Vale watched the situation nervously, worried for the knights fighting the battle.
The Ice Armor Bears had now gone completely berserk, and their fury seemed to freeze everything around them.
Three enormous crystalline Thrusts rose from their backs, radiating a searing blue light.
The air began to tremble violently as it warped under the intense heat, leaving the surrounding knights barely able to keep their footing.
The archers' arrows could no longer reach the Ice Armor Bears' skin. The icy flames in the air vaporized them before they landed.
"Begin phase two!" Louis commanded loudly.
The commander waved his flag, relaying the signal.
The knights quickly split into several groups and began circling the Ice Armor Bears.
They darted swiftly beyond the bears' sight, and every taunt drove the Ice Armor Bears into an even greater frenzy.
Their hexagonal eyes flashed with furious red light, and cold flames kept spilling from their bodies.
"Keep drawing them out! Don't let them get close!" shouted Lambert, who was directing the battle on the ground.
Whenever they drew close, the knights swiftly changed direction, deftly avoiding the Ice Armor Bears' attacks.
The bears swung their enormous claws wildly, but every swipe struck empty air.
Their helpless roars tore through the silence of the mountains.
The crystalline Thrusts released increasingly violent waves of heat, sending deafening pulses of energy through the air.
"Their energy is about to erupt!" Lilia shouted, her eyes full of worry.
"Be patient a little longer! Don't let them stop!" Louis watched the Ice Armor Bears closely, studying the crystals on their backs.
At that moment, any detail could decide victory or defeat.
The knights' movements grew ever more precise, each taunt further stoking the Ice Armor Bears' rampaging energy.
As the kiting tactics continued, all nine Ice Armor Bears were driven to their limits, rampaging madly.
The energy inside them began spilling out uncontrollably, and the raging currents of air nearly toppled the surrounding trees and rocks.
Rocks began tumbling down, and the rumbling could be heard even in the distant mountains.
"Now!" Lambert's eyes lit up as he spotted that fleeting opening.
Led by Lambert, six Elite Knights and twenty-three Official Knights swiftly split up and charged fiercely at each of the rampaging Ice Armor Bears.
Every Ice Armor Bear was desperately unleashing powerful cold flames, sending furious currents of air sweeping through its surroundings.
The temperature rose sharply, and freezing winds intertwined with waves of heat to form a deadly barrier.
Lambert gripped his longsword tightly and led the charge, his target clear: the cores of the berserk Ice Armor Bears.
Squelch!
His longsword plunged deep into the core on the back of one rampaging Ice Armor Bear.
At the same time, the other knights refused to be outdone, swiftly concentrating their strength and attacking in succession.
Under the knights' attacks, the crystalline Thrusts on the Ice Armor Bears' backs flashed wildly and shook violently, pouring out immense energy like a torrential downpour.
A tremendous shock wave exploded outward, nearly tearing the entire battlefield apart as the cold flames formed a vast storm that swept through everything.
"Retreat! Hurry!" Lambert's voice was almost drowned out by the roar of the explosions.
The knights swiftly fell back, evading the uncontrollable explosive energy.
Smoke filled the battlefield, and flames splashed in every direction.
The eruption of energy from the nine Ice Armor Bears became a terrifying catastrophe, the explosions warping the air.
Their ice-crystal shells shattered in the flames, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Once the smoke cleared, the bodies of the nine Ice Armor Bears that had remained intact lay silently at the center of the chaotic battlefield.
Although the explosive force of their berserk state had been enough to tear apart everything nearby, their ice-crystal shells had kept their bodies from being reduced to ash.
Their crystalline Thrusts remained hard, and even though some had shattered, they still radiated a powerful menace.
It was over. Standing at the edge of the battlefield, Louis swept his gaze across it and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Despite the fierce battle, not a single soldier in his force had been injured. Even the warhorses were completely unharmed.
Vale and Lilia stood nearby, their eyes shining with longing.
As they watched the knights on the battlefield, they dreamed of one day becoming just like them.
They, too, wanted to stand on the battlefield and slay these powerful enemies for Lord Louis.
"We can do it too, right?" Lilia asked softly.
Vale said nothing, only nodding firmly.
With the battle over, the knights began collecting the spoils in an orderly manner.
The enormous beasts that had once terrified everyone now lay motionless on the ground, reduced to spoils of war.
And almost every Ice Armor Bear was a treasure trove.
The knights carefully carved off the bear meat. Firm and springy, it gave off a distinctive aroma.
Ice Armor Bear meat was considered an excellent restorative and fetched high prices in the south.
It could effectively strengthen a knight's flesh and increase their reserves of battle aura.
Every piece of meat could give the knights a tremendous boost.
Some knights were specifically tasked with removing the crystals from the Ice Armor Bears' backs.
In an alchemist's hands, these crystals could be turned into powerful potions or magical items, making them priceless commodities.
Louis looked at the Ice Armor Bears' bodies with a hint of regret.
If Ice Armor Bears were not so dangerous-and so unstable-he would have wanted to start his own Ice Armor Bear farm long ago.
Every inch of these enormous creatures was worth putting to good use.
Their meat, crystals, and ice armor-even their claws and teeth-were all extremely valuable. They were practically natural stores of resources.
But that could only remain a passing fancy. If he actually raised them, the Red Tide Fief would probably be blown sky-high within a couple of days.
His gaze swept over the busy knights, and the sight of the spoils brought an involuntary smile to his face.
This had truly been a great victory, so he decided to reward the knights.
"All right, everyone, stop for a moment!" he called loudly.
The knights stopped their work and turned to Louis.
"I've decided to hold a feast tonight using this Ice Armor Bear meat!" Louis announced.
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding knights burst into cheers.
The tension lingering after the battle vanished at once.
"Lord Louis, you're far too generous!" one knight was the first to cheer loudly.
"Exactly! This bear meat is precious. It's a blessing for any warrior!" another knight said, his eyes shining.
The knights around them raised their hands and cried out in unison, "Praise our great lord!"
Hearing the cheerful voices and laughter around him, Louis felt deeply satisfied.
After all, he had not trained these knights himself. Only by investing enough resources in them could he earn their true loyalty.
With enough rewards, even six sword strikes a second would not be a knight's limit.
Besides, danger was imminent. This Ice Armor Bear meat could give his forces extra strength, leaving him more confident about the approaching campaign to eradicate the bandits.
Before you continue