"Paladins?"
"By Tempus, could things like this even be called paladins?"
Maxi Stewart's expression darkened with gravity. Sweat seeped from the hands gripping his lance—because he could tell these enemies were akin to them, and in some sense, perhaps even more formidable.
Before long, he spotted a familiar face in the enemy ranks.
"Fried?"
"You damned bastard! A lowborn cur straight out of the orphanage after all! A whore's son!"
"Grand Duke Leo bestowed the title of 'Black Lion Knight' upon you with his own hands! You received such immense grace despite your vile birth—how dare you become the thrall of an evil dragon!" Maxi roared. "I'll end you myself, traitor! I'll purge the Lionheart Knights' disgrace with my own hands!"
Fried merely gave a cold sneer and replied in a low voice, "I am no longer any so-called 'Black Lion Knight.' Today, I am an instructor of the Dragon-Blessed Sanctuary. As for whether you can end this traitor, let's see if you can best my students first."
This "Golden Lion Knight," Maxi Stewart, had never left Fried with a good impression. Born of high nobility, he had often insulted Fried and Tariq over their bloodlines, calling them "whores' brats." Fried had fantasized more than once about slaying this arrogant hypocrite, and today was the perfect opportunity.
"Lowborn?"
"You sanctimonious northern nobles are the vilest beasts of all!" Anthony shouted sharply, leveling his flaming sword at Maxi.
The man's sanctimonious demeanor, along with his deep-seated contempt for commoners, reminded Anthony of Baron Solly from years ago.
As the leader of the Dragon Oath Paladins, he also needed to set an example.
"We are devotees of the great Lord of Cinders! We wield the mighty strength bestowed by His Majesty! These northern dregs are beneath mention before the great red dragon and his grand design!"
"Dragon-blessed paladins, heed my command!"
"Dragon Bond!"
Anthony raised his sword high, using his Channel Dragon Power to forge dragon-blood chains connecting him to the other dragon oath paladins. Not only could they share incoming damage among themselves, but the chains could also inflict burns on their foes.
The scalding crimson links radiated flames, causing the surrounding battlefield to turn stiflingly restless.
"That is the power of an evil dragon; they are its loyal dogs!"
"Listen well, Lionheart Knights! We are servants of the gods, followers of Lord Leo, and an invincible legion undefeated in the Northlands for a thousand years!"
"Across our glorious history, the Lionheart Knights have slain countless marauding dragons! Today we face mere dragonkin—we will not yield a single inch to fear!"
"Charge!"
Maxi and Anthony shouted almost in unison.
And thus, two immense forces collided. Fire intertwined with radiant light; roars and howls echoed across the field.
Though it was a clash of merely a few hundred combatants, both were elite classed legions painstakingly cultivated by their respective sides. The sheer fury and momentum of their battle rivaled a melee of tens of thousands, their destructive power arguably far surpassing it—to the point where even the players could not find an opening to intervene.
"A dragon!"
"That's a giant dragon! How is that possible?!"
"S-So terrifying..."
The instant the two legions clashed, many Lionheart Knights began trembling instinctively, struggling even to hold their weapons steady.
In their mind's eye, they seemed to see the terrifying phantom of a colossal dragon, its gaping, bloody maw poised to swallow them whole.
It was Draconic Majesty.
From within their ranks, the dragon-blessed paladins channeled dragon power to unleash their frightful presence, plunging their foes into shivering terror.
Yet the battle-hardened Maxi was not intimidated by phantoms and dragon fear. Instead, he roared like a lion, jolting the Lionheart Knights under his command back to their senses.
"They're nothing but illusions!"
"Men, we are Lionheart Knights! Even if an evil dragon came in person, we would meet it head-on without fear!"
Thanks to Maxi's rallying cry, most of the Lionheart Knights snapped out of their panic and threw themselves back into the fray.
The dragon-blessed paladins had been formed only a few years prior; their combat experience and class levels were nearly all lower than those of the Lionheart Knights. Yet, powered by their burning dragon bloodline and the formidable abilities bestowed by Cassius, they actually held the upper hand over the Lionheart Knights.
Aura of Searing Flame.
Unless incapacitated, dragon-blessed paladins continuously emitted an Aura of Searing Flame. This aura drastically raised ambient temperatures, boosted fire damage, inflicted burning on enemies, and granted their allies an invigorated state.
When enough dragon-blessed paladins radiated this aura together, they could even trigger a volcanic eruption.
And right now, one hundred dragon-blessed paladins fought shoulder-to-shoulder, their overlapping auras generating terrifying power.
The surrounding air warped under the scorching heat, feeling like the caldera of a volcano at the height of summer. Even the accumulated snow across the wasteland melted away entirely. Steam hissed constantly from the bare, dry earth, veiling the battlefield in mist and haze, rendering the fight even more chaotic.
The surrounding fire scorched the Lionheart Knights, drawing agonizing cries from their ranks. Even their silver shields glowed cherry-red under the intense heat, droplets of molten silver trickling down from the surfaces.
"It's too hot!"
"Damn it, I can barely hold my weapon!"
"By Tempus... m-my shield is melting!"
"Is this the power of an evil dragon? The Lord of Cinders?"
Maxi stood at the very front of the formation, braving the blistering flames. Relying on his resilient constitution and consummate martial skill, he drove back the enemies before him again and again, but his body was thoroughly soaked in sweat, sapping his strength with every passing second.
Even someone as powerful as the "Golden Lion Knight"—a fourteenth-level master classed individual—could not sustain high-intensity combat in such searing heat indefinitely, let alone the ordinary Lionheart Knights under his command.
*We can't go on like this, or we'll all be roasted alive!*
*We have to counterattack and end this fight as quickly as possible!*
Maxi gritted his teeth, struck down another dragon-blessed paladin before him, and hoisted the lion banner in his hand.
"Spirit Lion Guardian!"
The "Golden Lion Knight" let out an imposing, thunderous roar.
The Lionheart Knights activated their ultimate trump card. Drawing upon the power of their sacred oath, one hundred and twenty battle-hardened Lionheart Knights pooled their loyal, unyielding will to summon a radiant lion spirit, launching their fiercest, most tempestuous offensive against the enemy.
*Roaaaar—!*
With a lion's roar that shook the wasteland, the phantom silhouette of a gigantic lion—standing five meters tall at the shoulder—materialized from the tight formation of the Lionheart Knights.
Like a living lion, it roared and snarled with lifelike ferocity, its muscles taut and sharp claws extended from its paws, poised to pounce forward and tear the enemy to pieces at any moment.
It was the noble symbol held by House Bosque for a thousand years, and the very embodiment of the Lionheart Knights' united spirit!
Chapter 321