Ch. 91 The Witch and the Black Knight (2)
by Afuhfuihgs
Witch – Chapter 91 – The Witch and the Black Knight (2)
“I want to get stronger.”
The outskirts of the demon realm.
The Black Knight hadn’t always been the Black Knight.
An insignificant orphan. A life spent wandering back alleys just to scrape together a meal.
He must have had a name once, but… now, it was as unimportant as dust scattered by the wind.
In a childhood that might have been worse than slavery, he learned one thing: Only the strong survive. No matter how much food he found, it was always stolen by someone stronger.
Driven by instinct, the Black Knight pursued power. Nothing else mattered. He stole techniques from swordsmen, learned to control demonic energy, and set out with a single dull blade in search of the strong.
Defeating the weak was meaningless.
‘I want to get stronger.’
He lost more often than he won, but he never died. Instead, he absorbed every defeat, letting bitterness fester in his heart.
A gaze filled with venom.
Perhaps it was that look that made the strong spare him. “This one has potential”, they might have thought.
“How do I get stronger?”
“Kid, without armor, you can’t protect yourself.”
“Give me your armor.”
He was beaten half to death, but—
The Black Knight had no money to buy armor, so he took it from the strong, piecing together scraps until he had a full set.
“Why did I lose? I want to get stronger.”
“You expect to win anyone over with a sword like that?”
“Give me your sword.”
He was beaten half to death again.
This time, he ventured into the demon realm’s incinerator—a hellish pit of flames where no one dared go—and claimed a demonic sword.
The days he lost grew fewer. The days he won increased.
The more he fought the strong, the stronger he became. The stronger he became, the more he sought out the strong.
Before he knew it, his name had spread across the demon realm.
Except for one.
The Demon King.
As if defeat was inevitable, the Black Knight knelt before him.
The difference in strength wasn’t just a gap—it was an abyss. The Demon King’s power was something else entirely. Unlike the Black Knight, who sought strength just to fight, the Demon King had a purpose.
“Why did I lose? How do I get stronger? I want to get stronger.”
“Black Knight. I have a destiny to fulfill. A fate to overturn. Of course I would be stronger than you, who seeks nothing but power.”
Desire, rage, jealousy—
The Demon King had cited many reasons for his victory, but destiny and purpose were new. The Black Knight, shameless as ever, pressed further.
“What’s a ‘purpose’? What’s ‘fate’? Teach me.”
“Those aren’t things that can be taught. And a fool like you wouldn’t understand anyway. If you’re so curious, why not follow me and see for yourself?”
Without resentment, the Black Knight accepted his loss. Even after being named one of the Four Heavenly Kings, he still didn’t understand the Demon King’s will.
He only knew that fate and purpose were realms he couldn’t reach. So he simply kept growing stronger, moving as the Demon King commanded.
No one in the demon realm could challenge him now—not even the other Heavenly Kings.
‘I want to get even stronger.’
He didn’t know why.
Maybe he had known once and forgotten. Now, thirst for power was his only drive.
And then, the day came.
“The Four Heavenly Kings shall descend to the human realm first and prepare for my arrival. Avoid direct confrontation and gather strength. The demonic energy will soon spread. It won’t be difficult.”
Gathered before the Demon King’s throne, the Four Heavenly Kings listened.
Descent. Preparations. None of it mattered to the Black Knight.
The human realm intrigued him far more than the demon realm, where no one but the Demon King could challenge him.
“You heard the Demon King, right? No unnecessary fighting. Spread the magic stones and saturate the world with demonic energy. The human realm is different from ours. You need to adapt first.”
The Succubus Queen’s warning fell on deaf ears.
“I’ll handle it my way.”
The Black Knight ignored her and stepped onto the magic circle prepared for their descent.
He just wanted to get stronger.
Strong enough to defeat the Demon King.
If the human realm had countless strong opponents, then he would fight them all. The grand reason for invading didn’t matter—that was for the other Heavenly Kings to worry about.
The Demon King surely knew. And so, the Black Knight moved as he pleased.
As he fell toward the human world amidst a shower of green meteors, he sensed it—a surge of mana, aimed directly at him.
A strong one had noticed him.
A challenge.
“Don’t cause trouble right off the bat! Didn’t you hear the Demon King?! We have to land in our designated spots and prepare! Can’t you wait a little?!”
Ignoring the Succubus Queen’s protests, the Black Knight veered off course, breaking formation to charge straight toward the source of that mana.
The strong one noticed immediately and fired a mana blast in response. The energy felt familiar, like demonic power, but its intensity was anything but friendly.
“Good. Good. Good. I’ve been waiting for this.”
Instead of dodging, the Black Knight crashed through the attack, closing the distance in an instant. His demonic sword, wreathed in darkness, swung down—
But the strong one didn’t even flinch.
Instead, she looked at him like he was a nuisance.
“You’re too early. Go back to sleep for a hundred years. Or at least stay in your corner quietly.”
She spoke as if she knew him, her tone almost friendly. But the way she treated him like a weakling only excited him more.
Then, she raised her weapon.
A broomstick.
The kind even slaves in the demon realm would scoff at.
The only difference was that hers wasn’t worn off or dirty.
Was she mocking him? Or was this just her way of showing off?
The demon realm had its share of fighters with strange weapons, but none had ever been a match for him.
I’ll find out soon enough.
Overthinking wasn’t his style.
If the broom couldn’t block his sword, that was that. But if it could?
Now that would be exciting.
Crimson energy erupted from the broom, forming three horn-like projections that parried his blade with ease.
“Not so ordinary after all.”
It was more like a spear—or a massive sword. The sinister energy gnawed at his demonic blade, a sensation he hadn’t felt since fighting the Demon King. Excitement burned in his chest.
Strong. The power rivaled demonic energy. The unyielding defense.
After five exchanges, their weapons clashed again.
I can get stronger.
Behind his helmet, the Black Knight smiled.
“Strong one. I’m enjoying this.”
“I’d be enjoying it too if you’d shown up a little later. But I’m in a hurry. I’ve got three more of you to deal with.”
Three more—she meant the other Heavenly Kings. She had been aiming for their landing spots, as if she had known they were coming.
Maybe she was the “worthy opponent” the Demon King had mentioned.
They pushed each other back, creating distance. The Black Knight readied himself again, his armor darkening until it was pure shadow.
The red glow in his visor flared as he charged—faster than before.
A simple thrust, straight and true.
The strong one sidestepped effortlessly, swinging her broom in retaliation—but the follow-up shockwave from his sword disrupted her stance.
“Tch—!”
The Black Knight didn’t miss his chance. Pivoting on one foot, he used centrifugal force to accelerate into a brutal slash.
The attack missed her—but carved through the mountain behind her with terrifying force.
Useless if it doesn’t hit.
Without hesitation, the Black Knight raised his sword to guard his back. Enemies who vanished usually attacked from behind.
His instincts were right.
CRAAACK!!!
A scream-like impact shook the air.
His guard was sloppy. His wrist buckled under the force, bones grinding unnaturally.
He detonated his demonic energy, deflecting the attack.
Even in the chaotic aftermath, the strong one landed gracefully, watching him.
“Impressive. Speed. Strength. Instincts. But not enough. Not yet, strong one…!”
“Phase 3 already? Too fast. But fine.”
He couldn’t hold back anymore. The urge to go all-out consumed him.
Ignoring her cryptic words, the Black Knight unleashed his power again.
A technique he had perfected after his fight with the Demon King—merging with his sword, becoming a blade himself.
He had planned to use it in their rematch.
Instead, it was her who forced his hand.
Breaking the sound barrier, he tore through the terrain, his fingers elongating into sword edges as he reached for her—
“But you know that drops your magic resistance to zero, right? You’re aware of that?”
In the split second before impact, she grinned.
His hand stopped just before her face, frozen mid-air.
Magic circles—dozens of them—covered his body, locking him in place.
“Slow curse. Energy suppression curse. Petrification curse. And a few more. Sorry about this. I’m not a warrior—I’m a witch.”
He didn’t know what a witch was, but he was impressed. In that brief moment, she had found his weakness and exploited it perfectly.
He wanted to praise her, but his petrified lips wouldn’t move.
Thorns erupted from the magic circles, piercing his body—avoiding fatal spots, as if to mock him.
Then, another magic circle formed in her palm, aimed at him.
“I won’t kill you. Just sleep for a while—until Josie leaves this world.”
The ground beneath him softened, pulling him down.
No. This can’t be how it ends.
He struggled, but the earth swallowed him regardless.
“How am I supposed to find the other Heavenly Kings now? Maybe I should check the southern regions first… Or follow Josie? No, if she catches me, she’ll scold me. But if I say I was protecting her from the shadows… she would surely forgive me, right?”
By the time only his face remained above ground, the witch had already turned away, disinterested.
I can’t let her leave.
I can’t sleep like this.
He needed to ask. About his weakness. About her strength.
Get stronger. Defeat her. Defeat the Demon King.
With that single thought, his body began to move.
“Not… yet.”
Clawing his way out, he grabbed her ankle.
“How did you break free? The curses are still active… Did your magic resistance go up that fast?”
“I have… a question.”
The curses still weighed on him. He didn’t have the luxury of answering hers.
“Why did I lose?”
“You asked Kyle the same thing, didn’t you? After he crushed you in your final battle. I’m like him. You lack pure love. That’s why you lost.”
Pure love.
A term he had never heard before.
Like the “fate” and “purpose” the Demon King spoke of.
I can get stronger.
Even in defeat, the Black Knight smiled.
“That’s enough. Back into the ground you go. If you ever experience pure love, I’ll be happy to watch.”
Her power pressed down on him again—far stronger than before. His grip on her ankle nearly slipped, but he held on.
“Incredible. You got stronger just now…? I told you, I’m in a hurry. Three more to go.”
“I’ll tell you… where the others are.”
“Huh?”
If it meant getting stronger, the other Heavenly Kings could rot. Wouldn’t the Demon King’s forces grow stronger if he did? Besides, the strong one could have killed him but didn’t.
His mind raced.
“Wait, were you always this kind of character?”
More importantly, the Black Knight had never listened to the weak.
Right now, only one thing mattered.
Getting stronger.
So—
“Teach me… pure love!”
For the first time in years, the Black Knight shamelessly begged.
He would learn pure love, defeat the strong one, then—
Defeat the Demon King.
A perfect plan.
Lucent
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