Chapter 75: Devastation [6]
Racing against the red gnoll, Catherine almost looked like a child in front of a sturdy adult. However, it was not Catherine who was nervous, but the red gnoll.
Shriek! Shriek!
Even in the midst of the commotion, that strange sound passed by the red gnoll's ears. The red gnoll quickly turned around and waved its hands.
Catherine, running with her back to the light of the torch, was already at the bottom, and even with the red gnoll's extraordinary visual acuity, it could not see all of her movements.
The wind passed by the red gnoll's hand as it threw itself to the left.
Sometimes it felt hot, like it had been burned, and sometimes it felt cold, like it had touched ice. The index finger was cut off cleanly and flew away.
Clap!
The sharp sword, curved like a snake, followed Catherine's movements and rose high to the top again.
Catherine quickly chased after the red gnoll retreating to the side.
Her movements, pouring out her mana without sparing anything, were faster than the red gnoll's running to the side and backing away, and at the moment of near miss, she immediately narrowed the distance and placed it within the gap between the swords.
Thud!
A powerful step forward and a swing of the sword split the light and left an afterimage. The red gnoll belatedly saw the light left by the sword strike and tried to avoid the afterimage.
However, its right arm had already been cut long and blood was gushing out.
Woow!
The red gnoll, startled, jumped with all its might to leap over Catherine, who was running towards it.
Meanwhile, Catherine's sword chased after it, raised its head straight like a snake, and cut straight through its calf.
The reason Catherine had missed him during the battle in the forest was not because she lacked skill.
The floor was unstable, and the red gnolls could jump around the tree and attack, so she fought while fending off the surrounding gnolls alone.
But now, the gnolls who were hanging on the fence and were attacked from behind by the cavalry could not interfere with Catherine.
And because it was near a village, the ground was well-maintained and flat without trees. The situation was completely different from then.
Even as the red gnoll jumped over Catherine and landed, it turned its head and was looking straight at her.
Before it could even land, it made eye contact with Catherine, who had already smashed the floor with her incredible leg strength and turned around to run at it.
Her cloudy blue eyes were resolutely crying out for death.
Thud!
The moment the red gnoll touched the floor, it bounced its feet briefly and made itself float again.
However, it did not float very high. If it did, it would only be exposed one-sidedly to Catherine's attacks.
The red gnoll realized too late that it was dangerous to jump high in places without trees.
A large hand waved toward Catherine as she passed under the red gnoll.
Catherine ran, leaving just enough space to pass by, then laid down on her side and spun around, waving her hands.
It was a shocking move. Of course, it meant nothing to Catherine.
Pop! Teodeok!
The one who attacked was the red gnoll, and the one whose arm was cut off was also the red gnoll.
Instead of attacking recklessly, Catherine thrust her sword into the gnoll's attack path.
The power of the sprinting force was transferred obliquely to the power of the red gnoll, which could shake and break wooden fences with a single blow.
She supported the blade with her shoulder, twisted her upper body to the side, and made the red gnoll cut off its own arm with its own strength.
With perfect power delivered, Catherine stood tall on the spot.
It was significant that her feet broke the ground and went half a span above her, but she floated in the air and came to rest beneath the red gnoll where its hands were cut.
Catherine, who looked big and heavy, was dangerous, but it would be correct to say that the red gnoll was much more dangerous.
In a very brief moment, Catherine's upper body, which had been bent while receiving the force, returned like a spring.
The two feet planted on the floor were exactly in the right position for a sword strike, as if aiming for this moment.
Kwasik!
As the foot stuck in the ground twisted, the ground broke apart due to the power of the Imperial Knight, who used her mana to its maximum, and the dirt flew in all directions.
Crash!
Wedge!
The sound of impact made by steel and the sound of air being torn apart!
An upward slash with all her might drew a half-moon in a beautiful trajectory and cleanly cut into the abdomen of the red gnoll that was twisting its body to avoid it.
Puck!
Craddangtang!
Catherine's body then bounced violently and flew away. The red gnoll had hit Catherine with a kick.
Sigh!
Catherine stumbled after correcting her posture while scratching the floor.
Because she attacked with all her might, the rivets on her armor could not withstand it and broke.
The impact could not be dissipated through the structurally woven armor.
She thought her internal organs were going to explode from the impact. Blood dripped from her nose and mouth.
However, Catherine stood tall on her two feet, and the red gnoll fell to its knees, spilling its internal organs in return for a horizontal cut in the stomach and a kick.
The cavalry, led by Bilford at the vanguard and driven by Carl like a comet, was already making its third charge against the gnolls surrounding the fence.
Now there were not many gnolls left, and the soldiers who came out of the fence under Bordeaux's orders were unilaterally massacring the gnolls who had run out of energy.
"Whoa...!"
Catherine struggled to breathe and vomited blood.
Bright red blood splashed out of the visor.
But it was not to the point where she couldn't finish it.
Catherine raised her sword high again, ignoring the distorted and broken armor pressing and stabbing her body.
The kneeling red gnoll raised its head and glared straight at Catherine.
Its bright yellow eyes were filled with anger, hatred, and frustration.
Were these really just the eyes of a monster?
But it was none of Catherine's business.
She would kill it and end this terrible battle.
Catherine rushed at the red gnoll.
Wooow! Wooow! Wooow!
At that moment, the disintegrated and scattered gnolls began to rush toward one direction.
The remaining dozens of gnolls, even those whose limbs were crushed and internal organs burst and died from the cavalry's charge, ran in one direction, even if it meant crawling on the ground.
"Stop It!"
Carl tried to shout, but he couldn't stop all the disorganized and scattered gnolls.
The gnolls, whose eyes were rolled back and drooling, ran faster and more vigorously than when they were running, and in the end, Catherine blocked the red gnoll before it could cut off its head.
Shhh!
Burbubbuk!
Catherine tried to advance by cutting down and pushing away the gnolls blocking her path.
However, even when their throat was cut and their limbs were torn off, and even when their waist was cut off and only their upper body remained, the Gnolls stubbornly held on to Catherine until the end