Bitan and the Black Knights (2)
The space churned with swirling blue lightning. With Bitan fully drawn from its sheath, the first thing I did was activate Super Sensory.
“Bitan, awaken.”
Super Sensory
The first unique skill of the relic 'Bitan' has activated.
※ Maximum duration is 10 minutes. ※
Remaining time: 9 minutes 58 seconds
The hilt trembled violently in my grip as I spoke the trigger word, and Bitan answered with another ear-splitting shriek. Behind the deafening wail, the familiar mechanical chimes rang out.
My senses, dulled by exhaustion, snapped awake with savage clarity. The hazy world sharpened into crisp detail. The violent currents of the air brushed against my skin like living things. Even the faintest noises that had been inaudible moments ago now flooded my ears.
“Huu… haa…”
I exhaled deeply, overwhelmed by the surge of awakening energy pouring in from every sense. A rich blue aura danced across my body. Using Bitan at full power seemed to amplify Super Sensory far beyond its usual sharpness.
I spared the sword one last glance. It was radiating an explosive, almost feral presence. Then I steadied my mind and turned my eyes toward the enemy.
“......”
The black knights stood frozen like statues. The one who looked like their leader stared at me in silence before finally speaking in a low voice.
“A relic… and a rather high-ranking sword at that.”
Of course he recognized it right away. I clicked my tongue softly and frowned. With this much of a light show, it would have been weirder if he hadn’t.
“Haa…”
This was exactly why I avoided drawing it whenever possible. I sighed and scanned the surroundings. Thankfully, the deep forest seemed to have contained the relic’s unique aura. It probably wouldn’t be visible from a distance. That was a small mercy. If word got out, things would become unbearably complicated.
“The mood has changed. This will be interesting.”
“The hell are you babbling about, you rotting corpse?”
The undead glared at me with ghastly eyes, lips twisting into smirks. I answered their filthy stares by raising my middle finger, then opened the status window.
“Buy the special effects ‘Oblivion of Pain’ and ‘Body of Steel’… and three bottles of Intermediate Mana Potion.”
Purchase complete.
Total points spent: 1050P
Special Effect 'Oblivion of Pain' activated.
All physical pain received will be reduced by 99% for the next 30 minutes.
Special Effect 'Body of Steel' applied.
Physical condition will be raised to peak performance for the next 20 minutes.
Upon expiration, all accumulated damage will be returned at triple intensity.
The battered body that had been wrecked by fatigue and injury was forcibly corrected by the effects. Bleeding stopped. Slack muscles swelled with power. At the same time, my sense of pain was severed, and the warning signals that had been screaming inside my head vanished.
“Now I can actually breathe…”
It hurt to spend so many points, but it was worth it. I didn’t regret the purchase.
I snatched the mana potions that materialized in the air and poured them down my throat without hesitation.
Intermediate Mana Potion consumed.
Some of your depleted mana has been restored.
The skill 'Blink' has been recharged 6 times.
Not only had my condition recovered, but I had even restored some of my Blink stock. At this level, the fight was doable even if it ran a little long.
I took one light step forward and settled into a stance. The blue-black blade pointed straight at the knights. Panic was written clearly across their faces. The guy who had been crawling on the ground moments ago had suddenly returned to peak condition. Understandable.
Whether they were confused or not, I cut through the heavy silence hanging over the battlefield.
BOOM!
The ground caved in where I kicked off. My body shot forward like a bullet toward the undead. One of the knights reacted to the surprise attack by thrusting his massive shield forward to block me. He looked ready to meet my charge head-on.
A faint sneer curled on my lips.
That decision… you’re going to regret it.
The blade sliced through the wind. The instant sword and shield collided—
“Die…!”
Bitan swung in a beautiful arc through the air. For a split second, the world seemed to slow down. The magnificent strike carved through the scene itself, captivating everyone around it. The mesmerizing afterimage sliced the shield like tofu, then continued on to bisect the knight behind it.
Not long after, the undead’s upper and lower body fell to the ground in separate pieces.
Slice…
The delayed sound of the cut rang out elegantly. It was something that inspired pure awe.
Without hesitation, I stepped again. My next target was the archer standing behind the shield bearer. He recoiled in horror at my rapid approach and frantically drew his bow.
Twang—! The arrow screamed toward my throat.
I didn’t even think about dodging. I simply reached out. The omnipotent feeling flowing from Bitan made me confident. At this moment, catching an arrow like that felt entirely possible.
Clench!
“……?!”
The archer’s eyes widened in shock as I snatched the arrow out of the air. I reversed my grip and slammed it straight into his face as he stumbled backward.
Crunch!
The arrow slipped perfectly through the gap in his helmet. I felt the wet pop of his eyeball bursting and the sickening grind as it punched through his brain. With a light kick, I sent his armored body tumbling to the ground with a loud clatter.
“……Ha.”
Roughly twenty seconds had passed. I still had about nine minutes left on Super Sensory. I casually sliced through the archer’s rolling head and stared at the remaining knights. Their killing intent had grown noticeably thicker.
I wiped the rotten blood off my cheek and spoke.
“No time… Let’s wrap this up quickly.”
I charged straight at them. The knights rushed forward as well, weapons raised. For a while, the forest echoed with the thunderous sounds of clashing steel and shaking underbrush.
A few minutes before the battle truly began.
Lucy and Aaron were galloping along the canyon of the Mutan River, cutting across the forest.
“Raiden! Raiden! If you can hear us, answer!”
Lucy shouted with desperate urgency. No matter how many times she called the boy’s name, only cold echoes returned. She gripped the reins tighter, trying to suppress the creeping anxiety.
At that moment, Aaron, riding beside her, pointed toward a spot in the canyon and shouted.
“Your Highness! There’s someone up ahead!”
“Where?!”
Lucy reacted instantly and followed the direction of Aaron’s finger. About a hundred meters away, a lone girl was sitting collapsed on the ground.
“That’s…?”
Even from a distance, the faint silhouette of silver hair was unmistakable. The moment Lucy saw it, she realized the girl was Maharet.
“It’s Lady Filer! The others must be nearby!”
“I don’t see the rest of the party… but let’s go to her first.”
The two turned their horses and rode toward Maharet. As they drew closer, they slowed their mounts and stopped in front of her. Lucy jumped down first, followed by Aaron and the escort knights.
“Lady Filer!”
“Student Maharet!”
Maharet was frozen at the edge of the cliff, staring blankly down into the abyss. She seemed lost in thought. Even when Aaron and Lucy approached right beside her, she didn’t notice them at all.
“Lady Filer! Snap out of it!”
Lucy grabbed the dazed girl by the shoulders and shook her, pulling her consciousness back to the surface. Only then did Maharet react, turning to look at the sudden visitors.
“Princess…? And Professor Aaron…?”
“Yes, it’s me, Student Maharet.”
“How did you two get here…?”
“We came as soon as we confirmed that Team 4’s communication had been cut off. Where are the other members?”
Aaron glanced around, confirming that Maharet was alone, and asked the question. At his words, Maharet lowered her head and began to tremble.
“Student Maharet…?”
“……We were attacked.”
The single sentence the girl forced out carried devastating weight.
“Attacked?!”
“Damn it, just as I feared… Did you see who the enemy was?”
Aaron, who had already suspected something, calmly asked for more details. But the answer that came from Maharet’s lips shocked even him.
“Undead… They were black knights.”
“Undead…?”
Aaron furrowed his brow. Undead? He hadn’t sensed even the slightest trace of magi. He realized the situation might be far more serious than they had anticipated.
“Please explain the situation in more detail.”
“......”
Maharet remained silent. Lucy, who had been listening from the side, finally couldn’t hold back any longer.
“What about Raiden? I mean, Lord Lisit? Is he with the rest of the missing team members?”
The moment the name Raiden reached her ears, Maharet’s already pale face turned deathly white.
“L-Lord Lisit……
The girl’s fingertips trembled violently. Her crimson eyes lost all light. Her fists were clenched so tightly that blood seeped between her fingers. Seeing Maharet like this, Lucy instinctively knew something was terribly wrong.
And that dreadful premonition—
“He’s… dead.”
—was, unfortunately, exactly right.
After Maharet’s confession, Lucy’s stunned murmur floated through the air.
“What…?”