Chapter 226: A Seventh-Circle Not to Be Underestimated

Ludwig controlled his machine, forcibly reigning in his momentum at the last moment. He slammed his shield forward, parrying the opponent’s battleaxe. The tremendous force momentarily unbalanced the enemy Armored Knight.

Now was the time! Ludwig seized the fleeting opportunity. The Armor-Piercing Lance in his hand cut a strange arc, bypassing the enemy’s shield and smashing violently into the forward armor of the Armored Knight!

“Boom!”

A fierce flash of fire suddenly erupted where the lance met the armor. The searing molten metal jet instantly penetrated the thick chest armor of the ‘St. George III,’ melting the pilot inside along with the complex control equipment into slag.

The ‘St. George III,’ clearly operated by a veteran, twitched twice in defeat before crashing heavily to the ground. On the other side, Ludwig’s comrade, an equally experienced section leader used the same tactic to quickly eliminate his opponent. In the blink of an eye, the Britannians had lost two Armored Knights.

The pilots of the remaining two ‘St. George III’ Armored Knights were clearly terrified and instinctively began to retreat backward.

“Don’t let them escape!” Ludwig’s comrade roared, receiving a freshly reloaded ‘Armor-Piercing War Hammer’ from a Knight Squire who followed up, preparing to press the advantage.

Ludwig also noticed the two Spellcasters nearby who had been motionless from the start. A strong sense of unease surged into his heart.

“Wait! Don’t go!” He reached out his mechanical arm, trying to stop his comrade, but the other had already charged out like an angry bull. The Saxon Knight kicked aside an enemy Knight Squire who was too slow to dodge. The huge mechanical foot, carrying tremendous force, sent the Squire flying like a broken sack, where he slammed into a wall and was instantly buried under bricks and rubble.

However, before the Knight could rush two more steps, a sudden anomaly occurred! A translucent giant hand, composed of pure magical power, appeared out of thin air without warning, seizing the high-speed Armored Knight and crushing it firmly in mid-air.

[Fifth Circle Spell — Bigby’s Hand]

“What is that?!” The Knight screamed in terror inside the cockpit. He struggled desperately to break free, but the force emanating from the giant hand was simply too great for his ‘Siegfried I’ to withstand.

“Crunch! Crack!”

A bone-jarring sound of twisting metal rang out. In the horrified gaze of everyone, the limbs of the Armored Knight were forcefully crushed and twisted by the invisible giant hand. Finally, the War Machine, now reduced to a pile of scrap metal, was tossed into the nearby Somme River like garbage, sending up a massive splash.

“!!!” Morin, watching from the rear, felt his heart sink. Is this the power of a High-level Mage? A ten-ton Armored Knight is just a toy to them, crushed at will?

“Damn it!” Ludwig watched helplessly as his comrade and his machine were crushed into scrap and thrown into the river, his eyes blazing with fury. He roared, immediately calling on the remaining Armored Knights to attack the giant hand suspended in the air with their Assault Cannons.

However, he had underestimated the power of a Seventh-Circle Archmage. Before he could even raise his cannon, the colossal [Bigby’s Hand], controlled by Archmage Angus, whistled toward him, slamming onto his Armored Knight with the force of a landslide.

“Bang!”

With a massive crash, Ludwig felt as if he had been struck by a mountain. He and his machine were violently thrown aside by the irresistible force, crashing into the wall of a two-story building and being buried under bricks and debris, unable to move for a moment.

“Ludwig!” Morin’s heart leaped into his throat.

In this flash of lightning, the two remaining ‘St. George III’ Armored Knights seized the golden opportunity. They roared, charging forward. Relying on the superior performance of their machines and the precise skill of their pilots, their battleaxes and greatswords flew wildly, engaging the remaining four ‘Siegfried I’ in a fierce melee.

Having lost Ludwig and the other section leader’s command, the remaining Saxon Knights were momentarily thrown into disarray. Although the Shaped Charge Armor-Piercing Rounds they carried were still lethal, the ‘St. George III’ pilots were clearly prepared. They used flexible maneuvers and sturdy shields, constantly weaving around the Saxon Knights, refusing to give them a clear line of sight.

In the ensuing brief skirmish, two ‘Siegfried I’ machines were violently chopped down by the overwhelming attack, their cockpits violently cleaved open by battleaxes, sparks flying everywhere. Of course, the two Order of the Garter Knights paid a heavy price as well. Before being hacked down, one Saxon Armored Knight desperately swung his Armor-Piercing War Hammer, successfully penetrating the opponent’s armor and achieving a mutual kill. The other ‘St. George III’ was hit by concentrated fire from the other Armored Knights’ Assault Cannons, its Magic Shield was breached, and it was finally immobilized after an Armor-Piercing Round penetrated its front armor.

However, the battle was far from over. The [Bigby’s Hand], controlled by Master Angus, having dealt with Ludwig, now targeted the two remaining Saxon Armored Knights.

It acted like a tireless giant, rampaging through the narrow street. The two remaining ‘Siegfried I’ machines were utterly helpless against it, like mice being toyed with by a cat. They attempted to attack with their Assault Cannons, but the shells inflicted minimal damage on the semi-transparent giant hand in the air. They tried to retreat, but the giant hand was faster. Ultimately, before the spell’s duration ended, the [Bigby’s Hand] swatted the two precious Armored Knights to the ground, one after the other, rendering them completely combat-ineffective.

As the [Bigby’s Hand] ran out of magical energy and slowly dissipated in the air, this brief but fierce duel of Armored Knights finally concluded. The Armored Knights on both sides were essentially exchanged in the blink of an eye. However, the situation was far worse for Morin’s side. They had lost all their Armored Knights, while the enemy still had two completely unharmed Seventh-Circle Archmages!

“This won’t work. We can’t fight them head-on. The infantry won’t survive their spells.” Morin looked at the scattered wreckage of the Armored Knights on the street and the two composed Mages in the distance, feeling a surge of powerlessness. This was not a fight on an equal footing. Until he could find a way to neutralize these Mages, the risk to his infantry was too immense.

“Everyone! Disperse! Quick! Get into the alleys! Get into the buildings!” Morin yelled hoarsely, making a decisive call. He knew he absolutely could not let his soldiers congregate on the exposed streets along the river. Otherwise, if the Mage opposite cast just one more large-area attack spell, every single one of them would be wiped out!

The soldiers of the Instruction Assault Battalion reacted instantly. Hearing the command, they scattered like startled rabbits, diving into the buildings along the street and the complex alleys.

Master Albert watched the fleeing Saxon soldiers with a cold sneer on his face. In his eyes, these were merely insignificant ants. His true target was one man. His gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, scanned the chaotic battlefield and locking firmly onto the inconspicuous Saxon Captain who was directing the retreat.

Master Albert slowly raised his staff. He had already confirmed 100% via the tracking mark on the detonator crystal; this Saxon Captain had killed his two apprentices and stolen the detonation device.

“It is him…” Master Albert’s lips moved slightly, his voice filled with icy killing intent. He quickly realized that the Saxon Captain before him was not just a military officer; he was also a Spellcaster! Although his level was low and his magical fluctuation was weak, he was definitely a Spellcaster.

This discovery surprised Master Albert. To his knowledge, while the Saxon Empire was attempting to cultivate its own Mage corps, their numbers were few and their quality was generally low. More importantly, the Saxons never deployed their precious Mages to the front lines. A thought instantly flashed through his mind.

“The Mage Killer of Seville…” Intelligence about this mysterious figure had circulated within the Highland Mage Corps. It was rumored that during the intervention in the Kingdom of Aragon’s civil war, a mysterious Saxon soldier, single-handedly hunted down several Mages sent by Britannia. Albert, judging by his intuition, suspected this young man was the one.

“Interesting. A low-level Spellcaster who fights with spells and conventional weapons…” A cruel smile curved on Master Albert’s lips: “You seek the gates of hell when the road to heaven is open. I will show you today that hunting Mages comes with a price.”

On the other side, while Morin directing his troops to retreat, he suddenly felt a bone-deep chill rise up his back – as if he were being stalked by some terrifying beast. He instinctively turned back, and his eyes met the murderous gaze of Master Albert in the distance.

“Holy cow, I’m marked!” Morin’s heart sank. He saw the two Mages already directing the Britannian infantry to launch a fierce tidal attack toward the bridgehead. But they themselves remained stationary, their gaze locked firmly on him. Morin instantly understood. Their target was him! Or rather, the detonation crystal in his pocket! They intended to use the crystal’s tracking signal to find him!

(End of this Chapter)