Chapter 182: The Knights of Briol (4)

The Black Knight’s advance was flawless.

He resembled a perfectly trained racehorse.

He built up speed as if he had repeated the motion hundreds of times, and stepped onto the launch device at the perfect angle.

His body soared.

Unlike other knights, he didn’t appear to be flung by a spring. The Black Knight controlled every movement entirely.

“Damn it…”

Yuri, watching the scene, let out a bitter smile. He knew the moment the Black Knight rose into the air.

He was coming straight for him.

Yuri filled his whole body with the power of chaos. And in his sword’s aura, he embedded the principle of the swirling vortex to form a fractal.

“He’s coming.”

The first clash was brutal. A thunderous boom echoed, and the walls trembled as if about to collapse.

As they collided, Yuri’s and the Black Knight’s sword auras fought for dominance until both distorted and collapsed together.

As a result, the nearby knights were thrown against the walls or fell over the edge of the rampart.

Yuri held on to the handrail. The Briol knights who fell were stabbed by imperial soldiers, and vice versa.

While the screams of the unfortunate victims echoed in the background, Yuri got up and looked at the Black Knight.

The eyes behind his mask were calm.

“Black Knight.”

Yuri was the first to speak.

“We met in the imperial capital, and now again here. Have you been well all this time?”

He spoke as if greeting an old acquaintance. The Black Knight nodded in response.

“Of course. You seem to be doing well too.”

“So far, yes.”

“Perhaps because God is watching over you.”

“Doesn’t seem like He’s looking today.”

“Who knows…”

Through the slit in the mask, Yuri saw the Black Knight close his eyes.

Battlefield dust clung to his long eyelashes.

“He never overlooks anyone. He’s always watching.”

“Even the two of us?”

“Of course.”

“And if one of us dies today?”

Yuri raised his sword as he asked. The Black Knight also raised his.

“Then it’s simply because He willed it.”

The moment he finished speaking, both swung their swords at each other.

Every time their blades clashed, Yuri felt his bones tremble. The Black Knight’s sword had no weaknesses—strength, speed, precision, mana control, technical depth, and combat understanding… everything was in perfect balance.

If it could be represented by a shape, it would be a perfectly symmetrical giant hexagon.

Yuri’s form was similar, but the Black Knight surpassed him.

He seemed like a machine. That’s why it was hard to find an opening.

The only way to beat someone like that was with a traditional approach—having an even bigger hexagon.

But that was almost impossible. No matter how fast Yuri had grown, he couldn’t overcome the difference in time and experience the Black Knight had amassed.

Yuri smirked.

“The will of God, huh…?”

As he thrust his blade, he spoke.

“Black Knight, I have to confess something.”

Their swords collided with a deafening clash.

“Speak.”

“I…”

Yuri gripped Guilty tightly.

“I don’t believe in any God!”

Then he kicked off the railing behind him and launched forward. Chaos whirled around him.

His sword’s aura was no longer white. A murky energy emerged from him.

All the world’s possibilities danced around him.

If there was even the slightest chance to defeat the Black Knight, Yuri was desperately searching for that path.

“There’s no need to deceive yourself.”

The Black Knight blocked the attack and responded.

“I feel your faith more sincerely than anyone’s.”

His movements seemed gentle, but each clash pushed Guilty back.

In strength and speed, he was on par with Yuri.

Though both were part of the Ten Greats, his level far exceeded Yalta’s.

This was the true power of a member of the Ten Greats. Yuri was flung backward and crashed into the railing, spitting blood.

Then he stood up, swaying.

“I truly don’t believe.”

“You’re just fooling yourself.”

“I can prove it anytime. Want me to curse the heavens right now?”

“God is not offended by mere words.”

“Fucking goddamn God…”

“That’s just a child’s tantrum.”

“Bastard…”

“Tsk.”

Yuri kept talking. Because he knew he couldn’t win with the sword alone.

While speaking, he cast discreet glances around him.

He needed help. And, as if his wish had been heard, reinforcements arrived.

“Prince, I’ll help you!”

Ainzer Yustam joined the fight.

Laurent and Jared also tried to approach, but Yuri stopped them.

“Don’t come closer.”

“Prince…”

“The wall’s too narrow. Too many people will only make it worse.”

Yuri pointed around with Guilty.

“We’re at war. Holding the rest off is helping me too.”

“Understood!”

Jared shouted. Laurent also looked at Yuri with worried eyes, but quickly turned back and resumed fighting the imperial soldiers.

Yuri looked at Ainzer.

“Sir Ainzer. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, sir.”

He was a seasoned battlefield knight. Stronger than Laurent or Jared.

Even though they had never coordinated before, he’d be of greater help against the Black Knight.

“To face one of the Ten Greats together… it’s an honor.”

“I’d rather not fight, even if it’s dishonorable.”

“To be honest, me too.”

“No other choice.”

“That’s right.”

While exchanging those words, the Black Knight raised his sword again.

He said nothing more. Yuri and Ainzer also fell silent.

There was no need to discuss how to cooperate. Against an enemy like the Black Knight, any strategy was useless. Each moment had to be faced with senses sharpened to the limit, reacting purely by instinct.

And that was only possible because Yuri and Ainzer were on a very high level.

Yuri gripped Guilty tightly.

The movements of the Black Knight and Ainzer came to him naturally.

While keeping a surface awareness of the movements of Imperial and Briol soldiers around him, he focused entirely on the battle.

The wall wasn’t very wide. And the Black Knight was surrounded by Yuri and Ainzer, front and back.

That’s why his attention was fairly divided.

“Phew…”

Yuri took a deep breath.

Ainzer struck first. His sword aura surged toward the Black Knight.

He dodged by leaning backward. Yuri didn’t miss the opening and charged in.

Then, the Black Knight jumped onto the railing, evaded the attack, and appeared behind Yuri in the blink of an eye.

His speed was overwhelming. He moved like the wind.

“Uh, Prince?”

“Sir Ainzer.”

Yuri, who had bumped into Ainzer, gave him an awkward greeting before turning around.

The Black Knight approached calmly. Now that the pincer had broken, their cooperation was less effective.

The Black Knight attacked.

Yuri and Ainzer resumed their joint assault, trying not to get in each other’s way.

“Kgh!”

“Argh!”

Three swords clashed—two against one. Yet the one attacking most was the Black Knight.

He moved as if wielding three or four blades, overwhelming them with relentless pressure. Yuri and Ainzer barely held their defense.

Sometimes, Yuri risked everything with direct strikes, but the Black Knight blocked them as if foreseeing them.

“Damn it!”

In one exchange, the Black Knight’s sword slashed Yuri’s forearm. Luckily, he didn’t drop Guilty, but every time he applied pressure, pain tore through him.

The Black Knight handled his sword masterfully, leaving wounds on both of them. Gradually, their movements slowed.

Then, the Black Knight’s sword began drawing freer paths.

The wounds rapidly increased. Eventually, Yuri and Ainzer fell to their knees, completely battered.

The Black Knight approached, step by step.

Yuri gathered mana. The power of chaos emanated from his body.

He still had strength to fight. As long as the fortress didn’t fall, he would endure.

“Phew…”

Perhaps sensing his resolve, the Black Knight’s mana also began to stir. His sword aura was pure and clear as water.

And he launched it like a needle at Yuri. It was dangerous.

“Yuri Briol.”

The Black Knight called him.

Yuri responded.

“What do you want, asshole?”

The Black Knight’s sword tip hesitated.

Yuri continued informally.

“What’s wrong? Does it upset you that I talk like this while I’m about to die?”

“…”

“The emperor is insane, you know that too, don’t you?”

“…”

“And yet you come preaching about God while invading? Damn you. Black Knight, you should confess for insulting God.”

Yuri kept talking. He was buying time.

“If invading an innocent country is divine will, then I don’t want to believe in that god. But you, Black Knight, say that ‘He’ is watching? What kind of hypocrisy is that…?”

As he spoke, he pushed the power of chaos to its limit. Normally he restrained it, since even he couldn’t fully control it.

But this time, he was ready to go beyond his limits.

It was then that—

“I’m sorry.”

The Black Knight apologized.

“But there’s no other choice. I only hope God is watching…”

His voice was heavy. He seemed to feel guilt too.

Yuri kept speaking, trying to shift the course of the situation.

“There’s no such thing as no choice, Black Knight. Let’s end this tragedy together.”

“You’re speaking respectfully again…”

“That’s right. I misjudged you. Sir Knight, please, let’s stop this fight…”

But the Black Knight did not lower his sword.

“Duty is duty.”

And he walked toward Yuri. Yuri clenched his teeth and prepared to unleash the accumulated chaos.

Then—

At that very instant…

Yuri looked to the side.

The Black Knight turned his head too.

Ainzer beside him, and the many knights fighting fiercely atop the wall, all looked in the same direction.

No one said a word.

Suddenly, a deathly silence fell over the battlefield. Yuri opened his mouth, then closed it again—and laughed.

Something was approaching.

And it needed no explanation.

Every knight wielding a sword thought of the same name.

“He’s arrived.”

One of the Briol knights, regaining his composure, murmured.

“His Majesty has arrived.”

He wasn’t visible yet, but everyone on the battlefield instantly recognized the presence.

“The King has arrived!”

At that shout, the horn sounded within the fortress. And then, he appeared.

Descending from the sky like a bird.

A man with an indifferent expression, black hair and black eyes.

The king of Briol and the strongest swordsman of this era.

Fiore Briol.

He landed on the wall.

“…”

Fiore surveyed the battlefield. The faces of the Briol knights lit up.

The Imperial soldiers instinctively stepped back.

His gaze slowly swept across the area until it landed on Yuri.

Yuri deliberately made a victim’s face.

“…”

Fiore averted his gaze and looked at the Black Knight. The two stared at each other for a moment.

The battlefield, where death had reigned, came to a complete halt.

“Black Knight.”

Fiore spoke.

He didn’t raise his voice, yet it echoed across the entire wall.

“Leave. If you don’t, I will kill you.”

The Black Knight didn’t answer.

Fiore placed his fingers on the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.

“Answer me.”

Finally, the Black Knight spoke.

“I can’t.”

And with that, the conversation ended.

The white blade of Northwind, Fiore’s beloved sword, began to reveal itself.