deceive himself, afraid that the moment he admitted it aloud, their fighting spirit would break.

“Heretical Wolf! I won’t be fooled by your outrageous claims-!”

Gulmahai hurled his spear toward me. The spearhead flew as fast as lightning, suggesting he had confidence in his throwing skills.

Still, it was nothing compared to Frider.

“Go check for yourself then.”

I set down Redblood and caught his spear, throwing it right back.

The thrown spear pierced through the wall of air like a shell. With a booming sound that shook the air, Gulmahai’s upper body was literally obliterated by the direct hit from the spearhead. Along with the warriors lined up behind him.

A mist of scattered blood droplets covered and rippled through the alley.

—-

Various reactions erupted from all around.

Some denied reality and lashed out. Some retreated with bitter tears. Others went berserk, determined to take down as many enemies as possible.

Personally, I hoped they would all surrender or retreat, but it seemed things wouldn’t end so simply.

“Fight! That abominable woman must be exhausted! She’s missing an arm, isn’t she?!”

“Offer the heads of the Imperial dogs at the Khagan’s altar!”

Most warriors chose to resist.

The news of Orhan’s death had stirred grief and rage in their hearts, and they tore and crushed the heads of Imperial soldiers, rampaging like mad dogs.

Their brutality knew no bounds.

The skulls of Imperial soldiers with their faces torn off rolled everywhere.

Of course, their resistance was merely a final struggle. For every Imperial soldier killed, ten Ka’har warriors died.

ᚲ

“Kenaz-!”

My extended right arm spewed fierce flames.

– Whoooosh…!

Crimson flames rose as mana burned. The rune’s fire burst forth like a dragon’s breath, engulfing the entire alley.

Though I was nearly depleted of energy from fighting Orhan, I could still fire rune magic that drew mana from the atmosphere as much as needed.

“Gyaaaaaaah!”

“It’s the Heretical Wolf’s sorcery! Dodge it!”

“Dodge where…?! Aaaaargh!”

Enemy soldiers caught in the flames turned to ashes and scattered. The scorching heat and smell of burning flesh filled the streets.

“Haschaaaaaal!”

A Champion who had quickly taken shelter inside a building jumped out through a second-floor window, bringing down his axe like a guillotine blade.

My right arm was still spewing flames, so I tried to grab the axe blade with my left arm as usual… then suddenly remembered my arm was gone and just opened my mouth wide instead.

– Crunch!

“What…?!”

The Champion’s eyes bulged in shock. As if he’d never seen someone stop an axe blade with their teeth before.

“What impossible nonsense…!”

What’s impossible about it?

When the difference in strength is like that between an ant and an elephant.

I grinned and clenched my teeth.

– Crack!

My fangs and molars, infused with Karma’s power, tore through and shattered the steel. Metal fragments flew like broken glass.

The Champion stared blankly at the shattered axe blade, his mouth hanging open.

“Y-you monster…!”

“Ptui.”

The metal fragment I spat from my mouth pierced between the eyes of the stunned Champion. His eyeballs rolled upward as he convulsed.

Leaving behind the fallen Champion’s corpse and the warriors reduced to ashes, I launched myself onto a building to search for new prey.

—-

As I moved through the alleys making Ka’har barbecue, I occasionally encountered familiar faces.

“My lady? Wait, where did you leave your arm?!”

Leonore, who had been engaged in combat with a Champion, shouted in surprise when she saw me appear behind the enemy and instantly behead him. She didn’t even glance at the Champion’s corpse as it staggered and collapsed.

“I used it to send Orhan away.”

I grinned and showed her my left arm tightly wrapped in bandages.

“I blew out his heart with just one arm, so I’d say it was a bargain.”

Leonore sighed, with a comment I couldn’t ignore.

“Lena will faint when she sees this.”

…Oh dear, I hadn’t thought about Lena.

She told me not to get hurt, but I completely lost an arm. And unlike last time, it wasn’t just cut off but completely gone.

Hmm… hmmm…

“…Maybe I should cover it with a prosthetic arm and armor.”

“Her eyes aren’t knotholes, you know. She’ll notice.”

True, even the best prosthetic would be noticeable. This is bad.

—-

“Where do you think you’re running! Pay the price for invading the Wall!”

Nigel was holding off an alley.

After my announcement of Orhan’s death spread throughout the city, she had become more aggressive in slaughtering the Ka’har. Mounted on a masterless horse, she was hurling lightning-wrapped holy spears in all directions.

“Ah, Lady Haschal! I believed you would not be late!”

As soon as she saw me, she smiled broadly and nodded slightly in respect. Even while doing so, her right hand continued throwing spears.

“I heard you defeated Orhan. As expected of you, Lady Haschal. You’ve finally achieved victory! We must hold a grand celebration!”

“Uh… yes. That’s right.”

I nodded with a lukewarm attitude. I had originally intended to tell her about Ludwig’s death… but it seemed better to postpone it.

After all, she would naturally find out when the battle was completely over.

—-

“Congratulations. You’ve taken the first step toward revenge.”

Jahan offered only a brief comment. He wore a smile on his lips, but the corners of his eyes were somewhat hardened.

Though circumstances had twisted until he became an enemy, perhaps he couldn’t be entirely happy about the death of the monarch he once served. I’m not sure.

Hersella, who was close to Jahan, would have been able to grasp his inner thoughts at a glance, but I have something of a distance in my relationship with Jahan.

He appears to offer me loyalty comparable to Nigel’s, but fundamentally, he’s only loyal to the Hersella within me.

—-

In any case, thanks to the emboldened Imperial army and my efforts, the Ka’har rampaging inside the city were rapidly suppressed.

Most of them fought to the end and died, but some Champions turned their horses and quickly escaped. They were probably not those originally loyal to Orhan, but those who had submitted to him after the Great Plains unification war.

After clearing the interior, I climbed up to the wall and looked outside.

At the battlefield where Aishan’s main forces, the Red Banner Army and Black Banner Army, were clashing with the Dane defensive forces. The situation there was still utter chaos.