Chapter Six: The Death Knight

At the headquarters of the Justice League, within the castle, the Divine Majesty sat upon the throne, ceaselessly rubbing his brow. In the center of the hall, a messenger knelt on one knee, reporting the situation of the battle.

“You’re telling me that worthless rabble actually defeated my giant warrior?” The Divine Majesty was somewhat perplexed. Though the giant was no match for the Titans of his own world, its combat prowess was still considerable—could it have been vanquished so easily?

“Yes, the giant has been defeated. The Bloody Mountain Stronghold’s forces have breached the first defensive line and slaughtered everyone,” the messenger replied.

“Very well, perhaps I have underestimated that fellow. Convey my order—dispatch the Death Knights! This time, we must annihilate those vermin from the Bloody Mountain Stronghold! Remember, we are the embodiment of justice! Justice will surely triumph over evil!” With a wave of his hand, the Divine Majesty dismissed the messenger.

“A minor setback cannot bring me down. Little one, prepare to face my wrath,” he murmured, clenching his fist. Under the flickering torchlight upon the walls, his entire face radiated a chilling menace.

Soon, from the plaza below came the cacophony of clashing armor and pounding hooves. Countless knights clad in heavy armor silently charged out from the castle.

…

In the village at the first defensive line, flames soared skyward. A multitude of imps brandished their weapons, gleefully storming into houses to loot. As before, all the bodies had vanished, leaving only a bounty of weapons and supplies.

Sun Licheng had finally understood—regardless of which side, all who died in battle would disappear completely, but their armor and weapons would remain, becoming spoils for the victors. Thus, only by defeating the enemy, especially powerful foes, could one better arm oneself. This was a war without compromise, destined to end only when one side was utterly destroyed.

“Sire, Pinocchio has been found,” Little Red Riding Hood reported, accompanied by Granny Wolf, her voice shrill and grating.

“I see. How is he faring?” Sun Licheng asked.

“He’s alright, but his sacred armor is ruined,” Little Red Riding Hood answered.

Sun Licheng frowned, then relaxed. The Dark Sacred Armor was merely for show, lacking the soul of true sacred armor; its defense was only marginally better than ordinary armor. For these abandoned disciples of Athena, the goddess would grant them no divine aid.

“If his sacred armor is ruined, I’ll give him a new set. Also, gather up all the weapons and armor here—I want to re-equip the minions,” Sun Licheng said, sweeping his hand in a bold gesture. With supplies no longer a worry, he had finally resolved the issue of his subordinates’ gear.

Thus, the next morning, the imps of Bloody Mountain Stronghold, led by their lord Sun Licheng, set out.

As the mellow sound of the horn echoed, imps armed with gleaming weapons formed neat phalanxes, wriggling forward like blocks of tofu, steadily departing the village. Standing by the roadside, Sun Licheng gazed at the army before him, feeling a surge of heroism. Of course, had he not been the Dark Saint and leader of the imps, it would have been even better.

“Shouldn’t the protagonist be the embodiment of justice? Fairy tales truly are deceptive,” Sun Licheng sighed inwardly, casting a glance at Little Red Riding Hood and Granny Wolf, who clung to each other affectionately.

Perhaps the previous battle had dealt a heavy blow to the enemy, for along the way, Bloody Mountain Stronghold encountered no resistance from the Justice League, as if all their foes had vanished.

They trekked over mountains and through valleys, pressing forward, soon crossing the range before them and arriving upon the plains.

“Sire, beyond this plain lies the Sanctuary’s main camp,” Mr. Dongguo reported, riding his wolf that resembled a pug at Sun Licheng’s side.

Sun Licheng looked ahead. The plain was utterly barren, not even a single tree stood—like a forbidden zone of life. Overhead, clouds were gathering; a storm was imminent.

“Order everyone to quicken the march! Mr. Dongguo, take a team to scout ahead, report any enemy activity at once,” Sun Licheng commanded, and the troops picked up their pace.

Amid shouts and neighing, the army swiftly reached the center of the plain. At that moment, Sun Licheng saw Mr. Dongguo running back from afar, accompanied by several stray dogs, clearly flustered.

“Sire, disaster—there are heavy cavalry up ahead!” Mr. Dongguo shouted from a great distance, like a dog without a home.

“Stop!” Little Red Riding Hood’s piercing voice rang out. The imps halted, gripping their weapons, nervously watching the direction from which Mr. Dongguo had fled.

Now, Sun Licheng could hear the thunderous hoofbeats approaching, the earth itself trembling, and soon a black line appeared on the horizon—over two thousand warhorses, their riders maintaining a steady advance.

These were heavy armored knights clad in black, their nightmare steeds towering over two meters tall. With their massive riders, they resembled small mountains. Not only were the knights fully armored, their faces hidden behind ghastly visored masks, but even their steeds wore full metal barding, with long, pointed horns affixed to their heads, making them look truly menacing.

Up close, Sun Licheng would see that these knights had no bodies—inside their armor swirled clouds of black smoke, drifting with their movements, their eyes two blazing red flames exuding a terrifying aura of death. They were true Death Knights, the most formidable military force of the Underworld.

The imps fell silent, the entire formation hushed. Then, suddenly, someone wailed, and chaos erupted.

The Death Knights, devoid of emotion, were unfazed by the turmoil among the Bloody Mountain Stronghold, maintaining their orderly march. With a shout that Sun Licheng couldn’t understand and a blast of the horn, the nightmare steeds picked up speed. The knights slowly raised their lances, pointing forward, the triangular pennants fluttering in the wind.

Seeing the wall-like advance of the Death Knights, the panicked imps abruptly quieted again.

“The cavalry’s coming, run for your lives!” Little Red Riding Hood’s shrill voice triggered utter pandemonium. The Bloody Mountain Stronghold’s ranks broke completely, everyone abandoning banners and supplies, retreating like a tidal wave, faster than they had arrived.

Sun Licheng watched his collapsing subordinates, speechless.

Collecting himself, he summoned a radiant glow and donned the Golden Sagittarius Armor. He drew his bow, and with a swift twang, a golden arrow shot toward the foremost Death Knight.

The arrow struck the knight’s forehead precisely; without a scream, the knight simply collapsed and vanished, his black armor clattering to the ground, soon trampled beneath the hooves of those following. The death of this knight meant nothing to the formation, leaving not even a ripple.

“Sigh…” Faced with almost zero impact, Sun Licheng lowered his bow and sighed gloomily.

The thundering charge of thousands of horses was a breathtaking spectacle, like a dark cloud engulfing the land, changing the color of the entire plain. Suddenly, thunder rumbled, and a flash of lightning illuminated the plain—it was about to rain.

“Should I run?” Sun Licheng hesitated. So many heavy cavalry were impossible to withstand, yet if he retreated, he felt a strong premonition of utter defeat, perhaps even death.

“What now? What now?” Sun Licheng fretted immensely. By now, not a single imp remained nearby; everyone had fled, wailing in terror.

Spotting Sun Licheng not far ahead, the Death Knights urged their steeds to maximum speed, the pounding hooves making his heart leap in his chest.

Suddenly, Sun Licheng’s body shone with brilliant light, and his sacred armor transformed—the helmet grew softer, adorned with a pair of elfin wingguards at the temples.

He clenched his fists and raised them high above his head, facing the approaching Death Knights with a sinister smile.

“Goddess of Dawn’s Mercy!”

With Sun Licheng’s shout, under the gaze of those ghostly eyes, a chill swept the ground, quickly forming a thick layer of ice beneath everyone’s feet.

Sun Licheng noticed that the Death Knights’ lifeless eyes actually showed fear. All the nightmare steeds began to stumble, then collapsed onto the ice in bizarre poses.

Watching the Death Knights and their mounts slide past him, Sun Licheng felt as if he were sailing through a black ocean.

The heavy armor provided Death Knights with excellent protection, but on the ice, it turned them into overturned iron turtles, helpless to right themselves.

“For the lord! For Bloody Mountain Stronghold! For evil—charge!” Little Red Riding Hood’s shrill cry signaled the swarm of imps to surge forward, overwhelming the fallen Death Knights.

At that moment, a chime sounded in Sun Licheng’s mind: “Sacred Armor Unlocked.”