“I’m still feeling numb. Are you planning to kill me?”
“That’s a given.”
It was a remark made with a hearty laugh.
Anyone might have thought it was a joke shared among friends. But I realized, looking at Sir Alex’s sharp gaze, that this man was serious.
He had drawn his sword with the intent to kill me.
“Young master, allow me to share an old saying from the North: ‘It’s easier to remove a mouth than to keep it shut.’ Such is the wisdom of our ancestors.”
“You seem to be quite talkative today. Is this your last will?”
“Haha, you too seem intent on killing me… wonderfully so.”
The great sword buried in the snow was drawn out with a decisive motion.
It didn’t take long for the sword’s edge to be aimed at me. Sir Alex wore a confident smile again.
He had finished calculating the battle from the previous exchange.
My skill level was higher, but Sir Alex’s experience and strategic unpredictability were superior.
It was the opposite of the previous battle.
My strength lay in my unfettered use of various skills. However, I was being overwhelmed by Sir Alex, making it impossible for me to gain an advantage.
Moreover, Sir Alex was aware of all my combat methods.
Most of my skills had already been revealed to the public. At the very least, Sir Alex must have been watching me closely during the last battle with the elves.
It was a dilemma.
But I still had one hidden move left.
The swirling snow forced the world into stillness.
The one who stirred the frozen world was not me.
With a thud, the armored knight was propelled forward.
He was completely covered in heavy armor. The added momentum of the weight made his power comparable to a cannonball.
If we clashed head-on, my chances of winning would be slim.
My eyes instinctively surveyed the surrounding scenery. The strings of space tangled chaotically with my hand.
A sensation as if the world warped and regenerated.
Sir Alex had already passed me by. But as if he had expected this, he paused and swung his sword as if making a turn.
A thrust that tore through the peak.
I tilted my sword to deflect the strike. The weight of the great sword was so heavy that my body inevitably tilted slightly.
That was the gap Sir Alex had been aiming for.
He stepped off the ground and rushed toward me, closing the distance. It seemed he understood that I couldn’t release my grip from the sword handle to deflect the weight of his great sword.
In other words, it meant I couldn’t counter him with my axe.
And then, a charge entered through that gap.
I gritted my teeth, returning the sword and rotating my body. With the principles of refraction, Sir Alex’s body brushed past me again.
I, too, didn’t remain idle as I turned my body.
Applying rotational power, I executed a horizontal slash that cut through space.
Clang! Sir Alex’s great sword blocked mine. It was an awkward stance that barely defended my back, but the blade was close to my body’s center.
I quickly retracted my sword, and naturally, his great sword followed right behind.
I retreated a couple of steps to evade.
The front edge was ripped apart by the sword wind.
It was a material that couldn’t be found in the elven village, and while I felt a fleeting sense of regret, there was no time to dwell on it.
My body bent and was struck.
Just as my sword was about to penetrate into my apparel, Sir Alex shouted.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
With all his strength, he delivered a downward stroke in a straight line.
Boom! A heavy shockwave swept around. My sword was naturally deflected downward to the left.
Sir Alex raised his great sword high again.
A red aura flickered around the gauntlet. If this continued, it would be a repeat of what just happened.
Either my sword would be deflected, or even if I parried his strike, it would be fated to be caught by the gauntlet.
A fierce aura glimmered in Sir Alex’s eyes.
His lips twitched.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
It was a kind of victory declaration.
At least, as far as he knew, I had no means to break through this situation.
So he was burning the crimson aura for the last time.
To ensure my life was ended without a doubt.
The blazing aura resembled flames. There was no way to withstand the impact of that increasingly condensed strike.
Yes, it was impossible to block.
Then what was left for me?
The answer lay in the position of my sword point.
The tip of my sword that had fallen to the lower left began to float and swim through time.
The sword, having escaped the fleeting exchanges, was carving wounds into the void.
Was this a tooth, or a claw?
There was no way Sir Alex didn’t know this technique.
Just before time, which had stopped, was released, Sir Alex’s eyes widened.
A gaze filled with disbelief.
But it was already too late.
Exploding forth, five silver claws erupted.
Vision Technique, Golden Lionsword.
It was a technique said to be passed down only to the direct descendants of the Yuridina Clan. Could the old knight, who had served the Yuridina for so long, even dare to imagine it?
The price for sharing the clan’s vision with an outsider was horrific.
One line altered the angle of the great sword.
Another pushed it upwards.
The remaining three pierced through the thick metal, delivering a piercing pain.
With a surge, blood gushed from Sir Alex’s mouth. Up until then, he had been looking at me with blank, startled eyes.
Of course, I didn’t concern myself with that.
Moments later, my hand shot forth with the axe.
Thud! The defenseless strike allowed Sir Alex’s body to lift off the ground. I rushed forward and dove onto him.
I snatched the axe, which had been floating in the air.
The next moment passed in an instant.
Thud! Sir Alex’s body crashed to the ground, and he twitched once.
Taking advantage of that moment, my axe struck Sir Alex’s forearm.
There was no need to penetrate through the metal’s seams anyway.
I simply had to use the back of the axe like a hammer.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With the noise of sparks flying, the metal armor began to crumple a little. It wasn’t a fatal blow, but sufficient to subdue him.
“Ugh, argh, aagh!”
The old knight let out a pitiful scream as his arm’s bone twisted.
But that, too, was only for a moment.
Having completed the subjugation, I switched to the sword instead of the axe.
To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, I aimed to put as much distance as possible between myself and Sir Alex.
The flow of my sword’s energy chilled the air. At the tip of that light, a drop of blood began to accumulate.
It was aimed at the old knight’s throat.
I tried to hide my panting breath as I spoke.
“…Please surrender, Sir Alex.”
“Ugh, heh… Ha ha ha ha!”
It was laughter that erupted as though he might lose his breath.
The old knight twisted his body almost in agony as he laughed. My own body, perched atop him, shook involuntarily.
My brow furrowed even further.
Should I just kill him?
But there were still words I needed to hear from him. I lowered my voice to warn him.
“I said to surrender now. Then your life will be guaranteed…”
“The Golden Lionsword… Is this possible? To see someone not of the Yuridina bloodline wield it in my lifetime…”
His words were like a lament.
Sir Alex, exhausted from laughter, exhaled roughly. I could feel the pain he was experiencing from the twisted expression on his face.
“Was your deep relationship with Delphine meant in that way? Heh… In my childhood, I vowed that I must see Lady Delphine’s wedding.”
“That’s why I said to surrender!”
I could no longer hold back and shouted.
But regardless, the old knight merely maintained a faint smile.
“Why did you secretly attack the elves from Lady Delphine? And what do you mean by saying Lady Delphine is no longer Yuridina? Why provoke the elves who are living peacefully…!”
“Young master.”
His voice had calmed.
The old knight, with a compassionate look, quietly gazed up at me.
His face was one that seemed to have transcended life and death already.
A sudden surge of unease washed over me.
It felt like that face would remain in my memory for a long time.
“I am already a dead man… My parents were hunters in the forest. One day, they met an elf and were killed before they knew it.”
“Do you want pity for your painful past?”
“And my son, who wished to become a knight like his father, died. Just like that, on the battlefield against the elves… He was a child who was nothing but a last gift from my ailing wife.”
The grip of my sword tightening against his throat intensified.
I bit my lip and spoke.
“Look at the tragedy you have caused… The elves have fallen into social chaos, and more soldiers are dying on the front lines. Are you satisfied now?!”
“I have always felt relieved…”
Coughing, Sir Alex trembled, shaking his shoulders.
It seemed he wanted to raise his hand, but with his bones broken, it wasn’t easy.
“No, to be precise, it felt like I had a hole in my heart. And that felt comforting. Living without thinking of anything, solely for Yuridina.”
“Hah, so you… about Lady Delphine…”
“You do not understand the weight carried by Yuridina.”
With a deep breath, I paused my hand.
A perplexed glance turned toward the old knight. Responding to that question, he wore a bitter smile.
“There are times in this world when circumstances cannot be avoided… Even the Empire’s five noble families cannot go against them.”
“…What on earth do you mean?”
With a sigh, Sir Alex chuckled softly and closed his eyes.
And right after, as he opened his eyes, he spoke one word.
“That’s why, young master, you don’t know anything.”
Just as I was about to ask him something.
With a jolt, Sir Alex’s shoulder twitched. And riding that wave came the sound of his metal armor being struck like a whip.
There was a faint red aura surrounding it.
If hit, it would be a fatal blow.
I immediately ducked and positioned my sword sideways. A loud clash resonated as my body tilted sideways.
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Sir Alex roughly shoved me away.
Thud, thud.
The metal armor crumpled, emitting a strange noise. The sight of the armor falling off reminded me of something I had seen before.
