Chapter 261: Blow the Trumpet

Moon somehow managed to find something with the arrangements and got himself busy in an attempt to ditch Talia’s pressing questioning.

After studying the enemy, Moon, Talia and Gustav came to three conclusions.

One, they came with half the troops and only a few hundred ascenders, not full forces. This matched what Moon had anticipated long ago but kept mostly to himself.

Two, Korr and Lorian were absent. Enzo kept them in the fort.

Three, Enzo came with Mando to lead the troops, leaving all the noteworthy ascenders out of view.

Moon couldn’t tell if they were hiding somewhere, knowing they were being watched or... they really were left behind for future battles.

Either way, Moon couldn’t help smiling.

"We won’t go past the city gates no matter what!" he ordered. "Even if they retreat, we won’t chase past the city gates," he added.

It was evident the two were growing tired of Moon’s cryptic orders that he never bothered explaining the reason behind it.

The two of them were thoroughly groomed for commanding wars, yet they were constantly receiving orders that didn’t follow anything they were taught.

Little did they know, Moon was trying to escape the rigid rules of the battlefield he was familiar with.

Moon was, for the first time, accepting the fantasy setting of the Tower. Maybe more easily than most of those who were born into it could.

The day passed without a hitch. No movements from either side.

"Shouldn’t we have attacked first?" someone asked.

"Are you stupid?" Another retorted. "And lose our advantage?"

They stood between two mountains; thus, they had control and dilution effects on the enemy troops.

Still, they needed to make sure this didn’t turn into a bitter grind for both sides; that would turn everything into a disadvantage.

Moon wasn’t concerned by anything. He’d been awake for the past two nights, and now the next daylight shone on them.

The enemy started moving forward.

Moon watched the troops at the front in multiple formations one after another, then a large gap in formation, followed by the formation of ascenders.

At the very back, an armored tower on wheels followed.

It was where Mando and Enzo oversaw the battlefield and gave commands.

There, Enzo could be seen drinking tea leisurely while smiling.

Meanwhile, Moon decided he wouldn’t be giving a speech.

His entire life, he had heard empty speeches aimed at getting everyone to throw away their lives for the king.

Moon didn’t want to bring them into death’s embrace.

What Moon was aiming for was an entirely different outcome, and it was time to unfold the first stage of the plan he had kept locked in his heart for so long.

Moon secured the knife under his chestplate before adjusting it. He also made sure to double-check on Colten’s sword that was looking a little different now.

Thanks to that time he had failed to draw it because of his short arms, Moon built a new scabbard with Dorbish, a shorter one leaving part of the sword exposed.

Yet, it allowed for Moon’s arm to bring the sword free while strapped on his back. It was made of leather as well, so it held tightly to the blade.

He then put on his bag and secured it very well.

He was very familiar with theft that happened during wars; he wasn’t going to believe his current rank within this army would keep his beloved items safe.

Last, he put on the helmet, keeping the visor off his face for now.

Moon made his way to the soldier holding the war trumpet. "I’ll blow this myself," he said while taking it from his hands.

He jumped on the railing and watched the army approach, passing slowly by the mountain pass, travelling to the city gates.

Moon waited patiently.

The rhythmic, heavy steps of the Fable army were coupled with a loud hum.

"Open the gates!" he ordered, now allowing the troops to be part of the forces and see their enemies.

The gates opened, and the troops stepped out.

Up where he stood, Moon could smell their fear; he knew how shaken they were.

That’s why...

"For you, I prepared something better than a speech," he whispered to himself.

"Moon," Talia said with concern. "Aren’t we supposed to march?"

Gustav nodded. "Sir Moon, please give a speech to calm the shaken hearts of these men."

Moon gazed at them from the railing and smiled... He chuckled. "That isn’t necessary."

"It’s very necessary, Sir—"

While he was talking, Moon jumped off the walls.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Gustav screamed, looking down.

Moon was using his Spark Echo in a way, trying to mimic his White Stride, gliding down the great castle walls.

The Fable troops had already passed the halfway point between the city gates and castle gates.

Thus—

Moon brought the trumpet to his mouth, and a harsh, rolling throat-growl mixed with metallic screams was produced.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRR~

Everyone looked up at where the sound came from, still standing still in place, watching Moon fall at them.

’Too bad Basil isn’t here to admire this,’ Moon thought to himself before—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRR~

Another round blew closer to their ears that time.

Moon contracted his leg muscles before jumping off the wall, abandoning the glide under the stunned gazes of everyone.

Talia and Gustav included.

Moon landed perfectly with a little Spark Echo to reduce the impact, before he marched forward alone at the incoming army.

He blew a third, and last time.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRR~

Before he threw the trumpet away.

He gathered some Spark Echo around his vocal cords, a trick Ed had taught him.

"MARCH!"

He said his command and didn’t wait any longer for them. Yet he was expecting something very soon.

’Come on, don’t disappoint me,’ he prayed in his heart, and soon—

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO~

Moon smiled widely.

By then, Moon was a little further away from the marching army, which suddenly grew hesitant at the single man approaching.

Moon dropped the visor, covering his face before unsheathing both Liquid Mountain and Colten’s sword at the same time.

He was finally at the enemy’s first line.

Without a pause, without slowing down. Moon did what he did best.

With a flick of his wrist, the head of the soldier of the front line went flying.

"You guys don’t use spears; that makes things easier."

Under the showering blood, he let himself get soaked before his blade found the next target.

Moon broke into the enemy line like he always does, but for the first time.

Without anyone to watch his back.

Moon was very unsure about doing this, but in the end, he believed it was the only way.

For his goal of this battle to be achieved.

By his third kill, like a tidal wave.

Roars rose behind him.

Not marching, sprinting into battle.

"Took you long enough, you bastards." Moon chuckled before taking down another.

It was only a minute of misalignment, but that minute was enough for Moon to take the invitation.

Now, torn between abandoning their line to aim for Moon and defending against an army led by a certain maddened humanoid chicken.

Getting stepped on by the unaware marching soldiers in the back or letting him breach into their ranks further.

That was everything Moon needed.

Since the very beginning, Moon aimed for two things.

First, strike fear into the enemy’s heart... The invincible army marching into an easy battle to overtake a small kingdom.

Only death could produce the first spark of fear.

A sudden, unavoidable death by a seemingly reckless stride.

Second, Moon was aiming to prove a few things to his troops.

The enemy you’re so afraid of... It wasn’t truly scary; they were just men who were easy to kill, and were just as afraid of Strand’s troops as the troops were of them.

Only with this would the frenzy he aimed to throw them into with Fisher’s help take effect.