Imperial Crown.

Chapter 571 My mother didn't have many belongings, and I was one of them.

As Banks gave the order, the 236 Wind Kings hovering in the air were immediately divided into three teams, each with about 80 people, and each began to perform their duties.

In just half an hour, the Wind King's forces were reduced from 324 to 236! Nearly 100 people were lost! More than 20 were killed by the magic crystal cannon, more than 10 were killed by arrows like Chauvin, and more than 40 followed Lennon to carry out the suicide tactic.

Undoubtedly, the circular hurricane tactic was successful. It delayed and severely damaged at least 1-200 members of the Holy See. These people may not all die, but they will be poisoned and their fighting strength will certainly plummet! However, the enemy has over 2000 people; there are still too many remaining!

The cold wind howled, the snowflakes fell even more rapidly, and the whole world was shrouded in darkness.

"Everyone, listen up!" "Throw all your javelins! Create an escape opportunity for the brothers!"

Banks shouted as he swooped down at top speed.

They formed small teams of three. Each person was equipped with at least six javelins, and countless snakehead fruits. With over 80 men, that's equivalent to at least 500 javelins! Even excluding those already thrown, that's at least 400. As the men resolved to die, abandoning any thought of escape, the javelins, hurtling down at breakneck speed, unleashed unparalleled power! Although these soldiers of the Holy See were clad in armor and well-disciplined, how could they possibly withstand javelins that even orcs dared not directly confront? They were instantly riddled with javelins, cowering and screaming from the poisonous fumes! Despite the constant shouts of their extraordinary captain, they couldn't reverse the tide.

Banks took the lead, landing on the ground and manipulating the Wind King to unleash racial magic, shattering the enemy formation. He then leaped off the Wind King's back and drew two swords from his waist. As his battle aura emanated from him, the two swords also emitted a dazzling light. However, he was only a first-tier transcendent. As for Lennon, he had failed to awaken his aura twice. The others either didn't have the opportunity to obtain the divine potion or failed to awaken. Therefore, he was the only transcendent among these 300 or so people. This shows just how difficult it is to awaken the Seed of Life and Battle Aura!

"Kill!" "Kill! Kill! Kill!" "Kill!!!!"

Banks roared and charged towards Lennon's location! With a bang, his left-hand sword blocked the Knight of Light's spear, while his right-hand sword, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, swiftly pierced the opponent's throat! It was one of the few openings left on the armored soldier's body!

Taking advantage of the poisonous smoke, Banks moved like a dragon in water, appearing and disappearing unpredictably to reap the lives of the Holy See soldiers! In just over 10 minutes, he had killed 8 people! But as the javelins ran out, the enemy quickly regrouped and began to slaughter the fallen Eagle Army soldiers! 80+ vs. 1500+. The outcome was already obvious. Moreover, the enemy also had many extraordinary warriors! Among them, the second-tier extraordinary warriors could even withstand the poison cloud magic created by the Snakehead Fruit! The screams and cries echoed in his ears; just by the sound, Banks could tell that these were his brothers who had grown up together in the orphanage!

This fueled Banks' growing unease and anxiety, knowing his time was running out. He charged frantically towards Lennon's location! However, misfortune struck again; his worst fears were realized! With a series of booming explosions, Banks understood that the enemy had brought at least four magic crystal cannons, surrounding them from all directions. Even if they tried to escape individually, it would be futile! He had witnessed the power of magic crystal cannons in the Orc Empire; the shockwaves alone could stun and tear apart everyone in the vicinity! Escape was impossible; these beasts of the Holy See were clearly determined to kill them all!
Banks had no time to ponder why the Holy See of Light was doing this; by now, the two sides had already forged an irreconcilable blood feud! He was now incredibly grateful that he hadn't led his brothers from the Province of Morinil into Feldoro County, since that was the Holy See of Light's stronghold, where there would likely be even more ambushes! The enemy clearly wasn't quite sure where they were going to enter the Province of Nord, which was why there were only a little over 100 extraordinary warriors in Irene County. If all the hundreds of extraordinary warriors from the Holy Knights were here, this battle would probably be impossible to win! Although the Wind King's forces were outnumbered, having so many Wind Kings was tantamount to having hundreds more magical beasts assisting them.

"Brothers! Don't run!" "Go down and fight these bastards!"

More than half of the 82 Wind King troops who originally wanted to escape back to report the news were blasted to death by four magic crystal cannons! The remaining 30 or so people looked at the turbulent air above and realized that there was no possibility of escape. They roared and turned back to join the battle!

Fortunately, there was already a guerrilla force of the Wind King in the sky responsible for harassment. With their intervention, the advance of the Holy See soldiers below was halted, giving Banks and his men a chance to catch their breath. Now, with the addition of the Eagle Army soldiers who had returned, the Holy See army's formation was completely broken and scattered. They were simply relying on sheer numbers to win little by little.

"Lennon!"

Time slowly passed, and Banks finally rushed into Lennon's area, where Holy See soldiers were writhing on the ground, screaming and groaning. They had inhaled large amounts of poison gas, and their bodies had begun to fester. Lennon himself was kneeling on the ground, with at least ten spears embedded in his body, so much so that his knees were still two fists off the ground before he could kneel down any further! Seeing this scene, Banks cried out in tears.

Although most of the Wind King's troops came from orphanages, the vast majority weren't from the same cohort. Friends like Banks and Lennon, who were from the same cohort, classmates, and grew up together, naturally had a closer relationship than with others! Looking at Lennon's pitiful state, Banks felt a pang of heartache, a sharp pain shooting through his mind. He rushed to Lennon's side, trembling, and pulled a healing potion from his pocket, force-feeding it to Lennon. "Drink it!" "Drink it!" Banks cried, his voice trembling with sobs.

"brother"

Banks' arrival brought Lennon's fading and drifting consciousness back to a sliver. He weakly and hoarsely murmured, "You..." "Why haven't you left yet?" "Tell Father." "I'm not a coward." "Go back." "Go back." "Go back..."

Lennon used the last of his strength, but he couldn't finish saying the word "home" before he breathed his last.

"Suffer death!!!"

A loud shout came from afar, and a second-tier transcendent noticed Banks and immediately rushed over. Although second-tier transcendents could resist the poisonous smoke, their warhorses could not, so as the poisonous smoke filled the air, these knights of the Holy Light Church lost their beloved warhorses one after another.

"what--"

Banks smashed the potion in his hand, raised his twin swords, and charged at his opponent with a fierce roar!

"Xinyao Spear Formation!!"

The Holy Knight roared, and as he watched Banks charge towards him, he immediately activated his battle technique!

As dazzling lights emerged, although the Knight of Light was still charging alone, Banks saw five spears appear simultaneously, as if his opponent had suddenly transformed into a five-man squad charging together! These five spears even locked onto the direction he might choose to escape!
Banks, nearing 30 and already 28, understood perfectly well that one couldn't afford to be too emotional on the battlefield, or one would inevitably reveal a weakness. But with Lennon's tragic death before his eyes, he simply couldn't suppress his grief and anger! He even contemplated suicide! Many people who haven't been to war might think they could remain rational and calm on the battlefield, even considering those who can't control their emotions foolish. This was also Banks's thinking in the past. But this was simply because he hadn't experienced it firsthand. Imagine coming home at night and finding your mother dead—how many people in this world could remain calm? So-called rationality would likely crumble instantly! Therefore, his belief that he could handle it was nothing more than a delusional confidence born of detachment and a sense of superiority! Lennon's tragic death had undoubtedly shattered Banks's spirit.

"Debone it!!!"

As one of the first orphans to grow up in the orphanage, and someone Raven trusted and relied on, Banks naturally learned bloody combat techniques from Raven! The aura around his body instantly turned crimson, and the two swords in his hands trembled and swung out continuously. Countless strands of crimson aura, as fine as hair, were cut from the blades, weaving into a large net that enveloped his opponent!

"Ok?"

Banks' reckless abandonment of defense sent a chill down the spine of the Second-Tier Transcendent of the Holy See. This was followed by shock and rage! "Pious Barrier!" he roared, his combat technique abruptly shifting from an offensive, pressing stance to a defensive, life-saving one. What a joke! He, a mere Second-Tier Transcendent, was risking his life against a First-Tier Transcendent?! As his technique changed, the Second-Tier Transcendent's battle aura surged forth. With a series of heavy thuds, three shields of light composed of battle aura suddenly appeared before him!
Chi Chi Chi

The crimson threads sliced ​​through the light shield, producing a sharp sound. A dazzling aura of battle energy shone brightly amidst the wind and snow. Although the light shield was being constantly depleted, it had clearly withstood Banks's combat technique! The next moment, Banks rushed in front of the light shield, raising his twin swords to slash at it! Unexpectedly, this slash sent him flying! He tumbled several times, looking utterly disheveled.

"idiot!"

A mocking glint flashed in the eyes of the second-tier transcendent being. He strode forward, and although the outcome was already decided, he wouldn't miss the chance to kick a man when he was down! "Swoosh!" The spear pierced Banks' shoulder without any resistance, causing him to let out a shrill scream of pain!

But the next moment, the expression on the second-tier transcendent's face changed!

Because in his eyes, Banks suddenly threw away the longsword in his hand with his left hand, grabbed the spear on his shoulder tightly, and his face showed a bloodthirsty and cruel expression... with a hint of a cunning smile.

"Oh no!" "This bastard did it on purpose!" Only then did the second-tier transcendent realize that he had most likely been tricked by the Eagle Army in front of him! "Damn cunning!" The second-tier transcendent couldn't help but curse inwardly. But he wasn't too panicked. The first-tier transcendent was no match for him to begin with, let alone now that the opponent was half-crippled from injuries.

"If I don't do this, why would you fall for my trick?!" Banks roared, leaning forward abruptly, completely disregarding his shoulder injury, and deliberately using his body to pierce through the opponent's spear. At the same time, his right hand thrust the longsword toward the narrow slit in the opponent's helmet for his eyes!

"Hmph!" The second-tier transcendent snorted coldly, roaring, "Dawn of Atonement!" The terrifying, powerful, and unfathomable strength of the Holy See was once again laid bare before the world. A mere second-tier transcendent had actually cultivated three combat techniques! Combat techniques were even more precious than high-level magic spells! Often, a single second-tier combat technique could be a family heirloom for a baron or noble family! A ray of light! An intensely bright light suddenly shone before Banks' eyes! Banks instantly went blind! He became blind! He could feel his opponent trying to pull the spear away, but the spear was held between his shoulder bones and his left hand, making it impossible for his opponent to pull it away anytime soon! Although he could no longer see, Banks still thrust his sword down fiercely in his right hand! But the next second, he suddenly felt the spear in his hand become suddenly lighter; his opponent had clearly released the spear. With a "clang," the force and feedback from the sword tip made Banks realize that he had ultimately failed to achieve his goal at the last minute! The longsword still struck the opponent's armor!
"You lowly idiot!"

With a thud, the sturdy combat boots slammed into Banks' stomach, sending him flying and spitting out a mouthful of blood!

Banks, sent flying, frantically blinked and shook his head, trying to regain his sight. It worked; a blurry, overlapping image quickly appeared before him. At least he could see again. However, before he could even get up, a pair of combat boots appeared in front of him. "It's over!" Banks felt utterly hopeless. The opponent's strength was simply too overwhelming; forget revenge, he was doomed.

"chirp"

However, a sharp cry suddenly rang out, followed by a deafening boom. A bolt of purple lightning, as thick as an arm, flashed, causing the second-tier transcendent of the Holy See to scream in agony, writhing on the ground and convulsing. He was clearly on the verge of death. It was Banks' Wind King who saved him!
"Haha" "Cough cough"

Banks laughed excitedly, scrambled to his feet, and stumbled towards his opponent. He repeatedly stabbed with his longsword, but the images before him were numerous, and he missed four or five times before finally striking on the sixth, ending the opponent's life! Banks collapsed to the ground, exhausted. In just that short time, he was more tired than when he had killed eight people!
The fighting continued, and Banks, as the commander, had no right to rest. He gritted his teeth, drew his spear from his shoulder, and got up again. Just as he was about to check his surroundings, a sneaky soldier from the Holy See suddenly appeared and swept his spear at Banks!
"Ah!!" "My eyes!"

Despite Banks's quick and sharp reflexes, the spear tip still grazed his eyes! It pierced his eye sockets, leaving a bloody gash! Now, Banks had truly lost his sight! He charged forward recklessly, wildly and haphazardly swinging his sword, and soon a scream rang out! Clearly, his opponent was just an ordinary soldier, not a superhuman! He was quickly killed by Banks's rabid, dog-like attack!

Having lost his eyes, Banks was unable to continue fighting. Moreover, due to excessive blood loss, waves of severe dizziness overwhelmed him, causing him to collapse to the ground.

After an unknown amount of time, Banks felt something pushing him. He reached out and touched it; it was his Wind King. "Well done..." He wanted to praise the Wind King, but the words caught in his throat like a stone. He felt the arrows and sticky blood on the Wind King's body. Moreover, the Wind King's condition was clearly wrong; its cries were hoarse and weak.

Like him, he was also at the end of his rope, his strength waning.

"It's so quiet!" "Is anyone else here?" "Is anyone else here?!"

Banks groped his way to his feet, shouting hoarsely. But all around was deathly silent, utterly still. Only the endless howling of the wind and snow could be heard.

"Chirp," the Wind King whispered.

Banks understood. It meant "nobody".

There are no survivors left on the entire battlefield!

Not only did the Wind King's troops of the Eagle Army perish, but even the 2000 soldiers of the Holy See of Light were wiped out! The ferocity of this battle is beyond description.

It seems the Wind Kings are all admirable; instead of fleeing, they chose to avenge their masters with their blood and lives.

Banks groped his way up to the Wind King's back, gently stroking its neck, and softly whispered, "Old friend, help me one more time, take me home."

"Chirp!!!!!"

The Wind King let out a hoarse, shrill cry, and flew up shakily and crookedly towards Snow Maple County.

Several days later, the Wind King could no longer hold on and collapsed. Someone found Banks and hurriedly took him to Eagle Hold.

"How did things get like this? What happened?"

Looking at Banks, who was covered in blood and whose eyes had turned white and rotten, Raven asked with a heart full of pain.

"Father!!!" "Father!!!!"

Upon hearing Raven's voice, Banks immediately burst into a wail, looking like a wronged child. "It was the Church of Light!" "It was the Church of Light's army that ambushed us!" "We, 300 men, killed 2000 enemy soldiers!" In the end, Banks broke down in tears, repeatedly uttering the phrase "300 men killed 2000."

"How is this possible?!" Raven's face paled in shock; he rarely lost his composure like this. "Is it really the Holy See of Light?" No matter how powerful the Holy See of Light was, it couldn't possibly have troops stationed in the Keynes Empire. The only threat to him was Thomas of Howe City. That's why Raven had already forced Thomas to sign a magical contract. It was all to prevent Thomas from defecting to the Emperor! How dare they attack the Eagle Army?! Unless Thomas was suicidal!
"It really is the Church of Light!"

Banks stood in the main hall, "They're the ones who ambushed us in Irene County! They even brought magic crystal cannons!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall gasped! It seemed most likely to be the Church of Light! After all, very few people besides the Church of Light could possess such a deadly weapon as the Magic Crystal Cannon!
"Father!"

Banks roared, then suddenly dropped to his knees, crawling forward like a mouse. Unable to see, he crashed into the table with a thud, ignoring the impact and starting to feel for everyone's shoes. When he reached Raven's shoes, Banks wept bitterly, kissing them and wailing, "Father, please cremate our bodies and bury them beside Mother!"

“My mother didn’t have many belongings, and I’m one of them.”

After saying that, he suddenly covered his cheeks with both hands.

At this moment, Raven was still reeling from what he had just said about the Holy See's ambush of them, and his mind was full of doubts.

"Oh no!" "Stop him!" "He's going to bite his tongue!" Eric shouted.

However, it was too late. When Raven looked down again, Banks' head had already tilted to the side, and blood was gushing out, all of it flowing onto his shoes.

"Ugh"

A soft sigh echoed throughout the hall.

……

(End of this chapter)