Interlude: Cecily – Part 03
“Good morning, everyone. Your opponent today is me. Don’t expect any mercy, so brace yourselves.”
I can’t believe it!
The group erupted in disbelief and panic.
It was early the next morning, just a day after the mock battle announcement.
The members of the Independent Trade City’s Third District Knight Guard had gathered by the second main gate on the south side of the city. Outside the stone walls, a large group stood in the plain grassy field.
Following Hannibal’s instructions from the previous day, the knights had come in various armaments. Some wore their usual knight uniforms, while others carried bucklers or round shields. Their weapons ranged from swords and hatchets to spears and blunt instruments like maces. No one had brought a ranged weapon, like a bow.
Looking at their weapons, it didn’t seem like there was much to fear, but most of the knights were standing around with their hands over their faces, looking as though the end was near. Since the opponent was Hannibal Quasar himself, it was easy to understand why they were so rattled.
Patty was right.
Amid the gloomy knights, Cecily quietly thanked her colleague. Under Patty’s guidance, she had paid extra attention to her equipment today.
Cecily’s knight uniform was originally made for a man’s frame, so she had modified it to fit her own body. She’d scavenged armor from the storage room, breaking it apart and using pieces like bracers and shoulder guards. It had gotten a little chilly as the season changed, so she’d layered up a bit as well.
For weapons, she carried two. A sword at her waist and a polearm called a corseque—basically a spear with small blades on either side of the main one. Cecily was better at thrusting, so the polearm suited her style, but using it in a mock battle still felt like overkill.
“Even with this, it might not be enough for the captain.”
Cecily couldn’t help but agree.
Aria stood apart from the cluster of knights, quietly watching over her. Noticing her gaze, Aria gave a small wave, and Cecily responded with a small raise of her hand.
“Taking it easy, are we?”
Cecily turned around, and sure enough, she found Reginald standing there.
It seemed he’d expected Hannibal to be the opponent. He’d added extra armor to his uniform and was holding the same long spear Cecily had, looking every bit the part.
“I told you to withdraw,” he growled.
“Did you really think I would just step aside after hearing that?”
“Can you fight without your Infernal Blade?”
She did feel a slight unease knowing that the weapon wasn’t her usual partner.
“I can.”
This mock battle was her chance to test her skills, to prove to herself what she was capable of.
Reginald snorted. “If you’re participating, I’ll be counting on your abilities.”
For a second, Cecily was confused, unsure what he meant. She watched him turn and walk away, and the question finally slipped from her lips.
“What was that supposed to mean?”
“All right, everyone! Are you ready?!”
The knights’ eyes immediately fixed on Hannibal. Despite the weight of their stares, the large man smiled confidently.
“Anything goes. Whether it’s a sneak attack or surrounding me. Come at me with the intent to kill.”
He was dressed in his usual clothes, wielding a single iron spear. Despite wearing only minimal gear, he radiated a presence more powerful than anyone else there. Among all the city’s knights, he possessed the largest and most formidable physique. He stood tall and solid, like a great tree firmly rooted in the earth.
A warrior who had survived the war forty-four years ago as a teenager. The strongest man on the continent. Hannibal Quasar.
His gaze swept across the knights. “And before we begin, let me give you a word of warning. Don’t think of me as a mere human.”
His huge cross-shaped scar, stretching from his cheek to his neck, seemed to glow, like it was burning.
“A one-man army. From now on, you’ll face a demon!”
This was no ordinary mock battle. It was a test for the vice-captain position. Hannibal Quasar versus the Independent Trade City’s Third District Knight Guard.
The match began, but none could take the lead.
The proud knights hesitated. They spread out to encircle Hannibal, but no one was willing to make the first move. Carefully, they gauged the distance between them and the legendary warrior.
Cecily couldn’t afford to be reckless either. Now that she saw him as an enemy, the weight of the situation hit her hard.
She had fought a number demons and Inhumans before, but this man was something else entirely.
The tension in the air was so thick that Cecily could feel her palms starting to sweat.
“What’s this? No one’s moving? Pathetic,” Hannibal muttered, watching as his subordinates hesitated from a distance.”Fine, then. I’ll go. Any injuries are at your own risk.” He charged forward.
His dash was like a cannonshot. The earth exploded beneath him as he leaped forward, slamming into two knights in his path. They were sent flying, as if hit by a runaway carriage, skidding across the ground. Hannibal didn’t slow down. In a single motion, he lunged at another knight.
With a roar, his iron spear swung down. The air howled.
The knight he targeted didn’t just freeze in fear. He was, for what it’s worth, a member of the Guard that had fought against Inhumans and demons. He raised his own spear to block the attack. But he was struck down along with his weapon. Hannibal’s brute strength was simply overwhelming. Pinned beneath his own weapon, the knight foamed at the mouth and lost consciousness.
His sacrifice was a brutal reminder to the others. They couldn’t let his strike land.
Most of the knights shuddered. Could they dodge that?
“Quit standing around!” Reginald Drummond shouted at the frozen knights. “You’ll get done in anyway, so surround him!”
It was reckless logic, but they knew their captain well enough. Whether they fought back or not, Hannibal would attack mercilessly and crush them without hesitation. Seeing the grin spread across Hannibal’s face, the knights finally steeled themselves.
If they were going to die, they would die fighting.
The knights swiftly sprang into action, surrounding him in a formation like they’d practiced in training. It was a position that mimicked a coordinated beast hunt.
Hannibal narrowed his eyes and stepped into one section of the circle.
But the knights didn’t break formation. Instead, they tightened their grip and slowly closed in. The two knights knocked down earlier got back to their feet and rejoined the line. The one who’d been struck down was carried to the rear for treatment.
“Oh.” Hannibal let out a pleased sigh.
Seizing an opportunity, a shadow broke from the formation, slipping in behind him. It was Cecily.
She slid her foot across the ground, right side leading, closing the distance. Her corseque—a polearm with blades on either side—gave her a longer reach than a rapier. Without wasting a move, she entered into striking range and and thrust the spear in a smooth, fluid motion, aiming for the thick neck, the base of the skull.
Her blade had been dulled for the battle, but a blow to that spot would still do damage.
A perfect sneak attack from the blind spot. Still, Cecily didn’t expect this would be enough to take him down. And sure enough, Hannibal had already slipped out of the path of her thrust, shifting to the side with a speed unfathomable for his massive frame. Cecily didn’t even know how he sensed the attack.
The corseque’s tip sliced through empty air. But Cecily wasn’t finished.
Spears weren’t just valued for their reach, but also for their continuous flow. Thrust, pull, thrust, pull. Simple motions could be chained together, riddling the target full of holes.
Cecily had learned the basics of this technique in one night. Now, as she swiftly pulled the corseque back, she aimed its tip straight at Hannibal’s head. As he turned to face her, she lunged again, this time targeting his face with a second thrust.
“What?”
Hannibal had vanished. No, not vanished. He moved so fast that it almost felt like an illusion. He’d crouched down at her feet, folding his massive body low, and for a moment, he disappeared from her view entirely.
Without missing a beat, Hannibal grabbed the shaft of the spear that passed above his head, seizing it from below. Then, he twisted his body to turn his back toward her and heaved it up. Cecily, still holding the weapon, was yanked upward by an irresistible force, hauled effortlessly onto Hannibal’s steel-like back.
“Huh?”
She didn’t have time to process what was happening.
“Ha!”
Her back arched as she was thrown forward. Using a shoulder throw, Hannibal sent Cecily flying through the air.
It was a miracle she didn’t lose her grip on the spear. As she soared in a wild arc, she had no control—no sense of up or down, no way to break her fall or time the impact.
She crashed into the dirt. At the moment of impact, her vision turned white.
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