Chapter 312: Abandonment? (2)
Fury boiled within her core, surging into the heart as mana coursed through the meridians, spreading across the entire body.
What to do next? The answer had already been decided long ago.
Light shot skyward as if reaching for the heavens. Sirius, gripped tightly in her right hand, became the embodiment of rage and came crashing down upon the Death Knight.
A thunderous roar echoed, shaking the heavens and earth. The tactile feedback was satisfying—it felt like it had definitely hit the mark.
However,
The thought that her attack might have ended the enemy didn’t even cross her mind. A near-certain premonition told her that the Death Knight’s annihilation wasn’t a given.
“Sturdy, huh.”
The Death Knight.
Having faced them a few times in a past life as Kyrie, she was all the more convinced.
The foundation of black magic lies in necromancy, creating them, yet their quality varied greatly depending on the caster’s capabilities.Even if the body used as material was from a martial master who could wield strong qi, an amateur not even at seven stars wouldn’t be able to draw out its full potential.
Most of the time, the body crumbled to dust from improper handling.
But this Death Knight?
It not only remained intact amidst the burst of light but seemed entirely unaffected. Whether its full potential had been realized would only be known in direct combat, but one thing was clear—the caster’s skill was exceptional.
“Not your average bastard.”
Crunch! The ground underfoot cracked. Infused with internal energy, her legs pushed off the ground, her small frame turning into a streak of light.
She had planned to take it down from a distance because of the “package,” but a feeling told her this fight would only end if she landed a direct strike.
After all, wasn’t the host none other than the future Lucia?
Even if it hadn’t become a Death Knight, future Lucia wouldn’t have gone down so easily.
If anything, her long years of accumulated experience should have allowed her to evade the falling light altogether.
“Let’s see here.”
A radiant light condensed upon Sirius. The smell of burning permeated the air. She didn’t stop; instead, she quickened her pace further.
“Let’s see your skills.”
Boom! An aura-laden sword cut straight across the Death Knight’s figure. She distinctly felt the sensation of slicing through something, and as the realization hit, the mansion tilted and then collapsed.
Lucia looked back at the fallen structure.
As expected, it hadn’t gone down for good. The irritating thing about Death Knights was that even decapitation or dismemberment wouldn’t finish them.
Sure, reconstructing the body demanded immense mana and the caster’s focus, but the signs were clear—the wounds she inflicted were closing up, slowly but surely.
“I figured as much…”
Lucia muttered while checking if the package of elixirs was intact.
To turn the future Lucia into a Death Knight, the caster’s skill must be extraordinary.
“This is why I hate black mages.”
She rolled her stiff shoulders, cracking them as she walked. Even after two full-force strikes aimed to kill, her opponent had recovered effortlessly.
Sustainable combat was key here. It was laughable to think she had gauged its strength in just two attempts, but at this rate, Lucia would be the one to drop first.
“If you’re going to sneak around and mimic others, at least do it properly.”
Swoosh! A streak of qi sliced through the Death Knight under the moonlight. Though less impactful than the initial strikes, it was enough to cleave through flesh and sever limbs.
But was it refusing to play along? Sensing Lucia’s thoughts, the Death Knight’s movements shifted.
Its ominous blade radiated malice. With both hands gripping it firmly, an elongated form emerged from its edge.
Was it creating aura as well? In the instant that thought crossed her mind, the blade swung, meeting Lucia’s in mid-air. Crack!
The white crescent moon shattered, dissipating into the void.
“Impressive… not bad.”
Lucia tilted her head slightly, assessing her opponent.
From the grip on the sword to the movement before each swing—the Death Knight shifted its weight perfectly, even using its entire body to enhance the blow. Though an overreaction for deflecting a single aura slash, it was an undeniable improvement from its earlier, clumsy attempts.
“Is it getting better?”
If so, that was truly dangerous. Despite being a Death Knight, its body was controlled by an Apostle.
While she couldn’t fathom the intricacies, the crumbling horizon suggested the Apostle’s abilities were actively reshaping and sustaining this realm.
An unexpected answer to its suddenly improved swordsmanship.
The future Lucia wasn’t just physically similar—its martial prowess was becoming comparable.
The Apostle was learning the way of the sword from the future Lucia.
A Death Knight with swordsmanship rivaling her own and an immortal body? The longer this fight dragged on, the more inevitable Lucia’s defeat seemed.
“Still, it’s fine.”
But that wasn’t enough to make her give up.
“I just have to hold out until Shiron arrives.”
Crash! The ground beneath her collapsed, his figure darting through the air, sword raised for another strike. Boom! She clashed with the Death Knight’s blade head-on, spinning to deliver a follow-up blow.
Bang! This time, the impact was heavier. The ground beneath the Death Knight caved in, collapsing entirely.
And it wasn’t just the ground. The hand holding its cursed blade burst apart. Despite its fortified body, lacking the proper technique in qi self-defense left it vulnerable.
“Guess you can’t copy everything, huh?”
Magic.
Two Archmages stood beside him, likely employing techniques to transcend space.
However, one of the Archmages raised a question in her mind.
While one was beyond her sphere of influence, the other was undoubtedly a creation under the authority’s control.
Even if it was replicated from a higher dimension, manipulating it with the Apostle’s authority was the natural order.
“Do I have no choice but to wait as well?”
The Apostle thought this as he endured a full day.
Boom, Boom, BOOM, BAM!
In the still-standing clearing, Lucia’s sword struck the Death Knight. Her stinging palms were starting to feel numb, but she could still hold out.
“Hah…”
There was a slight delay before the Apostle’s body would return to this place. Lucia shook her hands and feet, taking deep breaths to steady herself.
And so, four days passed.
RUMBLE!
White aura, along with her body, shattered the ground completely. A faint headache was beginning to cloud her mind.
Her palms were long since ruined, caked with blood and scabs, but Lucia still hadn’t given up.
It felt like her bones were breaking and her muscles were tearing into countless shreds, but she could still swing her sword and summon qi.
Sustainable combat.
She could still keep going.
A week passed.
“…Tch.”
Lucia spat out a red liquid from her pale face.
Whether it was blood-mixed saliva or pieces of her internal organs, she couldn’t tell. Something felt chewed up in the corner of her mouth—perhaps a chunk of flesh from inside her cheek.
Still, Shiron didn’t appear.
“When are you coming, Shiron? I feel like I’m going to die…”
She muttered bitterly, but no one answered.
The horizon had narrowed significantly, leaving only a clearing-sized patch of land remaining.
“Damn it.”
Even swinging her sword was exhausting now. Summoning even a weak aura blade felt nearly impossible.
It had been a long time since she’d felt this drained. She had fought long battles 500 years ago, but this was far worse.
Divinity.
Lucia’s body was still human. While Kyrie, who had ascended to divinity, could battle demons for an entire month, Lucia couldn’t.
However, there was one bit of good news.
The Death Knight before her was also visibly exhausted. It seemed her relentless fighting had borne fruit.
The fact that it hadn’t lunged at her despite her worn-down state meant it had likely hit its limit too.
But at this rate, she’d collapse first.
She was parched and desperately wanted sleep.
As for the restroom? She couldn’t even think about it; her lower body had gone numb long ago.
“Should I just die like this…”
That thought crossed her mind, but she steadied her resolve.
Dying covered in filth after such a wretched life? That wasn’t just unheroic—it was humiliating enough to make her kick her blanket in the afterlife.
And reincarnating again with that same shame?
While Kyrie had gone out heroically, Lucia’s death would read: “Collapsed from exhaustion while fighting an Apostle… Body condition: deplorable.”
She didn’t even want to imagine it.
Supporting her trembling legs, Lucia forced herself to stand.
Then,
Taptap-
“You’ve worked hard, Lucia.”
A black figure descended into her blurry vision.
“…Shiron?”
Was she hallucinating? Lucia dropped Sirius and rubbed her eyes.
Black hair, tall build, handsome face. Her clearing vision confirmed it—it was Shiron.
“Shiron!”
“Leave it to me now.”
Shiron said as he drew a white sword from his side.
Step, step.
His strides toward the Death Knight were both weighty and refined.
“Wow…”
How cool.
Slash!
Shiron cleanly decapitated the Death Knight. Whether it was too exhausted or simply incapable of reacting to Shiron’s swordsmanship, its head rolled away, and its body crumbled to ash.
Crackle.
Whether it was the holy sword’s power or something else, the Death Knight didn’t regenerate. The fact that he carried a holy sword confirmed it—this was definitely Shiron!
Her previously heavy body now felt brimming with energy. Forgetting even the package, Lucia ran toward Shiron.
“Shiron! Why were you so late? Do you know how hard it’s been for me?”
“I’m sorry. It was a long journey.”
Shiron spoke with a slight smile. Perhaps it was the life-threatening situation, but today, Shiron looked even cooler than usual.
“Let’s go back now.”
Cool Shiron approached her, speaking gently.
“Yeah. Let’s…”
As Lucia excitedly approached him, she suddenly realized the state she was in.
A week without bathing while fighting. On top of that, she hadn’t gone to the restroom… Her condition was indescribably filthy.
Her sense of smell had long adapted, but it must’ve been unbearable. Realizing this, Lucia’s face turned beet red.
“Wait!”
“…What’s wrong?”
Lucia jumped back, causing the cool Shiron to tilt his head in confusion.
“I—I stink right now. Please walk a little farther away.”
“What’s the big deal? You smell like flowers to me.”
“R-really?”
Did he mean her stench was like flowers?
It was a ridiculous and embarrassing thought, but her exhausted mind was prone to strange ideas.
Oh, who cares? Lucia, with her dirty face, ran toward cool Shiron, ready to hug him.
But then,
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
Shiron’s voice rang out from behind.
It wasn’t just his voice. Suddenly, Lucia’s body floated and was flung away from cool Shiron.
‘Huh?’
Suspended midair, Lucia’s eyes widened.
BOOM!
Cool Shiron flew backward, crashing into the distance.
“No…!”
Lucia flailed midair, letting out a shrill scream.
‘Which bastard did this?!’
Just as rage reignited her exhausted body,
“…Huh?”
Her eyes widened. It was definitely cool Shiron who had flown away, but the face of the one who had kicked him was familiar too.
“Shiron?”
“Ugh, damn it! How could you fall for that?! Ugh!”
A scruffy Shiron stomped his feet in anger.
Two Shirons?
Lucia couldn’t come up with any other explanation.