If nothing goes wrong, this feathered serpent should be one of the five in the demon army.
To prevent the dragon army from coordinating with the ground forces to break the blockade, these five feathered serpents would naturally be distributed evenly along the encirclement.
Even if they were pulled away from the main body of the army, they would certainly remain within a range that allowed them to return in time.
In other words...
At this moment, the eastern front of the demon army's encirclement was exactly where the feathered serpent was located.
And the demon encirclement necessarily encompassed the east, north, and west points.
The five feathered serpents, coordinating with the demon ground forces, formed a semi-circular encirclement to trap the human forces.
They were constantly shrinking the net.
By cross-referencing this with the map in her hand and the location of the evacuation point, Luo Li could roughly estimate her own position.
From there, she could deduce the positions of the other demon units.
Once she calculated the general location of the demon army, she knew the area they were surrounding was where the central command of the knight order was located.
The positions of the troops were basically confirmed.
Based on their marching pace, the central command was still about two hundred kilometers away from the evacuation point.
And judging by the distribution of the demon army, it was clear that they were intentionally pushing the human army toward that evacuation point.
That meant...
The place where the coalition wanted to evacuate was also the place where the Demon Emperor wanted to force them.
'Had the Demon Emperor anticipated my plan...?'
Luo Li's brow furrowed slightly.
But this was the only viable option.
Since the demon race had blocked the retreat through the strait, they would inevitably be able to deduce the location of the coalition's evacuation.
After all, this was the demon race's home turf, and their understanding of the terrain far exceeded hers.
They held two of the three factors for victory: the right time and the right place.
Aside from the human factor, she really didn't have much else to use against them.
Furthermore... at this stage of the war, there was no more room for clever schemes.
Indeed, the battle had reached a point where both sides had no choice but to clash head-on.
Neither the Demon Emperor nor she could pull any more tricks.
What she needed to do now was return to the evacuation point as quickly as possible to help the units capturing the high ground.
And what the demon race wanted to do was crush the central command at the evacuation point before she could return to them.
She glanced back at the griffin units still in pursuit.
Clearly, while the griffins' flight speed was comparable to the dragons, they couldn't overtake them and could only trail closely behind.
Luo Li's brow twitched as she suddenly turned to the dragon sisters beside her.
"I have a favor to ask of you two."
Aigie and Shalin looked at each other and nodded slightly.
"In a moment, I need you two to perform that same coordination as before to create a massive fog. However, this time I need it to be much larger—at least four times the size of the last one."
"That is no problem, but... why does the Saintess wish to do this?"
"Since the Demon Emperor is so unwilling to give up, let's play a little game with him."
A wicked smirk curled at the corner of Luo Li's mouth as she glanced back toward the demon army.
"Black, prepare to counter-charge the demon army. But don't go at full speed. Keep it at about two-thirds of your normal pace. Then, wait for my command. When I give the order, turn back immediately and retreat toward the sea."
"As you command."
The dark dragon's vertical pupils shifted slightly. For some reason, it seemed as if a wicked smirk was also forming on the dragon's snout.
It was remarkably similar to the Saintess's own smile.
...
"Your Majesty, the sea is just ahead. Once they are over the ocean, our army will not have enough combat power to support us. This..."
The speaker was a brawny, middle-aged man over three meters tall with sharp brows and fierce eyes.
Demon Marshal Bryce was a human... more accurately, a demonized human.
Moreover, he had been a high-ranking official of a human empire a thousand years ago.
"Bryce, there is a human Saintess among those dragons. Can you find a more suitable time than now? If we capture her..."
Before Asacreus could finish, Bryce suddenly interrupted.
"Demon Emperor, forgive my bluntness, but from the encounters between the coalition and our demon army so far, this Saintess of the Moon is no ordinary person. If we underestimate her, we will likely fall into a trap."
The Demon Emperor's brow tightened, and he snapped his head back, his handsome face suddenly turning quite ghoulish.
"Bryce!! Do not forget that you are merely a subordinate!"
However, facing the distorted expression of the Demon Emperor, Bryce remained composed.
"I am a subordinate, yes, but Your Majesty should not forget... I am an old servant who has followed the demon race since a thousand years ago."
"I cannot stop you, but I have the right to meet with that Great One at any time."
"Though he is in a deep slumber, if he were to learn that your reckless advance caused such heavy losses to the griffin army..."
"In the previous battle, in just a brief moment, you lost nearly a thousand griffins. That Great One once said that the griffin army must not be moved lightly and must wait for the day of his awakening."
The moment he heard the words 'that Great One,' Asacreus's face turned grim.
His previously distorted expression vanished instantly.
Bryce spoke slowly, but his sharp gaze never left the Demon Emperor.
"Have you considered how you will explain this to that Lord?"
Asacreus's face was dark, and he remained silent. It was clear he didn't want to retreat but had no way to refute Bryce.
Just as he was hesitating, a demon soldier in front suddenly pointed at the group of dragons in the sky.
"Your Majesty, look! They've turned back!!"
"What!?"
Asacreus was stunned and instinctively looked toward the sky.
At that moment, the dragon army of over two thousand had suddenly reversed their direction while he was preoccupied.
They were charging directly toward the griffin army.
"How does she dare?"
Asacreus muttered to himself, staring blankly at the rapidly approaching dragon army while sitting atop his griffin.
Beside him, Bryce was already filled with anxiety, shouting urgently.
"Your Majesty! We must retreat immediately! That Saintess is not so easy to deal with. Since she dares to turn back, she must have a plan!!"
"This..."
Asacreus hesitated again. After all, they were high in the air.
Looking across the vast plains below, where could there possibly be an ambush?
As he turned back to look at the dragons, Asacreus's pupils suddenly shrank!!
Right before his eyes, the massive red flame great dragon and the ice-blue dragon suddenly threw their heads back.
At the same time, a massive amount of elemental energy began to condense frantically.
In that instant, memories of the previous battle flashed through Asacreus's mind.
The griffin army was one of the demon race's trump cards. An army with flight capabilities was precious in any nation.
Naturally, these demonized griffins were extremely rare.
And the demon race rarely had mounts because it wasn't just intelligent beings that were demonized.
Non-intelligent creatures were also demonized and driven by primal instincts.
Therefore, while the number of demonized griffins was not small, the number that could actually be controlled was less than a tenth of the actual population.
This time, Asacreus had pulled out almost all of the demon race's hidden strength.
This included the two thousand griffins that had been defeated by Luo Li's dive from above when he was leading them previously.
Added to the five thousand griffins he brought this time, it was a total of seven thousand.
If the entire griffin army were wiped out here, then he... would likely have to go before that Lord.
He would have to take his own life to atone for the failure.
"Retreat! Quickly!!!"
Seeing the two dragons snap their jaws open, aiming a massive surge of elemental mana in his direction, Asacreus threw his pride away.
Pride was nothing compared to his life.
If he truly buried these five thousand griffins here, he would have to commit suicide upon his return.
Beside him, Bryce also shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Retreat!! Retreat now!!"
In an instant, the griffin army didn't even dare to linger. They turned as one and flew back the way they came as fast as the wind.
At the same time, just a short distance in front of the griffin army, two dragon breaths collided violently.
BOOM!
A massive cloud of steam and mist expanded, obscuring all vision in the blink of an eye.
Asacreus didn't dare stop for a second, leading the griffin army in a frantic escape from the area engulfed by the mist.
The thick fog rolled and surged outward, hanging in the sky for a long time.
Asacreus, who was looking back while fleeing, suddenly felt that something was wrong.
"She... why didn't she pursue us?"
Reasonably speaking, after creating this fog, shouldn't that Saintess have led the dragon and beastmen forces to chase them down?
But why... did that massive cloud of mist look so peaceful now?
While he was doubting himself, a light breeze blew through the sky, ruffling the hair at his temples.
It also began to disperse the fog.
Asacreus narrowed his eyes, staring intensely at the slowly thinning mist.
In the haze... he seemed to see the dragon army gradually moving further away behind the fog.
'I've been played!!'
Those three words flashed through his mind.
"Stop! Stop now!!"
Asacreus roared, pulling hard on his reins. The griffin beneath him let out a cry of pain and suddenly banked around.
Demon Marshal Bryce also couldn't help but look back.
The other demon soldiers all turned their heads to look toward the distant horizon.
With Asacreus's powerful vision, he saw the scene clearly.
The young girl in the snow-white Saintess's robe, standing atop the black dragon's head, was pulling down her lower eyelid with her finger and sticking out her tongue.
She was playfully... making a face at him.
In that moment, Asacreus understood the meaning of having one's blood boil until steam practically poured from one's ears.
However, it was already too late for him to give chase.
The distance between the two sides had only been a matter of minutes.
But now, in the time spent stopping, fleeing, and turning back, the dragon army had already escaped far into the distance.
Moreover, they were already nearing the sea. Chasing them further would be a waste of time. It was impossible to catch the Saintess now.
For the first time in his life, Asacreus spat out a stream of curses.
"You little b*tch! If you have the guts, stop using tricks! Fight me head-on! Head-on!!"
...
Though she didn't know exactly what the Demon Emperor was shouting, Luo Li could guess it wasn't anything polite.
Luo Li retracted her tongue, her mood feeling a bit complicated.
She was happy because she had played the Demon Emperor and successfully escaped the demon griffin army.
But she was frustrated because it seemed she was truly being influenced by this body and the consciousness of its original owner.
That expression of sticking out her tongue was clearly something only a young girl would do!
No matter how she looked at it... it didn't fit the style of an old veteran who had spent his life behind a computer screen.
It was over. She was completely feminized now.
Was she becoming a total girl?
Turning back with a heart full of conflicting emotions, she saw looks of admiration in the eyes of the dragon sisters.
Beside them, Ricardo, the Beast Sovereign sitting atop a skysoar dragon, even gave her two thumbs up.
"It had to be you. You're wicked enough! I like it."
"You're the wicked one! Your whole family is wicked!!"
Seeing Luo Li suddenly get angry, Ricardo was completely bewildered, like a monk at a loss.
He looked toward the sisters with a blank expression.
The dragon sisters could only shake their heads, indicating... we don't know why this Saintess is acting crazy either.
Under Luo Li's little maneuver, the dragon army successfully escaped the pursuit from behind.
At the same time, they had already crossed the coastline and were officially flying over the ocean.
Beneath her feet was the massive dragon head, and below that was the boundless sea.
Her mood... became peaceful and ripple-free, much like the vast ocean before her.
She closed her eyes and spread her arms.
Feeling the slightly salty sea breeze blowing against her face, Luo Li felt for the first time in her life that this life hadn't been in vain.
If she could live such a leisurely life every day, looking at the sea or flying through the sky whenever she wanted, how wonderful would that be?
'I really want to go fishing...'
'I wonder if there are parasites in this world?'
'If not... wouldn't that mean I could eat sashimi whenever I want?'
Emmm... it seemed her current efforts weren't enough!
No matter what, she had to live a useless retirement life of raising fish, teasing birds, and walking dogs within her lifetime!
For that goal, she had to keep working hard!
Until success... or death.
Refocusing her mind, Luo Li let out a long breath. When she opened her eyes, a hint of sharpness flickered within them.
"Black, turn right and head west. Fly straight for two hundred kilometers, then head north to find the evacuation point."
"As you command."
Black Dehn responded.
His massive wings tilted, and as the wind direction shifted, they flew directly toward the west.
The journey was tedious, and Luo Li could only stand atop Black's head, gazing at the endless ocean before her.
She looked at the coastline of the continent where the sky met the earth in the distance.
Although she wanted to return immediately, if she couldn't bring the knights back, her trip would have been for nothing.
"Saintess, the evacuation point is in sight."
The vision of the dragon race was countless times stronger than that of humans.
While Luo Li could only barely make out the coastline, it was difficult for her to distinguish where the evacuation point was.
But the dark dragon had discovered the location of the ramp in an instant.
A black dragon claw pointed straight down.
Following the direction Black was pointing, under the hot and blinding afternoon sun, a small ramp appeared in Luo Li's vision at the boundary of land and sea.
It looked small, but it was actually at least two or three kilometers long.
At both ends of the ramp were two protruding cliffs, and on those cliffs, it was clear... that the demon army was already swarming.
The battle had already begun!
Rate on N.U.
