C22 Highborn Demon
Shen Wuyou's furious roar snapped the townspeople's attention back to the battlefield.
There was no time for fear or worry!
With no retreat available, they had to repel the devil tide or... perish!
"Quick, light the fuse!" Ergou bellowed, leading a group of young men who were ready to ignite the bombs on the catapults. As the fuses caught fire, the catapults hurled the explosives toward the oncoming devil tide.
Six catapults stood ready, crafted by the town's woodworkers who had labored day and night for seven days. Bomb after bomb was launched.
The bombs traced arcs through the air before plummeting into the masses of the devil tide.
Boom!
Boom!
Explosions echoed, sending sharp metal shrapnel flying in every direction. The lowborn demons at the forefront were torn asunder, their agonized cries filling the air.
Despite the heavy losses, the demons in the rear pressed on undeterred, embodying the most horrifying aspect of the devil tide: mindless monsters unafraid of death.
Regrettably, there were simply not enough catapults.
Even amidst the devastation, the devil tide continued its relentless advance toward Redrock Town.
Only two hundred yards remained until they reached the first minefield defense line.
As the initial wave of the devil tide entered the minefield, the fuses were triggered, setting off the buried bombs in an instant!
Boom! Boom!
A more ferocious barrage of explosions erupted from the front lines.
Like divine retribution, fire and smoke enveloped the area, flinging groups of lowborn demons skyward, robbing them of even the chance to lament their fate.
The explosions never ceased, the deafening blasts threatening to leave the onlookers stunned.
The billowing dust obscured all visibility. The armed townspeople could no longer discern the devil tide's position, their hearts filled with silent prayers.
Atop the watchtower, Shen Wuyou's gaze was fixed on the battlefield, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. His heart pounded with the intensity of a war drum.
The fate of five thousand souls rested solely in his hands.
If we can't hold back the devil tide, Redrock Town will descend into hell!
At that moment, amid the billowing smoke from the explosion, a lowborn demon breached the minefield.
Only a hundred zhang separated it from the townspeople!
A hundred zhang... Three hundred meters!
The lowborn demon was battered and torn, missing limbs and drenched in crimson blood. The townspeople could clearly see its razor-sharp appendages and smell the foul stench of its blood.
"Roar!"
The lowborn demon let out a ferocious roar.
The townsfolk shuddered, their fear of the devil tide deeply ingrained in their subconscious.
"Don't be afraid!" Shen Wuyou drew his longsword, pointing it at the looming threat, and declared, "If the devil tide breaches our second line of defense, I will stand and fight alongside you!"
The townspeople clenched their weapons, bracing themselves for the confrontation with the demons.
"Bring it on, cursed devil tide!"
"I'll fight you with everything I've got!"
Just then, an arrow whistled through the air.
Thud!
The arrow struck the lowborn demon squarely in the skull, pinning it to the ground behind. The demon fell without a sound, dead before it hit the dirt.
Shen Wuyou turned to see Chiying, the one who had loosed the deadly shot.
Chiying's duty was to protect Shen Wuyou, and she had been reluctant to exert too much effort in battling the devil tide, knowing that she might need to escort the Crown Prince to safety in Echurgh if the worst came to pass.
But witnessing the valiant efforts of Shen Wuyou and the townspeople, Chiying's resolve wavered.
"Lord Crown Prince, I'm on my way!"
She leapt down to the base of the watchtower and called out to the twenty guards, "All soldiers, follow me into battle and slay our foes!"
The warriors who had accompanied Shen Wuyou to Redrock were the cream of the crop from the King of Dawnward's personal guard. They unsheathed their weapons and rallied behind Chiying, storming into the fray!
Most of the devil tide had been decimated within the minefield, meeting a grisly end, but a few managed to break through. The twenty guards coordinated seamlessly, dispatching each interloper who dared cross the minefield, beheading them with swift and clean strokes.
Blood splattered and heads tumbled to the ground. Even demons, made of flesh, could be slain!
Witnessing this, the villagers of Redrock overcame their fear.
"Kill!"
With a furious roar, they charged into battle.
The fierce spirit of Redrock's people shone through at that moment.
Armed with machetes, hoes, and dung forks, they plunged their makeshift weapons into the wounded bodies of the lowborn demons, who had been battered by the lightning. It was as though they were releasing centuries of pent-up frustration from their ancestors' destroyed homes and the rage over their kin being brutally murdered and devoured.
"Demons! To hell with you!"
"I must avenge my sister!"
Within half an hour, the twenty guards, along with the Redrock townsfolk, had slain hundreds of lowborn demons.
The explosions began to dwindle. Amidst the smoke and flames, there were now long pauses between the bursts of new fire and blasts.
The lowborn demons that had breached the lightning zone were no more.
Boom!
A final explosion echoed, marking the passage of time since the last cup of tea had been poured.
The dissipating smoke revealed the barren wasteland that was once the lightning zone.
Everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the scene before them.
Now, only charred bodies littered the ground; not a single demon stood. The corpses, still ablaze, emitted a foul, burnt odor that mingled with the night breeze and wafted across the wasteland.
This acrid smell brought a sense of reality.
They were not dreaming; this was no illusion.
It was true, it was reality—they had held back the devil tide!
They had protected their homeland!
"We... We've won!"
"We've won, we've won!! We held back the devil tide!!"
Whether on the battlefield or guarding from behind, everyone erupted in cheers. They dropped their weapons, raised their arms in victory, and embraced one another.
Some collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Little sister, little sister, I've avenged you at last!"
Shen Wuyou, stationed atop the watchtower, also exhaled a deep breath of relief.
At last, it was over.
Yet, in that moment of triumph, Chiying, at the forefront of the battlefield, saw something that made her face go pale. She lifted her longsword high and bellowed, "Prepare to engage the enemy!"
Before anyone else could respond, the twenty guards had already clenched their weapons and formed a defensive line, their expressions grave as they stared ahead.
Approaching from where the wasteland met the sea was a solitary figure.
She was a woman clad in black armor, wielding a long spear, and the solitary horn on her forehead confirmed her identity—a highborn demon!
