Chapter 92

Ｒead &o;​n K&a;t̂R‍ｅ​ad̈&i;ngC̈af̀​&e;

The Black Knight remained silent.

A knight filled with pride.

At the same time, this arrogant and narrow-minded Death Knight turned its glowing red gaze toward the intruding nuisances who had disrupted its honorable duel.

The crimson glow in its eyes flickered faintly. Though its face was obscured by a helmet, the aura it exuded gave the impression of a scowl. The flickering light snapped out abruptly. 

In the next instant, the Black Knight’s figure blurred, leaving behind an afterimage. With a burst of power that shattered the ground, it shot forward like a jet-black streak.

“…!”

A surprise charge by a high rank monster.

And not just any high rank monster—this was a named one.

For me, reacting in time was impossible. Before I could blink, the Black Knight’s longsword was already swinging towards my neck.

“Your opponent is me!”

“Hey, watch it, you damned black tin can!”

But the other two were different.

Unlike my delayed reaction, Eugene and Alice (Frey) moved instantly.

Eugene intercepted the attack by stepping in front of me, his sword clashing against the monster’s blade, while Alice (Frey), a half-step slower, fired a heat ray aimed at the Black Knight’s helmet.

The battle, briefly halted, resumed in full force.

A fight between Academy students and a named monster. Normally, such a fight wouldn’t even be feasible, but protagonists have a way of defying all logic.

Without hesitation, Eugene met the Black Knight’s attacks head-on, using every ounce of his strength. The air grew scorching hot as intense heat waves radiated outward, raising the temperature around them.

Just recently, he’d struggled against a single high rank monster. Now, he’d grown enough to face another one?

Maybe it wasn’t so strange. At first, I was baffled by his rapid growth, but in the novel, Eugene’s growth rate was always extraordinary.

In less than a year, he’d gone from an above-average Academy student to a captain-level supernatural.

Alice’s growth was no less impressive. While her reactions were a fraction slower than Eugene’s, she was clearly keeping up with the Black Knight’s movements.

Meanwhile, I had to focus all my attention just to catch the afterimages of the fight. Still, the fact that I could follow those afterimages at all meant I, too, was improving in my own way.

Of course, it’d be unfair if I wasn’t growing. After all the relentless training (and self-inflicted wounds) I’d endured as Lucia, I had to see some results.

Just as the human body strengthens with use, supernatural abilities grow with practice.

Eugene grows stronger with every flame he wields. Alice’s power surges with every laser she fires.

And Lucia? She grows stronger the more wounds she sustains.

This makes regenerative abilities some of the most difficult to train.

To develop, you need to use your ability, which requires getting injured.

Unless you’re some masochistic lunatic, who willingly seeks pain? Most people wouldn’t enjoy that.

Sure, you can grit your teeth and bear it, but there are clear limits.

As an ability grows, its output increases as well. To push the limits, you have to exert your power to its maximum, which for a regenerative ability, means getting hurt. A lot.

And deliberately injuring yourself to such an extent? It’s neither practical nor safe.

In that sense… well, Lucia’s compatibility with super regeneration is absurdly high. Too high, really. While it might not be obvious since I’ve been facing monsters far stronger than me, Lucia has been steadily improving.

Yes, I, Lucia, grow stronger with each passing moment.

Of course, I’m still far from being able to handle a named monster—or even a single high rank one. Right now, I’m unlikely to contribute much to this battle. At best, I’d make for a decent meat shield.

Still, I can’t just leave the fight entirely to those two. For now, things are evenly matched, but that’s only because the Black Knight is holding back.

The Black Knight only takes interest in strong opponents.

It has no qualms about killing weaklings who interfere in its duels and then ignoring them entirely. That indifference even extends to its allies—anyone deemed a hindrance is mercilessly struck down.

The Lizardmen earlier? They were probably killed for getting in its way.

The reason it targeted me first was likely because it deemed me too weak to be worth fighting.

In contrast, Eugene and Alice have earned its recognition as worthy opponents.

For now, the Black Knight is merely probing their abilities, testing their limits.

Once it has gauged their strength, the real fight will begin in earnest.

In other words, it’s enjoying itself.

Relishing this battle. This duel.

If it were serious, it would have already shed its armor and gone all out.

…If things continue like this, our chances of winning are slim.

Named monsters are on par with vice captains. Defeating one head-on is almost impossible.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no way to win.

Lucia is weak.

Compared to Eugene or Alice, anyway.

Because of that, the Black Knight is ignoring me.

If I were actively fighting, it would’ve eliminated me first, seeing me as an unworthy nuisance.

But since I’m standing back, simply observing, its attention remains solely on Eugene and Alice.

It’s only natural. A weakling watching from the sidelines doesn’t draw attention compared to the strong opponents before it.

That’s the key. Against a weakling, its guard will be down.

I’ll only get one chance. Just one.

But that’s all I need. Lucia doesn’t hold back when it matters.

I’ll create an opening.

Heh, does the Black Knight really think a mere curse that makes healing difficult is enough to intimidate me?

If so, it’s underestimating Lucia far too much.

◈

Eugene’s blade clashed against the Black Knight’s longsword, the impact sending tremors through his body.

The force rippled from his arms, shaking his entire frame.

The longsword danced with deadly precision, its sweeping slashes slicing through the air and threatening to annihilate everything in its path.

Screeeeech!

The deafening sound of metal scraping against metal echoed as Eugene deflected the strike, redirecting it away.

A crimson beam of light flared to life—Alice’s laser, striking the Black Knight from the side.

Though she carefully adjusted her aim to avoid hitting Eugene, some of the heat inevitably reached him.

Eugene, however, simply endured it. His resistance to heat allowed him to withstand indirect exposure without issue.

Thanks to Alice’s support, Eugene was no longer on the defensive. The Black Knight, which had previously shrugged off lesser attacks with its armor, now had to actively evade or block Alice’s lasers.

The Black Knight remained silent, standing unwavering amidst the intensifying fight.

Despite their collective effort, the tide of battle hadn’t shifted significantly.

‘The attacks feel straightforward yet erratic. The trajectory bends unpredictably, making it hard to counter.’

The strikes alternated unpredictably—an overhead slash suddenly curving mid-air, or a diagonal swing snapping into a horizontal slash with a sharp flick of the wrist. The bizarrely erratic movements made reacting to the blows a formidable challenge.

‘But it’s not entirely unmanageable.’

Eugene had held his ground. He had withstood the relentless onslaught of this named high rank monster. Its strength was fearsome, almost overwhelming, but not entirely insurmountable. Although they were locked in a grueling stalemate, Eugene pressed forward, unrelenting. He endured shallow wounds, disregarded them, and poured all his focus into maintaining a relentless offensive against the Black Knight.

‘…He’s strong. Really strong.’

These thoughts crossed Frey’s mind. The sentiment wasn’t solely directed at the Black Knight—it applied to Eugene as well.

Frey recalled witnessing Eugene face off against the lizard-like high rank monster in the past. She had suspected his potential then, but seeing him fight at such close quarters solidified her understanding.

Unyielding strikes lashed out like an unending storm. Flames wreathed Eugene’s sword, each thrust aiming for the heart of his armored foe. With impeccable timing, Eugene parried the Black Knight’s counters, refusing to back down an inch.

It was awe-inspiring. Frey knew she could never emulate Eugene’s precise technique, but for now, she was glad. Thanks to his incredible efforts in pinning down the Black Knight, Frey’s heat rays could consistently find their mark.

“…”

The pitch-black armor glowed red-hot under Frey’s intensified beams. With its longsword fully occupied by Eugene’s unrelenting strikes, the Black Knight resorted to shielding itself with its left arm. The force of the beam forced the towering knight to skid backward, leaving a gouge in the ground.

Eugene seized the moment. His sword carved a seamless arc, fluid yet forceful, like a flexible blade imbued with raw power. While the Black Knight managed to deflect most of the blow with its longsword, its impaired movements caused by Frey’s heat rays left it vulnerable. Eugene’s blade grazed its helmet.

Clang!

The screech of metal grinding against metal echoed as the Black Knight’s head tilted ever so slightly.

“Yes! It landed!”

For the first time, Eugene’s attack had made contact. Though it was merely a graze, the fact that his blade had touched the Black Knight was monumental.

“Don’t stop now! Keep pressing!” Frey shouted, channeling even more power into her heat rays. The intense beams burned her eyes, but this wasn’t the time to worry about discomfort.

The Black Knight, despite its heavy armor, moved with unsettling agility. Most of Frey’s previous attacks had been dodged or deflected. This was the first time her rays had directly impacted it, restricting its movements. She knew this was their best chance to push forward.

“…Rzag…” (…Regretfully…)

The realization that she had underestimated the Black Knight’s resilience came almost too late.

A gust of wind howled—a sinister, deathly gale carrying the stench of despair.

The longsword, cloaked in a malevolent aura of death, unleashed a devastating fan-shaped shockwave.

Despite wielding the blade with one hand, the Black Knight’s strike felt as though it could sever the world itself.

Eugene, who had been closing in on the knight, was violently flung back. Though he managed to adjust his stance mid-air and intercept the shockwave with his sword, the sheer force sent him flying faster than he had charged.

Frey’s heat ray was sliced apart as though it were nothing more than air. The massive energy beam disintegrated, and the remnants of the slash careened towards her.

“…!”

Frey ducked at the last second, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. However, her silky, azure hair wasn’t as fortunate—several locks were mercilessly severed.

Anger flared within her. Frey cherished her hair deeply, and to have it cut—even in the midst of battle—stung her pride. She gritted her teeth in frustration, but deep down, she knew being alive was far more important. The chilling sensation running down her spine wouldn’t let her forget the close brush with death.

“Gung’el ar. Oduhs eithre jun sorv.” (You have fought valiantly, but that’s all you amount to.)

The Black Knight’s voice grated like metal scraping against metal.

“Dhalttah akvah.” (No more holding back, the real fight begins now.)

Its tone was calm, yet the words carried an ominous weight.

Neither Eugene nor Frey understood the words, as they weren’t spoken in any human language. Yet, the meaning was clear.

What was a desperate battle for them was nothing more than a preliminary test for the Black Knight.

And now, the real fight was about to begin.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
I have some bad news.

Up until now, I’ve had a lot of time to write, so I’ve been able to continue the series, but I think it’ll be difficult due to personal reasons in the future.

Actually, I said this at the beginning of the series too.

I surprisingly had time, so I was able to write leisurely.

However, it seems like it’ll be really difficult in the future.

Please understand if the series suddenly slows down.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Give the author some love on novelpia too! 

That aside… monster language is killing me! I really have no clue which iteration is better for it!! I’ll die before I can pick one, arghh!!! 

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