The Gnolls were beaten into a steady retreat and began trying to flee, but Henry could only lead the blood-crazed soldiers onward, continuing their fierce assault.
SHUNK!
Henry’s battle axe got stuck in a Gnoll’s body. Left with no choice, Henry had to abandon his axe and draw his Two-Handed Greatsword to continue fighting.
In truth, Henry’s battle axe had long since lost its edge. Many of the Gnolls he’d cut down were actually finished off by the soldiers beside him.
With Henry’s fighting style, his weapons would definitely need repairs after a single battle, or even be beyond repair. It was too extravagant!
Switching to the Two-Handed Greatsword, Henry became even more terrifying. The immense force of his swings made the soldiers around him scramble to the side, afraid of being accidentally taken out by one of his strikes.
As Henry’s greatsword swung, Half-Beastman after Half-Beastman was cut down, and blood flowed like a river.
Covered in blood, Henry laughed, baring his teeth, and charged his next target.
Soon, the nobles’ Private Armies and a reserve unit from the Seventh Legion joined the fray. The Half-Beastmen’s reinforcements also arrived, making the scene even bloodier.
Every second, dozens of lives were extinguished. Ten or fifteen years of growth seemed like a joke; a single enemy attack was all it took to make all that time vanish into thin air.
At this moment, Henry had become the pivotal figure in this part of the battle. His immense strength left everyone in awe.
Even the aloof nobles who disliked him couldn’t help but deeply admire Henry’s Bravery.
The Gnolls began to rout, frantically crashing into the supporting goat-man troops behind them. This gave the nobles’ Private Armies a chance to beat them while they were down.
The soldiers who had originally been fighting alongside Henry had already withdrawn. They had no strength left to fight, and their casualties were too high—they had lost a full third of their number. It was all thanks to Henry that they hadn’t routed.
The plains were now filled with the thick stench of blood, and the ground was stained red. The sun’s rays shone down on the bloodstains, as if trying to drive away the gloom.
Standing in a pool of blood, Henry looked exceptionally savage and terrifying.
He was breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on the clashing armies before him. He had no choice but to rest where he stood, or even fall back to recover.
He was out of energy too. He had no idea how many Half-Beastmen he had killed, but it was definitely at least a hundred.
Bain and Philip rushed to Henry’s side with their troops, forming a protective circle around him.
"My lord, you can’t fight like this! Why did you suddenly charge out on your own?! You have a fief, a good life ahead of you! There’s no need to risk it all like this!"
Henry smiled at the agitated Bain. He wasn’t doing it for the spoils of war, but for... ’Upgrade and training points. Yes, that must be it.’
’It couldn’t possibly be that Henry just wanted to chop something up! Impossible, absolutely impossible!’
"Philip, take the Cavalry over there and bring back my warhorse. I need to rest.
"Bain, keep the nine veteran shield-bearing Crossbowmen with you. You’ll command the rest. Charge in there for me! It’s time to prove your abilities!"
After receiving his orders, Philip led a squad of Cavalry and galloped off into the distance. Not long after, he returned with Henry’s warhorse.
At Bain’s command, he led by example, leaping from his horse and leading the soldiers behind him in a swift charge onto the battlefield.
The New Recruit Team, holding sharp swords, unhesitatingly cut down any Half-Beastman they saw. They formed a Shield Array, compressing the battlefield step by step and reaping the lives of the Half-Beastmen.
Boman and Fass, who had already joined the battle, both noticed Bain and were deeply shocked.
’Seriously? It’s one thing for Henry to be this ferocious, but why is his Attendant so ruthless?!’
Bain led the soldiers in a valiant charge. His courageous display caught the attention of the other soldiers, and those who had spontaneously formed ranks to follow Henry now began to rally around Bain.
On the battlefield, battle cries rose and fell. Henry sat on his warhorse, observing the state of the battle. Seeing the New Recruit Team led by Bain gaining a local advantage, he was secretly pleased.
Just then, a gust of wind blew past, carrying the thick scent of blood. Henry took a deep breath, feeling the cruelty of war.
’This is nothing but a slaughterhouse!’
The battle had now been raging for a full six hours and dusk was approaching. Both sides had already rotated their frontline troops three times. The war had reached its most intense moment!
The Third Legion Commander now noticed the localized fighting on the right flank and asked, "Did you people from Autongard call over every competent noble on the entire steppe?"
Sebastian shook his head and said, "As you can see, it is the Bravery of Knight Henry Bro that has stirred the nobles’ blood. Perhaps they wish to recreate the glory of the first nobles?"
"Marquis Alberti Leonar Batista, have your Eleventh Legion’s Elite Armored Cavalry attack from the right flank. I’ll have my steppe heavy Cavalry Bowman battalion hit them from behind!"
Alberti Leonar Batista, Legion Commander of the Eleventh Legion, was a true upper echelon of the empire. He came from a line of court Dukes and had a trace of royal blood—just a little, of course.
He was both a Directly Affiliated Marquis of the King, possessing vast territories, and a Legion Commander of the empire, wielding immense power.
Among the three Legion Commanders, Alberti held the highest status, while the Third Legion Commander held the lowest. This was because his Legion had been targeted in a surprise attack by the Half-Beastmen and had suffered heavy losses.
Marquis Alberti looked at Henry’s family banner and asked, "What was his name again?"
"Henry. Knight Henry Bro, the lord of Westwood Laine."
The Marquis repeated the name a few times under his breath and said admiringly, "His military achievements are great... That name sounds familiar. Was he the one who proposed this trailblazing war as well?"
"That’s right. He was the first on the entire eastern border to propose submitting a joint report."
"He’ll make a complete turnaround in this trailblazing war and become a great noble. He might even consolidate his titles and become a Count."
Soon, the true elite Cavalry units began to move. Their entry into the field meant the Half-Beastmen on the right flank could do little but wait for death.
The Elite Armored Cavalry only showed a bit of hesitation when charging Minotaurs, Bearmen, and Tiger-men. As for the rest, even Centaurs, they were all just lambs to the slaughter!
Watching the Elite Armored Cavalry rampaging across the battlefield, Henry felt a new surge of strength. He spurred his warhorse and charged toward the Half-Beastmen.
Meanwhile, the Third Legion’s last elite unit, the steppe heavy Cavalry Bowman battalion, showed off their high mobility and explosive power!
The Half-Beastmen’s ranged troops—swathes of Rabbit People and Fox People—were shot down. The heavy Cavalry Bowmen and their horses were both armored; only the Javelins of the Centaurs and Tiger-men posed a real threat to them.
Some of the lesser nobles with smaller forces had already withdrawn from the field. They couldn’t continue fighting. No one would dare erase their contributions, so it was better for them to retreat.
Plunging back into the meat grinder, Henry was not as Skillful and Confident as before, but under the light of dusk, his Two-Handed Greatsword still claimed a Half-Beastman’s life with every swing.
’Fighting... feels good!’