Chapter 488

Chapter 111: Clash of Iron and Bone, Fiery Passion Consuming

The sky was tinted crimson, rain pouring endlessly.

In the forest, the traces of flames were gradually covered and extinguished by the heavy downpour. Thick black smoke mingled with white fog rising up, obscuring the distant war from view amidst the flying ashes.

“Twenty-third…”

Pfft—

Captain Gray’s black blade was drawn out from the enemy’s chest, blood splattering everywhere. I lifted my foot, kicking the heretic kneeling before me five or six meters away, and casually shot an ice spear that pierced through their head. Turning around, I heard the hoofbeats of the oncoming horned beasts approaching.

“Huff—”

I sighed deeply.

Finally, it’s almost cleared up…

I fished out a golden orb from my pocket, holding it gently in my hand, then threw it towards the sky—it was a medium ball given to me by Isaac, containing the power of divine miracles, the Light of Mafa. Knights usually use it to communicate and inform their allies of their location—the golden orb ascended into the sky, instantly shooting out a radiant golden light.

Soon, Safirois and a group of knights arrived at my side.

“The inferno has mostly died down; our people can continue moving forward. I’ve already ordered the faith group to stop the rain once the team crosses the forest, meeting us on the west side of the forest…”

“The remaining heretics seem to have withdrawn from the forest. The situation in Yaretain City might be dire… In the worst-case scenario, the Third Knight Order is trapped within the city. We will not only face those heretics but also their newly spawned claws. Be prepared.”

The voice of the knight commander was not loud, yet it weighed heavily on everyone. The knights remained silent. As I climbed onto the beast’s back, leading the charge towards the western side of the forest, they followed closely behind, passing through charred trees and swirling black ashes, stepping over scattered flames, as sharp as unsheathed swords, rushing toward the distant city.

If the heretics have already breached the city walls…

Beaudet and Barri, what will happen to them…

Would they…

Still be alive…

…………

Clatter clatter clatter clatter clatter…

North of Yaretain City, at the downstream of the canal, the dull sound of hooves trampled through mud, galloping forth.

One rider, two riders, ten riders, a hundred riders, Isaac’s over six hundred elite cavalry emerged from the mountain slopes, arriving first at the outskirts of Yaretain City. They organized their formation by the riverbank two kilometers from the city. The bald knight, fierce-faced, stood alongside the young bishop on the hilltop, gazing silently at the burning Yaretain City ahead.

“…The city has been breached.”

“I can’t hear any cries of battle…”

“With the city in ruins like this, most of the heretics must have broken through. It seems we’re too late… Williams, the团长…”

The night wind howled across the wilderness, the sky still dark.

Hundreds gathered swiftly under the thick night sky. The knights, who had rested sufficiently in the ruins of the town, did not feel weary. They lined up neatly, far off looking at the burning Yaretain City two kilometers away, their eyes burning with the same fervor.

“…A bunch of rabble, having obtained power from demons, dare to trample upon the land of the gods, massacring and tormenting the children of God! Even if they numbered ten thousand, they would still be nothing more than scattered sand and dust! We are the knights of the Judgment Fist! Warriors tempered by blood and fire! Tonight, we will exterminate these rats, ensuring they never set foot on West Continent again!”

Not long after, these over six hundred knights launched their first probing charge against Yaretain City.

The night wind continued to howl, the city’s fires blazing fiercely. The knights advanced under the cover of darkness, their hoofbeats echoing across the wilderness, the earth trembling slightly. In the darkness, short cries occasionally rang out.

On the shattered walls, the first round of flaming arrows rose into the night sky, crossing the moonless, dim heavens, falling towards the distant knights below. Instantly, golden light erupted, and the young bishop led the faith group to cast a barrier above, deflecting the flaming arrows with a thin, translucent shield.

The golden light illuminated the gloomy sky, intertwining with the surging flames, revealing the dense crowd outside the city walls. Heretics wielding long knives shouted excitedly at the charging knights. These people lacked discipline, their formations loose like sand, shouting chaotically, like a mob of peasants. However, the ferocious fighting spirit carried from afar made no one dare to underestimate them.

In the flickering light, the stench of blood filled the air. The giant beasts stepped onto the blood-soaked ground. When they were still hundreds of meters away from the city, the waiting heretics let out deafening shouts. The footsteps in the darkness rustled, growing increasingly intense. Dark heads surged like a tidal wave, the roar of voices merging into a fierce howl. Infernos ignited one by one on their bodies, connecting in the night to form a vast sea of fire, surging towards the knights!

“Prepare—”

At the forefront of the formation, Isaac shouted loudly, raising his hand overhead and then suddenly lowering it. The knight commander nearby noticed the signal, and golden light burst from his armor. A golden orb slowly ascended into the sky. In the next moment, countless lights lit up at the front of the formation. The followers of the faith group rode their beasts to perform divine miracles, sending out a dozen holy lances that sliced through the darkness, whistling towards the heretics ahead. In an instant, they stirred up waves of blood among the crowd, screams echoing in the night.

Get up.

“Fall back!”

At Isaac’s command, the second beam of light shot into the sky. The elite cavalry, like arrows released from their bows, immediately turned direction. Before the heretics could charge, they made a large turn in the open field and galloped away amidst the thunderous hoofbeats.

The sudden retreat of the Church knights left the heretics somewhat at a loss. Their fighting spirit was at its peak; many had boasted that they would kill several knights from the First Order. However, when the charge came, the enemy decisively withdrew just as they were about to clash. The heretics watched the fading silhouettes of the riders disappear into the darkness, and their charging steps gradually slowed. In the crowd, someone voiced confusion: “What… What’s happening…”

“Hey! Come back and fight us, knights!”

Then, someone excitedly shouted, “They’re retreating, they’re scared off! Hahaha! What Church elite knights? Seeing so many of us, they immediately fled without a fight!”

“Pah! Every single one of them from Westland is a coward!”

But before the cheers could rise from the open field, a blinding golden light suddenly burst forth in the direction the knights had left. An enormous fist-like glow, as vast as a mountain, tore through the darkness, carrying clouds of dust and soil, like a tiger pouncing on a flock of sheep. It struck the foremost group, crushing everything in its path, scattering blood and flesh like a rolling wheel. The clamor instantly quieted down.

Then, even more intense curses erupted.

“A bunch of cowards! If you have the guts, face us head-on! Why run—”

“I’ll eat you alive!”

In the distance, Isaac led the knights back to a kilometer away from the battlefield, reorganizing their formation. He heard the deafening curses from afar and sneered disdainfully, his eyes seemingly spitting flames.

“A bunch of small fries…”

He then turned to ask the young bishop beside him, “Did you see the situation clearly?”

“The northern city walls are filled with heretics. At first glance, there are no standing knights. However, the number of heretics outside is less than expected, and those on the wall seem quite scattered. Clearly, they haven’t prepared for battle. The city must have been breached not long ago, and the fighting inside might still be ongoing…”

Isaac nodded in response.

“Deputy团长, you’re better at this kind of warfare. We only have six hundred men. What should we do now? Wait for His Holiness’ troops to arrive, or…”

“Regroup and continue the charge.”

Isaac turned his beast-headed mount and walked toward the knight formation behind him: “If there’s street fighting inside the city, and we find it difficult to break through, we’ll wear them down outside. We’ll deplete their numbers and their fighting spirit, force them to split their forces, and keep some of them engaged outside the city. This way, the pressure on the Third Order will be significantly reduced.”

“Before His Holiness’ troops arrive, we need to avoid direct confrontation with these rats. Most of them are irrational madmen who don’t fear death. They dare to charge recklessly against us heavy cavalry. Once we collide with them, it’ll be a no-holds-barred battle. Though the power of demons is despicable, it cannot be underestimated.”

The bald knight of the Pope moved to the forefront of the elite cavalry, looking at the high morale of the warriors, he grinned wildly and said in a deep voice, “What we need to do now is continuous attacks and harassment. With every charge, we tear off a piece of flesh from the demons. When the right moment comes, we deliver the fatal blow!”

Soon, the warriors of the First Order launched their second charge.

The open field was splattered with mud, the hooves of the horses thundering. Over six hundred elite cavalry charged like a sharp knife piercing the night towards the heretics, unstoppable. The high-pitched cries echoed again outside the city, massive fireballs plummeted from the walls like meteors, striking the knight formation, but once again, the barrier of sin held them back. Intense explosions rang out in the night sky, casting blazing light over the land.

The charge was merely a feint. As a dozen holy lances whipped up a gale, tearing through the crowd, severed limbs and blood flew high. Isaac fired two beams of light at the city below, leading the knights to withdraw again.

This time, the heretics chased further, their curses growing louder. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t catch up to the giant beasts. Instead, they were decimated by the second wave of holy lances, forced to watch helplessly as the knights disappeared into the night.

In the subsequent third and fourth charges, the counterattack from the heretics inside the city became unprecedentedly fierce. Countless fireballs rained from the walls. It seemed there were at least one third-stage heretic among them. During the fourth charge, the barrier of sin began to crack.

Hellfire spread across the open field, and the heretics huddled under the city walls. Isaac’s elite cavalry found it increasingly difficult to gain the upper hand. By the end of the fourth charge, a thick white mist suddenly rose over Aletheia City.

“That is…”

Isaac gazed at the fog-shrouded city, frowning deeply.

But in the next moment, the sound of battle echoed from the edge of the forest.

Familiar hoofbeats resounded on the ground. Amidst the sparse flames, a few heretics emerged from the woods, only to be brought down by ice spears. Golden-armored knights emerged one after another from the west side of the forest. A petite girl rode ahead, carrying a black leather box. She casually released frost mist, eliminating a nearby heretic engulfed in hellfire. She raised her head, looking toward the distant Aletheia City.

She saw it!

Her heart pounded fiercely.