But Reinhardt was one of them!
The Demon Language they spoke was completely different from human speech—complex and profane—but it couldn't hide the immense shock they felt at this moment!
They couldn't believe it. A New Recruit Knight from the Human Empire was actually able to go toe-to-toe with Squadron Leader Death Butcher Dortmund?!
My Lord of Pain... What terrifying combat talent and sharp intuition! The Human Empire liked to call Demons monsters, but in their eyes, that New Recruit from the Human Empire was the real monster!
Unlike the other two human youths, whose souls emanated an enticingly delicious scent of agony, the smell wafting from this one's soul was more pungent than sulfur! Hotter than Abyssal Fire! The aura of his powerful soul was like that of a great beast, lying in wait and staring at them in silence.
'He's still so damned scary.'
Even so, Reinhardt's Body Techniques were still riddled with openings when facing Fear Knight Dortmund.
His cannon-like left fist shot out, but the Fear Knight dodged with a premeditated sidestep and seized his wrist. Reinhardt's expression changed drastically!
'This is bad!'
'He left that opening on purpose!'
In that brief instant, lasting less than half a second, Reinhardt's gaze met Dortmund's in mid-air. The latter grinned.
He suddenly dropped his weight and yanked on Reinhardt, preventing him from dodging.
It was just a simple, unadorned close-range shuffle side kick.
Backed by the Fear Knight's terrifying, over-two-meter-tall Physique, the heavy Steel Boots, wrapped in the immense impact of his Destruction Force Field, brutally slammed into Reinhardt's waist and abdomen!!
The power of that single blow!
Reinhardt's stamina drained away as if from an open floodgate! The Morphic Armor, whose defenses hadn't been breached even after hours of fierce fighting on the fortress walls, caved in deeply at the waist! Then it withered! And shattered!
The damage even began to spread from his waist to other parts of the Morphic Armor! It only stopped when it reached his chest, at which point a dark purple, living substance surged from Reinhardt's skin to fill the gap.
Reinhardt's vision went black as he spat out a large mouthful of blood. It felt like a high-speed train had slammed into his stomach! If not for the Morphic Armor's high physical resistance, his spine and pelvis would have been instantly shattered! His internal organs would have been reduced to pulp!
Even so, Reinhardt was still severely injured. For a moment, he even felt his legs go numb.
But it wasn't over yet!
Fear Knight Dortmund's right hand was like an iron clamp, gripping Reinhardt tightly as he lifted him up and slammed him heavily onto the ground!
He aimed for his face and raised his foot to stomp!
「At that very moment.」
Everything in Reinhardt's vision began to slow down, as if in slow motion.
Even time itself seemed to sink into a viscous mire, its flow sluggish. Even the Fear Knight's movements, which he couldn't follow before, now became clear.
This was his second attribute of Knight Power, just as its name suggested—Bloodthirsty Madness.
It was completely different from the Fear Knight's Destruction Force Field, which had no Special Ability. A Destruction Force Field without a Special Ability draws on Physique and Spiritual Energy to its utmost limit, unleashing its peak power the moment it's activated!
But Reinhardt's Destruction Force Field, when he was at full strength, only provided a slight, better-than-nothing increase to his Physique and nerve response speed.
He was only able to fight the Fear Knight by relying on the 50% boost to Physique strength and nerve response speed from Bloodthirsty Madness.
Otherwise, if he had relied solely on the Special Ability of his Morphic Armor, he would either be a corpse by now or already dragged into the Abyss!
If any other Official Knight of Two-star or even Three-star Military Rank had suffered such a heavy blow, they'd be lucky to even draw another breath, let alone fight back!
But the Fear Knight had chosen Reinhardt!
His Knight Power possessed two attributes. His Extraordinary Armament·Morphic Armor sacrificed all offensive capabilities in favor of specialized defense and mobility. His second attribute, the Destruction Force Field, increased his Physique strength and nerve reflex speed based on the severity of his injuries and stamina loss. It would even restore a portion of his stamina upon reaching its maximum value!
A line of blue, glowing text from the system flashed through Reinhardt's vision.
[Current buff to nerve reflex speed and Physique strength: 87%.]
Reinhardt's bone and muscle density increased ferociously. In the span of a single breath, it was as if he had undergone three years of arduous training. His body weight soared, and the stamina drain from the Morphic Armor's high-pressure bladders rose wildly in tandem!
At the same time, trickles of fresh blood began to seep from Reinhardt's skin, coalescing into a thin, crimson mist that swirled around him!
The terrifying, bloody aura intensified and soared as Reinhardt's Power grew once again!
His senses and mind had never been so sharp and clear! The Fear Knight's movements, once nearly impossible to see, now became traceable, every detail laid bare before his eyes!
In a life-or-death battle, victory and defeat are often decided in an instant!
The high-pressure bladders on Reinhardt's back went to full power. The resulting blast of air slammed into the ground, creating a sonic boom!
He grabbed the Fear Knight's arm, dodged the stomp, and used the high-pressure jets from his Morphic Armor to forcibly twist his body in mid-air!
CRACK—!
The sound of snapping bone and tearing sinew was sickening!
Reinhardt's Body Techniques weren't strong, but he knew some street-fighting tricks. If it weren't for the Fear Knight's magma head and the fact that this was a battle between Transcendents, that last move would have been a perfect chance for an armbar.