The vast base was utterly silent.
Knights looked around at each other, their gazes meeting as fear and hesitation spread among them.
Were they really going to risk their lives?
Now that Daniel had truly decided to fight to the death, they wavered.
After several battles, over a hundred people from the thousand-strong Base 22 had been lost.
Waves of injured and fallen soldiers were constantly being transported to the rear.
Some bodies had even disappeared entirely, likely swallowed by demons or left scattered across the Rose Wilderness, weathered by wind and sun.
Slaughter and death were the true face of war.
Even though Daniel had led them in a sweeping counterattack last time, who knew how many would perish if the brutal fights stretched on for days?
Thud, thud, thud!
Norn and Jolene mounted their armored warhorses immediately, and the three riders lined up, braving the cold night wind.
The merit officer stood in the crowd like an insignificant follower.
But now his breathing grew rapid, as if remembering something—wasn't it just like this back then? The first ones who followed the king had all achieved greatness!
High ranks!
Riches and luxuries!
The merit officer, no longer a young man and uninterested in women, found he couldn't resist the allure of status and wealth!
He hurriedly pushed through the crowd, grabbing the reins from a trembling elite knight, saying, "If you don't dare, I do."
The merit officer mounted the warhorse, nudging its sides and riding up to join Daniel and the others.
He gave Daniel a formal knight's salute, fully committed, placing his life and future in Daniel's hands.
"Sir Daniel, I'll follow whatever orders you give!"
The merit officer hadn't worn knight's armor in ages; his stomach, softened from lack of training, bulged slightly. Usually hidden under his long tunic, the iron shell now made him look less like a soldier and more like a drunken man desperate to escape.
Daniel smiled and nodded, looking out at the others. "If you're willing to fight, mount up! If not, hand over your horse!"
"I'm in! Oh, Daniel, wherever you go, I'll follow!" Anna declared right behind him, her gaze fixed on Daniel, unwilling to look away.
If it weren't for these damned demons, she'd already have Daniel under her control!
The overseer team, seeing this, cursed and joined in.
"Damn it, let's do this!"
"We're sticking with Daniel. I'm sick of the same old grind all these years! Coruna Heights' dancers better be ready for me! Haha!"
The overseer team was all local men.
Since childhood, they had all heard stories of Coruna Heights' Commoner King, and they understood better than anyone the value of Daniel's presence in this moment.
The dark swarm of demons was closing in, the ground itself trembling.
Soil on the small hill trembled and slipped down in clumps.
"Daniel, we believe in you!"
"Daniel, tell us—what do we do!"
More and more knights unsheathed their swords and joined, most of them having already fought alongside Daniel.
They had a deep respect for Daniel's unmatched command skills.
Some of the braver common knights even seized elite knights' armored warhorses; this might be their moment to shine, and if they hesitated, the opportunity would be gone, taken by someone else.
Daniel nodded and began to explain his plan.
In two simple words: decapitation.
To avoid early detection by humanity, the Demon Clan had placed their Nest Bats—whose wings glowed with a lava pattern—at the back of the demon horde.
The Nest Bats were a solid one to two minutes behind the front line.
And, as luck would have it, the three commanders of the Demon Clan were recklessly charging at the very front!
They looked powerful and imposing.
But now, it was humanity's turn to stage an ambush.
Daniel scanned the crowd; nearly seventy mounted knights were ready, more than enough.
And let's not forget, there were many seasoned knights here!
These veteran knights were not only skilled in combat but also adept in the art of Holy Light Arcane Energy.
Daniel made his final point clear: "We have one minute to take down those three commanders. The rest of you, follow up immediately and force them into retreat!"
Nobody questioned how Daniel knew the three Demon Clan commanders were at the front.
If he said so, they believed him.
As Daniel finished, the knights' eyes burned with intensity.
It was a battle that seemed hopeless, yet here was their sliver of hope.
Decapitating the enemy's leaders in the heat of battle—it was bold and thrilling.
Many of the old knights who had been here for over twenty years had never even seen the demon commanders, who always lurked in the shadows. Tonight, they would finally face them.
The merit officer chuckled, "Heh heh! There's no doubt—he's the future king."
Daniel's dominance was unmistakable!
"Knights, if we take down those three and don't see you backing us up, don't blame me for docking all your Merit Points down to zero!"
The knights still wavering with fear felt their minds go blank at the merit officer's words.
Docking Merit Points for not fighting?!
Why didn't he say so earlier?
Now they looked like fools standing there hesitating!
Daniel timed it just right, then suddenly shouted, "Follow me!"
The silver-white Unicorn leaped out from the base, followed by dozens of cavalry close behind.
Their goal was singular—the direction of Daniel's charge.
Clang!
The knights' swords were drawn!
The demon horde was already charging toward them.
With Daniel leading the rapid advance, the two forces were about to collide, leaving no time to evade.
Daniel's gaze was locked on the three brightly highlighted Evil Values ahead, his eyes blazing with intensity.
Come on!
The vanguard of the demon horde, led by Bull Demon Kent and his two companions, were momentarily stunned.
What?
Surely not?
How could the human knights still dare to charge at them? What was going on in those humans' minds?
Just a few dozen riders against tens of thousands of Demon Clan soldiers?
This was completely beyond their expectations, and they were so bewildered that they forgot to issue commands, just staring blankly as the two forces closed in on each other.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a flash of Holy Light sliced through the night sky, hurtling straight toward Bull Demon Kent.
Veteran high-ranking city knight Norn, a knight entrusted by the Holy Maiden herself, was far more powerful than the average knight!
With just one shot of Holy Light, Bull Demon Kent let out a horrified cry. In that split second, he felt an invisible pressure gripping his throat, making it nearly impossible to dodge.
No, the Holy Light was simply too fast; his attempt to sidestep couldn't keep up with its speed!
Splat!
Bull Demon Kent let out a tortured scream as a bloody hole appeared in his chest.
Norn's single strike ignited the morale of all the human knights.
They had forgotten—Daniel had Norn by his side!
Boom, boom, boom!
The two forces collided, and the knights' armored warhorses plowed through the Lesser Imps and smaller demons, sending blood and flesh flying as the demons shrieked.
In the face of the iron cavalry, the demons between the human knights and the three Demon Clan commanders were like a thin layer of paper, easily torn apart.
Daniel laughed heartily, and his Unicorn surged forward with ferocity, charging into the fray. Lesser demons and even human-sized demons were sent flying in all directions by the Unicorn's might.
How could the Demon Clan's infantry withstand the unstoppable tide of humanity's iron cavalry?
Boom, boom, boom!
"Ahhh!" Avian Demon Balu gripped the twin horns of his Fiery Rhino, frantically urging it, "You idiot, turn! Turn faster! Run!"
But the Fiery Rhino was too bulky, making an emergency turn impossible!
Clang!
With one powerful swing, Daniel struck the Fiery Rhino's horn, sending sparks flying.
Had Balu not spread his wings to dodge sideways, his head would have been sliced in two by Daniel's sword.
The rush of wind slapped against Balu's face, the force of the blade wind leaving him in awe as he realized the terrifying strength of the knight before him.
This was not the strength of a rookie knight!
Avian Demon Balu was utterly shocked.
Meanwhile, Succubus Naya's face turned pale green.
In such a short time, she suddenly realized they were surrounded by human knights!
How absurd!
They had come to launch a surprise night raid on the human knights, with their Demon Clan soldiers outnumbering the human cavalry by dozens, even hundreds. And yet, they had been encircled?
A few dozen cavalry had boldly charged into the demon horde, clearing away any demon foolish enough to stand in their way. Now, within their encirclement, only the three demon commanders and a few scattered demon soldiers remained.
Some knights focused on clearing out the lesser demons, while others held the defensive line, blocking the rest of the Demon Clan soldiers from advancing.
The strongest veteran knights were going berserk, targeting the three demon commanders with relentless ferocity.
Holy Light flared!
Blades sliced through the air!
"Hold off the outer demons! We're taking down these three big ones!" the overseer veterans shouted.
The merit officer hacked down a shrieking lesser demon, then stomped on its head, crushing it underfoot, and looked to the heart of the battlefield.
Bull Demon Kent had already been pinned under Norn's foot.
Avian Demon Balu tried to take to the air, but blasts of Holy Light came surging up from below, riddling Balu's wings with holes in just a few hits!
Balu plummeted from the sky, flapping his tattered wings in a panic, helpless and exposed as he struggled in mid-air.