She screamed in fury, and only then did the nobles stagger back, quickening their retreat.
But that was when it happened.
Growl—
The cries of magical beasts echoed from ahead.
The Dark Mages of Narak had fired shells to sow chaos, then stealthily unleashed the magical beasts on the allied forces' camp.
A magical beast that resembled a tiger but had crocodile-like skin approached slowly, baring its sharp teeth and claws.
Knights from the Iron Knight Order and the White Silver Knight Order, assigned by Kali, rushed to Helen's side.
"Supreme Commander!"
"We'll hold them here! Fall back to the rear!"
The Iron Knight Order knights and White Silver Knight Order knights swung their swords at the charging magical beasts.
As knights of the Draker Family, they were all warriors of Purple Knight rank or higher.
Slash!
Swords infused with aura flew toward the magical beasts.
But simple aura-imbued swords weren't enough to pierce the tough hides of the magical beasts.
Growl!
The magical beasts deflected the knights' strikes with their hides and lashed out with savage ferocity, their sharp claws slashing wildly.
The Iron Knight Order knights, clad in sturdy armor, blocked the magical beasts' attacks head-on.
Then, the Blue Knight-rank knights among the Draker knights formed aura blades and swung their swords.
Slash—
Only when struck by the aura blades did the magical beasts' hides tear, allowing real damage.
Roooar!
The magical beast hit by the aura blade let out a roar and spewed a powerful surge of demonic energy.
At the same time, sharp spines erupted from the magical beasts' backs.
Screech!
As the knights flinched, the spines on the magical beasts' backs shot out in all directions.
Whoosh!
Sharper and more powerful than arrows, the spines embedded themselves directly into the knights' bodies.
"Urgh!"
They parried the spines away from vital spots with their swords, but the spines pierced through their Draker uniforms and lodged deeply in arms and legs.
The tips were coated in poison, turning the wounds black.
Helen, who had been retreating to the rear, turned back upon seeing the knights immobilized by the spines.
"Supreme Commander!"
Ignoring the other knights' cries, Helen raised her Dragon Buster once more.
Hummm!
Clad in steel armor, Helen hoisted the Dragon Buster high and swung it toward the magical beasts.
Boom!
A powerful sword strike infused with the will of steel flew toward the magical beasts attacking the knights.
Crunch!
The magical beasts struck by Helen's Steel Technique were crushed, hides and all, collapsing to the ground.
Seizing the opening, Helen shouted to the knights.
"Get up and fall back!"
Thanks to the gap Helen created, the knights were able to retreat.
But the poison on the spines was no ordinary toxin.
Soon, one of the severely poisoned knights collapsed, black blood trickling from his nose and mouth.
Realizing the knights' conditions were critical, Helen gripped her Dragon Buster tightly again.
"I have to hold out until they retreat to the rear." But that was when it happened.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A magical beast several times larger than those charging the main camp appeared.
The beast, a fusion of tiger and crocodile, exuded a menace that overwhelmed even the Draker knights.
Yet Helen showed no sign of retreat before the colossal magical beast. Growl—
The magical beast lumbered forward and charged straight at Helen.
Boom!
Its massive tail slammed down like a falling pillar toward Helen's head.
Helen swung her Dragon Buster at the incoming tail.
Boom!
Her sword strike, empowered by Steel Technique, repelled the tail.
She pressed forward, unleashing a barrage of slashes at the magical beast. Crunch—
Her Steel Technique hammered into the beast's side like a massive iron mallet.
Boom!
Unable to withstand the impact, the magical beast rolled sideways and crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust that obscured vision.
As Helen raised her sword to brace for the next attack, it happened.
Sssslither—
Incredibly, the massive magical beast moved stealthily through the dust cloud, belying its size.
Helen, momentarily losing sight of it, realized the truth and was startled.
"It's targeting the knights?"
The beast had slipped past Helen to go after the spine-impaled knights.
Screech!
The knights retreating to the rear were shocked by the sudden appearance of the giant magical beast.
"Damn!"
But then, a streak of light descended.
Boom!
A bolt of light struck the magical beast's head as it lunged at the knights.
Roooar!
The beast's thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield.
At the same time, a warm golden halo enveloped the wounded knights.
"Th-this is?"
Not only was the poison purged, but their wounds healed rapidly as well.
The White Silver Knight Order knights and Iron Knight Order knights knew exactly who had wrought this miracle.
"Knight of Salvation!"
"Sir Zeke!" Rumble!
Zeke emerged from the dust, shadows coiling around him.
Ziiing—
The sword in Zeke's hand emitted a sound like space itself cracking.
He glared at the massive magical beast and those behind it, then swung his sword.
Swoosh—
It was a single stroke, yet the magical beasts' bodies were sliced horizontally like paper, their severed parts thudding to the ground.
Sizzle—
As everyone gaped in awe, Zeke's shadow rose and engulfed the dead magical beasts, devouring them.
The pack of approaching magical beasts halted in confusion as their vanguard vanished, then slunk back.
For instinct-driven magical beasts to retreat on their own was unheard of.
They had sensed Zeke's aura was far from ordinary.
Zeke sheathed his sword and approached the panting Helen, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Helen."
In that instant, a golden wave seeped into her body, healing her wounds and fully restoring her stamina and aura.
Only then could Helen catch her breath.
Zeke said to her.
"I'll handle this. Take the knights and head to the rear to command the allied forces." The supreme commander of the Central Continent Allied Forces was Helen, not Zeke.
Thus, she was the one to calm this chaos.
Helen, aware of this, pondered briefly before nodding.
"...I'll come back as soon as the ranks are reformed."
"Don't worry about this place, sis."
With those words, Golem Knights and Shadow Spirits burst from Zeke's shadow.
Sizzle—
In an instant, a great host formed around Zeke.
Seeing this, Helen's eyes widened.
Though he was her younger brother, Zeke had grown beyond her reach.
Gazing at him with mixed feelings, Helen nodded.
"Then, I'm counting on you."
She led the recovered knights to the rear.
Once Helen had safely departed, Zeke's golden dragon eyes gleamed as he addressed his summons.
"Clean them all up."
*
While the magical beasts assaulted the allied camp, the Dracul Knight Order lay in wait on a nearby flank, hidden from view.
Among the Dracul knights sat the Red King in red Hercion, perched cross-legged on a rock.
Soon, a message from the Dark Mages reached his ear.
[Zeke Draker has appeared.]
With Narak's headquarters fallen and its high priest missing, the Dark Mages had to scheme for survival.
With no time to seek other allies, they saw attaching themselves to Jupiter as the rational choice for now.
However, Jupiter's leader was Castro Pollock, and the survival-minded Dark Mages worried whether the speciesist would fully accept them.
Thus, they chose not Castro Pollock but Count Vlad.
Though synonymous with terror, Count Vlad was a thorough meritocrat and rationalist.
When the Dark Mages approached the Red King, he first asked what they could do.
The Dark Mages could wield filthy yet effective magics beyond ordinary mages.
Satisfied, the Red King took them in and deemed them useful to his plans.
From that day, the Dark Mages shadowed Castro Pollock, reporting his every move to Count Vlad.
Using this intel, the count gauged Castro's character and devised the most effective scheme.
In his view, the greatest danger in a siege was an incompetent commander.
Castro Pollock, who had led one of the Thirteen Palaces, wasn't normally so reviled.
But his noble upbringing limited him, making him even less suited to this brutal battlefield.
If the count himself had been a proper commander, no such effort would be needed, but since Castro held Jupiter, the cumbersome process was unavoidable.
Ousting Castro outright and taking his place was possible, but Jupiter already lacked legitimacy. Removing him now would leave loose ends, so the count opted for a method that built justification.
A siege was ultimately a battle of wills.
Even the smallest factors could shift outcomes, so he wove his plans meticulously, manipulating the field.
The count's goal in this war was singular.
"Knight of Salvation. Zeke Draker."
Without capturing him, holding the castle meant nothing.
Count Vlad knew Zeke Draker's abilities far surpassed ordinary knights.
Cross-legged in thought, the count slowly rose.
He gestured to the Dracul Knight Order.
The trap to ensnare Zeke Draker was set; now was the time for the true hunt. *
Crunch!
Using his shadow, Zeke snapped the necks of the approaching magical beasts and absorbed them.
"Looks like it's mostly cleared up."
Zeke kept extending his qi sense, searching for the Red King's location.
Castro Pollock, who feigned gentility but was a petty schemer, wasn't fit to lead a siege of this scale.
Castro would surely be devoured by the Red King.
Inviting such a force into Jupiter was a grave error beyond his capacity.
By then, Zeke's summons had slain all the magical beasts, reclaiming the allied main camp.
Surveying the broken palisades, Zeke uttered a Draconic Tongue command. "Raise the wall." Rumble!
As the Draconic Tongue activated, earth surged where the palisades had stood.
A massive earthen wall formed, thicker and sturdier than before.
A moat was dug at its base, making it hard even for agile soldiers to approach.
Zeke turned, gazing at distant Jupiter Castle.
"To end this war, we must take that castle."
With his divinity, Zeke could shatter Jupiter's walls with a single strike.
But he couldn't act rashly due to karma's sanctions.
As one who defied fate, Zeke was free of karma's restraints, but the backlash lingered.
Unlike High Table members ascending to Peach Blossom Paradise, distorted causality could invite demon or celestial descent into the Phenomenal World.
"If they descend directly, things get complicated."
His divinity incomplete for facing them, Zeke had to use his power cautiously.
As he nearly rebuilt the ruined camp, his qi sense caught something.
"What is this?"
He was startled because the distant aura was none other than that of a "dragon."
Having seen only Hades among living dragons, Zeke was taken aback by the sudden draconic presence.
He ordered his summons to guard the camp, then levitated toward the source.
Boom!
The draconic aura emanated from a valley not far from the allied camp.
The narrow, deep gorge plainly screamed "trap."
"Even if it's a trap, I must find a living dragon."
Dragons, as arbiters of the Phenomenal World, held immense significance.
Eyes gleaming, Zeke followed the aura into the valley.