Knight – Part 07
“What are you standing around for? Run, all of you!”
Luke’s voice sounded distant. Cecily’s attention was locked on the ice demon.
Creak. Creak. The demon’s body groaned. A series of sharp cracks erupted as countless ice spikes jutted from its back and launched all at once.
“Cecily!”
Cecily registered it only after it was over.
A shock ran through her body, and her consciousness and sense of pain faded. When she came to, she found herself lying on the ground, and it took her a moment to realize that she’d been knocked unconscious, if only briefly.
“Huh?”
What happened?
The pain was accompanied by a faint numbness. Feeling a discomforting wetness, Cecily checked and found her entire body smeared with her own blood. Though she hadn’t sustained any major injuries, she was covered in numerous small cuts. Tiny, round wounds dotted her arms and cheeks. Her knight’s uniform was torn in places, and a chilling cold enveloped her skin. Was it from those ice spikes?
More like arrows than spikes, they had shot out from the demon’s back, striking her from all angles. Cecily wasn’t the only one affected; even the members of the expedition team and the bandits were writhing in agony, caught in the attack.
Lying on her stomach, she squinted through the mist, barely making out the silhouette of the ice demon. It continued to make that same lifeless, breathing sound. Its outline seemed to rise and fall.
“It’s coming.”
The sound of ice shattering underfoot grew louder as it slowly approached. It methodically pulled out its conical legs, stabbed them into the ground, and repeated the process, steadily advancing forward. As it drew closer, the temperature dropped sharply. The ground rumbled ominously.
Through the fog, Cecily glimpsed something gleaming within the demon’s silhouette. They shone like jewels—eerily beautiful, yet entirely devoid of life.
“Eyes.”
Those were the demon’s eyes. Otherworldly orbs locked onto her, fully aware of her presence.
Cecily’s teeth chattered, not from the cold but from sheer terror. Fear gripped her, and she felt no shame in her reaction.
Damn it!
Cecily tried to stand, tried to raise her sword. The threat loomed too close to remain still, but her efforts were in vain. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed as soon as she tried to rise. Her legs trembled uncontrollably. She was more injured than she thought and had lost a considerable amount of blood.
Desperate to fight back, she thrust her sword forward, only to immediately grind her teeth in frustration. The demon’s earlier attack had shattered the blade, leaving it broken from the hilt. Meanwhile, the ice beast continued its approach. Frustration flared in Cecily. She pounded her knees with her fist, trying to stop their shaking with the pain.
Cold air stung her cheek. She could feel the demon’s tremendous presence close by. She knew without looking—it was right there. The crushing pressure alone was almost too much to bear. Cecily shut her eyes.
A metallic clang rang out, clear and sharp. Cecily lifted her head, eyes wide. She had sensed it coming.
The swirling mist obscuring her vision had been split cleanly in two. Through the torn veil, two shadows emerged.
One was, of course, the ice demon. The other…
This marked the third time.
“Luke!”
In the space where the mist had split, the ice demon and Luke stood face-to-face, dangerously close. The demon had stopped breathing, remaining utterly still, while Luke held his sword lowered, motionless.
It was clear that Luke had struck the demon, but the outcome of that strike was uncertain. Did the katana manage to cut the demon?
Something sliced through the air. Cecily looked around to see a long, thin object falling and embedding itself in the ground before her. She gasped and staggered back; it was the broken blade of a sword. Cecily’s eyes darted back to Luke and the demon.
Luke’s katana had been cleanly severed right down the middle. Looking closer, Cecily noticed that the area between the ice beast’s eyes, presumably its brow, was chipped.
Just a chip?
The sword that could cut through steel had failed to slice through the demon’s body, snapping instead.
Disappointment washed over Cecily. Was it hopeless? Were humans no match for this creature?
Cecily hung her head. The Valbanill War, often called the end of the world, had unleashed demons like these across the continent, and now she understood why.
“No helping it. Looks like it’s time to bring that out again.”
Luke sprang back nimbly, tossing aside his broken sword without a second thought. Surprised by his calm, casual tone, Cecily glanced up. Luke wore a grin.
“Lisa!”
“Right here!”
A small head popped out beside Cecily. It was Lisa. Her work clothes, like everyone else’s, were torn and frayed in several places, but she herself appeared completely unharmed.
Luke rushed over, grabbed Lisa by the scruff of her neck, and effortlessly hoisted her into the air with one hand. He shot a glance at Cecily, still lying on the ground in a daze, and flashed another smug smile.
“I expect a hefty payment.”
His smile was strangely innocent, and Cecily couldn’t help but stare.
“Lu—”
“Lisa, lure that thing over here!”
“Got it!”
Dangling from Luke’s hand, Lisa began speaking in a series of strange sounds that Cecily had never heard before. It was hard to even consider it language. It sounded more like the growls and howls of beasts, cut into fragmented syllables.
The ice demon reacted to Lisa’s voice. Luke and Lisa sprinted toward the forest, away from Cecily. The creature turned its head in their direction and lowered its body. Its back bent and creaked as if pressed down from above, compressing further until it lay flat on its belly. Then, in an instant, it released the tension in a powerful leap. Ice shards scattered as it soared into the air in a wide arc, limbs piercing the ground on landing. It plowed through every tree branch in its path, repeating the cycle of jumping and landing as it pursued Luke and Lisa.
“…”
Cecily was left behind, completely bewildered. Did he have a plan?
He was smiling with confidence, showing no signs of doubt or fear—only a belief that he couldn’t lose.
“I expect a hefty payment.”
And somehow, Cecily found herself believing in that look, too.
She felt that he would return. Perhaps not unscathed, but having settled things one way or another. He just had that kind of persuasive presence.
For now, she had survived. Cecily let out a sigh of relief.
“Is that what you want?”
“No.”
She shook her head and stood up. Bloodied and bruised, her uniform torn, hair disheveled, and face streaked with grime, she stared into the depths of the forest.
“It’s not.”
Her feet moved on their own, heading toward where Luke and the ice beast had disappeared.
“I can’t.”
She pushed through the undergrowth, hacking at branches with her broken sword, trampling over debris scattered in her path.
“No, it isn’t.”
Her joints creaked, her blood continued to ooze out, and each step sent searing pain through her body, threatening to drive her mad. She staggered like a sleepwalker, but she kept moving forward.
“Is that what you want?”
“Of course not.”
Her pace quickened. If she stayed put, she’d despise herself for doing nothing. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
A knight shouldn’t leave everything to civilians. That would be dereliction of duty and a stain on the Campbell name.
“I want you to look at me.”
Besides, Luke still hadn’t seen the real Cecily Campbell.
She stumbled into a small clearing, a meadow that opened unexpectedly within the forest. She nearly tripped, catching herself just in time. When she looked up, she saw something she didn’t expect. A massive sphere of fire hovered in the air.
It was a giant ball of black flame, large enough to swallow a person whole. There was something hypnotic about it, an eerie pull that threatened to drag her just by staring at it. She recognized it as fire because it flickered gently like a campfire, scattering sparks and swaying in the breeze. But despite its enormous size, she felt no heat from it.
The mere presence of a demon was intimidating enough, but now this? Cecily was struck speechless.
“What are you… doing here?”
Luke, standing near the fiery sphere, turned toward her, surprised. Lisa was standing beside him, her back to Cecily, eyes fixed on the fiery orb.
Luke looked angry, and at the same time embarrassed, like a child caught misbehaving.
He held a sword hilt with no blade attached. No blade? Cecily’s mind raced. Why was he holding something like that? Was the flaming sphere something Luke had conjured? Was it a Prayer Pact?
Her head spun with questions. A sudden chill brushed her ear, drawing her gaze. The ice beast stood there, bristling as it faced Luke and the black sphere. Its back was covered with countless icy spikes, just like before. The demon trembled, ready to unleash those spikes at any moment.
Instantly, a shiver ran down Cecily’s spine. Her heart pounded, and her knees shook. She felt like crying from the sheer helplessness. The pain in her wounds flared up, mirroring her negative thoughts. But her legs kept moving, carrying her toward Luke.
Upon reaching him, she turned to face the ice beast head-on, positioning herself between it and Luke. She took small breaths to steady her racing heart.
“What are you doing? Get out of the way!”
It was too late. Cecily stared at the vibrating demon, and the demon stared back at her.
“Just stand back and watch!”
She wished she could, but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.
“Are you telling me to stand by and do nothing?”
“What?”
“To watch from a safe distance?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am a Knight Guard of the Independent Trade City’s Third District.”
Cecily reached behind her back, where the hilt of her sword hung by a chain.
“And the head of the honorable House Campbell.”
She gripped the hilt with her right hand and tore the chain free.
Father, please lend me your strength.
“My job is to protect the city.”
She knew there was little she could do right now. She didn’t have the power to defeat that demon. But there was one thing she could do.
“Protect citizens like you.”
If nothing else, she could be his shield. Cecily spread her limbs wide.
“Watch closely, Luke Ainsworth. This is Cecily Campbell.”
The icicles on the ice beast’s back shuddered violently before launching all at once. They arced high, reaching their peak, then rained down on her. Cecily shut her eyes, bracing for the onslaught. The first time, she only felt a blunt force, but now her sharpened senses registered each spike clearly. It was like being caught in a downpour of icy spears. They pelted her forehead, slashed her eyelids, pounded her cheeks, scraped her shoulder blades, flicked her wrists, pierced her chest, and bore into her sides and thighs. She nearly lost consciousness, her body arching backward. Biting her lip, she forced herself to lean forward instead. She dug her heels into the ground, eyes wide open as shards of ice shattered against her. She felt hot liquid spurting out, and she realized she was bleeding. The pain, the cold, the dizziness—it all blended together until her senses numbed. Yet, she could still feel the hilt gripped tightly in her right hand. The storm of ice raged on, but Cecily Campbell did not fall.
And then, she heard it—Luke’s voice, coming from behind.
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