Shien's Art of War

Elena stood on the city wall, watching the battle in the lowlands.

Artillery fire fell in wave after wave.

Boom!

The blast shook the stone wall beneath her feet, and firelight flashed again and again through the Gray Fog.

The Ashen Rampart Beasts kept advancing, though their steps were hampered. Lines of fire and crossbow volleys held the lesser demonic beasts below the slope, where bodies piled up in layers.

The defense held for now, but the threat remained.

Short Code signals sounded constantly behind her. Soldiers hurried back and forth, carrying up barrels of Lamp Oil.

Everyone was doing their job. The formation remained intact, and the battle was still under control.

Elena kept her eyes on the low slope. She knew this kind of attrition would eventually reach its limit.

Then hoofbeats sounded in the distance. She looked up.

The Gray Fog over the northern main road parted, and a company of knights charged out of it.

Their formation was orderly, their speed perfectly matched. They swept toward the edge of the battlefield like a straight line.

Someone shouted first. "The Blackpine Knights!"

The tension on the wall eased. A wave of hushed cheers followed, carrying unmistakable relief.

Elena watched the white-haired figure at their head, his Blackpine cloak streaming straight behind him in the Gray Fog. She felt some of that relief herself.

The Blackpine Mobile Knights had appeared at the edge of the Gray Fog.

Every knight in the unit was Third Tier or higher, clad in Blackpine's standard armor, which combined light and heavy plates.

Fasteners for Short Steam Repeating Crossbows lined the edges of their armor plates. Flying Anchor Winches hung beside their saddles, and Consecrated Shrapnel Jars were secured at their lower backs.

Each knight carried a heavy load, yet their formation stayed