On one side stood soldiers who could not afford defeat, with no path of retreat. On the other, soldiers longing for the war to end so they could return home.
Their expressions were identical—the same wild look in their eyes. Amid the maddened shouts, neither side gave ground. In every heart, only one thought remained: kill the enemy, kill the foe swinging weapons at you, step over their corpse, and keep moving. To stop was death; to advance was slaughter.
Lucille Xing's spear struck down enemy after enemy, but the situation was grim. The enemy had deployed cavalry equal in number to theirs. Screams erupted nearby—Yuna Grant and the generals were under attack. Lucille Xing, whether intentionally or not, maneuvered away from Yuna Grant and her group.
Lucille Xing knew in her heart that if she fell, the soldiers' morale would collapse. She would never let that happen.
Gradually, Yuna Grant and Lucille Xing were nearly surrounded. The cavalry and infantry coordinated perfectly—this was the true strength of the Wynn Domain's frontline troops, survivors of countless wars.
"Yuna Grant rushed too far ahead. We're surrounded!"
Lucille Xing shouted, her warhorse already slashed and bleeding, unable to last much longer. Dodging an enemy attack, she thrust her twin swords into foes on both sides without hesitation.
Suddenly, a shrill neigh. Lucille Xing's horse collapsed to the ground. She leaned forward, dodging the enemy's strike, then rolled away as she hit the ground.
A volley of arrows flew with deadly precision, giving her a brief respite from death.
"Yuna Grant!"
Lucille Xing swung her swords, carving a bloody path as she charged toward Yuna Grant. Yuna Grant was now completely surrounded by enemies.
With a thunderous roar, Leonard Lei brandished his twin axes and rushed toward Yuna Grant. Their side was suffering even heavier casualties. Yu Huang had no choice but to follow, surprised by the sheer strength of the Wynn Domain's troops in head-on combat—especially those black-furred cavalry, whose ferocity far outmatched their own.
"Now!"
Joseph Qiao shouted. Sebastian Zhao charged ahead of everyone else, while the enemy behind began to rotate forward. Those whose weapons had broken started to retreat to the flanks in an orderly fashion.
This was the crucial difference. Joseph Qiao knew his own troops could not match the Wynn Domain's seamless coordination in the chaos of battle. Soldiers whose weapons broke lost much of their fighting ability, and only those with cavalry or still-armed comrades could hope to survive.
Joseph Qiao's target was clear: those retreating soldiers trying to fetch new weapons to keep fighting, and the reserve units in the rear supplying them.
With a ripping sound, Sebastian Zhao's horse was suddenly riddled with wounds. In a heartbeat, he leapt up, landing on an enemy's shoulder, then used the momentum to drop to the ground, plunging his dagger into two enemy soldiers' bellies.
Amid the enemy's panic, Sebastian Zhao darted through their ranks, his dagger slitting throats as he searched for the enemy cavalry.
Spotting a general on horseback nearby, shouting orders, Sebastian Zhao rushed toward him. Behind him, his own cavalry had already clashed with the enemy.
With a sharp slash, Sebastian Zhao grabbed an enemy, sliced his throat with his dagger, then used the corpse to block a spear thrust from the left. Letting the body fall, he sprang up, landing on a horse's back, and in that instant, drove his dagger into the enemy general's neck. Seizing the fallen general's spear, he swept it in a wide arc, fending off weapons, then lashed his mount and charged forward at a gallop.
The momentum surged. Bella Liang, leading her generals and soldiers, had already cut into the enemy infantry ranks, pushing past the center of the plains. As she had expected, the enemy simply could not withstand them on the open battlefield.
Battle-hardened veterans and fresh recruits were worlds apart. Though enemy forces had broken through from the south, the terrain was limiting. Even their cavalry, faced with masses of infantry, would eventually collapse given enough time.
This time, the Wynn Domain had sent its most elite troops. They were not cowed by previous ambushes or the carnage that followed; instead, their anger toward the enemy only intensified.
"No one moves!"
Xie Nan roared, and the surrounding generals and soldiers exchanged wary glances. Jiang Tianci was already seething with rage.
"Are you going to defy King Jiang's orders?"
As Xie Nan spoke, Jiang Tianci pressed the tip of his spear against Xie Nan's throat. Yuna Grant's situation was dire—the Jiang forces were beginning to fall apart.
"If you dare, Jiang Tianci, strike now. If I die, you..."
A crimson line of blood trickled down Xie Nan's neck—the spear's tip had pierced his flesh.
"This isn't about orders. I refuse to stand by and watch a woman die on the battlefield."
A chorus of horses screamed as Jiang Tianci charged forward, his cavalry surging after him in a violent rush.
The enemy was ready, ranks of soldiers bristling with spears. But there was no fear in Jiang Tianci's eyes as he advanced. He had studied this tactic with his generals—speed was the key to minimizing casualties from cavalry charges.
Gradually, Jiang Tianci slowed his horse, and the generals and cavalry behind him followed suit.
At the critical moment, Jiang Tianci thrust his spear forward, knocking aside enemy spears with the force of his charge. Then, with a flick of his whip, his horse accelerated, plunging into enemy lines. Through the chaos, he saw Yuna Grant still locked in brutal combat.
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It was as if a voice whispered to him—Yuna Grant needed him. Closer and closer, Jiang Tianci stabbed passing enemies with swift, precise strikes, his spear plunging in and out, sweeping and thrusting with relentless efficiency.
The enemy was cunning. They had split their cavalry and infantry to completely pin down Yuna Grant and her group.
"Something's wrong, Yuna Grant."
Lucille Xing called out. Only Leonard Lei, Mao Tian, and Yuna Grant remained nearby—they were entirely surrounded. Enemies pressed in from all sides. Though some friendly troops lingered not far behind, they too were encircled, and enemy forces had already cut into their rear.
"Keep them surrounded. Don't stop until they're dead."
Lian Huo roared from the sidelines, his gaze snapping to a woman not far away—protected by soldiers, she unleashed volley after volley of arrows in their direction. He had narrowly escaped death from her arrows more than once.
With a sharp whistle, an arrow shot past—a cavalryman trying to charge ahead was struck down, falling from his horse. Lian Huo quickly dismounted, weaving through the soldiers to put distance between himself and Long Nu. Mounting a riderless horse, he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and took aim at the four besieged but still deadly fighters.
Fear began to creep in. Yuna Grant, spear raised, charged relentlessly, each strike dropping an enemy soldier. Leonard Lei stayed close, deflecting attacks aimed at her.
Another arrow whistled through the air. Leonard Lei, quick as lightning, swung his axe behind Yuna Grant—clang! The arrow struck the blade and fell harmlessly. All around, enemy cavalry readied their bows to unleash a deadly barrage.
Yuna Grant, already drenched in blood, was still smiling. Her face radiated a chilling, unrivaled killing intent as she stabbed every enemy in sight, heedless of danger, charging forward in a frenzy.
Lucille Xing and Mao Tian struggled desperately at her side, fending off enemies. Mao Tian could barely lift his arm—his consciousness was stretched to its limit.
"Stay sharp. There's no way out—follow me!"
Yuna Grant shouted. Lucille Xing's twin swords flashed, deflecting attacks as arrows rained down, but they broke through the enemy lines.
"What do we do, sis? Big brother and the others are surrounded up front."
Mao Xing recoiled his rope, expertly pulling enemy cavalry from their mounts. Once on the ground, the fallen riders were quickly killed by his soldiers, but now enemy infantry surged forward in endless waves.
Joseph Qiao's cavalry met fierce resistance at the edge of the battlefield. The enemy formed a wall, blocking any escape. Cavalrymen were encircled and slain, falling from their horses. Sebastian Zhao was forced to retreat.
"What's wrong, Joseph Qiao? Is this all you've got? Ha!"
Gu Niu laughed, brandishing his spear as he led a cavalry charge. With a clang, Joseph Qiao parried Gu Niu's spear with his sword.
The situation grew dire. Joseph Qiao was frantic—no matter how he planned, the enemy's strength was overwhelming.
Yet in Joseph Qiao's eyes, a glimmer of hope appeared. On the northern battlefield, more Jiang Domain cavalry had arrived and were cutting into enemy lines.
"Jiang Domain troops?"
Lian Huo stared in shock as a general with flowing silver hair—already stained with blood—charged from the distance, spear dancing with deadly grace. Every cavalryman who tried to block him was struck down.
"Out of my way."
Clang! Lian Huo blocked Jiang Tianci's spear, feeling an overwhelming, crushing force. The man before him was like a frenzied beast.