Overgeared

Gyuratan was forced to defend against a sword that struck like a lightning bolt and a sword that stung like a bee. Gyuratan’s armor was pierced, and he coughed up blood. Mercedes didn’t give him time to have a break. In front of her dual swords, Gyuratan’s hands and feet were tied up.

‘To a human...!’

“Two Storms.”

Peng!

Pepepepeng!

The swords increased in speed. Mercedes’ unique technique, which took advantage of sword energy, assaulted Gyuratan. She attacked and then backed away to a distance of three meters before repeating it. As she wielded her swords, her strikes were light enough to be fast and clean.

“Kuk...!” A groan emerged from Gyuratan’s mouth as he defended himself against the swords. It was hard for him to cope with Mercedes’ anomalous attacks where the attack distance changed in real time. The fight would be up to here.

‘Indeed!’

Things were flowing as everyone expected. The strength of the Fourth Knight was special since he protected the Red Knights. However, the First Knight was the peak of the Red Knights. The Fourth Knight couldn’t be stronger than the First Knight. Mercedes’ victory was already decided.

“Ahh...”

“Sir Mercedes...!”

The noble knight defended the emperor who had suppressed her in the past, and she also defended the honor of the old hero whom everyone had thought was corrupted. This image of Mercedes punishing Gyuratan with her bloody body was imprinted onto the knights. Some knights were so inspired that they started crying. They were happy that their object of admiration existed right beside them.

However, this was the reason why...

Puk!

“...!!”

Mercedes’ crash caused a greater impact.

“S-Sir Mercedes!”

Gyuratan discarded swordsmanship. He was a great demon now, not the Fourth Knight. As such, he started to counterattack, and the screams of the knights filled the hall. However, Mercedes couldn’t hear anything. Her world was calm as she was caught in the explosion Gyuratan had created.

‘Ah...’ Mercedes’ time flowed slowly. Lightning demonic energy rose from Gyuratan’s body like a haze. The hall filled with lightning that it couldn’t endure, and the emperor was shouting with an expression she had never seen before. Everything was slow. One second was one minute, ten minutes, one hour...

The images of the old heroes passed through Mercedes’ mind. Knights wearing red armor… The big backs, dependable smiles, and warm teachings of those who stood at the forefront of the battlefields came to her mind. Mercedes was filled with images of the past as Gyuratan’s lightning fist flew toward her.

“Are your eyes bad? How can that be? If you can see through them, feel free to look. There is no darkness or lies in my heart.”

given birth to her. Back then, Mercedes was still young. That’s why Mercedes had been able to keep

hadn’t trusted Piaro. She had given up on him due to the stigma of being a traitor. Everyone

Kwaang!

to the floor. Simultaneously, lightning demonic energy exploded around her

“Sir Mercedes!”

evil bastard! Stop right

of sword techniques. However, Gyuratan’s true power was much stronger than

that humans can even breathe in front

face of Sword Saint Muller popped up. Gyuratan started to concentrate

“W-What is this...?”

and armor—their whole bodies were drawn to the lightning. Resistance was futile. Just like magnets with different electrodes, Gyuratan’s lightning emitted an attraction force that the surrounding metals couldn’t

the emperor while thinking about why the great demon had appeared in the middle of the palace. ‘It will be difficult for even me

his emergence. However, it was strange. The longer the survival period of the great demon, the greater and more powerful the thunder stone became. This meant it was due to sheer

urging the emperor, “Leave this place while the knights

govern their respective lands, and their period of stay in the palace was extremely short. They had gathered for the visit of the Overgeared King but returned

that Goldhit could easily overpower the weakened Astaroth. The emperor thought the same. Great demon? The Overgeared King had managed to hunt one in a complete state. The Overgeared Kingdom was no match for the empire, so

Mercedes’ collapsed form. Could she survive until Goldhit arrived? It would be tough. The emperor wanted to know the truth regarding 12 years ago and gave an

“Yes.”

“Save Mercedes.”

know why the emperor wanted to save Mercedes when he already hated the existence of the Red Knights. However, it wasn’t Bain’s role to comment on the decision. He just needed to

“I understand.”

Supaak!

where he appeared was behind Gyuratan and

was so great that it made him wary. However, Bain pulled the ragged Mercedes into his arms and shook

he said briefly before

obstructed Bain’s way. He picked up the knights like they were a ball and threw them toward Bain. Gyuratan couldn’t forgive Mercedes.

“N...no...”

“Tch.”

been about to cut at the flying ball of knights only to be stopped by Mercedes. He looked at Mercedes holding onto his wrist and took evasive action. However, the moment he was going to disappear and reappear by the emperor’s side, Gyuratan’s sword

Bain moved, so he was struck in the shoulder instead as he stabbed back at Gyuratan. It was a counterattack that aimed at Gyuratan’s exposed abdomen. However, it didn’t reach. This was due to the lightning demonic energy around Gyuratan’s

this, Bain’s sword lost momentum and stopped in the air.

Gyuratan’s swings gradually accelerated while Bain’s movements were gorgeous enough to be considered acrobatics as he used the small shields attached

high-ranking great demon

demons. If Astaroth was a high-level great demon, then he

‘Furthermore...’

emperor noted that as more time passed, the thunder stone became stronger. Perhaps the growth of the thunder

“Isn’t Goldhit here yet?”

was