‘I’m dead.’


  When the pile of fire poured over his head.

  He instinctively thought that.

  ‘Can I absorb the essence of fire with the Flamdor mana technique?’


  Roan thought that in that short moment.

  Whooosh.

  The fire was now close to touching his skin.

  At that moment.

  Something that was spinning in his mana, flinched as if it was blocked and then returned to the mana hole.

  ‘What is…………’


  He was planning to try to control the fire by executing the Flamdor mana technique.

  However, his mana technique didn’t listen to him at all.

  ‘Am I really going to die?’


  The hair on his head rose up.

  Then.

  An amazing chill gathered on a side of his chest.

  ‘Kuk!’


  The chill stirred up his body like mana and then exploded near his mana hole.

  The chill that was emanated from his whole body clashed against the fire.

  Poong!

  A sound rang out so loud, it made your ears numb.

  At the same time, the fire that was about to gulp him down at any moment, bounced back to the opposite side.

  Even the trees couldn’t endure the amazing shock and crumbled.

  ‘Kugh.’


  In an instant, the chill disappeared as if he had washed it off.

  Just like it was something that didn’t exist in the first place.

  “Whew.”


  Roan let out a long sigh and operated the Flamdor mana technique.

  Fortunately, the mana moved as he wished.

  ‘What was that just now?’


  Even if he searched in every nook and cranny of his body, he couldn’t find the chill from before.

  He wanted to sit down immediately and search the cause of that chill, but he didn’t have the leisure to do so right now.

  ‘I have to get out of here for now.’


  Roan took in a breath and looked at the entrance.

  He looked at the trees that turned to ashes.

  The half crumbled trees, couldn’t endure the flames.

  Although there were still some flames around, he had still secured a path to escape.

  He carefully checked the far away mountain road with Kalian’s tear.

  ‘We just have to reach the mountain slope.’


  It was a distance the archers on the cliffs may not even reach.

  No, precisely speaking, they couldn’t fire because of the dense forest.

  ‘There we go, we charge through.’


  Because of the dense forest, it would be difficult to chase them.

  Roan, who organized his thoughts, looked back to the soldiers of the 7th corps.

  Round eyes, slightly opened mouth were the expressions all around.

  Aaron, Mendel, Richard, Gale, and everyone else all had the same expressions.

  They were looking at Roan with absent minded expressions.

  “Ho,ho, how………?”


  Even so, Aaron who got a hold of himself the first, fumbled and mumbled.

  Roan slightly shook his head and pointed the entrance.

  “We have to get out of here. Now!”


  These were the words he shouted out loudly for them to wake up.

  “Ah! Ri… right!”


  Only then did Aaron turn to look at the corps and yell.

  “Retreat! Retreat! Everyone get out!”


  The soldiers got a hold of themselves late.

  “Re, Retreat! Retreat!”


  They were still confused.

  They yelled retreat and started to run while taking care of the wounded.

  “Th, thank you!”


  “Truly thank you!”


  While getting out of the entrance, the soldiers bowed and showed gratitude.

  Roan faintly smiled and then looked at the cliff.

  He saw Teise’s restless expression.

  He was also absent minded at Roan’s performance.

  However he couldn’t keep being like that forever.

  “Fi, fire arrows! Pour arrows over them!”


  This wasn’t the time to worry about the lacking goods.

  Archers appeared over the cliff.

  Sweeeeee!

  It was a sharp sound.

  Thousands of arrows split the wind.

  “Rose troop!”


  Roan yelled with all his strength and sent a sign.

  The infantry receiving Roan’s command that was at the rear, gathered together and raised up the wooden shields.

  Pubububuk!

  Arrow rain poured over them.

  Roan sent another sign.

  “Take a shield formation!”


  “Don’t split apart!”


  At the orders of each troop commanders, they moved with each other and moved.

  They guarded the soldiers of the 7th corps with the shields that were over their head.

  ‘They do strange training everyday.’


  ‘Their movement are well ordered.’


  The infantry could become valiant soldiers in a short amount time because of Roan’s training.

  However, it was impossible to protect all of the soldiers of the 7th corps.

  Pubububuk!

  “Uak!”


  “Kok!”


  The soldiers became porcupines.

  ‘Damn!’


  Roan ground his teeth and moved.

  He twisted his wrist while holding his spear.

  Hoong. Hoong. Hoong.

  The spear quickly turned along with a heavy sound.

  At the same time, Roan operated the Flamdor mana technique.

  In an instant, the fire started to get sucked in the spear.

  Flaaaame!

  The red flame followed the spin of the spear and continued.

  Pubububuk!

  Some of the thousands of arrows got blocked in the path of fire and burned up.

  “Ah……”


  The soldiers that had already gotten out of the entrance, became absent minded one more time at Roan’s performance.

  The fire that spun alongside the spinning spear, as if it was covering it.

  This was just like looking at a god of fire, at a fire king.

  “Fire even more! More! Shoot everything you have!”


  Teise turned crazy and yelled.

  Thanks to that, he was standing at the peak of the hill.

  Harrison walked to the front as if he was waiting for it.

  A hail of arrows shot out from the cliff.

  But even so, he didn’t show any movements.

  ‘Eat this!’


  The moment he was about to let go of the bowstring.

  One arrow that was fired by the soldiers of Istel, grazed by Harrison’s arm.

  “Kuk!”


  A really small movement was made as a result.

  Tung!

  The bowstring was knocked at the same time.

  The arrow split the air and flew out.

  “Fire! Fire! Fire more……”


  Teise’s madness couldn’t continue.

  Puk!

  Harrison’s arrow was stuck in his arm.

  “Uaaaak!”


  Teise frowned at the sickening pain and threw a tantrum.

  “Tro, troop commander!”


  The surrounding soldiers approached with urgent expressions.

  The top of the hill became frenetic.

  Because of that, the rain of arrows halted for a moment.

  “Harrison!”


  At Roan’s yell, Harrison brightly smiled back and then stepped back.

  All the soldiers got out of the fake storage with him as the last ones.

  Boom. Boom.

  The tents and fences collapsed.

  And the trees inside the fake storage also couldn’t endure it anymore.

  The fire gulped down everything.

  The lot without people resembled a fuel hole.

  “Roan! Everyone got out!”


  Aaron’s voice was heard outside the entrance.

  Roan swung his spear to shake off the fire and moved out of the empty ground.

  He felt a strong heat at his back.

  Meanwhile, the fire became even more fierce.

  If he was even a bit late, the entire 7th corps would have been eaten by the fire.

  ‘But it’s still too early to relax.’


  Although they had gotten out, the situation still wasn’t good.

  ‘Soon, Istel kingdom will climb down the cliff.’


  They would have a capable leader aside from Teise.

  ‘We have to move as fast as possible.’


  There was a place in the mountain slope he had seen with Kalian’s tear.

  “Corps commander! We have to move quickly towards the slope!”


  Aaron realized in an instant where Roan was talking about.

  Although he had made a mistake this time, he was a soldier that had experience in battles.

  “I will take care of the back.”


  Aaron hesitated at those words for a moment and then nodded.

  “Please.”


  It was a short but hot word.

  Aaron ran to the front while passing by the soldiers.

  The soldiers received Aaron’s command and quickly retreated.

  “Rose troop’s infantry will take care of the rear!”


  Gale and Aaron had moved to the front together.

  Actually, Roan was the one leading rose troop.

  “Yes! Understood!”


  The soldiers of rose troop replied in a loud voice and stood shoulder by shoulder.

  The strong shields moved with each other without leaving a space.

  Pububuk!

  The arrows flowing from the hill were stuck over it.

  “Take formations!”


  Austin’s voice was heard.

  The soldiers of rose troop protected the others and started to fall back little by little.

  Roan moved one step ahead of them and acted as a scout.

  Then.

  “You bastards!”


  A voice rang out that was like thunder.

  A man with a big body and thick face appeared.

  A man that covered his left eye with a clean cloth was Vernon.

  He was in an excited state.

  “Block them!”


  Even before Roan stepped to the front, Austin’s order was sent.

  Over the shields, long spears surged up.

  A look that reminded you of a porcupine.

  “Hmph! Ridiculous things!”


  Vernon pulled up mana and charged the ground.

  The long sword split the air with a scary intent.

  Bang!

  The shields and the sword clashed and a sound exploded.

  The shield was split in half.

  “KuoK!”


  “Kugh!”


  The soldiers trembled as if they would collapse by the shock transmitted in their palms.

  The strong formation crumbled.

  “Maintain! Maintain!”


  Austin yelled with strength.

  Soldiers walked to the front to replace the crumbled place.

  ‘Look at them.’


  Vernon frowned at that quick movement.

  This kind of movement was only possible in the central army of Istel kingdom.

  ‘Even so, they are merely normal soldiers!’


  He swung his sword once again.

  At that moment, tens of spears split the air and stabbed in.

  An attack without flaws from head to toe.

  But even so, Vernon didn’t get perplexed.

  He turned his sword and knocked away the spears.

  Cheng! Chechecheng!

  Sparks appeared along the sound of metal.

  “Kuk!”


  The soldiers lost balance again at the spear that were knocked back too easily.

  Their palms felt numb.

  Because of the spears that were knocked to the side, the strong shield formation crumbled.

  And this time also, Vernon didn’t miss the opportunity.

  “Die!”


  He swung his blade after getting inside the formation.

  Terrible explosive sounds were heard continuously.

  The soldiers tried to rise their spears by standing shoulder to shoulder, but it was useless.

  Vernon resembled a savage beast.

  “Die! Die! You son of a b*tches! I’m from Istel’s kin………”


  The yell got cut off.

  It was because of the spear that came in attacking his head.

  “Hph!”


  It was completely different to the attacks of a normal soldier.

  The speed behind the spear, the strength, and the angle; it was all different.

  Everything was strong, quick and concise.

  Vernon hurriedly shook his head and charged the ground.

  However, the spear continued following him just like the head of a snake.

  ‘Damn!’


  Vernon ground his teeth and swung his sword.

  The spear got knocked aside along with the sound of metal clashing.

  Because he swung his sword in an unstable stance, the joints in his shoulders and elbow became numb.

  ‘Just what bastard dares to!’


  Vernon glared at the owner of the spear that bothered him.

  At that instant, the remaining right eye became big.

  “This bastard. I finally met you.”


  His eye boiled with rage.

  Vernon was glaring at the owner of the spear, Roan. .

  Roan, who was patrolling at the front, returned at Vernon’s appearance.

  ‘Normal soldiers can’t face a knight utilizing mana.’


  If he just let him be, his losses would become too severe.

  Roan sent a sign towards Austin.

  ‘Retreat.’


  Austin, who was making the shield formation again, understood the order and sent the same sign towards the soldiers.

  The disarmed shields moved together once again.

  Step. Step.

  It was a well ordered retreat.

  But Vernon didn’t think of following them back.

  His objective was Roan anyways.

  Vernon smiled fishily and showed his yellow teeth.

  “I will chew up your flesh piece by peice you bas……”


  “Your tongue is long.”


  Roan cut his words and attacked him.

  Cheng! Checheng! Cheng!

  Attack and defense followed and the sound of metal was heard.

  Sparks appeared.

  “It seems like you picked up the mana technique somewhere, but the level is really poor!”


  Vernon teased and pulled up mana.

  ‘Kugh.’


  In that instant, the strength behind the sword changed.

  Just like he had said, compared to Vernon’s mana, the level of Roan’s mana was still lacking.

  It clearly showed that the time he had trained was short when he battled a knight 1vs1.

  ‘If I just had that great strength from back then……’


  No, if he just had fire in his surroundings, the situation could have been better.

  Pabat! Pat! Cheng! Checheng!

  Vernon’s sword split the air and pushed Roan into a corner.

  Shallow wounds of the sword appeared as he got cut on his wrist or thighs.

  ‘Kugh.’


  Roan executed his spearmanship and real battle techniques, but the level of mana proficiency was too different.

  Every time he blocked an attack, he felt a pain that would rip his palms apart.

  “Now, give me your eyes!”


  Vernon pulled more mana and swung his blade.

  Roan, stepped in closer and raised his spear up high.

  Cheng!

  His spear and the sword clashed.

  ‘Kugh.’


  An amazing strength was felt in his palm.

  Gkkkk.

  The sword was digging into the spear.

  ‘I’m dying like this.’


  Right before his body and his spear was about to get split in half.

  Brent’s ring moved into his sight.

  ‘Ah!’


  Roan had forgotten it as he only concentrated on the spear, using only Reid’s battle techniques and the Flamdor mana technique, but there were many spells in Brent’s ring.

  ‘I just have one opportunity.’


  Roan inserted mana into his ring.

  Light shone from his ring.

  “Die!”


  Vernon, fortunately didn’t seem to realize it, and was still pressing down with his sword.

  Roan looked at Vernon’s eyes fixedly.

  At the same time, his mouth lightly moved.

  “Light.”


  At that moment.

  Paat!

  A marble of light appeared in front of Vernon’s right eye.

  It was a small but very bright marble of light.

  “Kugh!”


  Vernon unconsciously shut his right eye and shook his head.

  He lost his balance in an instant.

  Roan twisted his body as if he was waiting for it, and after he knocked the sword away he swung his spear.

  Pushuk!

  The spear stabbed deeply into Vernon’s side.

  “Kuk!”


  Vernon staggered while still having his eyes closed.

  Roan pulled out the spear and then twisted his wrist.

  The spear split the air and flew towards Vernon’s neck.

  “I will pay your eye later on.”


  A cold voice came out.

  At the same time, the sharp spear cut off Vernon’s neck.

  At that moment, an amazing amount of blood flowed out.

  Slash. Tuk.

  The head rolled on the floor.

  He still had his right eye closed.

  The body that had lost it’s head staggered for a moment and then fell over.

  “Whew.”


  Roan let out a long sigh and roughly cleaned off the blood on his face and body.

  ‘My mana is all spent.’


  Even so, it was the mana that was almost dry.

  The moment he executed a skill with Brent’s ring, it ended up finishing up.

  ‘The efficiency is too bad.’


  It wasn’t an item he could use as he wished until after the level of his mana rose to some degree.

  Roan shook his head and checked his surroundings.

  The front of the 7th corps entered midway into the slope.

  “Retreat! We are passing through the forest on the right!”


  Aaron certainly had good eyes in grasping the situation of the battle.

  He also thought of retreating into the forest instead of the mountains, just like Roan.

  The soldiers of the 7th corps moved into the forest one by one.

  And the infantry that was in charge of the rear also arrived at the destination.

  Roan hurriedly chased their back.

  ‘It’s time for the enemy to climb down.’


  His steps became quicker.

  Then.

  Puuuuuuu!

  The sound of the horn trumpet was spread through the forest.

  At the same time, dust clouds arose below the cliff.

  He couldn’t see Teise, but the commanders that were at least adjutants were leading the soldiers.

  Roan yelled towards Austin.

  “Retreat! Get inside the forest!”


  Austin realized that returning back was strange, and he quickly made the soldiers of rose troop enter the forest.

  ‘If their force is only that small, we can easily block them in the forest.’


  It obviously wouldn’t be easy.

  ‘The losses will be enormous.’


  Roan took in a deep breath.

  he roamed the battlefield for 20 long years.

  He knew how gruesome and miserable it was taking care of the rearguard.

  ‘It seems like today will be really long.’


  The day of bloody color had just started.

  End

  Translator: Subak

  Proofreader: st8_lupe.