The battle raged on and, as time passed, the number of knights dwindled to a shadow of its former might. From more than thirty thousand, they had fallen to less than a third, and the count continued to drop with no sign of stopping with most of the survivors being knights of the three kingdoms, while the Empire now held only a fraction of the total.

On the front where the fourth stage knights clashed, Nova had just slain two more of the Empire's knights and was about to dash toward another when a shout rang out.

"Was it you who kept killing our comrades?"

Nova turned his head and saw a man whose armor was drenched in blood. His wounds did not appear life-threatening, yet he was bleeding profusely. Beneath the crimson stains, Nova saw the Empire's insignia. With a rueful smile, he thought, 'At last I've been found out. But at this point, it makes no difference. Barely a dozen fourth stage knights from the Empire remain and even fewer from the three kingdoms. Also…'

The Aura around Nova was nearly subdued, with only a few faint wisps still flickering outward while the rest clung perfectly to his body. He looked at the knight and asked calmly, "Do you have proof?"

"Proof?" the knight snapped. "I just saw you kill one of my comrades with my own eyes! You're another one of those bastard traitors, aren't you? How dare you fool us and wear our emblem?!" His voice rose to a furious shout, loud enough that the other fourth stage knights, who had been locked in a tense standoff while catching their breath, turned their gazes toward him with questioning looks.

The battle had drained them so thoroughly that both their focus and strength had begun to waver. They were more than willing to take this confrontation as an excuse to rest.

Rollyet, one of the few knights from the kingdoms still breathing, slowly turned his tired eyes toward the man who had shouted. Are they having internal issues? That's for the best. I wish they'd just kill each other until none of them are left, he thought. Then his gaze shifted to the one being accused and in that instant, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Nova chuckled and glanced around, noting the many knights who stared at him for a brief moment before he looked back at the man who had shouted. "Now that you've found me out, what are you going to do?"

The knight turned to his comrades, who were scattered a few meters away, and pointed his finger at Nova. "I don't know who he is or where he's from, but this bastard isn't from the Empire. He's been picking off both our men and the enemy while we fought. I suggest we deal with him first, then finish our fight."

Knights from the three kingdoms watched with complicated expressions as the Empire's men nodded and began to walk toward Nova. Although a temporary truce with the Empire to deal with the common threat made sense, they hesitated. One moment they'd been trying to kill each other as mortal enemies; now they were asked to fight side by side. Was this an elaborate trap by the Empire?

The Empire knight standing before Nova turned to the kingdom warriors and, seeing that no one stepped forward, yelled, "Don't you want to avenge your comrades? He's killed more than we have, don't you feel any rage? How pathetic can you be?!"

Teeth clenched, knuckles whitened, the knights of the three kingdoms wavered in their decision.

At that moment, Rollyet took a steadying breath and said, "I know who this man is!"

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

A Lotra knight standing nearby immediately asked, "Who is he? Tell us quickly!"

Rollyet nodded. "He was a prisoner of our Blackridge Kingdom that we sent to—" He froze, remembering the true purpose of Nova's mission. Panic flared for a moment, but seeing that no one questioned him, he continued, "He's definitely not from the Empire. He might be a rebel with all of us on his hit list. I can guarantee he's our common enemy!"

"So the Empire isn't lying."

"In that case, we should kill him first, or he might sneak-attack us while we're fighting."

"With him on the battlefield, nobody is safe."

Nova smiled faintly as he listened to all the talk about him, without a shred of panic or fear. 'I could snitch on Blackridge for sending me to attack Westoria, but at this point it would be a waste of time. It's faster if I just kill them all.'

He clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention, and said, "If you're still feeling conflicted, give me a few seconds, and I'll change your minds."

Questioning expressions were clear on the knights' faces, but they remained silent, waiting to see what the young man intended to show.

Under their gaze, Nova stepped forward, wind curling silently around him. In an instant, he reached the knight who had shouted first now still in the middle of processing what was happening but Nova gave him no chance.

With a sweep of his spear, fueled by both strength and speed, he crushed the knight's chest and sent him flying with an ease that stunned the surrounding warriors.

Under their gazes, Nova stood still, his heart racing, as the last trace of Aura that had not been fully under his control now flowed smoothly. Strength surged through his body, and he thought with a faint smile, 'Fourth stage Aura. I doubt even Senna can kill me now.'

A notification rang in his mind, confirming his thought.

[Skill Aura – Third Stage → Aura – Fourth Stage]

'I'll check it later. For now, I need to take care of these people,' he thought, his gaze sweeping across the knights before him.

When the knights of both sides met his gaze, they snapped out of their daze and gripped their weapons tightly. Both sides were ready to charge at Nova, yet they froze as if waiting for someone to give the order.

Rollyet, as the First Knight of Blackridge, had no such hesitation. He was the one to shout, "He's our main enemy now stop hesitating and kill him first!"

At his command, the knights charged forward. Nova scoffed inwardly. With no need to hide his power any longer, both his Mana and Aura flared to life, revealing his blood-red Aura, which made him appear like a demon stepping out of a pool of blood, while the wind element whipped his clothes about.

The sight sent shivers down the spines of the less courageous knights, but they were already committed, there was no turning back. They roared and swung their weapons at him.

Despite their fury and the anger boiling within them, they could not alter the outcome. Every sweep of Nova's spear claimed a knight's life, sometimes more than one, making it seem as if he were strolling through a private garden rather than a battlefield drenched in blood and death.

The process was so effortless that Rollyet, the one who had shouted the order to charge, stood frozen on the spot, watching knight after knight fall to someone who, not long ago, had been his prisoner. The irony made his veins bulge, and a regret he had never known before seeped into his bones.

When Nova finished dispatching the remaining knights, he calmly walked up to Rollyet. The First Knight hastily stepped back, and tumbled onto his butt, prompting Nova to raise an eyebrow.

"Is this how the famous First Knight fights his enemies? Looks like an uncomfortable position. Perhaps only the very best can make use of that," Nova mocked, crouching down to meet Rollyet's eyes.

Shame, anger, and fear colored Rollyet's face. His hands clenched against the ground as he shouted, "I should've killed you when I first saw you!"

"Perhaps, but it's a bit late for regret. Tell me where Melissa is, and I might let you go. What do you say? Do you want to live or die?" Nova asked calmly.

The First Knight forced a laugh, trying to mask his unease. "If you think I'll help you, you're more foolish than I thought. Go find her yourself, if you ever do."

"Is that your final answer?"

"So what if it is?"

Nova frowned and muttered to himself, "Rollyet is useless. I either need to ask Avaro or give up on her entirely which isn't the end of the world, though it will slow down my growth. I'll send this one away for now, even without her later I'll find a better place to learn magic anyway."

The First Knight heard everything, and his eyes widened in panic. "Don't touch the kin—"

A hair-thin hole appeared in his forehead.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.