Awakening the Great Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Moving Shadows

There were only two situations in which Calix's Neural Accelerator would send a warning. Either it had detected a serious abnormality in the user's body, or a target posing a significant threat was approaching.

[Caution, Combat Alert]

[A mid-to-high ranking entity is approaching the vicinity.]

This ti, it was the latter.

His Neural Accelerator had classified it as a 'mid-to-high ranking entity', but by his Bloodline Ability's judgnt, it was sothing that straddled the very peak.

It was hardly welco news for the Antelopes—and all the more so because the signal for retreat rang out imdiately after.

Pwooooo——

"……This isn't good."

"Why? What's not good?"

When Volga asked, Gregor answered in his stead, pausing his fluttering atop his horse.

"We should have picked off more of the enemy's forces. That way, we could retreat while they were regrouping. Small victories in skirmishes matter more than a crushing win. Understand, Volgi?"

"Yes…… I see. So from now on——"

"Exactly. The early advantage is gone. They'll have lost at least twenty of their n by now, so they won't be letting their guard down anymore."

The veteran rcenary's assessnt was accurate.

Shortly after, in a clearing at the edge of the forest.

The mont the advance unit returned to the main force, the Vice-commander of Blutspheer fixed an icy gaze through his visor. The senior knight standing before him was drenched in cold sweat.

"Say that again."

"The number who have returned as of now…… Is seventy-three."

"You lost twenty-seven in that short a ti."

"There are likely so who did not hear the retreat signal in ti. The forest is dense……"

At that instant, the vice-commander's mana surged outward, and the knight's words trailed off.

"The fact that you underestimated the enemy alone is already no small matter of responsibility."

"……I'm sorry."

Yet Bart Lescar, the second-in-command of the knights, did not unleash a single shout to the end. He chose to advance into the forest himself rather than waste words.

And soon, he ca face to face with wounded knights.

"V-Vice-Captain…… Cough!"

The first he found had a broken wrist bone; the second was continuously retching blood. The third had already turned into a cold corpse, and the fourth appeared more or less unhard. The one thing they all had in common, without exception, was that every one of them had been wounded in the legs.

"……They're trying to draw us deeper in."

"Pardon?"

"We didn't find them. They made sure we would. These are people who know how to hunt knights."

He had read the rcenaries' intent.

Indeed, the Antelopes knew.

Even at the interdiate level, they knew. From the very first clash with Baron Midan Englace, they had felt the sheer power of what a knight was. After that, they had endured the murderous gazes of Count Mozak's subordinate knights. And beyond that—they had killed Viscount Erchi with their own hands.

Add to that the assassins mounted on wolves, and it would be stranger still if they didn't know how to deal with cavalry.

Precisely because of this, Bart Lescar refused to move as they intended.

"Bring in the infantry knights."

He would scour the mountain. He would keep the retreat route open, but carve it apart piece by piece, slowly and steadily.

His gaze was that of a hunter looking down over a snowfield.

***

The mountain was quiet. The wind blew strongly at intervals, yet it could not properly shake a single branch.

Two days since the first encounter.

The encirclent was tightening by a fraction at a ti. The imperial forces numbered over six hundred, cavalry included. They were like a slowly constricting iron net. With the encirclent line drawn across the map without a single gap to breathe through, even Hadiya exhaled more than a few sighs.

"Damn it…… They're driving us up the mountain."

The situation was not good.

When spring rain began to fall, mud kicked up against the horses' hooves. To make matters worse, the slope grew steadily steeper, and even the finest warhorses showed clear signs of exhaustion. The Antelopes dismounted and moved on foot. Both people and beasts had reached their limits.

But the true problem lay elsewhere. The Antelopes' raids were no longer working. Under a strict chain of command, no matter what kind of feinting tactic they used, the enemy simply did not respond.

It was then that Royce suddenly opened his mouth.

"We can still escape. But running away right now won't resolve the situation."

"You're right. They won't give up the pursuit. We're not skilled riders, so they'll catch up quickly enough."

Vice-captain Marik replied, and the veteran rcenaries let out muffled groans in kind. They didn't say it out loud, but they all knew. If they didn't reduce the enemy's numbers now, there would be no chance to fight later.

"What if we seized the high ground and fought there instead? The sightlines would be clear, and it would be easier to hold."

"You have to think about the difference in numbers. There's not enough food either. Above all, that would an giving up the only advantage we have."

As they moved through the mountain range, opinions flew from veterans and mid-ranks alike. Volga also laid out his own thoughts without holding back.

"What about a night raid? Wouldn't it be better to break through one point rather than fight head-on?"

Dwarf Basim shook his head. It wasn't a bad idea, but it was hard to call it the best option.

"By the nature of a night raid, communication during the battle will be difficult. If it fails, the losses will be trendous. On top of that, they've been hit the sa way a few tis already. The sa trick won't keep working."

He kept muttering, his dissatisfaction plain to see.

"In that case…… We have no choice but to split into groups and move separately, like before."

"The chances of survival might be the highest that way. Even after breaking out of the encirclent, the enemy's attention would be divided. However……"

"It would be hard to regroup."

"……"

It was no different from an effective dissolution.

At that mont, the leader suddenly spoke. His brow was deeply furrowed—the look of soone who had been deliberating for a long ti.

"We raid at night."

"Captain, that's——"

"There's no other choice. We can't stop at simply breaking through the encirclent. We need to inflict enough damage that they can't regroup. Of course, the sa thod as before won't work."

The direction Royce's head turned drew all eyes to follow. Far below the mountain, hundreds of torches burned in the darkness.

He adjusted the reins in silence, then finally spoke in a low voice.

"So we give them a clear piece of bait."

"Bait?"

"That's right. Soone who is comfortable in the saddle and provocative enough to draw the enemy's full attention."

It wasn't hard to understand what he ant.

"……Captain!"

"It's sothing soone has to do, and it has to be . As you said, I am the captain of this rcenary band."

"It's too dangerous."

"When has a mission ever not been dangerous? Don't misunderstand, though. I have no intention of dying easily. I'll cause a commotion and slip out. Timing it right will be what matters."

Those stern eyes would not tolerate objections without alternatives. The veteran rcenaries moved their lips but ultimately could not go against his will.

It was then.

"For the current situation——"

Silence.

Every gaze slowly but unmistakably gathered on Calix's face.

"I believe I am the more suitable choice."

Marik furrowed his brow, but Calix did not wait for a reply and pressed on without pause. Now was the ti to push.

"Horsemanship, individual combat ability—all of it. Clearly, the one who would appear most 'appetizing' to them would be you, Captain. However, there is precisely one area in which I excel."

Royce fell silent. It ant he would hear the rest of what he had to say first. And so, Calix drew in a short, quiet breath.

A brief, firm breath.

It was like a signal that he himself was ready.

"With all due respect, in terms of leading allies in actual combat…… I am more capable than you. I cannot explain it in words, but the instincts and split-second judgnts I possess tend to align very well."

It was uncharacteristic self-praise from Calix, yet because sacrifice was embedded within it, no one could show any sign of displeasure.

He had already proven it on multiple occasions.

Volga and the other mid-rank rcenaries nodded quietly. It was a steadfast trust grounded in experience. What one had seen and lived through could never be forgotten.

However, the leader of the Antelopes was not easily persuaded.

"Calix, I know you are capable. But breaking out of enemy territory is just as important as succeeding in the raid itself. And that requires abundant experience. You cannot simply rely on instinct alone. It's not rational."

"That is precisely why I must be the one to go."

"……?"

Just as a look of puzzlent was forming, Calix pulled a signal whistle from inside his coat. He had no intention of entering enemy territory without any plan.

"I intend to send the operational signals with this whistle. According to each signal, I can relay when the enemy starts to react, the timing for the main force to move, and when to break through the encirclent. And inversely——"

"You could also signal when you need help from the outside."

"Yes. That requires sharper judgnt than instinct alone. The terrain, like a gorge, must be used correctly. It must provide real, practical help to —and above all, the main force must not be surrounded again."

Royce could not refute him. When weighing each person's strengths…… Everything he said was correct. Vice-captain Marik was there, but he couldn't read the flow of the battlefield.

And so, one last attempt at resistance.

"The enemy will hear those signals too."

"That's exactly why I'm using it. It can provoke a shorter, more imdiate reaction. Moving on a warhorse, by the ti the enemy realizes it, I'll already have moved elsewhere. Of course, the main force should not blow the whistle."

"……Breaking through the encirclent alone absolutely requires help from the outside. Your life rests on a single call from . Do you trust ?"

Calix lowered his head briefly, then t his gaze with a small smile.

"That should be my question to ask."

Royce's eye twitched.

"Do you trust ?"

A brief silence passed, and the captain reached into his coat and drew out a whistle. The one that produced the clearest, loudest sound. He offered it wordlessly.

Yes.

That had been a foolish question.

***

Calix cast his gaze down toward the base of the cliff. The area where the Mana Stone's beams of light were comparatively dim. The number of soldiers was high, but the number of knights was few.

He had chosen his point of attack. There was no need to hesitate.

"Let's go in."

Tak!

He kicked his warhorse in the flank and picked up speed. Twisting his way down through the gorge, just as the enemy began to react to the sound of hoofbeats, he sounded the whistle briskly.

Peeeeee!

"Enemy! Raise the torches!"

Half-hearted baiting was worse than none at all. Calix drew his blade and activated the Mana Stones built into the Barding.

Dududu…… Du……

The horse's eyes turned crimson, and the undergrowth snapped limply underfoot. An incomprehensible speed took hold, and gradually the sounds of the world were erased. In an instant, they beca a single beam of light and plunged into the heart of the enemy formation.

Kwang!

The first charge was a resounding success. The montum of sheer weight at full gallop sent soldiers flying several ters before they crashed down.

Yet the enemy were the finest of the finest. Even without hearing the na Blutspheer, their conduct alone made their caliber unmistakable.

Four or five n were flung into the air, and even with grievous injuries, they did not fall into panic. They maintained their formation as best they could and did not break the encirclent.

'I need to cause more of a ss. Sothing they have no choice but to pay attention to.'

Right on cue, the infantry knights ca charging in. Not mounted, but clad in heavy armor. On a battlefield they would have been more than enough to crush the morale of common soldiers—but this ti, it was the complete opposite.

Tididik, Hwaaaaaak!

The core in his chest opens. Mana flows through his body, and flas ignite along the blade. Incomplete Falling Fire. Expressions of disbelief swirled behind the enemy's visors, but it was too late to evade.

The horizontally swung blade tore through the air with a thunderous roar. Heavy iron armor and superior bodies were shredded by the violent fire.

Kwaaang!

Calling it 'cutting' would have been an understatent. It was nothing so simple as that. The shockwave slamd into the slope and sent a large spray of rocks flying, while sparks leaping from the blade ignited the surrounding vegetation.

The rain that had fallen since the afternoon had left the area soaked through with moisture—yet not even the smallest ember extinguished itself, burning on without end as it fed on mana as fuel.

The sa was true of the n.

"A-An upper-rank knight!"

"Where did sothing like this——!"

Kwajik!

Calix cut through knights and soldiers alike without distinction. The only thing that gave him any concern was the blade's durability. With that in mind, he split the Falling Fire into several streams and sent them out simultaneously. He handled it with ease, as naturally as if he had always done so.

And about then, he blew the second whistle.

Peeik!

Short and sharp, he sent the signal to the Antelopes. Far in the distance, hundreds of hostile colors surged into motion. The imperial forces were converging on him.

Thanks to this, a portion of the encirclent line that had been stretched like a folding screen below the mountain began to co apart. Calix gave it a brief mont, then blew the third whistle.

Peeik, Peeeeeeeik——!

Now it was the allies' turn to move. Dozens of mounted figures poured down the slope.

Calix imdiately broke away from the front line. He had already drawn far too much attention. His destination was the northern side of the gorge, where boulders and small trees were scattered about.

True to Hadiya's assurance, the slope was gentle there and the density of soldiers was low. It was riddled with gaps throughout—the ideal route for an escape.

However, soone was standing there.

Just one person.

But an existence that could not be ignored under any circumstances.

[Mid-to-high ranking entity, identification complete.]

[Confird as 'Balder Legion' a degraded version of this unit]

[Exercise caution regarding this entity's high-output movent.]

The beams of Mana Stones spread like a deep sunset glow. He had neither removed his helt nor drawn his sword. He simply sat atop his horse and looked down at Calix with expressionless eyes.

Bart Lescar—vice-captain of Blutspheer.

'I didn't notice him approaching. Why?'

As his warhorse slowly drew to a halt, Calix held onto the puzzlent of having failed to sense the man's presence.

The instant their eyes t, every one of his sensory organs sounded an alarm, and the imnse pressure that followed hit him—yet he had not detected it at all beforehand.

Only Calix's heart—the 'Divinity' held within it—protested with an irregular rhythm, as if aggrieved by the injustice of it.

But even that lasted only a mont, as the mana of both sides overlapped.

Pajijijik——!

A brief collision, and then the flow of the air warped. A wordless exchange passed between them. The stillness was like that of a sealed room built for just the two of them, carved into one side of the gorge. It was only then that Calix's 'sixth sense' whispered to him.

That man was of an entirely different class.

And at that very mont——

From beyond the mountain, in the Land of Shadows, the monster raised its head.

[Found you.]