Chapter 170
Ronit stood in the way of the Knight of True Flame together with Berhan and realized how overwhelming it was. He had fought the Knight of True Flame before, and was injured as a result. But now, the Knight was displaying even greater power, charging at them even more violently.
'To think he became this strong... Is it even possible for us to win?'
Ronit inadvertently glimpsed a future where they would be annihilated. It had been dangerous enough back then, but now, at every moment, he was crossing the line between life and death. If he showed even the slightest opening, he would be mercilessly crushed.
'He's cornering me and the First Apostle. Even when frozen by cold air, he immediately shatters it—what are we supposed to do?'
Ronit barely managed to quell the fury of the flames and tried to counterattack. But the Knight of True Flame easily evaded him, then even rammed his whole body into him. At that moment, Berhan joined in, and together they managed to barely suppress the attack.
"Huff... Haah... This isn't easy."
Berhan caught his breath in urgency, glaring at the Knight of True Flame. The Knight showed no sign of exhaustion, and his mana overflowed unstoppably. On top of that, he moved-nimbly and assaulted them without pause, forcing them into a defensive stance.
"What is it... you fight for?"
The Knight of True Flame murmured calmly, his red eyes glowing. Though these people were his enemies, they were still enduring resolutely. Even though they wielded respectable strength, it was not enough to reach him. Yet they continued to fight with such resolve.
"We're fighting because of you. Was stealing the dragon's power not enough for you?"
"I thought it would be... But reality is different. Now I want to destroy everything."
"Haha! The great mage was right! Who could trust a bastard like you?"
Though Berhan laughed heartily, the killing intent in his eyes remained. He had already heard the truth about this man from the great mage. Once, he had been the next Sword Saint and a subject of the Empire—how could someone have fallen so far?
"Do you think you can beat me without the Sword Saint or the great mage?"
"At the very least, we will not be defeated! Even if I die, someone else will continue the fight!"
"It will only be a meaningless death. Perhaps things would've been different for the one over there."
The Knight of True Flame met their gazes, gripped by a faint sense of caution. There was a strange sense of familiarity from the man, and the woman alone possessed the power to erase darkness. Their existence was a prerequisite for his annihilation.
"So, aren't you trying to kill them first as well?"
"... If something threatens me, I don't care—I just need to kill it."
"How viciously evil! Even if you do this, will your past disappear?"
"If I was going to cling to my past, I wouldn't fight you. What's the use? The past is the past."
"......"
Brillie bit her lip and unconsciously gripped her sword hilt tighter. It was because of that past that she had hesitated and suffered so many times. And yet the enemy before her dismissed even the past entwined with herself as nothing but a meaningless trace.
"Aren't you ashamed before your own house? How do you intend to wash away that disgrace?"
"There's no point in being tied down by something like a house. Now is when my true self is revealed."
"You talk of true self while committing such vile acts! You have no right to call yourself human!"
"Isn't it obvious? I am no longer... human. I'm nothing but a monster consumed by greed."
The Knight of True Flame flicked his wrist lightly and closed the distance in an instant. It was time to take one of them out and shift the flow of the battle. However, since he still didn't fully understand the phenomenon, he had no choice but to be cautious.
'They haven't matched my speed. They must just be aiming for openings...'
The Knight of True Flame alternately eyed Berhan and Ronit, trying only to strike at critical points. Of course, he wouldn't allow them an opening, and there was no way they could close the gap with him. He thought he'd end things quickly, but did not expect to be stalled in this way.
'Alter Radiant... what are you hiding...?'
The Knight of True Flame was hyper-conscious of Alter's presence. He couldn't guess his tricks, and in brief moments, his attacks were neutralized. Surely, they shouldn't have even reacted in time, yet within seconds, he would be swept by cold air. What had to be done to escape this situation?
'You can't be above me. You mustn't be.'
Even if Alter was innately born with the power of a dragon, he only possessed one after all. The Knight had seized three, forming a body and mana pool of overwhelming power. Despite that, he could not accept being defeated through nothing but helplessness.
'The strong must win. That is the principle of power!'
* * *
Alter constantly froze time to keep the Knight of True Flame in check. Because of this, the Knight could not harm him or his allies in any way. But as mana was finite, he had to find a way to annihilate the Knight of True Flame.
'I still have some leeway, but I can't be careless.'
He hadn't gained the upper hand through time stop alone. He was merely preventing the worst situation, while applying slight pressure to the Knight of True Flame.
'This must be proceeding according to the prophecy. I have to lead this process to the end.'
In the end, it would be Brillie who would finish the fight. Only Radiance could split the darkness. However, since the Knight of True Flame had endured the sword aura imbued with Radiance, it was inevitable that doubts arose—albeit belatedly.
'The attack did work. He just didn't go down.'
The Knight of True Flame had certainly suffered significant damage upon clashing with Radiance. But he hadn't been driven to the brink of death, and was no longer bound by the concept of a body. Therefore, only by cleaving the darkness itself could they finally bring him down.
'Do we have to keep attacking? What if I end up wasting too much mana...?'
Sensing crisis, Alter froze time again. This time, he poured mana out to tear off Ronit's right arm. He could have fully neutralized the attack, but by redirecting its trajectory, he could reduce the mana expenditure.
'His strength and speed are certainly superior, and his mana capacity isn't small either...'
Alter paused for a moment, observing the Knight of True Flame. For just an instant, the Knight's red eyes flashed vividly. Could it be that the Knight recognized time had been stopped?
'It's not impossible. By transforming the mana of a dragon, he might be able to perceive this situation.'
Alter released the time stop and locked eyes with the Knight of True Flame. As before, the attack failed and the Knight's body was covered in cold air. Yet, the Knight simply broke through again and only increased the intensity of his mana.
"Alter Radiant. Do you think I wouldn't know?"
"And what could you do if you did know?"
"I gave up everything to obtain this power. And yet you... enjoy everything without losing anything, don't you?"
"That's your arrogance talking. Why do you assume I gave up nothing? Do you even know anything about me?"
"I suppose each of us has a different perspective."
"We are different, but I know you are not right."
"I must be right. Otherwise... things will become too horrible."
The Knight of True Flame muttered dispassionately and watched their movements. It only lasted for an instant, but he could sense slight changes. Alter Radiant—the next great mage—must be using extremely advanced magic.
'I thought I'd surpassed you... But it was my delusion.'
The Knight of True Flame held a silent respect for the next great mage. Had he rested on his natural talent and dragon's might, he would have died before even facing him. It was only due to tireless effort that he'd acquired such unusual magic.
'Was that the only way to obtain Brillie?'
The Knight of True Flame sneered at himself and moved swiftly. Eventually, he would be overcome by the next great mage, and depending on the situation, his weakness might be exposed. But if he could not surpass the next great mage, he could never escape defeat.
'If you disappear... it's my victory. No one else could stand in my way.'
The Knight of True Flame stopped targeting the next great mage directly. Just threatening the holy apostles would force him to respond first. He'd have to probe deeper if he was to overturn this situation.
'I still have the advantage. Unless it's Brillie, no one can obliterate me.'
Only the sword aura imbued with Radiance could strike against his darkness. He'd managed to withstand the first strike by some means, but couldn't guarantee surviving any further attacks. Once his darkness was scratched, the possibility of death began to loom.
'Brillie will strike at the perfect moment. She'll have to reserve her mana to finish me...'
That was why the holy apostles deliberately stepped forward to engage him directly in battle. As long as the next great mage and Sword Flower remained, there was still hope. Perhaps, they were even willing to risk their own deaths if it meant stopping him.
'But Alter Radiant can't abandon the holy apostles. If he loses their power, he'll be at a disadvantage.'
The Knight of True Flame analyzed the broader circumstances and then charged the holy apostles. He could unleash a mass of mana to prevent them from blocking his attacks, but still couldn't be sure about the next great mage's strength. In that case, it was better to study the next great mage further.
'To get accustomed... I'll have to experience it many times.'
The Knight of True Flame decided to anticipate their counterattacks and pressed on even harder. This would force the next great mage to use special magic consecutively. Naturally, his own mana would be depleted accordingly, but he felt he'd be able to read the flow of things.
"Grr... Ughhh..."
The Knight of True Flame, with all his attacks blocked, was pressured by the cold current all around him. Though he had attained a darkness nearly equal to immortality, that did not mean his sense of pain had vanished. Furthermore, fending off the cold and restoring his injuries only caused damage to build up in every area.
'I can feel it... The force binding me...'
The Knight of True Flame's eyes blazed as he began to radiate vast mana. To shatter this magic, he would have to distort the very foundation of the world for even an instant. After all, the next great mage's magic transcended the law of nature, binding the world itself.
"To think you're wielding magic of this level... I acknowledge it. You deserve to be called great mage."
The Knight of True Flame forcibly fractured the frozen time and stared at Alter. Though clearly flustered and stiff-faced, Alter faintly perceived the unusual event. The darkness which had coated him in pitch-black was, at some point, faintly colored with light.
'... I'm getting weaker. If I can just hold out a little longer...'