The fierce battle continued, with both Laine and Francois wounded. Guer’s attacks were recklessly exchanging life for life. Although the two joined forces to suppress Guer’s offensive, their attacks had little effect on Guer, merely scratching a few pieces of his armor.

There seemed to be a formidable force protecting Guer.

On the other side, with the help of the Undead Chaos Chosen Warriors, Mathew Bade swung his sword to force Kaled to retreat. He hurriedly turned back to the command platform and saw the flag of the Ancient Tomb Legion fall. The Duke of Musillon’s heart sank. Ignoring Kaled’s challenge for a duel, he immediately rode back.

He found Kemler, who was protected by the Desolate Tomb Guard and Divine Chosen Warriors. The Undead Grand Mage clutched his shoulder, as the sacred power on the Unicorn Sword eroded his body.

"We should retreat now, Lord Kemler," Mathew Bade sighed, as Kemler could not die, at least not now.

"...I will destroy this realm, I swear!" Kemler finally gave up continuing the fight. He clutched his wound, his face extremely pained. Due to his injuries and the power of purification from the Unicorn Sword, Kemler was gradually losing control over the Ancient Tomb Legion: "Retreat, retreat, let’s head south."

After saying that, his taut nerves finally relaxed. The Undead Mage wailed painfully under his grievous wounds and the might of the Unicorn Sword, unable to speak further.

This reflected on the battlefield; the movements of those masses of zombie and skeleton tides became increasingly sluggish and slow. Many zombies suddenly disintegrated on the spot, while some Skeleton Warriors crumbled into piles of Dead Bone; the remaining undead moved increasingly slowly and weakly.

The Ancient Tomb Legion finally began to retreat, and in front of the Alliance Army, the Undead Legion started to crumble gradually.

Under the cover of the Desolate Tomb Guard Legion and Undead Chaos Chosen Warriors, Mathew Bade orderly commanded the Undead Legion to retreat.

Guer transformed into a tornado and with one Tornado Slash forced both Laine and Francois to retreat simultaneously. Then, this Champion of the Four Chaos Gods directly withstood the beam from Veronica’s Light Demon Mount with his body. After the explosion, his figure disappeared in front of Laine and Francois.

"Ah~ it’s really a pity that we couldn’t kill Kemler after winning this battle," Francois commented. His shoulder armor, chest armor, arm guards, and shin guards were all attacked by Guer. Fortunately, most were minor injuries. As Guer disappeared, Francois tightened his grip on the Unicorn Sword: "Laine, Kaled, Antelme, don’t pursue."

Laine nodded in silence, his whole body covered in blood, and he too was injured.

"No pursuit?" Antelme gripped his Knight’s Sword tightly as he approached Francois: "Brother, are you alright?"

"Luckily, Laine’s support saved me; otherwise, I might have died in that move," Francois replied, examining the crack Guer had made in his plate armor. He gazed in the direction of the Ancient Tomb Legion’s retreat: "Our army is already very exhausted; we need time to rest and regroup. Moreover, we need to find a way to deal with those Undead Warriors and that Undead Chaos Champion. Currently, our attacks have little effect on those Undead Warriors, whether magical or physical."

"I’m curious about where Kemler unearthed and revived these powerful Undead Warriors," Kaled joined the group, sheathing his Divine Sword Durandal, and remarked softly: "Apart from the Holy Grail Knights, only blessed weapons and beams from that War Machine can cause harm to these Undead Warriors. I’ve seen knights repeatedly thrust their Cavalry Lance into the faces of these Undead Warriors...to no avail."

"I’ve slain two such Undead Warriors," Antelme said quietly, surveying the ravaged battlefield. "You’re right, Brother; if we can’t find a way to deal with those Undead Warriors, even if we catch up with Kemler and his Undead Legion, we can’t achieve victory."

"And that Chaos Champion, my goodness, it barely takes any damage," Laine quipped: "Back where I come from, we’d give such fellows a shock treatment."

"Shock treatment?" Francois queried, puzzled.

"Nothing, just a type of treatment," Laine chuckled, wiping his face while gazing at the fallen Ancient Tomb Legion flag. "Though not a complete triumph, I’d still say this is our victory!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Indeed, it’s our victory, a victory for Brittania, a victory for humanity!" Francois advanced to the army’s front, shouting loudly: "The Undead Legion has retreated. With the Lady’s blessing, our army shakes the world, soundly defeating the Ancient Tomb Legion and once more thwarting the Undead’s conspiracies. Such illustrious renown will be sung for generations. My knightly brothers, soldiers, all who have fought bravely against the undead, let us cheer for our victory!"

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

"We have won!"

The Battle of Black Stone Stronghold concluded with the forced retreat of the Undead Army and the abandonment of Kemler’s foothold in Brittania—the Black Stone Stronghold. Henceforth, the Vampire forces lost their last stronghold in Brittania’s east, leaving only Musillon as their remaining base.

Brittania lost seven hundred knights and around two thousand five hundred Peasant Army members, while the Ancient Tomb Legion was nearly annihilated, save for two Desolate Tomb Guard Legions, one Undead Knight Legion, one Spirit-Binding Knight Legion, a few Bloodthirsty Celestial Ghosts, and Kemler and Mathew Bade’s Personal Guard.

Post-battle, the Knightly Army set about tidying up the battlefield.

The spoils from battling the Undead Army were limited, hardly impressing the Master Knights. Jestful in their monumental service to home and country, they proceeded to retrieve and pray over the fallen knights’ bodies, handing over their weapons and armor to their relatives and Escorts.

Long Halberdier Remon walked amid the corpse piles, the young soldier looking somberly at the battlefield. Unlike his comrades scavenging through the corpses, he found a place to sit, blankly staring ahead.

Over three hundred in the Long Halberd Corps were now reduced to just over a hundred men. Many of Remon’s familiar comrades had perished, leaving the remaining brothers huddled in small groups. Several soldiers, having lost arms or legs, cried out in sorrow together. They were now disabled, bound for discharge—the Count’s treasury would provide them a gratuity, placing them outside the town.

"What are you thinking, soldier?" A voice greeted him from behind.

"I’m thinking this is war," Remon replied absentmindedly, heaving a sigh, "Just finding a meal, really. Choosing the path of a soldier means this is the outcome: either die in battle or revel in the glory of victory and await the next war, until the chance for promotion comes."

"So eager for promotion, are you? Young man, where’s your captain?" The voice had a hint of laughter as it continued to question.

"Over there." Remon pointed a short distance away.

The Company Commander’s body lay shattered into several pieces, scattered amongst blood and flesh.

Following the Company Commander’s death, Remon rallied the Long Halberdiers to reform the final line. They withstood the tide-like onslaught of the Skeleton Warrior Legion and ultimately persevered until the Undead Legion’s collapse.

Surviving the Fear Beast’s gaping maw imbued Remon with tremendous courage, strengthening his belief that his Deities were protecting him.

He held a similar belief when he skewered a Bloodthirsty Celestial Ghost with his long halberd.

"Heh, I observed your valiant performance, soldier; I witnessed how you survived the Fear Beast’s attack and how you rallied your comrades to regroup," said the voice behind him, with a hint of laughter: "Kneel, soldier, and tell me your name."

Remon sensed something was amiss, hastily scrambling to his feet and nearly tripping.

Appearing before Remon was the fully armed, injured Laine. The Jialan Witch Veronica and the Kingdom Knight Hex stood at his side.

"Kneel, soldier, the Count commands you to kneel!" Hex’s face bore scars from claw marks, freshly bandaged, with the wounds still seeping blood. It appeared grotesquely fierce—his proud military honors from combat with a Bloodthirsty Celestial Ghost.

Remon’s legs gave way, and he immediately knelt: "My...My Lord Count, I meant no offense..."

"What is your name?"

"Remon..."

"Very well, Mr. Remon, from today forth, you are the new Company Commander of the Long Halberd Company!"

"Yes!"