The Traitor’s End (2)

“…That’s impossible.”

Delphina murmured in a trembling voice.

“Lord Saturnus is a Holy Knight. There’s no way he could lose to an undead…”

“An undead, you say?”

Aslaksha snickered and painfully moved her tongue.

“To your eyes, does that look like a mere ‘undead’?”

“…Judging by your tone, you two don’t seem to get along.”

Scabbard quietly asked.

“For fellow members of the Four Heavenly Kings, that is.”

“Fellow members of the Four Heavenly Kings?”

Aslaksha giggled and shook her head.

“Don’t talk about what you don’t know. From ‘the beginning,’ that thing was the only one loyal to her.”

“From the beginning?”

Evangeline frowned and probed. Seeing her expression, Aslaksha was about to speak with a resigned laugh when—

“Enough idle talk.”

The black knight opened his mouth.

“Hand that woman over to me.”

“…”

The black knight demanded. No, commanded.

While extending the hand that had been gripping Lord Saturnus’s collar until just now.

“Aren’t you from the Demon King’s Army?”

Oscar struggled to speak through the pressure crushing his heart.

“I am.”

“Why should we comply with an enemy’s demand.”

-Kwaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!

A thunderous sound erupted.

The black knight had already raised his black sword to shoulder height.

“…”

Oscar silently turned his head slowly.

Right beside where he stood, a massive ravine had formed.

A single sword strike delivered without any preparatory stance, right from where he stood.

With just that one strike, the terrain had changed.

“Not a demand.”

Breaking through the forcibly created silence, the black knight said.

“An order.”

“Well look who’s talking, this goddamn son of a…!”

Evangeline struggled to spit out curses as she stood up.

“HEY!!!”

Evangeline shouted. The people around her, including Oscar who had been frozen in place, turned to her in surprise.

“Can’t you speak nicely, you rotten bastard?”

“…”

With her greatsword raised to shoulder height just like the black knight, Evangeline growled.

The black knight, who had been silently looking at her, quietly murmured.

“…You’re trembling.”

“…What?”

“Self-suggestion to overcome fear. Not a bad method…”

-Kwaaaang!!!!

The black knight’s words were not continued. Evangeline struck down her sword from where she stood, and as blue light chaotically reflected, a fierce cloud of dust rose in a straight line.

“Heu, this bastard, heu…”

Staring intently beyond the dust cloud, Evangeline breathed roughly.

The stiff expression on Delphina’s face regained some hope. She hastily concluded that Evangeline’s strike against the black knight had been effective.

On the other hand, Lord Scabbard did not smile.

What was not visible to Delphina, who still lacked practical experience and ability, was clearly visible to his one remaining eye.

Eventually, the dust settled. And only then could everyone present share the same view as Lord Scabbard.

Between Evangeline and the black knight, a ravine similar to the previous one had formed.

However, compared to the black knight’s, it was shallower in depth and slightly narrower in width.

Crucially, the trace of Evangeline’s sword strike was abruptly cut off midway, as if artificially blocked.

To be specific, right in front of the black knight.

“…Not bad.”

Lowering the sword he had held horizontally, the black knight murmured.

“I would have been injured if I hadn’t blocked it.”

Blue smoke rose over the black blade that had blocked Evangeline’s explosive sword energy.

At his attitude that seemed almost indifferent, Evangeline silently glared.

“Hey, Princess. It’s nice that you’ve reverted to your old temperament, but…”

At that moment, Aslaksha spoke with a giggle.

“You’d better be careful. You alone stand no chance against that thing.”

“Shut up.”

Evangeline growled lowly.

“Think I’m going to protect you because we’re on the same side? Keep your mouth shut and wait. You’re next after him.”

“We’re not on the same side.”

Aslaksha shook her head.

“He came to kill me.”

“What?”

Evangeline asked, lowering her head.

Aslaksha continued weakly.

“It’s laughable to call this advice… but I’m asking you. I don’t want to die.”

“…Didn’t you say this current vessel is merely at the level of an avatar?”

“That doesn’t work in front of that thing.”

Evangeline silently looked down at Aslaksha. Understanding that her silence was as good as permission, Aslaksha continued with a hollow laugh.

“You and Scabbard should attack together. The rest are just a nuisance. In front of that thing, whatever they do is no more than flies buzzing around.”

Evangeline spoke with her face completely contorted.

“Why should I willingly listen to you?”

“Then are you thinking of handing me over as that guy demands?”

“…You’ve always had a knack for running your mouth.”

Evangeline clicked her tongue while readjusting her grip on her greatsword.

“Lord Scabbard.”

“…”

Scabbard drew his sword instead of speaking. It was more than enough for an answer.

The two of them stomped the ground simultaneously.

-Kagagak!!!

Both of their swords collided with the black knight’s dark blade at the same time.

-Kuwoong…!

The ground where the black knight stood sank one layer, emitting low dust.

“Heavy yet fast. Considerable skill.”

The black knight murmured.

It was a kind of arrogance. Measuring and evaluating the opponent’s level of skill.

But the black knight had the qualifications to do so. Although they had only crossed swords once, Evangeline could instinctively feel his skill.

Evangeline quickly withdrew her sword. Residual mana flowed through her creaking combat prosthetic, and a bright blue blade instantly crackled and rose above the back of her hand.

In an instant, Evangeline got behind the black knight and, gritting her teeth, thrust in her wrist blade.

-Kadeuk!!

The blue blade roughly scraped against the armor.

The black knight didn’t move flamboyantly or counterattack violently. Instead, from his stance facing off against Scabbard, he twisted his body slightly, letting the blade thrust between his sides slide off and firmly grasping it.

“Damn it.”

Evangeline murmured quietly, forcibly dispersing the mana that formed the wrist blade.

-Kaang!!

Simultaneously, the black knight moved. Maintaining a low center of gravity, he swung his black sword to shake off Scabbard while directing the widely swung sword behind him.

-Jjeoeng!!

Evangeline, who was about to correct her stance and counterattack, urgently laid her sword horizontally. The black knight’s dark sword struck down on it.

Centered on the colliding swords, a circular shockwave spread, creating a rough wind.

Amazed at the absurd weight pressing down on her entire sword, Evangeline frowned hard. It was far too fast. She had thought she would have at least one more chance to get behind him.

“Over here, Sir Black Knight.”

Lord Scabbard said. In a low but clear voice.

The black knight couldn’t miss it. He twisted his sword that was pressed against Evangeline’s, lifting her sword upward and turning his body.

Taking advantage of the momentary disruption in her stance, he intended to counterattack Scabbard who was approaching from behind.

“…?”

But there was no one there.

For a brief moment, the black knight froze in confusion. He had clearly sensed not only the voice but also the presence. Yet there was no one in his field of vision. Where had he disappeared to?

“Deceiving presence is the most basic of basics.”

This time, the voice came from behind him again.

But the black knight didn’t turn his head. Instead, he raised his sword toward the space above his head.

-Kaang!!

Scabbard and the black knight crossed swords vertically.

“The so-called strongest knight of the continent, resorting to such petty tricks.”

“Better than having your head fly off while showing off your arrogance.”

Lord Scabbard retorted with a grin. The black knight stared into his eyes.

Something was approaching from behind.

The black knight took a step back while shaking off Scabbard who was suspended in the air.

However, this time Evangeline was one step faster than him.

-Seogok.

Evangeline’s greatsword struck the black knight’s neck.

The thick, sharp blade wrapped in sword energy cut through the armor covering the neck and knocked the black knight’s helmet to the ground.

A strike for which the term “fatal wound” would not even suffice. A normal human would die instantly upon having their head severed, and even if it were an undead that doesn’t die, it would be impossible to continue fighting after losing its head.

The black knight should have fallen to his knees and collapsed face-first onto the ground, powerless.

“…What the hell is this.”

That should have been the case.

Evangeline’s face instantly filled with shock.

The fallen black helmet was completely empty inside.

From inside the hole of the black knight’s armor where the neck had been cleanly cut off, smoldering black smoke was rising.

There was no human head inside.

“This is impossible.”

Evangeline murmured.

Having crossed swords with the opponent until just now, she knew.

That was not the level of strength and movement that a living armor or the like could possess.

At that moment, the black smoke that had been rising like a beacon suddenly coalesced.

The rounded smoke gradually took shape, beginning to transform into something resembling a human head.

A thin, long facial structure recognizable even from behind, with curly hair like seaweed that had grown long enough to cover the nape.

The black knight, Aubil, slowly turned his head.

From within deeply hollowed eye sockets, pitch-black eyes gleamed, silently staring at Evangeline.