Arriving

"The castle is on the verge of falling. Let's go find Lord Polia immediately and get out of here!"

Standing before him, Flar's expression was grim. He pulled Edward, who had fallen to the ground, to his feet and spoke as he quickly moved towards the side.

His speed was incredible. With his peak Knight strength, he cleared the path ahead, and with the surrounding warriors guarding him, he was practically unstoppable.

Flar led his group to a flat area before finally halting his rapid advance, his face grave as he looked ahead.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the corner ahead, accompanied by the faint sound of armor and weapons scraping against each other.

This was the sound of a large force on the move. A significant number of warriors were approaching, intending to intercept them.

Flar had anticipated this outcome. Though his heart tightened, his expression remained calm. He simply watched the front, slowly raising his greatsword.

Despite the chaos engulfing the castle, Edward was too significant a target, making the enemy willing to pay any price to intercept them.

Under Flar's gaze, elite warriors marched out in waves, blocking their path.

And at the forefront of this group stood Cadiz.

His wounds had been roughly treated, and the dried blood had been cleaned away, leaving only the lingering marks of his injuries.

"Lord Flar!"

He arrived at the front and saw Flar and Edward standing in the distance. A smile spread across his face as he quickly approached.

"Cadiz..." The moment he saw the figure before him, Flar felt a slight sense of relief. He lowered his greatsword slightly, preparing to step forward.

Suddenly, a fierce sense of danger surged through him. He saw a flash of sword light, carrying immense power that surpassed even the Knight realm.

"You!!!"

Looking at the familiar figure before him and feeling that overwhelming power, Flar's expression changed drastically, and he retreated sharply.

A sword light flashed, carrying the power of pale white Battle Qi, slicing across his chest and leaving a gash.

A drop of blood slowly trickled down. Flar stared in disbelief at his once trusted subordinate, "Battle Qi! Cadiz, you!!"

"Flar, I'm sorry!"

Facing Flar, Cadiz didn't press his attack, appearing somewhat somber. "Surrender! By now, most of the Knights in the castle have turned traitor, and Count Polia himself is gravely wounded and will soon die."

"You have no hope left. Surrender immediately, and I guarantee you a Baron's title and lands!"

"Never!!" Flar responded without hesitation, his conviction unwavering.

Seeing this, Cadiz sighed inwardly.

As his former subordinate, he understood Flar very well.

Flar was usually stubborn and serious, conservative in his thinking, and extremely harsh with his subordinates – all significant flaws.

But as a traditional Knight, Flar's greatest strength was his unwavering loyalty; he would never be easily swayed.

"It seems... I'll have to fight you."

Thoughts raced through Cadiz's mind. His expression was calm, and he sighed slightly.

At that moment, a sword wind suddenly erupted between them, flashing through the air with a white light.

Upon seeing the sword light, Flar instinctively dodged to the side, but his body couldn't match the speed of the attack. A bloody hole was opened in his shoulder.

If not for his sturdy armor, that single blow would have been enough to cripple his arm.

He felt a sharp pain and hadn't fully reacted before a figure suddenly appeared in his vision.

It was Cadiz, who had rapidly closed the distance and swung his longsword fiercely at Flar.

The wind from the oncoming sword howled, stinging his face and filling him with a terrifying sense of danger.

Clang!!!

The sound of clashing swords rang out.

At the critical moment, Flar quickly raised his right hand, bringing his greatsword up to block the attack.

At that moment, the sounds of clashing weapons continued to ring out as the two figures darted across the open ground, moving at incredible speeds.

After a brief close-quarters exchange, with a dull thud, one figure was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.

In the next instant, Flar quickly got to his feet. His body was slick with sweat from the intense combat, and he looked at Cadiz before him with extreme gravity.

His condition was not good. His face was pale, and several of his wounds were slowly bleeding.

His armor was already shattered. Though it had blocked Cadiz's attacks several times, its defensive capabilities were now pushed to their limit.

"Give up, Flar. You're no match for me!"

Across from him, Cadiz shook his head, seeing Flar's state. He didn't press his advantage, remaining in place and continuing to persuade him.

But before his eyes, Flar slowly stood up, completely ignoring Cadiz's words.

Seeing this, Cadiz finally grew impatient. A murderous glint appeared in his eyes as he looked at Flar.

He raised a slender longsword high and brought it down in front of Flar, aiming for his neck.

The sharp sword wind raged, brushing against the skin and causing a stinging sensation, as if being cut by a blade.

Feeling the power of this strike, Flar desperately wanted to dodge.

But after the previous battle, he had no strength left in his body. Even though he felt the danger of that strike, his body couldn't keep up, and he was unable to dodge.

"It's over!!" Cadiz's face was calm as he looked at Flar, who was enveloped by his sword intent. His eyes slowly closed.

CRASH!!!

A sudden, powerful force came from the sword, carrying a strong recoil that made his sword-wielding arm tremble. He involuntarily retreated several steps.

He abruptly opened his eyes and looked forward, his gaze filled with horror.

In front of him, a young man had appeared at some point, standing there quietly. He held a black longsword in his hand and was looking at him.

It was clear that the previous strike had been blocked by him, shattering Cadiz's sword intent.

"Arthur!!"

Two surprised voices rang out simultaneously as they looked at the young man before them.

Behind him, Edward and Flar's eyes flashed with joy.

"Arthur, take Lord Edward and go immediately! I'll hold him off for you!"

Standing still and taking a deep breath, Flar felt his injuries and a look of determination appeared on his face as he shouted at Arthur.