Volume Four: Withering in the Mortal World, Chapter 283: Trouble on the Western Front (2)
"No, Nid, we mustn't take risks, especially at times like these."
Loxue immediately rejected his opinion.
"Loxue is right," Knox's deep, rumbling voice was ear-piercing. "Calm down, Nid. They're just trying to lure you out. One Alan is nothing to you, but if the Divine Spell Brigade and the Shield Cavalry Brigade unite to attack you, the outcome will be uncertain."
"..."
Nid frowned, his teeth grinding. He knew, of course, that as the commander-in-chief, he could not simply follow the enemy's wishes and personally lead the attack, but the fact that his own side had suffered defeats and his comrades had suffered heavy casualties made him uneasy.
Sometimes, Nid would think, "If only I were a warrior instead of a leader." A warrior only needs to fight according to orders, but a leader needs leadership skills, charisma, and a broad perspective. Even if he was the strongest Blood Blade Knights, he could never rashly expose himself to the enemy.
Nid glanced at Loxue; his beautiful sister looked so focused and reliable as she pondered a strategy while facing the map. If Nid's talent lay in his combat prowess and personal charisma, then Loxue's lay in her wisdom and composure, qualities far beyond his reach.
After Francis Bradwich founded the Blood Blade Knights, his descendants— the Bredwich Family— were at the core of the Revolutionary Army for generations, dedicating their lives to their noble mission. Nid and Loxue were no exception. From a young age, Nid assumed the position of Grand Master would undoubtedly be inherited by his exceptionally talented older sister, but she relinquished it to him, simply because she believed she "wasn't really suited to be a leader"...
"Where are the reinforcements? We've mobilized seven divisions this time, and there are twenty other divisions..."
"No, the base is only two divisions away, and they won't be able to get here in a short time."
"But..."
"Don't even think about turning the tide, Nid. Victory and defeat are common in war. The appearance of Alan's two brigades was beyond everyone's expectations. What we need to do now is to get as many people as possible out alive!"
"... I understand, I won't act rashly... hmm?"
Nid suddenly looked up, as if he had sensed something.
"What's wrong, Nid?"
"Gentlemen, my 'barrier' has reacted; enemy troops are approaching the camp!" Knox said.
"Enemy troops are approaching? Has your barrier failed?"
"No... the enemy sent out multiple teams to search for us; they must have just happened to run into us."
"Their tentacles have already reached this far," Loxue frowned. "If they're willing to go all out and use the highest-level divine magic to search, this barrier will definitely be exposed. But killing them will only make their main force pay more attention to this area... It seems our location is only a matter of time before it's exposed."
"Sister Xue, do you mean... we should retreat first?"
"It should have been done long ago, but it was only because of your insistence, Nid, that it was delayed until now. If we retreat smoothly, it will actually reduce the psychological burden on our other comrades, so give the order, Nid."
"..." "Nid?"
"If we retreat immediately, the remaining main force will follow us, and the enemy will immediately recognize that this is the main force of the Revolutionary Army ... In other words, retreating means our exposure, and we must fight our way through the enemy forces that come to besiege us."
"That's certainly true..."
"Since we were going to be exposed anyway... we were so close to victory, but we failed at the crucial moment due to an unexpected event. Sister Xue, you must be very unwilling to accept this..."
"... So, since we're going to retreat anyway, why not kill a few more paladins as a blood sacrifice for our fallen comrades before we leave?"
"..."
Nid didn't speak again, but stared directly at Loxue with his piercing eyes.
Just then--
"Reporting, sir!!!"
The messenger suddenly burst into the tent, covered in sweat.
"A large number of enemy troops are gathering here! Our position has been exposed!"
"Sigh," Loxue shook her head helplessly, "As expected of the direct troops of the Cathedral of the True God, their efficiency is far superior to that of ordinary paladins."
"Well, now that things have come to this, Sister Xue, you have nothing more to say, right?"
"Ah... yes,"
Defeat was inevitable, and the enemy was pressing in.
When it really came to this point, I actually felt relieved.
"Then let's make a scene, my silly brother, and clear the way out!"
"The location of the Rebel Army commander's camp has been confirmed. All troops, advance at full speed! In the name of the Most High God, punish the sinners! Praise be to the Most High God!!!"
"Praise be to the Most High God!!!!!"
Two hundred Divine Spellcaster and three hundred Shield Knight advanced in formation under the temporary commander, which already accounted for nearly half of the troops Alan had brought. They were all elites among elites, the elites cultivated by the Holy See at great expense. Don't underestimate these five hundred men; if they were on the East Emperor Continent, they could easily wipe out a small country.
The Divine Spellcaster were all dressed in robes embroidered with gold thread, Shield Knight's shields were of the finest quality, blessed by the Prayer Goddess. Such equipment was rare even within the vast Divine Law Cult. In fact, along the way, these five hundred men had easily annihilated nearly a thousand Revolutionary Army. Even the most tenacious warriors could not withstand the overwhelming bombardment of divine magic, and even the most powerful attacks could not penetrate the ironclad defenses of the three hundred Shield Knight. All resistance was child's play in front of them.
"Full speed ahead! The light of the Supreme God envelops us!!"
""""""""Yes!!!!!""""""""
Their marching speed was astonishing; each Divine Spellcaster was suspended in mid-air, their toes several centimeters off the ground. A holy, golden and silver light emanated from their feet, propelling them at incredible speeds, far exceeding that of ordinary vehicles. This was the "Speed Spell, a common divine magic. Of course, this was also a product of the " Paladin System " of the Truth Incantation, which standardized different forms of supernatural abilities—a new manifestation of power evenly distributed among each paladin. The Shield Knight rode on horseback, horses of a special breed modified by divine magic, possessing physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary vehicles, and armor with extremely high defensive capabilities.
"Rebel Army spotted ahead!!!"
"All personnel, prepare for Level 1 combat!"
The Shield Knight raised their shields and activated the divine magic inscribed on them, instantly creating a colossal Wall of Light. This wall was one-way transparent; their attacks could pass through it, but enemy attacks could not penetrate. The Divine Spellcaster chanted Divine Word beforehand, preparing the advanced area-of-effect attack spell, "Demon- Demon-Slaying Holy Arrow."
The thunderous sound of hooves came from afar, and cavalry units broke through the dust and charged out. They wore dark red uniforms, and the horses they rode all had obvious characteristics of demonic beasts, clearly a hybrid of ordinary fine horses and horse-like demonic beasts.
"These mere Rebel Army do have something to offer," the commander thought to himself.
"But it's far from enough—all personnel, unleash a barrage of attacks!!!"
The dozens of Divine Spellcaster in the first rank sprang into action, raining down arrows of light upon the Revolutionary Army. Immediately, over a dozen cavalrymen fell in Blood Pool. After the first wave of bombardment, the Divine Spellcaster in the first rank retreated to regroup and unleash powerful divine magic. The second rank immediately took their place, launching a second wave of attack, followed by a second, a third... without the slightest pause, giving the Revolutionary Army no chance to regroup!
However, the cavalrymen who came here were all elite figures, and they did not show any panic in the face of the fierce bombardment. They avoided the main force, split into two groups, and moved around the enemy army in clockwise and counterclockwise directions respectively, forming two constantly changing circular encirclements. The inner and outer circles cooperated extremely well, as if a barrier surrounded the paladins, and miraculously avoided most of the bombardment.
"Fire!! Fire!!!"
At some unknown command, the cavalrymen simultaneously drew their repeating muskets and unleashed a hail of bullets at the paladins they had surrounded. Countless bullets struck the Shield Knight's shield of light and exploded violently; the bullets were clearly filled with spirit stones or similar substances. Yet, even so, the shield of light showed no signs of fatigue.
"Foolish Blasphemers! The combined effect of three hundred Holy Shield is not additive but multiplicative! This attack is utterly ineffective—hmm?"
At this moment, the commander suddenly realized something was amiss.
The bullets didn't damage the shield wall, but each explosion produced thick black smoke that filled the air and even obscured their vision.
"... So that's how it is! They're not engaging in battle, they're just stalling!!!"
These cavalry squads were like suicide squads, using seamless teamwork to hold them off and buy time so that the other Rebel Army could take the opportunity to escape!
"Tch—such a petty trick! Divine Spellcaster, listen to my command: prepare an area-of-effect suppression spell! Immediately!!"
No matter how much they pester us, we'll wipe them all out in one fell swoop with the highest-level mass destruction divine magic! The commander's lips curled into a cruel smile; he was certain that these annoying insects would be splattered with blood in a few seconds!
However--
The once impenetrable encirclement suddenly disintegrated on its own.
The cavalrymen parted to create an opening, and a tall figure walked in through it.
It was a young man with gray-white hair, wearing a dark red trench coat, and carrying Greatsword.
Judging from the cavalrymen's burning gazes, this young man—or rather, the boy—held a very high position within the Rebel Army.
"Lord Nid!"
"Thanks for your hard work, everyone. Hold them off until I get there... Don't worry,"
Nid gripped the Greatsword slung across his back, his previously gentle gaze instantly turning icy.
"One... two... three... there are about five hundred people in total, five hundred Imperial Guard from the Cathedral of the True God. They really think highly of us."
"Ha, what a filthy Blasphemers! Does he even think he has the right to speak with us, the messengers of God?"
The leader openly expressed his disgust, as if he were looking at an insect.
"If there were fewer guys like you, the place where I clash with the Vatican would probably be the negotiating table instead of a battlefield!"
Clang!!!!
The heavy Greatsword swung down horizontally with a sudden burst of power, yet it felt as light as a feather in his hand. This swing was incredibly imposing and powerful, the movement flawless.
The problem is --
There was a distance of at least two hundred meters between Nid and the paladins, far beyond the reach of Greatsword, and he clearly wasn't using wind-based abilities.
"Hahaha! What's wrong, Blasphemers? Are you out of your mind?--"
The mocking words came to an abrupt halt.
Instead, there were sounds of liquid spurting out and objects hitting the ground.
It wasn't "one person," but "a group."
Ignoring the distance of two hundred meters and the highest level of holy light shield wall, that one strike instantly beheaded the temporary commander and no less than a hundred Divine Spellcaster.
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Nid: I'm going to show off!
The Vatican: You think you can just show off and leave?
Main characters: Huh? Are we still offline this chapter?
Author's Note: La la la, come on, give me your Monthly Votes and tips!