Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The mercenaries on the field paled.
“Cavaliers!”
Canon, who was lying next to Thales with his ear pressed to the ground, was the first to shout. His voice was filled with unsuppressable glee.
“A large group of cavaliers, close by!”
Soon enough, Thales sensed this as well. He did not even need Canon’s reminder. The sand beneath his feet began to tremble.
The strange tremors drew closer, and it came charging at them from the sand dunes that towered over them like ocean waves. The mercenaries and Royal Guards, when they realized what was about to arrive, put down the weapons in their hands at once.
As he stared at the spark, heard the horn, and felt the tremors from the ground, Ricky stopped doing what he was doing. The madness and blood lust within him faltered slightly.
‘That is…’
*Tooooooot!*
As the firelight and the horn drew closer, Thales narrowed his eyes. He felt something.
‘As expected…’
A silhouette suddenly emerged on top of the sand dune behind Ricky, which was also the sand dune right under the spark.
It was a white figure, charging forward… and it headed towards the chaos beneath the sand dune at high speed.
*Tooooooot!*
As the horn blared, the white figure charged at them so quickly that it was like a soaring eagle. It arrived before them within two seconds.
Soon enough, Thales discerned the figure.
It was a speeding white horse, pristine, flawless, and elegant. It kicked its hooves, and as it galloped forth, its speed amazed the onlookers.
It looked like a bolt of lightning that tore the night sky apart.
But its movement appeared unhurried and graceful, so much so that they even overlooked the galloping hooves.
*Tooooooot!* The sound of the horn persisted.
Everyone was stunned.
“That’s…” Barney Junior gaped at the white figure. He was soon shoved aside by Samel.
Samel wiped the blood off his cheek, which had started bleeding because the chain had cut into him. He panted. “It’s him. If you want to live, don’t move!”
Thales gawked at the white figure, too. When he saw the figure on the horse, he immediately realized that it was a knight. It was a knight with an equally graceful posture, whose face was indiscernible because of how fast he was moving.
Soon enough, the galloping hooves became clearer and slower.
Thales raised his head instinctively. He suddenly realized that countless dark silhouettes had appeared, at some point in time, on the surrounding sand dunes under the dim but gradually brightening light from the east, and they all gazed down at them.
‘Cavaliers. Yes, they’re cavaliers. And so many of them.’
They rode across the dune with a rumble.
Like the others, Thales turned his head left and right. He gawked at the cavaliers who suddenly appeared above him. He watched them jerk the reins and slowly tread down the dune in the long, clear sound of the horn.
They surrounded the small patch of sand where Thales and the others were. They were like ocean waves that washed over reefs. They were unstoppable.
If Thales, who spoke confidently back when he faced the dukes in Dragon Clouds City, did not fully understand what ‘thousands of cavaliers’ entailed… He did now.
‘Thousands of cavaliers…’
It meant that no matter how far and wide your field of vision was, the moment you raised your head, the only things that filled your vision would be these cavaliers in black. There was no empty space between them; it meant that no matter how sharp and sensitive your hearing was, when they advanced in unison, the only thing that filled your ears would be the rumbling hooves coming in waves without exception; it meant that no matter how mature and stable your heart and mind was, when thousands of war horses weighing hundreds of pounds came at you as the sand trembled beneath their terrifying weight, the only thing that alerted you to them was your own uncontrollably accelerating heartbeat, and you will feel as if your heart was about to jump straight out of your own chest, there would be no time to catch your breath.
Everyone was stupefied. Everyone except Zakriel.
As the only person who was not as affected as the others, and was able to stay focused the most, the Knight of Judgment remained staring at Ricky as the man held Yodel hostage.
In the next second, he seized the opportunity of a distracted opponent, and pounced, appearing behind Ricky and putting his hands around the latter’s neck!
*Thump!*
It forced Ricky to let go of Yodel, and the fight resumed.
The sound of the horn changed. The faceless cavaliers on the sand dunes paused, seemingly hesitant due to the rise of the strange fight. But the white figure who appeared at the start continued to speed down the dune.
Under the sand dune, once he felt threatened, Ricky let out a wrathful bellow. Anger rose within him. He channeled his great power, rolled over, and threw Zakriel onto the ground.
“You are incredibly annoying, Knight of Judgment.”
Ricky picked up his longsword. His horrifying voice rose again, making many people tremble once more
Before Ricky lifted the sword, however, Yodel’s figure and his peculiar grey shortsword emerged again. The sword blade pierced into Ricky’s chest.
“Aarghhhhh!”
Ricky roared in anger and pain. He turned around and delivered a stab. Yodel trembled before he rolled on the ground to dodge the attack.
Ricky did not manage to deliver another attack because in the next second, the white figure that first appeared on the sand dune arrived before them, and charged straight into the center of the three-way fight! He was like a gust, tearing through dust and sand. Ricky only made it in time to dodge to the side and narrowly avoid the white horse’s charge.
But to his surprise, Thales then saw the white knight leap into the air and swing his arm. In the next second, a pristine, glowing, white spear magically appeared in the knight’s hand!
Following the white knight’s movements, the spear swiped across the air.
*Thud!* The white spear struck Ricky in the chest.
Due to the momentum of the running horse, Ricky flew backwards with a pained yelp before he fell on the sand slope behind him, sending countless waves of sand into air.
The white knight also shuddered while he was in the air, due to the recoil. But he adjusted his posture in the air, drew an arc on the sand with his spear, and landed with ease and grace.
Thales felt hope in him. He realized that his allies had arrived. However, in the next second, the white knight turned around sharply. The tip of his spear turned, and, as agile as a snake, swept towards Yodel, who had just ambushed Ricky.
Thales tensed up. ‘Which side is he on exactly?’
The Masked Protector deflected the spear swiftly, and evaded the attack with a flexible but rather pathetic roll.
Meanwhile, Zakriel furrowed his eyebrows deeply. He picked up Ricky’s longsword and intended to help Yodel, but it was as if the white knight had eyes on the back of his head. He withdrew his spear and turned around sharply!
A shocking sight occured. A sharp, metallic clunk arose. The white spear—of which the axis was originally near the tip of the spear and the effort arm near the end—suddenly transformed. The tip retracted and the end shot out. A second spearpoint slid out from behind its owner and attacked Zakriel!
Thales realized just then that the spear was double-headed, and it could be shortened and lengthened at will…
As thoughts flew in his mind, the white knight had already turned around, switched the position of his grip, and delivered an attack on Zakriel. The second the spear and the sword were about to clash, the Knight of Judgment’s expression changed.
He knew very well that a sword would be at a disadvantage against a spear, so he instinctively withdrew his weapon, took three steps back, and narrowly avoided the white knight’s unavoidable thrust.
“Hmm?” The white knight was somewhat astonished, seemingly puzzled by the fact that Zakriel had perfectly evaded the attack he had delivered with confidence.
At that moment, Ricky emitted another shrill roar that caused their hearts to tremble so much that they were filled with fear.
Within the cloud of sand, Ricky sprung up once more and charged back into the battlefield. He dashed towards Zakriel who had yet to regain his footing!
The Knight of Judgment clenched his teeth slightly, but before he reacted, a figure appeared out of thin air. Yodel appeared, got in Ricky’s way, and intercepted the latter by striking his kneecaps.
*Toooooot!* As the sound of horn continued, the fight between the three men resumed.
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Ricky had an aggressive presence. He was incredibly furious after being toyed with multiple times. He wanted to attack and kill Zakriel. Yodel, who lurked in the dark, moved freely around him. He tried to stop him from attacking Zakriel while frantically dodging Ricky’s attacks. Zakriel defended himself calmly while he looked for an opportunity to counterattack in hopes of cutting off the demon’s head again.
But before Thales realized what was going on, the white knight was on the move again.
He had his spear behind him, and he crossed the field at an astonishing speed, charging into the battlefield between the three men! In that very instant, Thales was dazzled and confused by what he saw.
The white knight acted without hesitation in the chaos. His spear swayed from left to right, and swiftly danced in the air. It struck the enraged Ricky multiple times in a row, forcing the latter’s actions to come to a halt. Meanwhile, as Zakriel seized the opportunity to counterattack, the white knight managed block his attacks every single time with great accuracy, and his counterattacks all aimed at the weaknesses in Zakriel’s attacks, causing the Knight of Judgment’s attempts to be in vain.
Every now and then, the white spear would attack at a ruthless and strange angle. It created ripples in the air, which forced Yodel, who intended to launch an ambush, to be in an incredibly disheveled state, and he had to return to the shadows.
The trio were like three wolves hellbent on tearing each other into shreds, but before they could reach the other, they were intercepted by the peculiar spear between them.
Everyone including Thales watched the chaotic fight in a daze.
‘The white knight, he’s… He is fighting three opponents by himself?’
Thales’ eyes became sore just from watching the moving silhouettes amid the sand and dust.
The white knight’s body was incredibly nimble. His feet were not his only pivot points; every now and then, he would pierce the sand with either one end of his spear, and, using that as his axis, he moved back and forth. He always managed to evade danger in the nick of time.
When he saw this, Thales could not help but think of the ‘Migratory Locust Blade’ he had seen before.
The knight’s white, double-headed spear appeared to be the most magical weapon. It could be shortened or lengthened at will to any length, and to any direction be it left or right, front or back. It could deliver the most vicious and precise attack from any angle in any position.
‘An agile figure, aggressive attacks, and the spear that sweeps across the air with a menacing swish… He doesn’t even… need to defend himself. Instead, he can just easily force his enemies out of the area that would threaten him.’
Eventually, after nearly ten seconds of chaotic fighting, Zakriel seized an opportunity. He stepped forward quickly, turned his longsword abruptly, and switched his target from Ricky to the white knight.
The knight, who was new to the fight, frowned. He changed his posture and parried the attack, only to realize he stood in an awkward position a second later.
He was pushed away by Yodel and could only watch Zakriel lunge at Ricky.
*Schiiiick!*
The long sword sank into Ricky’s shoulder blade.
Ricky raised his head sharply. He spoke with an unprecedentedly harsh voice, and the voice caused Zakriel to tremble so much that the latter frowned and retreated.
“That’s it?”
This voice was incredibly unique. Even Thales, who was standing quite a distance away, let out a yelp in pain and knelt down on the ground.
“If so, then you are certainly done for.”
Ricky pulled out Everlasting Truth from his shoulder with a savage expression, and lunged at the Knight of Judgment, who could no longer stand firmly. Yodel wanted to step forward, but he, too, lost his footing due to the harrowing voice.
At that very moment, the white knight was the only one who managed to move when every single person was in a bad condition from the roar. He seemed completely unaffected, and he advanced despite the obstacles. His body was like a white feather that flew with the wind; he moved past Yodel gracefully and calmly.
The white knight’s voice was the only sound that could tear through Ricky’s frightening roar.
“Silence!”
It was a cold, loud, and clear voice; it was a voice that was similar to a crystal clear stream that flowed across the endless mud. It could cleanse the hearts of man. It was unquestionable, unchallengeable, and undefiable.
Ricky, whose anger refused to die down just a moment go, could not help but instantly fall silent, and it was out of his control!
In the next second, the white spear swept down like lightning. It struck Ricky on the shoulder.
*Thud!*
A dull thud sounded. It was as though it came from within their hearts. Ricky’s longsword fell, and he collapsed onto his knees.
“Good,” the white knight said as he withdrew his spear.
Ricky did not stand up again. He shook his head like he wanted to jolt himself awake. Soon enough, Ricky raised his head once again and stared incredulously at the white knight before him. The yellow gleam in his eyes slowly faded away. The injuries on his face slowly recovered as well.
“You,” Ricky mumbled.
As Thales slowly approached, he managed to see the knight’s face clearly. The knight was of average height, had a lean build, and looked around thirty years old. He was dressed in white, riding apparel, and appeared neat and clean. His gait was stately, and he carried an air of confidence, as though the chaos earlier had not fazed him one bit.
‘The only thing that seems out of place…’
On the knight’s left shoulder where a pauldron should be was a hideous, huge, grayish-white skull. It added a ruthless aura to his demeanor.
The white knight seemed to sense the attention from Thales. He turned his head around vigilantly. The second he turned his head, the teenager felt as if a blade had cut through water. The fierce air on the rider faded away instantly, but it was unforgettable.
In the light of dawn, Thales was dumbstruck.
…Because Thales suddenly realized that the man getting off the white horse was seriously… way too handsome.
He was so good-looking. When his face was turned towards Thales, he felt as if a bolt of lightning just tore through the sky and chased away the darkness—despite that fact that it was already daytime.
His jet-black hair looked like the most ideal ink used for an oil painting. It was a sharp contrast and a great complement to his white attire. His skin was considered fair, but when he was in the desert filled with endless yellow sand, it filled him with a heroic and tough air.
A unique, exquisite, twinkling silver earring dangled from his left ear, right above the hideous skull. And his gaze…
Thales watched him in a daze. He felt that the man’s light, amber eyes concealed the deadliest yet most beautiful sword. It attracted all art connoisseurs, but at the same time, his gaze pierced into those who were overly obsessed with his eyes.
The white knight cast a glance at Thales and turned his head away. It was then that Thales realized he had been staring at him for a few seconds, which was very impolite of him.
The dashing white knight stopped paying attention to Ricky and instead turned to look at the other two men.
Under his gaze, Yodel put away his Supreme Sword and immediately vanished into thin air.
“Clever,” the white knight said coldly. The fight quietly came to a halt. Silence returned to the spacious field below the dunes.
The white knight withdrew his right hand. The magical spear was shortened into the length of a forearm, and he put it behind him.
He glanced at the mercenaries and Royal Guards behind him, as if nothing had happened. His facial expression was calm and devoid of emotion. Still, it made the people behind him tense up.
The white knight did not speak. He turned around and gestured to the sky.
*Rumble…*
The pitter-patter of hooves sounded once again. The cavaliers on the sand dunes resumed their advance.
The mercenaries and the Royal Guards looked up warily.
The cavaliers on the sand dunes around them drew closer. There were many of them. Nearly a thousand of them had entered their vision, and more emerged from behind the sand dune in an endless stream, and they slowly came downhill.
Coupled with the size of the horses, they looked like black ants from afar, and they charged towards them like a black wave from every direction. They brought great pressure to the group.
Thales finally recognized them. All the cavaliers on the front row were armed with bows. They aimed at the crowd below the sand dunes in a hostile manner, as if they were ready to release tens of thousands of arrows on them upon the order.
It made the people under the sand dunes feel increasingly nervous.
“Hey—” When he saw a glimmer of hope, Barney Junior made to speak, but he was held down by Samel from behind.
“Don’t speak,” Samel whispered, giving his other former colleagues a warning glance. He gestured with his chin at the white knight. “That bastard doesn’t like to be interrupted when he’s on duty.”
Under everyone’s tense and wary gazes, the dashing white knight came in front of Zakriel. He looked down at this bruised, injured, shabby-looking, yet relentless and unyielding warrior.
This striking man had a cold and hollow voice. There seemed to be some strange force within it, like a cold wave in a silent void.
“I remember your brand.” The man looked up. His hawk-like eyes found Barney Junior and the rest among the crowd. “And yours.”
The Royal Guards’ expressions darkened at once. Zakriel peered at the white knight before him. He narrowed his eyes, as though he remembered something.
“Ah, I remember you, too.” A few seconds later, the Knight of Judgment laughed. Zakriel sighed and said. “Young man, you are the current warden.”