And this moment of shock became his only opening.
‘A chance!’
Julius’s heart skipped a beat, his body already moving ahead of his thoughts. He didn’t miss the split-second opening Gavi had created with her own body.
The young squire’s breathing grew steady for a moment as he poured every bit of his newly recovered holy light power into the longsword in his hand.
The blade hummed. The faint glow that had previously only clung to the surface now acted like a lit fuse, suddenly becoming solid and brilliant.
The snow at his feet was pushed aside by an invisible shockwave as he lunged toward Werner like a bolt of golden lightning in the silence!
This strike condensed all the results of his several months of special training. There were no unnecessary roars or flashy moves, only the purest, most lethal speed and focus.
Werner’s combat instincts reached their peak at this moment. Though his mind was shaken by Gavi’s defensive power, his battle-hardened perception still captured the lethal threat piercing through the air.
“Hmph.”
He let out a cold snort as the sidearm sword at his waist unsheathed half an inch on its own, caught in his reverse grip. In the blink of an eye, the two blades clashed!
*Clang — !!!*
A metallic screech, sharper and more ear-piercing than any previous collision, echoed through the area! Sparks flew in all directions like festive fireworks.
Julius felt an irresistible, massive force transfer from the edge of the blade. The weight and purity of that power were beyond anything Werner had shown while empty-handed.
The webbing of his thumb instantly split open, blood staining the hilt. The force sent him flying backward to crash heavily into the snow. A sweet taste filled his throat, and he nearly spat out blood.
Werner, too, slid back several steps. Each step left a deep mark on the hard stone tiles until he finally stabilized himself nearly 10 meters back.
The scene on the training ground made Eleanor, Lille, and even the passing servants on the sidelines hold their breath. Werner stood at one end of the field, holding a simple-looking longsword.
It wasn’t some flashy magical weapon, but an ordinary, standard-issue knight’s longsword with signs of wear from the passage of time on its blade.
But now, in his hand, this sword radiated a bone-chilling coldness. His aura was now entirely different.
If Werner had been like a quiet mountain before, he was now a truly unsheathed, peerless weapon that had drunk countless helpings of blood.
That cold and sharp pressure was no longer restrained. A chill more piercing than the winter wind enveloped the entire training ground.
Even Helos, standing dozens of meters away, could clearly feel the terrifying pressure that seemed ready to freeze one’s very soul.
Eleanor’s expression shifted slightly at the edge of the field. She subconsciously took a step forward, her eyes filled with worry. She knew Werner was finally getting serious.
“Pant… pant…”
Julius struggled to climb up from the ground, using his sword to support his body as his chest heaved violently. That previous strike had nearly exhausted all his strength. But he didn’t give up.
Taking advantage of the gap while Werner stabilized himself and the two sides were temporarily distanced, the squire reached into his clothes and pulled out the potions Helos had given him.
He bit the cork off with his teeth and, without even taking the time to taste them, downed three bottles of potion in rapid succession.
The crimson life potion turned into a warm current, repairing the internal organs injured by the shock. The golden vigor potion was like a ball of fire, dispelling the soreness and numbness in his limbs, refilling his depleted stamina.
And the deep blue focus potion was like a clear spring, bringing clarity and focus back to his consciousness, which had begun to waver due to the intense pain.
“This guy…” Watching him drink so recklessly, Helos couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “He’s really not afraid of choking to death.”
After finishing, Julius let out a long breath. He gripped his longsword tightly once more, his gaze locking onto Werner again. In those Black Eyes, an unyielding fighting spirit burned.
Almost at the same moment, Werner moved too. The two figures were like two bolts of differently colored lightning, rushing toward the center of the field once again.
“[Holy Protection]!”
Julius let out a low growl as he charged. A golden light shield condensed in front of him, thicker than any before.
Then, the light on his longsword flared. Several Holy Light Bullets circled the blade like satellites. With a swing of his wrist, they whistled toward Werner!
He had given his all, pouring everything he had learned into this attack!
However, faced with this flashy combination attack, Werner’s response was simple to the extreme. He simply swung his sword.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The crisp sounds of clashing metal were as dense as rain hitting banana leaves. The longsword in Werner’s hand seemed to turn into a silver barrier.
Every Holy Light Bullet was precisely split down the middle, turning into a sky full of light specks.
Then, his blade slammed into Julius’s sword once again.
*Boom — !*
This time, the [Holy Protection] couldn’t even last for 1 second before it shattered.
Julius was forced back once more by the massive power, but he gritted his teeth and stubbornly withstood the impact, not getting blown away like last time.
He succeeded. With his all-out attack, he had successfully — stalled Werner for several seconds!
And those few seconds were enough for Gavi.
At the exact moment Werner’s full attention was drawn to Julius, a black afterimage appeared silently behind him like a ghost. Gavi’s speed was at its limit. She didn’t make a sound.
The armor-piercing spikes on her arms had already deployed, tracing two lethal silver arcs in the air as they pierced toward the back of Werner’s thighs, his weakest point of defense!
Werner’s pupils constricted!
He could feel the lethal threat coming from behind, but he was currently suppressing Julius with all his might and couldn’t turn around to defend in time.
At the critical moment, he could only twist his waist violently, attempting to avoid the lethal blow from behind.
But Gavi’s angle of attack was far too crafty. Though Werner managed to avoid her attack, he was half a beat too slow.
However, at this decisive moment, an even smaller and more inconspicuous figure had rushed in front of him!
It was Helos!
Like the most agile hunting cat, she seized the fleeting opening created by the cooperation of Julius and Gavi! In her hand, she tightly held that thin sword.
Within the field of [Silent Oath], at the moment when Werner was distracted by Gavi’s attack from behind and held down by Julius in front, he actually found that he didn’t have a third hand to deal with this seemingly weakest, yet most lethal strike!
He could only watch as that silver light expanded in his vision.
A flash of astonishment crossed Werner’s eyes. He suddenly exerted force, knocking Julius and Gavi back at the same time as he retreated rapidly.
But he was ultimately one step too late.
*Schwing — *
The sound of tearing cloth rang out.
Helos’s blade, carrying a trace of bone-chilling cold, sliced across Werner’s chest.