Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 10

The War (Part 2)
Thanks to the explosion, the groups of barbarians were divided, making it easier for the First Battalion and the other Generals to engage each group individually without the risk of being surrounded or the barbarians regrouping. Although still impacted by the great explosion, the courageous barbarians were already getting to their feet and preparing for battle, picking up their weapons and honor.

Henry led the First Battalion around the craters, taking the fastest paths to their first target. His sword burned with a strong desire for blood, a beacon of light guiding the troops behind him to the right way. The fiery sword was proof and a symbol that Stahl’s bloodline still maintained its strength and honor, a special fire that only those who inherited Garret von Stahl’s bloodline, the founder of the kingdom, could wield.

Henry kept his gaze on a particular barbarian, a burly bearded man with shoulder length brown hair. On the man’s chest, there was a tattoo of a wolf’s claw that glowed in a faint blue light as he held a small stone axe, a weapon with a shorter reach compared to a sword. This barbarian was also studying Henry, who was dressed in a basic green tunic and wore a fur mantle over his shoulders. The fiery sword was something the barbarian had never seen in his life, but he held no fear about it. Instead, he appeared enthusiastic about fighting against such enemy.

The barbarian briefly checked on his fellow warriors, making sure they were okay. Then, he turned his attention back to the king. He thumped his chest powerfully, like a gorilla, and raised his axe high in the air – “RUAH!” – With a loud scream and without caring for anything else, he charged at Henry alone, causing the tattoo on his chest to glow brighter.

Seeing the wild man charging toward him, Henry clenched his fist up high and turned to his soldiers- “Archers!” – he shouted out his command. Suddenly, a line of twenty soldiers armed with bows emerged from behind the shield wall, arrows already nocked and aimed at the charging barbarian.

“Release!” – Henry ordered, opening his hand, causing the sky to be filled with arrows. However, seeing the attack, the barbarian’s speed suddenly increased, causing the arrows to miss and bury themselves in the soft snow. Not a single one of them hit the target.

“He’s too fast”- Henry thought, realizing the arrows wouldn’t stop the oncoming threat- “I have no other choice.”

“Fall back!” – Henry ordered his soldiers to retreat to their positions, while he focused on the Sun God Technique, intensifying the flames around his sword. Unknowingly, a few strands of his hair turned red as he prepared to face the approaching man, like a reaction of his will.

Henry turned his gaze towards his other adversary and noticed that he was also coming his way, but he understood that the other one would probably not interfere with the fight. Although they didn’t believe in any god, they still thought that a duel was a sacred ceremony and should never be spoiled. And, to them, a warrior could only meet with their ancestors if they died in a battle, being even more honored if they died while battling against a powerful enemy.

“As Luther said, they are simple minded people who will charge at a wave of enemies if they find someone interesting to fight again, even though they care for each other and have a strong community feeling, they are also egoistic in some ways.” – Henry murmured under his breath, seeing that the enemy was crazily jumping over craters only to get to his position faster.

Henry turned his head towards his soldiers and commanded – “Hold your positions. I will fight them!” – The soldiers nodded their heads, maintaining their formation held high.

Without hesitation, Henry lunged forward, causing the snow under his feet to melt into puddles as he propelled himself. He moved swiftly like a shooting star, flying towards the first enemy. The Sun God Technique surged within him, granting him enough strength and speed to compete against a horse.

They hurtled towards each other, leaping over the craters and in just a few seconds, they had covered hundreds of feet, meeting face to face. Henry’s sword was ablaze, resembling the tail of a fiery dragon as he aimed for a single, swift strike to claim the leader’s head. He had to save his strength and the best option was to end everything in the beginning.