With a thud, Warren dropped to one knee. Just as he was about to collapse, a Ravenwood Town guard circled behind Lase and thrust his sword into Lase's lower back. The blade did not go deep before Lase trapped it with his muscles. Lase roared in pain, spun around, and cleaved the soldier in two at the waist.
Warren did not waste the opportunity the soldier had bought with his life. As Lase turned, Warren sprang up and swung his sword at the back of Lase's neck. But Lase sensed the danger and dodged. The blade struck his shoulder instead of his neck.
Warren gripped the blade with one hand and slid both hands downward with force, carving a long wound across Lase's back. Blood sprayed out. Lase howled in pain and nearly dropped to his knees. He quickly turned around, only to be met by Warren's sword hilt. The counterweight smashed heavily into Lase's face, leaving him seeing stars as he fell to the ground.
Just as Warren straddled Lase and raised his sword with both hands to plunge it down, a powerful shockwave struck Warren squarely in the chest. It dented his breastplate inward and sent him flying more than three meters before he crashed to the ground. His helmet fell off, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
It was the gray-robed, hunched orc who had climbed onto the wall. He held up a wooden staff and panted heavily, clearly not feeling well after that attack either.
"Mage! You really are from Moran!"
Warren struggled to get up, but several orcs immediately pinned him down. Two spears stabbed into the vulnerable backs of his knees. Warren screamed as the orcs forced him to kneel on both knees. He looked around. There was no longer any sign of Ravenwood Town's guards on the wall. The wall had fallen, and Warren could only force out a bitter smile.
The orc mage was pressing his hand against the wound on Lase's back. As he chanted, intense heat radiated from beneath his palm. With the movement of his hand, Lase's wound rapidly closed and burned shut. Lase clenched his fists, enduring the agonizing pain of his flesh being seared.
Once the wound had fully sealed, Lase picked up his greatsword and walked over to Warren. He crouched down, grabbed Warren's head in one huge hand, and forced him to meet his eyes.
"Human, where is that girl? Tell me where she is, and I can spare your life. I swear it in the name of the Orc God!"
Warren spat a mouthful of bloody saliva into Lase's face.
"You can torture me all you want, orc. See if I'll say a single word."
Lase wiped the blood from his face and turned to the orc mage.
"Can you use the Soul-searching technique on him?"
"I fear not, Commander. This human's will is too strong, and my magic power is insufficient."
Lase let out an angry snort, but there was nothing he could do. Rising to his feet, he raised his greatsword and looked at Warren.
"For the sake of your being a warrior, I'll leave your corpse intact."
Lase then raised his greatsword and drove it down with all his strength. The blade pierced straight through the dented breastplate and into Warren's chest. Warren coughed up a great mouthful of blood.
"I'm sorry, Bishop. I failed your expectations." The light slowly faded from Warren's eyes.
At that moment, a Gnoll escorted over a Priest wearing a black uniform.
"My lord, this is a Priest from Ravenwood Town. He should know where the girl is. Most of the townspeople fled to the church. Only this one failed to make it back in time. We killed the others and left only him alive."
Lase pulled out his greatsword and walked over to inspect the Priest. Upon seeing the dead Knight Warren, the Priest's legs had already gone weak with fear. Yet he still shouted:
"Devils! I won't tell you anything! You will be punished!"
Lase had no interest in questioning him and directly tossed him to the mage beside him. The mage caught the Priest, pressed both hands against his head, and let out a sinister laugh.
"My lord, I can use the Soul-searching technique on this man, but I will need some time to cast it."
Lase nodded.
"Good. Cast your spell here. I'll take the men to the church and have a look. Hurry. Those forest fellows can't hold Yington back for long. Once Yington figures out their true strength, they will immediately break through the blockade and come to Ravenwood Town."
After ordering several soldiers to protect the orc mage as he cast the spell, Lase led the bulk of his forces toward the church.
Inside the church hall, Dorodamenro was surrounded by a group of mercenaries who had not left and guards who had retreated from the wall, fewer than two hundred people in total. They were continuously fending off the pursuing nonhuman troops that had followed them here. Seeing that Warren was absent from the returning soldiers, and that one of the Priests sent to guide the townspeople back was also missing, Dorodamenro could not help but sigh.
A sorrowful expression appeared on his face. Dorodamenro walked to the church entrance and removed his robe, revealing a bare upper body with defined muscles and large mysterious tattoos, as well as two slender, flame-shaped longswords hanging from his waist.
Drawing both swords, Dorodamenro slowly stepped forward. His blades spun in a circle, then his pace suddenly quickened. His footwork was nimble, and the angles of his twin swords were tricky. Together, they made Dorodamenro weave through his enemies as though dancing. In only a few dozen seconds, several orcs had their throats slit and died. No one could have imagined that the gentle-faced, seemingly delicate elven Bishop possessed such a muscular body and such superb martial skill.
He bent backward to evade a Chain Mace swung by a Gnoll, while extending both arms and driving his swords diagonally upward into the abdomens of two enemies. He then pulled out the blades, swiftly straightened, and crossed them to sever the Gnoll's head while its momentum was spent.
He kicked the headless Gnoll's corpse backward with force, blocking the enemies charging forward. Then he crossed his swords to block a weapon swung by an enemy on his left, twisted his blades to trap the enemy's weapon, and spun around to fling the enemy forward with all his strength when it refused to let go. The enemy flew directly into another enemy's thrusting sword. With a wet splat, the sharp blade passed through flesh without resistance. The orc who had pierced his ally froze for a moment, then Dorodamenro's two swords, which had pierced through the corpse, killed him as well.
With a kick, he sent the two enemies skewered together sliding off his swords. Dorodamenro was now covered in blood sprayed by his enemies. With blood covering his originally handsome face, he looked terrifying, giving off an eerie feeling. Inspired by his bravery, the Ravenwood Town guards and mercenaries at his side were greatly emboldened. Moran's troops had no choice but to temporarily retreat after leaving behind dozens of corpses, waiting for Lase to arrive.
Dorodamenro did not pursue the advantage. The townspeople were taking refuge in the church basement. They had to protect the church entrance, and the gap in their numbers was not something Dorodamenro's strength alone could bridge. They could only delay for as long as possible and wait for Yington's reinforcements.