“Kill!”

At Ron’s battle cry, the fourteen crusaders ignited their energy, slaughtering the cannibals who blocked their path. After dispatching the minor demons, they turned toward the cannibal warrior, who had been the most formidable opponent thus far.

The warrior had sensed that something was amiss, as he had personally led many raids against human villages and knew what to expect when facing human knights. He was confident in his ability to take on a few knights at once, but the simultaneous ignition of so many sets of armor shattered his resolve.

He attempted to retreat for the safety of his own ranks, only to discover that his avenue of retreat had been sealed by two more knights in heavy armor, their visors aglow with energy.

Ron closed in on the demon, his own sword imbued with energy, and swung at him. The cannibal warrior had no choice but to meet the blow with his own war club.

Cannibal warriors possessed superior natural strength, and even though Ron was a hero unit who cultivated both the Beast Breathing Style and the Green Qi-Attracting Technique, placing him in the middle of the pack of knights, he still found himself at a disadvantage against this opponent.

The instant Ron’s sword hit the demon’s halberd, he felt a burst of energy surge through the hilt. The demon soldier deflected Ron’s sword with a flick, momentarily knocking Ron off balance and leaving him wide open.

However, before the demon could capitalize on this opportunity, several nearby crusaders closed in to fill the gap. Surrounded by five or six crusaders, each wielding swords infused with energy, the demon was quickly overwhelmed. Deep wounds were slashed into his flesh, and blood flowed freely from the lacerations.

The demon soldier could sense the danger; none of these human knights could defeat him one-on-one, but as a group, they posed a serious threat. Two or three of them could easily take his life, let alone the dozen or so closing in on him now.

Seizing an opportunity, the demon soldier struck out, hoping to kill or at least injure one of the closest crusaders enough to render them unable to fight. But these knights, though they looked clumsy and heavy in their iron armor, proved unexpectedly slippery.

His strike missed its target once again, and another knight took the chance to strike a vicious blow at his flank. The demon warrior couldn’t suppress a cry of agony.

The distant cannibals also noticed their chief was in danger and attempted to rush forward, but if only a dozen or so of these quasi-knight level demons could have made it past the blockade, they might have been able to protect their chief and allow him to escape.

But there are no “ifs” on the battlefield. The demon warrior had charged too far ahead, and Ron’s Crusaders had intentionally severed him from his fellow demons, leaving him utterly alone and defenseless.

The surrounding demons desperately tried to break through the blockade to provide assistance, but the Crusaders’ support of the already tenacious Flying Bear Army soldiers completely stabilized their line. No matter how fiercely the demons assaulted them, the Crusaders stood firm, immovable.

“Schiiii!”

With the help of several Crusaders, Ron finally caught his chance and stabbed his longsword into the demon warrior’s back. The already grievously wounded warrior was completely unable to fight back; he slowly tilted to the side, as if he still wanted to turn around and struggle some more, but was quickly overwhelmed by the Crusaders surrounding him. Amidst a flurry of blows, he ceased to breathe.

“Roar!”

Ron stepped forward and severed the head of the man-eating demon, then held it aloft and swung it around in a circle, aiming to strike terror into the hearts of his enemies. However, as the two sides spoke different languages, Ron could only attempt to draw their attention through loud shouting.

The surrounding Flying Bear Army soldiers were naturally lifted by this sight; victory was now within reach. The reaction of the man-eating demons, however, was somewhat unexpected.

Although the death of their comrade appeared to momentarily lower their morale, they did not quickly collapse, but instead continued to fiercely brawl with the Flying Bear Army soldiers, demonstrating the viciousness of their nature.

Off in the distance, Richard, who had been observing the progress of the battle, naturally saw both the fall of the man-eating demon warrior and Ron’s subsequent display of its severed head.

“How unfortunate. A battle cry like ‘I have beheaded your general’ would fit this situation perfectly. If not, ‘Your general has been executed’ would suffice.”

With a hint of regret on his face, Richard commanded the System infantrymen he had kept as reserves to enter the fray, and he personally drew his longsword and led his personal guards forward as well.

This time Richard did not summon his royal griffins. These precious airborne units were ill-suited for forested terrain, as the tall trees restricted their movements. If some were to be lost, Richard would mourn them dearly for quite a while.

Richard had always believed in the wisdom of “a wise man does not reside under permanent shelter.” Though his own abilities were respectable, he was by no means invincible.

Bullets and blades have no eyes, and anything could happen on the battlefield once the fighting grew fierce. He did not consider himself a son of destiny who could rush in and out of battle unscathed, nor did he wish to meet an early grave like the heroic young ruler of Jiangdong.

However, claiming a few easy kills in this situation wasn’t considered reckless!

After three thrusts finished off the first demon, Richard’s soldiers continued to rush forward. These system-produced soldiers were even fiercer than the veterans of the Flying Bear Army, and with Richard’s moderate attack boost, three or five of them could hold their own against a single demon.

Yet after personally experiencing the strength of the demon warriors, Richard frowned slightly. They were considerably stronger than human quasi-knight units, and their lack of armor and weaponry only added to their lethality.

The demons practically had no armor, and their weapons were crude, save for the occasional metal-wolf fang maces wielded by demon warriors. If they could equip proper heavy armor and full metal weapons, their combat effectiveness would increase significantly.

These were indeed natural-born warriors.

After mentally assessing the enemy, Richard had a much clearer idea of what to expect in the future.

“Kill them!”

“Give chase! Don’t let a single one escape.”

“Elders, fathers, and everyone, I will avenge you right away!”

Richard’s joining the fray with his reserve troops seemed to be the last straw for the remaining dozen or so man-eating demons, who lost their fighting spirit, collapsed, and fled toward their log fortress.

The Flying Bear Army soldiers gave chase, ferociously pursuing their enemies. When an enemy turns its back, it becomes nothing more than moving military merit. Among the pursuers, the fiercest and most relentless were the half-elves, led by Alar.

When Alar personally killed a man-eating demon, tears streamed down his face, as if he were releasing all the pain and suppression he had felt over the past few days.

“Charge in!”

Under Ron’s command, along with a dozen or so crusaders, the Flying Bear Army soldiers charged into the log fortress before the man-eating demons could close the gates.

Victory was all but at hand…