CRASH—!
As the powerful, robust body of the "Immortal" Zodd landed, it shattered a circle of floor tiles, raising a cloud of dust and startling the surrounding Hawk Company mercenaries.
Some of the mercenaries who had witnessed the one-sided bloody battle between Zodd, Guts, and Griffith grew even more terrified, sweating profusely.
They barely managed to stay on their feet and not flee in panic.
Casca also rushed out of the house and suddenly found herself face to face with Zodd. Her breath caught in her throat.
Composing herself, she quickly drew her longsword. She knew she couldn't defeat him, but she had to guard the door, because Griffith was resting inside the house, and Guts and the others were nearby.
Zodd didn't even glance at Casca or the mercenaries. His gaze was fixed on the house before him.
He sensed that the center of the vortex was here this time.
To be honest, he hadn't come for Griffith—at least, Griffith no longer deserved that now.
He also had little interest in the demonic feast. At this stage, ordinary gluttonous sacrifices could no longer satisfy him.
Zodd was here to pursue "absolute strength."
That was why he had lived for over three hundred years, tirelessly chasing battlefields. Even among the bloodthirsty Apostles, he was an exceptional battle maniac.
Therefore, the skeleton knight, who always tried to destroy the Eclipse and hunted Apostles everywhere, had become his target.
Zodd had fought the skeleton knight several times. The skeleton knight could always gain the upper hand with his swift swordsmanship, but he could never kill Zodd, who possessed powerful regenerative abilities. Their victories and defeats were never decisively concluded.
The "Immortal" enjoyed the process of fighting the skeleton knight. Every encounter was a battle that invigorated him, and the afterglow was hard to fade.
He called the skeleton knight his "old enemy."
The Eclipse was approaching. Zodd's first priority wasn't the demonic feast, but meeting the skeleton knight, who he believed would surely come.
Therefore, shortly before this, he had rushed to the vicinity but hadn't encountered the skeleton knight. Instead, he had first met several wounded and fleeing Apostles.
From these Apostles, Zodd learned that the skeleton knight was indeed killing Apostles in this area. But that wasn't all.
Along with the skeleton knight was a young man, also powerful, who could kill several Apostles in a row. Quite formidable.
Zodd was very interested in this and recalled rumors he had heard before. For over a year, a young man had indeed been hunting everywhere.
He just hadn't had the chance to meet him yet. He was more interested in the skeleton knight, so he hadn't specifically sought him out. Instead, he had rushed straight to the center of this vortex of thought.
Even after hearing this rumor, Zodd's main target remained the skeleton knight.
Zodd searched, but for some reason, the skeleton knight, who had been killing Apostles everywhere, suddenly vanished.
He simply stopped searching and flew straight to the walled city near Griffith.
Zodd believed that as long as he was near Griffith, when Griffith "awakened" and the storm of death broke, the skeleton knight would inevitably appear. Then he could fight the skeleton knight again!
From start to finish, he didn't care about this circle of small fry in the walled city. They were just sacrifices accompanying the "prince" to dream in this world, existing in the end to fulfill the "prince."
Including Guts, who had been able to injure his body back then. Though he was a little surprised, he didn't think Guts could escape this fate.
On the contrary, the stronger Guts was, the more likely he was to survive the storm of death until the end, and the more he would have to watch his companions fall one by one. This was the most painful part. That was all.
Zodd stood and waited. No one else knew what he was thinking. They thought he intended to harm Griffith.
No matter how afraid the mercenaries were, they surrounded them, and some even stood before Casca.
"Sister!" someone shouted. "Take Captain Griffith and go! We'll... hold them off!"
"Yes, sister, go quickly!"
"We can't hold out long! You go!"
They had all witnessed Casca's hard work in leading the Hawk Company's escape over the past year. She was definitely competent as acting commander, even exceeding her duties.
Even knowing they couldn't defeat a monster like Zodd, they had to protect Casca and not let her die here.
"You... you all..." Casca didn't know what to say.
At that moment, a thunderous roar came from a distance.
"ZODD—!" Guts ran swiftly, his cloak flying behind him, revealing his armor and the massive sword he held aloft. "I'll be your opponent!"
Zodd hadn't been interested at first, but when he turned his head and noticed the surprisingly large Dragonslayer in Guts's hand, he laughed.
"This is a little interesting." Zodd drew his own sword, which was also an astonishingly large blade—a perfect match for Guts's Dragonslayer. "Then consider this the appetizer before my battle with the skeleton knight."
"Get out of the way!" Guts saw Zodd draw his sword and quickly shouted to the Hawk Company crowd.
When the Hawk Company mercenaries saw Guts approaching, they one by one gave way and breathed sighs of relief, but they were still nervous.
Guts ran up, first glanced at Casca, and ensuring she was alright, he gripped the heavy Dragonslayer with both hands, stepped forward, and swung at Zodd's legs!
Zodd was condescending, unafraid. His sword suddenly struck, meeting the Dragonslayer!
CLANG—!
Guts involuntarily sank, and the ground beneath him suddenly collapsed, cracking with fissures!
The slashing sword indeed suppressed Guts and the Dragonslayer!
"Compared to last time, you've made great progress." Zodd smiled. "But it's still far from enough... It seems the young man who's been hunting Apostles everywhere isn't you."
Guts coughed muffledly, exhaled from his mouth, then roared again, channeling strength from his waist to his arms. The Dragonslayer rose upward, lifting the sword pressing down on it!
Zodd looked surprised. He turned his head to look at his sword and said with a smile, "It seems you're also qualified to fight me."
His momentum suddenly changed. The faces of everyone present paled slightly, as if the weight upon them had doubled.
The sword in Zodd's hand flickered, then suddenly and swiftly slashed diagonally, as fast as black lightning!
Guts couldn't clearly see the sword's path at all. He barely caught an afterimage. He instinctively raised the Dragonslayer to resist, and then, sword and blade met, and he was sent flying!
CRASH—!
Guts unexpectedly flew upward, and the projectile punched through a wall like a cannonball, crashing into a house.
Everyone was shocked.
Casca even cried out Guts's name.
Ever since Guts had returned with the Dragonslayer, he had been invincible. No enemy could stand for a moment against his blade.
Therefore, Guts and his Dragonslayer had long become the last comfort of the uncertain Hawk Company.
Suddenly, Zodd attacked. Though they knew Zodd's terror, when they saw Guts and his Dragonslayer, a flicker of illusion arose in their hearts. But that hope was completely shattered.
Guts was no match for Zodd!
As if ignoring the other Hawk Company members, Zodd headed straight for the wall Guts had crashed through, his heavy steps thudding.
At this moment, Pippin and Corkus also heard the commotion and arrived one after another.
The former carried a hammer and shield and, without a word, blocked Zodd's only path.
The latter panicked and ordered all the crossbowmen to form up.
This time, Zodd merely waved his hand. Pippin, holding his shield, seemed to be hit by a battering ram and was also sent flying, unable to resist.
Pippin crashed into the stable, demolishing it. He lay on his back, needing help from other mercenaries. They could see blood flowing from beneath his armor.
"Loose bolts!" Corkus shouted in panic at that moment. All the crossbowmen immediately fired, and bolts rained down for a time.
Zodd swung his sword through the air. The rain of bolts abruptly ceased. All the sharp arrows were shattered with a clatter.
He also glanced in Corkus's direction, causing Corkus's legs to weaken and him to sit down on the ground.
CRASH—!
From the broken wall, Guts emerged.
He tore off the cloak that was hindering him, threw it aside, and seeing what was happening, roared again, "Stop it! Didn't I say I'd handle him?!"
In truth, from that last blow, Guts understood perfectly well that he was still no match for Zodd.
He said this to prevent the rest of the Hawk Company from dying.
If he truly wanted to unite, only Nidhogg could join him. And he knew well that the young man hunting Apostles everywhere, mentioned by Zodd, was Nidhogg!
And indeed, when Guts said this, some members of the Hawk Company who had been willing to fight desperately stopped.
"Oh?" Zodd took his sword and looked down at Guts in the distance. "You want to handle me alone? If you relied on them as cannon fodder, you might still have a chance."
"I'm not defeated yet." Guts took the Dragonslayer and walked toward him.
Hearing this, Zodd reached up to cover his face and laughed.
"Hahahaha... It seems you've been fooling yourself from the start, giving yourself unrealistic ideas. Well, let me completely shatter your illusions today."
He raised his sword and advanced on Guts. This time, he didn't intend to hold back.
Guts suddenly felt as if struck by a very strong wind, making it hard to breathe. But he still walked step by step toward Zodd.
At that moment, several sounds cut through the air.
Several throwing knives flew from the side and aimed for Zodd's eyes!
Zodd caught a glimpse. He casually raised his sword to block. With several clangs, all the throwing knives were blocked and fell.
Everyone followed the sound and saw Judeau rushing over. It was he who had thrown the knives.
"It's really useless..." Judeau sighed helplessly. He didn't rush forward but instead stepped aside, saying, "Nidhogg, go ahead."
Nidhogg stepped out from behind Judeau, holding his Golden Halberd, and walked forward calmly.
For some reason, the invisible pressure after Nidhogg's appearance suddenly lessened, as if torn apart.
Zodd also looked surprised.
Nidhogg approached Guts, ignoring any explanation. He immediately used the Golden Halberd's skill—Golden Vow—casting golden light on them both, temporarily enhancing their attack and defense.
Guts looked in astonishment at the golden light on his body, felt the surge of power within him, and was speechless.
Nidhogg swapped the Golden Halberd for Bloodhound's Fang, then looked around, ignoring the surprised faces of everyone, and asked directly, "Where is Griffith?"
"Griffith is resting in his room." Guts pointed toward the house and replied.
"Where is Rickert? Why isn't he here?" Nidhogg asked again.
Guts also quickly replied, "The defense changed. I sent him to lead the scout team out of the city and back to his former scout unit."
Nidhogg was momentarily stunned upon hearing that Rickert wasn't in the city right now. Then he breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good... Guts, you give the order. Have the Hawk Company leave the walled city immediately. Leave Zodd to me."
Guts was momentarily stunned, then thought about it, but said unyieldingly, "I'll stay with you. Otherwise, there's no point in talking."
Nidhogg knew he couldn't convince Guts, so he had to say, "Fine."
So Guts ordered the Hawk Company to evacuate the walled city immediately. They would stay and deal with Zodd.
Everyone in the Hawk Company was a little stunned, not knowing whether to obey this order.
Casca gritted her teeth. Understanding that leaving everyone here would only increase casualties, she repeated the order before everyone started moving.
Pippin, Judeau, and Corkus obeyed the order, directed the people, took only the essentials, and left the walled city as quickly as possible.
Casca herself burst into the building, ready to help Griffith into his wheelchair and then get him out.
Zodd didn't care much about this. He just stared at Nidhogg for a while, then smiled. "You have a different aura... If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who's been hunting Apostles everywhere, right?"
Nidhogg didn't reply. He just glanced at Guts, and together they stepped forward.
Guts charged ahead, and the Dragonslinger swept out.
Zodd blocked the slash with his sword, his body involuntarily shuddering. He was a little surprised. "In such a short time, he's gotten a little stronger again. Is it because of that golden light just now?"
However, Zodd suddenly exerted force and still sent Guts and his sword flying!
Guts couldn't help but fly backward, but this time he stabilized his body, landed on his feet, and slid back before stopping.
FWOOSH—!
At that moment, Nidhogg came in from an angle, and Bloodhound's Fang curved in a slash so fast it was just a silver moon arc.
The moon arc was slashed, and Zodd hastily blocked it, secretly shocked.
Up to now, the only one with such swift swordsmanship, besides the skeleton knight, was this young man before him. Worthy of having killed many Apostles.
Zodd was surprised, then overjoyed.
He simply left Guts aside, took his sword, and clashed with Nidhogg.
CLANG! CLANG!—
Zodd's slashing sword was powerful and heavy. Each strike produced loud clangs and sparks!
Nidhogg avoided this with the light and agile techniques of Bloodhound's Finesse. He knew it would be a tough fight. For now, he couldn't defeat Zodd.
Similarly, Nidhogg's charges were blocked by Zodd.
After all, this was reality, not a game. Zodd wouldn't wait for Nidhogg to slash him and then counterattack like a turn-based system.
CLANG! CLANG!—
Zodd fought with enthusiasm. Each sword strike was fiercer than the last. The blade was fierce, and a strong wind blew. He was indeed closing in on Nidhogg's surroundings, leaving him almost no room to use even Bloodhound's Finesse.
Nidhogg could only resist Zodd, thinking to himself: Looks like I need to add some 'chips,' or I won't be able to push Zodd back.
Zodd had been watching Nidhogg and his fierce attack for so long, and Nidhogg was at a disadvantage. He was even happier inside.
Indeed, he was a strong opponent, second only to the skeleton knight.
If the main course was the skeleton knight, then Nidhogg was the side dish, and Guts was the dessert after the meal.
At that moment, Guts charged in again from an angle and joined the fight.
Nidhogg and Guts worked together. There was an unspoken understanding between them. They withstood Zodd's assault and even gained a chance to counterattack for a few exchanges.
Zodd fought joyfully and frantically, laughing, and slashed a few more times, repelling the combined force of Nidhogg and Guts.
At the same time, Casca finally wheeled Griffith out. Pippin, Judeau, and Corkus, who were still directing the evacuation, immediately rushed over to them.
Though the Hawk Company members were retreating, their resilience meant they wouldn't be the first to leave. They would stay here.
Besides, they didn't want to leave Guts and Nidhogg, who were still fighting. So they all looked at Casca, the acting leader.
Though Nidhogg, Guts, and Zodd seemed locked in combat, Zodd's overwhelming power was so great that it was hard for everyone to believe they could win.
Casca glanced anxiously at Guts and Nidhogg, finding it difficult to make a decision.
However, when she looked down and saw Griffith, who could only sit in his wheelchair, she felt a pang in her heart and could only say:
"Let's take Griffith to a safe place first, get the Hawk Company settled, and then come back to help Guts and Nidhogg."
Pippin, Judeau, and Corkus exchanged glances and simply nodded. For now, they had to do this.
Griffith, sitting in his wheelchair, stared through his white eagle helmet at the fierce battlefield over there, through a gap shrouded in darkness.
Nidhogg and Guts were already wounded, bleeding.
Similarly, Zodd's body was covered in scars. But his regenerative ability was outstanding. These wounds fizzled and healed quickly, leaving him looking unharmed.
Griffith looked at him and suddenly remembered he had just dreamed a rather long and vivid dream. Casca had wheeled him out while he was half-asleep. When he opened his eyes, he saw this scene.
At that moment, he felt his dream hadn't ended yet.
Because he was still trapped in this body, waiting for Guts, Nidhogg, Casca, and the others to save him. Otherwise, he could do nothing.
Dream, wake up.
Suddenly, he noticed something more in his palm. When he looked down, it was a crimson stone with a contorted face—the Crimson Beherit, lost in the dungeon of the Tower of Rebirth.