Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 149 - Undying

"That's not a fucking name."

Medrauta's retort had shot out of her lips almost instantly, causing herself to mentally berate herself immediately after. Whoever the "Walpurgisknight" was, they were certainly a formidable opponent and one that was not to be taunted lightly, especially given their apparent ability to completely ignore an arrow to the head without even the slightest hint of pain.

"No. But it is mine." The Walpurgisknight replied calmly, resting his greatsword on his shoulder as he advanced toward Medrauta's position, threatening to bring the gargantuan weapon down on the silver-haired knight.

Medrauta stepped backward slightly, taking care to pay attention to the space that she gave up in order to maintain the distance between her opponent and Viviane. Though they no longer fought in the match stadium, Medrauta's job to protect her lady hadn't changed at all. The silver-haired knight raised her sword in anticipation for the black-clad warrior's attack, but the downward slash never came.

Instead, the Walpurgisknight accelerated abruptly, leading his charge with his armored shoulder. The heavy pauldron was covered in multiple sharp spikes shaped similarly to spearheads, and Medrauta was fairly certain they were made to be just as solid and reliable as well. Although such additions would normally be unnecessary and perhaps even dangerous, the Walpurgisknight leveraged the features of his armor perfectly, forcing Medrauta to twist to the side in an effort to avoid the potentially deadly charge.

Only then did the crushing cut come crashing down from above. Off-balance and still recovering from her last-second dodge, Medrauta was forced to withstand the full force of the Walpurgisknight's attack as she hastily flicked her sword in position to block. The strike fell with the power of an apocalyptic avalanche, nearly bringing Medrauta to her knees from the mere effort of blocking it directly.

Had she been able to slant her sword and redirect the force of the attack like she usually did, even an attack of such caliber would be nothing more than child's play for Medrauta. However, the Walpurgisknight's expert mastery of combat had severely disrupted the silver-haired knight's rhythm, forcing her to endure the devastating strike.

"Medrauta!" Viviane's bow sang its deep-throated hum as it spat a storm of arrows in rapid succession, each one of them burying itself in the gaps of the Walpurgisknight's armor. The noblewoman had focused specifically on the armored knight's exposed underarm, firing several arrows in a tightly packed line that simulated a cut from a blade. "Let's get out of here!"

Despite the Walpurgisknight's overpowering strength, he was still limited to the confines of his biology, and though his wounds regenerated quickly, the simultaneous impact of the arrows had caused the muscles in his underarm to snap.

No longer under the immense pressure of the Walpurgisknight's attack, Medrauta quickly pushed the greatsword away from herself and retreated rapidly, positioning herself further away from her opponent than she would've liked. "We can't, Vivi! Look at his pommel! If we leave, he's just going to make another damn sphere!"

It had been a long, long while since she'd been pushed back so greatly, and while any other knight likely would have only retreated slightly out of pride, Medrauta understood the need to give herself ample recovery time if she was to score a victory against her formidable opponent.

Unfortunately for Medrauta, the Walpurgisknight had no intention of allowing her to rest. Viviane's arrows clattered to the ground as they were pushed out by the black-clad knight's flesh, allowing him to advance unhindered as he leveled his blade toward Medrauta once more. Instead of issuing a horizontal or vertical cut, the Walpurgisknight had once again decided to commit to a charging thrust.

Medrauta exhaled deeply, focusing her senses entirely on the Walpurgisknight. Although a thrust didn't carry as much weight and power as a cut, it was the fastest and most direct form of attack, and her opponent certainly didn't waste any time proving it. Medrauta could feel the rush of air generated by the Walpurgisknight's charge even as his black blade pierced through the air. She had been caught off guard the first time, but she was ready now.