However, that sliver of hope was ruthlessly torn to shreds by the shadow overhead. In the sky, Ed had been watching the ground intently. The moment Karl tried to break through with his cavalry, Ed dove. Behind him, twenty Pegasus knights followed in tight formation.
The speed of a Pegasus was incredible! In mere moments, the knights caught up with the fleeing mercenaries.
Twang! Twang!
The sound of bowstrings echoed. Even at high speeds, the Pegasus knights maintained their lethal accuracy.
"Argh!" A rider screamed as he tumbled from his horse. Another's mount was struck; the horse collapsed with a mournful neigh, pinning its master beneath its weight. Karl watched the carnage from the corner of his eye, his soul trembling with terror. With these knights in the sky, fleeing was simply a slower way to die.
"Surrender and live!" the knights shouted in unison as they circled lower. One by one, men dismounted and threw down their weapons. Two legs couldn't outrun four, and four legs couldn't outrun wings.
As the leader, Karl had no intention of surrendering. He kicked his horse's flanks, pushing for maximum speed. He knew he was the primary target. Ed was riding his massive Pegasus, charging straight for him like a bolt of white lightning.
"Ed! An Earth Knight!" Karl recognized the figure, and his heart sank. He was an Earth Knight himself, but on the ground, facing a high-speed aerial charge, he stood no chance.
Ed's cold gaze locked onto Karl. He didn't use his bow. Instead, he leveled his Armor-Piercing Spear. The Pegasus accelerated during the dive, the air shrieking around it. Knowing he couldn't dodge, Karl yanked his reins, shifted his weight, and erupted with battle qi, attempting to parry with his scimitar.
BOOM!
A massive collision rang out. The spear struck Karl's shoulder with the force of a collapsing mountain. The scimitar flew from his hand, and Karl was hoisted from his saddle and flung through the air like a tattered sack. He felt his shoulder tear; the agonizing pain radiated through his entire body. After tumbling through the air, he slammed into the hard earth, coughing up a mouthful of copper-tasting blood.
His horse bolted in terror. With the impact of the dive, the blessing of the Wild Heart, and the sharpness of the spear, Ed had defeated a fellow Earth Knight in a single strike.
Karl struggled to stand, but his mangled shoulder pinned him to the ground. Several Pegasus knights landed and surrounded him. Soon, the Blackstone infantry arrived, sealing his fate. Karl lay there, looking at the cold eyes around him and the smoking ruins of his mercenary group. He, the leader of the Blood Wolf, who had dominated the Blackstone Mountains for over a decade, had fallen—so easily, so completely.
Karl was dragged to a clearing at the edge of the camp where a simple tent had been pitched. There, he saw a young figure sitting in the central seat. Leylo sat relaxed, holding a cup.
Karl was forced to his knees. He looked up at Leylo with a complex gaze, unable to believe this youth was the one who had dismantled his life's work in a single night.
"The leader of the Blood Wolf, Karl?" Leylo's voice was calm.
"It's me," Karl grunted through gritted teeth. Survival instinct took over. "Lord Leylo, I admit defeat. But I am an Earth Knight. I have power and experience. I can swear fealty to you! I can lead your charges, hunt other bandits, or deal with any enemy you have!"
Karl's voice carried a hint of desperate pleading. He discarded all his dignity for a chance to live. Leylo listened silently, his face expressionless.
After a moment, Leylo spoke with an uncompromising coldness. "Fealty? Blackstone already has a 'Karl' (referring to his administrative official). My memory is poor; I'm afraid I won't remember which one is which."
Karl froze, confused. Before he could process the remark, Leylo continued: "Besides, Blackstone has no need for your brand of loyalty. You have committed countless atrocities; your existence would only bring shame to my territory."
"Don't you want to know who paid me to move against you?" Karl blurted out, his last card.
"Aside from my 'dear brother,' who else could it be?" Leylo interrupted, dismissing the information as if it were a triviality. "Take him away. Hang his head at the border crossroads."
Two soldiers hauled Karl away. He didn't struggle; he knew it was over. In a flash of cold steel, the blade fell.
Squelch!
The head of the Blood Wolf leader rolled onto the scorched earth, eyes wide with frozen shock. His head was placed on a high pole at the border between Blackstone and the wilderness. Beneath it, a sign written in blood read:
"Karl, Leader of the Blood Wolf, Has Been Executed!"
The wind swept across the wilderness, carrying the scent of dried blood. Even the birds kept their distance, deterred by the aura of death.