Chapter 25: Climax

Previously, Luo Li had thought that, because of the Church’s influence, mages probably wouldn’t be very powerful.

But now, seeing these meteor-like fireballs falling like raindrops, she silently raised the importance of magi in her heart.

There were probably only a few dozen magi on the city wall.

But the number of fire meteors they had summoned was comparable to what a thousand archers could unleash.

This was enough to prove how powerful the mage legion was.

The battle was still raging.

And with the casting of “Meteor Fire Rain,” another squad emerged from the western city gate. This time, leading them was one of the Four Guardian Knights—Kane!

The silver armor on his body was slightly cracked, clearly showing he had just been through a fierce battle.

His face was covered in sweat, and his cone-shaped lance was stained with black blood.

He looked a little disheveled, but also wild and fierce.

“Kill—!”

With the echo of the battle cry, a line of cavalry surged from the western gate, following Kane at the front. After Yuna’s earlier attack, they once again tore through the front lines of the demon army.

Yuna had charged once already before.

But because Yuna’s knight squad was small, they hadn’t been able to completely break through the tens of thousands of demon soldiers.

This time, however, under Kane’s lead, more than a thousand heavy cavalry broke open a massive gap in the demon army’s vanguard forces, which numbered in the tens of thousands.

The previously well-ordered front line collapsed into chaos in an instant.

Seeing this from afar, Luo Li felt as if a massive stone had finally landed from her heart.

Tonight, all of the steps in her strategy were falling into place.

From the very start: luring the enemy deep into the city and engaging in close-quarters combat to eliminate a portion of their frontline.

Then came the second step: using the terrain to their advantage. The demon army had to pass through a narrow city gate to enter Radiant City. This broke up their front-line formation early on.

The third step: her cavalry would flank the enemy from the side. They didn’t need to charge directly into the enemy’s central force—just cause enough disruption so that their command structure would temporarily collapse, preventing the flanks from offering support.

The fourth step: the counterattack would begin!

Inside the western gate, Yuna, who had been lying in wait, would lead a heavy cavalry regiment out from the city’s main road and tear open a path through the enemy’s formation.

After that, Yuna’s regiment would immediately turn and merge with Luo Li’s heavy cavalry.

Then—Luo Li, leading Hilda and Yuna’s heavy cavalry, along with Kane, who had charged directly through the enemy line from inside the city—would launch a pincer attack on the central demon camp!

Following that, the two heavy cavalry groups would regroup and completely split the central demon camp in half.

And finally, there was Nar Elvin, the last Guardian Knight.

He was the strongest of the four Guardian Knights stationed behind.

Though young, he was already capable of defeating Kane, who was level 55. Nar himself had reached level 56!

He operated independently because his team had the fewest soldiers—but they were all Knights of Loyalty or higher in rank.

As an elite-level heavy cavalry regiment, his mission was both simple and critical:

After Hilda, Yuna, and Kane’s groups smashed through the enemy, Nar would analyze the battlefield and identify where the strongest enemies were located—then contain those threats, stopping the demon army from quickly regrouping and forming an effective resistance.

This entire strategy, led by Luo Li herself, had nearly reached full success.

And now came the most important step—

They would now charge mercilessly into the central demon camp.

If that succeeded, the battle would be decided.

To move secretly, the demon army had surely not brought enough supplies or rear-guard units.

Which meant tonight’s night raid would only face the frontline, central troops, and possibly the flanks.

Heavy cavalry, once at full charging speed, could not easily stop or even turn. Even turning slightly required great effort.

The demon army wouldn’t have enough time to come up with tactics to respond to such a charge. They could only try to adjust their formation as best they could.

“Your Holiness the Saintess! Guardian Knight Yuna reporting!”

As instructed by Luo Li earlier, Yuna had already begun turning her forces after exiting the gate.

Now, her regiment had merged with Hilda’s!

Luo Li tightly gripped the flagpole, feeling a wave of fear after taking such a bold risk.

But fortunately, everything had gone according to plan. Now all that remained… was the demon army’s central command tent, just ahead!

“Knights! In front of us stand the ones who want to invade our land, enslave our families, and devour our people. Can we endure this?”

“No!!”

“I believe in you—my knights! Those unafraid of death, follow me into battle! Today, I will live and die by your side! Kill!!”

“KILL!!”

To the Holy Knights, the Saintess’ words were like the voice of the gods.

To fight and die alongside the Saintess was their greatest honor.

She hadn’t used a single skill—just that one declaration, and all 500 knights roared with a hysterical, blood-pumping battle cry.

At last, Hilda and Yuna’s combined cavalry regiment pierced into the demon army’s flank like a sharpened blade.

Just like the first night’s battle, they easily tore apart the demon flank’s defenses.

And now, exposed before them was the soft, panicked core of the demon army’s central forces—like a frightened maiden being torn open.

The heavy cavalry charged forward like a tidal wave, tearing directly into the center of the enemy camp with no sign of slowing down.

At the same time, Luo Li had already raised her energy and focus to the highest level.

She knew—the strongest being in the demon army was in this central command camp.

And this was the very enemy she had come here to face.

Gripping the flagpole with her left hand and the Sword of Loyalty in her right, Luo Li scanned the demon army from end to end.

She was looking for the true mastermind behind this war.

Her eyes swept across the most densely packed part of the central demon camp—and then, she saw it.

A disgusting, enormous monster appeared.

Its entire body was covered in patches of black, and its limbs had long since lost all resemblance to anything human.

Its face was grotesquely misshapen—jutting chin, long thin snout, sunken upper face, with two tusks sticking out. It looked worse than a donkey, its features twisted and unnatural.

Behind it stood several naked women, eyes vacant, their bodies covered in sticky, translucent slime. Thick, flesh-red tentacles—each as wide as a grown man’s forearm—were wrapped tightly around them.

Luo Li immediately confirmed who her enemy was.

He was one of the Twelve Demon Generals—

The Butcher, Zuka.

One human. One demon. Their eyes locked from across the battlefield.

From his gaze, Luo Li could feel a powerful, possessive hunger.

Even at this point… he still dared to think of her that way?

“Hilda. Yuna. Stay with me.”

Luo Li sheathed the Sword of Loyalty, gripped the reins of her warhorse, and gave them a sharp tug.