Boom!
Incisor had never let him down. Even in such a critical moment, the horse poured every ounce of its strength into a final effort, halting their downward fall with a desperate lunge. Then, its hind legs kicked out with a powerful thrust!
Crash!
Despite its severed legs and the impossibility of running, the white horse leaped high into the air, letting out a piercing neigh!
But this opening was exactly what the next demon needed.
A jagged blade sliced through the air from above, carving a long, deep gash across the horse's exposed belly.
Blood spilled onto the ground like a deluge from a shattered basin.
With it came the horse's entrails, spilling out from the cavity.
"Old partner!!!"
Benson roared in fury. Gripping his lance in his right hand, he drew the longsword from his waist with his left. Using the momentum of the fall, he drove the blade straight into the demon's skull, burying it up to the hilt.
Neigh! Neigh!!
Two cries of agonizing pain echoed through the air. Benson knew the horse's wound was fatal; in that moment, he braced himself to be thrown from the saddle.
Yet, in the next instant, the downward plunge suddenly halted. A surge of force pushed him upward, causing him to open his eyes instinctively.
He watched in shock as the white horse, despite its mortal injury, breathed heavily and sprayed crimson foam from its mouth.
The stumps of its legs were now caked in mud, blood mixing with the gravel as it forced itself to stand.
"No! Old partner! Stop! Don't run anymore!!"
Neigh! Neigh!
The white horse beneath him seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Refusing to stop, it used its mangled body to continue pushing forward with a frantic, desperate drive.
But with its legs severed, the horse's speed dropped significantly with every stride.
The long trail of blood left behind on the earth was a harrowing sight.
This uneven gait naturally gave other demons an opportunity.
A blade swung from an unseen angle, taking advantage of the horse's falter to slash diagonally across Benson's silver armor.
Clang!
The sharp edge easily bit through the silver plate. Benson felt a cold sensation bloom across his chest. Years of training took over, and he reflexively delivered a backhand strike with his sword.
Slash!
The long blade swept across the demon's neck, sending its head flying into the air as blood erupted like a geyser.
A warm current flowed from his chest down to his stomach. Benson knew he was wounded, but in this moment, his injuries were trivial.
The blood that had been dormant in his heart for so long was ignited by the pain. With bloodshot eyes, Benson fought like a man possessed, frantically hacking at every demon surrounding him.
His lance skewered demon bodies while his sword claimed their throats.
He lost count of how many he had slain until, suddenly, the seat beneath him vanished. After a dizzying tumble, he realized he had fallen to the ground.
Lying beside him was the white horse, its eyes already devoid of light. Its mouth was filled with bloody foam, and its breath had ceased.
"Old partner... you worked hard."
He scrambled up from the ground, discarded his lance, and flexed his stiff wrists before raising his greatsword.
Around him, countless demons were already closing in, their blades honed and ready.
Knowing he had fallen deep into the enemy ranks and that survival was impossible, Benson let out the most magnificent roar of his life, embracing his inevitable death.
"Come on!!!"
Boom!
A dozen blades struck simultaneously. Benson had no room to dodge; on this crowded battlefield, there wasn't an inch of space to maneuver.
He took the brunt of the strikes, shifting his body to protect his vitals, then delivered a backhand swing that severed a demon's head.
"Hahaha! Magnificent! Again!! Urgh!"
As he prepared to strike again, a blade pierced through his back and out his chest, hoisting him into the air on this lawless battlefield.
Spurt!
Blood sprayed from his mouth onto the dirt. Trembling, Benson gripped the blade protruding from his chest with one hand and let out a final, strained roar.
"Argh!!"
With a sharp snap, he broke the long blade inside his own body. Turning around, he decapitated the shameless attacker with a single sweep of his sword.
But while he survived that strike, he could not survive the next.
A dozen more blades bit deep into his flesh.
Two thousand knights against twenty thousand demon elites—the sheer disparity in numbers made such scenes common across the field.
Benson's consciousness began to blur, and his vision faded into darkness. His body could no longer support his will, and he collapsed onto the ground.
'I'm sorry, Ruth... I might not make it back. Children, take good care of your mother.'
With the last of his strength, he pulled a blood-stained magic photograph from his tunic.
On it, a family of seven sat in a courtyard, smiling brightly. In his haze, the smiles of his wife and children appeared before him.
'Your Highness... I, Benson... have fulfilled my duty. I have remained loyal.'
In the next second, the world of this nameless knight went dark.
The sounds of slaughter on the battlefield no longer concerned him.
However, the battle would not end with the death of one man.
In just a single charge, over two hundred of the two thousand knights had fallen.
Hundreds more were nursing wounds of varying severity.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
The sound of her own heavy breathing filled her ears. Unlike the first charge where she held every advantage and anticipated every move, this was different.
Two equally matched torrents had collided, and the gruesome imagery of the clash remained etched in her mind.
The sounds of killing, clashing steel, neighing horses, and the roars of soldiers converged into a persistent ringing in her ears.
Her thin rapier was stained with blood at some point, a mark left from finishing off a demon behind one of her knights.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!!"
Hilda's call suddenly reached her. She snapped back to reality and turned to her side.
Hilda's silver armor was drenched in black blood, and her lance was coated in shredded flesh and gore.
"Hilda, why aren't you charging at the very front?"
From the beginning, she had never asked for their protection!
Though she was confident, she was also taking a massive risk.
The gap in manpower was too large!
Twenty thousand demon elites against her two thousand cavalry; even with the advantage of a coordinated formation, the sheer weight of numbers was taking a toll.
In a group, the knights were stronger than the demons, and their superior discipline allowed them to sweep across the field.
But quantity was overwhelming quality.
Just now, if Hilda hadn't been by her side, a demon's sneak attack would have likely claimed her head.
However, this was not what she wanted!
As a Guardian Knight and the pinnacle of strength among the two thousand, how could Hilda justify staying by her side?
If she had been leading the way at the front, the casualties in the unit would have been far lower!
"Your Highness, please forgive me, but I cannot obey that order."
Hilda understood the Saintess's thoughts perfectly, but she could not abandon her duty to protect her. If anything happened to the Saintess while she was leading a charge elsewhere, she would regret it for the rest of her life!
At this moment, even if it meant defying a direct command, she would not leave!
"I understand. In that case, Hilda... keep up with me!"
"Your Highness...?"
Hilda was stunned. Before she could react, the Saintess—who always acted unexpectedly—spurred her horse and charged straight into the fray!
"Not good! Protect Her Highness!"
Hilda was both angry and anxious, but in the heat of battle, she couldn't stop her. She could only gallop after her, leading the knights in the wake of the Saintess's white horse.
Nearby, Cain witnessed this as well.
His eyes widened in sheer horror!
He couldn't fathom how the Saintess, with her low combat strength, had broken through the knights' protection to appear on the front line!
In that moment, he felt an urge to punch Hilda in the face!
But that would have to wait.
"Protect Her Highness!!"
Without hesitation, Cain turned his horse and led his cavalry unit toward the Saintess.
On the Saintess's side, the thousand knights led by Hilda followed closely behind that white figure.
"Knights! Charge with me! I shall stand with you until the end! Kill!!"
The battlefield possessed a strange magic that drove one to madness.
Even though she knew her safety was paramount, she couldn't care about that anymore!
"Kill—!"
Countless knights felt a surge of inspiration when they saw the white figure leading them. Their eyes burned with an astonishing light.
Their roars shook the heavens and the earth!
Meanwhile, within the demon army that had redeployed into a swallow formation, Leo watched the white figure emerging at the head of the human cavalry.
A cruel smile played across his lips.
"I didn't think you'd dare to step out on your own... Brothers, that is the human Saintess! Follow me and kill her!"
"Kill—!"
The two torrents converged once again!
"Battle formation skill—Roar!"
"Battle formation skill—Charge!"
The demon elite corps and the knight regiment activated their skills simultaneously!
Roar!
With a thunderous shout, the speed of the knights' charge dropped abruptly. Seeing this, Luo Li's brow furrowed as she looked back at Hilda.
"Hilda, get ready!"
"Your Highness?!" Hilda gasped, but before she could say another word, she heard the familiar chant.
"O sleeping hero... in the name of Luo Li Saint Sariel, I beseech you to awaken from your eternal slumber and bring forth the light for us!"
Instantly, Hilda's mind felt as if it had exploded. A golden light, accompanied by a voice echoing in her ears, invaded her consciousness.
'Knight Hilda, I am aware of the situation. Leave this to me for now... I will be counting on you later.'
The gentle, slightly unfamiliar voice in her mind told Hilda that her Saintess's skill had succeeded once again.
In the next second, her vision went dark.
Simultaneously, the Hilda sitting atop the horse snapped her eyes open.
"Sacred Knight Julius Wallis, responding to the Saintess's summons, comes to assist!"
Hilda, now radiating a brilliant golden light, raised her lance high and screamed!
"Holy Charge!!!"
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