On the blood-soaked circular battlefield, Grumblebundo carried his blood-stained war hammer and heavy shield. His eyes, which had originally been ordinary human eyes, suddenly transformed into dangerous vertical pupils, staring at Nidhogg.
"Aren't you that Holy Iron Chain Knight who fought Nordic this morning? The man this morning was knocked down by Nordic with one move. Now you're completely different. Who are you?"
Seeing that there was no point in hiding it anymore, Nidhogg admitted:
"My name is Nidhogg. The noble knight who fought Nordic was named Jerome. He's probably in a corner right now, watching the battle."
He had guessed correctly. At this moment, Jerome was hiding in the crowd, nervously watching them confront each other on the field, terrified because he didn't know how this would end.
But if he were to reveal his identity now and play against the enemy, he wouldn't want to either.
He just hoped that Nidhogg could really kill Grumblebundo in his place, as promised. That way, even if it was later discovered that he hadn't played, it would be easy to deal with.
But Jerome looked at the blood all over the ground. It had all flowed from the knights killed by Grumblebundo. He sweated profusely for Nidhogg and himself.
"Nidhogg..."
Grumblebundo felt he had heard this name somewhere before. He couldn't help but think.
"Don't think about it." Nidhogg saw his expression and understood what he was thinking. So he said, "You must know the skeleton knight, right? Like him, I am an 'old enemy' and 'hunter' of you Apostles."
Grumblebundo's vertical pupils suddenly grew sharper and sharper.
"The skeleton knight... So you're with that guy... That means you won't become the 'Holy Eagle.'"
"'Holy Eagle,' heh. Don't force that name on me."
"You know the 'Holy Eagle'?"
"Of course I know. Haven't you seen the cross in the Holy See?"
Nidhogg's words only spoke half the facts. The other half naturally pointed directly at Griffith himself.
Of course, Grumblebundo had seen the cross symbol in the Holy See. He had also thought of the "Holy Eagle" and investigated it for decades. But so far, there had been no clue about the "Holy Eagle." He had given up on that path.
He heard the hidden contempt in Nidhogg's indifference towards the title "Holy Eagle." He became angry.
"Indeed, you 'old enemies of the Apostles' are unclear... You don't understand at all what causality is, what fate is, and why I must pursue the 'Holy Eagle'..."
"I understand."
Nidhogg interrupted Grumblebundo, and at the same time, gently touched the golden brand on his chest.
After a while, Melina returned from afar and re-entered his body, lending him her power.
"I have seen two men and one woman still struggling against their fate, even when standing on the brink of death. You just did everything to survive."
Grumblebundo was silent for a while, then laughed angrily.
"This doesn't make sense. And you know what happened to us? And indeed, there's no point in talking to you!"
Suddenly, he shook his heavy shield. I don't know what mechanism was triggered, but a black cannon muzzle protruded from the mouth of the roaring dragon, aimed directly at Nidhogg.
Although the knights and spectators in the stands hadn't heard what they were saying, they saw the cannon muzzle protruding from Grumblebundo's shield. They couldn't help but be stunned.
"It's... it's a cannon!"
Someone screamed, immediately causing panic.
Especially the crowd behind Nidhogg. One by one, their faces paled. They collided with each other and ran out.
The bard was among them. He had still been enjoying the show, but now, seeing the approaching danger, he was so scared that he fled in panic, his belly constantly jiggling.
Grumblebundo using artillery in a team competition was actually a foul. But in this situation, who dared to step forward and stop him?
BOOM—!
Grumblebundo raised his war hammer and struck the mechanism behind his heavy shield. Immediately, the gunpowder ignited, sparks flew, and a cannonball followed a long, fiery dragon, roaring towards Nidhogg!
Nidhogg put away his brass shield. He activated Bloodhound's Step. His entire body vanished like a ghost!
BOOM—!
The cannonball struck the edge of the field behind, blasting through a stone wall, leaving a huge smoking crater in its place. It made those who were still standing there break out in a cold sweat.
In the VIP seats, Zulchio stood up in shock and anger and shouted viciously below: "How dare you use firearms in a competition?! And aiming at the crowd?! Quickly, where are the guards? Capture this bastard!"
At that time, no one mentioned the things they had just admired about Grumblebundo.
Before the guards arrived, Nidhogg appeared for the first time after the cannon fire. Almost instantly, he reached Grumblebundo. The fang in his hand stabbed at Grumblebundo!
Grumblebundo was stunned. He retreated to dodge and wasn't pierced by the fang. At the same moment, two fangs shot out from the muzzle of the heavy shield. As he swung the heavy shield, they slashed at Nidhogg's throat!
Nidhogg withdrew Bloodhound's Fang and, with one swing, stabbed the heavy shield's fangs. The immense force struck, preventing Grumblebundo from moving the heavy shield for a time.
At the same time, Nidhogg's entire left arm and shoulder were enveloped in divine golden light, transforming into Crucible Horn. His body turned left, and the Crucible Horn was inserted directly into the muzzle of the heavy shield!
CRACK—!
Crucible Horn suddenly pierced through the entire heavy shield, which was difficult to destroy even with cannonballs. The heavy shield shattered into several pieces, fell off, and crashed heavily to the ground.
At the same time, Grumblebundo's left hand, which had been holding the shield, was also pierced by Crucible Horn. Blood gushed out like a whirlwind.
Grumblebundo glanced at his bleeding left hand, then at the fragments of the heavy shield artillery he had used for many years, which had fallen to the ground. His eyes narrowed slightly.
I see. This is what you rely on? You think you have something powerful enough to contend with the Apostles?
Hehe, you think you can match the power of my sacrifice, an Apostle who has devoured countless people, with your unknown origin?
"HRAAAH—!"
Grumblebundo roared. The war hammer in his right hand carved a complete arc and smashed heavily at Nidhogg!
Nidhogg turned around, as if he didn't care about his furious attack. Just as Grumblebundo gritted his teeth and was about to hit him in the back of the head, he suddenly saw a golden tail before him!
Crucible Tail!
FWOOSH—!
The tail whip struck so hard that it literally shattered the head of Grumblebundo's war hammer. The force still remained, and with a CRACK!, it hit Grumblebundo in the face!
FWOOSH—!
Grumblebundo flew backward and crashed into the spectators on the other side. He burst through the seats and fell deep into them, shocking even more spectators and making them hastily flee!
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