"Are you ready to stop resisting, Arthur? You only need to do one thing, and I will guarantee her safety." General Leonard entered the cell where he chained Arthur to a wall.

 

With little clothing in the cold and no freedom, it is a challenge for the shining knight to protect his mentality and do not lose against the power-lusted villain.

 

Arthur didn't even move his head.

 

Arthur already has enough pressure on his back because of what Erwin needs to bear because of him trusting General Leonard, and now the life of Maria is in danger too. All of these things are just too much.

 

 

"I see. You still choose to rebel against me, huh. But it won't work, kid. Throne of the north is mine, and after I crush the rebellion outside. There will be no one holding me!"

 

Arthur stayed still, didn't even say anything. And that angered General Leonard a lot.

 

"You dog. You will learn how to obey and fear! Today or tomorrow doesn't matter!" General furiously left the cell, and right after him, a short man with a deformed face entered.

 

"Time for your daily torture, my dear." The short man began caressing the whip he holding. "I cannot wait to hear your beautiful screams again."

 

And the never-ending torture began once again. 

 

Whip hit Arthurs flesh, and he screamed in pain, and once again, the same things repeated their selves.

 

 

---------------------- Four days later, at the Dwarven fortress upper floor.

 

Today is the day I will do my surprise counterattack with my new toys. Today is the day that will decide our future.

 

"Is everyone ready?" I am moving through the soldiers with Mel on my side. 

 

"Yes, my Liege. And as you said, the number of infantry is increased to five thousand." Mel was both answering my question and checking the soldiers.

 

"Great," I stopped and looked towards an anxious-looking soldier. "Is there anything uncomfortable?"

 

The soldier shook his head. "No, sir! Nothing."

 

I touched his shoulder. "Then it is great. I hope you know that death will either come today on the battlefield or tomorrow if they can defeat us. Choose how you want to die. As a hero or a meat sack, they will slaughter with closed eyes."

 

 

Time make one last speech before the battle. "Remember, today marks our second strike. First, we took the hell they called, labor camp, and now we beat their forces in a battle."

 

 

"And always remember one thing, you are not fighting for someone's cause today. It is your revenge to take from your slavers. It is the revenge of the life they took from you."

 

 

And their spirit began building up a little. "Now wait for my orders and prepare yourselves for victory."

 

I jumped on Fionnlaghs back, and Wyvern began flying upwards towards the balconies looking outside.

 

Everything looks great on there. There aren't many archers, but we have plenty man with crossbows waiting to fire and four cannons that we found inside, even though they don't have much ammunition.

 

But it isn't them alone, and dozens of rockets are also waiting behind with the mechanisms to fire them.

 

I designed a simple mechanism to help our troops to aim rockets much better. And it has a simple design. One long wood piece with legs and a half-sphere on its top connected to another long wood with a slit for rockets and two wooden things placed behind the top piece, anyone can aim this thing.

 

"Everyone here, I want you to be careful," I said these words while looking towards the enemy siege machines. "Catapults and siege towers. Use the cannons and take those out first, then fire the rockets before we charge outside."

 

Cannonballs can take those out, and with the enemy exposed to rockets, there will be slaughter outside.

 

And here comes the battle horn.

 

Enemy banners are slowly approaching from the far. Ten groups, each with thousand soldiers, are marching from the front, while I see no cavalry or archers behind.

 

But they could come out from anywhere. Let's keep the battle close to our gates and especially in the range of our crossbowman and rockets for maximum efficiency.

 

"My liege." A man I gave the role of spotting enemy grabbed me from my arm. "We need to be careful. I saw at least six robbed figures! They could be either battle priests or magicians."

 

Magicians and priests are not ordinary in the north. For some unknown reason, this place doesn't seem to have many people closely tied with mana, even the monsters here are more about brute force than magic.

 

I doubt if there are six of them in the battle. At best, there would be four, but why not bluff if you can? But long as I have my dear Wyvern with me, taking them one by one wouldn't be a problem.

 

But there is something wrong. Catapults are coming too close. Are they planning to destroy the balconies? Wait, they are! That's why they are bringing siege towers to create their platforms!

 

"Everyone put the cannons inside! Fionnlagh, come to my aid!"

 

Wyvern swiftly landed next to me. "There are only five of them. It will be dangerous but, let's go, friend. Everyone prepare your arms and aim them towards the enemy. I want everyone to rain projectiles towards them! Go!"

 

 

And Wyvern launched himself forward as I jumped on its back, and hundreds of bolts getting released from their crossbows followed us with their whistles.

 

The enemy began shouting and screaming with the sudden appearance of the Wyvern, and as they were still in shock, we fastly reached the first catapult, and I destroyed its firing mechanism with one flame spear.

 

"I can only use it two more times, buddy. We need to take the last two with our strength." I pat the Wyverns head, and we began flying towards the nearest catapults.

 

But the enemy got out of their shock and began firing and throwing what they got towards us. Bolts, arrows, even some magic projectiles, but the young and swift Wyvern is dodging every single one of them.

 

I prepared my flame spear and launched it towards the catapult when Wyvern approached the ground. With the flame spear leaving my hand with a whistle, Wyvern threw himself to the air as well.

 

"Only three left! Thank you, Silvertower, for this thing." I looked at my prosthetic arm with the ability to enhance the magic. "Now fly my friend to the last target we will destroy from the air!"

 

And we began flying towards the following catapult with insane speed.

 

But as we approached it, something took my interest. A hooded figure with staff in its hand was waiting next to it. "Hehe, if you thought that I wouldn't notice it, Fionnlagh grab me when I kill the fucker."

 

I prepared a flame spear and showed it towards the figure.

 

The figure suddenly lifted its staff to the air and slammed it on the ground as my flame spear grew on its limit, then a barrier made out of light appeared in front of it.

 

"Idiot." I jumped from Fionnlaghs back and landed next to the catapult.

 

"Huh!" 

 

And before the hooded figure managed to react, I dashed forward and stabbed him from the chest with my sword and with, one more swift move, I cut it to half.

 

"Fionnlagh is still turning towards me. I need to deal with you guys meanwhile, huh?" I turned towards the enemy soldiers slowly approaching me. "Well, then let me take care of this first." I grabbed a part of the catapult with both my hands and ripped it apart from it, and made the thing useless.

 

"Now, the fun begins."

 

One of the soldiers charged forward with a battle cry.

 

I deflected his attack with my sword and stabbed him from the chest.

 

Another soldier attacked me from behind, but I dodged the incoming strike and broke his leg with a kick, then I cut his head with a fast swing.

 

Razor-sharp mithril blade cut the flesh like a hot blade cutting butter.

 

And as many soldiers rushed forward to attack me at the same time, Fionnlagh struck the ground with his ice breath and grabbed me from there.

 

I pat Wyverns head. "Now, here is my good boy. To the next catapult! Only two left."

 

And we dashed towards the other two, hastily destroying one with my magic and other with the pure strength of the Wyvern, then we hastily turned back towards the fortress, and I shout with all my lungs.

 

"Fire the cannons, destroy the towers, release the weapon and charge forward! For one moment, FOR THAT MOMENT. TO DIE. FORWARD!"

 

And thousand of screams began rising from the fortress. And they got suppressed by the roars of the cannons and screams of the enemy shortly afterward.

 

Then the door opened, and hundreds of cavalry and infantry, covered with steel plate armor from toe to head, rushed outside towards the enemy.

 

Mel and Silvertower are leading them. I know Mel can fight good, but Silvertower. Oh god, help the enemy.

 

But there is one more thing before them.

 

"Fire!" From the archer positions, tens of rockets launched towards the tight enemy formations with screams and black smoke of death behind.

 

Rockets hit the enemy lines, and with roars of explosions, flesh and blood began scattering to the air as the enemy started screaming and running away.

 

"Unprepared fools!" I pat Fionnlaghs head. "Let's join the fun."

 

And right after the rockets, we charged towards the enemy head-on. 

 

Mudwalker cavalries crushed any soldier who tried to stand in front of them, and armored infantry behind them anyone who was lucky enough to escape from the first charge.

 

 

Silvertower, on the other hand, was jumping head-on to enemy lines alone and crushing armored knights' helmets with his bare hands like they were nothing.

 

He isn't even using his maul, but just ripping enemy's limbs away from their bodies or crushing their heads, sometimes launching a corpse towards the enemy lines like a catapult firing a rock.

 

So, we began pressing them, forward and forward. Without losing many soldiers, the enemy was almost losing everything they got.

 

Most importantly, enemy magicians were either killed or escaped from the battlefield before doing anything useful.

 

 

But suddenly, a whistle followed by sounds of horses stomping the ground came from the forest.

 

"What a fool I am. I straightly walked into the trap. Everyone! Create anti-cavalry formations!" And so our small force of five thousand soldiers began approaching each other to create a box as enemy cavalries sound got louder and louder every second.