BELLUM PRAESINTIA

A Bringer Victory

A loud boom was heard from the south, freezing everyone's gaze in fearful silence.

"T-That!" The guard on duty couldn't believe what he saw.

Every pair of eyes standing there trembled uncontrollably, sweat dripping, touching the fear within their bodies.

A cavalry unit moved in the same direction, waving familiar flags.

"Those inside the fortress must be terrified of our presence!" muttered Termolo, the proud general of the Kingdom of Gimoro.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound echoed like lightning, shattering every eardrum in panic. One by one, they questioned the meaning of this. They found no answers except for the screams of soldiers continually warning them to stay away.

Strange sounds echoed amidst the footsteps and panic. Those who paid attention widened their eyes as they saw strange objects falling from the sky, fatally piercing anyone below with their deadly thrusts.

Indeed the fortress was not very high, and even a single soldier could easily climb it. The soldiers stormed in, relentlessly fighting against those standing in the fortress. Resistance was given, but once again, it proved to be futile.

Termolo laughed proudly. "This time, their side won't be able to stay here. I'm sure they'll learn from all of this!"

The shouts ringing in his ears were like beautiful music, and behind the fortress, one could already imagine what was happening.

The rhythmic sound of horse hooves continued, splitting through the densely populated city streets filled with fear. Every pair of eyes glanced without blinking as the troops passed with grandeur.

Soldiers fell from the 7-meter-high fortress, crushing those below. People questioned what was truly happening, the buzzing sound followed by a rain of arrows.

"Why? Why is there an enemy daring enough to retaliate like this?" Termolo asked, clenching his fists tightly, then throwing them down with a loud voice, "Soldiers, get ready! We will slaughter every enemy behind that fortress!"

"Whoah!" cheered the enthusiastic soldiers.

The perfect moment for them to notice the open gate, and everyone's faces lit up as they saw how easily the opponents surrendered.

Something extraordinary unfolded before their eyes—a cavalry unit with silver armor. They kept advancing, roughly thrusting toward the unaware soldiers.

"H-How is this possible? Damn, so the enemy troops have reached here! How dare they do this to me! Soldiers, prepare to face the enemy!" he shouted in panic.

Everyone cheered loudly to make that wish come reality.

They lined up; Termolo's troops were accustomed to this. In this case, it was best for them to form that formation, the layer of armor tightly packed in front of each soldier's face forming a sturdy fortress.

Their tall bodies provided distance for the falling arrows, and one by one, each target would feel the swift projectiles.

Ting!

His sword sliced through the air, finally clashing with every falling arrow. His gaze never wavered.

"They are quite clever. They want to play this game perfectly! I never expected them to attack today!" he exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.

Under the warm welcome of those arrows, he infiltrated the formation, skillfully crawling through, bringing blood from his sword which inevitably found its way to the necks it passed.

The crisp sound mixed with the splattering of blood blazed fiercely in his field of vision. Termolo's fingers were sweaty. A thousand questions of concern continued murmuring in his mind.

"What is happening here? Could they truly be a formidable kingdom? It's impossible; how could they achieve this without immense power?" His ears heard a loud buzzing, and instantly the answer was visible before his eyes.

A horse carried the figure of a person in silver armor, leaping past the formations, then stepping towards him with a resounding speed.

The tip of their swords extended, reflecting a dazzling gleam in their eyes.

Ting!

Their weapons clashed, harboring hidden hopes, and as they locked eyes, their eyebrows curved. Their lips tightened, and the bulge in their mouths clenched tightly.

Ting!

Garlan pulled his sword, producing a loud clang, followed by a graceful arc of beautiful light slicing through the air. Termolo's quick hand movements wouldn't be outdone; promptly he raised the hilt of his sword to withstand the deadly strike.

Crash...

Unfortunately, the composition of their swords differed. The crisp strike landed, cleaving the flesh of the neck, causing the head to fall into the crimson air, splattering onto the bewildered soldier's face.

Everyone fell silent as they slowly witnessed the powerless head falling, resounding cheers echoed in everyone's ears in unison, shouting Termolo's name.

"Huh..." After taking a long breath, Garlan said, "This is just one head, there are many more heads I must sever. I can't wait to chop off the heads present here!"

Everyone suddenly stopped breathing, one by one they took swift steps, irregularly swirling dust obscuring their vision.

"They're always so easily frightened, but are they really doing all this just for power?" Garlan asked, observing his surroundings, blood scattered everywhere from the lifeless bodies.

Garlan then led his troops towards the town, a synchronized applause raising their spirits with pride. Joyful voices of gratitude echoed loudly, their footsteps seemed light with the smiles on the faces of the townspeople.

"So, is this the meaning of being heroes?" Gobil asked grinning.

"What are you saying? Let's not consider this as a pride that must be constantly upheld!" Reval replied.

As the cheers gradually subsided, a different reception took over, even more grandiose than before. The royal banners were raised to welcome them, but only Garlan and his selected aides were allowed to walk freely, leading them into the majestic halls.

A gripping atmosphere of grandeur enveloped them. The glass windows cast a bright silhouette that landed precisely on the king's throne, where Alfred sat.

Alfred stood, followed by his followers, welcoming Garlan and the others. The three of them responded by slightly bowing their heads.

"I'm glad you were able to drive out the enemy so perfectly. I can't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been present in this war!" Alfred exclaimed, overflowing with unrestrained joy.

__To Be Continued__