Chapter 320 - 279: Loyalty! My Life Is Full of Glory, but What About You?

Reinhardt.

Steadfastly obeying her orders to guard Raphael’s side, Battle Sister Lu Jia gripped the hilt of her Knight’s Broadsword, silently chanting the name in her mind.

Perhaps it was out of awe for the power this Emperor’s Angel had displayed.

Perhaps it was the loyal instinct of one who served the Inquisition.

Even though the powerful Emperor’s Angel, Reinhardt, was fighting a legendary Fear Knight to buy them precious time to retreat, Lu Jia knew what she had to do.

If she made it out of here alive...

...she must report the matter of Avernus’s blessing to the Nun Superior.

Regardless of how the Inquisition handled it afterward, it was her duty as a Battle Sister, a daughter of the Emperor.

However...

As Lu Jia was considering how to secretly report this to the Inquisition later, she suddenly felt a gaze upon her.

When she turned around...

...all she saw was Raphael’s sacred and majestic stare, brimming with white lightning.

Before a top-tier Think Tank with the gifts of a Mind Mage, her thoughts and plans were laid bare for Raphael to see.

This Combat Priest, who had always been merciful, had experienced so many battles that he was no longer the hot-blooded greenhorn from the Verne campaign.

As a Vengeful Angels Think Tank, he was responsible for his Battle Brothers and the rescue mission.

When he implanted the Mind Mark in Lu Jia, he had been continuously probing the thoughts of this Battle Sister of questionable origins to ensure the stranger Reinhardt brought aboard was not a spy for the Demons or the rebels.

Even if she herself was an absolutely loyal Battle Sister...

...he still couldn’t rule out the possibility that someone had tampered with her.

Wielding the endless knowledge borne from the power of a Void Divine Artifact, Raphael had absolute authority in this matter.

So, after Lu Jia secretly decided to report Reinhardt to the Inquisition and the Holy Rose Order, Raphael merely stared at her, his expression impassive.

A cold voice, full of admonishment and warning—the voice of a true member of the Upper Ranks—rang out within the Mind Mark.

’The radiance of the great Divine Emperor shines upon us, Sister.’

’Your loyalty has been tested, but you are too young. Before you make certain decisions, I hope you will consider them more carefully.’

’Certain secrets are not known by you alone.’

Upon receiving Raphael’s warning, Lu Jia was stunned. Incredulous horror then flashed in her eyes.

’How did you...’

Twenty-four seconds left on the evacuation countdown.

While Reinhardt and Flayer Du Ma were locked in an evenly matched struggle, Albert, now without his Power Backpack and Steel Wings, let out a roar and gripped his sword with both hands.

His Knight’s Broadsword, imbued with the power of the Extraordinary Armament·Curse-Breaking Blade, swung down with immense, heavy force toward Du Ma’s thick, powerful neck, which was covered by the Steel Execution Rack.

But this time...

...the Fear Knight did not use the same crude, overwhelming force he had against Reinhardt. Instead, he violently shoved Reinhardt away and pulled a Steel Spike from his Power Armor.

As the two brushed past each other...

...Du Ma took three quick steps back, avoiding Albert’s Knight’s Broadsword. "The Blood Plague Poison should be taking full effect by now," it taunted. "Angel, can you feel that power from the Supreme One?

Hehehe...

The Great Angel is dead. You’ve lost your Legendary Power, so why resist? Isn’t the power of the Slaughter Death Arena enough for you?"

In a confrontation between Body Technique Powerhouses, every detail contains a massive amount of information.

Unlike the vast majority of Extraordinary Knights, whose Special Abilities increase in number as they grow stronger, Albert’s Extraordinary Armament had never developed any other Special Abilities, even after he was promoted to Three-star Earth Military Rank.

Even his Earth Ring was completely reliant on the Curse-Breaking Blade itself.

Although he lacked the endless tactical options that other Extraordinary Knights possessed with their myriad Special Abilities, the fact that Flayer Du Ma dodged the Knight’s Broadsword imbued with the power of the Curse-Breaking Blade spoke volumes.

All of its defensive measures, its Fine Craftsmanship Furnace Cast Steel Execution Rack...

...were nothing but thin paper before Albert’s Curse-Breaking Blade.

It had already learned this lesson the hard way.

Ignoring Energy Shields, ignoring Spiritual Energy, ignoring Extraordinary Creation Power... The unassuming Broadsword in that Radiant Angel’s hands cut into it the same way it would cut into ordinary metal and flesh.

Its destructive power was terrifying, almost on par with a Divine Artifact.

The plot to corrupt the Radiant Angels was originally the responsibility of this Demon Mother Ship’s Void Governor, but Flayer Du Ma killed him, used his skin as a sacrifice, and restored its own power and healed its injuries.

This task from the Dark Abyss naturally fell upon its shoulders.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t be dawdling here instead of just cutting down this Radiant Angel and using his skin for a sacrifice.

Albert roared, rushed forward, and swung his sword.

But his grievous injuries and the pervasive Demon Poison had long since robbed him of his combat judgment. He was fighting purely on the experience of a veteran, on instinct alone.

The traitor was right. The Demon Poison had already seeped into his marrow and was beginning to corrode his Spiritual Power.

If he chose to embrace the evil Mighty Power of the Slaughter Death Arena...

...he would immediately transform into a Fear Knight, just like this traitor.

But the purity and glory of the Radiant Angels could not be defiled.

Albert sliced off one of the Steel Spikes from Flayer Du Ma’s body, his eyes wide with fury as he cursed, "My life has been filled with glory and a few regrets, but what about you?

Du Ma. Once one of the glorious Ten Dragon Guard of the Dragon Hunter Legion, champion of the Spiker Battle Group.

Your life is nothing but filthy betrayal and blasphemy—!"

When Albert mentioned Flayer Du Ma’s past, the Fear Knight—who until this point had been completely confident, like a predator toying with its prey—suddenly sounded utterly enraged!

The Iron Lock Hook whizzed toward Albert as it let out a low growl like a Dragon Beast and shrieked hysterically, "Where did you hear that name—?!

No one dares mention that name in front of me!

No one—!"

BOOM—!

The Iron Lock Hook slammed into Albert’s chest, sending him flying.

As Flayer Du Ma strode forward like a humanoid tank, charging murderously toward the fallen Albert...

...an extremely terrifying aura of Knight Power suddenly appeared in its perception.

This utterly terrifying power even distorted light and space for a brief moment.

When the enraged Flayer Du Ma sensed this terrifying power—a power sufficient to threaten it—hurtling toward it at incredible speed...

...the hysteria from its attempt to kill Albert vanished from its eyes in an instant.

Then...

...a tall figure bathed in the Flame of Blood Fury crossed a distance of three hundred meters in less than half a second.

The sonic boom from breaking the sound barrier became a crimson mist, deafening!

The Flame of Blood Fury roared and surged within Reinhardt’s eye sockets, resembling flowing fire as he flew at high speed.

Under the effect of Combat Skill·Humiliate People’s Power, a massive amount of Knight Power gathered in his fists!

He smashed them toward Flayer Du Ma with immense force!