Chapter 90: Changing Sides
Amid Daniels’s crazed laughter, the Demon brandished its massive battle-axe and charged toward Duane and his men.
Its towering frame, terrifying battle-axe, and grotesque appearance sent a tremor of fear through everyone present.
CLANG!
At the same time, the fortress gates swung open. Uleir, Simone, and the others, leading the members of the Holy Hand Association, followed the Demon Servant and charged toward Duane’s forces.
"Archers, ready! Fire!"
Duane commanded in a loud voice.
The nine Archers he had personally trained, positioned at the rear of the formation, immediately drew their bows and let loose.
SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH!
The Arrows tore through the air. On the opposing side, members of the Holy Hand Association who didn’t even have Shields, along with some hastily recruited cannon fodder, were shot down instantly.
As for the Demon Servant leading the charge, though some Arrows found their mark on its body, it seemed completely unharmed.
Raymond raised his Longsword. "Charge!"
He was the first to rush forward, meeting the Demon Servant head-on.
"Kill them, kill them all!"
On the fortress wall, Daniels cackled madly. At the same time, he raised both hands, appearing to cast another spell.
Duane grabbed his Longbow, dashed forward several meters, and drew and fired.
The Arrow whistled through the air. Though slightly off-target, it still struck Daniels in the shoulder.
"Damn it!"
Daniels glared at Duane. The spell had consumed a great deal of his Magic Power and Spiritual Power, which was why his Perception had been dulled.
He yanked out the Arrow and, while using a Healing Technique on the wound, shouted at the top of his lungs,
"Bard, what are you waiting for? Now’s the time to strike!"
Bard, who was in the midst of the charging troops, had an ugly expression on his face.
"One Arrow was all it took to scare you? Daniels, you’re such a coward!"
As he spoke, he had already changed course, charging toward Duane to kill him.
At the same time, Gaius also charged forward.
However, some members of the Broken Wave Gang seemed unaware of the plan; they were stunned.
This was because Bard, fearing a leak, hadn’t mobilized all his men for the betrayal.
After all, in his eyes, having an Earth Tier Warrior, an Advanced Warrior, and two Middle Level Warriors turn traitor on the battlefield was more than enough.
They had even fantasized about taking the Baron’s head before Duane could even react.
Unfortunately...
Kaelon stepped in front of Duane. Drawing on his experience from his last duel with Bard, he opted not to use his Shield this time, instead launching a direct, rapid assault.
The clash between Earth Tier Warriors instantly cleared a ten-meter radius with waves of Fighting Qi.
’Fast reflexes!’
Tied down by Kaelon and unable to break away, Bard yelled, "Gaius, Kubatu, Hardy! Go kill the Baron together!"
Gaius’s Longsword howled through the air, surging with Fighting Qi as if he intended to end Duane’s life in a single strike.
But at that very moment, a Longsword lunged out from behind him.
A chilling aura enveloped Gaius. His combat instincts, still sharp, made him raise his Shield in a subconscious block.
"Hardy, you—!" he cried out in horror.
This was Hardy’s proof of fealty. Though he was a Level lower, this long-planned strike concentrated not only all his Strength, but all his Fighting Qi as well.
BOOM!
Gaius never expected this. The Shield he had hastily raised to block was sent flying by the impact of the blow and the Fighting Qi Slash.
And it didn’t stop there. The aftershock of Hardy’s Fighting Qi Slash slammed into his body. The immense force made Gaius shudder, stagger, and nearly topple over.
Consequently, the Fighting Qi he had gathered on his Longsword to attack Duane weakened, then dissipated entirely.
By this point, he was already right in front of Duane.
"Now!"
Duane gave him no time to recover.
After all, Gaius was an Advanced Warrior. If he recovered, they would be no match for him.
Duane intended to use this opening from the surprise attack to finish him off.
BAM!
While Gaius was still off-balance, Duane’s Shield slammed viciously into his Helmet.
A Middle Level Warrior could already swing an object weighing over a hundred pounds with ease, and Duane’s Strength Attribute had increased significantly of late.
The blow left Gaius reeling, blood pouring from his nose and ears.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Duane’s Longsword thrust forward. Although the Chain Armor offered decent protection, the tip still pierced Gaius’s flesh. At the same time, an impact of Fighting Qi blasted open a bloody wound.
The tables had turned too quickly.
When Gaius collapsed, Kubatu froze in place.
He was dumbfounded, unable to understand why Hardy had attacked one of their own.
THUD, THUD!
While he was still in a daze, Jack and John flanked him, smashing their Shields into either side of his head.
As if his head had been caught in a door, Kubatu’s skull was crushed between the two Shields, and he crumpled to the ground.
"Brothers, the Baron is watching! Now’s your time to shine!"
Following Hardy’s cry, some members of the Broken Wave Gang actually responded. They raised their Longswords and turned on their former comrades.
Bard’s face paled when he saw this. "You... you knew all along that I would betray you?"
Kaelon sneered. "The Baron saw through your petty schemes long ago. Bard, if I were you, I’d lay down my arms and surrender now. It might be your only chance to live!"
Suppressed by Kaelon’s relentless assault and with his focus shattered, Bard was clearly losing ground.
But he didn’t believe he had lost yet.
"In a small-scale conflict like this, superior combatants are the deciding factor! I have two Advanced Warriors, a Level 3 Mage, and a Demon Servant equivalent to a Level 3 Demon Beast..."
Kaelon’s Sword cleaved Bard’s Shield in two. After becoming an Earth Tier Warrior, he was no longer outmatched in a head-on fight.
"Hardy isn’t the only one who betrayed you."
Bard’s pupils constricted. ’Who else betrayed me?’
But he had no time to dwell on it, as Kaelon’s attacks descended upon him like a furious storm.
Leaving Kaelon and Bard’s battle aside...
Elsewhere, Raymond and his men reached the front of the fortress and engaged the Holy Hand Association in close-quarters combat.
The Demon Servant swept its giant axe, but Raymond dodged it with nimble grace.
Using his superior Body Skill and speed, he quickly circled around the hulking creature and, with a single leap, shot straight for the fortress wall.
The fortress wall wasn’t nearly as high as the one at the castle gate; with his power, Raymond could clear it in a single bound.
’A perfect opportunity!’
Uleir’s expression turned savage. He took aim at Raymond, who was airborne, intending to use a Combat Technique to strike him down.
But just then, a black shadow flashed across his vision.
The next second, Uleir felt a kick to his stomach that sent him flying.
The immense force turned him into a high-speed projectile, crashing into a group of members behind him and knocking them down.
"Simone, it was you! Are you insane?" Uleir shrieked.
Simone’s eyes were bloodshot. This was the man who had taken his daughter.
"Die!"
He unleashed his Fighting Qi completely, and the resulting shockwave threw everyone nearby aside.
Simone charged at Uleir like an enraged lion.
Already reeling from the first heavy blow, Uleir hadn’t even regained his footing when Simone’s Longsword swept towards him.
"Stop—"
Uleir was terrified. He tried to beg for mercy, but then he realized he was looking at his own body.
THUD. His head rolled onto the ground, and then, only darkness.
Uleir was dead, killed by Simone’s own hand.
The shock of this scene was too much for the Holy Hand Association. In an instant, their morale shattered.
On the fortress wall, Daniels was scared out of his wits.
He knew the tide had turned against him. He wanted to rush down from the wall to the basement and seize Vera.
But just then, a blood-soaked Raymond appeared, blocking his path.
"Sorry, but you’re not going anywhere."