The Nord soldiers, their line shattered and unable to withstand the pressure, continued to resist desperately. The conscripts and militiamen had already broken ranks and fled in all directions.
"Retreat! Retreat!" Walnut Knight Nikolai signaled the soldiers to fall back. He personally led the greatswordsmen in the rear guard. Only about forty of these elite Nord greatswordsmen remained, and they fought desperately, killing any pursuing barbarian soldiers.
Their sacrifice bought enough time for the retreating Nord soldiers to regroup within the city and reorganize their defenses.
A war hammer came crashing down, exploding the head of a barbarian soldier, brain matter splattering onto Nikolai's armor. But the Walnut Knight didn't care; he immediately engaged the next enemy, raising his shield to block an incoming axe and smashing his war hammer into another barbarian raider's head. The crimson fluid that spilled was definitely not watermelon juice.
At that moment, the barbarian riders charged in. The barbarian chieftain, riding a giant white bear, tore into the battlefield. The greatswordsmen blocking Brig were torn apart like rags. "Bear Crusher" raised his axe, and one soldier after another was cleaved in half. The thin line of defense couldn't protect Nikolai for long. The barbarian chieftain quickly closed in on the Walnut Knight.
"Mr. Nikolai! Run! We'll cover you!" a greatswordsman shouted desperately, but was soon struck down by the barbarian champion Krolin, his fate uncertain.
"No, this is... part of the plan," Nikolai spurred his horse, confronting the barbarian chieftain.
In the clash, Nikolai barely dodged the incoming axe blade, but his war hammer was effortlessly deflected by the chieftain. Nikolai turned his horse, drawing a short gun from his waist.
"Bang!" The white bear under Brig let out a pained roar as the bullet struck its shoulder.
"Arghhhh!" The barbarian chieftain, enraged, urged his bear into a frenzy, charging at the Walnut Knight.
The fight ended in seconds. With Brig's immense strength, Nikolai's iron shield was knocked away, his war hammer leaving only a shallow mark on the chieftain's arm. Nikolai faced Brig's massive axe head-on.
"I'll have your head!" Brig's axe severed Nikolai's right arm, the excruciating pain causing the knight to scream.
The scream was quickly silenced. Brig lifted Nikolai by the throat, crushing his windpipe. The last sounds were choked off in his throat.
"Hey, weakling, does a knight of this caliber dare challenge me?" Brig mockingly laughed, disdainfully tossing Nikolai's corpse aside like garbage.
On the wall, Theresa's face was as cold as ice. The prolonged battle had exhausted her magic. She could do nothing to save the fallen knight, as she had to reserve enough magic to teleport away in an emergency.
"The inferior southerners are utterly defeated. Warriors! Charge! Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!" Brig roared.
"Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne!" The remaining barbarians, following their chieftain, crushed the Nord's final line of defense. Next, they eagerly anticipated their favorite acts of slaughter and arson.
Unexpectedly, a loud horn sounded from within the city. Human voices filled with hope erupted as a cavalry charge burst out from the town, bringing death to any barbarian trying to enter.
Lances bristled like a forest as Nord knights, led by Ryan, crashed into the barbarian ranks. The warriors stood firm, steel clashing against steel, blood splattering in the air. Brig was astonished that humans still had such a force. However, he quickly noticed that these ragtag riders weren't true knights but a motley group of noble guards, church paladins, and knightly retainers, led by a temple knight, a White Wolf Knight, and the city's lord.
"Mr. Ryan! We'll buy you the chance. Leave the rest to you!" Temple Knight Alfred, wielding his sword and shield, charged into the barbarian ranks. Alfred followed closely behind. "Go, my friend!"
"All troops! Advance!" The count, mounted on an elven warhorse, skewered a barbarian rider's heart with his lance. He let the lance break and quickly took another from his guard. "For Nord!"
"For Nord!" The cavalry shouted, charging like a deathly whirlwind into the barbarian ranks, causing chaos and a temporary shift in the battle's tide.
But the barbarians were too numerous. The cavalry gradually became bogged down. Brig, surprised that this group was targeting him, gripped his axe and shield, ready to fight.
A curious sight unfolded before Brig. The Nord cavalry scattered just as they were about to reach him, leaving only a young man wielding a war hammer walking toward him. The young man's black hair framed a handsome face, a suit of iron chainmail over his chest, and the White Wolf Knight's emblem gleaming. This marked him as the leader of the charge, "Big Hammer" Ryan.
Facing the tight phalanx of barbarian spearmen, the young knight suddenly raised his war hammer toward Brig.
The barbarians instinctively aimed their spears at him. The young knight dismounted, and Brig understood his intention. The chieftain signaled his warriors to step back, gripping his axe and shield as he advanced alone.
A champion duel, the most revered ritual among the northern barbarians. The victor gains everything, the loser loses his head.
"Young White Wolf Knight Ryan, you are brave and strong. I have fought my way south from the north, and you are the bravest knight I've encountered. For that alone, your head will be a prized addition to my collection," the barbarian chieftain sneered, baring his yellowed teeth, some gold-plated. "To reach legendary status at your age is impressive, but I am a high-ranking legendary warrior, and you are only at the initial stage. You know the imperial reinforcements will arrive in a day, yet you foolishly charge to your death? Have you never learned the 'honorable retreat'?"
Ryan understood Brig's words. If the defenders retreated into Midgaard Haven, engaging in brutal street fighting and defending the count's castle for a day was feasible.
"Hah, true, if we retreat into the castle, we can surely hold out until dawn. Or, if I met you in the wild, I wouldn't hesitate to flee because running from a stronger opponent isn't shameful."
"But here, it's different. Behind me are the people of this city, and I am a kingdom knight."
"A knight's duty is to protect my country and defend my people!"
"I could hide in the city and establish a new defense line."
"But what about the citizens? What will their fate be?"
"I won't stand on the castle walls, watching you bring death to the people, because that's not what a knight does."
"Life is precious, but some things are worth sacrificing for. It's not about the cost; it's about belief, honor, and duty. This is the backbone of humanity, standing tall for thousands of years!"
"Come, fight! Nord is vast, but behind me is Winterfell!" The kingdom knight raised his war hammer.
Brig's expression changed.
Since breaking through Storm Keep and heading south, he had seen countless so-called knights and nobles fleeing in panic before him. He had watched those self-proclaimed "superior beings" beg for their lives. His face no longer held mockery but seriousness. The barbarian chieftain nodded deeply. "Your head will be my most precious trophy!"
The barbarian chieftain dismounted from his giant white bear before Ryan, who also dismounted. The two opponents stood still, the only sound the wind sweeping across the battlefield, heavy with the scent of blood. Surrounded by countless corpses, Ryan and Brig faced each other.
All other battles ceased. Nord soldiers and barbarian warriors stopped fighting, an oppressive silence enveloping the battlefield. Every eye was fixed on the two combatants.
Everyone, Nord and barbarian alike, understood that this moment would determine the battle's outcome. Both were great warriors, embodying the power and spirit of their respective races.
Standing on the wall, Theresa realized why Ryan refused to teleport back to Skyhold with her. She covered her mouth with her hand, hot tears sliding from her beautiful eyes. Emilia, standing beside her, was equally shocked.
After a brief pause, Ryan suddenly raised his hand, a blinding burst of psychic light radiating from it, hitting Brig. The barbarian chieftain instinctively closed his eyes against the sudden brightness, his skin sizzling from the burning pain, causing him to step back.
Ryan took a deep breath and charged, his war hammer crackling with electricity, the White Wolf Knight emblem on his chest shining like a star. Seizing the opportunity, the kingdom knight launched a fierce assault, aiming to deliver a fatal blow.
Years of battle experience saved the barbarian chieftain. He instinctively raised his shield, the heavy war hammer crashing into it, the pain and electric burns making Brig scream. Using the block to his advantage, Brig swung his axe horizontally in retaliation, the sharp blade slicing through the cold air. Ryan had to retract his hammer, the iron hammer's shaft clashing with the axe, sparks flying.
Taking advantage of the moment, Brig widened the distance between them. The young man's underhanded tactics had disrupted his rhythm, and the chieftain was now adjusting his breathing for the next attack.
Brig towered over Ryan, his over-seven-foot frame clad in simple leather armor, a
mountain of muscle brimming with explosive energy. Ryan knew that once Brig recovered, he would be in grave danger, so he gave the barbarian chieftain no time to regroup. Ignoring his body's spasms of pain, the kingdom knight charged again.
Brig understood the young man's intentions. Adjusting his steps, he exhaled deeply, steam puffing from his nostrils. His axe thirsted for the knight's blood, his shield almost as tall as a man. He was ready.
The war hammer smashed into the shield but was deflected by Brig's strength. The chieftain prepared to counter, but at that moment, the kingdom knight pulled a double-barreled pistol from behind his cloak and aimed it at Brig's lower body.
Startled, the barbarian chieftain didn't want to lose his manhood, becoming neither male nor female. Brig had to break his counterattack rhythm, raising his shield again.
"Boom!"
The shield protected his vital areas, but the chieftain's leg was still hit, blood flowing from the wound. Ryan tossed the pistol aside and launched a series of attacks.
The wound seemed to erase Brig's rational thoughts. He reverted to primal instincts, charging more fiercely. The two clashed, parrying and dodging, their swift movements blurring to the surrounding soldiers. Only the constant roar and clash of metal, and the sparks flying, indicated the city's last hope fighting the barbarian chieftain to the death.
...
After thirty minutes, the young kingdom knight realized he was losing. His arms began to weaken, his body growing numb. He felt blood welling in his throat and the metallic taste in his mouth. His strength waned, his legs stiffened, while his opponent continued his relentless assault.
"Ahhh!" Ryan staggered back under Brig's powerful attacks, his arm numb, barely holding the war hammer. Blood spurted from his throat, and the White Wolf Knight forced it back down, gripping the hammer's handle tightly.
"Nord's hero? Big Hammer Ryan? You're no match for me," Brig taunted, advancing on the weary knight. The barbarian's footsteps heralded Ryan's impending doom.
The chieftain unleashed his signature move—Whirlwind Slash. The spinning axe blade relentlessly pressed Ryan's defense. The high-ranking legendary chieftain's superior strength and stamina overwhelmed the young knight. Though Ryan had temporarily gained the upper hand with tricks, the disparity in raw power became evident over time.
The White Wolf Knight retreated step by step, his shoulders and arms cut, muscles spasming, blood surging.
The champion duel was lost! Am I defeated?
Ryan's vision blurred. Was he about to lose?
No, I cannot fall here!
I must not lose this duel!
Father, what should I do?!
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