Chapter 407 362: Domain Power: Optimal Solution! Battle of a Domain Powerhouse

He silently estimated the time in his mind. 'Tulius can only hold Koller for a minute and a half, tops. If my men can't seize control, it's pointless for me to stay here and fight. I have to get out of here before Koller breaks free.'

Having made his decision, Sipia let out a bold laugh, his every move exuding a knightly bearing.

The Extraordinary Armament covering his face gradually receded, revealing his true features. He stared into Reinhardt's eyes and challenged him loudly, "Your opponent is me, Reinhardt—!"

Unfortunately,

all of Sipia's pretenses and schemes seemed so crude in Reinhardt's eyes.

To put it another way, his acting was far inferior to that of Crusher Stein—that utterly cunning fly whose memory still sickened him.

Having been burned once before, how could Reinhardt possibly fall for the same scheme again?

Facing Sipia's provocation, Reinhardt had no intention of wasting any more time here with this traitor.

When dealing with an enemy like this, trying to win a battle of wits meant letting them hold the initiative. To reclaim it, striking with overwhelming force was the only real answer.

In the face of true power,

all schemes and tricks were meaningless.

In the next moment,

Sipia witnessed crimson, blood-like flames erupt from Reinhardt's War Axe.

Then, a tyrannical, unrivaled Knightly Aura, carrying a Destructive Suppression potent enough to crush all will to fight, descended upon the bridge of the Avenger Flagship.

Sipia, who was still absorbed in his calculations, weighing his options and worrying about his own safety, felt his right eyelid twitch uncontrollably. Even his Domain Power began to send him a warning signal of immense danger.

'This level of Destructive Suppression...'

'No—!'

Sipia's pupils contracted, and in that instant, he was utterly horrified!

'A Destruction Force Field? A Second Great Power—?!'

'How is this possible?!'

In an instant, an intense urge to retreat flooded his mind. It wasn't just his combat instincts, honed over many years; it was the only answer his Domain Power, Optimal Solution, provided!

'Flee—!'

The power he had used to forcibly break free from the Time Sand Flowing's restraints had come from his Domain Power.

Unlike other Domain Powerhouses whose powers directly boosted their combat strength, Sipia's Optimal Solution was born from his Knight Power: Black Arsenal.

When his Domain Power was active, Optimal Solution could always find a countermeasure within its arsenal, regardless of whether he was facing an Extraordinary Armament or Elemental Power.

Just as Black Arsenal had constructed the image of a Metal Hourglass to counteract the Time Sand Flowing.

This seemingly ordinary, yet incredibly powerful Domain Power was especially effective in combat against Extraordinary Knights and Elemental Knights. Combined with Sipia's own cautious fighting style as an Imperial Knight, the combat power he could manifest was comparable to that of a divinely-blessed champion!

As an Extraordinary Knight, Sipia possessed Plural Level Extraordinary Armaments, and his physique was far stronger than that of a typical Five-star Earth Knight.

His Domain Power could even generate temporary Extraordinary Armaments in real-time to help him turn the tide of battle.

Even when facing a Destruction Knight of the Body Technique Stream, Optimal Solution could provide all sorts of Extraordinary Armaments to help him resolve crises or launch a deadly counter-attack.

This was another terrifying aspect of Optimal Solution.

Because these vastly different Extraordinary Armaments meant he could almost never be put on the defensive by an enemy who had gathered intelligence on his Special Abilities.

If the Great Rebellion and the political climate surrounding the Regent Council hadn't blocked his path to advancement and trapped him in the Ash Soil Star Zone, Sipia's future achievements would have far surpassed those of any ordinary Imperial Knight.

To have climbed from the Mortal Auxiliary Army, clawing his way out of piles of corpses on grand battlefields to reach his current position and power...

If a biography were written from Sipia's perspective, it would be no exaggeration to say his life had been blessed with a protagonist's fortune.

Now, facing the power Reinhardt displayed, Sipia's Domain Power, Optimal Solution, offered an item from its arsenal: a Raptor Flying Bag, which could drastically increase his flight speed and maneuverability.

On the surface, this seemed to be encouraging him to engage Reinhardt head-on using Body Techniques.

But Sipia, ever cautious and rich in combat experience, immediately recognized it as an extremely dangerous signal—one that was practically screaming at him to retreat at once.

'A contest of Body Techniques?'

The last time Optimal Solution had given him such a suggestion was more than ten years ago, during his clash with Sedon in the Government Hall.

In other words,

the combat advice Optimal Solution was giving him now was identical to what it had suggested when he faced the Sky Knight and Grand Governor, Sedon.

Upon this realization, a bead of cold sweat trickled down Sipia's forehead. Choosing to retreat when faced with a powerful enemy wasn't cowardice in his book; it was wisdom. He wouldn't have survived this long otherwise.

Besides, he'd never had any intention of fighting Reinhardt to the death.

But...

did he really have a chance to escape?

Then Sipia saw it: the Eternal Flame, like that of an Abyssal Great Demon, kindling in Reinhardt's eyes as his gaze slowly fell upon him.

A jolt shot down his spine, as if he were caught in the death glare of some terrifying beast. The hairs on Sipia's arms stood on end. His years of combat experience told him one thing.

'This man, Reinhardt, is dead set on killing me—!'

'For the Divine Emperor's sake.'

'If someone had told me how strong Reinhardt was, I never would have chosen to kill that Silencer just to provoke him and set my plan to seize the ship in motion.'

And now, his Knights had killed over a dozen more people on this ship.

It was only now that he finally understood why Nelom—that notoriously defiant, hot-tempered blowhard—had submitted so willingly.

'Dammit...'

In that fleeting moment, a thousand thoughts raced through Sipia's mind. He was clearly filled with regret. If he hadn't killed any of their people, he probably would have thrown up his hands immediately and pledged Loyalty to Reinhardt and the Imperial Administrative Region.

'His alliance with Claudius was just one of convenience anyway. He cared far more about his own life than some distant profit.'

'This is just an internal power struggle.'

'It's not some desperate, life-or-death battle against Demons.'

As a battle-hardened veteran who had seen it all, Sipia's principles were remarkably flexible.

Unfortunately, there were no do-overs in this world.

At this moment, it wasn't just him; his Knights and Technician Soldiers were also directly facing the crushing weight of Reinhardt's Destructive Suppression. Some of the weaker Knights staggered as if they had taken a physical blow.

Their Knight Power spun out of control, while terror and fear frantically eroded their Spiritual Power!

Even Lu Jia and her three companions, along with the other allies on the bridge, wore looks of horror under the pressure. Their chests felt as if they were being crushed by a boulder, making it difficult to breathe.

Unlike a Knightly Aura, which merely allowed others to sense the strength of one's power, Destructive Suppression was different.

It was the sole Special Ability a Destruction Knight gained upon advancing to the Earth Military Rank, a tangible manifestation of that Extraordinary Power. To be caught within it was like being an iron filing in a magnetic field, or a flesh-and-blood body sinking into the depths of the sea.

The immense pressure assailing them from all directions, from the physical to the spiritual, was terrifyingly real!

Then, Reinhardt's form vanished.

Sipia's eyelids twitched frantically.

'So fast!'

He had no room to hold back any longer. He threw his sword up to defend himself just as Reinhardt's massive form—moving so fast it was just a blur—appeared right in front of him!

Those eyes, burning with the Eternal Flame, looked down on him like the terrifying gaze of a Great Demon.

Just from that one moment of eye contact at close range,

the terrifying pressure washing over him made Sipia break out in a cold sweat!

'Bastard...'

Then, his Crystal Broadsword began to clash repeatedly with Reinhardt's War Axe.

The collision of Knight Power and Imperial Technology sent terrifying, ring-shaped shockwaves blasting across the bridge!

Seeing no chance to escape the bridge, Sipia gritted his teeth. 'Fine, I'll go all out—!'

As the War Axe crashed against his Crystal Broadsword once more, Sipia's brow tightened. Controlling the Crystal Broadsword, a single thought crossed his mind: 'Shatter—!'