The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 765: The War Comes To An End (2)

Her voice became firm. “We destroy the forces inside the dome first. Once the battlefield is secure, we can deal with whatever remains.”

Brutus nodded. “That makes sense.”

Erza pointed toward the surrounding demons. “Don’t let a single one leave this domain.”

“Understood.” Brutus turned around to leave. He had barely taken two steps when hurried footsteps approached.

“Dame Erza!”

A knight came rushing toward them. His armor was battered, and blood covered one side of his face.

“Reporting. Our team encountered the Tenth Heavenly King.”

Erza’s expression changed immediately.

“What are our losses?”

“Several knights were severely injured. My team was forced to withdraw.”

“Where?”

The knight pointed toward the eastern side of the camp.

So the remaining Heavenly Kings were finally making their moves. Or were they trying to escape?

No matter what, they could not be allowed to leave the Sanctum. The Divine Sanctum had become the most important advantage the Dawnbringers possessed, and allowing one of the Heavenly Kings to escape would create countless problems later.

Erza’s expression became cold.

“Sir Brutus, can I ask you to handle this?”

Brutus flashed a grin and nodded.

“Leave it to me.”

“In that case, take your group and surround the Tenth Heavenly King. Don’t let him escape.”

“Understood.”

He laughed loudly and turned toward his knights.

“You heard her. Show us the way.”

The knights immediately gathered behind him, their weapons already drawn and their armor shining beneath the pale light of the Sanctum.

Once the group departed, Erza remained behind. Her gaze moved toward the distant battlefield, where golden light and crimson flames continued to collide with enough force to shake the earth.

The Eighth Heavenly King was fighting Reinhardt, and Brutus had gone to intercept the Tenth Heavenly King.

That left only the Ninth Heavenly King.

Erza didn’t know where Duvessa was or whether she was hiding, but she knew that Duvessa was involved in this war. The Ninth Heavenly King was too cunning to reveal herself without a purpose, and too dangerous to ignore simply because she had not yet made her move.

Erza narrowed her eyes.

“You all go and help the others deal with the remaining demons. I’ll wait here.”

The nearby knights exchanged glances before bowing.

“Understood.”

“If Duvessa shows herself…” Erza’s grip tightened around her sword. “I’ll deal with her.”

The knights immediately nodded and departed to reinforce the other battlefields.

Erza returned her attention to the center of the camp.

Reinhardt’s golden figure flashed through the storm of fire. His sword moved with frightening precision, cutting through the Heavenly King’s attacks while his four radiant wings carried him through the air.

For a moment, Erza simply stood there, watching him.

“He really is the backbone of the Dawnbringers.”

Everything Reinhardt had planned was happening exactly as he had predicted. The moment he returned from the battlefield, he had begun issuing orders and reorganizing the exhausted forces of the Dawnbringers.

He had not wasted a single moment celebrating his return. He had not even allowed himself time to rest properly. Instead, he had studied the enemy’s formation, analyzed the terrain, and identified the weaknesses in the demonic camp.

For the past month, they had been struggling against the demons’ schemes and offensives. The Dawnbringers had been pushed back repeatedly, losing ground and soldiers with every passing day.

For every minor victory, they had to pay a heavy price. Many knights had died during that time, and countless others had been injured badly enough to lose their ability to fight.

Although they were trying their best, all their options were swiftly being eliminated, leaving them with no room to maneuver. Their supply routes had been cut, their scouts were constantly being ambushed, and the demons had made certain that every retreat path was watched.

Cornered in the Tainted Lands, one need not think hard to understand what the consequences would have been. If the demons had managed to surround the entire army, not even the presence of the Heroes would have been enough to guarantee everyone’s survival.

Their hopes had begun to fade.

Had Reinhardt not returned, Erza and the others would have been forced to make a harsh decision.

They could not allow all the knights to be annihilated there. They had to preserve their forces at all costs, even if it meant some of them had to remain behind to ensure humanity still had a chance.

Thankfully, Reinhardt had come back before it was too late. He had even brought the Saintess back through means that Erza still did not fully understand.

His presence alone gave everyone hope. The moment the knights saw him standing at the front of the army, the fear and exhaustion weighing down their hearts had lessened.

And without fail, he had lived up to the expectations others had of him.

In a single day, he had overturned the entire situation.

The demons that had once seemed unstoppable were now trapped. The Abyss Nests had been destroyed. The Blightheart Colossus was gone. The Organization had fallen.

The Demon Generals were being defeated one after another. The Divine Sanctum had turned the demonic camp into an area advantageous to the Dawnbringers.

And Reinhardt himself was fighting alongside them.

Was he really fighting?

To her, it looked like he was enjoying himself and releasing some pent-up stress. Every time the Heavenly King revealed some new power, Reinhardt’s expression became more excited.

Well, whatever.

Erza slowly exhaled.

She tried to keep herself calm, to remain the commander she needed to be. There were thousands of knights relying on her decisions, and she could not allow her emotions to interfere with her judgment.

But despite herself, a smile slowly appeared on her face.

“He really is an incorrigible man.”

It was not as though she had forgiven him for what had happened back then in the dungeon. She still hated his guts.

Especially when he tried to pretend that nothing had happened. He had behaved as though the entire situation had been an insignificant misunderstanding, while she had spent days thinking about it.

She should hate him.

So why, when looking at him, was her heart beating faster?

Her blood was beginning to race. Perhaps it was due to the excitement of the war. Or perhaps it was a feeling even she was unaware of.

Nevertheless, victory really was within reach.

At the center of the camp…

ROOARRR…

Astaroth came roaring through the storm of fire. His crimson scales glowed almost white from the heat building beneath them.

Flames poured from his shoulders and neck like exhaust pipes, while the center of his chest looked like a furnace burning with enough intensity to distort the air around him. His enormous muscles bulged beneath his scales, and every movement released waves of heat that melted the ground beneath his feet.