“Who is that?”
Alex pointed at a man on the back of a jet black Centrak that was leisurely walking out of the gate with slow steps. He was the only barbarian they had met who wore a complete set of heavy armor with a helmet that had a short red plume.
On the right pauldron was the sigil of a crimson lion head.
It was clearly a complete knight set, which wasn’t from the desolatelands.
The man had a broad figure but wasn’t over 6 feet tall. His arms and legs were thick like pillars of muscles hidden behind metal plates. He held two great axes that seemed to weigh a lot judging by how his mount moved.
An elite troop of 100 barbarian guards also clad in armor that was a mix of leather and plate armor, riding on armored Centraks were behind him. All of them held great axes.
All 100 of them were the great warriors of the clan, people whose generations started with the first chief of Bashan. All of them were barbarian knights!
Their duty was to protect the head chief and always stay in the shadows until their appearance was required.
Even Adam thought this hidden guard troop had gone extinct.
When Asher looked, he saw the man point his axe toward him, and the small elite cavalry ran toward the battlefield.
“Bladebreakers!”
Asher unsheathed his sword and kicked the belly of his regal mount.
Rumble!
Along with 80 Bladebreakers, 7 vanguards, and his personal bodyguard, he rode down the high plain toward the chaotic battlefield. While heading down, Asher saw Beowulf fling a great axe toward Adam, who held Buba in the air.
Alec, who was close by, was about to approach Adam, but when he heard the sound of the incoming axe, he turned. By the time he raised his shield, the axe had already arrived.
Bam!
For the first time, Asher saw Alec tossing and tumbling on the ground until he was over 100 yards away from where he once stood!
Alex’s eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip on his broadsword. That destructive collision made Adam turn. His eyes met Beowulf’s.
The man that first traded his son with beastmen and now took his wife.
“Beowulf!”
Adam roared.
Boom!
The earth split open, and dust fog rose, clouding the sight of many. Adam slammed Buba into the pulled-out Great Mountain Cleaver and walked toward the approaching cavalry.
From walking, he began to jog, and from there, he burst into full speed. Adam stomped on the ground, leaping high into the air as he swung his cleaver at Beowulf.
Beowulf swung his other axe upward to meet Adam.
They collided.
A violent ripple blasted outward, causing a commotion for Beowulf’s guards and instantly crippling Beowulf’s mount.
The Centrak crashed, and Beowulf walked away from it without a ripple in his eyes. His gaze was locked on Adam, who also got up from half kneeling.
“It’s been a while, old friend.” Beowulf suddenly said.
Adam laughed bitterly. “Indeed.”
He spun his cleaver and pointed the tip toward the ground.
“We may have fought together to conquer the scattered settlements and recreate the clans, but you are no longer a brother. Power has corrupted you so much that you resurrect the hidden guards with a bunch of jackal beastmen! The same that almost annihilated our clan!”
Adam roared, causing a fierce reaction as the earth cracked. A large amount of dust rose up but Beowulf remained in one spot. Not even the violent wind could push him back.
“You discovered. Remove your helmets.”
Beowulf ordered, and the hidden guard troop removed their helmets, revealing their beast heads. They were indeed jackals, and Adam knew when he got close enough to examine them. Most beastkins had inverted knees and weren’t much different from their lower relatives.
This meant that although they could stand, speak, and even do much more, they could still revert to running on all fours and devouring primitively.
The jackals exposed their fangs, but Beowulf lifted up his hand.
“Go.”
He pointed at the Asher’s men.
Rumble!
They split apart as they passed Adam and joined back after they had all past him. Adam didn’t bother stopping them, as he brandished his weapon and assumed a battle stance.
“You shouldn’t have humiliated my wife.”
He closed the gap and delivered a ferocious strike on Beowulf. Before the cleaver could touch Beowulf, the head chief leaned to the other side and slammed his head against Adam’s helmet.
Their helmets clashed, and Adam staggered backward.
By the time he regained his control, he saw a great axe, the sharpened edge gleaming as it came down on him.
Adam swiftly delivered an upward strike to counter it.
Clang!
Bam!
His knees slammed the ground, and he felt his right arm was about to dislocate from his shoulder. Beowulf turned the flat side of his axe and hit it against Adam’s chest, launching him over 100 yards away.
“You still don’t stand a chance.”
Groaning, Adam got to his knee while breathing roughly.
Roar!
Several explosions occurred, but as it hit Beowulf, it was like his roar was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
“Old friend… do better!”
Bam!
Beowulf slammed his knee into Adam’s chest. Shockingly, Adam grabbed his knee, lifted him up, and slammed Beowulf behind him.
A crimson light flashed past Beowulf’s eyes and he punched Adam so hard that his armor almost caved in. This was something he couldn’t do before Adam slammed him against the ground!
He threw another punch to Adam’s face, causing the man to fall on his knees once again. His vision was blurry, but he could make out the figure of Beowulf walking toward him.
“I first made her toil in my fields before ordering her to stand on the walls. She can see you now.”
Adam looked at the wall, but his blurry vision did not allow him to see far.
“Hey!”
A loud voice made Beowulf turn to see the twin commanders walking toward him.
Alex stomped the ground, leaving fiery sparks as he flew into the air and swung his sword downward. Beowulf blocked the strike only for Alec’s spear to come from another angle.
After Beowulf grabbed the spear, Alex punched his face and delivered a kick as a follow-up. Two crimson lights flashed through Beowulf’s eyes, and he grinned.
