Chapter 28: A Battle That Captivates the World (11)
“Oh, the King of Black Warriors? Interesting. I really want to see if those skeleton swords in their hands are indeed forged from the tibiae of human warriors.” Caesar’s eyes finally narrowed. Though his tone was casual, both Nuoyao La and Qin Leina could sense the intense murderous intent in the voice of this greatest warrior of the Light.
Komer sneered lightly. At this point, it seemed too late for anyone to back out. Instead of hiding things, it was better to engage in a decisive battle. He silently unleashed three acceleration spells in a row, tripling the speed at which the black mist field accumulated. The mist, like ink, filled the space, swirling and churning, with occasional strange objects faintly visible within it, creating a dazzling sight.
Caesar wasn’t in a hurry to act. Instead, he studied this eerie dark force field with interest. The woman before him, with her mysterious expression, was clearly someone who had revived using another’s body. Caesar even guessed that this body must be Elena, the holy maiden who disappeared from the Church of Pericles.
Yet, despite Caesar’s sharp eyes and keen judgment, it was difficult to determine whether this body still retained a heart of light. The dense dark power had seeped into every part of its muscles. Caesar shook his head regretfully. Even if he completely destroyed the remnants of this dark undead, it would likely be impossible to bring back the former holy maiden.
Three tall Dark Flame Demons suddenly appeared. Crimson purple flames floated above their strange heads, and the crunching sound of broken bones was extremely grating. Two of them held tridents, while the third wielded a Bone Spirit Flame Sword. Flickering purplish-black flames danced on their weapons, with occasional drops of bone oil, resembling candle tears, falling to the ground with a “squeak” sound.
Following the Dark Flame Demons were two Ghost Riders. Their excellent ghostly warhorses allowed them to glide through the air effortlessly. Their rapid movement, like illusions in the void, gave them an even sharper attack speed than Necro Knights. Their shadowy spears seemed to exist in nothingness, but anyone who dared underestimate these seemingly illusory ghost spears would pay a heavy price.
Caesar was slightly moved. A necromancer wasn’t anything special, but if that necromancer could effortlessly summon so many undead, each of them a terrifying force among the undead, then, by Caesar’s estimation, this witch-like woman must have reached the realm of a Holy Demon Master.
The last to appear was a triangular attack formation composed of twenty-one skeleton warriors. Every seven skeleton warriors formed a triangular formation, with three spear warriors at each apex, while shield-sword warriors provided cover on three sides. A necromantic archer was positioned in the center to coordinate the attacks, and the three triangular formations together created a mobile attack formation that supported one another.
No wonder that guy, Komer, dared to make such bold claims—he had this as his backing! Caesar thought coldly. Could just this bunch of undead warriors really stop his Wind Riders? It was pure delusion!
“Lord Komer, is that it? Is that all?” There was already a hint of murderous intent in Caesar’s tone. “If you have nothing more to show, can we get started?”
“Oh, Lord Caesar can’t wait to showcase the mighty power of the Wind Riders?” Komer sneered before becoming serious. “Send them in. Nicosia has been waiting for a long time!”
Without warning, Caesar moved aside. Twelve attack formations composed of thirty-six Wind Riders swept in like a storm. Meanwhile, the twenty-one skeleton warriors began to emit a series of faint explosions as Komer’s and Lome’s magic continuously built up on them, preparing them to withstand the Wind Riders’ attacks.
Darkness mixed with light—two completely different types of solidifying and defensive magic were applied to the skeleton warriors one after another. Perhaps the defensive spells derived from the light gods made it difficult for their dark essence to adapt. The snarling skeletons had no choice but to endure this baptism of holy light under Uma’s spells. With this baptism, they would be better prepared to face the enemy’s light-based attacks.
The first wave of attacks from the twelve formations struck the line of twenty-one skeleton warriors like lightning. The bone arrows fired by the necromantic archers had little effect on the Wind Riders. Their onslaught was like a stormy wind, and the intense pressure of holy light shattered three skeleton warriors on the spot!
Yet, the destruction of those three skeleton warriors only slowed down the Wind Riders’ attack speed. Although the skeleton warriors emerging from the dark mist quickly filled in the gaps in the triangular formation, both Uma and Komer realized it was unrealistic to expect this group of skeleton warriors to stop the Wind Riders.
Fortunately, the war spirit of the undead had already been unleashed, with burning fighting passion permeating every undead warrior, forcing them to fight to the death before they could stop.
Ghost Riders soared through the air, their agile figures intertwined with eerie darkness. Their spear tips created countless waves as they launched attacks from the flanks, with their bizarrely flexible thrusts making it difficult for both elite squads to break free from their grasp. Meanwhile, the two Black Warrior Kings moved to the rear of the Wind Riders’ formation to launch attacks. The swirling Bone Spirit Flame Swords raised clouds of dust, enveloping the entire battlefield in thin layers of mist—poisonous fumes from burning bones that could kill ordinary people upon inhalation, and even those with strong martial skills could suffer indirect damage as the poison penetrated their skin. The Dark Flame Demons roared as they swung their trident-like weapons, charging into the encirclement created by the Wind Riders’ feigned weakness. Seemingly unaware of any trap, the attacks from the trident weapons and Bone Spirit Flame Swords of the three Dark Flame Demons merged seamlessly. Purple-black fireballs and flames erupted from them, scattering and colliding with the combat energy released by the Wind Riders, creating dazzling light displays. Caesar watched all this coldly. Undeniably, these undead forces were quite powerful, and at first glance, it seemed they had the upper hand as they attacked from all sides. Yet Caesar had absolute confidence in his Wind Riders—twelve elite squads were enough to destroy any evil that dared stand in their way, let alone undead! The attack circles formed by these twelve powerful units constantly changed shape, sometimes surrounding the Ghost Riders and sometimes trapping the Black Warrior Kings, but their main focus remained on the Skeleton Warrior formation. They knew well that although the Skeleton Warriors were numerically superior, their individual strength far lagged behind that of the Ghost Riders and Black Warrior Kings, not to mention the Dark Flame Demons. If they could destroy the Skeleton Warrior formation head-on, the remaining Black Warriors and Dark Flame Demons would fall into the Wind Riders’ encirclement. Even if the Ghost Riders could escape using their ghostly horses, by then just two of them would no longer matter. Komer also noticed this keenly—the dark mist was growing thinner, and the speed at which new Skeleton Warriors could be summoned was slowing down. Clearly, unleashing so many undead had significantly weakened Umma’s dark forces, but it was not enough to withstand the Wind Riders’ attacks.
A dark, advanced enhancement spell quietly formed in Komer’s hands. He had to replenish Uma’s strength; otherwise, she would likely be unable to launch more powerful attacks. Komer didn’t want Uma to take reckless risks. The trace of clarity remaining within Elena was always a threat. If not enough dark magic was used to suppress it, releasing that magic to its limit might also mean Uma’s death.
“Lord Komer, do you intend to intervene?” Noyora stared intently at Komer’s actions, her gaze sharp. “We agreed not to interfere in their war.”
Komer cursed inwardly. It seemed not yet the best time to launch a full-scale war; he still needed to observe how the situation developed.
Xuro and Welch had already arrived. The problem was that Vazinki and Frenst’s whereabouts also appeared around Damorsk Fortress. Komer was certain they were using special methods to observe this battle as well. Only by maintaining balance could they be kept outside Damorsk Fortress. But once chaos ensued, Komer couldn’t be sure whether Vazinki and Frenst would intervene, nor whether Welch and Xuro would be willing to act, or if they could withstand Vazinki and Frenst’s combined forces. All of this was beyond Komer’s control. He didn’t want things to get out of hand—everything had to be under his control.
“LeClair, what are you waiting for?” Komer’s gaze turned sinister, piercing like a dagger at LeClair and his group. “Is it that you can’t bring yourselves to act, or do you want to sit back and watch?”
“Lord Komer, we…” LeClair hesitated.
“LeClair, if the knights of Nicomedia still recognize me as their lord, then as their lord, I order you—knights of the three major knight orders—to shatter the false reputation of the Wind Riders. Nicomedia is a secular entity independent of the Church of Light. Nicomedia’s secular power is not bound by any faith or religion! Do you understand? You have no choice, unless you want the burnings and hangings of the Inquisition to be set up in the squares of Cyprus and Gothenburg!”
Komer’s loud voice echoed across the square, his sharp gaze sweeping over the leaders of the knights. “Tell me, what is your choice! Either retreat and willingly become loyal followers of the Church of Light, praying devoutly for their so-called faith, or become the free nobles and knights of Nicomedia, enjoying the glory and dignity that rightfully belong to us!”
With a bitter expression, Leclerc glanced at his companions, whose faces also showed hesitation and uncertainty. The dark undead shouting and moving around in the Obelisk Square of Damaskevsk Fortress was unacceptable to them, but allowing the forces of the Light Church to surpass secular powers was even more unacceptable! Imagine if the Inquisition of the Light Church recklessly imposed their so-called purification of faith in Nicosia—it would undoubtedly lead to bloodshed, with only burnings and hangings as outcomes! Neither the nobles nor the knightly freemen of Nicosia could tolerate such oppressive and insane constraints! The leaders of the knights eventually turned their gaze to Leclerc, their leader, who would decide everything. “Lord Caesar, I think we may have to…” “No need to say more, Mr. Leclerc. I understand your difficulties. Though I’m surprised you would believe Lord Komer’s simplistic and naive attempts to incite conflict, I won’t persuade you any further. I gave you a chance, but if you don’t cherish it, then I have no regrets.” Caesar waved his hand generously, stopping Leclerc from further explanation. He knew that a few brief words would hardly convince Leclerc and his men; they struggled to make decisions, but once they did, they would persevere without compromise. Komer watched coldly. Caesar’s demeanor was as expected. In his place, he would not act in a way that would undermine his dignity, as that would serve them no purpose. Leclerc had made the right choice. Although the leaders of the three major knightly orders couldn’t change the balance of power, their joining could undoubtedly ease some pressure on their already struggling side. Almost as soon as Leclerc made his decision, the aggressive attacks of two Wind Riders separated from the main force. Before Leclerc and his men could fully prepare, they were surrounded by an attack circle launched by six Wind Riders. Several knightly leaders struggled desperately to defend against the Wind Riders’ fierce assaults. Amidst the chaos, some stood out, putting the leaders who had lost the initiative in a difficult situation. “Lord Komer, remember what I told you—relying on others is an irresponsible act. It seems you haven’t seen what you wanted to see,” Caesar said coldly with a smile. “If you really want to win this, then show your true skills. Both I and Mr. Nojola are really looking forward to it.”