"But, my lord, our Magic Array isn't fully prepared yet. It might..." a nearby Mage cautioned.
Just then, the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix in the sky swooped down again, dealing General Dor a vicious blow.
"Get it done! Now!" Dor roared.
"Yes, sir."
The Mage had no choice but to take a Magic Stone from behind his back.
These items were crafted from Magic Crystals, produced in small quantities only by the Human Race in the south and the Dwarves in the east.
A Mage could inscribe anything within a Magic Stone, and this particular stone held a half-finished Magic Pattern for an array.
The Gray Dwarf Mage shattered the Magic Stone. A faint magical aura emanated from the broken stone, spreading out in all directions.
Faint blue patterns began to appear on the ground, so pale they were nearly invisible.
The Gray Dwarf Mage frowned. This was exactly what he had feared.
While it was possible to inscribe a Magic Array onto a Magic Stone, doing so greatly diminished the array's intended power. For instance, this Void Imprisonment Spell, which was supposed to be Golden Magic, was now as weak as a Bronze-tier Magic Array.
"Follow my lead! Wait for my command to act!"
The Gray Dwarf Mage commanded his fellow mages, none of whom dared to disobey.
The Gray Dwarf Mage stopped all distractions, his gaze locked onto the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix in the sky as he searched for the perfect moment to strike.
Even though the Golden-tier Magic Array had been weakened almost to the level of a Bronze-tier one, it wasn't truly a Bronze-tier array.
The power of a Magic Array couldn't be judged solely by the Magic Power flowing through it.
'Besides, this is no ordinary Magic Stone...'
In what felt like an instant, the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix in the sky began preparing for its third dive.
"Now! To your positions! Cast the spell!" the Gray Dwarf Mage commanded.
"As you command, my lord."
The previously dim Magic Patterns on the ground instantly erupted with light. Accompanied by the Mages' chanting, a massive blue curtain of light began to close in on the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix from all sides.
...
'This is bad!' Robson frowned.
'Earl Leo is trapped. This is going to be a problem.'
Pragmatically speaking, the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix that Earl Leo had become was the key to breaking through the Beastmen's encirclement.
Morally, they were already deeply indebted to Earl Leo, who had merged with his Beast Pet to protect their retreat. Not to mention, Robson himself had once been saved by the Earl.
"Think that big bird can escape? Huh? Is that my dad charging in?" Ed stared intently at the battlefield, his tone like he was making a dark joke.
'So you've finally noticed,' Robson thought, sighing to himself as he looked at Ed.
'Given how much Ed fears death—he'd usually rather be buried in a hole somewhere—why would he suddenly start paying attention to the battle?'
Unfortunately, even if Ed was finally paying attention, it wouldn't change anything.
Count Offman's death was a certainty. The reasons were numerous: his own family, the Marquis at the border, even the nobles present...
The King would not suffer a man who had falsely relayed a royal decree to live, nor could the kingdom afford a Count who had led the flight.
The Earl of Sunset Fortress, died on the battlefield protecting his soldiers during the breakout...
That was the kind of inspiring story the entire kingdom needed right now, not rumors of an Earl who fled without authorization after holding out for less than two days.
Robson wasn't sure how he would comfort Ed. This was something the young man would have to process on his own.
'Get focused,' he told himself. 'The most important thing now is figuring out how to break through.'
This was the best chance to break out, having just caught the enemy by surprise. Any later, and the enemy's reserve Extraordinary Corps would catch up to them.
Take the Wolf Cavalry, for example. Swift as the wind, if they reached the battlefield, even someone like Robson would have no choice but to abandon the army and flee for his life.
Count Offman obviously knew this as well, and he charged straight into the enemy's chaotic formation.
After being trapped by the blue curtain of light, the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix, which had been circling overhead, began spewing fire at the translucent blue barrier.
Pillars of fire erupted from the ground, soaring into the clouds and slamming against the barrier.
The few Mages maintaining the array began to bleed from the corners of their mouths. The Magic Power in their bodies grew chaotic. They would likely all drop a tier in power after this.
This was the price of inadequate preparation.
Though the cost was immense, the Mages didn't dare slack off for a second. General Dor was right behind them, watching like a hawk.
ROAR!
Finally, with the combined efforts of the Magic Masters and Mages, the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix began to falter. After struggling to stay airborne, it looked as if it was about to plummet to the ground.
"A perfect chance! Activate the Transformation Array!" the Gray Dwarf Mage commanded.
As soon as he spoke, the other Mages began to change their hand gestures.
Several enormous hands emerged from the blue barrier, reaching for the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix.
Already exhausted, the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix formed from Earl Leo's merger was not a true one, after all. Once the giant hands seized it, it was instantly defeated. Its massive body crashed toward the ground, sending the Gray Dwarf Cavalry below scrambling to get out of the way.
It was no joke—most of them were newly-ascended Extraordinary who had just reached the Bronze tier; they weren't much stronger than mortals.
Never mind the Divine Fire that naturally wreathed its body—the sheer weight of the Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix alone was enough to crush them to death.
"For the King!"
As the Gray Dwarf Cavalry panicked, Count Offman seized the opportunity to charge straight through the center, heading for the besieged Blazing Flame Storm Phoenix.
"You're courting death!"
General Dor raised his warhammer and surged to the front. With a roar that shook the heavens, his body began to expand, his skin taking on the appearance of being plated in gold.
This was one of the Divine Skills of the Dwarf Race: Celestial God's Descent.
Not to be outdone, Count Offman furiously stimulated his Life Seed with the aura in his body. His eyes turned blood-red, and his entire presence warped, transforming him into a Death God straight out of Hell.
The secret technique of the Delio family—the true heirloom of an Earl Clan.
The sheer force of two Golden Tier Extraordinary beings clashing sent the surrounding Soldiers flying.
...
"Robson! This..." Knight Ed's eyes went wide. In that moment, all his vague premonitions of doom became a stark reality.
With swift precision, Robson knocked Ed unconscious with a chop to the back of his neck.
The battle had reached its climax. If they couldn't inflict a heavy blow on this Gray Dwarf Cavalry unit, any talk of breaking out was just a fantasy.
Otherwise, they would be pinned down and delayed until the Beastmen reinforcements arrived. Then, it would all be over!
Robson looked at the hesitant nobles watching from the sidelines, then rode forward and shouted.
"If we don't break their lines, we die! There is no time for hesitation! All of you who want to live, charge with me!"
With that, Robson wheeled his horse around and, in a rare move, drew his Knight's Spear.
HUFF! Robson exhaled sharply and spurred his horse into a charge without looking back.
'He wasn't actually sure it would work. If the nobles didn't follow him, he'd be made a complete fool.'
'But whether for personal gain or personal loyalty, supporting the Count now was their best option.'
'Setting aside Count Offman's patronage, it was simply a matter of self-interest. If the Sunset Knight Order was wiped out, Robson's own fate was sealed.'
'Even if they could get past these Gray Dwarves, what about the Beastmen's Wolf Cavalry, renowned for their speed?'
'They were facing an army hundreds of thousands strong. The chance of escaping the encirclement was slim; the chance of ascending to the heavens, however, was quite high.'
'He could only hope his past "helpfulness" had earned him enough goodwill for the others to do him this one favor.'