As time went on, the battle became more intense. Everywhere that Viers laid eyes on, the Kingdom’s side had overpowered the Empire’s soldiers. These were the professional soldiers of the Empire's army, not military slaves, with proper training and equipment and everything, but the Latias knights triumphed against an enemy equal to their numbers.
Well, considering the quality of the Pathseekers, it is to be expected. Rather, it will be a problem if we get stopped this early. We haven't even assaulted the castle’s walls yet.
After cooking man after man using his lightning, Viers realized the sun was high in the sky. It was approaching noon. A few hours had passed since the opening of the hostilities.
The bigwigs had begun fighting a while back. After the pawns moved forward and the board was taking shape, the higher-level combatants entered the battlefield.
On the neighboring battlefield to his left, he saw a twenty-meter-tall knight that seemed to be made of pale-blue energy fighting a diamond-shaped, blade-conjuring ice elemental of the same size. On the right, a fiery boar as big as a house got pulverized by a huge animated hammer.
These were the powers of Level 4s. The Level 3s of both sides did all they could to stay away from their periphery. As for the Level 5s, they were fighting high up in the sky, doing even more spectacular battles.
He also saw a multitude of black spheres, Imaginary Domain invoked. Who knew what kind of battle was happening inside them.
With fights of destructive proportions happening left and right, the ants could only hope they didn't get stepped on by mistake. Still, accidents happened in the form of stray Artes and the like.
Overall, the army of 3000 which Viers was posted to was doing quite well, all things considered. They were not suffering many casualties and making steady progress. The Empire’s 3000 should be annihilated by now but since there were still soldiers making shield walls in front of his eyes, the enemy must be getting reinforcements. Again.
Fuuuh...
Viers exhaled a white breath. He was pacing himself to preserve stamina, so he wasn't that tired.
How many people have I killed by now? Not having a kill count HUD is such an inconvenience.
From relatively early in the fight, Viers and the others from the Red Dragon Unit were fighting on the front lines. They were one of the reasons why the army with mainly Level 3s was doing so well. The walls of the Grandia Castle were looming much closer now.
The soul jail and the Proof of Death Arte were fed good by the souls and blood that he secretly pilfered as he kept fighting.
“Fresh enemy reinforcements from the front!”
“Brave knights of Latias, meet them head-on!”
Viers knew they would be outnumbered so he did not sigh. He dutifully did his job as a lethal lightning mage, DPS-ing from behind the melee allies.
Mu? These guys are stronger than the ones before. Elites?
Seeing how the enemy defended against his attacks, Viers came to that conclusion. They were still Level 3 armies though, upper tier Level 3s.
This battle might be the highest caliber of this world since Level 5s were taking part. Even then, Level 4 remained scarce. Level 4s were the generals or elite commanders. Unless the whole Latias Kingdom mobilized, there was no way they could field an army made of thousands of Level 4s.
Viers could maintain his composure but the knights around him were not brimming with confidence. They had been fighting for hours, and now must face strong, fresh troops. And yet, complaining wouldn't do any good. They could only fight.
Despite fighting valiantly, the front lines were getting pushed back. Since the enemy outnumbered them, they slipped through the cracks.
“We made it through! Now fuck up their archers and mages!” A Harkelan commander shouted at his men.
“Uooooooh!”
“Khh! This is bad! Fall back, backliners!”
“No, if we retreat, the frontlines wouldn't last long without our support!”
Conflicting orders were made by the commanders of the Latias side. Viers was located pretty much at the front, so the enemies were already within meters.
“Him! Priority target! This mage’s firepower has caused so many deaths of our comrades!” The enemy commander pointed his sword at Viers with bloodshot eyes. “Take off his head and cut his body to pieces!”
That’s some hatred. Did I kill his brother or something? Well, definitely possible.
“Don't give him time to cast his Arte!”
“Die, Latias scum!”
Four men charged in at Viers, he dispatched two with his lightning spell but the other two survived and pressed on despite their wounds. Definitely battle-hardened elite soldiers. Now at melee range, they were convinced of their victory.
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Viers let go of his magic staff which he used as a stage prop. It was a real magic item that enhanced lightning-based Arte. He had it from a looting session. Since he had it, he used it. There were no demerits anyhow. Because of that the enemy thought Viers was a mage and mages were famously vulnerable in close range.
With the sound of a blade coming out of a sheath, the charging two soldiers fell to the ground after being cut.
“Too bad. Close range, long range, I’m strong either way.”
Viers smirked and returned his sword to the scabbard. While the enemy commander could see it, he knew from the tone that Viers was mocking him.
“Hmph! Surround that show-off from three sides! Shield-bearers to the front, use the-”
With the iai -quickdraw- slash for the second time, Viers severed the head of the commander. The fifteen-meter distance between them didn't matter when Viers sent his slash flying.
Arte - Slash the Sky.
One day, Viers meant to realize the exaggerated name.
Besides, I already meant to part the seas with Umikirimaru, one more isn't a big deal.
“Uwaaaah! Commander got killed!”
“Now! Push them back. Put your back into it if you call yourself a knight!”
The reaction to Viers’ actions from both sides couldn't be more different.
Considering the war, Viers didn't skimp on his equipment. The enchanted katana he got from Sakuya had the best parameters and complemented his fighting style. As for the katana’s conspicuousness, Viers got that covered too.
Using the technique he learned in FFXIV, Viers glamoured the katana to look like a straight sword. To himself, it still looked like a katana. He used his own soul technique and Paina’s Fae magic to apply the glamour so it was pretty potent. It might even fool Level 5s who weren't really trying to see through the illusion. This way, Viers could use Umikirimaru without reservation.
“Move, light infantry!”
A company of men with huge bodies and thick armor appeared.
“Oooh! Aren't they-”
“Jozef the Iron Wall’s unit!”
“I’ll handle this one,” a buff man who seemed to be the leader said while walking to the front. “Slashes are useless against me!”
He put down a tower shield on the ground. The sound it made was all the proof it needed of how sturdy it was.
“Interesting. Is it really?”
Viers sheathed his sword again. After taking one breath, he dashed forward. The katana met with the shield. Both the attacker and defender used their Artes for the clash.
In a magnificent display, Jozef’s upper body went twirling into the air, armor and all. The soldiers were shocked as if seeing a mountain split in two.
“Hiiih! Commander Jozef is… He’s...”
“H-how did he do that!?”
“M-monster!”
“Urraaaaah! The Empire's men are like paper in front of our might! Forward!”
The two losses that Viers created from two swings tipped the balance enough that the front started going forward again. Viers took five, feigning fatigue while the inspired knights passing him by gave him praises and pats on the back.
“That man is incredible, but who is that?” An allied knight said.
“Mggh, the helmet completely hides his face... But, he’s wearing a red armband with a dragon motif.” The knight’s friend replied.
“The Red Dragon Unit? Hey, you there. You’re from Red Dragon, yeah? Who’s that?”
“Ah? Oh, that’s the adjutant. His name is... I forgot. Av- something. We all just call him the adjutant. The prince’s right-hand man.”
“He’s so strong.”
“...He really is, isn’t he? I’m surprised too. The rumors around him are pretty vague. He’s supposed to be reasonably strong because of his many achievements but this is the first time I've seen him in action. I thought he was a mage-type all these times. Never thought he’d be that skilled with a sword... His disciple is a monster too.”
“Prince Croix’s got an eye for talent, huh? Where did he find them?”
“Beats me.”
“You three! What are you chatting about? Less yapping, more fighting!”
“Yes, sir!”
Viers heard all that conversation with his sharp ears and held back a chuckle. The mysterious persona he put up seemed to be working.
The Arte he used to cut the high defense stat Jozef was Cut the Crap Arte, the first original Arte he created. It was supposed to be a quick and simple slashing attack but Viers improved it to the point that he it became a fearsome Arte.
Other than the quality of the sword, the iai technique, the speed of the slash, the Victa consumed, the secret of Cut the Crap was how Viers altered the essence of his slash to cut using the Unreality Field.
Simply put, his Victa adjusted itself depending on the hardness and material of Viers’ target, physical or magical. The downside of Cut the Crap was he had to make physical contact for the special cutting power to work. When range was needed, that was when the Slash the Sky Arte’s turn.
Viers was just a Level 4 so there was a limit, but he had big ambitions.
Cut the Crap and Slash the Sky. These two Arte were inspired by the ability of someone called the King of Curses. Four eyes, four arms, mouth on his stomach, liked cooking... that guy.
Even though Slash the Sky’s Arte attack power was way weaker than the direct hit of Cut the Crap, Viers’ inspiration found a way. He gave thanks to the almighty Fables.
From the multiple anime he watched as a kid, the sword-beam attacks really made an impression on the young boy’s mind.
One of the more famous examples was Kurosaki Ichigo’s Getsuga Tenshou. Slash the Sky's name was also inspired by that technique. There were many others, though.
Slash the Sky Arte was a ranged attack but its attack power was lacking compared to Cut the Crap. It was only logical, but if so, was there nothing that could be done about it?
After seeing the epicness of Getsuga Tenshou and Saber’s Noble Phantasm, even to the staunchest of skeptics, Viers dared to say no!
When it was necessary, by charging the Umikirimaru, Viers could unleash a massive sword beam with a comparable power to the techniques that he drew inspiration from.
It wasn't easy to create the framework that allowed such a feat possible, but Viers had a lot of time during the three years of his Level 4 breakthrough.
Real-world test, complete. With these two Artes, I can take on the world!
Cut the Crap to sever the myriad obstacles existing on earth.
Slash the Sky to rend the heavens and all under it.
Umikirimaru to split the boundless seas, the origin of life.
Even if he couldn't do it now, one day...
Gufufufufu... I’m awesome!
In a raging battlefield, a villain was feeling good about himself.