"I thought these Sorcerers were planning a surprise attack, but I never expected an extra prize like this. To think we would see these damned bugs here too."
High in the distant sky, a group of cavalry riding Flying Dragons was racing over. The one who had spoken was a red-haired female knight.
"You seem to have quite a strong dislike for these insects, Lady Millicent," Rellana said curiously.
Millicent made no attempt to hide her feelings and answered bluntly,
"I can tell you this much. Dislike does not even begin to describe what I feel when I see them. I loathe them to the extreme. To be honest, I would love to wipe them out completely."
"But we have no reason to help our enemies. Let's watch for now. Once they've torn each other apart, it won't be too late for us to step in and finish them off," Millicent said calmly.
"That was my thought as well, but..." Rellana's tone shifted, and she sighed helplessly. "It seems we have already been noticed."
Rellana swiftly drew the twin swords at her waist and, without hesitation, slashed a blade of icy Magical Power into the sky.
Across the pitch-black night, a brilliant azure meteor streaked overhead. It looked like a burning blue flame, dragging a long tail across the heavens.
The scorching Magical Power and the frigid sword aura collided violently, triggering an earth-shaking explosion in an instant.
The intense light of the blast shone like dawn, illuminating the entire forest as brightly as day.
It was Great Glintstone Shard, an introductory spell used by the Sorcerers of Raya Lucaria Academy.
Yet in that moment, this seemingly ordinary spell struck everyone present like a true falling star.
Neither the stars glittering in the night sky nor the dense branches and leaves of the forest could hide the dazzling radiance released by that Sorcery.
Everyone's gaze was drawn to the astonishing sight.
"What terrifying power. Who could use a low-level Sorcery to that degree?" Millicent asked.
Mounted on her Flying Dragon, Millicent looked down over the entire forest. Her eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, sweeping constantly over every corner, searching for enemies that might be hidden in the dark.
She knew very well that, with the strength of this avatar, she would not have been able to withstand that spell.
And that strike had exposed their position outright. Playing the oriole behind the mantis was clearly impossible now.
Rellana's expression was just as grave. She stared at the glow of the spell and slowly said, "An old acquaintance of mine."
Her voice was filled with surprise and caution.
"I never thought I would see him here. What a surprise. Judging from this, he did not come with good intentions. All of you, be careful."
Nolan had no idea that Millicent had run into an opponent even Rellana treated with caution, but he had no time to think about such things.
Giving an opponent one's full attention was the most basic form of respect. And the opponent before him was clearly no ordinary figure. He was more than enough.
Two sharp clangs rang out, the deafening sound of metal striking metal almost tearing at the eardrums.
Nolan gripped the Promised Claymore and the Dark Moon Greatsword tightly in both hands, blocking the two Black Iron Claymores pressing down like mountains, then used the momentum to force the towering man before him back once again.
The man staggered backward, each step leaving a deep mark in the earth.
Still refusing to give up?
Nolan looked at the roaring Radahn before him.
The man was like an enraged beast. The tracks carved into the ground by his thick legs continued to stretch backward. In a pure contest of strength, Radahn was no match for him.
By this point in the battle, Nolan was certain. This King of Warriors would not abandon his ambition. When this battle ended, only one of them would still be standing on the battlefield.
Radahn was different from Malenia, who wanted to sleep with him yet kept acting conflicted about it. Radahn was a straightforward man.
He made no effort to hide his ambition. He wanted to become a champion. He wanted to become a Lord.
Nolan could satisfy Malenia's desires, but for Radahn, there was only the swing of blades until death.
Radahn's Black Iron Claymores shot out once more, carrying deadly force as they cleaved straight toward Nolan.
Seeing this, Nolan released his grip and let the Promised Claymore and the Dark Moon Greatsword fly up as well.
The four Claymores collided in midair, ringing out in a rapid series of clear clashes. Every impact scattered sparks, like fireworks blooming in the night sky.
The two of them had been more than ten meters apart, but in the blink of an eye, Nolan appeared right in front of Radahn.
Radahn had no time to react. His pupils contracted sharply, and he immediately swung his fist.
By now, Radahn's armor had long since shattered. His powerful body was exposed, covered in dense sword wounds, with blood constantly seeping from them.
His red hair hung loose over his shoulders. As Radahn swung his fist in a frenzy, he looked like a lion driven into a corner, his final counterattack wild and vicious.
Gravity Sorcery layered over his fist. The force of the punch was like an air cannon compressed to the limit, and wherever it passed, even heaven and earth seemed to overturn.
Boom!!
With a deafening roar, the fist struck out. In that instant, the earth was churned over again and again by the tremendous force.
The small hill behind Nolan was flattened by the wind pressure, but Nolan also threw his own fist, meeting the blow head-on.
Another earth-shaking roar erupted as the two colossal forces collided in midair.
The power of that punch was so great that even Radahn could not stop himself from letting out a muffled growl.
Agony shot up from his arm, assaulting his mind like a storm of electricity.
Radahn watched the muscles in his right hand burst apart. Blood sprayed out like a fountain, and his massive body was lifted clean off the ground and sent flying backward.
Nolan was also forced back several meters. After steadying himself as quickly as possible, he was just about to pursue with Bloodhound's Step when he saw Radahn tear through the dust and smoke, descending from the sky with the Black Iron Claymores gripped in both hands, like...
A bloodstained giant star.
They were too close, and Radahn was too fast. It was already too late to recall his twin swords. Without hesitation, Nolan completed the Bloodhound's Step he had not yet fully taken.
Nolan vanished. Radahn's impact arrived and exploded.
Radahn had poured everything he had into this blow. The air trembled with a buzzing roar, and the ground caved in beneath the immense impact, forming a massive crater.
A huge mushroom cloud rose into the sky, blotting out the heavens, as if the end of the world had come.
Yet this was not Radahn's decisive strike. It was a desperate move at the edge of defeat, a final counterattack under the threat of death.
Radahn stood at the center of the deep crater, his crimson hair like burning flame, head lowered as he gasped for breath.
As the smoke gradually dispersed, Nolan's figure finally appeared again. The great wings on his back fanned away the smoke around him, revealing the rock-like Scale Armor across his body, burned red by the heat.