CHAPTER 164: CHAPTER 164- HOLY KNIGHTS VS DIVINE PALADIN (3)

Just this point alone was enough to tell others how staggeringly powerful the [Holy Blade Arts] was.

Zerina felt a fire burn within her. Although she didn’t use the holy attribute, she could still practice this blade art, blend it with her own style to create an even more powerful technique for herself.

"Commander, does that mean that we can only use the [Holy Blade Arts] that you showed us?" the holy knights questioned.

This swordplay was something that Reinhardt had recently indoctrinated in the training. As such, even they, having achieved the three transcendent states of [One with the sword],[Heart of the Sword] and [Transition] haven’t fully mastered the first three techniques.

"Don’t worry, I was just showing our new holy knight how the [Holy Blade Art] works. You are all free to use any of the sword techniques you have mastered so far. I will only be using this".

Condescension? No, it was simply confidence from his strength.

"Now, enough chitchat. Come at me".

At this moment, the crowd became silent. Not out of boredom, but from the highly exhilarating battle that was about to start. All eyes focused on the circle where the commander and the four holy knights were.

At this moment, they had even forgotten about their own battle.

There was no signal, nothing. Each party stood in their place with perfect calm and composure. Then, as a gust blew by, it began.

Bob made the first move. His charge was thunderous. His blade sliced through the air with such force that a visible gale followed, kicking up a dust.

The holy knight aimed for Reinhardt’s ribs, a textbook kill zone. The first move was already a lethal move; from this one could see how serious the holy knights were about the match.

At the same time as Bob moved, Zerina, being the fastest in the group, approached Reinhardt too. She arched her hand and threw a punch from below, then twisted mid motion to aim for his blind spot.

In response, Reinahrdt smiled. His body moved before their attack was even complete. The wooden sword moved in a perfect arc, meeting Bob’s strike at the midpoint and redirecting it with such precision that the wind itself was split.

The holy knight stumbled and fell back a few steps.

In the same instance after deflecting Bob’s attack, his sword transitioned into a horizontal slash that met Zerina’s punch, sending her spinning.

Of course, for two high ranking knights, this was nothing. They immediately gained their balance back.

While Zerina and Bob made their move, the other two holy knights were not standing idle. They moved right after, connecting their attacks, their coordination perfect.

Grey approached from behind, his blade shimmering with slight distortion around the edges. The angle of his swing bent mid-strike, creating a visual blur that masked his true intent. It was a technique designed to confuse even the most seasoned warrior.

Marcus on the other hand didn’t just rely on flashy techniques, he used angles, timing, and layered feints. His strikes came from above, below, behind— each one designed to exploit a blind spot or force a reaction.

Reinhardt smiled in excitement, his [Divine Remembrance] working miracles, allowing his body to recall the experiences from his countless battles as if they happened yesterday.

[Divine Remembrance]

Effect: The Paladin embodies the memory of countless battles fought in the name of justice. When engaged in combat, their skill and reflexes adapt to the fighting styles of enemies, enabling them to predict attacks, counter seamlessly, and uncover weaknesses with uncanny precision.

Reinahrdt anticipated their attacks before they even came. His sword moved in a crescent arc, meeting Grey’s blade at the exact point of transition. The distortion collapsed.

From there on, it moved in a blinding arc, blocking all of Marcus’ attacks.

The two holy knights were rendered off balance but not completely defenceless. Using their years of battle experience, they quickly found their bearing back.

WHOAA... The crowd was caught by surprise. Four knights; no, not just any knight, but high ranking level 8 knights. Their techniques, their movements, their swing, and their breaths all seemless.

Yet none managed to land a single blow.

Standing in his place with his sword lowered and his breath steady was Reinhardt. He hadn’t even moved a single step from his place. His blade had done the rest.

"What’s wrong? I know it’s not everything you guys have. If you don’t give your all, there is no meaning to it at all. Come at me with the intent to kill, for I will do the same from now on."

Saying that, he executed the first two techniques of the [Holy Blade Art]. Soon, his blade started singing a hymn, an anthem that was both chilling and divine.

"Haha, you said it, Commander. We can’t have you looking down on us. Just like you want, from this point on, we will attack you with the intention to kill. Be careful not to die."

The holy knights grinned, their battle intent caused actual physical phenomena like sparks to generate in the surrounding.

Immediately, all the knights and squires pulled back, their eyes glued to the match. What was going to happen?

All five participants inside that circle looked extremely serious. Good thing, the weapon in their hand was a wooden sword with blunt edges and not an actual sword.

Whoosh... a gust blew by, generating dust in its wake. The dust had barely settled when the holy knights made their move.

This time, there was no hesitation. The four knights who had tasted a humiliating defeat earlier now moved not as individuals, but as a unit.

Four knights, four minds, one purpose: to bring Commander Reinhardt down. Bob led the charge again, but this time his movement was not so easy to predict. His blade came low, then [Tansitioned] upward in a rising arc, slicing through the air with such force that a visible pressure wave rippled across the circle.