Chapter 445: Song of the烈焰
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Chapter 445: Song of the烈焰
Emanas, Central School Building.
“Next up, we have Darsi from Bridge墩 Academy facing off against Ling from Fortress Academy.” As the referee gave the command, the two contestants stepped onto the competition grounds.
Darsi, clad in dark steel armor, gripped a thick lance. After swinging it through the air a few times to get a feel for it, a sharp whistling sound echoed throughout the venue. He then planted the lance upright on the ground, standing as immovable as iron in the center of the arena.
Even through his heavy armor, the students present could sense the immense power contained within his body.
On the other side of the arena, a winged young lady descended slowly from the sky, dressed in tight silver armor. Her wings were not mere constructs of magic or energy but actual flesh and blood, with silver-blue feathers that shimmered like blades under the arena lights, casting dangerous glimmers.
“The match begins!”
At the referee’s command, Ling shot straight into the sky. The sword-like feathers on her wings spread out, surrounding her like a halo of short swords.
As a branch of the beastmen, the winged folk possessed abilities akin to certain demonic beasts, able to transform their feathers into sharp weapons.
She ascended into the high skies, evading Darsi’s attack range. Her silver feathers gathered like swallows before diving towards her opponent below.
The razor-sharp edges glinted ominously.
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Clancia, Swordpine City.
Breathing in the acrid smoke of battle, amidst swirling dust, these golden-red knights charged down like a surging flood. Despite their thin numbers—just 30 men—they advanced like a tidal wave, unstoppable.
Warhorses reared high and then plunged down. The sight of the golem in front of them grew rapidly. Lances had long been fixed on the mounts, ready to collide with the golem upon impact.
The instant they made contact, a tremendous force surged from the lance tips, driving them into the golem like red-hot irons into butter, generating puffs of green smoke and sizzling sounds.
Even the massive golem was lifted slightly, sliding back, then slashed by the blazing lance, leaving a long, grotesque wound. Metal fragments and machinery flew everywhere, while the driver was instantly turned into a mass of shredded flesh, scorched and mangled by the intense heat.
Originally, there were 60 golems outside the city walls, now subjected to this intense
Beneath the flood, over twenty constructs were instantly destroyed, along with the mages controlling them. After piercing through the sparse formation of the golems, Segr led the Cataclysm Knights behind him, turning their formation on the riverside. They were breathing heavily, and white vapor escaped from the gaps beneath their helmets. Their armor was drenched in sweat, and they felt a chill in the late autumn breeze.
His eyes swept across the battlefield, briefly counting the number of knights. Over thirty Cataclysm Knights, not a single one missing. They truly were elite troops hardened by countless battles.
He gripped his hot lance tightly, repositioning it on his horse. The sound of hooves grew louder as this group of knights clad in golden-red capes began their second charge.
The golems scattered by the Cataclysm Knights split to the sides, no longer attacking the city walls but turning around. The magical cannons on their shoulders released condensed light, followed by blue rays sweeping across the battlefield.
At such close range, the narrow and chaotic battlefield offered no means of evasion. The leading knights were hit first, turning into true flames within the light beams. Armored horses and riders, suffering immense pain and burning, continued forward, shielding their comrades for a few more seconds before collapsing by the roadside, leaving only the mournful cries of the horses and no signs of life.
The Cataclysm Knights behind continued their advance.
“Forward, Clancia!”
The glorious battle cry had never ceased since the uprising. That heartfelt wish and belief burned like a bursting flame in their chests, urging them to break free.
In their field of vision, nothing else existed. In this life, there was only one belief: advance, advance, endlessly advance. This was the only way to open up the future path; there was no other option.
They abandoned any weak hopes and illusions, not seeking any pity or charity. Only the lances and banners in their hands remained steadfast and determined. This was Clancia’s choice, its belief, and its destiny.
The battered gate opened once more. Taking advantage of the moment when the golems clashed with the Cataclysm Knights, a group of cavalry without extraordinary abilities charged out. They carried explosives and attacked from the backs of the golems, their dark gray armor piercing through the chaos like falling spears.
Facing this pincer attack, the remaining golems could not react in time. They knocked down some Cataclysm Knights, then were overwhelmed by the approaching cavalry. Explosives were detonated with loud bangs, raising clouds of dust across the battlefield.
Amidst the yellow dust and the metallic creaking and twisting sounds, the towering golems fell one by one. Some of the mages…
The master attempted to escape from the hatch in mid-air, but was pierced by lances shot from the battlefield below, exploding into a shower of blood and dismembered limbs before scattering across the ground.
Previously powerful steel golem legions finally fell one by one; the battlefield no longer echoed with the metallic screeches and roars.
The surviving warriors, disregarding their wounds and pain, leaped off their steeds, stumbling to the sides of their fallen comrades, searching for any survivors who still had a breath left in them. A mournful howl echoed under the afterglow of the sunset.
The evening wind blew, carrying away the pungent smoke and dust, leaving behind a battlefield strewn with steel, blood, broken spears, and severed limbs.
Seg paused his horse, dismounted, and looked down at the deputy officer in the ravine. The lively face from that morning was now covered in dust, resting silently here.
He carefully wiped the dust from the officer’s face, trying to lift him and place him under a tree by the battlefield.
But suddenly, a disturbance came from the other end of the riverbank.
Facing the last rays of the sunset, tall figures of brass and reddish-brown gradually appeared on the horizon. The thick metal shells shimmered under the sunset, casting flickering glints of light.
They climbed over a hilltop, descending the slope, their lower halves shrouded in the dark shadows of night. The mechanical noises sent shivers of fear and terror through everyone, as if they were ancient mythical beasts.
The后续魔像军团 of Frost Rose Alliance, ‘Brass Horn’ and ‘Flame Spine’, entered the battlefield. By this time, Sword Pine City was already in ruins, its walls leaning outward with fallen bodies and craters, making it difficult to quickly regroup the troops.
As these golems approached, the earth trembled. They stopped advancing, standing still. On the shoulders of the brass golems, there were two cannon-like muzzles that began to gather magical energy, forming orange-yellow fireballs at the mouths.
These golems standing in the valley at dusk resembled small suns lighting up the darkness. The burning light of the fireballs illuminated the night, creating a stark contrast with the dark shadows behind the golems and the copper-colored metal reflecting the flames.
The intense heat scorched the air, causing the fireballs and golems to slightly distort and sway in the light.
Faced with such a situation, the eyes of the garrison inside Sword Pine City could see nothing but the rows of fiery fireballs slowly expanding and rising in their vision.
Until finally, the glow of fire filled every corner of their sight.
(The chapter ends.)