"Be careful of his attack!" Wya's voice traveled into his ears. "Just hold him back!"
The blade slashed across Kohen's head, bringing with it a blazing heat.
Remembering the weapon's ability, Kohen did not dare to block or counterattack.
He could only frown, lower his body, and roll on the ground in pain to avoid the Rising Sun Saber.
This was the third time he had to dodge in such a pathetic manner.
The smell of burnt hair entered his nose.
'Damn it.'
Kohen angrily tightened his grip on the Load-Bearer sword. He had never encountered such a depressing battle.
Even when facing the gray mixed breeds in the desert who were more than two and a half meters tall, the police dared to take a few hits at the risk of getting injured, creating opportunities for his companions to attack.
But in the face of this …
"Be careful!"
Before Kohen could finish his thoughts, the Fire Knight of Black Sand Region, one of the Five Generals of Eckstedt, Romtolja's sturdy body swiftly and violently appeared in front of him!
The police's pupils instantly contracted!
'How could he be so fast?'
The Fire Knight's solid punch landed on the hilt of Kohen's hastily raised sword!
* Thud! *
The latter's chest hurt from the impact. He lost his balance and his legs swayed again!
Before he could be surprised by his opponent's frenzied attack, the heat of the Rising Sun Saber assaulted Kohen's face again.
Kohen was in a predicament where he had just regained his footing. He did not even have time to adjust his posture, let alone defend!
Kohen shuddered.
'Sh * t.'
Kohen, who had experienced many battles, immediately understood.
"Remember, a battle is not a game where you switch hands and I switch hands. It is also not a turn-based boxing show to see who can take more hits." This was what his teacher had once told him. "Every time you give up on attacking, counterattacking, or defending, and switch to retreating or dodging, you turn yourself into a wooden dummy.
"It also means that your opponent has an uninterrupted opportunity to attack. He can better control the rhythm, adjust his posture, and attack with ease. He can stack his attacks and attack with greater threat. Every step you take back is equivalent to the enemy taking two steps forward. In many cases, the outcome of a battle is decided in a single breath."
Kohen gritted his teeth. 'That's right, you cannot switch hands in a battle.'
He was wary of the advantage of his opponent's weapon, so he only dodged his attacks. There was no need to think about defending or counterattacking. Therefore, Tolja's attacks were unhindered, and each slash was fiercer than the last.
In the end, the police officer had lost his advantage. He could not fight back and was at the mercy of others.
In a chess game, changing hands in a battle meant death!
Cohen was filled with regret, but he could only watch as the Rising Sun Saber drew closer.
"Hey!"
Seeing that Kohen was in danger, Wya roared angrily. He unsheathed his single-edged sword, which only had two-thirds of its original length left, and attacked Tolja's back!
The Edge of No Return filled his right arm, releasing the purest killing intent amidst the stinging pain.
Wya made up his mind to force Tolja to defend himself.
In the nick of time, Kohen realized to his surprise that Tolja's forward body swayed slightly, and the Rising Sun Saber no longer moved forward.
A ruthless look flashed in the Fire Knight's eyes.
The police officer felt a chill in his heart.
"Be careful!" Cohen instantly understood the crux of the situation. He could no longer care about himself and shouted at Wya in exasperation, "His target is …"
However, before Cohen could finish his sentence, Tolja's body suddenly spun!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
* Rip! *
This was the sound of Wya's broken sword cutting through the flesh on Tolja's upper left arm where the armor connected.
In the face of Wya's attack, the Fire Knight had no intention of defending himself. As he turned, he calmly swung his left arm.
* Thud! *
Wya's eyes widened as he watched Tolja ignore the injury on his arm. His left hand passed through the shadow of his sword, and he grabbed Wya's neck!
Tolja lifted Wya's feet off the ground.
* Bang! *
Wya only felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. He was forcefully pushed against the wall by Tolja.
* Clang! *
The remaining half of his single-edged sword fell to the ground powerlessly.
Kohen watched in a daze as Tolja restrained Wya in an instant and pressed him against the wall.
"Knocked down twice by the same move?" Tolja raised his bloody left arm and looked coldly at the prince's attendant who was struggling futilely. "Still trying to hold me back? Do you know how to fight, noble young master?! "
Wya desperately grabbed onto Tolja's iron-like left hand, bent his legs, and kicked the wall!
His left leg pushed against the wall, and his right leg kicked out fiercely!
Tolja tilted his body slightly.
* Thud! *
Wya's right leg hit Tolja's abdomen armor.
But other than the trembling of his armor, the Fire Knight did not move an inch.
"Fighting," Tolja said coldly, as if he was talking to himself, "is a game where one's life is at stake."
Wya revealed a shocked expression.
'How could this be?'
Under Wya's indignant gaze, the Fire Knight raised the Rising Sun Saber in his right hand. His tone was cold. "Only those who walk back and forth between calmness and madness will be able to enjoy the fruits of victory in the end."
The Rising Sun Saber was aimed at Wya's chest, and once again, it emitted a shocking heat.
Wya, who was powerless to struggle, felt the rising temperature, and his heart turned cold.
The police officer roared in anger and struggled to get up from the ground, but he realized that it was too late.
'How many minutes have passed?
Have we completely failed? '
The saber lunged forward and stabbed towards Wya's chest.
At this moment …
A palm suddenly appeared in front of Tolja.
Tolja frowned slightly.
* Slap! *
The Fire Knight's weapon was "caught" by this palm.
The Rising Sun Saber cut the palm, and the palm connected with the hilt.
A terrifying sizzling sound came from between the blade and the palm. His flesh was charred black, and there was even a spark of fire.
"I've caught you." A young and calm voice rang out, accompanied by slight panting. "The Rising Sun Saber, the Fire Knight."
Kohen and Wya turned their heads in surprise.
Raphael Lindberg stood in front of Tolja, expressionlessly extending his charred right hand. Ignoring the threat of the scorching blade, he firmly grasped the hilt of the saber with all five fingers.
He did not seem to notice the flames burning on his palm.
"When you lose the Rising Sun Saber, Romm Tolja," Raphael's left hand pinched Tolja's saber-wielding wrist. With his two hands positioned in front of him and behind him, he firmly controlled the Rising Sun Saber in front of him. He said softly, "Are you still the Fire Knight?"
Tolja's pupils shrank. He stared at Raphael's right hand, which was scorched beyond recognition, but still firmly grasped the hilt and blade of the saber.
No one was more surprised than him when they saw that charred hand.
Even though it looked miserable, the Rising Sun Saber's high temperature could even cast iron and melt gold!
Tolja was shocked. 'There's something wrong with this guy's hand.
Who exactly is he? No, what exactly is he? '
Raphael, who suddenly appeared, glanced at Kohen and said coldly to Tolja, "In a game where one's life is at stake, there's no difference whether one is in supreme class or ordinary class!"
In the next second, Kohen, who had a tacit understanding with him for many years, roared and exploded!
The Glory of the Stars shone on his skin and blade as he attacked Tolja!
Tolja exerted force with his right hand, but he realized that his right arm was still firmly under Raphael's control. The young man's arms let out a strange rustling sound and trembled continuously. It was extremely strange.
The knight furrowed his brows.
His right arm only moved a few inches before it was firmly held down by the young man with an ingenious angle and force. He could not move!
'No!'
The Fire Knight could not hide the shock in his heart. 'This kind of strength doesn't match his size at all!'
In the next breath, Tolja revealed a fierce expression. He turned his right wrist and tried to use the Rising Sun Saber's sharpness to cut through everything to force Raphael to retreat.
As he turned his wrist, the blade slashed out!
However, Raphael, who was holding down the enemy's arm, only adjusted his body and instantly flashed to the side of the enemy's forearm, the blind spot of the Rising Sun Saber.
Only a piece of clothing was cut off by the blade and burned to ashes.
Tolja felt a chill in his heart.
'Sh * t.
I can't move, I can't dodge.
My weapon is restricted, I can't block.
'Is this the young man's strategy?'
As he thought, the Fire Knight felt a chill on his back. Behind him, Kohen raised his saber, the Load-Bearer, with a resolute expression. The Power of Eradication filled his arms.
Aiming at the back of Tolja's neck, the police officer roared and slashed diagonally with an astonishing momentum!
* Rip! *
The blade cut through Tolja's neck.
Fresh blood gushed out.
"This girl may be of the Walton Family's blood," Lampard said coldly, "but she's just a woman. She has no right to inherit the position of Archduke of Dragon Clouds City, much less stand here and question us!"
The Archduke of Black Sand Region cast a terrifying gaze on Saroma, causing the girl to tremble slightly. She subconsciously touched Triumph in her hand.
"Put away your unnecessary sympathy and habitual wariness, archdukes," Lampard said flatly in an unquestionable tone. "She's not one of us. This girl has no right to decide for Eckstedt's future."
Archduke Trentida shrugged slightly, as if in agreement.
At this moment …
Under the archdukes' gazes, Thales let go of Saroma and slowly but decisively stepped forward.
"So you've finally said it, Archduke Lampard."
Thales said softly, "For Eckstedt?"
Lampard's expression changed slightly.
Thales clenched his fists secretly.
Saroma used her identity to open an opening for him to break out of the situation. He had to seize the opportunity and force her step by step.
He had to use the only bargaining chip he had left.
'Defeat them!'
Thales took a deep breath. His eyes were resolute. "As archdukes of Eckstedt, you have to stand together in the face of a huge threat from Constellation, don't you?"
The moment his words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the hall changed.
The people's breathing became chaotic.
The way the archdukes looked at him was also different.
Archduke Roknee frowned slightly. "What?"
"Look." Lampard snorted coldly. "He knows it better than we do."
Archduke Lecco came to his senses and coughed softly. "I have to admit that our two countries have always been enemies —"
To everyone's surprise, at this moment, Thales interrupted Lecco with a strange response.
"Yes!"
The Prince of Constellation said calmly, "On this point, I absolutely agree with your point of view, Archduke Lecco. For Eckstedt's future to not be destroyed by Constellation, all of you should be united in pointing your spear at me and the country behind me. Even if this goes against the Joint Ruling Pledge, even if this goes against your conscience.
"All of you have made the right choice," Thales said resolutely.
The moment he said this, Archduke Roknee frowned slightly. Archduke Lampard's gaze froze in midair.
The archdukes looked at each other. Their gazes were a mixture of confusion and surprise. They seemed to be bewildered by Thales' words.
Behind him, Saroma was slightly startled. She tugged at his sleeve.
Thales ignored her. Instead, he looked straight at the only expressionless person in the hall — Archduke Lecco of Defense City.
The old archduke's eyes flashed with a calm but complicated light. It was a perfect contrast to the pure coldness in Archduke Lampard's eyes.
"But have you ever thought about it?"
Thales slowly adjusted the speed of his speech and steadied his breathing and heartbeat. "Have you ever thought about it?"
He knew that what he was about to say next was the key.
"What you're doing now is not ultimately benefiting your Eckstedt, Archduke Lecco," Thales said softly. He slowly turned to Roknee, Trentida, and Olsius. "It's also not yours, yours, or your Eckstedt, four archdukes."
Archduke Lecco narrowed his eyes slightly.
Under the four archdukes' complicated gazes, Thales continued to speak.
"All of you are standing here, compromising, and fighting for everything, all for 'his' Eckstedt."
In the hall, the aged and boorish Archduke of Black Sand Region widened his eyes abruptly!
He fixed his gaze on Thales!
It was as if his entire body was about to be torn apart.
But Thales was oblivious to it.
Thales took a step forward and looked at the Archduke of Black Sand Region with an indifferent expression.
"It's Eckstedt that belongs to Chapman Lampard. It belongs to him alone."
Lampard slowly clenched his fists. As he met Thales' gaze, boundless anger surged from the bottom of his heart.
'That boy.
'The biggest accident!'
The Prince of Constellation's gaze was calm as he said softly, "For his own Eckstedt, Archduke Lampard has the most thorough understanding. He is willing to sacrifice everything."
He turned his head abruptly and looked at the four archdukes. His tone was resolute.
"For example, from the beginning, he was prepared to sacrifice those who once swore to form an alliance with him …
"But were kept in the dark all along …
"Allies."
The archdukes' gazes froze at the same time.
* Thud! *
Archduke Lampard's scabbard landed heavily on the ground!
For a moment, it attracted many people's gazes.
"I've had enough." There was a barely noticeable hint of anger in Lampard's voice. "Don't you think it's ridiculous?
"From the beginning until now, we, the archdukes, have been standing here like fools and watching him perform?"
The archdukes swept their gazes towards the Archduke of Black Sand Region.
Thales pursed his lips. He knew that the archdukes' attitudes would determine the direction of the war.
"Don't forget the heavy responsibility we bear, and the heavy future we still have."
Lampard reminded the four archdukes in a warning and impatient tone, "Please remember, he is our enemy, and judging by his performance, he may be the most terrifying enemy."
The archdukes did not speak.
Thales felt Saroma's grip on him suddenly tighten due to her nervousness.
Lampard looked at the silent archdukes and nodded.
He turned his head. "Guards …"
Thales' heart tightened!
He looked at the archdukes, his heart burning with anxiety.
'Hurry up.
Hurry up! '
At this moment …
"Chapman!"
A voice that was obviously old and muddy, but to Thales, sounded like the sound of nature. It interrupted Lampard just in time.
Archduke Lecco touched his bald head, closed his eyes, and slowly exhaled.
"Chapman, Chapman, as an archduke of Northland, your courage, strategy, and methods are rarely seen among your peers. I admire you very much," Archduke Lecco said slowly. "I think, even 'Whisperer' Shawlon the Third can't do better than you."
Lampard did not speak. An ominous premonition rose in his heart.
In the next moment, Archduke Lecco opened his eyes, which had regained clarity from their muddy state, and looked at Thales. "But why are you so afraid of him?
"Is it really just because he has Constellation behind him, or is it because he is talented and intelligent?"
Lampard was slightly startled.
"We are not blind, Chapman." The old archduke sighed.
The old archduke sighed and said, "From the moment this boy appeared until now, everything you have said, no matter what stance you have taken, has been to prevent him from speaking."
Lampard turned to the old archduke in disbelief, then looked at the others.
But they all stared at Lampard coldly, not saying a word.
At that moment, Thales' heart, which had been so nervous that it was about to jump out of his chest, returned to its original position.
"Is this child really so terrifying?" Archduke Lecco's voice was very soft, but it was enough to spread in the hall.
"Don't tell me he really only needs to say a few words to kill all five of us here?"
Thales raised his eyebrows slightly.
In fact, Thales took a deep breath and recalled the option Asda gave him. He said quietly in his heart,
'You're right.'
"Or …" Archduke Lecco curled up the corners of his mouth like an ordinary village elder. An ugly smile appeared on his wrinkled face, but his words were shocking.
"Will he really say something that will interest us?"
Lampard's face darkened.
He had never felt that the archdukes before him were so stupid.
"If you want to hear what he has to say, you can wait until the day you slowly interrogate him in prison," the Archduke of Black Sand Region replied coldly. "But we still have urgent matters to attend to. Don't forget that Dragon Clouds City is still in a mess! Don't forget Prime Minister Lisban — "
Archduke Lecco interrupted him loudly, "Prime Minister Lisban will understand!"
The old archduke's gaze was stern and fierce. "The problem is, Chapman, as an ally, why don't you understand our concerns?"
Lampard clenched his teeth. He looked at the calm Thales, then at Lecco.
"What about all of you?" The Archduke of Black Sand Region turned his head and looked at the others. "Are you going to continue this madness?"
The person who answered him was Olsius.
"For six hundred years, the Olsius Family has always reminded our descendants." The Archduke of Prestige Orchid Region stared at Thales with a subtle gaze. "Never underestimate any Jadestar, no matter how down, submissive, or weak he is."
Thales put on an innocent and helpless expression.
"So," Olsius changed the topic, "I'd rather hear him out before hanging him."
"I support you very much, Chapman." Trentida sighed softly behind Olsius. "But compared to singing a different tune, I think, at this time, what we need is unity of opinion."
At that moment, Lampard tightened his grip on his saber. His face was expressionless.
He turned his head, only to find Archduke Roknee staring at him and flashing a malicious smile at Lampard.
"Go on, child." Archduke Lecco did not pay any more attention to Lampard's reaction. In an unquestionable manner, he set the theme for the upcoming meeting. "Especially the part about sacrificing an ally."
Thales flashed a smile.
He knew that from this moment onwards, the chess game had changed hands.
The balance tilted again.
Gently patting the back of Saroma's hand to comfort her, Thales turned around and nodded slightly at Archduke Lecco.
"First of all, we need to understand a fact.
"The assassin Chapman Lampard bribed, Bannette Charleton, has been hiding on the Cliff of the Sky." Thales took a deep breath and recalled the conversation he overheard in the carriage. He enunciated each word clearly.
"From there, he planned to sneak into Heroic Spirit Palace and assassinate King Nuven while the White Blade Guards were distracted."
Lampard closed his eyes.
For the first three seconds, the archdukes did not react.
But soon, the four archdukes quickly looked at each other.
They exchanged bewildered gazes.
"Yes, it was in Lampard's original plan.
"King Nuven would mysteriously die here, in this heavily sealed Heroic Spirit Palace." Thales' voice was very calm, but it was filled with solemnity and sorrow.
"He would die beside the four of you archdukes."
'From tomorrow onwards, I want to resume daily updates!
'I'm serious!'
Swordless, with a serious expression on his face.
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