Chapter 389 351: The Contention of Paths

BANG—!

Unable to dodge, Nelom's body shot forward like an arrow from a bow. He skimmed across the floor, rocketing down the thirty-meter corridor before slamming viciously into the wall.

The shockwave, visible to the naked eye, erupted in an instant as a roaring blast of air!

If he were just an Official Knight, this blow would have been fatal.

But his Physique, that of a Four-star Earth Military Rank, was forged from steel. After slamming into the wall, besides the intense pain in his waist and abdomen, the only real damage was a large, caved-in section of his Power Armor.

The impact on his internal organs and bones was nowhere near severe enough to be called an injury.

Besides, under the protection of the Ashen Battle Armor's Special Ability—Nirvana Rebirth—these minor injuries would heal completely within three breaths.

He dropped to one knee and ripped off his stuffy Full Coverage Helmet, revealing a face taut with fury. His skin was like tree bark, his lips pale and cracked.

His short buzz cut was beaded with sweat.

His heavy, scorching breaths sounded like a Dragon Beast's.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth through his Power Armor, then slowly rose. After spitting a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground and tossing aside his Broadsword, he roared and charged at Reinhardt again!

The explosive power of his massive frame turned his footfalls into a heavy drumbeat echoing down the corridor.

Like a raging bull, Nelom took a wrestler's stance, lunging to grab Reinhardt's waist and shoulders. But a battle to the death never follows the rules of a performance.

Reinhardt raised his right arm, deflecting Nelom's left hand. In the same motion, he twisted his own wrist and locked his grip on Nelom's arm.

At the same time, the Micro-Aikacia Nozzles at his knees and ankles erupted with blue streams of high-temperature Energy, launching his body into the air. Ignoring any defense, he threw himself into a desperate kick, his feet turning into heavy cannons that smashed thunderously into Nelom's chest!

And this time…

Because Reinhardt held him by the arm, the tremendous kinetic energy could only lift Nelom's body into the air. Even as the terrifying flying kick shattered his Chest Armor, broke every rib and embedded them in his heart and lungs, and sent a shockwave bursting into a vapor cone from his back, he was forced to take the full force of an attack that would have been instantly fatal to any other Earth Knight!

As an Extraordinary Knight who excelled at fighting with his Special Ability, Nelom's Body Techniques were perhaps just barely passable.

But in Reinhardt's eyes, Nelom's Body Techniques were laughably weak.

In just two brief exchanges, the Ash-Burning Tyrant had been utterly defeated.

THUD—!

Nelom's body crashed to the ground.

Reinhardt, meanwhile, used his Aikacia Nozzles to land gently, as if taking a leisurely stroll. To him, this level of Body Techniques Combat was merely a game.

Nelom struggled to stand, but his broken ribs had pierced his heart.

He vomited mouthfuls of blood, struggling several times to get up but failing each time.

The Ashen Battle Armor on his body flickered with faint, starlike points of light, like the last embers of a dying fire, pulsing in and out as if breathing.

This was Nelom's other trump card: Earth Ring·Nirvana Rebirth.

As long as he wasn't killed instantly by a blow that bypassed his defenses, he could slowly recover from any injury, no matter how grievous.

Nelom struggled to pull his right leg under him. Pushing off the ground with both hands, he spat out another mouthful of blood and suddenly burst into laughter. "Is this your path as a Knight, Reinhardt? Hahahaha—!

I thought we were both fighting for our own paths, but I never imagined you'd be such a despicable person!"

He forced himself to stand, only to lose his strength and fall backward again.

Propping himself up on his hands, Nelom tilted his head back to glare up at Reinhardt's Full Coverage Helmet, his eyes nearly splitting from pure rage!

"If you were to kill me now, I would respect you as an Imperial Knight, one who is cloaked in glory and holds to his ideals. But you have disappointed me... There is no honor in your actions!"

Bullying the weak and humiliating one's enemies have never been virtues of an Imperial Knight.

Perhaps the Ash-Burning Tyrant's mouth was foul, every word dripping with aggression, but his combat intelligence and battle experience were far from being as crude as he seemed.

But Reinhardt's own combat experience was vast. He knew Nelom was just stalling for time to heal.

He, too, removed the Full Coverage Helmet of his Avenger Armor.

Sweat matted his messy black hair, which hadn't been cut in a long time. The flickering light from Nelom's armor reflected on his rugged, imperial face as he looked down with a gaze as sharp as an eagle's and as wary as a wolf's.

Then, Reinhardt's slightly hoarse, deep voice echoed slowly down the corridor.

"The rebels started this war to fight for power and status, but that's not why you're fighting."

Nelom grinned, revealing blood-soaked teeth. "Power and status? You're right. I'd never fight for that bullshit.

If you really want to know what I'm fighting for, I'll tell you."

At this, Nelom swayed as he slowly rose to his feet. He stared daggers at Reinhardt, his expression suddenly darkening. He lunged forward, roaring with pure fury, "I joined this battle for one reason: to slaughter you and Sedon with my own hands! DIE—!"

His right hand became a cannon, a hook punch that whistled toward Reinhardt's face!

At the same time, with a mere thought from Nelom, his Ashen Battle Armor stirred. An imperceptible wave of intense heat, formed purely from Knight Power, billowed out like a sudden gust of wind and completely enveloped Reinhardt!