The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World Chapter 740- Dawnbringers Surrounded, Leona’s Last Stand (3)
Previously on The Adventures of an Overpowered Knight in Another World...
Another knight followed.
"The demons suddenly launched their assault... we were caught momentarily off guard..."
In a normal situation, this would have made no sense. Even without him, Erza, Vanessa, Brutus, and the others were more than capable of handling and leading the troops.
However, probably because he had been momentarily ensnared in the world of dreams, the Dawnbringers had been caught off guard.
Silence briefly descended.
Reinhardt’s brows furrowed.
"What happened after the expeditionary force entered the capital?" he asked, several more questions. "I need a complete report. What happened after I disappeared? And... what is the current situation?"
He was completely out of touch with what was going on. The knights exchanged confused glances. Then they reported.
"Sir, the expedition successfully secured a large portion of the Ancient Capital and recovered countless relics. However, before we could complete the exploration, the Forces of Darkness lying in wait attacked from our rear. It was an ambush. They somehow discovered our location. The enemy emerged in great numbers. Leading them were numerous Demon Generals and... the Heavenly Kings."
The knight swallowed, his face pale.
Reinhardt’s pupils narrowed slightly. The knights’ reaction did not bother him. After all, this should be the first time the current era of humanity had seen Heavenly Kings working together.
"How many?"
"We have spotted three so far. The Eighth Heavenly King, Astaroth. The Ninth Heavenly King, Duvessa. And another Heavenly King whose identity remains unknown. Alongside them... we have also seen the members of the Organization."
At the end of his sentence, his expression darkened.
Right after those words fell, Reinhardt’s eyes sharpened. Those lunatics, obsessed with evolution. The same people who had appeared throughout the continent like vultures feeding on disaster. It was already common knowledge that they had thrown their lot in with the demons.
"They have unleashed their powerful monstrosities and slaughtered numerous knights. It was complete chaos. The battlefield collapsed almost instantly. The heroes then ordered an emergency withdrawal. We were on our way to regroup with the main team."
Reinhardt silently listened to everything these knights had to say. Every piece fit together.
The warning from [Celestial Harmony]. The abandoned camp, the scattered equipment, the traces of hasty evacuation... everything finally made sense.
He asked again.
"So who assumed command?"
The knights answered without hesitation.
"Dame Erza Crimsonstar. The moment your whereabouts became unknown, Dame Erza immediately took command of the expedition and took the lead in repelling the forces of darkness. She prevented a complete collapse."
The knights nodded with admiration.
"If not for Dame Erza, the withdrawal would have become a massacre. Right after the forces of darkness struck, she reorganized the forces in less than ten minutes and ordered every division to abandon unnecessary baggage. She destroyed the roads, collapsed several tunnels, and personally remained at the rear."
Reinhardt gave a slight nod.
That sounded exactly like Erza. Cold, decisive, and reliable.
"What about the second and fourth division?"
"The Second Division and Fourth Division took the lead in clearing the demons. They became the vanguard and fought continuously while opening up a path for everyone else to withdraw from the ruins of the Ancient Kingdom."
Recalling the events, the knight showed varying expressions.
"The casualties were... severe. Although we managed to successfully withdraw from the ruins, the demons refused to let us go. They pursued us relentlessly. Wave after wave without rest. Even after leaving the Ancient Capital, they never stopped. They wanted to wipe out the expedition completely using the chance. So Dame Erza split the army. She led the First, Second, and Fourth Divisions herself. They intercepted the pursuing forces and should still be fighting over there even now."
The expression of the knights became hopeful.
"Sir Divine Paladin, the situation... is extremely dire. We need your aid."
The surrounding knights all looked toward Reinhardt. Even though they had no idea where he had disappeared for the past couple of weeks, they still had full faith in him.
"Do not worry, the situation isn’t completely hopeless yet."
After relieving them, he asked about their situation. It seemed that these people were on their way to reinforce the main team. However, on their way, they had been ambushed by the legions of demons lying in wait.
The knights reported with suppressed fury.
"We’ve lost contact with the other detachments and our supplies are nearly exhausted. Those demons were deliberately leading us to exhaust ourselves and delay all reinforcements to the main team."
He then looked toward Reinhardt. Hope slowly returned to his exhausted eyes.
"But now... you’re back."
The surrounding knights straightened almost instinctively. The despair that had weighed upon them for weeks seemed to lighten ever so slightly.
The young knight laughed despite the blood staining his armor.
"I knew it. How could Sir Divine Paladin disappear all of a sudden? It must be schemes of the demons to shake our morale."
Reinhardt looked across their battered faces. Traces of intense battle and struggle were still evident on their bodies. Cracked armor, faces blackened with soot, and bloodstains everywhere. Their bodies and aura told stories words never could.
They had endured for an entire month without losing hope or despairing in the face of the enemy’s overwhelming numbers. Now it was his time to prove to everyone, to reassure them that they had done well for the past month.
Reinhardt’s golden eyes slowly turned toward the distant battlefield where explosions continued to shake the heavens.
The Forces of Darkness, the Organization... good, all the enemies were gathered in one place. It was a good chance to take them all out in one go.
"You all take this moment to get some rest. I’ll go ahead to reinforce the vanguard."
Although his voice was calm, beneath that calmness surged a pressure that caused every knight present to instinctively stand straighter.
They hurriedly declared, "We will join you soon!"
Reinhardt did not say anything more. He simply nodded.
The very next second, two pairs of radiant golden wings unfurled behind Reinhardt’s back.
[Wings of Seraphim].
Whoosh...
The ground beneath him exploded as he shot into the sky like a streak of divine light, disappearing over the horizon in the blink of an eye. The gale trailing behind him tore through the clouds. The mountains below flashed past in an instant.
As he flew, Reinhardt’s expression grew increasingly grim.
The demons... they had truly chosen the perfect moment to strike. Not even he had expected to become trapped within the world of memories inside the Altar.
For over a month, the expedition force had fought the forces of darkness without him. Who knew how many knights had sacrificed themselves.
Their blood, their hope, their struggle, their determination... he had to carry all of them.
Although this was an unexpected incident, he did not make any excuse. A surge of killing intent erupted from his body. The air trembled from the pressure released from him.
One after another, he released the full power of his titles.
[Executioner of the Lord of Divine Wrath]... [Wielder of the First Light]... [Arbiter of the Heavens].
A terrifying pressure swept across miles of land. Demons within its reach instinctively faltered, their instincts screaming for them to flee.
Golden radiance spread in every direction, dispelling the oppressive demonic energy that had shrouded the land for weeks. Every knight touched by that light felt exhaustion rapidly fade from their bodies, strength surged, and they were filled with energy.
The authority, like an invisible law, descended upon the battlefield. The weaker demons were suppressed until they were unable to maintain their combat forms. Even high-ranking demons felt as though mountains had been placed upon their shoulders.
The buff from Reinhardt’s titles spread across the land like overlapping domains. This was the first time he had unleashed the power of all his titles. The effect superimposed from this was a sight to see.
Many knights who were previously in a disadvantageous situation instantly overpowered their enemies. Some even transcended life and death situations.
The range of Reinhardt’s titles varied. Not all of them had super long range. Some covered only a little more than two miles, while others extended well beyond ten.
Nonetheless, every human within their influence found renewed strength. The buff from even a single title was enough for some lower-level knights to overcome their limitations.
At the same time, every demon inside the range felt themselves relentlessly suppressed.
Reinhardt paid attention to all the battlefields on his way. He helped any and every team that needed his aid. Beams of divine energy rained down from the heavens, disintegrating demons in large numbers.
Reinhardt was like an emissary of hope. Wherever he passed, the situation reversed and turned for the better.
Reinhardt’s senses had already expanded to their utmost limit, sweeping across the battlefield and searching for places that needed his help the most.
Just as he was sweeping through the battlefield, his senses detected a familiar aura.
Reinhardt’s brows furrowed.
Sensing carefully, he realized the aura was none other than Leona’s. Furthermore, he realized that her aura... it was rapidly weakening.