Lord: I can see loyalty.

Chapter 259 The Wolf Clan's Sneak Attack

Beneath the walls of Jinma City, smoke filled the air and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

Alec's greatsword swung down for the third time, and Malcolm's greatsword finally flew out of his hand, spun a few times in the air, and crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He stumbled backward, his back slamming against the city wall, panting heavily.

Malcolm was completely battered; his armor was shattered, and blood soaked through his knight's lining, dripping down his leg armor and pooling on the ground.

Jimmy's sword tip was pressed against his throat, Gina's broadsword was resting on his shoulder, and Alec's greatsword was across his chest.

Three swords, three flashes of cold light, sealed off all his escape routes.

"This is your last chance. Surrender," Alec said calmly. "You have no way out."

Malcolm looked up at the three people in front of him.

Jimmy's face was covered in blood, but his eyes remained bright. Gina stood silently to the side, her broadsword as steady as a rock. Alec's platinum armor had several new marks, but his aura remained calm.

He turned his head again and looked at the black figure not far away who was still fighting with Vio—Cyril was still fighting, still struggling, still buying time for Golden Horse City.

He cannot surrender—as the last great knight of the Golden Saddle Horse family, Malcolm cannot surrender.

Malcolm took a deep breath, and the next moment, all the muscles in his body tensed up. Ignoring the sword at his neck, he charged headfirst into Alec in front of him!

The collision took everyone by surprise. Alec instinctively tilted his head back, causing the sword to deviate slightly.

Malcolm seized the opportunity and lunged at his greatsword on the ground.

Jimmy's sword sliced ​​through his neck, and Gina's broadsword smashed through his shoulder armor, but he still managed to grip the hilt.

He stood up, covered in blood, with blood still oozing from the wound on his throat, but he did not fall.

He gripped his greatsword tightly and took his final step toward Cyril, toward the battlefield where the fighting was still raging.

step.

Two steps.

Three steps!

"puff!!!"

Alec no longer hesitated and caught up with him, his greatsword piercing his chest from behind.

The sword's edge pierced through his chest, stained with drops of crimson blood.

Malcolm froze, looking down at the sword tip protruding from his chest, stunned for a moment.

Then, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he recalled the days when he practiced swordsmanship with Godfrey in his youth, the old Earl's dashing figure in his younger days, and the former glory of the Golden Saddle Horse family.

I thought of Cyril again, my dear friend from the battlefield, and the scenes of them fighting side by side.

"Cyril—" His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "Take care."

Alec drew his sword, and Malcolm's body slowly fell to the ground, the greatsword slipping from his hand with a dull thud.

The Golden Saddle Ma family guards on the city wall were stunned, and tears welled up in the eyes of several old knights.

They watched as the golden figure fell into a pool of blood, and as the greatsword that had accompanied him for half his life lay quietly in the dust, the light in their eyes gradually fading.

"Lord Malcolm!"

"The Great Knight of the Golden Saddle Horse Family!"

"Damn it—damn it!"

Some voices were trembling, some were sobbing softly, and some were clenching their fists so tightly that their nails dug into their palms.

But they cannot go down; their mission is to defend the city walls and Jinma City. If they charge down, Jinma City will truly be finished.

Outside the city, Cyril also heard the commotion.

He turned his head sharply and saw Malcolm lying on the ground; his pupils contracted sharply.

"Malcolm!" he roared hoarsely, forcing Vio back with a sword strike, and then turned to charge towards Malcolm.

Vio's sword thrust forward again, blocking his path. "Never turn your back on the enemy."

Cyril gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening, the rage in his eyes almost burning Vio to ashes.

He knew Malcolm was seriously wounded, but he didn't expect him to die. He thought Malcolm could hold on a little longer, until the Black Serpent's reinforcements broke through the southern border.

Thinking this, Cyril felt a chill in his heart. Yes, their arduous struggle was utterly pointless; they could never defeat the Southern army.

"Malcolm—" Cyril repeated the name in a low voice, his voice filled with grief.

"Surrender," Vio's voice remained calm. "You have no chance anymore."

Cyril looked up at him, his eyes filled with hatred.

"Surrender? You killed Malcolm, and you expect me to surrender?!"

"He chose this dead end himself." Vio didn't back down. "We've already given him a chance."

Cyril fell silent.

He knew Vio was telling the truth, but Malcolm was his best friend, the only person he could trust on the battlefield.

Now, he is dying right in front of him, and he is powerless to stop it. He wants to rush up and fight Vio to the death, to kill Alec, to kill Jimmy, to kill Gina, and to avenge Malcolm.

But he still had reinforcements from the Black Serpent Clan and thousands of knights waiting for his command. He couldn't let a moment of impulsiveness lead to the destruction of everyone here.

"Withdraw!" he roared. "Retreat to base!"

The Black Serpent's knights turned their horses around and retreated northwards.

The southern army wanted to pursue, but was forced back by a hail of arrows fired from the city walls.

Cyril spurred his horse back to his camp, glanced back at the golden corpse, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

He took a deep breath, turned his horse around, and galloped north. Behind him, the Black Serpent Clan's army retreated like a tide and regrouped two miles north of the city.

Before Jinma City, the southern army did not pursue them.

They need time to adjust their formation, time to treat the wounded, and time to reorganize their attack.

Vio stood on horseback at the front of the formation, looking at the tightly closed city gate and the terrified faces on the city wall, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"My lord, they've retreated, but not far." Jimmy rode closer, his armor stained with blood, but his eyes gleamed with an astonishing light. "The Black Serpent family's reinforcements are still here; our forces are outnumbered."

"I know," Vio nodded, "so we need reinforcements."

He turned his head and looked towards the woods to the west.

There, the Grey Wolf Clan's giant wolf knights lay in wait in the twilight, awaiting the order to strike.

Leon rode on the back of the largest gray wolf, his golden eyes gleaming eerily in the darkness.

He seemed to be on Vio's mind and raised his longsword.

"The sounds of battle have ceased; it's our Gray Wolf clan's turn to strike!"

The giant wolf rider burst out of the forest like a silver-gray torrent, rushing straight toward the flank of Golden Horse City.

On the city wall, the Jin An Ma family's garrison was still focused on the main force in the southern border, completely unaware of the threat on their flank.

By the time they discovered the giant wolves, it was too late.

"Wolves! Wolves! They're from the Gray Wolf family!"

"Stop them! Stop them now!"

The archers hurriedly changed direction, but Leon's giant wolf riders were too fast, and in the blink of an eye they rushed to the city wall.

The giant wolf leaped up, using its claws to grip the battlements and quickly climbed upwards. The knight flipped and leaped onto the city wall, brandishing his longsword and cutting down the defenders who hadn't even had time to react.

"kill--!"

Chaos erupted instantly on the city wall.

The Grey Wolf knights charged down the mountain like tigers, carving a bloody path through the city walls and heading straight for the city gate.

The Golden Saddle Ma family's garrison fought desperately, but their numbers were already small, and their attention was drawn to the main force of the Southern Territory, making it impossible for them to stop the Grey Wolf family's surprise attack.

"Open the city gates!" Leon roared.

Several gray wolf riders rushed to the city gate and together pushed open the bolt.

The heavy city gates slowly opened with a piercing groan, and outside the city, the southern army was already poised to attack.

"The Azure Peak Knights, advance into the city!"