Ch.149The Silent Knight, Krinbel (4)

Krinbel thrust his spear.

A simple sentence, but considering the weight carried by the name Krinbel, this sentence was anything but light. Krinbel was a warrior who had ascended to transcendence with a single spear. The sentence “Krinbel thrust his spear” carried as much weight as saying “The Sword Master swung his sword.”

When he stomped his foot, a storm raged; when he extended his arm forward, the storm wrapped around the spear shaft; and in the moment that spear pierced straight through the air—

A storm raged from the spear tip.

Charging Horn.

Krinbel’s most powerful strike. Even though his blade no longer carried mental imagery, even though he was no longer a transcendent, this technique never lost its brilliance. He simply couldn’t use it because no weapon could withstand it.

But this moment was different.

In his hands was the Cross Star Spear.

This spear, forged by the Empire’s master craftsmen and imbued with Krinbel’s achievements, was like his symbol. In its master’s hands, the spear fully withstood Krinbel’s technique. The cross-star-shaped spearhead gleamed for its master.

The completed technique defies understanding. Just as transcendents typically defy others’ understanding, so too does Krinbel’s technique. The lightning-fast thrust, delivered by splitting a second into fragments, was but a moment, yet it exceeded the Helm Knight’s reaction speed.

Kagagagagagagagak!

The storm approached, tearing up the ground and literally grinding anything in its path.

The Helm Knight reacted too late. He grabbed a nearby spear shaft and swung it toward the storm, but the shaft shattered, and the Helm Knight was thrown sideways by the storm.

As if to say, get out of my way.

The storm wasn’t targeting the Helm Knight from the beginning. It was aiming for Najin standing behind him. Even if the Helm Knight had reduced its power somewhat, Charging Horn unleashed by Krinbel possessed power comparable to a transcendent’s strike. It wasn’t a technique the current Najin could withstand.

Click.

But Najin’s eyes and reaction speed were comparable to a transcendent’s.

Moreover, Charging Horn was a technique he had seen many times through the Helm Knight. While blocking or avoiding it was impossible, receiving it might be barely possible…

‘Ah.’

But the moment his sword energy collided with the storm, Najin realized how arrogant that thought had been. It was a delusion. There was no way he could withstand it.

Woong.

Najin’s feet lifted off the ground. The moment the storm touched his sword energy, it unraveled like a thread. The fingers gripping his sword broke. The arm supporting the sword’s surface to receive the technique twisted with a “crack.”

Drdrdrdrdrdrdrdrd!

Everything was being ground away—his sword energy, his body, everything in the storm’s path. Thrown backward by the storm, Najin saw it. Where the storm had passed, only finely ground dust floated in the air. And if he couldn’t withstand it, he would end up exactly like that.

Click. Najin gritted his teeth and didn’t let go of his sword. His heart pounded violently as he continuously infused sword energy into his blade. If this sword energy completely dispersed, his sword would break and his body would be pierced through.

‘Hold on, hold on, hold on…’

In what seemed like an endless tug-of-war, Najin’s sword energy emerged victorious. As the storm dispersed, it gave Najin one final push. With a crash, Najin was slammed into a rock.

Thud-thud-thud.

The collapsed pile of stones pounded Najin’s head. His arm was broken, and blood flowed from his eyes and nose. When he coughed out his blocked breath, black blood spewed out.

It seems my insides are a mess.

Even breathing was a struggle. With just one strike, Najin’s body had become a rag. As he blinked his blurry vision, blue hair swayed before him. It was Merlin, Najin’s guide.

Click.

She was nibbling on her thumb. Merlin’s eyes shook severely, and she repeatedly raised and lowered her hand toward the sky. She seemed to be contemplating something. Najin smiled bitterly at the sight.

‘Merlin.’

-Ah.

Najin’s and Merlin’s eyes met. Only then did Merlin’s shaking eyes settle.

‘I’m not dead yet. I’m fine.’

-You, you really…

‘What are you going to do if you’re like this already?’

-I’m really going crazy, okay? I’m really going crazy.

Merlin groaned. She barely composed herself, running her palm over her face. Her voice was trembling severely. Although she respected Najin’s choices and refrained from interfering, worrying was a separate matter.

Unlike with Arthur, when they had faced death together, now she could only watch as Najin teetered on the edge between life and death.

‘But now I think I understand.’

-What?

‘I said I think I understand. How I should proceed.’

Najin closed his eyes briefly and recalled the scene he had just witnessed. In Najin’s mind, each of Krinbel’s movements was being disassembled and reassembled.

The Charging Horn demonstrated by the Helm Knight.

And the Charging Horn unleashed by Krinbel.

Najin suddenly realized the difference between the two. He organized in his mind the principles and movements of Charging Horn he had learned from the Helm Knight, and how Krinbel had modified and used them.

No matter how much it was a transcendent’s technique… if he repeatedly observed the same technique, especially now that he had directly imitated it with his body, he felt he could understand it. Najin opened his closed eyes. A smile hung on his lips.

Because now he finally understood.

2.

After receiving Krinbel’s spear, the Helm Knight distanced himself from Krinbel and began running. Damn, he should have reacted faster. He ran toward where Najin was. It was definitely that rock.

Cough, hack…

There was Najin, vomiting blood. As expected, Najin was in tatters. A situation where he could no longer continue fighting. The Helm Knight groaned and reached out toward Najin. He intended to take Najin and flee.

However, Najin did not grasp that hand.

“Step aside.”

That’s all he said.

Cough, spit.

While spitting blood, Najin slowly rose to his feet. Each time he moved, creaking, cracking… horrifying sounds could be heard. But as if not caring at all, Najin stomped his foot to align his bones. He aligned his shoulder and began aligning his fingers.

No, could this even be called aligning bones? It was closer to assembly. Relying on his formidable regenerative ability, Najin was assembling his body.

“Move. Don’t block my view.”

“What?”

“I can’t see my opponent.”

With blood rushing to his head, Najin gestured to the Helm Knight, discarding all courtesy. It was a gesture telling him to get out of the way.

“You, are you going to fight again in that condition?”

“What’s stopping me? The other side fights without a head.”

“It’s reckless.”

“Recklessness and achievement are always separated by a fine line.”

“You now…”

The Helm Knight was about to say more but closed his mouth when Najin lowered his sword. Najin didn’t seem to notice, but his sword energy had taken a different form than before.

“Now I think I understand.”

Najin brushed back his hair.

“So, step aside.”

Platinum-colored eyes stared directly at the Helm Knight. Those eyes, which seemed to draw one in, still burned with fire. Najin spoke with his gaze.

Don’t interfere.

The duel was not yet over, and he had a duty to respond to the best his opponent had shown.

“Huh.”

The Helm Knight let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re insane.”

“Did you just realize that?”

With a raised corner of his mouth, Najin walked past the Helm Knight and moved forward. The Helm Knight couldn’t stop his steps. He was pushed back by the aura emitted by this youngster who hadn’t even experienced transcendence yet. The Helm Knight had to acknowledge this fact.

Tap.

Standing firmly on both feet, Najin glared at Krinbel. Krinbel was still looking at Najin as well. His spear tip was pointed at Najin, not the Helm Knight, and Krinbel also seemed eager to settle this duel.

Yes. That’s how it should be.

Whether you’re an undead, a fallen star, or a fallen star, that’s not my concern. At least while you clash swords with me, you are a knight. Even if you don’t want to be, I’ll make you one.

Najin took a deep breath.

Then, he shouted.

“Krinbel—!”

Calling out to his opponent, Najin raised his sword.

The raised sword tip aimed at Krinbel’s heart.

“Come.”

Najin smiled.

With a twisted corner of his mouth and bloodshot eyes focused solely on Krinbel, the boy declared. Come. With your strongest strike.

“This time, I’ll shatter it head-on.”

Whether Krinbel understood Najin’s declaration is unknown. He probably didn’t understand. But the meaning in Najin’s movements and the heat in his voice reached Krinbel. Krinbel slowly took his stance.

Perfect posture. Intense spirit. Overwhelming pressure.

Even in the face of such overwhelming presence, Najin never bends himself. Rather, he took his stance with his head held high. Challenging a stronger opponent head-on is an arrogant and reckless choice.

But, recklessness and achievement are separated by a fine line.

Only those who challenge without yielding, even at the crossroads of life and death, ascend to transcendence. Najin challenged the enemy before him without ever backing down.

Najin’s first star, the Star of Challenge, shone.

Challenge means facing an opponent head-on.

For its master who was about to write a new achievement, the star willingly scattered its light. The star dwelled in Najin’s sword energy.

3.

Charging Horn.

The representative technique of the Golden Horn Knights.

This technique originated from their ancestors who sailed the seas in ancient times. Their ancestors crossed the vast oceans with the wind as their companion. Their ship’s bow always had a sharp horn attached, which was also the origin of the Golden Horn.

Advance. Advance. Advance.

Crossing the sea, piercing through glaciers, breaking through obstacles with the horn—they would advance forward.

The golden horn attached to the ship’s bow was the first spear they held, their weapon, and the means to pierce through obstacles ahead. They named this seemingly crude attack of ramming with the ship’s bow “Charging Horn.”

That is the origin of the Golden Horn.

And the starting point of the Charging Horn technique.

As countless years passed, the story and the origin of the Golden Horn were forgotten, and even the Golden Horn Knights who inherited their will were erased from history…

Boom.

But here stands a witness to history.

His name is Krinbel. His title is the Knight of Silence, his star is named the Bull Horned Star, and his affiliation is the Golden Horn Knights.

Krinbel grasped the Cross Star Spear.

Since childhood, he had admired the Golden Horn Knights. He was captivated by their battle cries as they charged under the Empire’s flag, and his heart was stolen by the Cross Star Spear held by their captain.

Krinbel trained himself, became a knight, and joined the Golden Horn Knights. After achieving numerous feats and gaining recognition from the captain, he became his adjutant. The captain willingly bestowed upon Krinbel the Cross Star Spear, which originally only the captain could wield.

The captain made excuses, saying he was better with a sword than a spear, but Krinbel understood the meaning behind the gesture.

You are the next captain, Krinbel.

That’s what he was saying.

It was truly a glorious time. Krinbel blew the horn and marched forward. He followed his captain endlessly forward. Endlessly, endlessly…

But an end always comes.

“Why must death be noble?”

The woman smiled.

“Life is a comedy, from birth to death, all just a clown’s act. And I, myself, this person, me, I cannot understand why death must be noble and static.”

The woman laughed wildly.

“Why don’t you laugh? Why don’t you dance?”

The woman gestured.

“Laugh. Let’s sing. Let’s dance. Let’s float. Play instruments. Loudly! Life is comedy, even death is nothing but a joke, so in this hell, bliss is the only value!”

The clowns danced. Laughter, singing, ridiculous gestures, sounds of instruments…

Thwack.

Krinbel’s head fell off. But even with his head severed, he did not stop. He had no intention of playing along with such clownery. Attaching his fallen head to the cut surface, he charged forward.

The Golden Horn Knights do not stop. March forward. Advance. Pierce through the enemy. We never break.

His head fell off again and again. His head was crushed, his body burned, and even as his flesh turned to dust, he marched on. Breaking the threads trying to drape over his body, he roared. To shake off the clowns’ laughter and instrument sounds, the Bull Horned Star blew the horn.

Blow the horn. Advance. Pierce through the enemy…

He forgot what meaning it held. Forgetting himself, he became an undead. The six stars that once shone brightly fell and turned black.

But still, he cries out.

‘Blow the horn. Advance. Pierce through the enemy.’

The Bull Horned Star blew the horn.

The Knight of Silence stomped the ground.

Krinbel extended his spear.

Charging Horn.

In the moment of thrusting his spear, he was a knight. Because the one his spear tip was aimed at desired it, Krinbel could be a knight. For the meaning of a duel is determined by the opponent one clashes with.

Najin charges head-on into the approaching storm.

His eyes read the storm’s trajectory. His two legs kick the ground and charge forward. His raised sword flashes white, making Krinbel’s spear shine.

Let us compete.

Whether my sword will cut through your storm, or your storm will pierce through me.