Swordmaster of the Great Wall

"This is absolutely insane."

Frederick muttered, speaking as he gazed at the person floating in the air before him.

Quite literally, a barbarian was flying through the sky.

Erich had devised a plan to attack from the air.

The lords had expected some sort of magic, but the solution Erich proposed was something else entirely.

Frederick's gaze followed the barbarian flying in the sky.

A face drained of all color.

Despite flailing about, the barbarian desperately clung to the round cloth in his hands, refusing to let go.

Everyone knows the common sense gained through experience: when you place a light object over a campfire or something similar, sometimes it lifts off the ground.

Erich took this idea and suggested the absurd notion to make 'people' float.

Of course, this wasn't Erich's original concept.

In the Empire's long history of warfare, someone had tried similar methods before; Erich simply adopted it as his own.

Normally, implementing such a method would require constructing complex contraptions...

But Erich solved this with his own power.

The member who would fly only needed a simple cloth, and Erich provided the necessary heat.

It was a method only Erich—who could produce immense firepower without complex devices or special fuel—could use.

But the problem remained: 'landing.'

He could produce fire, but there wasn't exactly a safe way to ensure a gentle landing.

If only a few members took part in the offensive, Erich might be able to control their descent individually, but this was a massive assault.

Even Erich was not confident he could manage such fine-tuned control. So, he opted for a straightforward solution.

"Goddess have mercy... this really is madness."

Those words did not come from Frederick. Hrung-ga muttered in Imperial tongue.

Erich's solution was simple: choose the strongest ones who'd survive a fall in the first place.

That was why most of the offensive force was made up of barbarians.

Even if they didn't like the idea of flying.

Hrung-ga's face was already pale. Even though barbarians were said to know no fear, none of them had ever flown through the sky before.

Soon the barbarian who had been flying fell with a thud.

― Kwadang!

With a tremendous noise, the barbarian landed, but surprisingly managed to keep his balance.

The inherent flexibility and toughness of the barbarians absorbed the impact with ease.

However...

― Uwooooghk!

The terrified barbarian vomited. At the very least, it was certain the barbarians had no desire to ever fly again.

Frederick grinned.

"Barbarians flying in the sky... If I tell the merchants who visit the Watch, they'll call it nonsense and buy me a drink out of disbelief."

"... For the first time, I'm regretting that I met that the bastard."

Hrung-ga already looked unwell.

For whatever reason, most of the barbarians deeply feared the idea of being lifted into the air.

Even so, despite his dismay, it was Hrung-ga himself who rallied the barbarians, encouraging them with the promise that the Goddess would be pleased if they soared into enemy lines from the sky.

To jump into the enemy's ranks from above?

It was a feat so audacious, none could boast of such a tale in the lands of bravery.

Of course, the state of the barbarian after his flight left much to be desired—but still.

Watching all this, Erich curled his lips into a satisfied smile.

At that moment, as the barbarians watched him with expressions full of fear, Ungrim spoke indifferently.

"In the old days of the Watch, we used to tie ropes and dangle from the city walls."

"We're still doing that today."

"... It's been nearly a thousand years. Isn't it about time we changed things?"

Frederick let out a wry laugh.

Hearing the barbarians say something that made sense made it impossible not to smile.

At any rate, around them waited horrified barbarians and members handpicked as elites for the assault, all waiting their turn with pale faces.

***

Whenever an army forms into lines, unrest is inevitable.

But in the ranks formed by countless dead, not the slightest sound was heard.

Heads bowed, they merely waited for the victims who would inevitably approach.

Only the commander-level entities moved within those ranks.

Of them, Death Fear moved about the most, scanning in all directions.

In that moment, Death Fear's white gaze flashed.

-...!

Under the influence of the Lord of the Dead, the sky had become dyed a violet hue.

In that sky, clusters of golden light slowly began to appear.

Those glowing fragments, radiant and shimmering, sliced through the sky like silk.

As Death Fear quickly looked around, the slumbering dead awakened and raised their bows toward the sky.

― Ping!

Arrows fired, filling the sky—but they didn't come close to reaching the golden glimmers.

Death Fear knew this power originated from Erich.

What was that the bastard up to this time?

But at last, Death Fear quickly understood Erich's aim.

Each glowing cluster was a flame created by Erich, and the heat rising from those flames was what lifted those people into the sky.

Each person held a billowing piece of cloth—not exactly secure, but none were falling.

They were launching an aerial assault on the army of the dead.

Yet the attacks of the dead could not reach them—not the barrages of arrows, nor the necromancers' spells could reach so far aloft.

Thousands of attacks were hurled at them. Even the icy spears conjured by the necromancers rose, only to fall back to earth.

If spells fell short, arrows had no chance.

Of course, just because the attacks didn't reach the assault force didn't mean they were happy about it.

Erich's flames could not be controlled delicately for tens of thousands at once; the flights were quite precarious.

Most wore expressions as if they'd vomit at any moment, but no one fainted outright.

No one foolish enough to let go of their scrap of cloth; a slip meant not only falling to the ground but also into the very heart of the dead's ranks.

And yet, some wore expressions of rapture. These were the holy knights of the Incencus Church.

― The fire of Incensus protects us!

No matter how hardened the coalition warriors in the north were, not one willingly volunteered for this madness.

But even so, there were madmen who volunteered for this operation—the crazy Swordmasters of Incensus, holy knights.

Seeing Erich's golden flames, some of Incensus's holy knights wept.

They wanted nothing more than to join the assault, even if it meant their deaths.

Yet, Erich could only look troubled at the sight—for the armor they wore could not absorb the shock of landing, and even if it could, there were limits to what the human body could withstand.

That was why only a select few, even among the holy knights, were allowed to fly.

Armed with faith, their morale soared to the heavens.

Before long, the massive airborne assault force passed over the dead, reaching the great black mound ahead.

Someone cried out upon seeing it.

― A dragon!

Their objective: they had arrived at the site where the Lord of the Dead was absorbing the power of the dragon.

Then someone's voice rang out loud and clear—it was Frederick.

"Everyone! Jump!"

At Frederick's call, hands released their hold on the cloth.

Instantly, with a whistling sound, bodies plummeted rapidly toward the ground.

Whether you called it a jump or a fall, most crashed to the earth with explosive crashes.

― Kwaoong!

Not everyone emerged unscathed.

The holy knights, weighed down by armor, staggered from the impact, and even the barbarians most resistant to shocks found it hard to keep their footing.

Dead, waiting all around, now rushed at them.

The attacks of the dead, as if lying in wait, were without hesitation or mercy.

"Everyone, form up!"

But the ones who landed first were none other than the holy knights of the Incencus Church.

Strengthened by their fanaticism, they quickly regrouped before they even regained their senses.

They formed lines to meet the attacking dead, hiding their bodies behind shields.

― Incensus!

With a single cry, the holy knights surged forward as one.

Clashing with the scarlet dead, the knights forced them back.

― Kwajik! Jjeoeok!

Blue blood of the dead splattered against the silver armor of the holy knights.

Even with bruised bodies and cracked limbs from the landing, their charge didn't falter for a moment.

But only briefly. Death Fear slashed through the dead, rapidly pushing its way in.

― Chwarararak!

The holy knights who stood before Death Fear were cut down by its tentacles as if they were leaves in the wind.

Its tentacles shredded thick armor like paper.

But the wildly swinging tentacle suddenly shuddered and stopped. Someone had swiftly severed its tip.

The holy knights seized the moment and charged in.

Yet, Death Fear was one of the dead's uppermost creatures. Even dozens of holy knights attacking at once couldn't cow such a monster.

― Phasasasak!

Frost froze solidly around Death Fear.

The creature was sure the holy knights would be shattered like ice, so its lips twisted into a grotesque grin.

But then.

― Kwajik!

A sword from one of the holy knights pierced Death Fear's shoulder.

It twisted violently, snapping both knight and sword in half, but its white gaze flashed.

-...!

The fire swirling around each holy knight—this was the flame of Incensus that Erich had bestowed upon them.

Erich had used the flame to lift them into the air, and now it remained, shielding the holy knights from the deadly frosty magic.

So, the dead's most powerful weapon was now utterly useless against them.

Soon Death Fear let out a death cry, encircled and cut to pieces by the holy knights.

― Chwak! Kwaduk!

Death Fear was surely strong.

Even if this one was not the strongest among Death Piers, it was strong enough to give warriors like Hrung-ga a hard fight.

But no matter how mighty, nothing is invincible.

Swordmasters and monsters who forgot this simple truth inevitably met their end.

Particularly, the holy knights were the very nemesis of Death Fear.

The creature wielded numerous tentacles to pulverize its enemies from mid-range.

With their flexible, bizarre movements, they could easily dodge a sword or two.

But no matter how many times they were stabbed by tentacles, no matter how many arms and legs were severed, the holy knights, blazing with Incensus's fire, charged on endlessly.

Empowered by Incensus's flame, the holy knights' morale pierced the sky, and there was no fear in any of them, only battle frenzy.

The instant Death Fear fell, the holy knights rapidly opened up space, making room for others to land.

At that moment, the barbarians released their hold on the cloths still floating in the sky.

― Kwaang! Kwaang!

Hundreds, thousands of barbarians dropped from the sky at once. At their front appeared the red-haired barbarians, Ungrim and Hrung-ga.