XaiJu
Axel
Axel

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Chapter 225: Breaking the Sky

The Mostar Castle Knight Order had not truly decided how to proceed.

This knight order was originally led by Grand Duke Ferdinand. After the assassination of Ferdinand and his wife, Duke Joseph took command of the order, but his control over it was significantly weaker. Without the rallying cry of avenging Grand Duke Ferdinand, Joseph might not have been able to command them at all.

When Duke Joseph fell in battle in the South Seraph region, the order was left leaderless.

Originally, the Mostar Castle Knight Order had five captains under the commander. Among them, two were high-rank Transcendents who returned alive to Mostar Castle, while the other three were mid-rank Transcendents, two of whom perished in the South Seraph conflict. Currently, the knight order is overseen by the three remaining captains.

With two high-rank Transcendents and one mid-rank Transcendent in its ranks, the Mostar Castle Knight Order was not particularly concerned about the shifting political landscape of the Behemoth Principality.

When Charlot Mecklenburg called out to them outside the camp, the three captains paid him no attention.

Even though Charlot had killed Jonan and defeated Zolman in a duel, his influence only extended to the lower classes and common soldiers. To the knight order's leadership, he was nothing more than a fortunate upstart.

That is, until Charlot fired a single shot, blasting apart the gates of the military camp. Only then did the three captains take notice.

The Green Knight, Enzo, could no longer hold back and said, “A mere youth from Strasbourg dares act so brazenly. Allow me to teach him a lesson.”

His colleagues remained silent, with only the Blood Knight, Diak, giving a slight nod of approval. With that, the Green Knight turned to leave.

The Blood Knight, Diak, was reputed as the finest knight in the Behemoth Principality, his prowess unmatched within the knight order.

Although the Green Knight was also high-rank, he required the Blood Knight's tacit approval to act. As for the mid-rank Transcendent among the captains, his opinion carried no weight.

Charlot, having shattered the gates of Mostar Castle’s military camp, calmly set aside his Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle, knowing that it would not be needed for the moment.

Anastasia, who had never seen Charlot display such violence, whispered, “Do you have a grudge against them?”

Charlot touched his nose and replied, “Indeed.”

What he didn’t admit was the source of his grudge: years ago, a mid-level officer of the Mostar Castle Knight Order had once chased Charlot Mecklenburg—forcing him to streak naked through the streets.

Though Charlot himself wasn’t the one streaking at the time, just recalling the embarrassing incident still filled him with resentment.

This time, Charlot had come to deliver a message on behalf of Clair Bretagne, and he had made his intentions clear. Yet, the Mostar Castle Knight Order did not respond—not even sending someone out to parley. The combination of old grievances and new insults had prompted Charlot’s forceful actions.

The Green Knight, Enzo, mounted his warhorse as an attendant handed him his Knight’s Lance. Clutching the lance, he spurred his horse forward, galloping like a tempest.

Enzo had no intention of listening to Charlot’s explanations. Since the latter wanted to be rough, Enzo was happy to oblige.

As a high-rank knight, Enzo was confident that even in the presence of Clair Bretagne, his standing would eclipse Charlot’s. Injuring Charlot would draw no real consequences, he believed.

This was the confidence of a high-rank Transcendent.

Charlot, using his Eye of Insight, sensed the Green Knight’s rapid approach before he arrived. He turned to Anastasia and said, “Step aside, lest the fight spill over to you.”

Anastasia leapt back immediately. Though a graduate of Hartington Thunder and Storm University and a practitioner of elite knightly traditions, her youth and mid-rank Transcendent abilities made her ill-suited for such high-level combat.

Since leaving the Behemoth Principality and honing his skills at sea with the Ingrima Empire, Charlot had made only modest progress, remaining at eighth-rank Transcendent. Yet his confidence had grown immensely.

This time, accompanying Clair Bretagne to the Behemoth Principality, Charlot carried with him the Berserker Blade, a vampiric weapon gifted by Aurora Soumet. The weapon boasted five attributes: armor-piercing, impact, anti-magic, life-drain, and self-repair.

Charlot gripped the lance with both hands and silently reviewed the key points of the Arsilo family’s secret lance technique: Heaven’s Wing. As the Green Knight Enzo closed to within twenty meters, Charlot suddenly sprang into action.

With Swiftstep Technique ×2, Spider Technique, and Wings of the Young Dragon, Charlot leapt into the air as if carried by the wind.

At the apex of his leap, Enzo had galloped another seven or eight meters forward. It was the perfect distance for an attack using Heaven’s Wing.

Enzo had not expected Charlot’s maneuver. His original plan was to close the distance on horseback, allowing his charging momentum to amplify the power of his strike, ensuring a decisive blow. He had never anticipated Charlot’s sudden airborne assault.

From his vantage point, Charlot’s strike seemed to descend from the heavens like a collapsing sky. Enzo hastily redirected his battle energy, raising his lance skyward to parry.

However, Charlot’s attack was a feint. The Heaven’s Wing secret technique, famed for its unpredictability, included a maneuver called Breaking the Sky, which Charlot executed flawlessly.

This was no mere Transcendent ability, but pure skill in lance combat. Yet, without the enhancements of Swiftstep Technique, Spider Technique, and Wings of the Young Dragon, such agile balance and precise control would have been impossible.

Caught mid-attack, Enzo lost control of his stance. Charlot, in mid-air, shifted his trajectory with ease, demonstrating the reason behind the secret art’s name.

As Charlot landed his real strike, the Berserker Blade crashed down with earth-shattering force, smashing both Enzo and his warhorse to the ground.

The warhorse neighed in agony, its neck broken by the blow. Though Enzo avoided critical injury thanks to his high-rank battle energy and a last-second parry, the impact left him gasping in pain, his chest and back throbbing. Enraged, he leapt to his feet, shouting, “You brat from Strasbourg! How dare you attack me by surprise?”

Charlot raised an eyebrow but quickly understood. The knight deliberately refrained from acknowledging Charlot’s Behemoth roots.

Having won several victories in the Behemoth Principality, including killing Jonan, leader of the South Seraph restorationists, and defeating Zolman in a duel outside Mostar Castle, Charlot had gained significant prestige. Recognizing him as a Behemoth native would only elevate his standing further.

Charlot landed gracefully, the Berserker Blade at the ready. “If you’re dissatisfied, come again!”

Enzo gripped his Knight’s Lance tightly. Charlot’s every move had defied his expectations, shattering his conventional understanding of combat. The high-rank knight found himself hesitating, unwilling to face him again.

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