Chapter 109: The Tin Knight and the Crimson Monster
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 109: The Tin Knight and the Crimson Monster
When Kalidahs swung her greatsword and sent Adelaide flying, the crowd had roared with excitement.
They chanted her name, hailing her as the invincible champion.
But the cheers were short-lived.
The crowd grew puzzled as she, radiating a menacing aura, began to approach the already fallen Adelaide. The moment she brutally murdered the referee who tried to stop her, their puzzlement turned to horror.
“Deploy the guards! Stop Kalidahs, now!”
The Lord of Thracus screamed the order. Urgency was etched on his face and laced his voice.
No matter how bloody a martial arts tournament could be, killing an opponent mid-fight was one thing, but beating a defenseless opponent to death after the match was over was another matter entirely.
This was especially true when the perpetrator was the tournament's star player, and the victim a young girl from the Lion Duke's bloodline.
Even as he watched his subordinates scramble into action, the Lord of Thracus's mind was filled with questions.
Why on earth?
The lord couldn't understand Kalidahs's sudden outburst.
She used violent and rough tactics in her fights, but that was all just showmanship for the sake of the tournament's success.
In private, Kalidahs was a rational and easygoing person. She was not the type to commit such a reckless atrocity.
Did she lose her mind from her injuries? Dammit, either way, this is a disaster.
The lord’s head was already throbbing as he thought about the aftermath, but his worries were premature.
“M-My lord! We have a problem! There's some kind of transparent wall blocking the way! We can't get into the arena!”
“What?”
As the lord's panicked voice rose, Franka Aglaia, who was also watching the match from the VIP seats, narrowed her eyes.
A barrier. And an incredibly high-level one at that.
A dome-shaped wall had been erected, cutting the arena off from the spectator seats. Franka was stunned by the staggering amount of mana it radiated.
Even considering it wasn't her area of expertise, its construction was so flawless that she wouldn't even dare attempt to dismantle it.
What was even more astounding was that despite containing such power, she couldn't sense its source at all—the caster was completely hidden. Among all the people Franka knew, the only one capable of such a feat was her master, the Wicked Witch of the West.
Still, there's no way my master would come all the way out here... Is the armor the most likely culprit?
Not only the guards but also several spectators were trying to rush into the arena, but she could see them all being blocked by the barrier, stamping their feet in frustration.
There was only one exception: the magic doll that had charged in a split second before the barrier appeared.
Please, just let there be no hitches in my plan to find my children, Franka prayed silently.
*
The moment you entered the arena, the first thing you did was ram into Kalidahs with all your might.
Upon colliding with your body of solid iron, Kalidahs was sent flying as if she’d been hit by a car.
Having knocked Kalidahs away, you quickly checked on Adelaide.
Her left arm and both legs were bent at odd angles, and about half of her long, flowing hair had been sheared off, but thankfully, the bleeding wasn't life-threatening.
It seemed she had unconsciously moved her sword to use as a shield just before Kalidahs's attack landed.
If not for that, instead of being sent flying, her entire upper body would have been turned to pulp, just like the referee's.
You started to carry Adelaide—who was gasping silently, unable to even make a sound from shock and bewilderment—over to Dorothea and Sophia to be healed, but you had to stop.
You could see the two of them in the stands, unable to approach as if blocked by something.
Judging by the way Dorothea was smacking the empty air with her staff, there seemed to be an invisible wall.
Clank.
Not only that, but you also saw Kalidahs, whom you had sent flying, getting back up.
Despite the copious amount of blood pouring from the wounds Adelaide had inflicted, the menacing mana radiating from her body only grew stronger.
It looked less like a person wearing armor and more like armor moving a person.
Her violet eyes, visible through her half-shattered helmet, were stained with a terrible grudge.
You moved Adelaide to the edge of the arena, as close as possible to Dorothea and Sophia.
After gently stroking her hair to soothe her anxious expression, you took up your sword and shield.
From your perspective, the situation was utterly baffling.
Kalidahs's mysterious vitality, her furious glare directed at Adelaide, this enigmatic barrier—you didn't understand any of it.
It was like being thrown in front of a boss and told to fight without knowing any of the truth or backstory.
In other words.
It was a very familiar situation for you (the Gamer).
[The 'Tin Knight' offers a clear solution: just beat the boss, and most problems will solve themselves!]
Trusting that others would take care of the complicated, headache-inducing details later, you decided to defeat the enemy before you.
Both you, the player outside the monitor, and you, the soul inside the Tin Knight, had no objection to making her pay for what she did to your precious pupil.
*
Thud!
Two sets of feet kicked off the ground at once.
The Tin Knight and Kalidahs rushed forward and swung their swords almost simultaneously.
A shockwave erupted between the two warriors, spreading outward with a deafening roar.
It felt less like the clash of two swords and more like the impact of two cars colliding at full speed.
Clang!
You were the one pushed back in the initial contest of strength.
As your right hand, gripping your sword, was knocked aside, Kalidahs's greatsword swung from left to right, as if to cleave you in two.
Just then, your left arm moved.
You struck the side of the greatsword from below with your shield, simultaneously ducking and kicking Kalidahs in the shin.
The impact would have caused a compound fracture in an ordinary person, but Kalidahs's leg only buckled slightly, remaining firmly planted on the ground.
Seeing an immense amount of mana gathering in Kalidahs's greatsword, you threw yourself to the side.
KRA-KOOOOM!
The moment the downward slash struck the ground, the entire arena building—no exaggeration—shook violently.
The spectators staggered or lost their balance and fell as the ground suddenly began to tremble, and the structure groaned from all sides.
The monstrous strength Kalidahs had displayed until now was by no means ordinary, but this attack completely transcended human limits.
Of course, you paid it no mind.
[The 'Tin Knight' assesses that an instant-kill move is meaningless if it has a long delay!]
Before Kalidahs could lift the greatsword she had slammed down, you swung your sword at her side.
Sword energy, a mix of gray and blue, slashed at her right forearm.
Screeeech!
The sound of metal scraping against metal.
The sword, imbued with sword energy, failed to sever Kalidahs's arm, merely scraping its surface.
It left a visible gash, but that was all.
Kalidahs's greatsword swung once more.
An upward slash from lower right to upper left. From there, it circled behind her head for a downward slash to the lower left. A ram with her right shoulder. And finally, a horizontal slash from left to right.
It wasn't a brutish, power-reliant assault like before, but a clean combo attack that flowed like a dance.
You met it all head-on.
Blocking, deflecting, dodging, redirecting.
And with every move, you landed a counterattack.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Your sword couldn't cleave Kalidahs in two.
But with every swing, more scars appeared on her armor.
Amidst a flurry of slashes from your sword, bashes from your shield, jabs from your elbow, and kicks from your leg, Kalidahs's defense was chipped away, little by little.
CRACK!
Finally, pieces of her armor began to crack and break away.
Kalidahs's defensive technique was superb, but your sword energy was sharper.
《──■■■■! ! !》
A roar erupted from Kalidahs's mouth.
It sounded less like a human voice and more like the howl of a beast.
BOOM!
A kick from Kalidahs's right leg sent you sliding backward.
Even though you deflected most of the impact with your shield, your feet still carved long tracks into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Before you could close the distance again, Kalidahs swung her greatsword horizontally.
You were still out of her attack range, so it should have been a wasted motion, but for some reason, a chill ran down your spine, and you ducked.
SHWIIIIING!
There was a flash of light.
A crimson light shot out, following the arc of the greatsword in a massive crescent.
A piece of your helmet was sliced off as if it were paper.
The moment the crescent-shaped sword energy reached the wall, the barrier—which hadn't budged no matter what was done from the outside—visibly wavered.
The skilled fighters watching from beyond the barrier were horrified by its power, but far from cowering, you charged forward boldly.
[The 'Tin Knight' is impressed, noting that firing a slash is a technique with a long and storied history!]
At this seemingly fearless action, the eyes that had been consumed by madness registered your form for the first time.
《What... are you?》
[The 'Tin Knight' replies that it's here to collect your head!]
The answer was insane, but the sword technique unfolding from your hands was the epitome of mastery.
Even those who couldn't hear your voice had no choice but to acknowledge the threat you posed.
Kalidahs's greatsword once again gathered mana.
The attack she unleashed, now fully recognizing you as a threat, was several levels above what she had used against Adelaide.
A fierce, chaotic battle unfolded.
Your sword pierced Kalidahs's stomach, and her fist caved in your chest plate.
Kalidahs's bleeding worsened, and while your body repaired itself without issue, your mana was rapidly depleting in exchange.
Both Kalidahs and you.
sensed that the end of this fight was not far off.
As your swords were locked in a clash, Kalidahs put all her strength into her arms and forced you back.
The unnatural movement caused the bones in her arm to shatter with a sickening crunch, but in exchange, you were pushed back once more.
Crimson mana swirled around Kalidahs's body, and her grip on the greatsword tightened.
Faint violet sparks began to crackle and dance along the blade.
*
You, outside the monitor, realized: if you dodged this next attack and repeated what you did before, victory was certain.
You, inside the Tin Knight, realized: if you didn't take this hit, Adelaide, who was behind you, would be in danger.
You reached a conclusion.
*
Kalidahs's greatsword swung down, unleashing a massive slash.
Facing this vicious secret technique that could tear up the earth and rip the very air apart, you charged straight ahead.
The gems embedded in your shield began to glow, every single one, with a brilliant light.
You swung your shield toward the crimson wave that was closing in and released all the mana stored within the gems at once.
A flash of light.
And then, an impact.
Crushing the crimson mana head-on, you leaped high into the air.
From top to bottom.
A single flash of the blade—a Severing Flash—as if tracing over the very arc Kalidahs had just drawn.
Schlick!
Your sword bisected Kalidahs's upper body.