My skills had grown beyond all comparison since our last duel, and the Lightning Knight was completely thrown. While Handendorf scrambled just to keep up his guard, I caught the halberd's hook in a gap in his armor at the joint and yanked hard.
A halberd is so devastating against cavalry because its hook makes pulling a rider down easy. That holds true even in mounted combat. Handendorf lost his balance and fell from his horse.
The moment he tried to scramble back to his feet, I cracked him over the skull with the halberd. It was excellent at wrecking enemy armor, but it worked just as well as a blunt weapon.
After that, countless knights threw themselves at me. They were hungry to make a name for themselves by bringing me down, but I cut through them mercilessly, as if I'd become Samson himself. Captured knights are valuable, so I dealt with most of them simply by unhorsing them.
At last, the Count of Basel came into view.
"Damn it, how can this be! Is that truly a man?!"
