Chapter 194 — The Beast General

  Back on the southern battlefield, the plan had worked.

  Too well.

  The adventurers had successfully broken through the encirclement with more than half their forces intact. The remaining beast armies had been lured into pursuit, exposing their flank exactly as planned.

  It was supposed to buy them time.

  But now the enemy army surged toward them in full force.

  Even so, Caelum remained calm.

  If things continued like this, he believed he could still lead the troops to victory.

  Then the battlefield changed.

  Silva arrived.

  The general of the Beast Army.

  One of the Eight Great Demon Generals.

  The moment he stepped onto the field, the atmosphere shifted.

  The towering werewolf stood nearly twice the height of a man. His fur was silver-gray, his body lean yet powerful. There was nothing savage about the way he moved.

  Instead, his posture felt almost… noble.

  Graceful.

  Sacred.

  And the pressure radiating from him made even veteran adventurers struggle to breathe.

  Caelum exhaled slowly.

  Well… this is bad.

  With a single glance, he understood.

  This was no ordinary enemy.

  The dragon he had once slain felt trivial compared to the monster standing before him.

  Fighting Silva did not guarantee victory.

  In fact—

  If this continued, Silva alone could annihilate the entire retreating force.

  Caelum raised his lance.

  “Maris! Lysette! Sylra! With me!”

  “The rest of you—retreat!”

  For a moment, no one moved.

  “…Huh?”

  The adventurers stared at him in disbelief.

  They had nearly won.

  They had broken the encirclement.

  They were on the verge of breaking the enemy’s final line.

  And now he was ordering them to retreat… because of one werewolf?

  Even if that werewolf was the enemy general.

  “Sir! Together we can fight!”

  Rivel stepped forward with a roar. Several adventurers followed him.

  Yet—

  “No.”

  Vaelis grabbed Rivel’s shoulder.

  Her face had gone pale.

  Vaelis was strong. Far stronger than Rivel.

  But every instinct in her body screamed the same thing.

  Run.

  That creature before them was not something they could defeat.

  Not even together.

  “You have good instincts, kid,” Caelum said quietly.

  Then he looked toward the others.

  “Boys. Lead the retreat.”

  “BUT—!”

  “That’s an order.”

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  Rivel clenched his fists.

  Many adventurers still wanted to stay.

  But then they looked at Caelum’s back.

  And suddenly they understood.

  That was the back of a man who had already accepted death.

  “…Dammit!”

  Rivel turned away.

  “All of you! Follow me!”

  Vaelis joined him immediately.

  “I’ll wait for you at the fortress, Sir Caelum!” Rivel shouted over his shoulder.

  “Don’t be late!”

  “…Yeah.”

  The adventurer army began to retreat.

  Silva did not even bother giving orders.

  He simply raised a clawed hand.

  The beast army surged forward like a tidal wave.

  “Not on my watch!”

  Caelum charged.

  The Tempest Lance erupted with wind.

  Maris, Lysette, and Sylra moved with him.

  The legendary party known as Dragon Piercer had entered the battlefield.

  Battle of Dragon Piercer

  Maris fired first.

  The Amazon warrior planted her feet and drew her massive siege bow.

  The bowstring groaned under impossible tension.

  Then—

  THOOM!

  The arrow exploded forward like a ballista bolt.

  Silva moved.

  Not backward.

  Forward.

  His clawed hand struck the arrow’s shaft.

  CRACK

  The projectile shattered midair.

  Fragments scattered like rain.

  Before they even hit the ground—

  Caelum was already upon him.

  “Tempest Charge!”

  Wind exploded beneath his steed as he lunged forward.

  Aurelia Tempestum extended into a cavalry lance and struck with thunderous speed.

  Silva turned slightly.

  One claw brushed the lance aside.

  The impact tore open the air behind him.

  Yet the demon general remained untouched.

  “Too slow.”

  His fist shot forward.

  Caelum twisted in the saddle as the blow tore past his ribs.

  Valeriant galloped past Silva, carrying his master out of the strike’s path.

  Lysette’s voice rang out.

  “Burn!”

  Flames erupted across the battlefield.

  A massive wave of fire surged toward Silva like a living inferno.

  Silva stepped forward.

  His claws moved in blinding arcs.

  Each strike split the fire apart as if tearing cloth.

  The flames collapsed around him.

  He emerged from the inferno completely unharmed.

  “…Impressive coordination,” Silva muttered.

  Then he vanished.

  Sylra reacted instantly.

  “Above!”

  Silva’s claws descended like falling guillotines.

  Maris jumped back as the ground exploded beneath the impact.

  Sylra slipped behind Silva’s flank.

  Hidden blades flashed toward his neck.

  CLANG

  The blades struck his fur—

  And stopped.

  They couldn’t even pierce the surface.

  Sylra’s eyes widened.

  Silva turned.

  His elbow slammed backward.

  Sylra barely crossed her arms in time.

  The impact launched her across the battlefield.

  Maris fired again.

  Two arrows this time.

  Silva caught one.

  The second struck his shoulder—

  And snapped.

  Lysette unleashed a barrage of flame spears.

  Caelum charged again through the storm of magic.

  Their attacks came from every direction.

  Perfect coordination.

  Perfect timing.

  This was the strength of Dragon Piercer.

  Yet Silva stood alone against them.

  And smiled.

  “Come.”

  His body blurred.

  He slipped between Caelum’s lance and Lysette’s flames.

  One palm struck Caelum’s chest.

  The shockwave hurled the knight from his steed.

  A kick shattered Maris’s next arrow mid-flight.

  Another strike dispersed Lysette’s magic circle before it could complete.

  Within seconds—

  The legendary party had been forced apart.

  Silva stood calmly at the center of the battlefield.

  Four heroes.

  One demon general.

  And somehow—

  Silva looked completely in control.

  He glanced toward the retreating adventurers disappearing into the distance.

  “…So this was merely a delaying action.”

  His golden eyes returned to Caelum.

  “You are buying them time.”

  Caelum slowly rose to his feet.

  Wind gathered around the Tempest Lance.

  “…Yeah.”

  Silva flexed his claws.

  “Then show me.”

  The air grew heavy.

  “Show me how long you can last.”

  The storm began to rise.

  Caelum raised his weapon.

  “Vexillum Tempestatis!

  Banner of the Tempest!”

  Light burst across the battlefield.

  Wind surged outward.

  Power flowed into every ally within range—Dragon Piercer and the retreating army alike.

  Strength soared.

  Speed sharpened.

  A cloak of wind wrapped around them.

  But the ability could only be used once a week.

  Caelum mounted Valeriant again.

  This time—

  He charged faster than before.

  Silva’s eyes widened.

  He raised both hands to receive the attack.

  BOOM!

  “Kuh—!”

  The massive werewolf slid backward several meters.

  Maris resumed her volleys.

  Three arrows.

  Silva leapt back to create distance.

  First arrow—dodged.

  Second—parried.

  The third flew straight for his face.

  No time to evade.

  CRUNCH!

  Silva opened his jaws and bit the arrow in half.

  His eyes turned bloodshot.

  Slash!

  “Kuh!?”

  A cut opened across his back.

  Sylra’s blade had finally pierced his defense.

  But neither Sylra nor Caelum pressed forward.

  They immediately disengaged.

  “Die, you stinking dog!”

  A massive sphere of flame descended from the sky.

  Silva crossed his arms.

  BOOM!!!

  A small mushroom cloud erupted.

  In the distance, Rivel clenched his fists.

  “Yes! Did we get him!?”

  “…”

  Vaelis slowly turned toward him.

  Several adventurers did the same.

  “You idiot.”

  “You just jinxed it.”

  “…Ah.”

  Rivel stiffened under her glare.

  The smoke slowly began to clear.

  A massive silhouette stood within the burning crater.

  Tall.

  Unmoving.

  Silva stepped forward.

  His robes had been reduced to ash. Several patches of silver fur were scorched black.

  But the Beast General still stood.

  Unshaken.

  “…Good.”

  His voice was calm.

  Almost pleased.

  He lowered his arms slowly.

  Across the battlefield, the surviving adventurers felt their stomachs drop.

  That attack had been enough to kill most monsters outright.

  Yet Silva looked merely… inconvenienced.

  Golden eyes swept across the four members of Dragon Piercer.

  His fur still raising smoke.

  Blood drip from the corner of his mouth.

  “Now,” he said quietly,

  “I no longer need to hold back.”

  A cold realization struck Caelum.

  Silva had been restraining himself.

  Not because he feared them.

  Because he had been waiting.

  Waiting until the battle escalated.

  Waiting until the humans believed they still had hope.

  Silva flexed his claws.

  The air itself grew heavier.

  His gaze briefly followed the retreating army.

  Then returned to Caelum.

  “…Yes.”

  Now the stage was perfect.

  If humanity’s greatest banner fell here—

  Their morale would collapse completely.

  The Beast General stepped forward.

  And the battlefield itself seemed to recoil.

  “Come then.”

  His golden eyes burned like predatory suns.

  “Show me the limits of your hope.”