Chapter 489 - 270: Fierce Battle

A stirring bloodlust made him subconsciously see every guest present as a little snack to be drained of blood and devoured, one after another.

Just restraining this impulse was a form of mental torture. To use an airplane analogy, it was as if a captain had boarded the plane, closed the cockpit door, started all the instruments, and already had his hand on the flight yoke.

Seeing Baron make no move, Aile raised an eyebrow. "I don’t like dishonorable victories. Like I said before, use your full strength."

His pupils began to turn a lion’s amber. "I," he said, enunciating each word, "will use my full strength."

A fierce gale erupted around him as a lion-like majesty emanated from his body. It wasn’t just majesty, though; it was laced with a sense of humiliation and anger.

Only Aile’s companions knew the source of his humiliation and anger. It was likely the humiliation of Knight Commander Wilder refusing his request to reinforce the Dragoon ruins, and his anger toward that Dragon Knight who had been swaggering about the Lion Eye Knight Order’s garrison.

Aile raised his sword. It was a wide-bladed weapon, three feet in length. A Silver Lion’s head was carved upon it, and the blade itself was covered in intricate Alchemy patterns, crisscrossing like the cross-section of a mountain.

He took a deep breath and looked at Baron. "I won’t hold back."

Baron nodded. He held his sword in one hand, the tip pointing down—a gesture of "after you" in Knightly etiquette.

Meanwhile, his gaze remained fixed forward. To Aile, it looked as though Baron was wary of his next attack, and the other guests saw it the same way. In Baron’s mind, however, he was wondering, ’Should I break out and run to the left, or to the right?’

No longer hesitating, Aile infused the blade with Spiritual Power. The sword’s cold gleam instantly flared three inches outward.

[Promise: Lion’s Eye] suddenly activated. The brilliant power it revealed shook the very souls of all who saw his eyes, even those who only caught a glimpse from the corner of their vision.

It felt as if an invisible, violent pressure was descending from the heavens, one that would force them to their knees in submission as their minds went blank. —And that was without Aile even targeting them intentionally.

Even some of the Contract Knights were affected. Their hands trembled, their legs shook, and their chests heaved with ragged breaths. They were clearly overwhelmed by the majesty of [Lion’s Eye]. They couldn’t even muster the slightest will to resist; they only wanted to submit. Yes, submit.

The only thought that remained in their minds was, ’Thank goodness that Lion’s Eye isn’t aimed at me.’ They didn’t even dare to imagine what fate awaited the Attendant facing it head-on.

"It’s actually Lion’s Eye..." someone in the crowd murmured. "That Attendant is done for."

Lion’s Eye was a Promise only obtainable by Knights who had a contract with a Pure Silver Lion. Knights who contracted with other types of Silver Lions could only obtain Lion’s Roar. Both types of Promises served to shock an opponent’s spirit and slow their Spiritual Power, but Lion’s Eye was far more powerful than Lion’s Roar. Using it in battle could often create a decisive element of surprise.

Among the famous Contract Knights of the Inner Side, there were only five known to have gained the acknowledgment of a Pure Silver Lion and formed a contract with one. And of those, the former Knight Commander of the Lion Eye Knight Order, Anthony, was already dead.

It should also be noted that Pure Silver Lions are the equivalent of nobility within the Silver Lion Race, as their bloodline is infinitesimally close to that of the legendary Golden Lions. They are also extremely rare. Currently, aside from the two known to be in Britain, the only other recorded sightings of Pure Silver Lions have been in Italy, Spain, and China.

Of the two in Britain, one is the Silver Lion King who rules the Silver Lion Race. The other, according to rumor, resides at the garrison guarded by the Lancelot Clan. It is said that the Pure Silver Lion contracted by Anthony and all successive Knight Commanders of the Lion Eye Knight Order was that very one from the Lancelot Clan.

As a member of a branch family, Aile naturally wasn’t qualified to contract with his clan’s Pure Silver Lion. Fortunately, by a twist of fate during his Knight’s Trial, he gained the acknowledgment of the Silver Lion King and formed a contract with it, becoming the third Knight to do so after Silver Lion Wilder.

All the guests and Knights, whether they were knowledgeable or not, unanimously agreed that Baron was doomed. They saw that he hadn’t moved an inch from the very beginning, standing there like a statue.

"Could that Attendant have been scared stiff by the Lion’s Eye? He’s not moving at all."

"Isn’t it obvious? He knows he can’t win, so he’s given up," one guest gloated. "That’s why he’s just standing there. At least he’ll take less of a beating that way."

"What do you mean, ’can’t win’? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Isn’t it just because he’s exhausted after fighting the Griffin Knight Order? Didn’t you see how those two Knights were at a disadvantage even when they attacked together just now?" another guest retorted in Baron’s defense.

"That’s because this Lion-eyed Knight didn’t use his Promise! Isn’t a battle between Law Enforcers all about using their respective Laws and Authorities?"

"But that Griffin Knight *did* use his Authority, and this Attendant blocked all of it! And another thing, after this is over, I’m filing a complaint against that Griffin Knight! He recklessly used his Promise with no regard for our safety!"

And so, some of the guests began to chatter, comparing the two. This was a perfectly normal thing. In any era, people have always loved a good debate.

It’s just like lions versus tigers, Messi versus Ronaldo, Curry versus James... This is perfectly normal.

Why else would [War] be the First Law?

......

In Aile’s eyes, Baron also seemed to have been scared stiff by the Lion’s Eye, standing there dumbfounded and motionless.