Chapter 278 - 242: Forceful Slay! Promotion to Four-star

Huffman was an extremely powerful enemy.

Of that, there was no doubt.

On any battlefield, no matter how grand, the mere presence of the Flayers Warband’s leader was the most terrifying of nightmares for his enemies!

A veteran of a thousand battles, possessing the peak combat power of the Four-star Earth Military Rank, a Demon Body comparable to a Furnace Cast-Level Extraordinary Creation, and the Devourer’s Slaughter Knife, which granted him the terrifying trait of being almost impossible to kill.

A monster, through and through, born only for slaughter and battle!

A pity, then, that the enemy he met was Reinhardt.

Clutching the Devourer’s Slaughter Knife in a death grip, Reinhardt stared directly into Huffman’s blazing, horrified eyes. His deep voice was like a final death sentence.

"Is this the full extent of your strength? Traitor."

At that moment, when Huffman heard that voice laced with cruelty, his massive body began to tremble uncontrollably, and the sulfurous flames within his eye sockets shrank drastically!

Yet, his pride and arrogance refused to accept it. He could not believe he was feeling fear while facing such a "weak" Three-star Earth Knight!

This immense sense of shame only fueled his rage!

’Unforgivable!’

He let out a hysterical roar, bellowing, "I’ll cut out your tongue, Imperial Knight!"

Huffman tightly gripped the Devourer’s Slaughter Knife.

Even if this Imperial Knight’s Extraordinary Power was immense, Huffman was arrogant enough to believe that he alone would be the battle’s final victor.

’So what if he’s powerful?’

After betraying the Empire and the Divine Emperor to worship Supreme Afnas of the Dark Abyss, he had thrown himself into the great rebellion, fighting in one battle after another. He had killed far too many powerful Body Technique Imperial Knights.

Among them were even champion-level powerhouses from the Imperial Arena!

Some of those powerful foes were even stronger than this Imperial Knight!

Yet without exception, he emerged as the final victor of every battle.

The Mighty Power Traits of the Devourer’s Slaughter Knife granted him an immortal and indestructible Extraordinary Power. This power, hailing from the Slaughter Death Arena, was not something an Imperial Knight could withstand!

With a furious roar, Huffman wrenched the Devourer’s Slaughter Knife from Reinhardt’s grasp. He charged like a steel juggernaut at full speed, roaring as he bore down on the stationary Reinhardt!

As a Destruction Knight, his combat style completely lacked the strategic thought of Body Techniques; he simply relied on his brute strength and immortality to raise his blade and slash!

Meanwhile, if Reinhardt had so wished, Huffman would have been unable to land a single blow on him for the entire fight.

Compared to the terrifying enemies he had faced in the past, the power displayed by this warband leader was hardly enough to kindle his fighting spirit. The only exceptions were the Slaughter Knife radiating Demon Evil Power and Huffman’s own immortality.

Because Huffman was simply too weak.

Taking the blow from Huffman’s Slaughter Knife head-on, aside from showing his contempt for the traitor, was another of Reinhardt’s tactical objectives: to restore the morale of the port’s defensive line.

As the leader of the port battlefront, Florian’s defeat had been a severe blow to morale.

’Since this traitor is already a dead man, he might as well be put to some use before the end.’

For such is the nature of war. It was just like the Imperial Administrative Region preparing to enter the Void Storm at any cost to rescue the trapped Radiant Angels.

In these dark times, be they Imperial Knights or the Mortal Auxiliary Army, the world of man needed an unyielding banner to inspire hearts and bolster morale.

To lead the way forward.

To grant them the courage to continue the fight, all in a noble cause.

Clearly, Reinhardt’s gambit had been a resounding success.

When the nearby Mortal Auxiliary Army and Ash Guard saw him catch Huffman’s Slaughter Knife with a single hand, a surge of courage washed away the gloom of Florian’s defeat. It filled their hearts anew, and they threw themselves into battle with even greater ferocity!

"For the Emperor!"

"Die! You filthy scum!"

Now that his tactical objective was achieved, there was no point in wasting any more time on Huffman. A blast of high-temperature energy propelled Reinhardt into the air.

The chains of his War Axe RATTLED as it returned to his hand.

He landed outside the control room corridor on the top level of the Barge Port. From his high vantage point, he looked down at the warband leader, Huffman, who turned to look up at him. Their gazes clashed in mid-air.

Reinhardt slung the War Axe onto his back. With a slight twitch of his right index finger, the ancient Iron Sword—which had been fixed to his Power Armor, looking for all the world like a mere ornament—slowly flew into his grasp.

Then, the eternal Divine Emperor’s Fury Flame blazed to life.

The aura of Radiant Power crashed down upon the port battlefront!

It was as if someone had pressed pause on the entire battlefield. Imperial Knights, the Mortal Auxiliary Army, even the Demons and Void Knights—all without exception raised their heads, their gazes fixed on the figure at the highest point.

In that moment, the blazing Divine Emperor’s Fury Flame was like the Emperor himself descending upon the battlefield!

The Radiant Power hung like a sun above the Barge Port, its silver glow illuminating even the darkest corners.

In the eyes of the Mortal Auxiliary Army, they saw a manifestation of the Emperor himself, descending with his Mighty Power to bless the battlefield.

In the eyes of the Imperial Knights, they saw a terrifying vision: Angel’s Wings like blood dripping from the heavens, blotting out the sky and sun, and a throne of vengeance built upon a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

And in the eyes of the Demons and Void Knights...

The moment the souls of the Demons so much as touched a sliver of the Divine Emperor’s Fury Flame’s radiance, they were plunged into a terrifying sea of fire. Excruciating pain flooded the very depths of their souls!