Chapter 25: The Commander's Resolve
The dust clouds slowly settled. The black monster stood victorious, staring down at the remaining small fires who dared challenge it. Beneath its feet, the Knight with the spear, Edward, lay on the pulverized ground, utterly motionless.
"Edward!" the Commander cried out, his voice cracking, but there was no response.
He stood in shocked helplessness. The sight of two comrades fallen, defeated in battle, triggered agonizing flashbacks. In an instant, his mind was flooded with memories of the devastating demon wars that had threatened the kingdom years ago.
Long ago, as a junior Knight going into his first battle, he had watched all his comrades die right before his eyes. He was the only one who survived, standing alone on a field littered with Knight corpses, the sickening scent of blood and decaying demon flesh filling the air. That experience had scarred him for life. Seeing Edward motionless brought back the same, crushing feeling of uselessness.
The monster's gaze was fixed intently on the Commander. It could feel it: the agony, the despair, the exquisite sadness of a reoccurring memory on a scarred soul. It was like ecstasy, like a rich, fluent red wine it couldn't get enough of. It wanted more—so much more—even if it had to slowly squeeze every drop of life and sorrow out of the Commander to get it.
It launched forward like a fired bullet, appearing before the Commander in an instant, its right fist raised high for a deadly, finishing strike.
"It's over," he resigned inwardly, losing the will to fight.
The monster launched its large fist. It seemed finished. In that perilous moment, a Magic Knight—a slender woman—flashed between the small space separating the monster's fist and the Commander's chest.
"Parry!"
She swung her longsword with a desperate, empowered cry, striking the monster's large hand and violently batting it to the left. The impact created a fierce shockwave that blasted the remaining dust and debris away, forcing the Commander backward. His eyes widened in shock to see her, Knight Verna, risk her life to protect him.
"Are you alright, Sir?" the other remaining Knight, with the greatsword, rushed toward the Commander while Verna kept the monster engaged.
"I'm fine," he managed, his voice hoarse, turning his fixed gaze back to the creature.
His blood began to boil. The helplessness and sadness of the past were violently channeled, transmuted into pure, roaring anger. He was determined to take the monster's head, even if it was the last thing he ever did.
"Sir, should we retreat?" the Knight beside him asked, his weapon trembling slightly.
"No," the Commander barked. He stretched his hand forward, and something came flying back from the distance like a spinning disk. He caught it firmly in his hand, and behold, it was his battle axe.
"But, Sir—"
Before the Knight could speak, the Commander seized his armor and dragged the man close.
"Where is your pride as a Magic Knight?! That pride that separates you from all others and makes you stand supreme! We keep fighting, not for ourselves, but for the others who have fallen before us!" he roared, injecting his renewed resolve directly into the man.
"We bring it down now!"
The Commander released the Knight, who, inspired and shamed in equal measure, instantly drew his sword and launched forward to assist Verna.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Cassian watched from the carriage roof, truly impressed, not by the raw power of the Knights, but by the creature's chilling ability and brutality.
"It doesn't just mimic techniques and abilities," Cassian analyzed, his smile tightening as he compared Edward's Rising Dust Form with the monster's darker version of the same technique.
"It is able to create a more powerful, infused version of whatever ability it copies. That... that is the part that intrigues me the most."
The beast blocked and countered both Knights' moves with an expertise and fight style chillingly similar to a human duelist. Unable to land a scratch, both Knights quickly dashed backward to reevaluate their futile, high-speed plan.
The monster's serrated teeth seemed to widen even more, a grotesque imitation of a smug smile. Suddenly, a powerful thrust kick from its hind leg launched it forward toward Verna.
One by one, it launched its large fists at Verna, who managed to block, parry, and dodge each strike, all while being forced backward. She was exhausting herself, unable to keep up the superhuman pace for long.
The second Knight, seeing Verna flagging, rushed in from behind the monster, spun his sword, and jumped high into the air. The sword in his hands suddenly lit up, engulfed in beautiful, crackling blue flames.
"Burning Passion, Scorching Flame!" he yelled, preparing to descend in a devastating fiery slash.