Intense heat seared his face, and Filo Ack had no time for hesitation. He brutally released the magic power inside his body, instantly dispelling the burning flames and raising his sword blade to once again hack towards Yang Yu.

His movements didn't stop, and Yang Yu had already moved before Filo Ack.

Lifting the heavy V-shaped shield, Yang Yu used "Shield Block" to fend off Filo Ack's attack. At the same time, a long sword of rare quality appeared in his hand, the blade glowing with an orange-red light.

Straining his arm to deflect Filo Ack's sword blade, Yang Yu thrust upwards, his sharp sword blade piercing through Filo Ack's armpit, slashing a long diagonal wound across Filo Ack's chest, and instantly blood flew in all directions.

Filo Ack widened his eyes in disbelief; it had been many years since he'd been injured so severely and so quickly. His body uncontrollably fell backward.

But one who could become a general of the Luo Ze Empire was no ordinary individual.

Clamping his legs around his mount's belly, Filo Ack forcefully pulled himself back into position.

Even with a terrible wound on his chest, Filo Ack did not fall from the tiger.

The massive Magic Beast tiger unleashed a "Frustration Roar" towards Yang Yu, the deafening sound instantly weakening Yang Yu's attack, followed by the fierce tiger swiping its sharp claws at Yang Yu.

Agilely dodging the Magic Beast tiger's attack, Yang Yu targeted Filo Ack's mount, the huge tiger beneath him.

If possible, Yang Yu wanted to spare Filo Ack's life, so that later on, he could exchange him for a powerful Beastmen officer.

Yang Yu's attacks went Bam Bam against the tiger's body, leaving trails of blood, yet no matter how Yang Yu struck, the Magic Beast tiger before him silently endured, protecting the injured Filo Ack on its back.

While defending, the Magic Beast tiger also locked its sharp gaze on Yang Yu, searching for that one in a million opportunity to attack.

Filo Ack's mount was not a common Magic Beast but a highly noble tiger Magic Beast—a "Amber Tiger."

Unlike synthetic demon beasts or wild Magic Beasts, this Magic Beast called "Amber Tiger" not only had a noble birth but was also naturally close to humans.

Even without forming a contract, as long as it recognized someone as its master, it would protect them with all its might, even sacrificing its life to do so.

The only shortcoming of these "Amber Tigers" was their extremely poor breeding efficiency, and their young were highly prone to early death.

To raise an "Amber Tiger," a significant investment of manpower and resources was needed, as well as time to cultivate a bond.

Filo Ack and his Amber Tiger had shared adversity many times, creating a bond between them that had long since become something special.

Each time Yang Yu's blade struck the Amber Tiger, it was as if he was cutting into Filo Ack's heart.

Without hesitation, Filo Ack commanded his Amber Tiger to retreat, letting the troops behind come forward so that he could complete his healing.

However, the scene of being seriously injured and retreating at the start unintentionally touched the most vulnerable part of many Luoze soldiers' hearts.

Suppressing a general in such a short time—wouldn't their own past efforts have been suicide?

To die without having achieved any merit—I find that unacceptable!

Realizing the true thoughts in their hearts, the Luoze soldiers were extremely ashamed and quickly dispelled any thoughts that might shake their resolve to advance.

The Empire had raised them; now was the time to show their loyalty to the Empire. How could they shrink back under such circumstances!

A portion of the Elite Cavalry swiftly adjusted their positions, encircling Yang Yu from all sides, while the remaining cavalry charged straight for Yang Yu's troops behind, intending to directly collapse Yang Yu's forces.

By then, no matter how capable Yang Yu was at fighting, he alone would absolutely not be able to stir any trouble.

"Blast Charge Punch!"

Silver hair swayed in the wind as the stalwart Lotcar threw his heavy fists toward a wildly charging horse, knocking both rider and mount to the ground in one fell swoop.

Facing the oncoming Luoze soldiers, Lotcar's gaze fixed ahead, pure white magic power swirling around him, forming a dense white fog that enveloped him.

In an instant, a huge Silver Wolf burst from the fog, opened its gaping maw, and pounced on the horse, snapping the animal's neck with its fangs and claws before sweeping the fallen Luoze cavalry off the ground.

To not fight was to die.

Yang Yu led his troops to quickly organize themselves, readying to meet the enemy where they stood.

Beast-like roars from the charging horses and Beastmen, their bellows drowning out the horses' neighs, collided with the Luoze Empire's cavalry.

His own confident lunges were dodged in succession by Yang Yu. The elite Knights circled around Yang Yu, running in formation and swinging their weapons from every direction at him.

However, Yang Yu's figure "whooshed" and disappeared from sight.

Clutching his wound and downing another Potion, Filo Ack quickly realized Yang Yu had returned beside the massive Silver Wolf with a "Support Charge."

Even beside the Silver Wolf, Yang Yu's actions did not cease for a moment; he joined the fray, cooperating with the Silver Wolf to stop one cavalryman after another.

Dismounting, Filo Ack pulled out a Potion for his Amber Tiger.

After much contemplation, Filo Ack finally gazed at his surrounding soldiers and issued a grave order:

"Pass my command, a temporary change in tactics, protect the elite cavalry at all costs, and leave the Colorful-haired Masked Man dead on this field."

Was expending so many troops just to kill one man truly worth it?

This question surfaced in the minds of many Luoze soldiers, yet it vanished as quickly as it came. They obeyed Filo Ack's command and launched a fierce attack on Yang Yu.

The Elite Cavalry changed direction, shielded by other units, charging toward Yang Yu.

Under Lotcar's cover, Yang Yu switched his heavy Shield for one he preferred, lighter and more convenient.

Then, Yang Yu turned his gaze toward the Elite Cavalry, brandishing their gleaming weapons in an assault, and spoke to Lotcar beside him:

"Lotcar, go and cover Iyas's retreat back to the troops, and work with them to build a Defense to counterattack.

I can handle this on my own.

Don't worry about Bai Jin; He Meng is there to protect her."

"Be careful, then."

Following Yang Yu's directive, Lotcar immediately stepped forward to assist Iyas, who was retreating while fighting not too far away.

Although Iyas had exceptional single-target burst potential, ensuring the survival of the troops was crucial for the success of subsequent battles.

Wansheng Country and the Luoze Empire had ceased the exchange of common soldiers as prisoners, only exchanging some officers.

As a result, as the war progressed, the number of soldiers available for direct conflict on both sides would only decrease, shifting towards a focus on elite confrontations.

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