Late at night, Leahdon's army was less than ten kilometers from Windward Fortress. If they marched at dawn, they'd arrive before noon.

Kain had been Leahdon's general for years. His nighttime defenses were meticulous—a veteran's instinct.

He'd mustered troops the moment orders came. The enemy couldn't prepare properly. With catapults and fire oil ready, storming the fortress would be far harder.

But intelligence said the enemy had only eight thousand soldiers. Kain relaxed. The gap was huge, and they weren't Uller the Great. He had a veteran's confidence.

Just as he savored this, a scout rushed in.

"Report! General, our grain stores are burning!"

"What?! What happened?!"

"Baha Balm's forces must have raided us."

"The patrols?! Idiots! How did they miss this?!" he roared.

He'd stationed scouts and patrols! Any raid should've been spotted. What was happening?!

"Hmph. How many raiders? Muster troops and wipe them out."

He figured at least two thousand. Annihilate them here, and Windward Fortress would have only six thousand left. Then he could attack freely.

"General... only a hundred cavalry."

The sword Kain had just drawn nearly slipped from his hand.

A hundred riders? Ridiculous!

"Order all archers to fire! Cavalry, mount up and pursue! But first—put out that fire!"

Furious as he was, Kain remembered the priority. Without extinguishing the flames, not just grain but men would burn.

His deputy barked orders. In an instant, troops sprang into action.

Arrows rained down on the hundred riders. Nearly a thousand Leahdon cavalry kicked up dust, charging after them.

The hundred cavalry were like tiny boats in a stormy sea, moments from capsizing.

"Hah! Full speed! None of you fall here! You must protect your homes!"

Chining's roar shattered the night's silence—and drew enemy fire.

His Crescent Moon Blade swung wide, deflecting every arrow.

Chining unleashed a massive burst of Inner Energy. Dozens of approaching cavalry—horses and riders—were shaken off their feet.

Fallen horses blocked the path of the pursuing column.

In a blink, Chining and his hundred riders had put hundreds of meters between them and the enemy.

Chining had come with death-defying resolve.

Leveraging their small size, stealth, and agility, he led his riders straight into Leahdon's grain stores.

Infused with Inner Energy, they charged like lightning. Leahdon's generals hadn't even reacted before defenses were breached.

Inside, they opened fire oil barrels on their horses' backs and hurled them at nearby torches.

Flames erupted instantly, consuming the grain.

It seemed simple. But a hundred riders raiding a camp—one misstep, and all would be doomed. Chining himself would perish here.

"I am Chining! Remember my name!"

Unlike his usual gentle demeanor, he radiated unrivaled might.

He unleashed another burst of Inner Energy and swung his blade fiercely.

A crimson blade light shone brilliantly in the night, drawing every eye.

"Clang!" The barracks where it struck split cleanly in two.

That stroke terrified Leahdon's soldiers. Chaos erupted across the army.

By the time order returned, Chining and his hundred riders had vanished.

"Aaaaaah! Chining! Unforgivable!!!"

Leahdon's army lost eighty percent of its grain. Two hundred men burned to death.