I Aggressively Stack Steel of the Heart in the Knight Order

In his twenty-year career as an Imperial Knight, Reinhardt had faced numerous terrifying foes.

Death Butcher Dortmund, Imperial Champion Heinrich, the Furious Great Demon, the Thousand-Change Monarch...

Without exception, these enemies were strong in every way, invulnerable, like massive mountains looming before him, blotting out the sun and seeming impossible to surmount.

To defeat them, or even just to survive...

...extraordinary combat intelligence and the knowledge of how to exploit every weakness and opportunity were merely tools.

The true foundation for contending with such foes was always pure, hard power. There were no shortcuts.

Even the seemingly weak Traitor, Stein—his schemes, his psychological manipulations, his sheer audacity—was far beyond what any ordinary Imperial Knight could handle.

He had defied the Emperor’s authority and even made a fool of a Great Demon under the Formless Divine Monarch.

In a way, he was even more audacious than Reinhardt, who had smashed the head of the Furious Great Demon Hekatos with a single punch.

His only misfortune was his terrible luck in running into Reinhardt at Verne.

But the Warlord Nico was different from these powerhouses. His Mighty Power did not stem from his own strength, wisdom, or courage. Or rather, his flesh and mind were merely a vessel for that Spiritual Artisan-Level Wizard’s Secret Treasure.

Anyone with the right countermeasure for this Wizard’s Secret Treasure could easily handle him.

The intelligence Agate had provided at the cost of his life was incomplete, but it was enough for Reinhardt to deal with Nico.

Earth Ring·Forbidden Magic Force Field.

Even if it couldn’t completely suppress the power of a Spiritual Artisan-Level Wizard’s Secret Treasure, now that he understood the essence of Nico’s power, Reinhardt would seize firm control of the battle’s rhythm from this moment on!

As Nico’s looping overhand punch was stalled in mid-air for a tenth of a second by the Forbidden Magic Force Field’s interference, Reinhardt’s left hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.

His right elbow, encased in Composite Steel Power Armor, came crashing down toward the back of Nico’s head like a gravity hammer in a forge, letting out a piercing shriek as it tore through the air!

Nico snorted in disdain.

With the War Witch Skeleton Structure, he feared Body Techniques Combat least of all.

’Thinking he could control my movements just by grabbing my arm? How laughably naive.’

The instant Reinhardt’s elbow was about to strike, Nico’s body ignored the forward momentum of his punch and the rotational constraints of his shoulder joint. He forcibly altered his trajectory, using Reinhardt’s grip on his left hand as a pivot point. With his feet together, he launched a whistling upward kick aimed at Reinhardt’s jaw!

Empowered by the War Witch Skeleton Structure, Nico’s kick was so fast it left a terrifying afterimage in the air.

’He was supremely confident that this counter, which defied conventional understanding, would be enough to crush Reinhardt’s skull with one kick!’

But when he looked up into Reinhardt’s cold, condescending eyes, the terror of being completely seen through turned into a bone-chilling cold that instantly washed over his entire body.

It made the hairs on his neck stand on end!

’Not good—!’

’Domain Mimicry could forcibly change the vector of his velocity through physical means, but the ability placed a massive strain on his body and nerves. It was impossible to use it consecutively in a short period.’

Even though he realized Reinhardt might have seen through his attack, the physical laws of the Real Cosmos were not something he could easily alter.

His kick only reached Reinhardt’s chest before his opponent reacted, taking a step back in advance to dodge the attack.

The next second, a terrifying strength erupted from Reinhardt’s left arm, viciously slamming him into the ground!

BOOM—!

Though Nico appeared exceptionally gaunt, having undergone Alchemical modification and been implanted with the skeleton structure, his weight was nearly identical to Reinhardt’s in his Power Armor.

Half a ton of mass was driven deep into the floor.

A massive shockwave sent spiderweb cracks spreading wildly across the ground, kicking up a towering cloud of dust!

Under the immense force of the impact, Nico’s eyes bulged slightly, and a gush of blood sprayed from his mouth and nose.

’At this moment, his earlier confidence was completely gone. His combat intellect simply couldn’t comprehend how Reinhardt had predicted his attack trajectory.’

And this lack of understanding, like a fear of the unknown, began to spread wantonly through his heart, silently devouring his confidence and courage, leaving only anxious terror in its wake.

Blood stained his face and body.

When Reinhardt’s heavy Steel Boots suddenly appeared in his line of sight, Nico could no longer bear the terror and anxiety. Rage surged within him. Gritting his teeth, he let out a roar and, willing to risk permanent damage, forcibly activated his Domain Mimicry’s speed-altering ability!

His body shot up like a spring, dodging Reinhardt’s fatal stomp and launching himself upward without any leverage.

At the same time, he clenched his right fist and sent a whistling punch hurtling toward Reinhardt’s face!

But unfortunately for him, Reinhardt had once again predicted his move. He not only dodged the right fist but also twisted his body, swinging Nico like a sandbag and viciously smashing him into the wall!

This time, Nico’s head hit first. All he heard was a deafening ring as his consciousness plunged into a vast emptiness.

Then, he felt a coldness in his chest, a suffocating sensation as his heart and lungs filled with blood. He could no longer muster the strength to counterattack and fell heavily to the ground.

His consciousness only returned to his control thanks to a surge of adrenaline and the stress response of his skeleton structure.

Nico, who just moments before had been mocking and arrogant in his powerful stance, was now like a fish washed ashore, his body writhing on the ground, unable to get up.

He could feel his heart was ruptured. He could feel the blood filling his abdomen and chest, stealing his life away.

The rapid blood-clotting ability granted by the skeleton structure was, at this moment, only accelerating his death.

He still couldn’t understand how Reinhardt had seen through his attacks.

Nico lay on the ground, lifting his head in defiance.

In his vision, Reinhardt’s figure was towering, exuding an oppressive presence that left him breathless.

”How did you... *cough*! See through my... *gack*!” he choked out, vomiting blood.

But the only response he received was the unfastening of the Black War Axe and Reinhardt’s cold, merciless voice.

”You are too weak.”

Hearing such an assessment, even on the verge of death, a surge of hot-blooded anger born of his pride welled up in Nico’s chest. Veins bulged on his forehead; he seemed completely unable to accept this reality.

’Too weak?!’

’After we fought for so long, after I even killed that Technician Soldier with my own hands, is this the only evaluation I deserve?’

’Bastard!’

But he would never get the chance to stand up again.

The whistling Black War Axe fell, instantly splitting his neck in two.

Afterward, Reinhardt bent down and picked up the Ancient Black Box that had rolled off Nico’s corpse.

It was at that very moment that the pursuing forces from the other factions, having finally arrived late, burst into the Tomb Treasure Vault.