Chapter 404 361: Why Do We Fight?
Sipia, Lord of the Ostia World and a powerful warlord, had done a great deal of analysis. In reality, however, his exchange with Reinhardt had lasted no more than four seconds.
To have deduced and analyzed intelligence on Reinhardt's combat strength in such a short time spoke volumes. For Sipia to dominate a region of the dark Ash Soil Star Zone, his combat experience and strength had to place him in the highest echelon of elite experts!
His deductions had been correct.
The power distorting his perception of time was indeed Reinhardt's Fourth Earth Ring—Time Sand Flowing!
If the revelation that Reinhardt was also a wielder of a Multi-Level Extraordinary Armament was shocking enough, then the direct, oppressive feeling this time-warping Special Ability gave him could be summed up in a single word.
Death—!
In that instant, from Sipia's own perspective, he was desperately trying to move, to evade the one-handed axe charge from Reinhardt.
But the blast door, less than a meter away, seemed an impossible distance to cross.
A single step away, yet in that instant, the distance stretched into infinity.
'Damn it...'
Sipia cursed inwardly.
This was the nature of battle between Extraordinary Knights. Like two armed hunters stumbling upon each other in a dark forest, gaining intelligence on an opponent's Special Ability and securing the initiative often determined the outcome.
His four Extraordinary Armaments all had distinct Special Abilities, but none of them offered a counter to his current predicament.
To survive, he had only one option: unleash his Domain Power and forcibly break free from the constraints of his opponent's Special Ability!
Sipia found it hard to accept the terrible reality that he was being forced to use his Domain Power in their very first encounter—a mere probing exchange.
Although the element of surprise was a factor, this also suggested that Reinhardt—an Imperial Knight who also held a Five-star Earth Military Rank and wielded Domain Power—was very likely stronger than him!
As Reinhardt's War Axe was about to strike him, Sipia's Black Arsenal suddenly erupted with an immense surge of Mighty Power. A strange, phantom-like hourglass, pitch-black and formed purely of Knight Power, shot out and hovered in front of him.
The moment the hourglass appeared, a black light flared, counteracting the Special Ability of Time Sand Flowing and forcibly shattering the bonds holding Sipia.
He didn't dare underestimate the War Axe swinging toward him.
His Knight Power once again materialized, this time as a suit of rust-covered Classical Knight's Heavy Armor that enveloped his entire body!
This armor was the very same Armory Equipment—the Dissolving Battle Armor—that had helped Sipia neutralize Reinhardt's first major assault!
Unlike traditional Extraordinary Armaments that focused on pure defense, the Dissolving Battle Armor's unique defensive property was to dissolve its own structure to dissipate and absorb an enemy's attack.
This property meant that unless an attack could overwhelm the Dissolving Battle Armor's threshold in a single strike, no attack, by any means, could so much as scratch Sipia!
The instant the War Axe slammed into the Heavy Armor.
The Armory Equipment once again absorbed the full force of the War Axe. In exchange, a viscous slurry of rust and liquefied, low-temperature metal oozed down the surface of the Dissolving Battle Armor.
Sipia used the momentum to his advantage, feigning being sent flying by the blow. He shot backward like a cannonball, WHOOSHING out through the doorway and slamming violently against the outer wall.
His constant displays of weakness, his act of being outmatched—it was all a ploy to lure Reinhardt off the bridge!
Unfortunately, a successful tactic requires not only flawless execution from its architect but also the enemy's unwitting cooperation.
Seventy-Six had once joked that Reinhardt should work for the Judgment Court, and for good reason. His combat instincts and sharp, analytical read on any situation were a far cry from the battle-crazed lunatic Sipia had assumed him to be based on rumors.
It didn't even require deep analysis.
From his perspective, Sipia's tactic was painfully obvious. He was clearly using the "lure the tiger from the mountain" ploy.
As much as Reinhardt wanted to cleave Sipia in two, this fight wasn't a simple duel to the death. The true objective was control of the bridge and the safety of the two Technician Priests.
If their Technician Priests died before they reached Cyrenaica, then even with the unparalleled combat strength of Reinhardt and Koller, they would be facing a rebel army numbering in the hundreds of millions. The enemy could simply drown them with sheer numbers on Cyrenaica!
In other words, if those two "gearheads" died on the bridge, then no matter how many enemies they killed later, it would all be a pointless struggle. They would just be waiting to die!
However, his exchange with Sipia had still allowed him to gather a significant amount of intelligence.
'If I'm not mistaken, that 'Extraordinary Armament' that helped Sipia break free of Time Sand Flowing's control... it's a perfect match for the Metal Hourglass Irenia gave me years ago to help me develop my Fourth Earth Ring. The only difference is that this one, which gives off a black aura, is like its reflection. Sipia's Domain Power? Or is it something else...'
「At the same time.」
The rebel soldiers who had bypassed Koller's blockade killed four members of the bridge command crew who failed to get out of the way. Their leader, a Technician Soldier, possessed the formidable strength of a Six-star Official Military Rank.
The moment he reached Think Tank Serni, who had moved to intercept, a heavy rifle constructed purely of Knight Power materialized in his hands.