"Hold steady! Don't panic! Form a defensive line!"
"Knights, to horse! Form up and charge with me!"
"..."
Coincidentally, those standing at the very front, on the outermost perimeter, were precisely the mixed armies.
At this moment, the one mounted on horseback and shouting commands was Knight Godfrey.
Although Godfrey was very responsible, in this sudden encounter battle, the mixed armies they led simply couldn't react in time.
In this kind of close-quarters engagement, scenes of death followed one after another, making it unbearable to watch and striking terror into people's hearts.
And fear and terror could only lead to defeat.
"Your Majesty, what do we do now?"
At the center of the armies, Gormathar, Taran, Brontes, Steropes, and Saelen all gathered around, everyone's gaze fixed on Delilah.
At this moment, Delilah was everyone's spiritual leader, the command center.
Delilah's gaze was currently fixed on the front lines. She withdrew her eyes from Godfrey, her expression incomparably solemn.
"Brontes, Steropes, you brothers take the Shield Warrior armies to the front line and block the dark creatures' assault."
"As you command!"
Receiving the order, Brontes and Steropes, without another word, turned and went to dispatch the Shield Warrior armies.
The Shield Warrior armies were the Thunderstorm Bearmen armies; having the Bearmen brothers Brontes and Steropes lead them was most fitting.
"Saelen, go relay orders to Godfrey and Grum Ironfist. Have them take the mixed armies to the left flank to intercept the dark creatures trying to circle around."
The mixed armies were already in disarray, their morale wavering; they were not suitable to remain on the front line.
There would be fewer enemies on the flank; using superior numbers against inferior ones would allow the mixed armies to gradually regain their confidence.
It had to be said, Delilah's arrangements were very thoughtful.
"Afterwards, you don't need to return to my side. Stay with the mixed armies; with your abilities, you can reduce their casualties."
"But..."
Saelen hesitated. She was a blood elf with first-class perception and also a formidable sniper.
Sniping dark creatures attempting to approach their commander was Saelen's duty.
"As long as you hold the front and both flanks, the enemy won't be able to break through."
"This crucial moment in battle must not be lost. Go quickly."
Saelen was still hesitating, but Delilah's words made her turn and hurry towards the front line.
Roar!
In the sky, the Four-Winged Blood Bat hovered above. It didn't enter the front line so it could support Delilah at any time and help her avoid unknown dangers.
Delilah glanced up at the Four-Winged Blood Bat, then withdrew her gaze.
"Gormathar, Taran, lead your two armies to reinforce them and reduce the pressure on the Shield Warriors."
"The Shield Warriors are our guarantee for stabilizing the situation; we cannot let them suffer too heavy losses."
Gormathar the giant and Taran the Pandaren both accepted the order, leading the Beastfolk armies and the giant armies to reinforce the line.
As the various armies successively took their positions, the situation gradually stabilized.
"Godfrey, to the flank!"
"By Her Majesty's command, our mixed armies will defend the flank!"
Shouting from not far away was Grum Ironfist the dwarven warrior, continuously swinging his warhammer.
Saelen relayed the order; this contingent of the mixed armies, not strong in combat, prepared to withdraw.
"You go! Don't mind me!"
"This is the primary battlefield! Bathed in a knight's glory, I will not and cannot flee!"
"Grum Ironfist, if I die, remember to give the Flame-Tiger cub I fostered at the Colosseum to my giant friend, Brundar."
"Tell him that valor is a virtue every knight possesses."
Knight Godfrey squeezed his horse's belly with his legs, pulled the reins, and his beast-blood mount reared its front hooves, kicking a Night Stalker to the ground.
Puchi!
Knight Godfrey raised his lance and delivered a clean finishing blow.
Then, Godfrey charged directly into the very front line, arriving behind the defensive formation of the Thunderstorm Bearmen Shield Warriors, promptly clearing out the dark creatures that had broken through to them.
Instantly, snarls and roars intertwined.
Amidst the clash of shields, the swing of great blades, and the thrusts of lances, blood and fire played out their symphony, while slaughter and faith continuously collided.
Darkness, moonlight, bonfires, blood, dirt, bloodthirsty eyes, bloodied claws... this was the battlefield.
Amidst the battle formations, above power, commanding a vast army, watching life after life fall before her eyes, Delilah had a new realization.
"Life is so fragile. If one is weak, they can only passively be reduced to fresh meat or dust."
"Stability is hard-won; everything must be supported and fought for with strength."
At this moment, Delilah felt immense pressure.
This was a pressure that previously only Orion could feel and bear.
Now, Delilah also felt it.
At this moment, Delilah profoundly understood that no matter who the enemy was, she could not lose, and the Stoneheart Horde could not lose.
Orion, even more so, could not lose.
If they lost, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Huu!
Delilah slowly exhaled, glanced around, then leaped up onto the back of her flying mount, the Four-Winged Blood Bat.
Just then, where Delilah had been standing, the soil erupted, and an Alpha-level dark crawler leaped out, looking exceptionally ferocious.
Dark Crawlers were somewhat different from Night Stalkers; the former had more beast-like bodies and moved by crawling, while the latter were more humanoid, often with limbs mutated into blades or swords.
Upon appearing, the dark crawler was immediately besieged by bloodline warriors.
Delilah looked down, glanced at the dark crawler, then withdrew her gaze.
Daring to infiltrate the center of the army, that dark crawler was doomed.
Delilah had sensed danger earlier but couldn't pinpoint the dark crawler's location, so she had timely left the ground.
Being in the sky, standing on the Four-Winged Blood Bat's back, was relatively safer.
"To the front line!"
Delilah spoke, and the Four-Winged Blood Bat followed her instructions, flying to the front line.
Then, Delilah began to chant, the sound like a blessing, yet also like a prayer.
The voice was melodious and continuous. Upon hearing it, the Stoneheart Horde's bloodline warriors felt their blood boil and their fighting spirit soar.
Conversely, when the dark creatures heard it, weariness overcame them, their concentration wavered, and their attack movements became slightly slow and stiff.
This was Delilah's Nightmare Arts, and also the mental illusions of the succubus race.
This was the Song of Bewilderment; those bloodline warriors from the Black Forest had witnessed it before.
With Delilah joining the battlefield, the invading armies not only stabilized the situation but even faintly gained the upper hand, beginning to slowly push forward.
Just like that, the battlefield fell into a recurring, continuous rhythm of defense and advance. In this rhythm, the life flames of numerous dark creatures and bloodline warriors were extinguished one after another.