Before long, he found a medal gleaming with crimson light and tossed it to Malenia.
"The person you're looking for has arrived," Nolan said lightly, a faint, unreadable smile tugging at his lips.
With a sharp twist of his right hand, he swept the Promised Claymore sideways.
Several dull cracking sounds rang out. A handful of figures shattered on the spot, their bodies breaking apart and dissolving into a spreading haze of scarlet.
The commotion drew the attention of several sailors above. They hurriedly raised their hands, and bright crossbow bolts slipped into view from beneath their robes.
"Die—"
One of them snarled, but before he could finish, a brilliant golden blade flashed before his eyes and cleaved straight through his body at blinding speed.
The rest exploded into chaos, scattering in all directions in blind panic.
They reacted quickly. Even as they darted left and right to evade the relentless attacks, they raised their crossbows and fired in rapid succession. They clearly understood that against a champion, only overwhelming firepower had any chance—no bolt could outrun him.
Clatter—
A torrential rain of arrows poured down, only to be swept aside by the red-haired swordswoman's flowing blade. Under deliberate guidance, the deflected volley veered off course and riddled the surrounding crewmen instead, turning them into porcupines.
The instant the shooting stopped, the man at the front lifted his head to look.
A sharp, tearing whistle suddenly rose from below, and his heart lurched.
Thud!
Nolan's upward leap carried his sword clean through plate armor, ripping open the man's entire chest. The upper half of the corpse spun in place, blood spraying outward and staining another figure red.
What did height matter? For monsters hailed as champions, clearing over ten meters in a single jump was effortless.
Malenia followed him up. Her graceful form seemed almost to dance in midair, and with a single charge, dozens of severed limbs scattered outward.
It was dazzling to watch, but hardly efficient. One strike would have been enough, yet she insisted on several. The Waterfowl Dance Sword Style held more than just Waterfowl Dance.
Nolan had no time to correct his sister-in-law's wasteful display. Man and woman plunged into the crowd like two lions crashing into a flock of sheep, shedding all restraint and becoming cold, unfeeling engines of slaughter.
Crewmen rushed in from every direction to intercept them, but neither showed the slightest hesitation.
Their movements were fluid and precise, every blow ruthless. The sailors couldn't withstand them.
In moments, corpses lay strewn across the deck. Blood soaked the planks, dyeing them a dark, heavy red.
"That's it?"
Malenia frowned at the carnage. An assault at this level was no different from throwing their lives away. Who did they think they could stop?
"It won't be that simple."
Nolan had barely finished speaking when an explosion erupted beneath their feet without warning.
...
"The plan's been exposed. What exactly happened?"
A group of black-robed figures stood atop a cliff that pierced the clouds.
From their vantage point, they could clearly see bursts of crimson spraying across the sea below, flaring and vanishing like blood-red fireworks.
Ansbach stood quietly at the cliff's edge, his right hand gripping the long black shaft of a scythe.
With his experience, the flashes of blades he had just witnessed were unmistakable. Only a first-rate champion could move like that.
"This is truly strange. How did something so unexpected happen? Just how did that Golden Needle Knight see through our plan?"
Uncertainty flickered across his face. He had always trusted his own judgment, yet what had happened aboard the ship left him baffled.
The entire operation had been airtight. Not a single flaw. Even Lady Malenia, who had been right there, hadn't sensed anything wrong at first.
So why had the Golden Needle Knight started killing without a word?
A madman? He didn't look like one. Which meant he had already caught wind of the Dynasty's actions.
It sounded absurd. The Dynasty had always operated in absolute secrecy, never revealing itself to the world.
And yet now, their every move seemed to have been laid bare. After turning it over in his mind, that was the only explanation that made sense.
That kind of instinct, sharp enough to guide one's actions, was not something just anyone possessed.
"What a beautiful battle. Such a captivating presence. Powerful, yet with a trace of fragility. I see."
Ansbach let out a soft laugh and gave a sudden wave of his hand. A lithe warrior behind him dashed forward, and at the same time, a streak of silver light shot in from behind the group.
Clang!
A clear metallic ring echoed as the head of the Marais family raised his heavy Claymore and blocked the lethal strike.
He looked up to find the black-robed figures drawing their weapons in unison. With startling speed, they formed ranks, confronting his main force head-on.
"Would you be so kind as to tell us when we inadvertently exposed ourselves?"
Ansbach sighed lightly. Despite being surrounded by a vast army, there was no hint of tension on his face.
He calmly watched the two sides facing off, then slowly lifted his hood.
A head of white hair and an equally white beard came into view. From his voice alone, anyone could tell he was a mild-mannered elder.
His black robes whipped in the wind. In his grasp, the massive battle scythe gleamed with a cold, chilling light.
"As the knight said, someone truly was plotting in the shadows."
Marais's hands trembled slightly around the hilt of his sword, regret tightening in his chest.
He could only curse his own foolishness.
The Dynasty of Blood had clearly been planning this for a long time, waiting patiently for the perfect moment.
And he, in his carelessness, had allowed the esteemed Princess Malenia to fall into such danger.
More and more slender figures emerged from the dense forest. The Pureblood Knights who had stood beside Ansbach stepped forward without hesitation.
They were not easily shaken. After a quick count, they realized there were hundreds of enemies.
This killing force consisted not only of the Marais family's private army and the troops of Shaded City, but also part of the Haligtree's garrison.
Marais had no authority to command those elite soldiers. But once the Valkyrie gave an order, none would dare refuse.
"The Golden Needle Knight again? How unexpected. To be honest, I'm starting to feel the urge to meet him in person."
Standing among the crowd, Ansbach slowly spread his arms. The mask on his face concealed most of his expression.
But in his exposed eyes, a trace of gravity could be seen.