Volume Four: Withering in the Mortal World - Chapter 282: The Western Front Is at War (I)

"Careful--"

Before he could finish speaking, a rain of scorching light poured down from behind him, countless arrows of light grazing past the Peregrine, leaving scorch marks on his body solely from the terrifying heat. Cries of agony echoed around him, each agonizing scream signifying the sacrifice of a warrior. The sight of countless fallen comrades felt like sharp knives piercing his heart, but he could not stop, nor could he return to save those critically wounded and fallen, because—

Boom!!!!!

The countless arrows of light embedded in the corpses exploded, turning the area into a sea of fire with scorching heat! Peregrine, enduring the excruciating pain of the flames, hoisted his two closest subordinates onto his shoulders and used his ability to make anything he touched weightless to leap desperately out of the inferno. Just then, a new wave of attacks arrived, a fan-shaped barrage of Light Gun, one of which pierced the skull of the subordinate on his right shoulder, splattering Peregrine's face with white brain matter!

"Captain, he--"

"I know!"

The Peregrine roared, painfully abandoning the man's corpse, and continued its charge with the remaining soldiers. The Advanced Divine Arts Brigade's wide-range attacks were simply too overwhelming. Although they had tried their best to use the complex terrain of the forest to maneuver and evade, the trees and rocks offered no defense against the devastating bombardment!

"Sid! How many people are left?"

"Let me see—" The vice-captain, carried on his left shoulder, had eyes that glowed. "The remaining forces are... Our team has seventeen men left, the third team has twenty-two, the fourth team has thirty, and the fifth and sixth teams... Adding them together, there are only fifteen men!"

"Where are Akin and Ali? And the Mogray Sisters?"

"The third and fifth captains have been killed in action! The fourth captain is still fighting, and the sixth captain has been captured!"

"... Tsk!!!!"

Including himself, there were fewer than ninety men left—though it was expected, Peregrine's heart still ached as if cut by a knife. Just a few days ago, they were joking and laughing while eating dry rations with water, and now those friends and comrades were gone forever. He knew that the Fourth Captain's pure combat strength wasn't strong, and defeat was only a matter of time. Plus, there was the First Captain who volunteered to stay behind to cover the retreat... which meant that he was the only captain left!

"Damn it... damn it, damn it, damn it!!!"

This massive battle, which began two months ago with Grand Master Nid and Chief Strategist Loxue personally leading troops to ambush the Paladin Heavy Armor Brigade, and subsequently swept across most of the Torres Ecclesiastical Province, is now nearing its end.

At first, everything went smoothly. Under the leadership of the two supreme commanders, the main force brilliantly defeated the Heavy Armor Brigade. When enemy reinforcements arrived, they feigned defeat and retreat, luring the enemy deeper into their trap and encircling their main force. It was a simple and straightforward tactic, and the enemy commander quickly saw through it and realized that he was being led into an ambush. He immediately ordered a retreat—and this was the beginning of their disaster. Lady Loxue had already anticipated that the enemy would realize this and actively order their main force to retreat. She had deployed the 12th Division, skilled in guerrilla warfare, along their retreat route, cutting the enemy into segments. Only then did the true Blood Vanguard main force strike, decisively defeating the enemy. Over a thousand paladins perished in the attack. One paladin was worth more than a hundred ordinary soldiers, meaning this was equivalent to annihilating over a hundred thousand troops!

This ambush took place in the Green Ecclesiastical District, which is also home to the strategically important Green City. After the initial victory, Lady Loxue immediately mobilized a large force to attack Green City, completely drawing the attention of the Holy See. Due to the Revolutionary Army's fierce offensive and the recent loss of over a thousand paladins, they were forced to transfer troops from Torres City, the central Torres City of the entire Torres Ecclesiastical Province, to support Green. This allowed Lady Loxue's feint attack to succeed. Taking advantage of the fact that some of the garrison had just been transferred from Torres City, the long-lurking elite troops immediately plunged into Torres City like a sharp blade, seemingly on the verge of breaching it—

But then something unexpected happened.

The stories of so-called "unparalleled strategists" are often exaggerated; their supposed divine wisdom and prophetic abilities are merely the fantasies of later generations. It's already extremely rare for a general to consistently avoid strategic errors; a general who can devise flawless tactics for every battle simply doesn't exist. The battlefield is constantly changing, and there are no perfect strategists in the world. No matter how brilliant, cunning, or meticulous one's planning, unexpected events can often lead to setbacks. Even if contingency plans are prepared for various contingencies, those plans themselves can still err, creating a vicious cycle from which one cannot escape.

This unexpected situation caused the battle to deviate from Lady Loxue's expectations.

In a panic, the Papacy sent reinforcements directly from its central institution— the Cathedral of the True God in the Holy City Gloria. If it had been ordinary elite troops, they would have been no threat at all, because by the time they arrived, Blood Blade would have already captured Torres Saintess and the Archbishop.

The problem was that the people who came were not ordinary, but the Fifth Seat of the Templar Knights— "The Mourning Warrior" Alan, and her personally led Advanced Divine Arts Brigade and Advanced Shield Cavalry Brigade.

Run, run, run!

The Peregrine, leading all the remaining soldiers, raced desperately through the moss-covered forest.

As the second captain of the 13th Division, he and several other squads were selected as the spearhead force to raid Torres City. When they repelled wave after wave of stragglers that couldn't gather in time and approached the main city, he was filled with pride. He could almost see himself and his comrades raising their glasses in celebration and receiving a personal promotion from the commander-in-chief. But the sudden appearance of a new enemy dressed in pure gold robes and armor completely shattered his beautiful dreams.

"Another wave!!!"

The Blade of Radiance grazed his scalp, followed by the thud of heads hitting the ground. The aftershocks of the attack ignited patches of bushes, and the heat dried the blood covering his body. But he couldn't stop. It was a miracle he had survived this long. If he died, the last pillar of support for these dozens of people would collapse, and then everyone would die!

The Peregrine kept everything it touched levitating, barely interfering with the pursuers' vision. The number of its companions was still decreasing, but it was almost there. Once it left the forest, it would shake them off! At least it would bring the rest back with it!

"Good--!!!"

Finally emerging from the woods, the Peregrine couldn't help but let out a triumphant cheer, and the remaining soldiers finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then—

"Ah~ ah~ so, finally, a sinner has escaped? How sad..."

The sudden sound froze the Peregrine falcon's blood.

A young girl appeared before him. The girl had exquisite features, with rare long dark blue hair, but her skin was sickly pale. She wore a loose-fitting monastic robe, which was covered with pure gold crosses.

The Fifth Seat of the Templar Knights, "The Mourning Warrior" Alan.

The Peregrine made a decision immediately.

He grabbed a few of his closest confidants, threw them into the distance to lose their balance—this was all he could do—and then roared as he lunged at Alan!

"How pitiful..."

Alan simply glanced at him with a sorrowful look.

"--Ugh!!!"

The Peregrine first felt the bone-chilling cold, followed by an immense pressure coming from all directions, crushing the bones on the outer edges of its body almost instantly.

"It's so pitiful, so heartbreaking..."

Snap, snap, snap! The Peregrine was in the best condition; the other soldiers were crushed beyond recognition. He was filled with fear and rage. His previous escape had been completely futile, and the deaths of his comrades were tearing his heart apart. But now he couldn't even fight the enemy to the death. He could only lie on the ground in humiliation, writhing in agony, tears streaming down his face.

"Ah... did you cry? Yes, you should cry, because it's so heartbreaking. How could someone be so foolish as to offend the Holy See and defile the divine..."

Two streams of tears flowed from Alan's eyes. With an expression of immense sorrow, she walked up to the helpless Peregrine, and a small warhammer slid out from the wide sleeve of her robe.

The warhammer slammed down, smashing the elbow into a bloody pulp.

"If you hadn't rebelled, your arm wouldn't have turned into mincemeat. It's so pitiful."

He struck again, smashing the genitals to pieces.

"If you weren't blasphemous, you wouldn't even be denied the right to have children; how pitiful."

Tap again, bending the knee joint 90 degrees in the opposite direction.

"If you hadn't joined the Rebel Army, you wouldn't be unable to walk anymore; it's so pitiful."

Knock, knock, knock.

"It's all your fault, it's all your fault, it's all your fault."

Finally, the warhammer was aimed at the "head" of the lump of meat paste on the ground.

"It's all your fault for wanting to overthrow the Papacy, that's why I've ravaged you like this. It's not my fault, it's not that I'm cruel, it's all—your responsibility."

The Peregrine's life was finally over. Alan wiped away his tears, put away his warhammer, and looked into the distance.

"How pitiful, how pitiful, it's so heartbreaking, but it's all your fault. In the In the Name of God, I trample on you, abuse you, crush you... So, who's next?"

"Report! More than half of the soldiers in the 13th Division have been killed! Other divisions are also under heavy attack from the Advanced Divine Arts Brigade and Shield Cavalry Brigade! Requesting instructions!"

"Fight and retreat simultaneously. Have each unit withdraw to the east, southeast, and northwest to disperse the enemy forces. The 16th Division, with its strongest defenses, will remain to hold off their main force and buy them as much time as possible!"

"Yes!"

There were only three people in the small tent, besides a few guards.

One of them was an eighteen-year-old male, closer to a teenager than a young man, but his tall stature and weathered face made him appear much more mature. He had flowing gray-white hair, a very sharp and handsome face, and wore not the uniform of an ordinary Revolutionary Army, but a dark red trench coat that seemed tailor-made for him. He also carried Greatsword that looked very heavy on his back.

Nid Bradwich, Blood Blade Knights and Commander of the 1st Division.

One of them was a beautiful 21-year-old woman. She was tall and slender, with dreamy long white hair and a gentle face, exuding a quiet and graceful temperament. However, the tailored dark red military uniform she wore added a touch of heroism, making her appear dashing and spirited.

Chief of the General Staff, Loxue Bradwich.

One of them was a tall, middle-aged man with a muscular physique like an oak tree. His massive body, over two meters tall, was covered in muscles that had been trained to the extreme. His seemingly honest and taciturn face concealed an astonishing aura.

Knox Brad, deputy commander of the 1st Division and a distant relative of the Bradwich siblings.

A heavy atmosphere hung between the three of them.

"Sister Xue."

Nid stared at the map on the folding table, his expression grave.

"Although those regimental commanders could fight Alan if they joined forces, they are all scattered in different places—so we can't delay any longer! I have to take action myself!"

"No, Nid, we mustn't take risks, especially at times like these."

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La la la~ It's time for a new character to appear!