Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1874, Section 1846: Weakness
Strategically escalating an incident can certainly weaken one's enemies.

However, if they get involved in something that's already on the verge of causing a major upheaval... then the Cuckoo Knights seem to have a death wish.

“I’m giving you this very serious advice, Dujuan,” Lan En said earnestly. “I don’t like you. In fact, I’ve even killed some of your people. But…”

"Believe me, you have absolutely no idea what kind of trouble you're getting into right now."

“So,” Lann pointed behind him, “you’d better get out of here right now and not block my way. This is really very risky.”

The knight remained seated on his horse, and after a while, he let out a muffled groan from under his helmet.

"You were fighting fiercely." He didn't seem to want to respond to the Witcher's words, but simply looked up at the extensive damage caused by Argonde, and then changed the subject.

"And your current explanation, 'The Faded One,' seems more like a charade, because there's not a drop of potion left in your Red Dewdrop Chalice, is there?"

"And in my opinion, Argonde's red dewdrop chalice was emptied by himself, wasn't it? You have no chance to get supplies from him."

"After all, one of you is a Faded One, and the other is a hero with a respectable reputation. If you were to fight each other, you would have to fight with all your might to determine who lives and who dies. But you're just looking at me with such a calm and collected demeanor..."

The Cuckoo Knight lowered his helmet and sized up Lan En.

"You drank the last drop of the Red Dewdrop Chalice only after killing Argonde, right? It seems the Faded One is still much stronger than the average hero."

At this point, Lan En understood completely.

His attempt to save himself some trouble by persuading the Cuckoo Knights to stay out of it had failed.

These cuckoos have their own judgment and intelligence; they won't easily believe the words of a faded person who is considered a target for elimination.

Therefore, at this moment, Lan En had already determined that a battle was inevitable.

So he placed his hand on the hilt of the Lake Maiden's sword, which he had just stuck in the ground to symbolize peace.

Lan En's silence, his current actions, and his hardened will after realizing the current situation.

The cuckoo knight on horseback opposite them immediately fell silent.

The scene fell silent again for a moment.

The Cuckoo Knight gripped his lance, but under a strange tension, his fingers, like a silently crawling spider, subtly loosened and tightened on the shaft.

He dared not make a move with the shield in his left hand.

Between a gun and a shield, the shield is far more important than the gun. Any movement of the shield will immediately signal the start of a battle!
"..." Not only the Cuckoo Knight, but even the horse he was riding had stiffened up.

Then, a soft 'click' suddenly broke the silence!

That was the sound of the Cuckoo Knight pulling his shield back to the front of his body as soon as he was ready and in a good position!

But at the same time, it was also the sound of Lan En's hand tightening around the hilt of his sword!

Followed by!

"Stab!"

A dazzling flash of light erupted from the earth!
The blade still retains a white aura.

It cut diagonally upwards into the flesh of the Cuckoo Knight's warhorse from the chest.

The blade's sheer power, combined with the exceptional skill, allowed the warhorses' tack and even the magnificent flesh of the warhorses themselves in the border region to be sliced ​​apart as easily as tofu.

From the front chest to the back shoulder, nearly a third of the warhorse's volume was neatly sliced ​​off by Lan En with a single stroke!
Not only that, the upward-sloping blade did not stop at all, and after a brief spark in front of the shield raised in front of the Cuckoo Knight's chest, it also cut off the upper edge of the shield!
Finally, the gracefully curved blade of the Lake Maiden's Sword cleanly sliced ​​off the forehead section of the Cuckoo Knight's helmet.

The helmet, which was originally a barrel-shaped container, is now cracked open from the forehead to the top of the head!

Beneath the helmet, the skull was exposed, bloodied and raw. In the deepest cuts, the brain tissue, with its equally clean incisions beneath the skull, was visible.

It was only because the Cuckoo Knight was momentarily jolted back as if electrocuted that the upper half of his head would have been cut off!

After Lan En unleashed an upward slash, he completely ignored the Cuckoo Knight in front of him. Using the momentum of the slash, a spiral of wind swirled between his legs, and in a flash, he appeared directly in the formation of the Cuckoo Knights behind him!
Then, the warhorse, cut into two large pieces, and the cuckoo rider on it crashed to the ground with a clatter.

"Protect the tank! Protect the tank!"

However, the Cuckoo Knight, whose skull had been shaved open, shouted immediately after falling down with the corpse of his warhorse!

Although the voice was hoarse and strained, it didn't sound particularly panicked.

After all, he also had the Red Dewdrop Chalice Bottle in his hand. The injury on his head looked dangerous, but in reality, a sip would be enough to heal him.

As children of the Golden Tree, their souls are immortal. And as a military order, the Knights are generally not too concerned about matters of life and death.

Compared to before his head was chopped off, he actually felt that the pain and shock made him calmer now.

'Something's wrong with this faded person.'

Amidst his injuries, the Cuckoo Knight, having dropped his lance, pulled out the Holy Grail from his person, thinking these thoughts. At the same time, he struggled to turn around, his body slick with blood and entrails that were indistinguishable from his own, trying to get a clear view of the formation of his knights behind him.

'He just fought a life-or-death battle with the leader of the Watchers. But now... isn't he exhausted?'

Attrition tactics, rotation tactics, and similar tactics are always useful.

Strong individuals are rare, and top-tier strong individuals are even rarer. However, if a second-tier warrior is allowed to first weaken a top-tier warrior, then even the top-tier warrior will experience a significant decline in condition.

The border region was located in the Age of Gods, where countless powerful beings, much like those in mythology, existed. However, this tactic could be used to weaken them before finally eliminating them.

Yes, the Red Dewdrop Grail Bottle is modeled after the Golden Grail that once received the dewdrops of the Golden Tree. Therefore, it also possesses divine life force; as long as the person is not dead, a single sip will always be effective.

However, the use of war ash, the ever-changing situational judgments in battle, and the intrigue... all these things will always consume a person's concentration, magic power, and even the power of their soul.

The Cuckoo Knight guessed that Lann had no injuries at all, probably because he had drunk a sip of the Red Dew Grail after fighting the leader of the Watchers.

But how come this person who has faded hasn't lost any reaction speed or concentration?!
...Could it be that he still has the Blue Dew Holy Grail Bottle?
The Golden Tree is a creation that naturally evolved on the Elden Ring. Even now, after many legal eras, it still possesses the powerful ability to make people's souls immortal and reincarnate into new lives.

It can be said that all the elements that constitute life are already within the power of the golden tree.

Receiving the dew drops from the golden tree was a very solemn act during the brief period of abundance in the past Golden Dynasty.

Queen Mary would sometimes even personally bestow favors upon her.

The Holy Grail Bottle, merely a ritualistic reenactment of this act, also possesses the power to heal life. This is the Red Dewdrop Holy Grail Bottle.

As for restoring mental strength, focus, magic, and other powers, these are also reflected in the blessings of the Golden Tree, namely the Blue Dewdrop Holy Grail Bottle.

However, compared to the Holy Grail that produces red potions, those that produce blue potions are much rarer.

If someone possesses two types of Holy Grail Bottles, it can be said that as long as the bottle is not emptied, the holder can basically maintain their peak condition at any time.

This faded one... is he the kind of person who possesses both types of Grail Bottles?!
The Cuckoo Knight, whose head had been chopped off, immediately realized the situation was getting complicated.

Because the Blue Dewdrop Chalice Bottle is so rare, they didn't even consider it a factor in their plan!

Who is he? !
Even if the Faded Ones in the Round Table Hall were directly commanded by two fingers, it would be impossible for each of them to be equipped with two types of Holy Grail Bottles!

With this kind of configuration, it's definitely not an ordinary product, even among the faded ones!
'But it's alright...it's alright.'

He haphazardly pulled at his helmet, making sure the opening was facing his lips, and poured the Red Dew Holy Grail Potion into it while watching Lan En appear in the Azalea Formation and thinking to himself.

Judging from the formation of the cuckoos alone, anyone with a little experience and a keen eye could tell that the main attacker was that flaming chariot shaped like a ferocious old man's head.

Ever since they risked their lives to seize the Flame Chariot from the Flame Watchers, the Cuckoo Knights have greatly admired...and feared this weapon of war.

Because the flames spewed out by this chariot were powerful and sustained, and its two wheels underneath spun very fast, and the whole thing was incredibly sturdy!
It can be said that, apart from... it has virtually no flaws.

This is also the source of their confidence in coming here to 'clean up' the battlefield.

With this thing, they are confident that they can keep casualties low when dealing with a faded hero who has already experienced a battle between heroes.

Seeing that Lann indeed had battlefield judgment and was heading straight for the Flame Chariot, the knight felt a little relieved.

The day Lan En came down from the Yatan Plateau, it was he who introduced him to the characteristics of the Flame Chariot.

At the time, he revealed that "the only weakness of the flame tank is the driver who has no cover behind him."

Now, Lann is charging towards the Flame Chariot, which he has never fought before. This is probably the only piece of information he can use.

The Cuckoo Knights, however, had already made preparations.

Their entire formation today exists for the Flame Chariot. If the Faded Ones try to get behind the chariot to attack the driver, they will inevitably run right into it...?
Before the thoughts in his mind could even finish, the Cuckoo Knight's hand, which was holding the Red Dew Holy Grail bottle and pouring it into his helmet, froze.

Because he had seen with his own eyes that Lan En had reached the top of the monstrous old man's head on the flaming chariot in the blink of an eye.

He held the long sword upside down and stabbed it into the top of the head!
She even turned around and glanced at him when she had a spare moment.

'You really think...finding this thing's weakness is that hard?'

As the Cuckoo Knight read this meaning in the Witcher's eyes, he suddenly felt a weight on his back as two furry little paws, holding weapons, stabbed into the gaps in his helmet.

Incidentally, a cat's leg kicked the Holy Grail away from his mouth.

With a loud 'boom,' the indestructible flame chariot, which the Cuckoo Knights used as their weapon of victory, exploded from the inside out!

The Cuckoo Knights' formation was so close together that it was immediately blasted into a shape resembling a shattered egg.

The Flame Chariot certainly has weaknesses, but those weaknesses are not the driver, who is exposed but protected by the chariot's power.

It's the air vent on its head!
Lan En had already seen this with his spiritual vision when he kicked the roadblock camp as he passed by.

(End of this chapter)