The most basic tactic for dealing with a superhuman without one of your own is sheer numbers.
No matter how powerful a superhuman may be, excessive use of mana can exhaust them, leaving them vulnerable even to regular soldiers.
The fortress commander had prepared for just such a situation. Anticipating the gate might fall, he had placed various obstacles and stationed soldiers behind it.
"They're coming! Hold your ground!"
The soldiers waiting behind the gate gritted their teeth and raised their weapons.
A man with a cold expression stood alone before them.
Though it might seem reckless to stand alone, he had just cleaved through the gate in one strike. He had to be stopped at all costs.
Despite the fear on their faces, the soldiers mustered their will to confront Yulian.
"..."
Yulian gave them a brief glance, his expression unchanged.
He had no intention of breaking through them.
Opening the gate was simply to allow others easier access—and to anticipate any resistance.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, Yulian began scaling the fortress wall.
The soldiers behind the gate could only watch; they had to guard the open entrance. Meanwhile, the troops atop the walls, still frozen in shock, failed to react.
Tap.
Yulian landed gracefully atop the fortress wall, like a figure out of a painting, and swung his sword without hesitation.
Slash.
"Aaaah!"
It was only after the soldiers around him fell, their heads severed, that the rest snapped out of their daze.
"Attack! Kill him now!"
The fortress commander shouted from a distance.
A superhuman had climbed up alone. This was the time to exhaust him and deal damage. Though costly, overwhelming him with sheer numbers might work.
If a lone superhuman could seize an entire fortress, they would've ended wars by themselves long ago.
"Charge!"
The soldiers surged toward Yulian, even the knights guarding the commander rushing forward.
They all knew this might be their only chance to take down a lone superhuman.
Yulian swung his sword toward the horde of soldiers charging at him.
Slash.
In one sweeping motion, the necks of the advancing soldiers in the front row were severed.
Before their bodies could even collapse, Yulian moved again.
Slash.
Thud, thud.
The heads of more soldiers fell.
The charging troops halted in their tracks, stunned.
"W-what just happened...?"
"What is this...?"
The chaotic fervor of battle abruptly dissipated, replaced by stunned silence.
The soldiers had thought of superhumans as akin to walking war machines.
If Yulian had displayed destructive power, smashing through their lines, they might have held their ground, ready to throw themselves into the fray.
But this—this was different.
There were no explosions, no violent impacts. He simply swung his sword, and soldiers meters away lost their heads.
Fear.
Unfathomable fear froze the Artrode forces in place.
"We can't win this."
"We can't even approach him."
"How are we supposed to fight this...?"
These were soldiers already low on morale and experience. Against Yulian's sword, they didn't stand a chance.
Clink, clink, clink!
At that moment, knights following Yulian scaled the walls using grappling hooks.
"Lord Yulian!"
The knights quickly surrounded Yulian, shields raised to protect him.
They were from both the Turian army and allied forces, numbering about a hundred.
Though not a small number, it wasn't enough to take down an entire fortress on their own.
Yet their faces showed no concern, only confidence.
After all, with Yulian, victory was always certain.
At the same time, Marquis Gidion, leading the allied forces, shouted.
"The gate is open! Charge!"
"Waaaaah!"
Thud, thud, thud!
The cavalry that had been waiting surged forward like arrows.
They aimed to exploit the newly opened gate.
The troops on the walls should have been firing arrows and launching defenses at the advancing army. Yet, with Yulian standing on the wall, they were too paralyzed to act.
The fortress commander screamed, veins bulging in his neck.
"What are you doing?! Kill him! Fight back, damn it!"
But the soldiers couldn't move. A voice in their heads screamed that they must not fight.
Yulian slowly raised his sword, pointing it forward.
"Stand aside."
Yulian had stepped into the world for one reason: to save lives. His title, "The Savior," was no exaggeration.
He wanted to minimize unnecessary bloodshed.
His icy tone made the entire fortress tremble, and soldiers instinctively took a step back.
But not all of them.
Among the defenders were knights sworn to their oaths, even if only of lower rank.
"Attack now!"
The knights roared as they charged at Yulian, hoping their sacrifice might inspire the others to fight.
Their resolve was commendable. They embodied the essence of a knight's duty.
"..."
Yulian decided to honor them. They deserved respect for their courage, even if it meant using more strength than usual.
Slash.
Whoosh!
Blood spurted from the hearts of the charging knights, their chests and hearts sliced clean through.
Thud, thud, thud.
The knights collapsed simultaneously. Their necks intact, their bodies preserved as a final courtesy from Yulian.
But their deaths only deepened the soldiers' terror. If even knights couldn't get close without dying, what chance did they have?
Leap!
Yulian didn't waste another word.
Using the soldiers' shoulders and heads as stepping stones, he launched himself forward at incredible speed.
The fortress commander watched in horror as Yulian closed in, sword drawn.
Slash!
Yulian twisted midair, landing with precision.
The fortress commander, unable to even swing his own sword, fell to the ground, his body split diagonally.
Thud!
Clink.
Yulian glanced at the corpse briefly before sheathing his sword. His battle was over.
The knights following him shouted triumphantly.
"The commander is dead!"
"The commander is down!"
"Surrender! Surrender, and you will be spared!"
Though only a hundred knights remained, they boldly demanded the surrender of over ten thousand enemy soldiers.
The Artrode soldiers turned to their lower-ranked officers, uncertain.
But the junior officers were just as lost.
One man had shifted the entire tide of battle.
Step, step.
As Yulian turned and walked, the fortress troops instinctively parted to let him through.
Thud, thud, thud!
The allied forces arrived at the gate, their aura sharp and commanding.
If the defenders refused to surrender, a massacre would follow.
That had been the fate of every fortress that resisted to the end.
Right now, Yulian was giving them a chance.
Clang.
A junior officer closest to Yulian dropped his weapon.
Then others began throwing down their arms, one after another.
They had already lost their will to fight after witnessing Yulian's power.
They could fight, but no one wanted to be the first to die.
"Everyone, get down!"
At Marquis Gidion's command, the fortress defenders prostrated themselves.
"Waaaaah!"
"Another victory!"
"It's all thanks to Lord Yulian!"
The allied forces cheered, weapons raised. Once again, Yulian's strength had secured a fortress with minimal casualties.
The soldiers were brimming with confidence and joy.
Marquis Gidion approached Yulian and bowed deeply.
"Well done."
" .... "
Yulian slightly nodded his head and returned to his position. As soon as the battlefield was cleared, they would march toward the next fortress.
Suddenly, a thought crossed Yulian's mind, and he stopped walking, gazing up at the sky.
They said the Lutania army, advancing along the most arduous route, was progressing at the fastest pace.
'As expected.... '
Although it was thanks to their overwhelming strength, it couldn't be dismissed lightly. That strength was something Ghislain had built from nothing.
Having read The Chronicles of Duke Fenris (Revised Edition - by Claude), Yulian knew this well.
Remarkable combat prowess comparable to his own, exceptional ability to conduct warfare, and an administrative skill that had expanded the duchy to immense proportions.
The more he thought about it, the more impressive his friend seemed. Yulian doubted he could achieve the same.
Once again, that day came to his mind.
'Friend....'
Becoming friends with someone and walking alongside them—this was an unfamiliar concept for Yulian.
But not anymore. Joining this war, he had begun to feel new emotions.
Unlike before, when he had to decide and fight alone, he could now share the burden with someone else. That realization brought immense relief.
To someone who had been so isolated and emotionally desolate, a friend who approached him without hesitation was a monumental presence.
'Ghislain.'
This was a sentiment he never would have understood in the past. He hadn't needed anyone's help back then.
Lost in thought beneath the clear sky, Yulian was suddenly surrounded by Claude's subordinates.
Swish, swish.
Moving like cockroaches, they diligently recorded every detail of Yulian's actions during the battle.
And Yulian?
" .... "
He simply ignored them and returned to his place.
***
"Waaaaah!"
The Lutania army erupted in cheers as they captured the capital of Artrode.
They had finally broken through all the fortresses and strongholds to achieve this victory.
Of course, the war wasn't over yet. Other allied forces were still fighting in the remaining territories.
However, with the capital, which oversaw all supply lines to Grimwell Kingdom, now under their control, Artrode could effectively be declared defeated.
Ghislain strode confidently into Artrode's capital. Allied forces assigned to other regions would soon converge here.
"Let's move quickly, people. Gather anything edible too."
Claude and the administrators scoured the royal palace, gathering documents. These resources would now be used to support the allied forces.
Of course, Claude was secretly amassing his own fortune in the process.
'Hehe, just wait and see. I'll become the richest man in the kingdom.'
Being a slave, he hadn't been granted a title during the last merit ceremony. If so, he figured he'd make a fortune and dominate with money instead.
With methods even more discreet than before, not even Wendy had caught on this time.
While organizing the palace, Belinda approached Ghislain with a question.
"I don't see Duke Leinster—or rather, the new King of Artrode. Did he flee?"
"No, he wasn't here to begin with."
"Really?"
"Their goal was somewhere else from the start."
"You mean the holy relic?"
"Yes. We might not fully understand it, but that's their focus."
Everyone nodded. None of them could fathom why the enemy would abandon an entire kingdom for the sake of some artifact.
Ghislain looked around at his close allies and said:
"The real fight begins now. The truly formidable ones have gone to conquer Grimwell Kingdom."
Idun, a prodigy so talented he could be one of the continent's seven strongest; the sinister Revolutionary Army leader, Leonard.
The brilliant strategists Count Bipenbelt and Count Kalmund.
And behind it all, the high priests of the Salvation Church, along with Gartros himself.
The enemy still had a roster of superhumans and extraordinary figures.
No matter how much stronger the allied forces were, complacency was not an option. A single mistake in war could change everything.
Shortly after the Lutania army's arrival, Yulian and the forces he commanded reached the capital.
Ghislain greeted Yulian warmly.
"Hey, no trouble, I hope?"
"None."
As always, Yulian responded succinctly, but Ghislain smiled brightly.
Fighting alongside the man who had once been the finest sword of the continent filled Ghislain with confidence. Yulian's strength had proven invaluable.
Their reunion had come sooner than Ghislain had expected. He hadn't anticipated Yulian would seek him out on his own.
The enemies meeting Yulian for the first time would be in for a shock. Even if they had prior information, none could fathom the extent of his abilities.
'That will be a major wildcard in this war.'
Of course, this wasn't the only reason Ghislain was in high spirits.
He genuinely appreciated having Yulian and others to share the burden.
In his past life, leading only mercenaries, Ghislain had fought alone and endured unimaginable hardships.
'There's no way I'm telling him he appeared in my dream.'
He was curious about how Yulian's stoic face might react, but indulging that curiosity might make him a target of ridicule for lunatics like Claude.
Before long, the other allied forces began to arrive.
Though some units were delayed by fierce resistance, none had sustained significant losses.
As the allied forces regrouped, Ghislain issued his next command.
"All forces, march to Grimwell Kingdom."
It was time to crush the remaining enemies completely.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]