Wright stood frozen in place.
The sword blade grazed his neck.
"Don't move."
"Yes."
Wright swallowed hard. Even if the blade hadn't been at his throat, he wouldn't have been able to move. The presence he felt from behind was far too sharp and sinister for him to handle.
"Name."
The enemy's voice was as calm as the wind blowing at night.
"Wright."
"Give me information I can use, and I'll let you live. If not, you'll die. So, say something."
In that instant, Wright's past flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
He thought of his family, who had rejoiced when he became a knight of the Empire.
He remembered the childhood friend from his hometown, the one he had left without confessing his feelings.
He didn't want his life to end like this.
"T-the knight order commander's name is Elpeso."
"I know."
"We're from the 9th Knight Order, and we were sent ahead on a scouting mission from the main force."
"I already know that."
"I… I believe they're in the mountains."
"That's why you formed a formation like this."
"There's a Black Knight in the main force, and…"
Wright desperately recited everything he knew. It was pitiful, but he had no choice.
He wanted to live.
But he was only a rookie. He didn't possess any remarkable information.
No matter what he said, it seemed the other man already knew it.
It was a small comfort to realize he wasn't the only one spilling secrets like this, but it didn't help his chances of survival.
"Uh, so…"
Wright, now pale as a sheet, began rambling aimlessly.
"T-the best restaurant in the Imperial Palace, in my opinion, is—"
"That's enough."
"No, I can tell you more. So—"
"Look at the sky."
"…What?"
As he lifted his head, the blade grazed against his skin, and blood trickled down. But Wright didn't care. With his life at stake, obeying the man's command was more important.
"How is it?"
"Sorry?"
It was an abrupt question.
"How's the sky?"
"Well…"
Wright wet his lips with his tongue before answering.
"T-the moon is bright, and there are lots of stars."
"How bright?"
"Bright as daylight."
"…"
"I-I mean, isn't the night sky always about the same?"
"Right."
The man nodded.
"Go."
"…What?"
"I said, go."
Wright blinked, then cautiously took a step forward. The enemy didn't react. He took two steps, then three. Still no reaction.
Then he broke into a sprint.
Panting hard, he glanced back.
The man was simply standing there, watching him.
Was he planning to follow and kill him later? But no—he didn't pursue, even when Wright ran until the figure was no longer visible.
Wright ran like a madman.
***
Yuri stood still, watching Wright's back grow distant.
"Didn't expect to meet you here."
They had shared a connection in his previous life.
After Briol fell, when Yuri was living as a mercenary, he met Wright.
Though Wright was with the Empire now, one day he would become a wandering mercenary.
Yuri had known he was from the Empire, but not that he was a knight.
There had been times when Wright had helped him.
"…Hmph."
When it came down to it, Wright had deserted because of him. He wouldn't be able to return to the Empire, so he might indeed end up a mercenary again.
Was this fate connecting them once more?
Yuri shrugged and looked up at the sky.
"Whatever happens, happens."
As Wright had said, the moon and stars shone brightly.
But to Yuri, it looked a little different than simply "bright as daylight."
The night sky rippled like the surface of water, and the moon loomed as if to fill the heavens.
Countless stars had risen, each one a center of a swirling vortex, scattering their radiance.
A bizarre, yet beautiful sight.
Heart-soul Slash, and chaos.
Where exactly was this leading him?
Yuri tightened his grip on Guilty.
Even if this path led straight to a cliff, he would not turn away.
To tear into the Empire, he could go anywhere.
Sensing the presences on the mountain one by one, Yuri's lips curled upward.
His mind was clearer than ever.
Like catching the scent of prey, he expanded his perception, seeking out a suitable target. A hunter's nature was to start with the weaker ones.
He moved like a prowling beast.
And then, in an instant, he kicked off the ground and charged forward.
Now, even the sound of his steps didn't matter.
Stealth was no longer possible—better to create chaos and disrupt the enemy's judgment.
When Yuri reached the nearest group of enemies, four of them were already in formation, swords leveled at him.
"H-here he comes!"
"Stay calm!"
Yuri didn't slow down.
The air slid past his cheeks.
The threads of wind flowing together felt to Yuri like the clear texture of tanned leather.
He could use even the slightest resistance in the air to calculate the path of his sword.
The sequence of exchanges that would unfold in the coming moments was already drawn out in his mind.
After several bouts, he would win with ease. But Yuri wanted faster, cleaner results. So he altered the opening.
A new ending emerged.
The altered future was shorter, and more destructive.
Yuri liked this solution.
So he followed it.
Just before the clash, a swirl of sword aura burst from Guilty.
The storm of force, released at random, twisted the swords of all four knights.
Their four different mana methods were seized and crushed by the energy of Heart-soul Slash, then scattered, becoming part of the chaos.
A deafening roar rang out.
All four knights were knocked to the ground.
Fragments of sword aura grazed Yuri's skin.
Droplets of blood floated at the edges of his vision.
Yuri accelerated further.
He drove Guilty into the chest of the knight in the middle.
The two on either side tried to rise, but the lingering chaotic energy, responding to Yuri's will, struck them down again.
They staggered.
Yuri immediately cut the knight on the left. He barely managed to raise his sword in defense.
So Yuri spun half a turn and slashed the knight behind him, who was awkwardly trying to get up.
It was an unexpected rotation.
The knight's chest split open through his armor.
"Belteth!"
Leaping over the freshly fallen corpse, Yuri charged the knight who had only just managed to lift his upper body.
The man raised his sword with glazed eyes.
Too slow.
Yuri kicked him in the chest, and in the instant he fell back, thrust Guilty through the gap in his visor.
He felt something pierce through.
Then twisted the blade.
The inside of the skull shattered.
When he pulled the sword free, blood and brain matter spattered upward.
"You son of a bitch!"
The knight who had first blocked Yuri's sword lost his reason as he saw three of his comrades die in succession.
It was better than fleeing in terror—there'd be no need for pursuit.
"Die!"
The sword, laced with sword aura, came down at Yuri's back.
Yuri's body slid sideways, the knight's strike slicing empty air, and that single miss led straight to death.
Yuri lightly extended Guilty.
Crunch.
Staring down at the sword that had pierced his chest, the knight muttered,
"I… I'll curse you. You said your name was Jared, right? I'll curse you to the very end, in hell, I'll…"
Yuri pulled Guilty free and said,
"Yuri Briol."
Blood surged from the knight's mouth, cutting his words short.
"Not Jared, Yuri Briol."
The light was fading from the knight's eyes. Yuri gave a short laugh as he turned away.
"If you're going to curse me, at least get the name right."
Yuri turned his body.
He could feel movement all around.
Here and there, lights flickered on.
The entire 9th Knight Order was moving in a rush.
It seemed this battle had completely given away his position.
"Still a lot left…"
It was the Empire, after all.
Even after killing this many, there were still plenty of knights. And if this was only part of the whole order, how much more blood would need to be spilled?
He rummaged through a backpack on the ground, and found a pile of jerky. Yuri bit down on it and chewed.
Then he stepped once more into the darkness.
Yuri's skill was razor-sharp.
If he willed it, he could do anything.
If he willed it, his presence would vanish.
If he willed it, he could cut through iron plates.
If he willed it, distance would close in an instant.
The Heart-soul Slash running through his meridians had now fully transformed into chaos.
"Infinite."
Yuri murmured.
Literally, within chaos there was infinity.
Now, he could understand why Moyong Chan had been so wary of the Heavenly Demon's Martial Art.
But he didn't care.
"Elpeso."
Among the countless auras, he found a single one moving with solitary dignity. It was approaching him, leading a group of knights.
Even for Yuri, facing that many at once was out of the question.
He looked to the sky.
The bizarrely glowing stars once again filled his vision.
There was still a long way to go before morning.
He checked the number of arrows he had left.
Enough.
Yuri took position in a tree at a suitable distance.
The group of knights, with Elpeso at its center, was approaching.
With his presence completely erased, Elpeso passed right beneath him without noticing an enemy above.
Their voices reached his ears.
"There was a sound nearby."
"From now on, change formation. Two squads combine, move in groups of eight."
"That'll make us too loose."
"We've taken this much damage."
Elpeso's tone was calm, but his voice carried restrained fury.
"Even this is the bare minimum for a chance. If he wanted to run, he would have done it already."
Elpeso was calculating wisely in his own way.
"Spread out."
"Yes, sir!"
The knights moved in all directions.
Now only Elpeso and the four knights at his side remained.
They were clearly of a higher level than the ones Yuri had been cutting down so far. Taking them head-on would be troublesome.
Elpeso spoke,
"He's still nearby. If we don't take him out now, it'll come back to haunt us."
One of the four knights escorting him said,
"Briol's power is impressive. To think there was such a skilled one besides Fiore."
"Jared's a name I've never heard."
"Yes."
"No one here knows him?"
All four shook their heads. Elpeso sighed.
"Jared, huh. They called him the Beast of Briol. Having a nickname means he's famous enough within Briol. If we lose him today, report to the main force and gather information."
"Could be they kept him hidden on purpose. Like a secret weapon of Briol."
"That's possible."
"And what about us? Should we have brought 'that one'?"
"No, we can't control him. He can only be used if the Black Knight is right beside him."
"That's a problem."
Yuri had gained a new keyword.
This "that one" they spoke of must be a hidden asset of the Empire.
If they called it a secret weapon, then it must be quite formidable.
He searched his memories of his previous life, but nothing came to mind.
Compared to back then, the war had started much earlier this time. Which meant this was likely a new figure whose involvement had altered history.
The knights chattered.
"I saw him once, and he gave me the creeps."
"Right? Those shifty eyes…"
Elpeso cut them off.
"Enough chatter. We don't know where he could be."
"Yes."
"For all we know, he could be watching us right now."
"Uh…"
"Don't think I'm exaggerating. How many have we lost already?"
"…My apologies."
"He's not like a knight. Right now, we're the prey. He's hunting exactly the way he wants."
Hearing that, Yuri silently laughed to himself, thinking Jared's reputation would grow thanks to him.
Elpeso's group walked slowly, observing their surroundings closely.
Yuri drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
He pulled the string.
In the center of his vision, the back of his target's head came into focus.
Part of him wanted to put an arrow straight through Elpeso, but it didn't seem likely he'd fall in one shot.
Yuri could feel Elpeso's entire body tense. Too many knights had been felled by arrows—he was keeping watch in all directions.
So Yuri switched targets, picking the easiest one.
He steadied his breathing.
Then released.
The arrow flew in silence.
Without even checking the result, Yuri turned away. Success or failure, he had to leave immediately.
"Gate!"
Judging by the shout, he had succeeded. Yuri moved off as quickly as possible.
Elpeso's roar shook the forest.
Grinning, Yuri quickened his pace.
Then he ran into another group of knights.
Eight this time.
He had to deal with them before Elpeso arrived.
"…Hmm."
Looking at their grim, razor-edged faces, it didn't seem possible to kill them all.
"Four. I'll take out just that many."
Yuri's blade cut through the night air.
Time slowed.
Gripped by exhilaration, Yuri swung his sword.
Blood sprayed.
Over the heads of the dying knights, the stars shone down, scattering their bizarre light, making the night sky blaze bright.