Iron boots scraped sparks from the ground. The blade plunged into the earth, carving a long furrow before finally stopping.
Every swing of the Greataxe carried power several times that of an ordinary hero. It was on a completely different level from anything a Cuckoo could muster. A single blow was enough to maim a hero. With a swing like that, even a third-rate champion would likely be cut clean in half. Nolan came to a halt, his twin swords crossed before his chest.
The Lands Between were not a world where strength was decided solely by bloodline. Even those born as mortals had the right to stand alongside the gods.
That said, bloodline was far from meaningless.
At the very least, Demigods began life with a foundation that far surpassed that of ordinary people.
Nolan slid several meters across the ground, then rose and scanned his surroundings.
After the brutal exchange, both sides had taken heavy losses.
The Cleanrot Knights continued their relentless advance, while Godrick's soldier knights fought back with desperate resolve, piling their own flesh and blood into one solid line of defense after another.
To be fair, Godrick's men were loyal. Not a single one turned to flee or begged for mercy.
Nolan knew how dangerous Demigods were. He had just loosened his stiff arms when, in that very instant...
BOOM!!
A mass of blood exploded outward, and a thick stench of gore flooded the air.
The heavily armored corpse at his feet was blown to pieces. Nolan, who had already leapt several meters away, slowly straightened up.
The golden battleaxe was embedded in the crushed remains. A pallid hand seized the weapon and lifted it high.
Godrick leaned forward, silver hair streaming in the wind, speckled with fine bits of flesh.
"A Carian Knight? Has the Lunar Princess decided to become a traitor as well!?"
His eyes were wide as he locked onto Nolan, roaring in fury.
The Greataxe swept across the battlefield, scattering dust, blood, and scraps of flesh in its wake. A violent gale, far stronger than anything a Banished Knight could produce, snapped Nolan's cloak loudly behind him.
This was a sense of danger Seluvis could never give off.
Even before any grafting began, even reduced to a Demigod driven into flight by a great hero, he was still not someone an ordinary person could afford to provoke.
"Caria is not a vassal of the Golden Order Dynasty, nor can it be called a rebellion. And I stand before you as a Golden Needle Knight."
Nolan carefully regulated his breathing, doing his best not to bring trouble or unwanted attention to the Lunar Princess far away in her stronghold.
Limgrave lay directly south of Liurnia of the Lakes, separated only by the walls of Stormveil.
Allowing forces from there to interfere in the war in Liurnia of the Lakes would be disastrous for Caria.
"A Golden Needle Knight? The Haligtree again!?" Godrick's gaze flickered.
Anyone could don a suit of armor, and the truth of the knight's words was hard to verify. Still, he had no desire to start a war with Caria.
The Lunar Princess was already in dire straits, and his own situation was hardly any better.
Being driven out of Leyndell was one thing. What truly infuriated him was that bastard Godefroy. As one of Limgrave's great lords, he had joined forces with Radahn to assault the Royal Capital.
Limgrave was in complete chaos now. Godrick still had to return to the old family lands to suppress unrest. He had no time to meddle in Caria's affairs.
Even if everything this Carian Knight said was a lie, the blame could simply be dumped onto Miquella.
The Haligtree was far from Limgrave, while Caria was practically right on their doorstep.
Thinking this through, Godrick frowned and cursed under his breath.
Nolan, who had remained silent, noticed Godrick's knees bend ever so slightly.
In that split second, his figure blurred...
BOOM!!
The speed was almost impossible to track. Despite the distance of several meters between them, Godrick was already upon Nolan in the blink of an eye.
A deafening roar followed, like thunder tearing through the sky. A massive cloud of dust surged upward, and when it finally settled, the place where Nolan had been standing was now a gaping crater.
"Oh, the art of the hound?"
Godrick felt nothing but empty air beneath his axe and instantly locked onto Nolan several meters away. He lifted the weapon and flicked it upward in one smooth motion.
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, broken limbs scattered outward like petals flung into the air.
A blade-like gale swept past Nolan just as he dodged aside. Its speed and force were so fierce that he barely had time to react.
It wasn't crushing power, but it was still formidable.
He had no time to see how the magic shards flying overhead were shattered. Godrick had only taken a few steps back before bracing himself and forcibly stopping his teacher's magical assault.
The Demigod gripped the massive Greataxe with both hands and slammed it down beside him with all his strength.
Countless motes of starlight rained down, the scene momentarily breathtaking, like something out of a dream.
But the splendor was short-lived.
The Cleanrot Knight shot forward like an arrow loosed from the bow. The winged spear in her hand punched straight through layers of magical particles, thrusting ahead with unstoppable momentum.
Holy Spear Barrier!
Golden light burst upward from the ground again and again, instantly forming a dense and menacing forest of golden spears.
Yet Godrick displayed startling agility.
His legs kicked off hard, launching his body nearly ten meters backward.
While still in midair, he casually snatched up a thick, solid shield, every movement flowing without the slightest hesitation.
Clang—
The Cleanrot Knight's estoc stabbed in from the front, while the winged spear in her other hand smashed down at the same time.
Godrick didn't even spare them a glance. With a single swing of the slender arm holding the greatshield, he knocked both weapons aside.
He twisted his wrist, raising the enormous battleaxe high, clearly about to cleave the opponent in two—when golden light struck from the side.
Sacred Blade!
Nolan seized the opening and charged to Godrick's flank, condensing a razor-sharp arc of "sword qi" over two meters long and firing it straight at him.
CRACK!!
The Greataxe, wrapped in roaring winds, smashed the blade of light apart.
Golden particles scattered everywhere in an instant, swirling through the air like a brilliant golden snowstorm.
Nolan and Arl now stood on either side of Godrick, the three locked in a tense and precarious standoff.
The stalemate lasted only a heartbeat.
Nolan suddenly dipped low, pulled his blades back, then spun around behind Godrick and thrust both swords forward at once.
Impaling Thrust!
The twin blades fell like meteors, carrying an unrelenting resolve as they shot straight toward Godrick's head. In response, he stomped his right foot hard into the ground.
Storm Stomp!
In an instant, Nolan felt as though his swords had plunged into a bottomless abyss. The once-explosive thrust slowed rapidly.
The immense resistance dragged his attack to a crawl before an even greater surge of force swept it back at him.
BOOM!!
A violent shockwave tore outward, hurling dirt and debris into the air like a towering tidal wave several meters high. Both the Golden Needle Knight and the Cleanrot Knight were blasted backward.