The night was hazy, moonlight spilling over the land like water, yet unable to pierce the dense darkness.
The sound of hooves thundered closer and closer, ripping through the quiet night as if to tear the silence apart.
This fierce battle had ultimately drawn the attention of the watchtower above.
Before long, five more knights came charging in like a violent gale, their presence sharp and chilling, carrying the stench of slaughter and death.
Nolan showed no fear. Excitement flickered in his eyes as he surged forward in a burst, like a blazing star.
Clang—
A shrill screech of metal rang out as the greatsword came crashing down, its cold edge cutting through the night.
The Cuckoo Knight on the right tried to block, but as he twisted his body, a wave of numbness surged through the arm holding his shield. He instantly lost his balance and slammed hard into the ground.
Still reeling, the knight had no idea what had just happened when a dagger blazing with golden light shot straight toward him, like a brilliant meteor.
That familiar glow made his heart seize.
"Golden incantation?" the Cuckoo Knight froze, the thought flashing through his mind.
In that brief moment of hesitation, the golden light closed in, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
The dagger, impossibly fast, struck like a beam of death, smashing straight into his face.
A dull impact echoed as the faceplate, fragile as paper, was pierced with ease.
The helmet hit the ground with a sharp clatter, while the knight's head took the full force of the blow. Blood burst from the shattered helm.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The startled horse let out a panicked whinny. The remaining knights blinked instinctively, staring in disbelief at the scene before them.
Which Carian Knight was this? Or reinforcements from Leyndell!? How despicable, wearing ordinary knight armor just to lie in wait like this!
But there was no time to dwell on it.
A glowing orb slowly rose into the sky.
It was the lowest-tier sorcery, Starlight, completely lacking in killing power.
Precisely because of that, the knights were baffled, yet none of them dared relax for even a moment.
Heavy greatshields were raised in front, long spears thrusting out from behind in overlapping arcs.
Shield thrust!
It was a vicious technique. For most knights, the only option was to retreat.
Their eyes were locked on the figure wearing an utterly unremarkable iron mask. Behind him, knights already had Cuckoo Glintstones clenched tightly in their hands, waiting for him to fall back so they could unleash a relentless bombardment.
But at that very instant, the orb floating overhead suddenly flared with blinding brilliance, its radiance increasing dozens of times over in a heartbeat.
What had been a faint glow like fireflies now rivaled the full moon itself.
The three knights' vision was instantly washed white, their eyes burning with searing pain.
Nolan had already shut his eyes in advance. Just as the lances were about to pierce his body, his right foot tapped lightly against the ground, and his body leapt forward.
Bloodhound's Step!
After a brief disappearance, a sharp crackling sound rang out behind them.
In the next instant, Nolan appeared at the trio's backs.
He halted abruptly, spun around, and swung his greatsword in a sharp, ringing arc.
Crack!!!
The blade slammed into the impossibly hard armor. The greatsword paused for a barely perceptible instant before ripping straight through with terrifying force.
Nolan stepped aside smoothly as the Starlight began to dim.
The knight's body had only turned halfway when his head was already sent flying. Blood erupted like a fountain, splashing across the face of the knight beside him.
Nolan was about to bring his sword down again, when his wrist suddenly twisted. The greatsword, already descending, forcibly changed direction mid-swing.
Boom!!
A Cuckoo Glintstone was split clean in two by the blade. Absorbing the violent impact, Nolan stood firmly in place, unmoving.
The blade's passage carved a silver streak through the darkness, like a meteor cutting across the night sky, briefly illuminating the arcs of blood spraying through the air.
With another enemy down, Nolan spun back and once again caught a thrusting spear on his Claymore.
At the same time, two heavily armored knights carrying firebombs and oil jars were hacking through nearby soldiers, charging straight for the transport wagons and setting them ablaze.
Flames roared to life at once, lighting up the entire battlefield.
Everything was going far too smoothly. Victory was already within sight. By all logic, this was the moment to withdraw and avoid losses once the enemy regrouped.
Yet Nolan suddenly sensed something was wrong.
The Cuckoo soldiers, who had been driven back step by step and thrown into chaos, were not scattering and fleeing as expected. Instead, they were beginning to organize a coordinated counterattack.
Nolan turned in surprise. When his gaze shifted toward the distant camp, realization struck him at once.
"The Cuckoos may be weak, but they still have a few heroes," Nolan muttered.
From the camp, a long streak of firelight burst forth at tremendous speed. They were clearly elite knights.
And the legion's commander, unable to restrain himself, would certainly ride out with them.
This operation had been meant to remain completely covert. Apart from a handful of people, no one knew of it.
The Cuckoos could never have predicted facing such ferocious enemies tonight, but they were always prepared for every possibility. That was why reinforcements had arrived so quickly.
"Our objective has been achieved. The best move now is to withdraw," Nolan said, raising an eyebrow as he calmly assessed the situation in a split second.
Right now, their greatest priority was likely to keep Raziel pinned here at all costs.
If this defender of the stronghold were to fall, it would not only greatly boost Cuckoo morale, but also remove a powerful foe, making the eventual assault on the royal domain far easier.
Flames raged through the darkness, painting the night in blazing red. The crash of weapons and the shouts of battle overlapped endlessly, turning the once-quiet lakeshore into a scene of deafening chaos.
Nolan swung his greatsword, cutting down several soldiers who rushed at him as easily as chopping wood. Blood splattered across his body, yet there was not the slightest hint of fear on his face.
Sword in hand, he scanned his surroundings with a sharp gaze. By the firelight, several corpses lay scattered around him.
It had been a long time since he'd experienced a fight this exhilarating.
Those enemies in heavy armor with massive shields were truly hard to bring down.
Though they were slightly weaker than Caria's own heavily armored knights, the Cuckoos could still buy time by hiding behind their shields.
Nolan's greatsword sent out wave after wave of fierce light, yet he still couldn't cut down these shield-bearing knights in a single strike.
Fortunately, a knight's greatshield couldn't block the flow of air. Even a small breath of the purple mist left their limbs weak and unsteady.
"There's still time. I'll deal with you first!"
Without sparing a glance at his nearby allies, Nolan tightened his grip on the greatsword, turned his body sideways, and charged straight at the Cuckoo Knight.