Eleana had just finished explaining everything and was preparing to put on additional armor when she noticed Caria smiling at her, seemingly trying to hide something. Eleana moved towards her and tried to ask what was going on, but Caria interrupted her by applauding and exclaiming, "What a great delivery..."
All around them, at the top of the walls, the gathered knights applauded and chanted in unison, clearly excited for the coming war.
Eleana nodded at Caria as she prepared herself. She tied on a small, intricately designed headpiece made of silvery-white metal, adorned with strange symbols. Two ornamental, flower-shaped tails extended from the back of her helmet, covering only her forehead.
From a distance, Knight Gurian muttered as he looked at the white knight, "She looks like a Valkyrie depicted in the ancient legends."
A nearby golden female knight commented feebly, "Don't get too distracted by her beauty, lest you falter in your duties."
Knight Gurian looked at her as she shivered and fell silent. He then waved his hand and commanded, "Come, my team. We will join the commander's Moon Legion."
"We need to make sure the commander can lead safely without worrying about her back..."
"Yes... Let's move."
"Yes... We will show them..."
"Yes..."
As they descended the stairs, they found them to be incredibly steep before slowly joining the river of marching soldiers.
"Captain, remember to buy me the Arctic Wells Beer..." muttered a silver knight. It was the same knight who had teased Gurian.
"Haha... Velina... Obviously, obviously..."
Two other knights cheered as Gurian said, "Yes, Adrene and Steralla, we will celebrate for all..."
Eleana listened to the chatter around her. Gurian seemed particularly invigorated by the prospect of taking part in the war. She sighed softly as a faint memory resurfaced—one of Gurian proposing to her back in their academy days. She missed those days when she could roam carefree with Eryssa and Veer.
Thinking of Veer, her heart and mind stirred as she wondered how he was doing. Lost in her thoughts, she fastened an additional layer of breastplates and boots for extra protection, along with a few hidden weapons.
She then called her assistant knights and addressed Caria as the remaining golden knights bowed.
"I will lead the army from here. Watch for any issues and follow the instructions. Caria, you will take command here, and everyone will listen to you. Do as she commands."
A loud salute rang out along the top of the walls as Caria bowed and accepted her duty.
Eleana stood up and handed her a scroll. Caria nodded gravely as she took it, without a hint of her previous smile.
Eleana then descended slowly. At the edge of the walls stood a chariot. Someone was sitting inside, tending to the horses. Two horses were harnessed to the chariot, which was overseen by a golden knight. The vehicle was intricately designed as Eleana approached it.
The chariots had been specially crafted by the noble artisans of the state. They were equipped with several defensive and offensive mechanisms, allowing captains and leaders to reach any area they needed during the war. Eleana examined the wheels, noticing that the axle shafts could potentially be used as weapons to strike at enemy soldiers from the side, just as she had read in the manual.
There were quite a few weapons mounted on the chariots that she could use: bows and arrows, curved swords, and katanas similar to the ones Veer used. There were even automatic firearms that could be used for smoke screening.
Eleana looked at the chariot, feeling a little out of place. The marching had momentarily stopped, and loud chatter echoed throughout the enormous street connecting the southern walls to Drudar Castle.
She looked up towards the tower at the top of the wall, from which she had descended. The sun's rays were blinding, but she could still make out Caria standing there, waving at her.
Eleana then turned towards the golden knight standing beside the chariot and asked, "Stygard, where are the chariots for Knight Laren and Knight Marvis?"
The golden knight, Stygard, stammered a little before looking at Eleana and bowing.
"Commander, they said they don't want chariots. They are already at the front of the army, waiting for you."
"Knight Laren is on foot, whereas Knight Marvis is on his horse."
Eleana's gaze lingered on the magnificent vehicle ahead of her. A flag of Drudar fluttered at its peak as she leaped aboard.
She looked around and asked, "Stygard, is the Moon Legion ready to move?"
"Yes, Madam... It's all yours."
Eleana nodded and said, "Give the signal..."
Stygard raised a flag bearing the image of a blue moon against a white background. It was Eleana's personal symbol, representing her army and legion—the force she had been granted upon receiving the status of a Black Knight.
As the golden knight waved the flag, Eleana addressed the chariot driver.
"Charioteer Roanna, take us to the front..."
The chariot began moving through the army towards the front. Chants echoed everywhere as it advanced slowly and steadily. Eleana sighed inwardly as she looked at the vast army she was leading.
Just then, a loud sound rang out as two knights landed in front of the assembled army.
One was a short knight named Marvis, who wielded two blades. The other was a man carrying a greatsword—the infamous Laren, wielder of the Zenith Greatsword.
As they landed, their pressure radiated outward, churning the atmosphere and raising another chorus among the army.
"To war! To war!" they roared as they raised their flags and continued their slogans.
Eleana reached the second front amidst the cheers.
She looked to her right, where Marvis stood, and nodded. His armor was blue-black, and his head was covered by a slightly pointed helm that completely concealed his face. He was mounted on a horse as he said, "Eleana, you can take command as Laren's forces move... My legion will focus on the western side..."
She nodded before looking to her left, where Laren had lifted his greatsword and rested it on his shoulder.
He was as tall and massive as the demon they had encountered. No one knew how he had become so enormous. He was clad in completely black armor, which bore the name "Damageless Armor."
He spoke in a terrifying voice, "Marvis is right... My army will move and take the vanguard position, meeting the enemy army head-on. Don't worry, though. They need not fear. I will personally take the lead."
Eleana said, "Knight Laren and Marvis, as per the commander's instructions, since they seem to be moving with the Branching Arrow Vyu, we will strike with the Daunting Hawk Vyu..."
As Eleana began speaking, both Laren and Marvis listened attentively.
"Knight Laren, with your forces, you will be the eyes of the army. Along with Knight Symon's forces, we will meet them with piercing force."
"Knight Marvis, your forces will become the wings of the army. Since the majority of the Ariatal Squad can fight from range, they can use bows and other ranged weapons to slow down the arrow branches of the Breavan army."
"I will become the center and heart of the bird Vyu, while Nyelle's void forces will cover us, becoming its tail."
"The rest of Rhaelle's forces will join as you have already planned."
Eleana took a bow and closed one eye before firing an arrow towards the southern sky. It marked the beginning of the full-scale march.
Both nodded as she fired the arrow. The enormous figure of Knight Laren had already started moving with the leading vanguard force.
It was Laren's Vanguarder Striker Unit. They advanced like an immovable, impenetrable force. The shields at the very front formed a wall of moving soldiers. At the forefront was a piercing striker formation, with several golden knights forming a spiked shield structure as they advanced rapidly on horseback. Between the gaps, hundreds of spears were aimed forward.
Marvis raised his banner and said to Eleana, "Those fuckers... When will they join...?"
Eleana shook her head.
"Anyways, with Symon's army leading the very front of the Vanguarder Unit, those two units should suffice for a start as we move," Marvis continued.
Eleana simply nodded again as Marvis moved away.
"Everyone in the Ariatal Squad, follow..." he commanded as another unit of about three thousand soldiers slowly advanced.
Eleana's chariot moved as the army behind her advanced. On the walls behind them, the automated arrow systems were rising, and numerous other artifacts were activating.
Then, a siren echoed throughout Drudar, indicating that the enemy army would arrive within moments.
Eleana pointed her sword forward as her chariot advanced. Far ahead, Laren started walking slowly, but his movements made it seem as though he were running. It was some kind of strange movement technique. Marvis rode alongside them on an armored horse.
It seemed the preparations were complete.
The units didn't seem to need the Black Knights' guidance. They were arranging themselves and advancing on their own. The golden knights formed smaller groups with their respective units and moved together as the ground shook beneath them.
As they advanced, the sounds of horses, weapons, and war cries resounded, making even the air vibrate.
Yojans away, the forest was torn apart as an army approached Drudar. It was so enormous that even the distant hills were blocked from view. As the last stretch of forest cleared, Drudar's army saw Breavan's army—and Breavan's army saw Drudar's.
Both armies were approaching each other at a speed that made it seem as though an impending tsunami were about to collide with an irresistible tornado.
A huge shadow gradually covered the skies as Breavan's flags appeared. There were two kinds of flags: one bearing a wolf and the other bearing drakes.
The surroundings filled with dust as both armies rapidly approached each other. Everything was happening too fast. Extremely powerful presences were leading the Breavan army.
From the skies, it seemed as though a moving tsunami of spiralling forces was making its way towards an army of birds. It was so enormous that the atmosphere trembled.
Laren roared as he started running. Marvis's army spread wide, covering the western side, while Laren's army advanced along the front and eastern side. Eleana's army moved through the middle.
Suddenly, time seemed to come to a standstill as both armies met.
And then—
BOOM!
A deafening crash rang out as the two armies collided. Countless automated arrows from the eastern and western sides of Marvis's army, along with spells cast by the participating knights and mages, rained down, vanishing into the dark shadow.
At the same time, huge pots crashed into the enemy ranks with the help of strange, lever-like artifacts. Thousands of arrows poured down from Drudar's walls onto the Breavan knights at the rear.
Drudar's forces targeted the farther eastern and western flanks, where some of Breavan's forces seemed to be advancing, only to collapse under the counterattack.
The spiral structure of Breavan's army was truly strange, but Drudar's counterattack was even fiercer.
Eleana led her chariot towards the strongest presence as she continued cutting down Breavan knights. Her moon shimmered as she split into another clone, which manifested among the enemy soldiers and attacked them fiercely.
Meanwhile, Marvis had drawn both swords and moved rapidly through the battlefield, killing numerous knights while evading enemy attacks.
Far ahead, Laren allowed the enemy attacks to land on him. With a roar, he leaped into the air, and wherever he landed, knights shattered into blood.
It was madness everywhere.
The strongest presences of Breavan were deeper inside their formation.
Back at Drudar's walls, Caria watched the battle with a grave expression. Hundreds of weapons and hefty automated pots fired at the army that had breached through the farther eastern and western flanks.
She looked at the sea of soldiers and muttered faintly, "Will this really save Drudar?"
...
Far behind Eleana, Gurian's forces were rapidly striking the black-armored knights.
Gurian said as he fought, "There are two kinds of knights: the black ones with wolf-like armor and the red ones with drake-like armor. For the black ones, strike at their legs. For the red ones, strike at their heads."
Velina shouted, "Captain, these guys' armor gets penetrated, but somehow, they either dodge or heal at the last second."
Others also shouted, "Captain, something is wrong. They seem weaker than us, but they are much more resilient..."
Gurian commanded as he beheaded another knight, saying, "It's probably that shadow looming over them. Anyways, move forward..."
They screamed as they moved forward.
Meanwhile, in different areas, the three Black Knights of Drudar were on a killing spree when Eleana suddenly shouted as she realized something.
"The shadow is actually protecting them! That's why they're so hard to kill!"
The golden knights around Eleana listened as they started fighting more desperately. Even after piercing their chests, they attacked again to make sure the Breavan soldiers could not be healed.
The knights of Breavan didn't seem dispirited at all. They killed Drudar's knights by grouping up and ganging up on them. Chaos ensued.
Near Eleana, a Breavan knight with a hammer crushed a Drudar knight, sending him flying backward, only for the Breavan knight to be stabbed by a spear. But before he could celebrate, his head flew into the air. Just as the Drudar spear knight passed by, five Breavan knights jumped on him, impaling their swords into themselves. Their bodies turned red as they exploded, taking the spear knight down. He was one of the golden knights under Eleana.
Knight Eleana's forces had already reached almost the middle of the Breavan army, and this part seemed to be surrounded by very strong soldiers. Eleana noticed something was not right, but she didn't stop.
Eleana looked at a Breavan knight who somehow managed to jump over Roanna as he used his spear to thrust at Eleana. Roanna screamed as Eleana slashed him. His head was severed, and his red helm left a streak of blood as it landed across the area. But Eleana's eyes squinted as she shouted, "Jump, Roanna..."
Roanna jumped as Eleana's moon manifested, and there was a boom. There was a detonator weapon on the knight Eleana had beheaded. A few knights who were close to Eleana all died. Her chariot burst apart, and all the horses exploded.
Roanna grunted as a similar spell enveloped her. She shouted, "Damn it..." as the spell deactivated. Before she could relax, she suddenly sensed something as she dodged a strike at the ground.
Meanwhile, Eleana looked back in anger as her presence radiated even more intensely. Eleana looked around as she saw a few people moving near her. So, the plan was to blow up her chariot. This team had almost finished off her close team. There was a radiating presence moving around. It was a frail female knight. She had a red sword in her hand that was glowing, and her eyes were deeply blackened. Eleana felt deep pressure from her as she jumped from the remaining debris of her chariot. It had helped her a lot in getting this far quickly, but it was destroyed now.
She looked to the east to see Roanna, who had only survived with her defensive spell and was fighting a red knight who had the presence of at least a golden knight.
The moon's glow shone through the looming darkness as Eleana leaped toward the strongest Breavan presence she could feel—a female knight clad in black and silver armor, wielding a red sword. As Eleana leaped from her chariot, her sword met not steel but a fist as the other knight grunted.
They started exchanging blows at a furious rate. Eleana's moon suddenly manifested behind the knight as she appeared behind the frail-looking female knight. She thrust her sword, but the knight barely defended herself. A huge explosion separated them. The nearby Breavan knights were scattered by their clash.
The frail-looking female knight removed her helm amidst the chaos as she continued cutting down the Drudar knights who tried to attack her. As Eleana advanced towards her, the knight said in a calm voice, "You are Eleana, I suppose. I am Merissa—sent to end you."
She thrust her flaming sword toward Eleana. There was even a spear on her back, but she only used the sword.
The sword suddenly grew stronger in presence, and Eleana dodged, the strike killing both Breavan and Drudar knights nearby. Eleana muttered something as she counterattacked Merissa.
Merissa spoke in a gentle voice. "Where is your commander and the others? You are not that strong..."
Eleana took a deep breath as she responded with the advanced version of the Drifting Moon. Two moons emerged in different directions as two Eleanas appeared briefly, making Merissa's pupils suddenly constrict.
She muttered, "No wayyy..."
She defended against one Eleana's thrust while dodging the other Eleana's strike at the same time. But the second strike took a piece of her armor.
She thought she had at least managed to save herself, but then the two manifested moons flew toward her and burst as Merissa screamed. She was sent tumbling a great distance away. The burst killed several of Breavan's soldiers and knights.
...
Elsewhere, at the front, Laren continued his rampage like a wild beast with his greatsword. No attack seemed to injure him. It was as if a demon were rampaging. Twenty simultaneous attacks struck him from various knights, but his armor remained unscathed.
His army surrounded the enemy units as he ravaged the enemies. He shouted, "Split the darkened sky..." as his greatsword fell and the ground around him cracked.
"Run... its a demon...Ahhhh"
"Save us princess....."
"Ahhhh...."
"Why is he so powerful ?"
Soldiers screamed as they died from Laren's attacks. Even the darkness above his head seemed to fade. He continued to advance. Around him laid savage dead bodies and everything decimated. He was like a walking force of destruction. No knights, weapons or anything was able to stop him even for a bit.
Laren's army was the one who took the most blow as they met the Breavan forces head on but they fought and died valiantly roaring across the battlefield.
....
Knight Marvis, on the western side, continued riding his horse and killing enemies when suddenly his pupils constricted—his horse's body was gone. He crashed down but barely managed to land on his feet. He sensed a knight stood not far away, wielding a spiked weapon. Marvis turned, roared, and leaped into the air. He vanished and reappeared, slashing through the figure. His two swords spun like a spinning top.
Suddenly, Marvis seemed to move back a long distance, then attacked again from nowhere. He was too fast for the Breavan captain.
The Breavan knight roared, "Cheap tricks... This Kandra will kill you!"
Suddenly, Marvis felt as though he had been seen through. A huge spiked mace struck his breastplate, sending him crashing into the chaos. As he tried to stand, two of his comrades' arms fell nearby.
They were his comrades, the golden knights. They couldn't even speak; they had been smashed by Kandra. Marvis coughed blood as he stood up. He roared and charged into battle against Kandra once more.
The battle raged everywhere. He screamed and broke through the enemies, his speed increasing frantically as he resumed trading blows with Kandra. Marvis was agile like shadows and Kandra was brutually powerful along with tremedous speed.
As Kandra went after Marvis' chest , Marvis changed trajectory and hit his foot. Kandra tumbled as Marvis climbed Kandra and his blades went for the kill. Just before he could Kandra slammed his hands on Marvis and Marvis was thrown away like a ball.
.....
Far to the north of the battlefield, a group was heading toward the centre. One was a red-haired woman, Nyelle, while the other two were men wearing typical Black Knight armour.
Black Knight Nyelle spoke humorously as she killed knights from horseback with a long spear. "Damn it, I can't use a spear properly from horseback. Rhaelle, Symon—I don't know why there's misinformation in the commands, but we need to take control quickly."
Rhaelle spoke in a grave tone as he used his long whip to slice through Breavan's knights. "Why the hell were two of you assigned to random tasks?"
Nyelle replied mockingly, her red hair flowing behind her. "I... I was assigned some duties related to Princess Eryssa..."
"What! It's a war, you idiot! You still went to babysit her?"
Nyelle trembled with anger as Symon said, "My legion is here, but I was actually sent on another mission. To the Nameless Ruins..."
"What Nameless Ruins?"
"Who was there?"
"Nobody! That Myrell was after a fucking fruit... My God... He sent me to fetch fruits..."
Nyelle's red hair flowed as she couldn't help but burst into laughter despite the situation.
Rhaelle's shoulders trembled as he said, "Ahem... Let's go quickly. Stop with this banter..."
They cut through the formations like raging storms as they headed south.
They nodded and continued cutting through the battlefield. Symon casually wielded a spear that tore through Breavan's knights. His spear was somewhat magical. It seemed to manifest wherever it struck an enemy before returning to his hands.
Nyelle's spear was surrounded by a strange void that seemed to completely erase her enemies as she muttered, "Where is Eleana? I want to fight with my fists..."
"You damn hot-headed woman... Ahhh... Look, it's a call from Eleana!" Symon shouted.
....
In the middle of the battlefield, Eleana and Merissa were engaged in a fierce battle. The shockwaves sent tremors through the dark battlefield, while the darkness seemed to spread over a vast area.
Merissa was back again after that tremendous blow. Her face was covered, and many parts of her armour were damaged. Something was healing her. That darkness overhead.
Other powerful presences appeared as Eleana realized the gravity of the situation. There was something more at play. Eleana also sensed that a strange barricade of Vyu was forming all around her, seemingly to isolate her.
Merissa smiled as she attacked. "Again, I will say, I still don't know why you're commanding the battle... just a Black Knight."
Eleana didn't respond as her mind drifted to her last conversation with the commander, one of the Grey Knights, who had said, "If I can't make it before the war… you will command."
Eleana realized that if she were captured, Drudar would essentially lose its commander. Conversely, if Merissa, this woman, were captured, Breavan would fall apart. She took a gamble and fired a yellow shot towards the sky.
Far ahead, Laren noticed this as he moved towards the growing presences near Eleana. He tried to reach her, but as he turned back, the battlefield suddenly vanished from his view. A blindfolded lady stood before him, dressed in black robes. Her hair fell behind her, and her face reminded him of something. As he prepared to strike, she vanished and appeared behind him, throwing him back. He stumbled without being attacked as he muttered, "Cheap tricks… Canthia."
"Just because I didn't kill you and let you go doesn't mean I'll do the same again," he said as he looked at her gentle figure. He leaped forward and clashed with Canthia.
He hit Canthia, but another Canthia appeared behind him. He hit the second one, but there was a third.
Canthia spoke as she manifested once again in the dark world, where there were only Laren and her. "Laren, I am sorry... But you need to die."
"You... What a joke..." Laren shouted as his huge body and armour started shaking. His huge broadsword began generating air all around it as the world around him vibrated.
"Laren... You are still like this... a brute..." Canthia shook her head as her hands rotated, and suddenly, there was absolute silence all around.
....
As Eleana clashed with Merissa, she slowly began to realize, as she looked at her sword, that Merissa was not normal. Somehow, she possessed abnormal endurance and healing abilities. Even if her healing was related to the darkness swirling above, Merissa herself was very strange.
Black inscriptions glowed across her body as she moved at incredible speed. Eleana dodged and counterattacked, but it felt as though they were evenly matched.
Eleana heard a shout from above. As she focused upward, trying to see what it was, another shout rang out.
"Look behind, idiot!"
Eleana barely managed to defend against the strike before crashing into the distance. She got up and wiped away her blood. Taking a deep breath, she thrust her weapon toward Merissa. Numerous clashes followed as Merissa once again gained the upper hand, leaving Eleana on the ground. Merissa looked at her from the other side.
"Now, what will you do..." Merissa said as she swung her sword.
As Eleana rose, she heard a scream.
"Save me, Captain…!"
She looked behind, only to see her charioteer, Roanna, with three swords piercing her chest.
Eleana's blood rushed as she channelled all her prana to rush in that direction, but just then, she sensed tremendous killing intent. She dodged as Roanna's head flew into the air. Merissa stood nearby.
"Oh… missed your head."
Eleana's eyes widened as she realized the true meaning of war. For a moment, she couldn't believe it. Roanna was dead. That junior girl who was always after her, trying to imitate her, was gone.
Eleana shouted and screamed as she went after Merissa.
Merissa clashed with Eleana again, but this time, the scale of the battle became dangerous. Wherever Merissa's strikes landed on the ground, numerous deep-red protrusions began to emerge. In her anger, Eleana cast several spells that repeatedly attacked Merissa. Numerous blue blades manifested in the air through Eleana's power, attacking Merissa simultaneously.
In her rage, Eleana didn't notice three Breavan captains entering the area. They didn't immediately join the fight. Instead, they began clearing the area of Drudar knights as three more presences arrived.
The three other knights—Rhaelle, Nyelle, and Symon—reached Eleana. They exchanged glances as they assessed the situation. The darkness above was doing multiple things: shielding auras and strengthening the army.
Knight Rhaelle immediately moved to clash with Knight Neigrel. Void Knight Nyelle split the void with her rapid fist attacks, creating loud booms. However, her opponent, Knight Sethsi, remained unaffected, shifting positions like a shadow. She even began injuring Nyelle with her long spear, while Knight Symon clashed with a knight named Vridga.
As they fought, the darkness above began to distort. Breavan soldiers automatically adjusted themselves, forming a structured pattern. Gradually, a spiral formation emerged, with the knights rotating continuously. Breavan's forces began arranging themselves while Drudar's formations were breaking apart all around the four captains. Slowly, the formation completely blocked any outside attacks from Drudar's forces, trapping Eleana and the others inside.
Eleana slowly realized the situation, and she and the others grew grim. Symon muttered as he deflected Vridga's long sword with his spear.
"It's the Breavan Artoynvyu Formation… Oh no."
"Is that darkness guiding them somehow?"
Eleana lifted her sword straight above her as a moon emerged and expanded to an immense size, attempting to disrupt the formation. But just as everyone thought it would work, it was instantly swallowed by the darkness above. Countless small, hollow, insect-like creatures formed a huge snake that descended and devoured her moon.
She spat out a mouthful of blood, staining her silvery-white armor, which still shimmered faintly in the darkness.
Merissa laughed from a distance as she withdrew her spear and hurled it toward Eleana.
"A pity…"
"Do you really think you can match the Formless Mother's power?"
The spear locked onto Eleana, preventing her from moving immediately. She realized its power, and in an instant, regrets overwhelmed her. Her eyes reflected the deadly spear hurtling toward her head.
At the last second, everything vanished from her view as blood splattered across her face.
She muttered, "Huh...."
A figure was struck as he fell over her. Eleana trembled as she looked down.
It was her knight, Gurian.
He had taken the red spear for her.
For a moment, Eleana didn't know how to respond.
Gurian muttered as he drew his last breath, "It was a great life knowing you...."
"No..." Eleana screamed as she took his body into her lap. "You can't die..."
"Wake up... Wake up, Gurian...."
"Don't you want to celebrate after we win..."
"Wake up..." she cried as she began shaking his body.
Meanwhile, Nyelle reached Eleana and blocked Merissa's attacks, which were aimed at her.
"Eleana...."
"This is not the time for grief... Fight... Fight... And kill her..."
Eleana looked at Gurian's lifeless body as she slowly got up. Tremendous anger had consumed her as she went after Merissa.
...
Nyelle had momentarily dislocated Sethsi to help Eleana, but Sethsi was after her again. Nyelle gritted her teeth as she clashed with her opponent.
"Eleana, don't be consumed by rage..."
Merissa attacked Eleana again, who was now fighting like a beast. By now, the spiral formation all around them had been completed, and only Laren remained outside. Just before it completely closed, a figure swept past the formations and entered.
It was Marvis.
But now, the formation was completely sealed by Breavan's soldiers, with spiked shields forming its edges. It rotated continuously. The Drudar knights trapped inside were being killed rapidly, their screams filling the air. The captains' and Eleana's faces grew grave as they continued fighting but could not break free. The Drudar knights outside struggled desperately to attack, but the formation was unbreakable.
Nyelle realized that she needed to sacrifice herself to help the Drudar army.
"Everyone, move out..." she screamed as her body grew larger, her red hair flowing behind her. She turned and unleashed a devastating attack that erased dozens of Breavan knights.
The attack created a huge gap in the formation, allowing many Drudar soldiers to escape and attack Breavan's soldiers from the other side. But the gap was rapidly healing as more and more Breavan soldiers poured in.
She took a deep breath as she realized she had exhausted herself.
"These damn insects…"
Just then, Nyelle's eyes widened as a palm burst through her abdomen. She screamed, and a severed arm remained lodged inside her.
She turned to see Sethsi's arm had been cut off by Knight Marvis. Marvis went for Sethsi's head, but a spiked mace sent him flying into the distance.
Marvis was once again entangled with his opponent as the gap in the formation slowly closed. Nyelle bit her lip as she clashed again. Sethsi didn't shout but now used her remaining hand to face off against Nyelle, who was bleeding from her stomach and mouth.
Merissa, meanwhile, smiled as she continued her assault.
"So, now what…?"
Even in her rage, Eleana noticed something. Shura arts were being used by many knights, and the darkness grew stronger with every death. More and more of the strange, hollow insects appeared.
As she parried the red sword and launched another counterattack, she suddenly saw the formation all around them breaking. Knights were being bombarded by massive pots and flaming furnaces from far away. A powerful presence was cutting through the enemy lines, and fire raged everywhere.
Everyone's eyes widened as the captains looked ahead, stunned.
The golden knights were scattered as a figure broke through the formation. He carried a massive flaming sword, and in his hand was the severed head of a formidable enemy. It was a woman's head with a blindfold over her eyes.
Merissa trembled as she screamed, "No..... Canthiaaaa...."
The figure hurled the head, which landed near Merissa, before leaping forward.
He landed beside Merissa and looked at her with a smile.
"I will kill you…"
The figure was very familiar to Eleana and the others. He wore red armor similar to that of the enemy soldiers, but its emblem belonged to Drudar. It was none other than John.
He carried a red, flaming sword on his back, and his hair had now turned bright red. Most of the army around them lay defeated.