The warriors of the Kingdom of Merch were collapsing.
The miasma crawled across the battlefield. Men coughed and some laughed at nothing, while others swung at shadows. Eyes darted wildly. Every breath drew panic. Every step faltered. Their lines crumbled under demon assault.
Lord Scallab Caelrith, uncle of Prince Eloween, shouted commands. His voice cut through the chaos, but even he felt the weight pressing down. "Hold the line! Do not falter!"
Demons tore through the human ranks. Claws slashed armor. Screams filled the air. Soldiers fell. Blood soaked the ground. Every defensive strike failed. Merch's knights were overwhelmed.
Then a low growl echoed from the east.
Scallab's hand tightened on his sword. The sound carried over the battlefield. Wolves responded. One howl became a hundred. Earth trembled beneath their paws. The waves rolled outward, shaking both human and demon lines.
Soldiers of Merch stumbled. Many dropped to their knees. Fear and awe froze them.
"The… the Red Flags?" Scallab muttered. Recognition turned fear into hope. "It must be! Stand firm! Show no weakness! Prince Eloween's allies have arrived!"
Above the battlefield, Vax circled. Black feathers shimmered in red light. Its dark crimson eyes scanned the chaos. Daniel saw everything through vision sync.
A voice, clear and lean, cut through the field.
"Leave no evil alive!"
Arrielle Vane appeared at the head of the charge. Blindfolded. Long curved sword on her back. Grey wolf, Nyx, moved with precision under her command. Her presence radiated power.
Maria, the Whip of Death, followed closely. Lightning danced along her whip. Energy pulsed outward. The soldiers froze, unsure whether to cheer or pray.
Ninety-nine wolves surged forward. Riders followed, coordinated perfectly. They struck like a tidal wave. Demons reeled. Flesh tore. Limbs were severed. The battlefield filled with chaos, but now the chaos favored the humans.
Arrielle raised Orachimaru. The sword flared blood-red. She swung. A crescent blade tore through twenty demons in a single strike. The technique consumed three-quarters of her energy. The ground burned where the blade passed.
Daniel chuckled through Vax. "Too strong for your own good," he murmured.
The Red Flags moved as one. Knights shielded each other. Injuries did not stop them. Frank held his intestines in one hand while stabbing with the other. A fellow Red Flags knight slammed him with the butt of a spear, knocking him unconscious. Five outer circle knights lifted his body away. The battlefield did not pause for pity.
Demons faltered. Thousands had advanced. Half now lay in pieces. The Red Flags were not naturally stronger. Most had no core. But training, meditation in manna-rich Mother Domain, and discipline made them deadly. Only Daniel, Maria, Arren, the Mwazi brothers, Isseren, Arrielle, and the battalion leaders had cores. They fought with precision against stronger opponents.
Arrielle's wolf leapt into the demon ranks. She swung her sword, cutting through armor and flesh like molten steel. Maria followed, whip cracking. Five lightning strikes per demon left bodies charred and twisted.
The Kingdom of Merch's soldiers stared. Eyes wide. Mouths open. Their princess had returned. Their role model had come with allies of terrifying power. Cheers erupted.
Scallab's voice roared. "Press forward! Protect the princess! Fight with honor!"
The demons attempted retreat. Their commander ordered them into the forest.
Arrielle and Maria blocked the path. Energy flowed from them, visible and palpable. It warped the air. Demons froze in place, uncertainty replacing fear.
Arrielle shifted stance. Orachimaru glowed red. She swung. A crescent slash cut a five-meter-wide path. Twenty more demons fell. The energy drained her. Sweat rolled down her back. Her wolf, Nyx, moved instinctively to support.
Daniel watched through Vax. His eyes were sharp. He saw every nuance. "She's a monster," he said, voice low. "And she knows it."
Red Flags knights continued advancing. They covered each other. Every injury was accounted for. Fear and pain were suppressed by the Warrior Pill Daniel had designed. Only focus remained.
Then the miasma's effect intensified. The remaining Merch soldiers shivered. Some hallucinated enemies behind their lines. They swung wildly, hitting their own.
Arrielle's voice cut across. "Focus! Protect the humans!"
Knights adjusted, forming new lines. Wolves flanked demons. Riders leapt, taking advantage of every opening.
Suddenly, a ripple ran through the battlefield. Shadows twisted unnaturally. The forest darkened. An unknown presence stirred. Even Red Flags knights sensed it.
Arrielle paused. Her grip tightened. Nyx's ears twitched. Maria's whip crackled more violently.
Daniel's voice came through Vax. "Something approaches. Stronger than anything yet."
The demons stopped retreating. Confusion spread among their ranks.
Arrielle whispered to Nyx. The wolf synced vision with her. Together they scanned the horizon.
A pulse of energy radiated outward. Every soldier felt it. The ground trembled. Air thickened. Even the Red Flags shifted their stances.
Scallab shouted, "Hold your line! Protect your princess! Do not falter!"
Arrielle lifted Orachimaru high. A blood-red wave swept forward. Demons fell. Limbs tore free. The battlefield shuddered under her strike.
Then, the forest itself seemed alive. Shadows twisted. Something large moved. The Red Flags froze. Silence fell. Only the screams of distant demons remained.
Arrielle spoke, low but clear. "Prepare yourself."
Maria's whip sparked lightning across the battlefield. Her eyes narrowed. The energy around them thickened, suffocating in intensity.
Even the soldiers of Merch felt it. Their hearts raced. Cold sweat beaded on foreheads. They clutched their weapons, aware of a force beyond reckoning approaching.
Daniel's gaze sharpened. Through Vax, he could see the aura. It was immense. Stronger than any demon army. Stronger than anything they had fought before.
Arrielle adjusted her stance. Nyx crouched beside her. The crescent blade of Orachimaru glowed, cutting through the air as if sensing the presence.
The Red Flags braced.
The miasma faded slightly as their spiritual pressure surged. Even demons with cores stumbled under the force.
Something was coming. Something alive. Something intelligent.
And it would decide the next battle.