The storm technique formed an impenetrable wall.
In an instant, the overwhelming firestorm was completely blown apart.
Shattered stone and bodies flung into the air rained down together.
For a moment, screams and cries echoed across the battlefield.
Fortunately, the knights around Count Luke were loyal. They threw themselves forward, forming a wall of flesh and steel to shield their lord.
Count Luke dropped to one knee, quickly scanning the tower, now reduced to ruins.
Knight corpses lay scattered everywhere, like a field flattened by a violent gale.
He searched for anyone still able to fight, but there were barely any left.
A spear tore through the air.
The Banished Knight had seized a battle spear from somewhere. With heavy steps that cracked the ground beneath him, he charged forward at full speed.
Charge Forth!
Nolan shifted slightly, sidestepping the fierce thrust with ease.
The sound of a greatsword cutting through the air followed immediately.
Using the smoke as cover, the Redmane Knight leaped high into the air. His greatsword blazed with light as his body spun.
Lion's Claw!
The descending strike carried unstoppable force. Driven by momentum, he fell like a meteor.
The movement was smooth and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
The massive blade tore through the dust and slammed into the ground.
The solid floor split open as if it were soft clay, blasting a deep crater into the earth.
Chunks of stone exploded outward, faster and more powerful than arrows.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Heavy impacts echoed as debris slammed against raised shields.
The few remaining Greatshield Knights rushed forward the moment they saw the Tarnished appear.
Across the battlefield, greatswords and spears clashed.
As if by instinct, everyone chose long weapons, hiding behind their shields and thrusting forward all at once.
The Banished Knight and the Redmane Knight had already locked onto Nolan.
They moved with incredible speed, vanishing from where they stood in the blink of an eye.
With furious roars, they charged, swinging their blades in relentless attacks.
But their advance suddenly halted.
Brilliant ice crystals pierced through the swirling dust, surging forward like a freezing tide.
Hoarfrost Stomp!
Countless sharp ice spikes burst from the ground, radiating bitter cold.
The attack came from below, rendering the greatshields useless.
The Greatshield Knights had their legs pierced first. Freezing cold spread into their bodies through the wounds.
They cried out in pain as they collapsed.
Before they could even react, more ice spikes tore through them, riddling their bodies with holes.
The Banished Knight and the Redmane Knight reacted instantly. The moment Nolan lifted his foot, they retreated without hesitation.
But Nolan did not let them go.
In a flash, he appeared before them and brought his greatsword down with one hand.
The Banished Knight gripped his blade with both hands, straining to block it, but the force was overwhelming.
His arms trembled. His knees buckled.
He was forced down to the ground.
Enrique clenched his teeth, veins bulging across his forehead.
The man before him was monstrous, reminding him of the days he had once fought against a Crucible Knight on the battlefield.
The greatsword sank into his shoulder, blood quickly soaking his armor.
At that moment, Nolan caught a flash of fire from the corner of his eye.
He turned to the left.
The Redmane Knight was already upon him, greatsword raised high and engulfed in flames.
Like a raging lion, he charged forward.
Flaming Strike!
Though Baryes rushed in, there was a hint of urgency in his movements.
His heart was already shaken.
Just as the flaming greatsword was about to strike him, Nolan suddenly loosened his grip with his right hand and threw a punch with his left.
The air around him churned violently, forming a powerful vortex.
A faint dark red glow coiled around his gauntlet.
Lifesteal Fist!
The force erupted instantly. His fist slammed hard into the Redmane Knight's chest plate.
The Redmane Knight was blasted away like a cannonball, sent flying more than ten meters before crashing heavily to the ground.
Nolan didn't even spare him a glance. His attention had already shifted forward.
The Banished Knight rolled backward to avoid the strike, then rose and pivoted in one smooth motion.
He wielded his greatsword like a thrusting weapon, unleashing a flurry of sharp, piercing attacks that came down like a storm.
Repeating Thrust!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The crisp, ringing sound of steel echoed without end.
Nolan held his greatsword in one hand, as if it weighed nothing.
With a few simple movements, he blocked every incoming thrust.
As expected of a warrior who once served under the Storm King, his strength rivaled that of most Golden Needle Knights and Cleanrot Knights.
But compared to Nolan, he still fell short.
A top-tier hero was not just a title. Even without sorceries or incantations, the gap in their raw strength was clear.
The greatsword had failed to leave even the slightest mark on Nolan. Instead, Nolan seized the opening.
With a sudden surge of force, power traveled straight through the blade.
A heavy impact rang out as the Banished Knight was driven back, his footing faltering as he nearly lost his balance.
In that instant of instability, a cold glint flashed in Nolan's eyes. His greatsword shot upward with blinding speed.
Giant Hunt!
The strike was too fast to react to.
In the blink of an eye, the blade pierced straight through the Banished Knight's body.
It entered beneath his jaw, drove through his skull, and burst out from the top of his head, sending his heavy helmet flying into the air.
Two opponents were simply too few. A few more second-rate heroes might have given him some trouble.
A Banished Knight and a Redmane Knight were formidable together, but far from enough to stand against him.
Unless it were the Storm King's Wings of the Storm, or "Greatbow" Ogha, it would make little difference.
The two of them posed no real threat. With such a gap in strength, the surviving Redmane Knight, already gravely wounded, had no chance of turning things around.
He struggled to lift his weapon, trying to make one last stand, but it was futile.
Nolan vanished and reappeared in the next instant. His greatsword cut through the air, and the Redmane Knight's head fell cleanly to the ground.
With the fall of another hero, Nolan gained a significant reward. Hunting the strong was far more efficient than slowly gathering runes.