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“What, is 20 too much? I don’t mind cleaning up half of them myself. What do you say?”
“You can’t do that, Boss! Half of them are my prey!” Ryder shot back, grinning at Howard’s playful suggestion.

“Then you’ll be our main force, Ryder. Go and slaughter them at the front lines! I will shoot at the air from here until the javelins run out! After that, I’ll join you to play. Gary, make sure the lower ranks are in groups of three! Make sure the dogs are slowed down and killed! They’re coming. Go! As soon as the battle starts, we’re sounding a Type 1 Alert! Ring the bell twice!”
“Roger!” With a quick bow, Gary and Ryder rushed off to take their positions.

Howard drew the Zweihänder from his back and thrust its tip into the ground. He then grabbed the nearest javelin, tossing it in his hand once or twice to test its weight and balance. Slowly, he twisted his torso and threw the javelin.

“Hmm!”

With a burst of power, the muscles across his entire body tensed for a brief moment before releasing like a coiled spring. The javelin shot forward, slicing through the air diagonally like a cannonball.

It flew in a straight line through the atmosphere. Just as it seemed on the verge of passing between the leaves and branches of the forest, a Brutal Bat suddenly emerged from the trees. The javelin effortlessly pierced the Brutal Bat’s body, bringing it down instantly.

The Brutal Bat was a massive beast, nearly a meter long with a wingspan of almost five meters. Its body was black, its mouth lined with long, razor-sharp fangs, and its nasal surface elongated. Ferocious by nature, it was one of those vicious Demonic Beasts that attacked any prey in sight, sinking its fangs into its victim without hesitation.

The huge black bat crashed to the ground and let out a high-pitched, strangled cry before dying. As if on cue, beasts began emerging from the forest one after another.

The Shadow Dogs—true to their name—were shadowy black, long-haired mountain dogs. These ferocious Demonic Beasts hunted in packs, and now they charged through the Amukham Forest in large groups, their red eyes gleaming and their fangs bared.

The forest road quickly became overrun with them. However, Ryder cut down the approaching Shadow Dogs one after another with a single stroke of his sword. Others followed suit, striking down the Shadow Dogs as they attempted to break through the forest path. Overhead, bats swoop through the sky, only to be pierced one by one by Howard’s javelins or shot down with arrows by archers.

The space in front of the station erupted into chaos, transforming into a battlefield drenched in blood. Amidst the violent clash, alarm bells rang out sharply—each striking twice—echoing throughout the village.

“Don’t underestimate the enemy! Keep observing all directions! Don’t overlook anything!”

Howard turned toward the watchtower and raised his voice. A strong, affirmative response echoed from the top of the tower in acknowledgment. After hurling all twenty or so javelins in his arsenal, Howard grabbed the Zweihänder that had been propped up and charged straight into the front lines. He moved like a true demon, wielding the massive sword—equal in height and weight to himself—with effortless precision. With every powerful strike, he cut down Shadow Dogs one after another.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a low-ranking soldier fall. Within moments, three Shadow Dogs lunged at the fallen soldier, their fangs poised to tear into him. Without hesitation, Howard drew his longsword from his waist and hurled it at one of the beasts, the blade piercing deep into its flank. At the same time, he sprinted forward, gripping his Zweihänder with his right hand only. With a single, devastating swing, he cleaved the second beast’s torso in two. Then, without breaking stride, he drove his left fist downward, shattering the spinal cord of the third creature.

The magic armor worn by middle and upper-ranked fighters was strong enough to withstand the Shadow Dogs’ fangs. However, the lower ranked soldiers’ armor held way less Mana and offered way less protection.

“There is no need to force your way forward! Stay on the defensive and take them down one by one with your comrades!”

Howard cast a glance at the fallen low-ranking soldier, who was being helped to his feet by his companions. After offering those words of advice, Howard retrieved his longsword and moved on to his next target.

Ryder Haggard continued to wield the knight’s sword he had cherished since his days in the knight order. The bloodletting grooves along the blade were adorned with magical inscriptions. As long as the wielder infused the weapon with Mana, the blade remained cloaked in holy aura, strengthened, and capable of cutting without dulling.

In the end, their enemies were nothing more than four-legged beasts. A simple strike to the front legs was enough to rob them of their mobility. With no solid armor to protect them, a normal strike could inflict a fatal wound. The only challenge was figuring out how to kill them efficiently. What if they were currently being overwhelmed in numbers?

Once a man of the Haggard family faced his enemy, retreat was never an option!

Ryder had boldly told Howard that half of the beasts were his prey. At the very least, he intended to cut down every black wave of Shadow Dogs that surged toward him.
If that wasn’t enough, he would have to hunt down the remaining Shadow Dogs that had scattered to the left and right.

“The men of Haggard are not so weak as to be intimidated by a mere pack of beasts this size,” Ryder growled, baring his teeth in a ferocious grin. With every swing of his blade, blood splattered from one end of the battlefield to the other.

Suddenly, a voice crackled through the magical voice transmission device, echoing across the area.

“Smoke rounds confirmed! Black and yellow! It’s the second station!”
“So they got through!”

As Howard struck down another Shadow Dog, he lifted his gaze toward the eastern sky. A thick column of black and yellow smoke curled into the sky. A black and yellow smoke signaled that a Demonic Beast had breached the protective fence of the station.

(It’s been about 30 minutes since the battle started… They held on well.)

At that moment, a chill ran down Howard’s spine. Without hesitation, he snapped his gaze toward the end of the forest road, eyes sharp and alert.

“RYDER! GET BACK!”

Howard slashed through the Shadow Dogs in front of him, trying to push forward to the front lines while shouting his warning. At that moment, something struck Ryder with immense force, sending him hurtling toward the entrance of the forest road.

Reacting instantly, Ryder used the flat of his knight’s sword as a shield to absorb the impact, twisting his body midair before landing. Though he had been thrown backward, he planted both feet firmly on the ground, braced himself, and swiftly regained his fighting stance without difficulty.

Then, shadows began to seep from the forest road, spreading like a dark tide.

“Phew, now I’m impressed. I didn’t think there’d be someone who could resist that. That was surprising.”

One of the shadows spoke. As the shadow slowly took on a human form, the atmosphere on the battlefield shifted drastically. A thick, nauseating stench of decay spread through the air—something far more sinister than the fresh scent of blood and torn flesh that had filled the battlefield moments before.

“Lawrence, don’t go off on your own!”
Another shadow took human form.

“That’s right, Lawrence! You always jump in first! It’s not fair!”
A third figure emerged.

“Well, the dogs are almost entirely wiped out! I knew that the defenses here would be tough.”
“Indeed, our timing for intervention was perfect, wasn’t it?”
“Still, deciding who gets first dibs is another matter, don’t you think? You’re always lenient when it comes to Lawrence, Barney!”

As more figures appeared, the oppressive presence of their sinister energy grew thicker. In total, there were 5 shadowy figures. Each wore a similar butler’s uniform, their silver hair gleaming under the dim light. Though they looked like beautiful boys and girls, their very existence exuded a poisonous aura, tainted with impurity.

By now, the horde of Demonic Beasts had been nearly annihilated. Moments earlier, morale had been high, and victory had seemed certain.

But the situation had shifted. The overwhelming presence of these figures paralyzed the lower-ranked fighters, rendering them unable to move. Even among the middle ranks, several were affected, their movements becoming sluggish and uncertain.

Meanwhile, the few surviving Demonic Beasts managed to break through and slip into the village. The higher-ranking warriors remained tense, watching for an opening.

“What’s this?! Why are you all so gloomy?”

The silver-haired butler, who appeared to be the last to arrive, said as she adjusted her suit as if brushing away her long hair.

At the same moment, a cry rang out from the top of the watchtower.

“This is bad! Get away from the Search Plate!”

A member of the group, who had been keeping watch and searching for the enemy at the top of the watchtower suddenly fainted. Luckily, they quickly confirmed that he was safe, and was just unconscious for the time being.

“Marcel. We don’t need to search anymore. Send the low-ranked soldier after the Demonic Beasts.”

At Howard’s command, the lower-ranked members of the group attempted to head toward the village together.

“Like I’d let you go.”

The first of the shadows to arrive, a butler referred to as Lawrence, waved his hand. Instantly, the shadows at their feet writhed like serpents, swiftly stretching out and piercing the shoulders and legs of the soldiers who were trying to leave. The shadows then dissolved as if melting into water. Those who had been struck collapsed on the spot, before fainting in agony.

“Sadly, they disappear the moment the sun touches them.”

The butler gazed down at the fallen ones with a smile and shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.

“Lawrence, I suppose you’re aware of this, but you can’t let them die just yet.”
“I know, Ahab. I’m holding back here, you know?”

“You b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲!!!” Howard made no effort to conceal his anger, baring his teeth in a furious glare.

“Come now, gentlemen! The opening act has ended! Starting now, you’re fighting us!”

The man in butler uniform, known as Lawrence, extended his hands and proclaimed to those present in a theatrical tone. The five butlers spread out in a line, their shadows writhing and twisting at their feet like restless ghosts.

A wave of tension rippled through the soldiers as they swiftly retrieved their weapons and prepared for battle. However, among them, only one remained still, his gaze locked onto the silver-haired man called Lawrence, his expression burning with fury. It was Ryder Haggard.

“It’s you… I’ll never forget you! I won’t forget you!!!”
“Ryder, what’s wrong?!”

While keeping his gaze on the enemy, Howard put his hand on Ryder’s shoulder.

“Boss… No, Sir Cloud. I’m sure he’s the one! I’d never forget him!”
“Ryder?”
“On that day ten years ago! He was the one holding me back! This face, this voice! I couldn’t ever forget them!!!”

Ryder’s memories were stirring. He remembered the scene back then, the emotions, and the taste of blood in his mouth.

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