Chapter 680: Between Light & Light (XVIII)
The crowd watched in horror as the hundred of Magician Knights raised their pikes, shouted battle cries, and darted toward Rhode and Anne fiercely as though nothing could survive their devastation. The crowd froze to the spot as they put themselves in Rhode and Anne's shoes because they knew that they would be powerless before this aggressive momentum. So, how would Rhode deal with this situation?
"Interesting. How interesting."
Rhode's expression remain unchanged. The corners of his mouth perked up into a faint smile.
"Anne, let's go!"
"Got it! Leader!"
Anne's eyes glinted. She retrieved the shield on her back and stooped over like an athlete at the starting line. Then, she clenched her right fist tightly before pounding on her shield.
Boom!
The deep impact resounded in the entire plaza, overwhelmed the tramples of the galloping horseshoes and send chills down the spines of the crowd. The crowd widened their eyes in horror as Anne raised her shield with both hands and dashed forward! At the same time, Rhode darted in a flash and followed closely!
"Oh my goodness, what's going on?"
"What are they thinking?!"
The crowd stared in disbelief. They didn't expect that Rhode and Anne would oppose the knights by clashing with them!
Dust rose rapidly from the bolting horseshoes as though a surging wave sweeping everything in its path. Anne appeared like an agile, vigorous wolf hurtling past the prairie, where the heavy, steel shield on her hands was as though weightless. On the other hand, Rhode flitted by like a shadow and before the crowd could spot their position, the two parties on the battlefield had clashed.
"Heyaaaah!"
Anne leaped up without any hesitation. The shield in her hands expanded in an instant and she dove into the middle of the group of Magician Knights like an artillery shell!
The Magician Knights kept their cool and displayed their disciplined organization. Not only did they not slow down, but they increased their speed even more. The Magician Knights instantly raised their pikes and aimed for Anne, who was crashing down from above!
The crowd on the platform broke out in screams. Most of them turned around and couldn't bear to witness the tragic sight. There was only one possible result for Anne, and that was to be pierced to death by the razor-sharp pikes. Marlene and Lize clenched their fists nervously. Lize revealed unprecedented worries on her face because she could have casted a defensive barrier for Anne if she were to be in the battlefield. But now...
The steel shield and razor-sharp pikes collided.
—!
Along the sharp screech of friction, the seemingly indestructible pikes twisted like weak pieces of paper and the warhorses modified from alchemy constructs squealed. But this was only the start! The pikes flew off to the unbearable force and Anne crashed down on one of the knights with her heavy shield!
The knight flew off upon impact like a distorted steel plate while the warhorse under him neighed in distress before rolling away under the immense impact, smashing into its companions. No matter how well-trained the Magician Knights were, those at the rear had to slow down their pace to avoid crashing into their companions. However, this didn't mean the Magician Knights had given up their attacks or broke out of formation. On the contrary, their movements became even quicker. The knights by the rear came to a halt and dispersed into two groups abruptly. They picked up speed to close in around Anne. Then, the two knights closest to Anne struck their pikes toward her back at lightning speed!
Anne had just landed on the ground and was oblivious to the danger behind her. The quick Magician Knights left her no chance to escape!
However, Anne wasn't an ordinary Human, after all. As a mercenary and a Shield Warrior, she had taken the lead against enemies countless times before. She instantly rolled over to dodge the pikes before holding the handle of the steel shield with her left hand while her right grabbed onto its edge. She tugged with might.
Kacha!
With the sound of this mechanical crank, razor-sharp blades instantly flipped out from the edge of the steel shield and she threw the shield out, sweeping the ground!
Even though the knights and warhorses were fully-equipped and normal attacks couldn't deal any damage to them, they had a lethal weakness, and that was their hoofs!
The Magician Knights and their warhorses had no ways of guarding against this threat. The razor-sharp blades on the spinning shield slashed through the warhorses' legs and in an instant, the warhorses screeched in agony while blood and filthy dust splashed.
"Kill her!"
The warhorses were as though the knights' lives. The knights were furious that Anne had sliced off the warhorses' legs. As the most elite presences in the Light Parliament, they wouldn't be thrown off their saddle and collapse pathetically on the ground. Instead, they had already leapt off the backs of the warhorses as soon as Anne threw out her shield. The Magician Knights formed bolts of incredibly glaring lightning with their pikes and aimed for her.
But at this moment, a pitch-black viper emerged.
Clang!
A pitch-black blade negated the assault of the pikes. Rhode's smiley face appeared before them, but only for a split second.
The knights didn't see what happened, but the crowd from the platform had witnessed it as clear as crystal. When the knights launched their attacks at Anne, Rhode suddenly leapt out from the shadow with his horizontally-laid, pitch-black sword and deflected one of the knight's pike. Then, he disappeared in a flash. At the next moment, he emerged out of thin air behind that knight and adopted a pose where he was about to pierce the knight's back.
"—!"
The pitch-black sharp blade pierced into the knight's throat through the gap between his helmet and armor. The knight widened his mouth with blood-shot eyes, stretching out his hand helplessly. But at the next moment, Rhode thrust his leg mercilessly onto the knight's back and the pitiful latter crashed into the ground like a pile of worthless metallic trash.
But this was only the start!
The remaining knights were extremely furious to see their companion murdered. They repositioned their pikes at Rhode, but Rhode remain unfazed by their intentions. He simply smiled and swung down his right arm abruptly. Along with this motion, the pitch-black blade instantly extended like a black whip that lashed out at the Magician Knights who had surrounded him.
Unlike the warhorses, the Magician Knights wore thick, heavy armor with strong pike and shields in hands. Rhode's attack that had caught them off guard wouldn't penetrate their armor at all. But they realized that they had made a huge mistake.
Almost everyone of them felt an enormous force from the black whip when it struck their bodies, leaving them totally defenseless and they were struck away!
Even though the situation appeared to be complicated, all it took was only three to four seconds. Before the crowd figured out the happenings, they witnessed Anne striking away another knight while the other knights around her abruptly leaped up in a complete mess. Rhode emerged and before the crowd knew what Rhode had done, they saw the knights who were tossed into mid air fly off in all directions before smashing onto the ground heavily.
Everything happened so quickly that one would miss it if one blinked.
But this wasn't the end of Rhode's attack. He had stretched out his left hand as the Magician Knights were being struck off. A dazzling magical radiance emanated from his palm and dispersed countless rays that formed a massive, complex summoning ritual circle just above him. Three cards of unique patterns hovered and spun within. Then, they transformed into three razor-sharp blades flickering with brilliance.
Holy Sword — Star Mark.
Runes Dagger — Madaras.
Dawn Destroyer — Gracier.
Rhode raised his left hand and clenched.
The three blades struck out at the knights who had flown off in the air!
Oh no!
The Magician Knights shrieked in horror as they witnessed the blades shooting toward them. One of the knights hurriedly lifted his shield and threw away the heavy pike to draw a sword that was hanging around his waist to resist this attack.
But he couldn't sense the presence of the blades flying toward them.
As the blades flickering in magical brilliance arrived before him, he felt his vision blur in a glaring flash. Then, an Elf girl clad in a robe emerged before him. Half of her face had been concealed by the hood, revealing only her delicate chin and light pink, perked up lips.
What's going on?!
Terror held the knight like a vice-like grip. He subconsciously raised his sword to slash at the mysterious enemy. However, the Elf girl didn't back off. Instead, she extended her left hand and a concealed blade flew out from her sleeves to resist the knight's first and final attack.
No one noticed that when the three blades flew out, Rhode had snapped his left fingers and an almost transparent, pale yellow halo expanded with him in the middle.
Taboo Halo. Activate.
In an instant, the Elf girl emanated a gentle and gorgeous radiance from her head to toes. Then, an array of golden laces emerged on her plain white robe and cloak and spread upward to form a complex, sacred pattern.
This was the final view that knight witnessed.
Shortly after, he felt a cold sensation across his throat before boundless darkness overwhelmed and devoured his weak, flickering flame of life.
Bam!
He was already a lifeless corpse when he fell to the ground.
"..."
Andre opened his eyes wide and stared in disbelief. The Magician Knights originally in a neat and orderly formation had instantly scattered like sand. The formation by the rear was still perfect, but they couldn't move ahead anymore. Rhode stood before them without making a single noise while Anne presented a delightful smile behind him as they gazed at the Magician Knights. Two petite Elf girls in white cloaks and large hoods that concealed their faces had positioned themselves beside Rhode. However, it was the concealed blade extending out of their sleeves and dripping with fresh blood that caught the most attention. And one couldn't forget the ice-cold corpses lying by their feet. Not only that, but a Battle Angel also expanded her snowy wings gracefully behind Rhode as though his personal shield. She held a sword with burning, silver-whitish flames on its blade and gazed solemnly at her enemies.
Around Rhode's group were the warhorses with their legs cut off by Anne. They weren't dead yet and were suffering from even greater pains as they lay helplessly on the chilly ground, lifting their heads and crying miserably. The knights who were lashed at by Rhode also groaned painfully around them.
No one had expected the Magician Knights to end up in this state!
How dare he!
Andre gritted his teeth furiously. The victims were his companions, subordinates, and friends who had battled alongside him through countless dangers. He even had deep emotions for the warhorses as they were brought up by him from the start. He watched them grow up from weak, thin young horses to impressive, strong warhorses. But now, they had all become worthless! While their riders also laid on the ground, unknown if they were dead or alive!
Andre clenched his fist. He wouldn't give up just like that. This was only the start!
He lifted his hand.
"Everyone, change your formation! Attack!"
The knights swiftly regrouped to surround Rhode's group. Then, the knights raised their pikes and shouted battle cries. The plain-looking pikes in their hands suddenly emanated a glaring magical brilliance. Then, the knights hurled their pikes at Rhode!
"..."
Rhode was unimpressed. He casually stretched out his hand to stroke through his hair.
"Is this all?" He snapped his fingers.