Golden light pierced the morning mist, and a red-and-white cross banner shimmered in its glow.
The monsters spotted it at once, and their assault on Fang Cheng came to an abrupt halt.
It was the red cross banner of the Templar Order. No European familiar with history could mistake it.
The renowned order had been founded in 1119 by the French nobles Hugues de Payens and Godfrey de Saint-Omer, and was officially recognized by the Roman Church in 1129.
At first, the order had been no more than a brotherhood of monks. After receiving the Church's recognition, its size, influence, and wealth rapidly expanded. It even developed the earliest form of banking, evolving from a humble brotherhood into an armed organization with military strength that took part in many famous battles.
By the time of the Third Crusade, however, the Templar Order had fallen into decline. In 1307, under pressure from King Philip IV of France, the pope was forced to disband it, and this armed force vanished into the dust of history.
After the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse appeared, they gathered the strength of the entire Foundation Church to rebuild the Templar Order.
The reborn order had a thousand members, each carefully selected from among more than three billion believers. It boasted thirty Templar Knights at Ace rank or higher, while even its lowest-ranked knights were A+.
It was an unprecedentedly powerful armed force, but it no longer took part in wars. Instead, under the direct command of the Apocalypse Knights, it was tasked with eliminating stubborn, troublesome enemies.
Whenever the Templar Order mobilized, one of the Apocalypse Knights was sure to serve as its commander.
The order's appearance in Brasov meant that an Apocalypse Knight had to be here as well. Fang Cheng hadn't been lying when