Lord: I can see loyalty.

Chapter 272 Slaying! Christ

The tent was filled with smoke and dust, and the tattered tent fabric fluttered in the gusts of air. The candles had long since gone out, and only moonlight shone through the torn gaps, illuminating two figures facing each other.

Christ was covered in blood, his armor was shattered, and the wound on his shoulder had torn open to reveal the white bone, but he still held his sword aloft and his hand was still gripping the hilt.

His breathing was rapid, like a broken bellows, and each breath carried the smell of blood.

But his eyes remained fixed on Vio, without fear or hesitation, only a near-mad obsession.

Vio looked at his brother, who was covered in wounds, and felt no pity, only confusion and annoyance.

He didn't want to kill him, not because he was soft-hearted, but because he felt it was unnecessary.

A third-tier Grand Knight is more useful alive than dead.

But Christ didn't give him a choice. He pounced on him again and again, was repelled again and again, and got up again and again, like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair, fighting to the death.

"Do you want to die that badly?" Vio's voice turned cold, his Demon Feather Sword pointing diagonally at the ground, the tip still dripping blood.

Christ didn't answer, but gripped his longsword tighter and charged forward again.

His speed had slowed considerably, and his steps had begun to falter, but his sword remained sharp.

The sword was aimed at Vio's throat, at a tricky angle, carrying his last bit of strength and determination.

Vio dodged to the side and slashed at Christ's wrist with his sword. The blade sliced ​​through Christ's right wrist, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound. Blood gushed out, his fingers convulsed, and the sword almost slipped from his grasp.

But he didn't let go; he just gritted his teeth, switched the sword to his left hand, and continued to thrust.

Vio frowned, holding his magic shield in front of him to block the sword, while his right magic glove glowed red.

A fireball shot out from his palm, heading straight for Christ's chest. The distance was too close, and Christ had no time to dodge, so he could only raise his sword to block.

The fireball exploded, and the enormous impact sent him flying, crashing through the back wall of the tent and landing on the open ground outside.

His longsword flew out of his hand and landed on the ground with a crisp sound.

Vio stepped out of the tent. In the moonlight, Christ lay on the gravel ground, covered in blood, his armor shattered, and a large charred burn on his chest.

His lips moved as if he were saying something, but his voice was too soft to be heard.

Vio walked up to him and looked down at him.

"Why?" Vio asked again, his voice calm and undisturbed.

Christ looked at him, and finally a different emotion appeared in his gray eyes—not anger, not resentment, but something indescribable.

His lips moved a few times, but he ultimately didn't say anything.

Vio's brows furrowed slightly, and Christ refrained from speaking, only raising the corners of his mouth slightly in a bitter smile.

His eyes gradually lost their luster, his pupils dilated, and his breathing stopped.

The hand that once held the sword now hangs limply on the ground, its fingertips still stained with blood.

Vio remained silent for a moment, then sheathed his Demon Feather Sword.

He felt no regret or sadness, only a sense of absurdity that someone had lost their life for a nonsensical reason, along with dozens of elite guards.

"Your Excellency." Alec walked to his side, looking at the corpses on the ground, his gray eyes expressionless. "Twelve of his personal guards are dead, and eight have escaped. The White Horse family's elite forces have been basically wiped out this time."

Vio nodded.

"Collect the body and send it to the White Horse family's camp tomorrow. Tell them that Christ Ross died in an attempted assassination of the Earl of the South."

"Yes, ma'am."

Vio turned around and went back into the tent.

He took off his blood-stained shirt, put on a clean one, and sat on his cot. Alec followed him in and stood beside him.

"Your Excellency, are you alright?"

"It's alright." Vio closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard. "Strengthen patrols. No one else should come tonight, but we still have a tough battle to fight tomorrow."

Alec nodded, turned and walked out of the tent.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the sound of bugles echoed throughout the camp.

The Southern Army arrayed itself outside the city, with the Azure Peak Knights in the center, the Whale Knights on the left flank, the Grey Wolf Knights on the right flank, and the militia at the rear.

The flags fluttered in the morning breeze, and the soldiers stood silently and attentively.

After a night of rest, morale was restored considerably, especially after learning that Christ had been killed and the White Horse Clan's elite troops had been wiped out, which ignited an even stronger fighting spirit in the soldiers' eyes.

Vio stood on horseback at the front of the formation, a magic-feathered sword hanging at his waist, a magic glove on his right hand, and a calm gaze.

Behind him, Alec's armor gleamed in the morning light.

At this moment, Flynn, the musketeer captain who had joined the Southern Territory, had already led his musketeers to the flank after Vio's loyalty check.

His musket was already loaded, and the muzzle was pointed at the Northern Army.

The Northern Army's lines stretched out on the opposite side, with the banners of the Black Serpent family and the Griffin Legion fluttering in the wind.

But the White Horse family's banner had disappeared, and their position was empty, with only a few stragglers standing there, their faces full of fear and confusion.

Christ was dead, his personal guard was wiped out, and the thousands of men brought by the White Horse family lost their leader and their morale plummeted.

Cedric stood on horseback at the front of the formation, his face ashen.

He also saw the corpse sent from the Southern Camp and the routed soldiers of the White Horse Clan.

He had no idea that Christ had gone to assassinate Vio at night.

By the time he learned of this news, Christ had already set off.

But Cedric thought he could at least seriously injure Vio and disrupt the command in the Southern Territory.

But now, the assassin is dead, the Earl of the South is still alive, and the White Horse family is ruined, so his military advantage has shrunk even further.

"Your Majesty, the Bai Ma family is disobeying orders." The adjutant rode closer, his voice filled with anxiety. "They say they want to return to Bai Ma Ridge and don't want to fight anymore."

"Get them out of here." Cedric's voice was as cold as ice. "It's better without this bunch of trash. Don't let them disrupt the order of the other troops."

The adjutant opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing Cedric's expression, he kept quiet.

On the front lines in the southern border, Vio raised his hand.

"attack."

As the bugle sounded, the army from the south began its advance.

The black-armored cavalry of the Azure Peak Knights charged out first, followed closely by the Giant Whale Knights, while the giant wolf knights of the Grey Wolf Clan flanked from the flank.

The militia phalanx moved slowly forward, spears like a forest and shields like a wall, with Flynn's musketeers following on the flanks, searching for the Northern Army's commander.

The Northern Army's lines began to shift, with the Griffin Legion and the Black Serpent's cavalry advancing to meet them.

The two armies clashed again on the plain, the sounds of metal clashing, shouts of battle, and the neighing of warhorses mingling together, creating a deafening roar.

Vio drew his Demon Feather Sword and spurred his horse toward Cedric.

He knew that only by defeating Cedric could the morale of the Northern army be completely shattered.

Cedric saw him too, drew his griffin greatsword, and went to meet him. Their eyes met on the battlefield, sparks flying.

"Cedric, are you satisfied with the gift I gave you?" Vio asked, drawing his sword.

"Count of the South, today is your death day!" Cedric ignored the taunts and the two clashed.

Vio raised the Demon Feather Sword, and the runes on his gloves glowed blue.

The two generals clashed once more, their swords flashing and magic roaring, turning the open space in the center of the battlefield into their arena.

Meanwhile, the soldiers around them, led by their respective generals, were engaged in a fierce battle.

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