Chapter 316 - 276: The End of Destiny

A streak of deep blue electricity flashed across the corpse-strewn battlefield.

As the collapsed Emperor’s Shield Tutor Lazar was whisked away, an Imperial Knight in Power Armor, bearing the badge of the Death Battle Group, roared and swung his sword at the Elite Slaughter Demon.

The hangar was no more than three hundred meters in length or width.

From the perspective of an Emperor’s Shield Knight, a squad of fearsome Imperial warriors appeared at the hangar entrance like a divine host descending from the heavens, furiously cutting down the Abyssal Demons that blocked their path.

The moment they appeared, a voice amplified by Spiritual Energy reached his ears.

’By order of the Grand Governor! Emperor’s Shield Knights! Radiant Angels! Find an opportunity to disengage and rendezvous with us at once!’

Simultaneously, the Death Battle Group Knight pinning down the Elite Slaughter Demon roared at the utterly exhausted and dazed Emperor’s Shield Knights, "What are you gawking at?! This is a Demon Mother Ship inside a Void Storm! We can’t linger!"

Stearns was merely a Second Company Commander, but even he knew the immense risk of boarding a Demon Mother Ship!

The corrupting power of Avernus here was millions of times stronger than in the Real Cosmos or on its great battlefields!

If they lingered too long, any Imperial Knight risked corruption and damnation!

Furthermore, the longer their withdrawal took, the more disadvantaged they would become as enemy reinforcements arrived!

Within the Void Storm, time was a meaningless concept.

From the launch of the rescue plan by the Imperial Administrative Region to Reinhardt’s group breaking through heavy encirclements and arriving at the Demon Mother Ship, no more than forty-eight hours had passed in Holy City Time.

But to these Emperor’s Shield Knights and Radiant Angels, they had already been fighting on the Demon Mother Ship for more than a week.

Facing an endless Demon Army, they had long since run out of ammunition and supplies.

They had even resigned themselves to the belief that the Empire would not send aid, and that their only option was to find their own way out, saving who they could, one by one.

Less than ten minutes after they boarded the Demon Mother Ship, the unholy vessel from the Dark Abyss had plunged them headlong into a spreading Void Storm.

Now that support had actually arrived, they were instead stunned into inaction.

Soon, however, one of them snapped out of it. He cut down a pouncing Convicted Demon and roared, "I’ll cover the rear! Take Lord Lazar and rendezvous with the reinforcements at once!"

After handing Lazar over to two Emperor’s Shield Knights, Matthias turned his gaze toward the Fear Knight in the distance.

He was all too familiar with the terrifying aura it radiated.

As he was about to go support Reinhardt, Lazar grabbed his arm and said urgently, "Brother, that traitor’s goal is to corrupt the Radiant Angels.

Tell your leader—you can’t let them succeed!"

Lazar’s face was hidden beneath his helmet, but his tone was exceedingly grave.

As an Emperor’s Shield Tutor and a four-hundred-year veteran, he had sensed that this boarding action was different from the moment he set foot on the Demon Mother Ship. It was as if the whole thing was a trap laid just for them.

Matthias’s voice was grim. "I’ll relay the message."

After he departed, Manon carved a bloody path through the tide of Demons and rushed over to take Lazar’s battered body from the others.

"Sir, it’s me."

Hearing the familiar voice, Lazar froze for a second.

"Manon? But I thought you..."

"Now is not the time for that. Kassin, I’m taking Lord Lazar to rendezvous with the reinforcements. Commander Stearns will cover you as you fight your way out."

As he spoke, Manon firmly clasped left hands with the Emperor’s Shield Knight named Kassin—an ancient tradition of the Emperor’s Shield Battle Group.

"Brother."

Meanwhile, as the Fear Knight, Flayer Du Ma, shattered Albert’s counterattack with its Iron Lock Hook, it drew a massive Skinning Knife from its Demon Scale Armor and swung!

However, just as it prepared to sever Albert’s sword arm and continue corrupting the Radiant Angel, a terrifying Knightly Aura from behind instantly made its scales stand on end!

Its crimson, burning eyes darted back like streaks of fire. It spun around, and a shield of blood instantly materialized before it.

The next moment.

BOOM—!

The pressure wave from the collision of immense Knight Power erupted in a terrifying shockwave, powerful enough to rip the flesh from a Mortal’s bones!

In the brief moment that Albert was thrown backward, outmatched by the Fear Knight, his gaze passed over Flayer Du Ma’s towering form and landed on a Black War Axe.

’Reinhardt?’

BANG—!

Albert landed and skidded at high speed across the ground, which was littered with corpses and slick with blood. A mound of bodies piled up behind him, forming a small hill.

He looked up and saw the reinforcements at the hangar’s entrance.

He also heard the voice a high-ranking Think Tank transmitted to him via Spiritual Energy.

Then, a flicker of deep blue light appeared before him, and a hand reached out to pull him up.

"Lord Albert, by order of the Grand Governor, we’ve come to rescue—"

As Matthias’s gaze noticed the malevolent power of Demon Poison tainting Albert’s Knightly Aura, his expression changed drastically!

’Dammit!’

’Were we too late?’

Albert heard the vaguely familiar voice and, sensing the shift in the other’s emotions, responded, "Do not panic, Matthias. Everyone has their own fate."

As he spoke, he tightened his grip on his Knight’s Broadsword, stepped past Matthias, and stared at Reinhardt, who was locked in a brutal struggle with the Flayer Knight.

"And my fate is to meet its end today."

「Many years ago.」

During the Battle of Grillers, he should have died long ago under the War Axe of the Furious Great Demon Hekatos.

Reinhardt had risked his own life to save him.

「Now, many years later.」

Archangel Tiberius had fallen in battle.

The light of the Radiant Angel Legion was slowly being extinguished.

Albert had long been prepared to face his own fate.

And what he had to do now was fight for the Emperor alongside his Battle Brothers, like a true Imperial Knight, a Radiant Angel clad in glory!

He gazed at Reinhardt, who was locked in furious combat with Flayer Du Ma.

His Life Force—long since overdrawn from grievous wounds, the Blood Burning Potion, and the Demon Poison’s taint—ignited in a final, brilliant blaze. The power of his Extraordinary Armament flared across his Knight’s Broadsword as he let out a booming, heroic laugh!

"REINHARDT—!"

This was more than just his final act of dignity as an Imperial Knight.

He had longed for this day—to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with Reinhardt!

Even if he were to die beside his Battle Brother, he would have no regrets!

In the distance, three Radiant Angels who were preparing to rendezvous with the reinforcements under Florian’s cover saw their leader laugh heartily and charge recklessly toward the Fear Knight.

The color drained from their faces!

"Albert!"

"My Lord—!"