Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 485 - 485 227 Encirclement Situation

485: Chapter 227 Encirclement Situation 485: Chapter 227 Encirclement Situation …A damp cold wind began to blow in the sky, its presence unnoticed until now.

Leon hunched low on the back of his griffin, relentlessly chasing the fleeing Scorpion-tailed Lion Knights ahead.

Using the advantage of superior speed, he steadily closed the distance.

Suddenly, Death Claw, carrying Leon, pierced upward through the overcast clouds.

The two Scorpion-tailed Lion Knights glanced nervously over their shoulders, only to find that the pursuing griffin had vanished from sight.

Realizing the impending danger, they yanked the reins binding their mounts, diving rapidly to decrease altitude and escape the looming storm clouds above.

Although the two believed that a two-on-one battle against the Orland Griffin Knight was not unwinnable, they prudently sought to rendezvous with their comrades in the southern aerial sector, ensuring numerical superiority in the confrontation.

The accelerating descent offered momentary relief to the knights of Kantadar.

Suddenly, ahead on the ground, a large contingent of Urian cavalry appeared, further easing their wary hearts.

——Boom!

Thunder exploded in an instant.

A bolt of lightning tore down from the turbulent heavens, streaking towards the flight path of the Scorpion-tailed Lions ahead.

The fierce electricity struck squarely upon the back of one Scorpion-tailed Lion.

A harrowing scream erupted.

The weighty magic spear happened to impale the knight atop the beast.

Arcs of electricity crackled, denting the steel armor.

The terrifying impact from above drove Garner through the Kantadar knight’s battle armor.

The knight’s lifeless body plummeted from the saddle.

Claiming his first kill since joining the fray, Leon guided his griffin out from the cloud cover, raising a hand to summon his magic wand.

Enwrapped in lightning, Garner rose from the falling corpse, ascending straight into its master’s awaiting grasp.

Gliding smoothly, Death Claw flew onward as Leon glanced at the frightened Scorpion-tailed Lion hastening its descent toward the lower skies, inwardly lamenting the missed opportunity.

He had only managed to kill the rider; the beast itself had survived due to the knight’s body absorbing the blow.

It was not for lack of intent.

At such a distance, in haste, landing a hit through Garner’s elemental strike was already a stroke of fortune…

Watching from afar as the beast descended toward a vast army of enemies below, Leon contemplated before deciding to pull the reins and abandon the pursuit.

Though Death Claw was ferocious, it was far from capable of taking on an elite military contingent by itself, nor could Leon accomplish such a feat alone.

The giant wings of the beast, without protection from battle armor, risked grievous injury amidst countless battle bows.

Should the griffin sustain damage, neither man nor beast could escape unscathed,

Moreover, there was no guarantee other Scorpion-tailed Lion Knights weren’t lurking in the area.

Engaging in prolonged battle might cause vital delays in the skirmish already unfolding on the eastern shore—a tactical blunder.

Yet…another Urian army?

Leon turned back and hastily studied the cavalry contingent of over a thousand men, realizing he had to swiftly return to report the arrival of this unexpected enemy reinforcement.

Flying north at top speed, he circled and descended to locate the already assembled Orland Army.

Leading 2,400 men, Eriv was marching rapidly toward Beyerl Village by the shallow banks of its tributary.

Landing before the frontlines, Leon immediately rushed to deliver his urgent report to the Sealing Lord about the new threat discovered in the south.

The Thorny Flower Earl reined in his warhorse, furrowing his brow as he assessed the sudden appearance of more than a thousand enemy reinforcements, an unforeseen complication not accounted for in earlier plans.

The reinforcement had moved far too fast, likely beginning their advance well before their forces initiated their own operation.

Regardless of the cause, the Master of Thorns did not hesitate nor stop the campaign; he turned and commanded decisively, “All forces advance swiftly.

Secure the enemy camp at Beyerl Village as soon as possible.

Lady Angela, take 800 spearmen and 400 crossbowmen and remain to guard the rear.

Prevent them from crossing the river until we return after dealing with the enemy.

There will be no retreat!”

Adjusting the deployment, Eriv turned to Leon: “The plan remains unchanged.

Return to assist Balfe in holding the enemy.

Within one hour, I shall arrive with reinforcements.”

…

…On the battlefield along the eastern tributary, Orland archers retreated uphill, unleashing volleys of arrows that once again forced back the shield formations of the swift enemy forces ahead.

The Thorny Flower Army Formation deployed knights in the flanks, maneuvering in trajectories shaped like the figure “8” to repel the Urian cavalry attempting to approach.

Perceiving the enemy’s reluctance to engage directly in combat, the knights refrained from reckless pursuits outside the formation.

Instead, they merely drove off any cavalry attempting to cut through the angles before riding back to their lines.

Lightly armored mounted archers fired relentlessly, provoking the Thorny Flower Knights to lure the Northern heavy cavalry from the infantry flanks.

Any rash advance by the Orland knights would be met by the Urian War Oath Heavy Cavalry emerging from behind to overwhelm and isolate them from the infantry phalanx.

Among the War Oath Heavy Cavalry, Archer gazed upward, analyzing the continuous pressure exerted on the Northern troops’ gradual retreat.

Rotating and withdrawing tribal cavalry used harassment tactics to coerce the Orland formation into movement and misalignment.

The grassland riders avoided engaging in close combat with the Northern infantry, leveraging the inherent advantage of warhorse mobility.

Their cavalry exploited exceptional speed to frustrate and exhaust their opponents, waiting for the slightest lapse in formation discipline.

Balfe observed the field from behind the formation, composed despite the occasional soldier falling to enemy arrows.

He commanded his forces to withdraw in staggered succession, projecting an apparent retreat to exit the battlefield steadily.

The Urians refrained from attacking recklessly.

After all, “retreat” and “rout” are entirely different states in combat.

As long as the formation maintained order and rhythm during backward movement, attackers had to weigh the risks of assaulting an intact military structure.

Though their cavalry was formidable, both armies were composed of elite troops in full armor.

In such circumstances, cavalry outmatched infantry only in speed and initiative—not in chaotic melee combat.

Even the 2,000 elite Urian cavalry dared not recklessly charge into the unbroken phalanx of heavy infantry before it exhibited signs of collapse.

Deploying cavalry in such a manner was reserved for desperate measures, overwhelming inferior foes, or the folly of believing heavy cavalry could breach an organized infantry formation.

Balfe, at this moment, quietly hoped his opponents would act as such reckless fools.

Unfortunately, the nomadic riders were evidently more knowledgeable about cavalry tactics than most Felu people.

Unless they observed fatigue and vulnerability in their enemies, they would not strike prematurely.

This stalemate persisted until the skies were disrupted by a shadow overhead.

Raising his scarred face toward the heavens, Baron Balfe saw the enormous wings in flight, and his heart steadied.

The Thorny Flower Knights, trotting cautiously, turned to gaze at the scene, their spirits lifting with the return of the Griffin Baron.

Every knight privy to the war council knew this arrival signified that the Sealing Lord’s circled units had reached the enemy’s rear.

Wind rumbled across the heads of three infantry battalions, as Death Claw carried Leon, hovering above the lines of his allied army formation.

The cool breeze snuck into the gaps in soldiers’ armor, tempering the suffocating heat of the previous exertions and tension.

Holding Garner aloft, Leon pointed the spear blade towards the enemy, nodding to Balfe, whose gaze had shifted to meet his from the right flank.

In the next instant, on the southern side, the Urians heard the pace of the Northern army’s horn signals shift dramatically.