Chapter 24, Knight

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Farengoth currently was in a predicament. Six of his men surround and stood beside him as they ready their weapons.

Maces, swords, shields and lances were drawn. The soldier's priority was to defend the knight Seroi.

What they were facing was a large number of foes. Armed to teeth with malicious weapons.

The leader Farengoth unsheathed his broad sword before assuming his stance.

He then yelled in Kian words, “Come at us!”

And so that’s how the battle started.

The first to fall was an enemy who got decapitated by the leader’s blade. Though at the same moment, one of his soldier’s died from an arrow piercing right through the eye.

Finding where was the archer’s location, Farengoth saw a man winding a crossbow. He aimed for that man.

A parry was done brilliantly by that man named Ciepier before he bashes his foe on the chin with his bucker. Not stopping with that, he followed up by slamming his mace on the poor man’s head. Ending him.

Some of Farengoth’s soldiers died due to panic blocking or underestimating the speed a dagger could strike.

Eventually, the soldiers couldn't protect the knight Seroi and let enemies go up against him.

Even at Seroi's last dying breaths, he stood and still fought.

Using all his mana into his blade.

He decapitated anyone who came close while having eyes that would make anyone shudder in fear.

Though eventually his body gave in.

All the common people already had fled from that place. Now only the city guards are left watching as the fight progresses. They couldn’t intervene as most of them feared death.

Though a certain guard joined the fight. Someone who brims with the sense of justice. He unsheathed his sword before striking an enemy on the back. That single enemy was about loose his bow at the Knight Leader.

Now he’s on the ground wondering who slashed him.

The guard didn’t stop as he thrust his blade onto the man rushing at him. Piercing the foe’s organs.

Farengoth witnessed this man’s act and praised him silently.

Afterwords the guard yelled out “Let’s go!!” raising the moral of the Knight Leader’s soldiers while also giving the push to make the other guards move forward.

The tide of the battle changed once the guards entered.

Finally, after some time, it ended when Farengoth killed the crossbow user.

The mortality would be more if it weren’t for the guard's intervention.

Farengoth removed his helmet. He then kneeled down in front of Seroi’s body who died smiling. Without restraint he cursed the cruel fate of his. A sigh was released before he says, “Rest now, I’ll take care of your family. I never had the chance to say this when you were alive... Thank you for guiding me when I was new.”

He stood up before walking towards the brave guard and offered a handshake.

The guard happily shook his hands before laughing and saying, “I always admired how you knights fight.”

“Oh? You can speak our tongue?”, Asked Farengoth.

“Of course, since I was young... I always admired you people. Hah.” The guard replied before scratching the back of his head

“I’d like to know your name if you don’t mind?”

The guard bowed before replying, “Saladin, Sir.”

“That name doesn’t feel like it belongs to anyone around here.”

“I get that a lot.” He said before showing a smile.

“Anyhow, thank you for your help Saladin. I’d like to chat more but I have a duty at hand.”

“Do you need any help?” Saladin asked.

“I kind of do... Could you please bury this man’s body somewhere nice and calm? I think his wife would appreciate it.”

“Don’t you need to show his body to his family first?”

“I know him very well and this is his last type of wish. Not smelling rotten in front of them.”

Saladin thought about it before replying, “Fair enough.”

“Now I must be on my way to catch up with someone.”

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Near the town's center

The Knight known as Sir Merask was chasing after a shadowy figure who kidnapped his Squire Tim.

Normally he wouldn’t keep up with the speed of the foe due to his heavy equipment. But with the help of his armored technique, he is able to decrease the weight by at least half.

He knew that the enemy couldn’t run properly due to holding onto Tim.

So Merask took this chance to push his limits in order to save his squire.

Though when he was about to trap the opposing fellow, he found that someone was blocking his way.

A man with a bandaged face along his hair too wielding an odd blade.

He didn’t have time to mess around with someone else, so he tried to push the man away but it didn’t work the way he planned.

As a blade’s swing could be seen aiming for him. He brought out his Long sword to deflect the attack. Though he didn’t notice the hammer that came afterword. The hammer dented the knight’s helmet causing a large buzzing ring on his ears while feeling the sense of nausea or headache.

He stepped back before snickering. He removed the straps for his shield and prepared his stance. A stance that aimed more for on protecting his vitals and giving off an intimidating pose.

Merask observed his opponent’s form which had him wielding a hammer to his left and a curved blade sword to his right. His form shows that his quite the experienced and trained foe. Though he doesn’t look like he belonged to the assassin's guild.

‘A hired man?’ He thought.

“Who are you?” Merask asked.

“Your tour guide to hell. Name is Aerash.” He replied.

The man rushed towards the knight before swinging his blade horizontally. The knight blocked the attack but because of the blade’s odd shape, it curved around the shield before striking the armor.

The knight was surprised but trusted his iron armor. Though the thing that’s unexpected was the sharp pain he felt.

He used his blade to try and cut off the man but what came Afterwords was instead a hammer coming from underneath. He barely dodged the attack before using his shield to push away the opponent with the help of his strengthening technique.

Merask had some time to breath as he checks his wound. A puncture was seen through his armor and he could feel his kidney took the damage. ‘That blade or his strength is not ordinary.’ He though before assuming his stance once more.

This time he activated his techniques.

“We knights were not made to be so easily pushed over.” His sword glowed in bright blue before water swirled around it. Slowly the water started moving up the blade then down to the shaft and repeated this movement. In time the speed increased to the point where it seems like a medieval fantasy water chainsaw.

When the blade touched the ground, it dug into it with ease. Showing how deadly it is.

“This gauntlet was something I retrieved from a tomb which granted me this very technique.” The knight said.

If seen carefully, the gauntlet has runes engraved on the metal.

The man threw his shield away before his armor changed color. Turning blue from dark grey.

He laughed before saying, “This is what a knight truly is!”

Merask rushed forward and swung his blade with both of his hands.

The bandaged man side stepped. Though the knight followed up with an upward swing. The foe barely backed away from the attack as a large cut could be seen across his scaled armor.

Aerash felt the pain on his torso. He sighed before throwing away his hammer. He then pulled a glass vial while dodging the attacks of the knight.

He threw the vial at the knight which was destroyed by skill. The blade’s magic which was constantly moving caused the liquid inside the vial to disperse around the area. It then covered the knight.

Somehow the knight’s armor returned back to normal. Even he commented, ‘Anti enhancement?’. Even his blade's technique gotten weaker.

Merask didn’t cared and went after the fleeing foe.

Though Aerash predicted this and so he yelled out, “Geriel! Now!”

The knight was puzzled by his words but soon found out as a large flashing light appeared in front of him. His sight failed him as only white could be seen. Even with all that done he still knew by hearing the surrounding that the enemy was approaching from behind.

A simple back thrust was all it took as he felt his blade run through the foe’s organs. ‘I missed.’ He though as he intended the blade to be higher than usual, missing out the heart.

Aerash got stabbed which was not in his plan but he still pushed his body through the blade before using his dagger to stab into the gap between that knight’s helmet and armor plate. Back at the neck usually was one of the weaknesses on a full plated body armor.

The blade pierced the throat. The fear of death made him let go of his blade. Without the touch of the gauntlet, the blade returned to normal. The image of his only family member, his daughter, crying caused him to feel grief. He still lives but couldn’t feel his body anymore. Before he knew it, he’s on the ground.

Aerash also fell on the ground before groaning in pain. A lady came running and kneeled before Aerash. Wearing a metal chainmail, inside leather armor, iron gauntlet and similar iron greaves. Having black hair and light tan skin. Her name is Geriel.

She pulled out a vial and let Aerash drink it as she says, “This will numb the pain, drink it.”

After he drunk it, Gerial carefully pulled out the blade and ignored the agonizing noise uttered by Aerash as she grits her teeth.

When pulled out immediately she pulled out a pendant from her pouch which had an inscription written on it. She inserted her mana into it.

Her hands glowed before a small fairy appeared. A tiny little girl having butterfly like wings. White dress and pointy ears. The fae looked around her before spotting the wound on Aerash, she let out an “Oh my” before attending to the wound.

The tiny hands went close to the wound before a large burst of light emerged. Slowly the wound closed and the organs that was lost were brought back. The power of tier four healing.

Once the wound has been closed, the fairy looked haggard even exhaustion almost took her conscious.

Geriel revealed a smile before saying, “Thank you for your hard work, Melia.”

“Fwaah recently I’ve been getting treated like a slave! And not mention the stuffy air inside your bag!” Shen then puffed her cheeks.

The lady smiled in response as she watched the slowly tired fairy get inside the pendant once again.

Aerash immediately stood up before thanking Geriel.

Though she replied back with, “Don’t thank me but Melia instead.”

“... Maybe next time.” He then walked to dying knight and saw that the man was nearing death.. Aerash removed the man’s gauntlet before wearing them. Also grabbing the sword and sheath.

“Geriel, let’s go now.”

The lady patted away the dust on her behind before nodding.

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When both Geriel and Aerash left.

A young man emerged out of the shadow, having black trimmed hair and wielding a spear.

He moved to the dead knight before removing that man’s helmet.

Merask was still not dead and had hazy dying eyes.

Though only for a moment, those eyes turned sharp once it caught sight on that man’s face.

Even with a blood filled throat, he managed to utter, “Forcedues...”

In response, the young man smiled sadly before replying, “I’m not known by that anymore as I’m now Zhou Huan.”

The knight’s grasp on an object finally lost strength. A locket could be seen. When opened, the words, “Return safe” could be seen inside.

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