The two stepped forward at the same moment. The death knight took the lead in attacking, and the great sword in his hand roared and tore through the air, like a dazzling thunderbolt, slashing straight at the opponent's head.
But Katoli's movements were faster than this lightning bolt. The girl's short black hair almost clings to the edge of the cold sword, but her eyes are focused on the target. The slender figure was like a light swallow, passing under the light with a slight difference, and the next moment, the dagger in the girl's hand powerfully slashed at the intruder's neck.
The death knight dodged the blow in time, but a large strand of silky gray hair was still cut off, and the broken hair was dancing around, and when the chaotic scene was blown away by the strong wind, the paladin's first The second wave of attacks is imminent. The steel shield "Thunder Binding" with bluish-blue filaments billowing on its surface directly hit the intruder's body—Katori was good at not just swordsmanship.
The cross attack of the short sword and the small shield made the opponent dizzy. Under the close confrontation distance, there was no room for the big sword to be used at all, and the death knight had to use his free hand to deal with the side kick of the paladin. Soon, he was forced to the side of the city wall.
You have nowhere to escape~! Katoli cut off all the opponent's escape routes, and poured all her strength into her left hand. Sensing her master's will to strike a decisive blow, the thunder binding radiated a strong light. This time, instead of dodging, the death knight responded with an elbow.
The overwhelming force caused the slender girl to lose her balance. Before landing on her back, Katoli quickly opened the distance between the two with a few back flips. The moment she stood firm, she was ready to defend, and the death knight was able to raise the great sword again.
Blue light flickered on the black cloak, making a hissing sound. Even if it was only at the moment of the attack, the intruder's arm was still burnt into charcoal, and the opponent could even clearly see the white bones inside, but the hands holding the big sword did not produce a single trace of it. trembling.
"Can't you feel pain? It's really a body suitable for fighting." Katoli said coldly, "However, it is precisely because I don't feel pain that I launch this kind of unreasonable war for my own ideas~ ! That’s why it brings so much suffering to the living~!”
The death knight's eyes froze for a moment: "Maybe... But that's the only way to achieve your wish. If it were you, there would be no other choice."
"Presumptuous~! Don't confuse me with you~!" Angry flames flashed across the girl's eyes, and the words were replaced by a blooming sword light, "I became a paladin to destroy you undead~!"
Facing Liuli's sharp edge, the death knight raised his sword again, and slashed at his opponent with all his strength.
Do you think it will hit me again in this way~! Katoli dodged lightly.
But this time, the vague bright silver trail changed direction unfathomably halfway. The moment the attack failed, the opponent turned a vertical slash into a sweeping sweep. Before the girl could react, the cold edge of the big sword was already coming towards her. The crisp sound of metal squeezing made eardrums tingle, and her arms almost lost feeling. At the critical moment, Katoli blocked this extremely powerful blow with her shield and sword. However, the body that was knocked into the air fell straight down from the narrow city wall like a kite with a broken string.
Endless darkness surrounded her from all directions, and the moment she fell, Katoli felt as if time had stopped, but the mournful wind immediately dragged her consciousness back to reality.
I absolutely cannot die here~! Those emerald eyes were full of firm will. The girl turned around her soft body, quickly adjusted her posture, and then thrust her dagger into the hard city wall with both hands. Under the violent friction, every part of the body felt as if the flesh had been gouged out by a dagger, causing heart-piercing pain. But the girl's hand didn't show any signs of loosening, she was still holding the sword handle firmly.
Liuli drew a huge wound on the black wall, and at the bottom of this eye-catching mark, Katoli's feet finally reached the ground, she pulled out the weapon with the last bit of strength, and then collapsed on the ground on the ground.
"Katori, are you okay? Katoli~!" Ren supported her before she fell down. The paladin's hands were trembling, and there was uncontrollable worry in his eyes. The girl's coat had long been worn to pieces under the violent friction, while bright blood slowly seeped out from the gaps in the silver chain mail inside.
"It's nothing, it's just a little scratch." Katoli's eyes still stayed on the city wall.
"How can you say that~!" Ren couldn't help raising his voice, "Don't move around, I'll treat you right away~!"
"I can do it myself."
"But you're hurt now..."
"Don't waste time, hurry up and chase that death knight~!" Katoli suddenly grabbed Ren's hand tightly, "It's just a wound like this, there won't be any problem~! Ren, don't let my Efforts are in vain~!"
Unforgettable sadness and unwilling helplessness are reflected in those emerald pupils.
It's like this every time... Ren's heart suddenly felt bitter, why should he be so obsessed with fighting? Why don't you pay more attention to the things around you? You who hate death knights so much, why do you always keep your eyes on them
"I'll go right away." Ren replied softly, and Katoli's tightly locked brows relaxed at that moment.
"No need, Your Excellency Ren is here to take care of this girl." A voice suddenly broke in, and looking along the source, it was a man who was nearly forty years old. His face was sharp and angular, his long brown hair fluttered in the wind, and the frayed scabbard and the huge longbow he carried were harmoniously integrated with that vigorous figure.
"I am Josephine. I will talk about the details later. Leave everything to me now," the man said. "Of course, the credit belongs to you, Your Excellency Katoli." He added with a smile.
"Wait, I don't care about that~!" The girl's fair face flushed immediately, but the other party had already gone away, like a gust of wind.
"It seems that he is a trustworthy person." Xiu Yin who rushed over commented, and at the same time ordered the defenders to quickly gather from both sides of this section of the city wall. The mage was in charge of the search in another area of the city just now, so he missed the opportunity to intercept the death knight, but his expression remained calm as usual—people who pursue the way of magic don't care about military exploits.
Ren didn't answer, but immediately began to pray, accompanied by pious murmurs, the golden light spread along his hands, flowing to the girl's body like a stream of water, the dazzling blood was washed by the light, gradually fade away. Before the curtain covering the chain mail disappeared, Katoli stood up unsteadily.
"Thank you, Ryan."
"How do you feel now?" The other party's tone was still very worried.
"Have some confidence in your beliefs. Although it still hurts, it's just a feeling. It's all healed~!" The girl replied with a smile, and tore off her tattered coat, "Xiu Yin, prepare to transfer to the phalanx. "
"This is my first time in Bozhiding. This place is very strange to me, and the urban environment has always been very complicated, so I can't use that kind of magic." The mage retorted.
"It's not that troublesome, just teleport to the city wall~!" Katoli pointed to the huge black shadow in front of her eyes.
"So that's the case, are you so impatient..." Xiu Yin whispered to himself in disbelief, and the light of the pentagram appeared at his feet immediately.
"It's a pity, that guy escaped." On the city wall, Josephine shook her head at the three people beside her, "But there are many dwarf warriors in Beridin, I can send a night search team."
"That will only cause unnecessary sacrifice." Katoli replied, she has been pursing her lips expressionlessly since just now, "That death knight is very special, much stronger than the others, even if we send a search There will be no results for the team. In the final analysis, this is still caused by my lack of ability."
"Katori..." Ren silently put his hand on the girl's shoulder.
"If only I could see through his blow back then." The girl lowered her head remorsefully.
"Don't mind, this is just one of the countless battles with the undead." Huin also walked to Katoli's side, "The result is the most important thing, isn't it? Besides, we have more important tasks to do Do it, as long as you can accomplish that mission, even if you miss here, it’s nothing. Cheer up, Captain.”
"Huh?" Katoli didn't react immediately.
"I'm talking about you, Captain Katoli, the leader of this mission." Josephine also smiled, and reached out to the girl, "I was in an emergency just now, so I'm sorry. Now please allow me Let me introduce myself formally. I am Josephine the Ranger, the manager of Beridin, but people call me the 'son of the forest'. The reason why I participated in this secret mission is not only to end the war as soon as possible, but also to find Find out how to revive your elf friends from their stupor. Please teach me."
Katoli turned around and stared at the man taller than her by a head: "The leader of this mission..."
"Yes." The three agreed unanimously.
The moonlight cast a layer of tulle on the bright black hair, and the girl's face became hazy because of this, but at this moment, the clear eyes were restless, showing a bright color like beautiful jade. Katoli held Josephine's hand: "Please give me more advice~! We will be able to successfully complete this mission~!"
When the moonlight gradually faded, Bozhiding, who had been restless all night, finally calmed down. After investigation, it was found that what was taken away by the death knight was the map of Josephine's jurisdiction. Although the detailed checkpoints and troop distribution are marked on it, it is of no use for the current war-Berzhidin is located in the western border area of Storgard, separated from the battlefield by a full half of the country, even if Relying on the power of the Gathering Demon Tower, it is impossible to send a large number of undead here to make a surprise attack, and the map is of course useless.
Maybe it was an action taken to cross the border smoothly
Is that death knight a member of the team sent by Ishutoli to find the power of the gods
Are they ahead of us now, or behind us
In that team... Will there be that person... Dark Eagle...
But Katoli kept the last question in her heart and didn't tell anyone.
Josephine quickly took measures, not only conveying the mutation to the Hall of the King of France, but also issuing a martial law order, hoping to be intercepted by the death knights at the border—after all, no matter how the undead are concealed, they are very conspicuous here. On the second day after the night raid ended, after everything was ready, the four-member team arrived at the border by the transfer phalanx. From there, they would travel on foot to the first stop outside the territory of the Luvis Alliance—Bei Lear Village.
"You can't use the transfer phalanx..." Xiu Yin finally couldn't help sighing, the hilly terrain along the way couldn't be considered flat.
Long-distance teleportation needs to rely on the magic circle in Luzhi Temple to condense the magic power and locate the destination in advance, while short-distance transmission requires accurate maps. After leaving the territory of the alliance, neither of these two conditions can be fulfilled.
"But if you pay attention now, it will be much more convenient when you come back." Josephine comforted the other party.
"Relying on personal strength, one teleportation is only a few hundred kilometers." The young mage was still very frustrated, "I don't know how far the road is..."
"Let's focus on moving forward, but tonight, we can take a good rest in the hotel." Ranger replied with a smile.
"Here we are." Katori, the leader, stopped in her tracks, staring straight ahead.
Rolling hills, clear rivers, lush green grass, noisy robins, and cute hares. The beautiful natural scenery delights the traveler. This land does not belong to Fahdod, the country of the West, nor does it belong to the Lewis Alliance. People here believe in Luvis, but they also keep the ancient traditions. Well-meaning visitors are greeted warmly, but there is no room for the wicked. This is Belial Village.
The four of them walked on the street and stopped until they turned a corner. In front of him was a white stone building with no decoration on the solid surface, which looked classical and simple. A distant and peaceful atmosphere is slowly flowing out from the open door, as if a warm current is lingering in the hall.
"It seems to be a temple?" Ren was a little confused.
"But it's not the temple of Luvis, there is no statue of the goddess Luvis here." Katoli turned her gaze to Josephine beside her, but the other just shrugged her shoulders, expressing that she knew nothing about it .
"I don't think there are any other gods in this world besides Luvis." Xiu Yin lowered his voice, "Or, Ishutori..."
"Young man, this is not the temple of Luvis." A hoarse voice came in without warning. Its owner was a man who was nearly forty years old. His muscles are well-proportioned and strong, even Josephine is a bit shorter in front of him. But what is more striking than that height is the right arm and right leg made of iron.
"Then what is this place?" The mage who was interrupted was a little unhappy.
"Are you travelers?" The man grinned and laughed, "This is the shrine of spirits, and every Belial knows what this building represents." He then patted the artificial limb with his sound left hand , "This is one of the results of the events commemorated by the Shrine of Spirits."
"Is the enemy invading? Are you a warrior?"
"It's getting late, I'll take you to the Old Oak Bar." The man looked at the gradually setting sun, which was busy painting warm orange on the white shrine of elves, "As for this period of history, just ask Bill, the best blacksmith in Belial, drinks rum, and you can learn everything you want~!"
"It seems to be very interesting." Katoli seemed to be infected by the humor. Even though she had to pay out of her own pocket, the girl had no intention of refusing. "This deal is fair, and I accept it. Please lead the way, Mr. Bill."
"Of course, and, even though the Beliers have never been to a big city, they are absolutely considerate of the etiquette of the beautiful lady, I promise~!" The blacksmith blinked.
Obviously, this blacksmith named Bill has done this kind of thing not once or twice. Because when a group of people entered the Old Oak Bar, no one was surprised by it. On the contrary, the villagers all smiled and congratulated Bill—there is no need to pay for alcohol today. And everyone's compliments on Katoli's beauty made the girl's fair face blush—even though she had received strict training and was a paladin with rich experience, Kato couldn't bear the compliments from many strangers. Li was still at a loss.
Now, Bill was already holding the rum bottle and sitting comfortably on the wooden chair, while Katoli, Huin, Ryan and Josephine sat around him. They plan to relax tonight. After all, there is still a long way to go, and listening to a historical legend is the best way to relax.
"That was seventeen years ago. According to your calendar, it should be the end of 216. Just as this young man guessed," Bill pointed at Ryan with a wine bottle, "I was a soldier at that time, Responsible for leading the garrison team of Belial Village. At that time, a team came, also four people. Both dwarves and orcs are experienced warriors, and they are equipped with powerful weapons. However, what really attracted us was the man female."
"The boy has long bright golden hair, and is a very beautiful person. Some people even suspect that he is a woman. And that girl... like the lady in front of me, has black hair and green eyes."
"Is it the same as me?" A wave flashed across Katoli's emerald eyes.
"Although seventeen years have passed, I still remember these two characteristics very clearly." Staring at the girl in front of him, the blacksmith's memory gradually became clearer, "I guess, even in a big city, Miss Katoli can She is one of the best beauties in the world. But that girl is not inferior to you at all. I am a rough person, I don't know how to describe it, but that feeling... I will never forget it... "
"At first we thought they were from Fahdod, the kingdom of the west, maybe descendants of elopements, dwarves and orcs were guards, and no one thought the boy could use the great sword he was carrying. But then, we Only then did I realize that those self-righteous guesses were nothing but big jokes."
"The team replenished water and food in this village. Although they looked very tired, no matter how we tried to keep them, they were determined not to stay here. They seemed to be very anxious to go to Alazea. And that incident , it happened that night."
"Is the enemy invading..." Ren asked softly.
"If it's human, I have the confidence to beat them back." Bill's answer was a little helpless, the blacksmith subconsciously touched his unconscious prosthetic limb, and then brought the bottle to his mouth, "But when I see clearly When I saw the faces of the demons, my legs were frightened. They are demons~! Demons from the Twisting Nether~!"
"I know that no one will believe it when they first hear this piece of history." The blacksmith glanced at the four people who couldn't hide their surprise with serious eyes, and the other villagers nodded silently to them, "But that's In fact, I searched a lot of information later, so I knew their names. Cerberus, Abyss Banshee, and Balrog, these things that can only appear in books are right in front of our eyes, and they are crazily destroying Everything~!"
"What I am proud of as the former captain of the garrison is that no one flinched at that time~! The soldiers suppressed their fear and rushed to the nearest hellhound. It killed one person with each of its three heads, but we also Stabbed it into a hornet's nest. The subsequent situation was terrible, there were a lot of hellhounds, and we couldn't hurt the Balrog. During the battle, I was swept by the Balrog's flame knife and passed out all of a sudden."
"If that team hadn't rushed back, not only Bill would have died, but even this village would have been razed to the ground." The hotel owner brought the fourth bottle of rum and picked up the blacksmith's words, "We don't It's clear how they learned about the dangerous fighting that took place here, and they didn't say a word about it afterwards, but the girl's healing skills were indeed superb."
"When I woke up, I found that I was dragged to a corner of the battlefield, and the wound had been carefully bandaged. And the boy was right in front of my eyes, fighting with the Balrog. The big sword was waving in his hand It made a loud roar, as if it was an extension of the arm, even on a dangerous battlefield, I have never seen such a battle~! Only then did I understand that he is not a nobleman, but a powerful Warrior~!"
"Then it started to snow in the sky, it was not ordinary snow, because the ice flakes flying in the air were sharper than sword blades, and they seemed to be guided, they would always shoot at those evil creatures, the demons had to Back off. At the time, I thought it was a miracle...but then I realized it was magic."
"Magic~!" Xiuyin couldn't help shouting, attracting everyone to look here, but Katoli coldly motioned the other party to calm down.
"That's right, you've heard of it, right? It's magic~!" Bill nodded, "The girl explained that this is a method of relying on will to influence the spirit world and the world, and with the help of the four holy kings of the spirit world The power of her, so we built the temple of spirits in the way she said to commemorate this incident. The loss of the village was heavy, and a lot of crops and houses were damaged, but people did not lose confidence. Although I can no longer be a warrior, but I can be a blacksmith, and the iron arm installed by magic is no worse than anyone else except that it is heavier~!"
"Can I ask a question?" Katoli interrupted the other party's narration.
"Please feel free."
"What's that girl's name?"
"old."
"Then the dwarf's name should be Muradin, and the orc's name is Astaros," the girl's face was covered with a layer of haze, "and that swordsman... the man with the big sword should be called Roland, right? Roland_S Treve."
"So you know them?" The blacksmith, whose senses were paralyzed by alcohol, replied in surprise, he did not notice the change in the surrounding atmosphere.
Katoli's lips moved, but it seemed that he had lost the function of speech, unable to answer the other party. The moment when the truth was glimpsed, the defenseless heart lost the cornerstone of support.
I will never admit it~! What are the lives sacrificed in the war to be worshiped just because they saved a village? Nothing can be the reason for that person to swing the sword, and any trace of the past can not be the reason to forgive him~!
After a while, Katoli finally answered under Ren's worried eyes.
"That's right, I know about him, but I'm also ashamed of it~!" The girl's tone was filled with repressed anger, her voice was not loud, but everyone in the bar could hear it clearly, "Even I have saved others, but I can't change that kind of personality. I will never agree with such a selfish guy who would become a death knight for his own hatred and join the war as a matter of course~! No matter what happened in the past, the current Roland , is already an evil undead known as the Dark Eagle~!"
"Katori, calm down..." Ren tried to hold the other's hand, but was thrown away.
"I'm calm now, and I believe that everyone here has no reason to refute me." Katoli showed an elegant but cold smile, "It's really not worth spending so much time listening to boring things. Excuse me, I Going to rest."
However, the screams from the street tore apart the stiff atmosphere at once. A garrison soldier covered in blood stumbled into the bar, his voice was filled with uncontrollable fear: "It's a devil~! The devil is coming~!"
"How is it possible?" Bill was the first to stand up.
An aura of turmoil and uneasiness poured into the crowd from outside the room.
Katoli immediately entered the battle state, and the anger in her eyes was instantly extinguished by her calm and sharp eyes. The slender figure showed an unimaginable lightness, and quickly passed through the tables of the bar and came to the cold street.
Opposite the bar door, six blood-red eyes were staring at the girl with a cold expression. It was a hellhound. It has three heads, each with sharp, protruding fangs. Acidic water dripped continuously from the slightly trembling corner of his mouth, causing bursts of foul-smelling smoke to rise from the stone path.
Katoli calmly assumed an offensive posture, she put the small shield in front of her body, and hid the short sword behind it. In the next instant, the girl rushed towards the hellhound in the darkness like a sharp arrow.
The three bloody mouths bit together, not only sealing the left and right sides, but also directly attacking Katoli's vitals. But the girl quickly lowered her body and slid past the monster's feet with the help of inertia. Liuli made a long and narrow wound on the hellhound's stomach, and Lei Fu wrapped the roaring lightning around its whole body. The three heads roared at the same time. But for a powerful demon, that's not fatal. Katoli also knew this, and at the same time she stood up, she leaped onto the opponent's back with a beautiful somersault, and buried the dagger deeply into the Cerberus' body.
"Catoli~!" Ren rushed out of the bar, but was caught in a hard fight—there were six hellhounds nearby, and their attention had all been attracted at this moment. Xiu Yin and Josephine immediately stepped forward to support, one chanted protective magic, and the other sniped the demon with a longbow.
The whole village was in a mess, and the flames shot up into the sky from time to time. The screams of women and children, the clash of swords and fangs, the explosion of fireballs, and the loud crash of houses collapsing, all eventually mingled into a demonic roar.
The sharp tip of the short sword explored the monster's body, and finally touched a hard object—the devil's heart, which was the source of the powerful vitality of the demons. Accompanied by the faint but clear sound of glass breaking, the Cerberus finally fell to the ground. However, Katoli has no time to rest.
The Balrog on the other street split open the house in front of him, roaring and came in front of the girl. This was the first time Katoli stood face to face in front of a mid-level demon. The opponent was over eight meters tall, taller than a two-story building. There are two huge horns growing on the top of the head, red light blooms from the pupilless eye sockets, and scorching magma erupts from all over the body from time to time, its tail swings leisurely, dragging a dazzling ray in the air track.
The Balrog holds a nine-headed whip in his left hand, while in his right hand is a broadsword made of condensed flames. This not only expands its confrontation distance to more than ten meters, but also prevents it from being at a disadvantage in close combat.
Is this the real devil? Katoli felt the cold sweat running down her spine. What lies ahead is a mighty force from the Twisting Nether, more dangerous than the undead, and more evil. My short sword was not made to fight this kind of thing... Can I defeat the opponent with my own strength alone
The girl hesitated, but she immediately remembered the conversation just now. ... If that person has ever done it... I have no reason to back down~! This time, I will defend the village~!
However, before Katoli could attack, the Balrog hissed in pain. A great sword wrapped in ice pierced its throat. The sword-wielder stood on the opponent's back, and at the moment when the scalding heat rushed towards him, he suddenly jumped off the demon's shoulders seven meters above the ground, still holding the sword handle tightly with both hands. Driven by the weight, the whole sword turned like the blades of a windmill, and swiftly cut off the Balrog's head.
The sharp horns plunged into the ground, and the headless mobile volcano also fell to the ground. The swordsman jumped up again, and accurately inserted the great sword into his trembling chest. With the shattering of the devil's heart, the whole body was turned into countless sparks and ashes in an instant.
Under the scattered light, the swordsman's long golden hair was reflected in Katoli's dazed eyes.