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"Expel the demons! Protect our land!"
"Roar—!"
The golden torrent surged with all its might! It was the knights, riding their lions, shouting at the top of their lungs. They used war songs to boost their morale, giving themselves the courage to tighten their grip on their spears and swords—until the final moment!
"Kill!"
"Roar!"
The Lion Knights and the demon army collided with a thunderous crash! There were no techniques, no tactics. There was only the most primitive hacking and slashing between raw flesh and blood.
Vast, endless waves of monsters surged past the knights from the distant horizon. They felt deep within themselves how small their golden torrent truly was in the face of this black tide.
But even so! At this moment, they knew: they were still the golden hope for everyone inside the Imperial Capital! No matter how much despair they felt, they would fight until the very last breath!
"Another group of foolish humans."
Linie gently caressed the demon sword gifted to her by Yulian. Expressionless, she looked at the Lion Knights locked in battle with the monster army and spoke coldly.
"Rivale, it's time to work."
Schlacht nodded slightly. Having responded to Linie's words, he flicked his robes and looked up at the Bloody God of War, Rivale, who was sitting calmly atop a bone dragon, watching the battlefield between humans and demons.
"Boring."
Rivale did not want to move. He glanced casually at the various demons—large and small—guarding the center of the Demon King's army.
"I'll leave it to you all..." he said softly.
Countless demon generals and demon mages, all clad in black robes, turned to look at Schlacht upon hearing Rivale's instructions. Then, after receiving a nod from Schlacht, this terrifying force erupted from the sky and the ground like shooting stars!
They charged straight toward the end of the forest, aiming to slaughter the Lion Knights who were holding back the demon army!
"I'm going too..." Linie said.
Without waiting for a response from Schlacht or Rivale, the young girl's figure blurred into an afterimage, and she charged out without hesitation!
It was at this moment, as the space around Schlacht emptied, that Rivale leapt down from the sky. He crashed heavily onto the ground beside Schlacht. His eyes were cold and sharp. At some unknown point, he had summoned blades emitting a chilling light from his wrists.
The strongest warrior of the demons! His greatest weapons were never giant swords or heavy axes; they were the pale silver blades attached to his wrists, capable of slicing through the very air itself!
"You should probably tell me where you got this power, Schlacht."
"Roar!"
The monster army, having met resistance, began to let out mournful cries. Like snow meeting the brilliance of the scorching sun, these resurrected monsters were simply no match for the elite Lion Knights. They were annihilated the moment they clashed!
Seeing this, the Lion Knights—who had originally prepared to die—felt a surge of wild joy and began to hack and slash even more frantically!
Until the figures in black robes descended.
"Retreat! Fast!" Denken cried out!
He no longer cared about supporting the knights on the ground. Roaring, he led the Court Mages in a frantic escape toward the rear at top speed.
The very next second after Denken issued the retreat order, the reapers in black robes... arrived!
Countless uniform black beams of light violently pierced through the knights' armor—armor that was said to withstand ordinary magic attacks. The knights, who had been fighting with all their might just a second ago, were slaughtered.
Swords, axes, and hammers were thrown from within the demon army, knocking the knights off their lions only to be brutally finished by the monsters.
"No! Greylark!"
Regwalt's eyes bulged as he watched his personal adjutant die at the hands of a pink-haired demon girl! He let out a roar, driving his Lion King to charge straight at Linie!
"That's..."
Stark was not far from Regwalt. Seeing the commander charge like a Lunatic into the encirclement toward that peculiar demon, Stark immediately wanted to stop him. That demon gave him a very dangerous vibe!
"Boring."
Linie pulled the demon sword from a lion's neck. She gently wiped the blood from the blade and stood elegantly in place. She watched the charging Regwalt with complete stillness, offering no reaction.
"Die, demon!" Regwalt's eyes were bloodshot. He was about to swing his killing blow!
Unfortunately, he didn't even get the chance. In the next second, countless beams of light pierced his body and the body of the lion beneath him. Splattered blood flew through the air.
Regwalt stared at the black-robed figures in the sky with utter disbelief. And just like that, his magnificent life came to an abrupt end...
Joined the army at twelve... Participated in quelling rebellions at fifteen... Honored as a General at seventeen... Led troops to guard a territory at nineteen... Suppressed various nations at twenty... And at thirty...
"Regwalt!"
Stark couldn't help but scream out at the sight! The Imperial General who had led the charge and taken such good care of him—was he dead just like that?!
"Right, there's one more."
Of the three strongest individuals in the Lion Knights, one was left. Linie raised her eyes toward Stark. The demon sword in her hand seemed to sense its master's intent, autonomously shifting into a weapon similar to Stark's heavy axe.
"You... don't come over here!"
The golden figures around him had mostly fallen. Stark stood alone amidst the dark, oppressive demon army. Watching Linie, who radiated murderous intent, he tremblingly raised his axe.
However... he had no will to fight.
The fires of war... death... blood...
As night fell, everything seemed to return to that night when his village was slaughtered by demons! He still couldn't do anything... He could only watch helplessly as it all happened...
Coward... Weakling... Disgrace!
Abusive voices from an unknown place suddenly reached his ears. Stark couldn't help but let his axe fall to the ground. Instead, he began to claw at his own head.
"I'm not!!! I'm not a coward!!! I'm not afraid to die!!! I'm not a disgrace!!! Please... stop shouting..."
Stark wept, large tears hitting the ground.
It was then that gentle voices broke through the abuse and entered Stark's ears.
"Stark, don't worry. Sooner or later, you will become the strongest warrior among us. Until that day comes, you must live well for our sake..."
"Mr. Stark, I don't think you would run away. I believe that when danger comes, Mr. Stark will bravely stand in front of me to protect me..."
"Stark, do your best!"
...
"If I'm being serious, Stark, you are the strongest warrior I have ever seen."
...
"I haven't... lost yet!"
Stark picked up the axe that had fallen because of his fear! In the next second, a pillar of light shot into the night sky! It actually blocked the path of the hundreds of thousands of demons!
With the strength of one man, he cut off the path of ten thousand armies!
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