"Imperial Army!!!"
"Someone's storming the stronghold! Rally the men!!"
"Kill—!!!"
Seeing their hideout surrounded by Imperial troops, the bandits refused to surrender and instead charged straight toward Selene's position.
Trying to take down the commander first, huh?
Hmph. Close the gates... release Esdeath!
"Hmph, a bunch of insects!" Esdeath sneered. None of them gave off even a hint of danger—they were all weaklings.
And for the weak who dared to resist, Esdeath decided she would crush them completely.
In the blink of an eye, she vanished from Selene's side. Raising one leg, she swung it viciously toward a bearded man who looked like the bandit leader.
Boom!
The man's face turned red as he crossed his arms to block the kick, channeling all his strength to absorb the force.
But there was no way he could. In the next moment, his legs sank deep into the ground up to his knees.
The shockwave burst outward, shattering the ground and sending stones flying in every direction.
"H-how can she be so strong—"
Before he could finish, Esdeath spun, landing a whip-like kick squarely against his chest. A scream and the crack of breaking bones followed as his body was sent flying into the surrounding forest, smashing through dozens of trees before coming to a stop.
The bandits froze. Their earlier momentum evaporated instantly.
Seeing this, Esdeath's lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile. Her entire body seemed to tremble with excitement.
"The hunt begins!"
With those words, she leapt into the fray like a tiger among sheep—beautiful and deadly.
At the same time, Selene's Imperial Guards charged, clashing with the bandits in close combat.
The shrill sound of horns echoed across the hills. From the very first engagement, the Imperial Army's superior discipline and training became evident.
Heavy infantry advanced slowly, shields interlocked, covering one another. Behind the shield wall, archers, riflemen, and artillerymen dismounted their weapons and opened fire in unison. Arrows, bullets, and shells rained down in a perfectly coordinated assault, overwhelming the bandits' chaotic and inaccurate counterattacks.
(And yes, Selene couldn't help but mentally note the absurdity—bows, guns, and cannons all used together, just like in those old comics and shows. Still, it worked, so she wasn't complaining.)
Whizz!Bang!Boom!
From above, the battle was almost pitiful to watch. Under the Imperial Army's precision assault, the bandit ranks were torn apart in swaths.
Of course, that was only to be expected. Unlike Selene's well-drilled professional soldiers, the bandit forces were nothing more than a mob of hunters and ruffians. Individually, they could fight—but in formation against a trained army, they were hopelessly outmatched.
Across the battlefield, the disparity in strength, tactics, and equipment created a brutal scene. Those packed in the rear could only watch helplessly as their comrades in front—men they had shared drinks with hours earlier—were slaughtered without mercy.
"Brothers! With me! Kill these Imperial dogs!" one bandit leader roared, shoving aside his own men and charging forward with a massive battle axe.
But...
From behind the Imperial shield wall, several spears shot out like fangs of a serpent, piercing straight through his chest. His worn leather armor offered no protection.
A moment later, the axe fell from his hands with a dull clang as he collapsed into the dirt, dead or dying.
"Kill—!!!"
Seeing their leader fall, a few enraged bandits thrust their spears forward—but the weapons snapped uselessly against the Imperial steel shields.
The Imperial spearmen's eyes remained cold and unfeeling. As veteran vanguard soldiers, they were long accustomed to slaughter. With practiced ease, they lunged forward—their lances driving deep into the bandits' torsos. The thin leather armor provided no defense. With a twist of the spearshaft, the men crumpled, lifeless, into the mud.
That was but one corner of the battlefield. In the confined space of the mountain stronghold, where movement was limited, the bandits' advantage in guerrilla tactics was completely negated. It was only a matter of time before they were annihilated.
As despair spread among their ranks, and the Imperial formation remained unbroken, the tide of battle began to turn decisively.
As the saying goes, "the gun strikes the bird that sticks its head out." Those charging at the front were the boldest among the bandits.
But once these so-called warriors were cut down by the Imperial Army's spears and shattered against their unyielding shield wall, the less courageous ones in the rear began to regain their senses.
After all, mobs that band together to revolt rely on one thing above all—momentum.
When bloodlust runs high, men can ignore their fear of death. But once that feverish impulse fades, survival instinct takes over. Their minds scream the same primal command: Run.
Watching her soldiers methodically sweep the battlefield, Selene nodded in satisfaction. She hadn't intervened because she wanted the recruits to get their first taste of blood. If they couldn't win even with such overwhelming advantage, that would have been unacceptable.
Glancing toward Esdeath, who was gleefully butchering the remaining bandits, Selene sighed helplessly from atop her horse. Still the same as ever...
Not that she planned to lecture her. As long as Esdeath followed orders, Selene didn't mind her sadistic indulgence. That deep-rooted sadistic side of hers was beyond anyone's control.
At that moment, a bearded middle-aged man crouched atop the highest rooftop of the bandit fortress. In his hands, he gripped a black weapon shaped like a blade fused with a rifle. Through its scope, his sights locked directly onto Selene at the rear of the Imperial formation.
Shingu: Black Star · Edge — Maximum Charge.
"So you're the Imperial commander, huh... Losing focus on the battlefield is a fatal mistake."
A faint orange light pulsed along the weapon's blade. Without hesitation, the man pulled the trigger.
A deafening crack split the air as the projectile streaked toward Selene's position, trailing a burning glow.
A second later—Boom!—a fiery explosion engulfed the area around her horse.
"Commander!!" Kinshasa's heart nearly stopped. According to the Imperial Guard's regulations, if a commanding officer was killed in battle, her personal guards were to be executed immediately. And he was one of them.
"Are you—"
When the smoke cleared, his words froze in his throat.
Selene stood there, completely unharmed. Not a single scratch, not even a speck of dust on her skirt.
He swallowed hard. "T-this... she just took that shot head-on... is she even human?"
Selene brushed some invisible dust from her shoulder, her voice calm. "No need to panic. I'm fine. Though I must admit... I didn't expect to find such an interesting toy in a bandit's den."