The Nazrak Plains.

The entire Tiger Corps charged simultaneously.

Sionil, Gheor's loyal subordinate, had taken charge of their center troops.

The Young Tiger, Sionil.

He was a young warrior that resembled the powerful, courageous Gheor in his youth.

Sionil had thick eyebrows, a sharp jaw, and a large, pointy nose! He was almost two meters tall, and possessed a giant body.

He wielded a scimitar, which had a wide, long crescent moon shaped blade and a somewhat long hilt. There was a tiger engraved on the blade itself.

His black horse quickly galloped towards the enemy. The Tiger Corps' elites, the Fierce Tiger Squad, were right behind him.

He was both the leader of the vanguard, and the tip of the Tiger Corps' spear!

The enemy was in his sights.

It was Ridgeley, who wore reddish armor, and rested his halberd on his shoulder. The Brown Bear Squad was right behind him.

The distance between him and Ridgeley was bridged in an instant. It was only natural; after all, both of their horses were galloping towards each other.

Sionel raised his scimitar into the air and forcefully swung it. His scimitar was engulfed in powerful energy.

Fierce Tiger's Claw!

Sharp energy, split into five lines, came flying at Ridgeley. It was as if a real tiger had swiped its claw and left behind a mark.

Ridgeley swung his halberd.

Roaring Brown Bear!

Sunset energy rose from his halberd, and a giant brown bear shot out.

Boom!

Upon contact, the two energies created a shockwave that spread everywhere.

Sionel and Ridgeley, as well as the squads under their command, forcefully pulled on their reins and charged at each other.

Then, Sionel bravely swung his scimitar downwards.

Ridgeley opened his eyes and swung his halberd horizontally. Both warriors' muscles bulged.

Scimitar and halberd clashed.

Clang!

A shrill, metallic sound rang out.

'Mm.'

'As expected!'

They could feel their opponent's strength through their weapons.

Sionel and Ridgeley's lips curled upwards.

A worthy opponent!

They suddenly felt extremely competitive.

"You're not bad!"

"You too!"

They instantly exchanged several blows.

Sionel's scimitar grazed Ridgeley's side, while Ridgeley's halberd cut Sionel's cheek.

At the same time...!

The Fierce Tiger and Brown Bear Squads were tangled together.

Most of the Fierce Tiger Squad was made up of knights who wielded long weapons such as scimitars or spears. The Brown Bear Squad was much the same. However, most of the Brown Bear Squad favored halberds instead.

Swish! Swish!

The Fierce Tiger and Brown Bears' spears and halberds crossed each other and cut through the air.

"Die!" A member of the Brown Bear Squad swung his halberd in a wide arc.

The Fierce Tiger member bent back so far that his head touched the horse's butt, and avoided the attack.

Then, he sprung back up and swung his scimitar diagonally, unleashing fierce bluish energy. His enemy immediately swung his halberd vertically, unleashing red energy.

Clang!

Their weapons emitted sparks.

The sparks slowly disappeared, and the members of both squads continued to fight each other intensely amidst blasts of red or blue energy.

The battle was heating up.

Not a single one of them retreated. It was as if they were trying to see which squad could burn hotter.

As expected of both side's vanguards.

However...!

Not all of their troops were faring as well as they were. A good example of that was the Giant Tree Squad, which was led by Commander Gyust.

Gyust was quite a renowned swordsman. He was skilled enough to one day become a Master.

However, he was completely outmatched.

His opponent's sword shined silver!

Whir!

The enemy swordsman's blade glowed with emerald light. It was so beautiful and clear that it briefly bewitched the hearts of its enemies.

The captain of the Yellow Dragon Squad, Eric, swung his blade all the way through.

Great Wind's Sword!

It was a never-before-seen secret move. Spirit Swordsman Eric had created it himself!

Swoosh!

An emerald whirlwind raged across the center of the battlefield.

"Uheok!"

Gyust and his troops were both ripped apart and imprisoned by the green whirlwind, unable to do a thing to save themselves.

They kept taking damage as they soared into the air. At some point, the whirlwind disappeared. Everyone who'd been caught in the whirlwind had died, and started falling to the ground.

"You're weak," Eric said, staring at Gyust's corpse. Then, he turned his head. "I hope you're stronger than he was!"

Snap.

Eric pulled on the reins, and his white horse forcefully kicked off the floor. He was heading for another strong member of the Alliance.

"We're the Empire's strongest squad, Yellow Dragon. Kill all of the small fry and then follow the captain!"

The Yellow Dragon Squad instantly slaughtered the remnants of Big Tree.

This scene was happening all across the battlefield.

"Charge!" Irene looked around, and then pointed her sword at a section of the battlefield.

There was a giant group of infantrymen there, which held their shields and spears in front of them, making them resemble a porcupine.

She ordered her troops to charge?

Against a group of soldiers that had their spears at the ready?

However, the Glacier Squad followed Irene's orders without question.

Dangerous Charge!

The Glacier Squad quickly closed the distance.

50 meters, 20 meters, 10 meters...

When they hit 3 meters...

The Alliance infantry's spears were close enough to hit the Glacier Squad's horses.

At that moment...

A flag of light fluttered above Irene's head.

Flag of Absolute Victory!

The members of the Glacier Squad and their horses began to shine brightly.

Then, something extraordinary happened.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The spears were deflected, even the ones that hit the unarmored portions of the horses!

This was Irene's secret move.

Flag of Absolute Victory!

She could give her subordinates one of five abilities for 30 seconds. Irene had chosen the ability to nullify all damage dealt to her subordinates for 30 seconds.

Bam!

The Glacier Squad crushed through the wall of shields. Pieces of broken shields and spears flew all over the place.

Now it was time to hunt!

As a 'group', Glacier was the Empire Guild's most powerful squad. They were basically like a swarm of bees led by Irene, the Queen Bee!

"Uaahk!"

"Keok!"

The soldiers' pitiful cries echoed throughout the battlefield. Hundreds of lives had been lost in just a short period of time.

Irene scanned the battlefield once more.

She pointed somewhere else this time.

"Charge!"

Now is when she began to truly hunt.

* * *

Kang Oh hung out in the Black Hammer Dwarves' Hideout while the Battle of the Nazrak Plains was going on. To be more specific, he was in Hoffman's private workplace, sporting an anxious expression as he bobbed his finger.

Why was Kang Oh here instead of participating in the Battle of the Nazrak Plains?

"Is it almost done?" Kang Oh asked.

Then, three people immediately said, "Please don't bother us."

Hoffman was one of these voices. He answered bluntly while continuously hammering on the piece of metal. He didn't even look Kang Oh in the eye and put his heart and soul into his work.

"Please wait," the Master Tailor, Dink, wiped his sweat and said. There was a black belt made of dragon materials in his hand.

"Shh!" A middle-aged woman with silver hair and large glasses furrowed her brow and shushed him. Then, she continued with her work.

Kang Oh bit his lip.

'Phew. You should've started the battle a day later.'

Ten days prior...

Kang Oh received his rewards from Bone Dragon Akite. He had finally collected six shards of a Dragon's Heart.

He immediately went looking for Hoffman. Kang Oh wanted him to make him a belt of the highest quality using the Dragon's Heart.

Fortunately, Dink was with him.

"I would like you to make me a belt made out of Dragon Skin, adorned with a Dragon's Heart in the front," Kang Oh said.

"We need a Master Jeweler," Dink said.

"Why is that?"

"A Jeweler is necessary to bring out the full power of the Dragon's Heart. And for a material of that quality, you'll obviously need a Master."

'They're right!'

"Do you know any Master Jewelers by any chance?"

"I'll write you a letter of introduction to Armiel Jewel Workshop's top designer, Ms. Risela. Please go and meet her."

"Thank you."

Kang Oh went to the Ariel Jewel Workshop immediately. He was easily able to meet with her by using Dink's letter of introduction.

"My name is Kang Oh."

"My name is Risela. I heard that you were sent here by Mr. Dink... What business do you have with me?"

"I'd like you to work on a Dragon's Heart."

"Excuse me?"

"A Dragon's Heart..."

"Did you really say a Dragon's Heart?"

"Yes."

Risela looked doubtful. It was only natural. After all, a Dragon's Heart was no ordinary item!

Kang Oh pulled out a piece of the heart.

'Here, take a look.'

"Heop!" Risela was shocked.

"It's a real piece. Do you have a complete Dragon's Heart?"

"Yes."

"I'll definitely do it. No, please let me take care of it."

With this, all of the craftsmen he needed were assembled.

Dwarf Master Blacksmith, Hoffman!

Dink Workshop's top leatherworker, Dink!

Armiel Jewel Workshop's lead designer, Risela!

They brainstormed ideas for three days.

After that, they began construction of Kang Oh's belt.

The belt was crafted by Dink, the decorative ornament that the Dragon's Heart would be slotted into would be created by Hoffman, and Risela cut, polished, and refined the Dragon's Heart.

Kang Oh roamed the continent in search of the materials they needed.

There were some materials that Man Bok could get him, but some of the items they needed were so rare that he had no choice but to get them himself.

Time passed in that manner.

It was as if fate were playing tricks on him. The belt would be completed after the battle started.

Today was the last day.

Kang Oh waited for the belt's completion. He planned on testing out the belt on the battlefield.

However, the finish date went through delay after delay, and eventually, it wasn't ready by the time the battle had started.

And...

That's why Kang Oh looked at the three craftsmen so anxiously.

* * *

Gheor had ordered the Tiger Corps' three fronts to charge simultaneously.

Whereas Dukeram had only ordered his center forces to charge. This was because the 1st Corps' most elite troops were stationed in the middle.

This was called Operation Unicorn's Horn!

It had worked spectacularly.

The Imperial Army's center troops completely overwhelmed the Tiger Corps.

However, this strategy had a huge weakness.

That was the reason Gheor wasn't panicking, despite how badly they were getting pushed back. The enemy had a surefire weakness.

"Left and right flanks, attack their center troops!" Gheor yelled.

The flag bearers, which stood beside him, quickly waved giant flags into the air. They also used communication magic to relay Gheor's orders to the commanders.

Voltram and Kalcho, who were in charge of the left and right flanks, did as they were told.

The Empire Guild's center troops were annihilating the Tiger Corps' troops with their overwhelming power.

Sionel's Fierce Tiger Squad fought hard, but that was all. If this went on any longer, then they would be completely annihilated.

At that moment...

Troops from the left and the right collapsed on the Imperial Army.

"Commander Sionel, I'm here! Let's go!"

"Save our brothers, and destroy our enemies!"

Voltram and Kalcho commanded their troops from the front. It was time to counterattack.

They doubled the Imperial Army in troops.

A numerical advantage was huge in an open battle like this. For every enemy soldier, they had two.

"Uheok."

"Damn it! We're surrounded."

"Do we not have any reinforcements!?"

"You bastards!"

The Empire's troops were getting mowed down.

"Uwaaahk!"

"All of you, die!"

The Alliance's morale started to go up.

* * *

Hernandez's Storm Guild was reorganized into the Storm Squad, and battled in the army's right flank.

"Let's destroy the Empire Guild!" Hernandez's spear went all across the battlefield.

His High-Rank Spearmanship was at 99% proficiency, so he was one step away from becoming a Master. The Storm Guild was getting ready for a raid that'd allow him to achieve a great feat.

But before he could, the Empire had declared war on the continent.

'This is even better. I can achieve a great feat here instead.'

It was exactly as advertised. He basically just had to do something amazing. He may even be able to become a Master by killing 10,000 enemies. As always, Hernandez was filled with confidence.

His confidence was backed up by his skill too.

'That guy!' Hernandez kicked off his horse and rose into the air.

Spear of Ruin!

Hernandez unleashed black, twisting energy that resembled a boa constrictor at the man.

The man's name was Rock.

He was called the Fire Mage!

Rock was one of Empire's high rankers, and was a Battle Mage that specialized in fire magic.

"Hernandez!"

Then, Rock cast the spells he was most confident in.

Raging Fire!

Flame Pillar!

Fire Wheel!

Powerful fire spells came at Hernandez one after another.

Roar!

Giant flames and black energy clashed in midair. They were dead even, so neither side got an edge over the other.

Then...

Hernandez spun his spear like an electric fan, and pushed through the flames.

'I hate melee combat!'

No matter how talented of a mage he was, Rock was no match for Hernandez in close range combat.

Fire Jet!

Flames rose from beneath Rock's feet, which propelled him into the air like a rocket.

"Where do you think you're going!?" Hernandez forcefully swung his spear downwards.

Meteor Spear!

A trail of blue energy shot out of the tip of his spear like an actual shooting star.

"Ugh." Rock swung his staff.

Fire Chain!

The chains coiled up into a round shield.

Hernandez's eyes gleamed.

'Now!'

Meteor Shift!

He twisted his spear, and the spear shaft tossed and turned like the waves. At the same time, the meteor that was coming straight for Rock suddenly fell and then surged into the air!

Hernandez had changed the trajectory of his attack.

"Kuhahk!" Rock wasn't able to dodge in time, and the energy swept through him.

'I got you!'

Hernandez swung his spear to the left and the right. Then, string-like energy surrounded Rock.

"Heeup!" Hernandez forcefully pulled his spear with Rock in tow.

"Haahp!"

Then, he continuously lunged with his spear.

Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab!

Infinite Thrust!

The more he attacked, the more powerful his thrusts would become. In just a short while, Rock's body would be filled with holes!

'It's over!' Hernandez was sure of it.

However...

A giant red energy blast in the shape of a horn came flying at Hernandez.

"Tch!" Hernandez stopped his assault and threw his body out of the way. If he didn't dodge it, then he'd take a lot of damage.

Boom!

The ground in the area he'd been in had been upturned, and there was a giant hole there too. What incredible power!

"It's been a while, Hernandez." A man approached him, his spear resting on his shoulder.

Hernandez's lips curled upwards. 'Hoh, that guy is...'

"Ghost Spear."

Taker, nicknamed the Ghost Spear, was a man with unparalleled skill with the spear.

He was the leader of the Iron Horse Squad, and had been second to Hernandez in terms of spearmanship.

At that moment...

Taker pointed his spear at Hernandez.

"I came here to take your title from you."