Radahn made no sound for a long while.
His figure shot away from the fierce battlefield like a falling star, finally crashing down like a meteor onto distant Stormhill.
He kept his grip tight around the hilt of his sword and never let go.
In truth, from his very first clash with Nolan, Radahn had already realized that defeating him in close combat was almost impossible.
Although Nolan looked slender and frail, beneath that seemingly fragile appearance lay strength even greater than his own.
Because of that, Radahn had been trying to create distance between himself and Nolan, avoiding being suppressed by his opponent's terrifying close-range attacks.
But Nolan's offense was unbelievably fierce, coming wave after wave like a storm, leaving Radahn no chance to catch his breath.
So each time he managed to pull away, not only did he fail to counterattack, he fell even further into passivity.
Only with that last strike did Radahn finally see a glimmer of opportunity.
Two thin trails of blood appeared on the ground before Radahn. His warhorse had been wounded.
Radahn floated up again. This time, he did not bring along his beloved little horse. A battle of this intensity was clearly no place for it.
The purple light around Radahn suddenly grew dazzling, like the brightest star in the night sky.
Within that radiant purple glow, the little horse was instantly sent far, far away.
At the same time, the earth began to tremble violently, as if startled by the purple light shining from Radahn's body.
Radahn was completely different from other Carian Sorcerers. Although he was born into the Carian Royal Family, the magic he had mastered most deeply was Gravity Sorcery.
In the era when his fame first rose, Radahn earned the illustrious title of Starscourge General through Gravity Sorcery powerful enough to shatter stars and seal the heavens.
Under Nolan's gaze, two enormous stones suddenly appeared one after another behind Radahn.
The moment everyone saw those mountain-sized boulders, he swung his sword and sent them flying.
Turning stone into stars, he would end Nolan with the power he wielded best.
But that was only the beginning.
The boulders had only just flown out when Radahn continued casting Gravity Sorcery. One enormous stone after another rose swiftly from the ground like bamboo shoots after rain.
Each boulder was just as massive. Radahn gathered them together, then hurled them through the air like cannonballs.
Facing the rain of massive stones, Nolan did not even need to say a word. Torrent beneath him vanished in an instant.
Nolan charged straight into the boulders. The two greatswords in his hands spun like windmills, swift and powerful.
In the blink of an eye, those enormous stones were cut apart one after another, their sliced surfaces smooth as mirrors, as if they had been carefully polished.
Without all the restraints of fighting at the heart of the battlefield, Nolan had only one thought in mind.
Charge and cut.
His heart beat like a frantic engine, violently pumping blood to every corner of his body with all its strength.
His nervous system was fully awakened, like burning flame driving that terrifying body to unleash astonishing power.
In his eyes, those mountain-sized boulders had never been obstacles too great to cross. They were as insignificant as little stones.
Little stones might even have been harder to cut. These were nothing more than fragile blocks of tofu.
They were too brittle, practically paper giants forced to face a monster as terrifying as Nolan.
Nolan's speed did not slow, while Radahn was burning through his Magical Power at an alarming rate.
At this rate, Radahn would still be forced into close combat with Nolan in the end.
If the battle remained one of Nolan attacking and Radahn retreating, then sooner or later Radahn would exhaust his Magical Power under Nolan's relentless pressure and lose.
From the void, Melina suddenly shouted, "Watch out!"
Nolan did not answer her warning. A strange purple light suddenly emerged from his body, and that light did not belong to him.
In an instant, the boulders Nolan had cut apart shattered like broken porcelain, exploding into countless smaller stones.
Drawn by some mysterious force, those stones all rained down toward Nolan at once.
They grew denser and denser, gradually covering Nolan's body completely, then kept compressing inward with wild force.
"We won?" The Redmane warriors stared in astonishment, as if they had just witnessed a miracle.
Just moments ago, they had seen their commander forced back again and again by his opponent, clearly at an absolute disadvantage. Yet in the blink of an eye, the situation had reversed so dramatically.
"Surrender. You've lost!"
Ogha grinned smugly. The Longbow in his hand was already drawn to the full, its arrowhead aimed at the red-haired man who had descended from the sky in the distance.
"Father will not lose. You are the ones who should surrender!" Messmer raised his spear without fear, his voice cold and unshakable.
"And Father is merciful. If you surrender, your lives will be spared!"
"Strange confidence. I admit you're strong, but if I am called a hero, then I have no reason to surrender," Ogha answered with a cold laugh.
Before he finished speaking, the Great Arrow in his hand tore through the air with a gale and shot straight toward Messmer.
The arrow was fast, but not fast enough.
In Messmer's eyes, its path was perfectly clear.
Holding his spear in one hand, he moved with speed and ferocity, easily knocking the Great Arrow aside.
Messmer crouched slightly, then vanished from where he stood.
His speed was astonishing. Even a first-rate hero would struggle to follow his movements.
In the next instant, he appeared like a ghost not far in front of Ogha, the spear in his hand thrusting straight toward Ogha's chest.
Just as Messmer's spear was about to strike Ogha, a towering figure rushed out from the crowd.
The figure was just as fast, running on all fours with the wildness of a beast. He raised a Short Sword and blocked Messmer's path.
"Long time no see, Messmer," the figure said in a low voice, like the growl of a beast.
"To think a Demigod would submit to a Tarnished One. Marika would be disappointed, wouldn't she?"
Messmer frowned and looked closer, only to see a massive Beastman standing before him.
His body was hunched, as though he carried a heavy burden, yet his powerful presence could not be ignored.
"Priest Gurranq," Ogha called to the Beastman.
"That voice. Lord Maliketh?" Messmer paused in surprise. "Why are you hiding yourself?"
"But you need not worry. Father is someone Mother has acknowledged."
"As for you, you are Mother's Shadow and sworn brother. Have you now broken your oath, submitted to a Demigod, and betrayed Gold?"
"Betrayal? My sister knows full well who the true traitor is." Gurranq's body trembled slightly. He knocked aside Messmer's spear, then drove his Short Sword heavily into the ground.
Everyone could feel his anger, yet neither Messmer nor Ogha knew where that anger came from.
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