Academy’s Barbarian

“Blue Army! Follow my orders!”

Poi-si-ra, ignoring the superhuman battle that seemed like a natural disaster, shouted loudly at the warriors who were still staring blankly into the void.

The warriors, who had been aimlessly gazing at the sky, turned their heads toward him.

“Reassemble the remaining forces! Move the injured aside, and each Thousand-Man Unit report the damage situation!”

The warriors, overwhelmed by the fatigue of forced marches and fierce battles, were in a temporary state of panic. The decisive command pierced their ears.

Their scattered thoughts fixed on one direction.

Follow the superior’s orders.

Years of training honed their instincts, turning them from trembling humans into warriors of the Blue Army.

“Yes!”

Turning their eyes from the unreachable void, the warriors pulled the wounded from the swamp of blood and flesh, laying them on the ground where the grasslands still remained.

The battle had been so fierce that there weren’t many injured. Most of those hit by Ha-shal-leur’s attacks were obliterated beyond recognition.

Even the wounded they managed to save were in critical condition. Many were on the verge of death.

Some had their bones crushed by hooves, others lost limbs fighting that monster, and some had half their skin burned by the cursed flames.

Each was barely clinging to life, and it was doubtful they could survive even with treatment.

Poi-si-ra didn’t expect to save them all. He just couldn’t leave them groaning in a pit of blood and organs.

Leaving the living wounded like trash could crack the warriors’ loyalty.

“First Thousand-Man Unit, four hundred remaining!”

“Second Thousand-Man Unit, seven hundred fifty!”

“Third Thousand-Man Unit—”

“Fourth—”

Following the existing organization, the warriors reported the damage in sequence.

‘…The damage is worse than I thought.’

Poi-si-ra gritted his teeth, his expression twisting as he heard the reports.

The Blue Army’s strength had dropped from six thousand to four thousand two hundred. Five hundred wounded and a staggering one thousand three hundred dead. The loss from just one person, a few minutes of battle, was unimaginable.

Even the remaining four thousand two hundred warriors weren’t in perfect condition.

In the chaos, prioritizing the protection of cavalry was impossible. Over three thousand horses had fled the battlefield or died, dragging their entrails.

Of the surviving warriors, twelve hundred had lost their mobility, reduced to mere infantry.

‘No, wait. The wounded can’t ride, so if we redistribute their horses, it’s about seven hundred.’

Regardless, the damage was immense.

‘Traitor Ha-shal-leur…! If not for Kagan stopping that cursed woman, eighty percent of our forces would have been annihilated.’

How did she gain such power in just a year? Ha-shal-leur’s strength far exceeded Poi-si-ra’s understanding and common sense.

‘The Heavenly Wolf and our ancestors are truly indifferent. How could they grant such power to such a vile, shameless woman?’

Poi-si-ra sighed in despair.

A strength surpassing Or-han in his youth. If only such talent had been given to Targien or Sahallyeon instead of a traitor, Ai-shan’s future would have been secure.

The one with the purest Ai-shan Gi-or blood, a treacherous, ruthless, and heinous villain.

If our ancestors were watching over us, this couldn’t have happened.

‘We must kill her here. If that monster grows stronger and starts ravaging the grasslands, we’ll have no counter.’

In Poi-si-ra’s eyes, this was the only chance to kill Ha-shal-leur.

With Kagan here, the battle is possible, but if that monster appears on a battlefield without Kagan, how could we stop her?

If the battle turns against her, she can just fly away.

So, we must kill her here. Before that monster, shining like a malevolent star, becomes an unstoppable calamity, dyeing the grasslands in blood.

‘…Still, we can’t break the Indestructible Body. If so, victory is ours. How long can she last, exhausted from fighting the Blue Army?’

Well, all Poi-si-ra could do was trust in Kagan’s power.

======[ Ha-shal-leur ]======

The aerial battle, flying and dodging with the power of Up-hwa, was a tricky and unfamiliar combat style, even for me.

– Whoosh!

A fist like a cannonball grazed my head, creating a whirlwind. I extinguished the flames beneath my feet for a moment, letting Or-han’s strike pass overhead, then reignited them, spinning around to his back.

The bronze-like, broad back in front of me. The silver-blue blade swung like an axe splitting wood.

– Clang!

Like a major league batter hitting a home run, Or-han’s body flew far away with a metallic clang.

Hitting a person’s back with a sword and hearing that sound? This world is definitely messed up.

“Damn it, she’s really tough.”

I spat out a curse, steadying my spinning body.

Meanwhile, Or-han, who had flown away, stopped mid-air, twisted his body, and charged back at me.

“Haaah!”

A blade with immense force aimed for my neck.

I retreated, reducing the impact, and deflected the blade with Durandal. Then, Or-han’s left fist shot toward my abdomen.

“Abdomen is empty!”

After the Crescent Moon Blade’s strike failed to cut through my bones, leaving only a shallow wound, Or-han broke the handle, turning it into a dagger, and swung both blade and fist simultaneously.

“Damn it…!”

I quickly lowered my left arm, blocking his punch with an Ice Blade.

– Crash!

“Ugh…!”

A sharp pain shot through my left arm and abdomen. I flew like a high schooler hit by a truck, gritting my teeth to hold back the bile.

A force rivaling my full-powered punch. Even though I blocked it properly, my arm felt shattered.

“You damn metal bastard!”

“Nothing you wouldn’t say to your father!”

Reflexive curses. I spewed flames from my back, slowing my flight, and charged back at him.

– Clang!

The longsword and dagger crossed, creating new sparks in the air.

“Indeed, you’ve grown remarkably stronger! Both your physical strength and skill are on a different level now!”

Through the shattered light, the middle-aged man’s roar, mixed with admiration and excitement, echoed.

“However, you’re still far from breaking the Indestructible Body!”

A truth I couldn’t deny, no matter how much it burned. My attacks couldn’t break the Indestructible Body.

The Power of Ruin, Vacuum Blade, Durandal’s strikes, even the Ice Blade’s freezing.

I used every technique except the Life Force Technique, but the only damage I did was stripping his upper body bare. His muscular frame showed no wounds.

Meanwhile, every time he hit me, I felt like my bones were cracking.

Even though I was faster, allowing me to land three or four hits for every one of his, it was still a one-sided loss.

Pathetic bastard.

—-

[ …Did you choose the wrong tactic? If this continues, you’ll just fall exhausted and be subdued. ]

As Hersela pointed out, being able to fly was encouraging, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Or-han.

I had no way to break that damn Indestructible Body, and having expended considerable strength slaughtering the Blue Army, a prolonged battle would only exhaust me first.

‘I have a plan… but I’m not sure if it’ll work.’

So, my goal wasn’t to win against Or-han. It would be nice if I could, but it seemed impossible.

[ A plan? ]

To Hersela, who expressed doubt, I explained the best future I had envisioned.

The reason I kept fighting for dozens of minutes, even though I was sure I couldn’t win.

[ …It’s overly hopeful. But it’s not entirely impossible. ]

As Hersela said.

If my plan succeeded, not only would I survive, but I might even capture Or-han…

But the success depended not on my efforts but on Ludwig’s awareness.

======[ Blue Army ]======

After reorganizing the troops and providing emergency treatment to the wounded, Poi-si-ra gave new orders to the assembled Blue Army.

“Sixth Thousand-Man Unit, advance west, northwest, and southwest. Avoid engagement and scout the enemy’s movements. The rest, maintain formation and guard the western front. Use this time to recover your strength!”

“Scouting, you say…?”

The warriors, who expected orders to pursue and annihilate the special forces or attack Ha-shal-leur, found this command somewhat unexpected.

—-

In truth, Poi-si-ra initially intended to order a full pursuit of the fleeing imperial cavalry.

But as he looked up at the two superhumans still fighting after nearly thirty minutes, a new question crossed his mind, stopping him from giving the pursuit order.

‘…Why aren’t they fleeing?’

Both seemed quite tired, the thunderous clashes significantly weaker than at the start, and their flight speed had dropped enough for the warriors to follow.

Moreover, Ha-shal-leur was being knocked back more frequently, suggesting the tide had turned in Or-han’s favor.

If they kept fighting, she’d collapse from exhaustion in tens of minutes.

Yet, Ha-shal-leur, well aware of her dire situation, showed no signs of retreat, still roaring fiercely and continuing the fight.

Even though she knew that if she didn’t flee soon, she’d either die or face a far worse fate.

Of course, even if she could fly, escaping wasn’t easy. Or-han could also fly and chase her.

But still, not even trying was strange.

‘As if she has a reason to keep us here… Wait, keep us here?’

Realizing something, Poi-si-ra turned his head sharply to the west, recalling the empire’s barrier, a day’s ride away.

‘Come to think of it, Kagan didn’t order us to pursue the imperial cavalry. One Thousand-Man Unit would suffice. Such a dispersal wouldn’t affect the situation here.’

His mind raced.

‘Did he judge pursuing them too dangerous? Afraid of a counterattack?’

Having fought alongside Or-han for over twenty years, Poi-si-ra accurately guessed Or-han’s reasoning.

‘Even if those cavalry fled at full speed, they wouldn’t reach the barrier before being caught. So, if there’s an ambush, it must be… not at the barrier, but deeper in the grasslands.’

In normal times, hiding a large force beyond the barrier would have been detected by Ka`har’s scouts, but now was different.

Ha-shal-leur and hundreds of cavalry had been rampaging for days, destroying every visible outpost, making it impossible for Ai-shan to grasp the situation near the barrier.

‘Then, the reason that woman is stalling is…!’

Waiting for reinforcements.

To exhaust Or-han in a one-on-one battle, then bring in the empire’s main force to finish him off.

A cold sweat ran down Poi-si-ra’s cheek.

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