I Can Purify Corruption Through Intimacy in the Apocalypse

Just then, the Hollow Knight moved.

BOOM!

Its armored frame burst across the courtyard with terrifying speed, charging straight at Kira like an avalanche of steel. Even so, the Wolfkin had timed his provocation perfectly. The distance he'd deliberately left between them bought everyone the precious seconds they needed to finish their preparations.

The moment the Hollow Knight committed, Kira kicked off the ground and sprang sideways, his body twisting neatly through the air as the armored giant thundered past the spot where he'd been standing only a second earlier.

Almost simultaneously, a wall of surging water rose before Thane's shield.

FSSHHH!

The barrier held for only a fraction of a second before collapsing under the sheer force of the impact, but that brief resistance was enough. The Hollow Knight's momentum faltered ever so slightly, and by the time it slammed into Thane's tower shield, the half-dwarf had fully settled into his stance.

BOOM!

The impact reverberated through the entire courtyard.

Thane grunted through clenched teeth as his massive frame was shoved backward, his boots gouging long trenches into the cracked cobblestones while his tower shield groaned under the strain. Every muscle in his body tightened to keep the shield from collapsing, and although the force still drove him back several steps, he held.

The difference in their height worked in his favor.

The Hollow Knight's greatsword swept overhead, missing him completely as the charge carried the blade harmlessly above his helmet.

A moment later, brilliant light blossomed behind him.

Sylphie's prayer reached its climax, bathing Thane in a warm radiance just as the Hollow Knight's body suddenly locked in place, as if an unseen force had locked every joint in place.

Lucien had expected to see some kind of visible barrier enveloping Thane when Isolde mentioned Divine Shield earlier—something akin to the Azure Shield—but no such protection appeared.

Well, it didn't matter.

The Hollow Knight was motionless.

That mattered more!

Lucien seized the opening without a moment's hesitation. His hand slipped beneath his cloak, closed around the final vial of Hollowed Disruption Compound, and, in one smooth motion, he tore it free and hurled it at the knight with all the strength he could muster.

Crack!

The vial burst against the Hollow Knight's battered helmet, showering its ruined face with violet liquid as the compound spread through the shattered faceplate.

Although the Hollow Knight had been brought to a standstill by the combined efforts of Thane, Isolde, and Sylphie, Lucien had no intention of holding anything back.

So far, the battle had gone a lot better than he'd feared. Their opening ambush had fallen apart, yet after that, they'd managed to adapt without suffering any truly serious injuries. The entire fight had unfolded smoothly—a little too much, in fact.

That was precisely why, when a chorus of hoarse screams drifted over the estate walls and steadily grew louder, the first thought to cross Lucien's mind was almost resigned.

...Of course.

The sound rolled through the courtyard from somewhere beyond the estate, carrying with it the unmistakable cries of approaching Hollows.

Everyone heard it.

Across the battlefield, Lucien saw Kira instinctively glance toward the wall, his wolf ears twitching as his attention slipped for the briefest of moments.

Ava noticed it too.

"Ignore them!" she barked, never slowing as she sprinted toward the immobilized Hollow Knight. "Finish this one first! Crush its head!"

"Ah—right!"

Kira immediately snapped back to the fight and launched himself forward.

Unfortunately, instead of driving the point of his bastard sword through the exposed opening in the shattered helmet, he gripped the hilt with both hands and delivered a heavy, crushing slash.

CLANG!

The blade smashed into what remained of the helmet, caving in another section of steel with a deafening metallic crack. It was a powerful blow, but most of its force was wasted on the armor instead of the exposed flesh beneath.

Ava's expression tightened.

"Tch..." she clicked her tongue in frustration without breaking stride. "Why didn't you thrust?!"

She didn't wait for an answer.

The remaining distance disappeared in the blink of an eye as Ava burst forward from the opposite side. Her rapier flashed repeatedly, each thrust flowing seamlessly into the next while quick slashes carved across the Hollow Knight's ruined face and the jagged edges of its shattered helmet. The flurry lasted only a second before she slipped back out of range, already clearing space for Lucien.

He felt the same frustration she did, but there was no point dwelling on it.

Keeping his momentum, Lucien closed the last few meters at a sprint and sprang onto the Hollow Knight's back, his boots finding purchase on the overlapping plates as he climbed instinctively. The paralysis wouldn't last much longer. By the time he reached the shattered helmet, every muscle in his body had already tensed.

Now.

With a sharp exhale, he drove both daggers down with all his strength, forcing the blades through the ruined face and as deep toward the brain as he possibly could.

The resistance lasted only an instant before the steel punched through.

"—!"

For the briefest moment, it felt as though the attack had worked.

The next instant shattered that illusion.

The Hollow Knight convulsed so violently that Lucien nearly lost his footing, its massive frame swaying beneath him before suddenly tipping backward.

Shit—!

His stomach lurched.

There was no time to think.

Instinct took over as he kicked away from the knight's shoulders, twisting his body in midair in a desperate attempt to clear the falling mass. He almost succeeded.

Almost.

The Hollow Knight hit the ground first.

BOOM!

The impact shook the courtyard, and a split second later part of its armored torso crashed onto Lucien's lower body before he could pull himself free.

"Ngh—AAAH!"

The cry tore from his throat as white-hot pain exploded through his hips and legs.

The weight crushed him flat against the cobblestones, driving every last bit of air from his lungs. His mouth opened on reflex, yet nothing came out except a strained gasp. He tried to push himself free, but the effort only sent another wave of agony coursing through his body, forcing his arms to buckle immediately. His vision blurred for a moment as he clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached, every instinct screaming at him to move while the immense weight above him refused to budge. For several long seconds, all he could do was lie there, struggling just to drag a single breath back into his burning lungs.

"Kira, give me a hand! We'll lift the Hollow Knight together! Ava, get Lucien out of there! Isolde, cover Sylphie while she prepares to heal him!"

Thane's voice rang across the courtyard, steady despite the urgency.

A moment later, the crushing weight pinning Lucien to the ground shifted.

With a strained grunt, Thane and Kira heaved the Hollow Knight's armored body just high enough for Ava to seize the opportunity. She grabbed Lucien by the shoulders and yanked him free in one sharp pull.

"—Tss...!"

The movement sent a fresh spike of pain through his hips, forcing a hiss through clenched teeth as she dragged him several meters away without slowing down. It was rough, but he couldn't exactly blame her.

Before Lucien had fully caught his breath, a gentle, melodic chant drifted into his ears.

Sylphie's voice.

The elegant syllables of the Nephilim language carried the same strange duality as before. Half of him found them oddly soothing, while the Inferni blood in his veins recoiled at every word. Warmth spread through his battered lower body, followed immediately by an unpleasant sensation deep beneath his skin, as though invisible hands were carefully setting bones and arranging muscles back into place.

Lucien grimaced.

Between being crushed beneath the Hollow Knight and enduring Nephilim healing immediately afterward, his body had scarcely been given a moment's peace.

As soon as the healing ended, Ava caught him by the arm and hauled him upright.

"We should get out of here."

Her crimson eyes swept across the courtyard.

Following her gaze, Lucien's expression gradually tightened.

Figures were beginning to shuffle in through every gate.

They wore little more than the tattered remains of civilian clothing, each clutching whatever tool—a pickaxe, a sledgehammer, a crowbar, a mattock, an iron hammer, even the occasional long-handled chisel. Strangely, not a single one acknowledged the group. They drifted past as though the six of them weren't there, spreading out toward the estate walls, the cracked pillars, the dry fountain, and the manor itself.

Only after reaching their chosen targets did they stop.

CLANG!

THUD!

KRRRK!

The quiet courtyard was suddenly overwhelmed by the relentless din of metal striking stone.

Pickaxes chipped away at the walls. Sledgehammers pounded against the pillars until fragments of weathered masonry broke free. Crowbars scraped and groaned as they forced themselves into old cracks, prying at the estate with slow, methodical persistence.

"Unmade Hollows...?" Sylphie murmured, her silver eyes following the newcomers uneasily. "Did the Hollow Knight's roar during its second phase call them here?"

"It’s impossible to say." Isolde's grip tightened around her staff as she watched more shambling figures filter through the gates. "But if it did, another wave of aggressive Hollows may not be far behind. We should take a blood sample as proof for the reward and—"

Her words faltered.

She stared toward the fallen knight, her expression stiffening imperceptibly.

"...It's still alive?"

"What?" Kira blurted, his ears shooting upright. "Seriously?"

Lucien turned his attention back to the Hollow Knight and let out a faint click of his tongue.

I thought so.

Every Hollow he had killed until now had been accompanied by a notification from the System the moment it died.

This time, there had been nothing.

More importantly, Corruption Detection still revealed a stream of Corruption flowing through the Hollow Knight's head. The flow had weakened considerably after the last attack, but it hadn't stopped.

The thing was still alive.