Volume 6 Chapter 51-2 Interlude - The Knight and the Young Lady V
Sparks flew as Luke's blade skimmed just inches from Horace's nose.
The dimensional wall held by the Void Walker stood as an unyielding barrier.
A sly grin crept across Horace's face as he observed the sword of Luke being thwarted by it.
"You can't reach me with that."
A shadowy hand loomed from behind Luke, threateningly close.
He leaped up to evade it.
As Luke floated in the air, the shadowy hands lunged at him en masse.
"How predictable."
Luke chuckled through his nose, his sword glinting... and in a burst of motion, the shadowy hands exploded around him.
"What the──"
With a downward spin from above, Luke sliced toward the startled Horace.
This time, the sound that echoed was a dull thud, different from before.
"Impossible!"
In a frenzy, Horace pushed off the ground with a shadowy hand, creating distance between him and Luke.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's too early for sounds like that to be happening."
Holding his sword with a vague shimmer, Luke gathered his strength in his legs, stating, "The Legion would be shocked to hear this."
The two locked eyes in a tense standoff.
Luke wore a fearless smile, while Horace's face glistened with a cold sweat.
Their duel of glares continued until, once again, it was Horace who made the first move.
He summoned more shadowy hands from behind him, sending a third of them charging at Luke.
The shadowy hands surged forward, threatening to ensnare Luke in an instant.
Just as they were about to reach him, Luke murmured, "Thunder Flash──" and shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
The shadowy hands that had approached Luke shattered into fragments.
Horace panicked and tried to shield himself with the remaining hands, but Luke's thrust, named Thunder Flash──an unparalleled speed attack──sent them flying.
The shadowy hands dissipated, piercing through the dimensional wall, and struck Horace's right shoulder.
And then...
"Impossible..."
Behind Horace, a portal gaped wide, revealing the original corridor beyond.
The dimensional rift slowly shrank, but with his defenses and space shattered, Horace no longer held the earlier bravado.
"Now then, old man. Tell me everything you know."
As Luke twisted the point of his blade, Horace let out a pathetic groan, "Grr, aahhh!"
Yet, with bloodshot eyes, Horace glared at Luke and opened his mouth.
"I have nothing to say."
Spitting in disdain, Horace prompted Luke to swing his sword down hard.
Horace's arm exploded from the shoulder in a spray of blood.
"If you don't want to talk, fine. You're the root cause of all this anyway."
Luke swung his sword, and the violet blood clinging to the blade flew off in a splatter.
"So you were one of the Four Saints of the Pilgrim of Truth?"
As Luke raised an eyebrow, Horace confirmed his affiliation.
Then there was no doubt that this man was the culprit.
"Even if you kill me, I still──"
"Ah, it's not needed. That sort of thing──"
Luke, with the tip of his blade pointed at Horace, muttered, "It's not needed" again.
"You're just a decoy or something, aren't you?"
Horace's face contorted in surprise at Luke's words.
"You got me. I'm just too weak to even yawn."
As Luke spat out those words, Horace's face twisted into a grimace.
"Still, no matter what you do. No matter what you plot. And no matter who comes. If you're an enemy of the Lady, I will cut you down."
Luke slowly raised the tip of his blade, and Horace gritted his teeth.
"Sorry. The Lady and Count have things to discuss. So... your time is up."
Horace glared at the descending blade... and then was cleaved cleanly in 2 across the shoulder.
The violet blood slowly seeped into the ground... and at the same time, the mysterious space that surrounded Luke began to crumble with a *crash* and *bang*.
"I'm back, huh?"
The corridor, thin and silent, was spread out before Luke, who sheathed his sword.
The only difference was the corpse of Horace, split in 2 and splattered with violet blood.
"Now then. What should I do with this..."
Luke scratched his head with a wry smile, and at that moment, the room behind him began to stir with commotion.
'Get everyone here.'
Conrad's voice echoed, and then with a burst, Conrad flung open the door and charged out.
"...Luke?"
"Sorry, I wasn't slacking off, just──"
At the moment Luke scratched his cheek, "Luke?!" Cecilia called out, peeking her face out from the door.
"Milady..."
"Luke!"
Cecilia hugged her with force, and Luke panicked, "Oh, Lady," but Cecilia refused to let go of her arm.
"I was worried!"
Luke offered a wry smile and gently stroked Cecilia's head as she blinked back tears. "I still have a ways to go, huh?"
"To make you worry like that... I'm a Knight failure, aren't I?"
"Don't be silly! Of course, I'm worried about you!"
Luke softened, a fond smile on his face as he looked at Cecilia, whose cheeks were puffed out in a pout.
He was utterly defeated.
"Luke, you were amazing!"
Alfred emerged from the room, and Luke instinctively tried to straighten up, but Cecilia clung to him, making it impossible.
"M-My Lady──"
"Stay as you are. It's alright."
Alfred smiled, then glanced at Horace's corpse.
"Now then. I imagine you both have complaints, and plenty to say..."
Watching Alfred look at the body, Conrad sighed, "I'll go fetch them," and dashed down the hallway.
"Luke, Cecilia, before everyone arrives, let's talk. About the true purpose of this journey──"
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