She had seen the knight once, the overbearing presence bearing down on her as he stood among the King’s watching pavilion. Back then, it was her duel against the Queen. No doubt that the King tried to leverage the Knight's presence to dampen Slea’s spirit, but in the end, it did not work.

  The Queen died, and she recalled the king's order for her to be brought down, despite this so-called ‘Sacred Duel’.

  Luckily for her and the whole Tieflings, the [Undead Godknight] was frozen in place. For ten seconds or so, as he argued with his king.

  That bought enough time for the nimble Tiefling to run. Slea had tried to save many who served as rearguard, but James the Thiefmaster went and carried her over his shoulder. She remembered the way the Tieflings—her friend were being cut down as she was carried to safety.

  Those events made the [Undead King] her target.

  Which was why the sight she saw currently brought a lovely thin smile to her lips.

  The [Undead Godknight] in the distant horizon approached below them, running with one arm completely missing and half of his armor charred by flames. The majestic color of the sea of his armor was now replaced by an ugly, soot-ashen, broken pattern. Not only that, but that armor was broken in many places, like remnants that tried their hardest to stick together.

  Wait actually…

  “Oh…” Slea gasped, briefly feeling respect for this [Undead Godknight]

  “What is it?” Jack asked just above her head. Jack set Slea down after the Tiefling just carried her so she could be with the advancing forces.

  Min and the other seven runebearers stepped forward. They peered down the rocky ledge, and they stood as the [Godknight] soon crossed below them.

  “Those Pyreflames,” Slea muttered as she focused her Heat Construct around her eyes. “Those flames keep his armor together, well, what remains of it anyway. They acted like some sort of string that attached itself to each remnant and slowly pulled things to a snap.”

  “Sounds neat,” Min commented beside her.

  “So it will heal itself? Does it have healing properties?” Escanor asked.

  “But,” Slea added. “Those Pyreflame could not reattach those armor properly because the [Godknight] was using those very same flames through his legs to propel himself like that. As for healing properties…”

  Slea tried to see harder. She could make out the thin line of flame around the faraway [Godknight]’s body; it’s quite interesting. The flames were now regulated mainly for two functions: his feet and the armor, so the [Godknight] constantly pushed out Pyreflame from his body. And those flames, Slea made out how they flickered in rebellion; those flames wanted to stay inside him and heal him.

  “Yes, those can heal,” Slea said.

  Jack cursed softly under his breath as he summoned the shadow spear upon his hand, which drew a startled jerk of reaction from Slea.

  “Ah!” Slea cursed, her head suddenly throbbing.

  “What?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

  What? What!

  Her Heat Construct was suddenly bombarded by these mysterious dark flames, which caused her brain to knot by the sudden influx of information.

  Slea stared impassively at Jack, who still had not realized, despite already marrying Floundea, who had a similar Spell.

  The Tiefling gazed down and then said, “The plan is on, then?” Jack asked Escanor, who was chosen as the leader.

  Escanor nodded, tapping his cool steel spear against the tip of the ledge as the wind blew across them, flapping every cloak. Slea had to steady her Brimhat so it wouldn’t fall over.

  The plan was—Ten of them jumped the [Godknight] while Floundea was protected by the last four Runebearers. And between Escanor’s force and Floundea, there would be the regular Tiefling that tagged along and provided any possible support.

  Unlike the Third Runebearer, Floundea’s faction was not well-versed in wind magic, but what they lacked—they would make up for with their spear proficiency—which indeed worried Slea as she could see chipping away the [Godknight] with wind magic could work, but it ultimately failed. Now they had to do it? Granted, now the [Godknight] was injured, but still…

  “I suppose,” Escanor began, spinning his spear and standing stout as he popped a muscle. “It will be nice to know why it kept running instead of healing like Slea claimed he could.”

  “Maybe it’s being chased?” One of the Runebearers—Rujak—offered an answer.

  “Yeah, The Third’s Runebearers could easily chase him with Gale Step,” Min said—to which the very same spell also built beneath Min’s speed, and with her Drowfication ready, there would be no doubt that the woman would reach the [Godknight] first.

  “I understand running from James, but he is dead…” Escanor mumbled.

  “Does it matter now?” Jack asked, then pointed at the now clear outline of the ruined [Godknight] that carried a sword bristling with blue flames. “This reinforces our plan if anything. We can’t let him heal! If someone chased from behind, then all the more reason to stop him now!”

  “I’m not arguing with you, my friend. In fact, I agreed,” Escanor held up his hands and said. “Trident Wisp, Jack, you, me, and Jonathan will be the vanguard. Three to the right and two to the left! I will leave the assortment to you,” he nodded to Franklin, who gave a thumbs-up and began shouting orders to the last four Runebearers.

  Then Escanor turned to Slea and Min.

  “Both of you—”

  “Will be the wisp,” Slea finished, “We got it, Escanor.”

  Escanor gave a grateful smile, then, with Jack, they began to crouch on one leg, preparing to launch at the [Godknight].

  The others began slipping into the forest as they descended the hill they were on, creating a flanking maneuver.

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  “We got it?” Min hissed, her eyes widening at Slea in full panic. “What is the wisp?”

  “It’s simple,” Slea answered. “Basically, you will carry me around the battlefield, preferably its unguarded flank, so I can blast him with magic.”

  “I have to carry you?”

  “You think I could move like—”

  Slea paused.

  The [Godknight] noticed them.

  And her breath hitched by the Flame Construct flowing like a blazing inferno through his body into that bright blue sword. Pyreflame roared to life within the weapon, and a sizzling, bright flame melted away all the snow around the knight and even burned the forest into a small charred clearing.

  The air churned as a whiff of flame touched Slea’s cheek.

  Dangerous.

  “Behind me,” Slea quickly stepped forward, shoving both Jack and Escanor back.

  She lifted both hands, aiming at the [Godknight] who was charging his magic and was about to blast the whole hill.

  Flame gathered, flared up by each of Slea’s scaled fingertips—ember clusters siphoned from each of her scales into her hands and amassed by each of her fingers—What should she form it into?

  She examined the [Godknight]’s charging flames. It would be like a wave of a tsunami of flames. At first, it might sound deadly, but in truth, the spell wouldn’t be formed properly. It just relied on brute force; all he did was spread every individual flame. Perhaps the Godknight just had not gotten any skill yet to form them, but, no matter, Slea decided on her construct.

  She suppressed an ignition core of flames into a pooled circle about her size, right beyond her, and a radiant orange flame blistered, only held by her control. An infernal dragon head roared through the circle of flames, and she could not hold it anymore.

  Beside her, Min had also already drawn an arrow.

  Now, Slea could not examine those shadows that crept around her arrow with her Heat Construct, as there were no flames involved in it.

  “I will force his magic out,” Min said.

  “Let me help too,” Jack shouted behind.

  Without further ado, two dark projectiles rushed at the [Godknight]. The knight snapped his head up and quickly released his magic by shearing the air.

  Pyreflame erupted in a stream of molten blue waves that consumed both the spear and arrow in overwhelming force. Min’s arrow was ravaged by the flames, while Jack’s spear survived, but it was knocked back by pure pressure and disappeared, then reappeared in Jack’s hand again.

  Slea expelled her magic. Heatwave trailed the path of her Dragon Jaw—the circle combusted into a complete Dragon’s face, and it lanced through the wave of blue flames. Both flames connected, and combusting dark air blasted around the battlefield with a sudden white-hot shock that knocked back everyone standing.

  Gritting her teeth, Slea steadied her brimhat and watched as her Spell disappeared along with the [Godknight]’s magic. The part of the Pyreflame that had not hit with her magic now seared through the forest with bluish flame. She steadied her breath as the air turned into a burnt rot. Their magic might cancel each other, but Slea’s was a focused magic meant to pierce through the [Godknight]. Instead, what happened was the bit of his magic capable of canceling her focused spell.

  “We need to get close,” Slea said.

  Before she could say anything more, two blurring figures rushed through the smoke from both of her sides. Slea briefly watched Pyreflame building again, and a spike of fear jumped on her throat. But then a dark, shadowy flame knocked it off, and they exchanged forces in a swiveling dance of dark and blue.

  “Whoa,” Slea yelped as her body suddenly lifted off the ground.

  “All right,” Min spoke above her. “Come on, princess,”

  “Whatever,” Slea scowled, getting her wand out to point at the [Godknight].

  Min blasted into movement, and Slea cursed as wind whiplashed her face and her hand shot up to clutch her brimhat.

  “We’re veering,” Min shouted.

  And they did, running around as two Runebearers entered combat by scoring a jab on the Godknight’s unprotected behind.

  The Godknight spun and blocked one spear, breaking apart another one as he stepped forward and shoved his shoulder onto Jonathan’s body, which caused the other Runebearer to step back lest they wanted to be caught with Jonathan in crossfire.

  With bought time, the Godknight summoned another sword and dropped his broadsword. This time, a thin sword instead of a broad one. The new sword was made like a rapier meant for stabbing.

  Slea wanted to cry out, but by the time she realized, Jonathan’s throat was pierced, and a shear of flames followed into Alduis’s arm, opening a grievous wound that sent the Runebearer down.

  After those two went down, Jack and Escanor stepped in and caused the Godknight to respond by using his new sword to quickly parry as they kept breaking up and delivering jab upon jab with their superior range.

  “Slea, now!” Min shouted.

  They skidded to a stop, and Min let her down. Slea immediately aimed her wand out.

  Before she could even release her magic, the Godknight turned on them. He ran at them, and Jack and Escanor cried out.

  Slea was still focused, and three thin braids of fire shot out from her wand, each ending with a serpent mouth.

  The first serpent was parried by the rapier of the Godknight. That usually was not possible, but the faint blue outline of Pyreflames granted that sword the capability to block Slea’s magic.

  The Godknight sliced apart her second serpent, but he was not fast enough to dodge the third one as it engulfed the knight’s body in an explosion of flames.

  Still, the Godknight was not down. By the time Min released her arrow, the Godknight was already ready and blocked it. The knight spun in time to meet Jack’s spear and parried it hard up to the sky. Then it received Escanor’s attack by expertly using its remaining shoulder armor to block the attempt.

  Did they really face this monster? Suna, Noa, and Reki? And somehow were able to damage it this much?

  “Keep going!” Escanor screamed.

  Jack was recalling his spear, and it was just formed, which caused Jack to be too late when the rapier of the Undead Godknight pierced Escanor’s throat.

  Slea screamed out, shooting a repetitive fireball to which the Godknight used his shoulder armor again to brace against her attack. Her magic blasted into the Godknight, but a trail of movement kicked off as the Godknight sheared through one Runebearer’s head, and once again met by Jack’s attack, which he focused on to block.

  Min once again released her arrow, and again the Godknight reacted.

  It happened far too frequently that Slea could not help but notice. It was watchful of any shadow-based attack.

  The Godknight left his engagement with Jack and cut apart Min’s arrow mid-air.

  “You!” The Godknight screamed at Slea. “I will have revenge for my queen,”

  “Come and get it then,” Slea shouted back. This time, she charged a huge serpent and was preparing to release it to force away the Godknight—he charged at her.

  Strange, the Godknight was slowed down.

  And that bought the Runebearers time to catch up to him—the only surviving four.

  Jack drew the Godknight's attention with his shadow spear as the Godknight was forced to turn and block it.

  Meanwhile, the others formed a wall for Slea. And this was the time the Godknight pushed Jack away in their contest of strength and broke away to his now unprotected right—where no one blocked him.

  Slea watched, dumbfounded. Its running?

  Min cursed beside her and propelled herself forward to run after the fading figure of the Godknight.

  That direction…“He is running to Floundea.” Slea shouted at Jack.

  He just used that declaration to kill her as a decoy.

  —

  The Rabbit's ear twitched.

  Something had held the Godknight, and for quite a time too…

  What was he?

  Suna briefly lost track of the Godknight as its power weakened, so his Rabbit cloak had a hard time detecting the knight. He had another way—the Ashen Brand. He had dealt enough heat to the Godknight that his Spell could track it. But then, Landfred was in a firefight, and that confused Suna’s Ashen Brand.

  A weakness in both of his tracking capabilities, but he no longer needed them.

  The exchange of flames burned a huge part of the forest, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw him. The [Godknight] was running somewhere—somewhere not the castle.

  Landfred was slowed down, the result of whatever fight he got into.

  And now Suna could catch up.

  “There he is,” a feminine voice spoke behind him.

  Suna turned to see Amidela and a couple of Runebearers who each now carried a new Thief's sword.

  “Just you three?”

  “James' death…” Amidela paused for a brief breath. “It weighs heavily,”

  “I assume you’re the third new Thiefmaster now?” Suna asked, his gaze not leaving his target.

  “Me or Desha.”

  “That coward will not be a Thiefmaster,” a voice hissed from one of the Runebearers.

  Suna found himself agreeing, but it was not the time.

  “All of you brought it then?” Suna asked.

  Each of them gave him a nod.

  All three weapons the Godknight left.

  Two Pyredaggers and even that Pyre Claymore that was slung across a Tiefling's back.

  “Good, now no more shooting wind magic except for Amidela with her shadow wind. Both of you go close and hold them back while Amidela and I will kill it.”

  The Runebearers did not offer Suna any complaint; instead, Amidela handed Suna the Pyredagger, and they set off.