Battle! (1)

Swoosh!

The lance was enveloped in battle qi that burned like raging flames. It tore through every obstacle in its path, hurtling forward through the curtain of rain like a runaway bulldozer.

Iron Bull's pupils dilated instantly.

The howling wind and the patter of the rain seemed to freeze in this very moment.

He could even clearly see the razor-sharp teeth inside the frost wolf's gaping, bloody maw, bits of shredded flesh still clinging to them.

If he were hit, his fate would likely be no different from that of the flesh's former owner.

Snapping to his senses, alarm bells blared in Iron Bull's mind as his instincts screamed at him to run.

To flee this place, to escape this zone of death.

He wasn't completely cornered yet. The rider was still less than ten meters away. If he dodged quickly enough, he might just survive.

But just as Iron Bull was about to bolt, he suddenly froze.

The tide of battle had already shifted in the enemy's favor. If they didn't deal with these wolf riders, they would all eventually be run through and killed one by one.

Defeat would be inevitable.

If they lost this war, what would happen to his family? What would happen to his tribe?

At the same time, the image of those Black Knights standing fearlessly at the very front line flashed unbidden in his mind.

Iron Bull tightened his grip on his tower shield. His gaze locked onto the charging rider.

He took a deep breath.

Letting go of his battleaxe, he gripped the tower shield with both hands and shifted his center of gravity forward.

He let out a battle cry:

“Come at me, you human bastards!”

This simple-minded minotaur actually intended to use his tower shield to stop the charging wolf rider!

In his mind, as long as he could slow the rider down, the others would have a chance to swarm him, giving them a shot at victory.

As his axe clattered to the ground, the frost wolf arrived.

The wolf rider seemed utterly disdainful of the minotaur's defensive stance. He dug his heels into the wolf's flanks, spurring it to move even faster.

He clearly intended to run right through this overconfident minotaur and his seemingly thin shield in one clean thrust!

This was no mere delusion; it was the absolute confidence of a noble knight in his own martial prowess!

But just as the tip of the lance was about to collide with the tower shield, a figure suddenly lunged from the side, diving toward Iron Bull.

Focused entirely on defending his front, Iron Bull was caught completely off guard. He caught a fleeting glimpse of a sheep's horn in his peripheral vision before losing his balance and being tackled to the ground.

The moment he fell, a raspy, androgynous roar erupted from behind him:

“Bloodline Frenzy!!! Activate!!!”

A gnoll with bulging muscles and bloodshot eyes charged forward. Gripping a spear with both hands, she roared as she thrust it straight toward the frost wolf's chest.

Caught completely off guard by this sudden turn of events, neither the frost wolf nor its rider could react in time. With Iron Bull no longer in their path, the lance thrust struck empty air, scraping past the gnoll's waist.

Even so, the boiling battle qi enveloping the lance acted like a bone-shaving knife, tearing away a large chunk of flesh from the gnoll's waist.

However, driven by the immense momentum of their head-on collision, the gnoll's spear let out a sharp squelch as it instantly pierced the frost wolf's needle-like chest fur, burying itself deep within its flesh!

“Awoooo!!!”

Howling in agony, the frost wolf lost its footing. It tripped over Iron Bull and the other figure on the ground, crashing heavily into the gnoll, who had no time to dodge.

With a sickening crash, the impact bent the gnoll's body into a C-shape, like a cooked shrimp.

Her slit pupils dilated into perfect circles as she uncontrollably hacked up a massive mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of her internal organs.

Carried by the residual momentum, she and the frost wolf slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a spray of wet sand and rainwater.

The rider was thrown from his mount as well, but he rolled along the ground and quickly sprang to his feet. Decisively discarding his lance, which was useless in close-quarters combat, he drew the flail from his waist and began swinging it at anyone nearby.

As a wolf rider, he was an elite of the Duchy of Reny. The rigorous training and education he had received since childhood allowed him to remain calm even in such a sudden crisis. He adjusted his stance instantly, transitioning seamlessly from a cavalryman to an infantryman.

Enveloped in battle qi, his flail whipped through the air with a ferocious whistle, each swing carrying a powerful, bone-shattering force.

In comparison, the ordinary beastkin and half-beastkin surrounding him were no match at all.

Watching the human knight tear through the crowd like a literal war god, Iron Bull, who had just scrambled to his feet, was still somewhat dazed.

He looked to his side at the sheepkin who had rolled off him.

It was One-Horn. The guy had suddenly jumped out to tackle him, and in doing so, his body had inadvertently tripped the frost wolf. However, the sheer force of the impact had taken its toll on him. Suffering unknown injuries, he had already blacked out.

He then looked further away. Muge the gnoll was clutching her bleeding waist, gritting her teeth as she struggled to stand.

But every time she exerted herself, blood would seep from the corners of her mouth.

Even so, her fierce gaze remained locked onto the human knight, clearly determined to get back up and stop him.

“You two idiots...”

Iron Bull muttered under his breath.

Even with his slow-witted brain, he finally realized what had happened. Those two had been the ones shouting at him to get out of the way. When they saw him freeze, they had risked their lives to save him.

For a moment, Iron Bull felt his eyes grow hot, a strange, unfamiliar emotion welling up in his chest.

They had only known each other for a short time and weren't even close, yet these two had risked their lives for him.

Squeezing his eyes shut, the mighty bull did everything he could to hold back his tears. When he opened them again, his eyes were bloodshot, and an unprecedented surge of power coursed through his entire body.

Any trace of fear vanished instantly.

The stubborn minotaur stood tall. He snatched his fallen battleaxe and slammed it hard against the tower shield he had held onto all this time, roaring at the human knight wreaking havoc nearby:

“You cowardly human bastard! Fight me if you have the guts!”