Kkwa-gwa-gwa-gwa-gwang—

  The ground shuddered violently.

  The enemy vanguard slammed head-on into the flank of the allied line.Iron struck iron.Sparks burst.Blood scattered into the air with the dust.

  Because they had prepared, the damage was contained.

  The enemy’s spearhead had already been blunted by crossbows.Their charge arrived dulled—and the allied defenses received that dulled blade exactly as intended.

  Hwang Hyeon-pil raised his hand high.

  “Range fifty paces!Fifty paces!Prepare to fire!”

  His voice cut through the wind.

  The crossbowmen dropped low as one.

  From the main force, the command followed.

  “Fire!”

  Strings were drawn again.

  Steel cords rang tight.Arms trembled—but eyes had already gone hard.

  “Fifty paces—fire!”

  At Hwang Hyeon-pil’s shout, bolts burst forth like an explosion.

  “Fifty paces—fire!”“Fifty paces—fire!”“Fifty paces—fire!”

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  The echo drowned out the roar.

  The bolts struck the enemy’s rear.

  Each impact shattered the back of the charging ranks.Horses screamed and collapsed, throwing riders forward.

  Dudung—dudung—dudung—.

  Enemy drums thundered from beneath the earth.

  To that rhythm, soldiers’ hands moved.

  One shout.One pull.One release.

  The battlefield vibrated like a single enormous drum.

  Pipipipiping—

  Hundreds of heavy bolts tore through the air.

  Each rain drove horses to their knees.Men tripped over falling bodies and disappeared beneath them.

  A mass of the enemy broke on the soil like a wave smashing against rock.

  Over them, allied arrows fell again.

  The sky had already turned red.

  The wind was thick with the smell of blood, iron, and burning powder.

  “Shields forward!”“Spearmen advance!”

  Shield-bearers rushed in.

  Spearmen followed close behind.

  They dismounted, bracing carts and shields together.Between locked shields, long spear points leveled forward—blades flashing as they cut the wind.

  “Cavalry—stand by!”

  Armored riders surged into position like a held breath.

  Twilight shattered across their armor.Red blood clung to every spear tip.

  They waited.

  For the order.

  Seongjin watched them.

  His ears were numb with drums and shouting,yet his chest was strangely calm.

  For the first time, he felt it—

  the order of battle.

  Death created order.And that order, in turn, fed on death.

  From afar, Hwang Hyeon-pil’s voice tore through the din.

  “Don’t stop!Now!”

  Seongjin raised his crossbow without thinking.

  His hand drew the string again.

  Not strength.Not thought.

  Instinct.

  And in that instant, he understood—

  this fighthad not truly begun yet.