"Your Majesty! The centaurs' 'Shared Fate' skill functions similarly to our 'Glory' skill. This battle is not going to be easy!" Caslow said gravely.
Before them stood over three hundred centaurs. Rynar and his group were already struggling to charge head-on against such a force.
The aftermath of the battle had torn apart the edges of this nameless forest, leaving the Battanian Archers on horseback too wary to approach this perilous battlefield.
"Humans! This is your final warning! Leave our lands!" the centaur leader roared, issuing one last ultimatum. Even though they had resisted the knightly charge, they were not unscathed.
"Rubbish!" Rynar's face darkened with anger. To occupy someone else's territory and then act so self-righteous—such shamelessness was rare even in this world!
"Then you will all perish here!" The centaur leader brandished his wooden spear and bellowed. His face flushed red as veins bulged visibly across his muscular body.
"Kill them!" As the centaurs raised their arms and hurled their enchanted wooden spears, the weapons spun through the air, shrieking toward the Knights.
"Defend!" Rynar shouted, his expression shifting instantly.
The knights froze for a moment, staring at the parabolic flight of the incoming spears. No one had expected the centaurs to throw their long spears.
Thud!
Crack!
Bang!
The wooden spears smashed into the knights' aura shields and protruding shields with tremendous force. The impact reverberated through the knights' bodies.
"What monstrous strength! These centaurs are incredibly powerful!" Rynar exclaimed, astounded.
The massive wooden spears carried overwhelming force, and even Rynar, who had endured a few direct hits, couldn't help but marvel at their raw power.
"My lord, they are all naturally gifted warriors! Right now, we're only relying on superior weapons!" Caslow muttered as he exhaled heavily.
Rynar quickly surveyed the battlefield and realized the truth in Caslow's words. The centaurs lacked iron weapons!
Their gear was made of stone or wood, and their armor consisted of exquisitely crafted leather.
In the chaos of battle, he hadn't noticed this before. It was crucial to remember that the materials used in weapons greatly influenced the transmission of energy like aura.
Rare metals produced weapons far superior to those made of steel.
With their high-quality steel equipment, the Knights vastly outmatched the centaurs' inferior gear, which was even worse than what Zaltarion's militia would use.
Without this advantage, Rynar's group would have struggled to match the centaurs blow for blow.
"Caslow! Summon the dragon!" Rynar commanded, his aura already half-drained.
Ordinary knights likely had little to no energy left, and another volley of the centaurs' spears could lead to casualties.
"Understood, my lord!" Caslow responded, his face twitching as he saw the centaurs drawing more wooden spears from their backs. Is this never-ending? Do they think those extra legs make them superior?
Although the centaurs' weapons were rudimentary compared to the Knights', their natural strength allowed them to carry over a dozen massive spears.
In their hands, these wooden weapons were just as deadly as metal ones.
A deep, resonant whistle echoed across the battlefield. A portal tore open in the sky, and the elongated silhouette of Kalador's dragon form emerged, darting forward with incredible speed.
"A dragon! A foul dragon!"
The centaurs, who had been readying another volley, fell into disarray.
Kalador's four-legged, two-winged silhouette in the sky bore an unmistakable resemblance to a mighty dragon, and the long, echoing roar left them trembling.
"Retreat! Fall back! A Dragon Knight!" The centaur leader's regret was almost palpable.
Had he known a Dragon Knight was among the knights, he would have turned tail and fled without hesitation.
Roar!
The dragon's breath swept downward, grazing the retreating centaurs and scorching the forest behind them.
Neigh! Agile centaurs twisted their bodies, trying to evade the dragon's breath that pricked their skin like needles.
The razor-sharp wind blades from the breath sliced through several centaurs, shredding their leather armor and cutting into their flesh. Blood quickly soaked their protective hides.
"Charge!" Rynar shouted, raising his arm. If we don't strike now, when will we? Even a barrage of wild blows can take down a master, let alone charging knights with lances in hand.
"Brethren! We fight to the death!" The centaur leader, seeing the forest so close yet so unreachable due to the dragon-scorched chasm, turned back in despair.
He gripped his spear and charged straight for Rynar, his eyes blazing with fury, hopelessness, and sorrow.
Noticing the centaur leader had left the range of the 'Shared Fate' skill, Rynar raised his Dragon Slayer Sword.
"Slash!" A blade of aura extended from Rynar's sword, slicing through the centaur's wooden spear in one stroke.
He immediately swung the sword again, aiming to end the leader's life with a decisive blow.
Thwang!
A terrifying force slammed into Rynar's hand.
The impact ruptured his gauntlet-covered palm, forcing him to release his Dragon Slayer Sword. He frowned, realizing that holding on would've ripped his shoulder from its socket.
"Who dares?" Rynar roared in disbelief. A single ordinary arrow had disarmed him. This level of skill could only belong to…
"Vanervi! What are you doing?" Rynar's fury soared as he spotted the rider galloping toward him. It was none other than Vanervi, the Prairie Elf Lord who had fought alongside him, a trusted ally.
Several knights lunged at the wounded centaur leader, their lances aimed at his exposed form. Yet, the leader, with unyielding strength, dodged and grappled with the knights bare-handed.
"King Rynar! Spare them!" Vanervi shouted from a distance.
Rynar, now face-to-face with the pinned centaur leader, pressed his Dragon Slayer Sword against the creature's throat. "Give me one good reason not to kill them!"
Boom!
Caslow descended atop his dragon, casting a menacing shadow over the restless centaurs.
"They're centaurs! Allies of the Prairie Elves!" Vanervi cried, gasping for breath as he rode closer.
"Your allies think they can freely occupy my lands and harm my people?" Rynar retorted, pressing his blade deeper into the centaur leader's neck. A thin line of blood trickled down.
"This must be a misunderstanding!" Vanervi pleaded, desperate to diffuse the tension.
"A misunderstanding?" Rynar's tone was icy. "Go ahead. Explain. I'm listening."
This close to catastrophic losses, Rynar wasn't going to let such a confrontation end with mere words.
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