The cold gleam of crossbow bolts was the only source of light in the dim underground sewers.
The assassins of the Armorless Union wore masks equipped with night-vision functions, allowing them to move freely through the pitch-black waterways. Anyone on their path could be easily identified. In addition, the masks were also fitted with thermal imaging.
Over the years, Kazimierz's technology had not stood still, but most advancements were applied to knightly competitions, such as new types of armor and weapons. For Kazimierz, knights were the city's greatest commodity. Without investing in them, technological progress would be meaningless.
The Armorless Union was backed by the Chamber of Commerce. With such powerful support, acquiring specialized equipment for hunting knights was effortless. Their tools of assassination were inseparable from the their influence.
The underground waterway was not entirely dark. Warehouse sections and drainage channels connected to the surface allowed faint light to spill in. It was within this shifting interplay of light and shadow that Flametail ran.
During her escape, she had already hidden the middle-aged man and the girl beneath a manhole cover in a relatively safe space. Her next task was clear: draw the Armorless Union away and buy them as much time as possible.
A crossbow bolt brushed past Flametail's cheek, sending a sharp chill through her skin. She hissed softly. As the bolt whistled past, she turned and drew her sword.
With precise movements, her blade struck the incoming bolts, knocking some aside and splitting others cleanly in two. Rather than retreating, she advanced straight toward the pursuing assassins, meeting them head-on.
As a member of Tomorrow's Development and the Fate Knight, Flametail was well aware of the adventurers within the Armorless Union. Their presence had always troubled the Fate Knight. Their combat style differed greatly from that of standard assassins. Adventurers relied on all kinds of unconventional weapons, while Armorless Union assassins primarily used crossbows.
This difference was crucial. When knights encountered adventurers, they would engage as a group. Fighting alone was far too dangerous.
During this pursuit, Flametail quickly realized that none of those chasing her were adventurers. Otherwise, they would have already drawn melee weapons and engaged her directly, instead of relying solely on long-range fire. Her judgment matched the information previously transmitted by the Clever. She had not had time to carefully review that footage, but at this moment, only one thought occupied her mind.
Defeat these Armorless Union assassins.
The combat strength of the Armorless Union varied widely. At times, they could successfully assassinate members of Knight clubs. At other times, they were routed with surprising ease.
This often depended on their target. Take Margaret Nearl, for example. When she had been targeted, was it because the assassins chose not to kill her, or because they simply could not?
Location also played a decisive role. The towering structures of Kazimierz's mobile city offered countless advantageous positions for ambush. From rooftops and windows, assassins could strike unseen. For them, the city itself was the perfect hunting ground.
No knight could immediately determine which building or corner an arrow had come from.
But here, in the narrow underground waterways, Flametail had finally found her chance.
Bang!
Her long red hair flared as she lunged forward, a storm of rapier thrusts raining down on two assassins. They tried to raise their crossbows in defense, but Flametail did not slash or sweep. She thrust.
Her slender blade pierced their bodies again and again, leaving dozens of bloody wounds. The assassins collapsed to the ground.
Screams of pain rang out, plunging the area into chaos. The remaining assassins scattered instantly. As Flametail closed in, they fired in unison.
She ducked beneath three bolts, twisting her body just enough to avoid two more that skimmed past her side. Her rapier traced orange-red arcs through the air, moving with astonishing speed and sealing off the space around her.
"Tch, Originium Arts from an Infected."
"Fall back, now!"
The assassins retreated once more, not sparing a glance for their fallen comrades as they continued firing at Flametail.
She knew the effects of Originium Arts could not be sustained for long. Overuse would damage her body and jeopardize future battles. Understanding this, Flametail remained calm. As the assassins pulled back, her figure blurred into an orange-red streak and sprinted toward the warehouse area.
The remaining assassins exchanged looks and gave chase.
This was the dilemma the Armorless Union always faced. Against someone like Flametail, knights capable of competing on the main stage, assassination without ambush was extremely difficult.
Hearing the hurried footsteps closing in, Flametail reached the warehouse platform. She stepped onto it, turned toward the shelves behind her, raised her sword, and thrust.
The sharp arc of her sword severed the shelf's supports. A thunderous crash followed as the stacked goods collapsed, burying the Armorless Union assassins beneath them. Their cries of pain made Flametail knit her brows slightly, but she said nothing. Instead, she raised her sword and faced the hundreds of drones hovering overhead, their red lights flashing ominously.
The Clever beside her seemed to blink. A burst of indigo shockwaves erupted from its spherical body, slamming into the drones. One after another, they lost control, crashed to the ground, and detonated with deafening explosions.
Amid the crimson flames, a silver crossbow bolt struck the light shield surrounding Flametail. Before she could react, a second and third bolt hit the same spot in rapid succession. The once-reliable shield shattered instantly.
Puff.
An arrow slammed into her shoulder, and the force sent her tumbling to the ground. If not for her high-grade protective suit, her shoulder would have been ruined.
She clutched the injured spot. This was her first wound during the operation. Fortunately, there was no bleeding, and the injury was not severe. She pulled the bolt free and lifted her gaze toward the firelit darkness.
"Against such elite knights, the Armorless Union assassins are little more than children at play," a calm male voice said. A figure in a white-gold coat stepped forward. "It seems the Union truly needs to recruit some knights. In a place like this, crossbows are far too limited."
Flametail said coldly, "With that outfit, you're Platinum-ranked, aren't you?"
"Flametail Knight, infected knight of the Fate Knight. You were never our target," the man replied. "If not for the fact that you serve that lord, and that the Fate Knight are his property, your territory would have been swallowed by the Armorless Union long ago."
Platinum held a crossbow bolt between his fingers and spoke slowly. "But you interfered with our hunt, stole our prey, and killed our subordinates."
He paused, then continued in a low voice, "…Even if that lord comes for my life, I will kill you first."
Flametail disliked fighting assassins.
She disliked even more fighting Platinum rank.
Bang.
She barely evaded Platinum's sudden strike, retreating explosively. This opponent was nothing like the assassins she had faced before. He excelled not only at long-range attacks but also possessed formidable close-combat skills.
She had sparred before with a Platinum-ranked member of Tomorrow's Development to familiarize herself with their combat style. The techniques of high-ranking Armorless Union members came from the same style. The results back then had not been ideal.
Platinum, Darksteel, Lazurite. Their true strength could not be judged by title alone. At the very least, the Platinum-ranked enemy before her was slower than Tomorrow's Development's Platinum, but still fast enough to force her into a defensive stance.
Swish, brush, brush.
Dodging three incoming arrows, Flametail rolled forward and thrust her rapier, striking Platinum's crossbow with a sharp clang.
She frowned slightly. The crossbow showed no damage at all. Normally, such weapons were not particularly durable. Her rapier was a product of Tomorrow's Development, yet the crossbow remained unscathed.
"Heh. These are fine weapons I collected from adventurers," Platinum said unhurriedly. Beneath his mask, a red glint flashed in his eyes. "They are made to the same specifications as your rapier. Perhaps even better."
As his cold laughter echoed, Flametail forced him back. Her rapier trembled, and a tiny dent was left where it had collided with the crossbow. This was not her main weapon. The Fate Knight never cut corners with equipment, all forged to match the standards of the Venus. However, her primary weapon was currently under maintenance. The spare rapier she wielded was inferior in both durability and performance.
Even so, Flametail did not falter. Her speed increased steadily, her figure blurring into an orange-red afterimage as she lunged toward Platinum.
"Originium Arts again?" he snarled.
Enduring her relentless assault, he suddenly released a surge of killing intent that flooded the surrounding space. Flametail's movements slowed for an instant.
That instant was enough.
Platinum seized an arrow and hurled it like a projectile.
In a flash, the arrow flew toward her. Flametail instinctively raised her rapier and split it in two.
But as her blade completed its arc, a crossbow appeared out of nowhere and slammed into her abdomen.
Her body was sent flying like a broken sack.
Flametail smashed through wooden crates and torn packaging, finally slamming into a shipping container with a heavy thud that left a deep dent in its metal side.
Before she could recover, three crossbow bolts tore through the air.
The Clever stepped in front of her, intercepting the attack. After blocking the three arrows, the white light shield shattered once again.
The fourth bolt pierced the space where Flametail's head had been only an instant before. Enduring the searing pain in her lower abdomen, she forced her body to move, wielding her rapier to evade Platinum's relentless barrage.
She could feel it. Those who had held the Platinum rank for a long time carried a subtle yet unmistakable killing intent. In everyday life, it was almost imperceptible, but once battle began, it became chilling and oppressive. This was not the first time Flametail had faced such an aura.
She had felt the same presence during the clash between Tomorrow's Development Platinum.
It was not only arrows. Red-lit drones, controlled by this Platinum, surged toward her in suicidal arcs. The Clever that might have intercepted them were weakened by the shattered shield and lacked the energy to stop them all. More than half of the drones detonated behind Flametail.
Boom.
"Residents of the Region, please remain calm. A curfew has been imposed. The Knights' Association has been deployed to apprehend the criminals. Citizens are advised to stay indoors and cooperate with the Knights' Association."
Knights were injured in the chaos.
People felt the tremors beneath their feet and heard the distant explosions beyond their windows. Wisely, they shut their windows, drew their curtains, and stayed inside.
Dozens of meters underground, Flametail was hurled away by the shockwave. Even with the protective suit of the Fate Knight, she suffered severe internal injuries. The explosion of hundreds of drones might not have torn her flesh apart, but the impact sent waves of pain through her body.
For a moment, she could not move.
She coughed up blood, her sharp eyes fixed on Platinum. He calmly and methodically strung his crossbow. In Flametail's fading vision, his movements slowed, like a revolving lantern. Memories surfaced one after another, flickering like fragments of a painful film.
Back when she was Sona, the Zalak girl, she had been nothing more than an ordinary citizen living in a Zalak settlement in Kazimierz. She dreamed of knights but never believed she could become one. She lacked talent, or so she thought. She was just an ordinary Zalak girl.
Then a natural disaster changed everything.
Despite repeated warnings from disaster messengers, the local knightly noble family, House Kaliska, showed indifference toward the settlement. When catastrophe struck, Sona's home was destroyed.
Her family and friends were reduced to ashes before her eyes. Overnight, she lost everything. Fate was merciless. It stripped away even her last hope of survival and marked her as infected.
She drifted through nearby mobile cities, working as an infected laborer. Forced to grow strong, forced to endure, she learned how not to be trampled. She cried alone in shelters for the homeless, knowing that those who might have comforted her were gone forever. Strength was no longer a choice.
When she first saw the profession of Infected Knight, she was tempted. Though she had never received knightly training, she was thrown into an arena as an Infected Knight, locked in cages with savage beasts and forced to fight to the death. Her life belonged to the cheering spectators in the stands.
When the crowd grew dissatisfied and demanded more blood, dozens of ferocious monsters were added. That was when she realized that infected knights were nothing more than toys.
As a plaything, Sona gave everything. Too much. She lost many of her companions. She lost fellow infected knights. When she stepped onto the arena and saw her next opponent was the knight she had been chatting with moments before, and was told that only one of them would leave alive, he swung his sword without hesitation.
Like poisonous insects bred to devour one another, she fought relentlessly. She gained honor, a knight's title, and eventually her current identity from the Knights' Association.
Within the infected camps of Kawalerielki, she was forbidden from entering anywhere else. That was, until she met the Blood Knight, and the one who pulled her from the mire.
Felix.
He gave her what she has now. The Fate Knight saved her and forged her into who she is today.
Four years ago, she had still hesitated over whether Infected Knights should even exist. She had questioned herself as well.
What right did she have to keep fighting?
And now, four years later, she stood here, facing the Platinum rank assassin.
She had never retreated.
It was a little regretful. She had never properly thanked Felix, nor Greynuty, Justyna, or Iwona.
…Ah, she still had not thanked the Blood Knight, and she had not said goodbye to the Candle Knight.
Facing the incoming arrows, Sona raised her rapier. The harsh scraping sound of metal grated against her ears.
In the pitch-dark underground sewers, a beam of sunlight pierced through the clouds above, dispelling the killing intent and bringing light to this land.
Bang!
Flametail blinked. A beautifully crafted lance stood before her, its radiance illuminating the surroundings. Warmth flowed through her body, driving away the cold and gloom.
Platinum narrowed his eyes, flipped backward, and landed atop a container. Without hesitation, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow.
"…I remember. You were exiled from Kazimierz forever and forbidden to return."
Platinum's voice carried a deep sense of wariness. "Should I believe this is the will of that lord?"
"..."
A golden pegasus descended from the sky, landing lightly on the ground.
She wore Tomorrow's Development standard overcoat, a lance held firmly in her right hand. Faint golden pegasus wings shimmered behind her before dissolving into dense light.
"Margaret Nearl! This is a provocation against Kazimierz and the Chamber of Commerce!"
Platinum roared, loosing five arrows in an instant as drones surged toward Margaret like a tidal wave.
"…Light."
She grasped that ray of hope. It unfolded like a scroll, then transformed into an indestructible shield.
Boom!
The explosion tore open the underground sewers. Rain poured down from above as strong winds scattered the smoke. Margaret Nearl stood unharmed.
It was raining.
Platinum vanished without a trace. Margaret raised her lance, and in the next moment—
Bang!
Platinum's crossbow collided with Margaret's lance. Using the recoil, he leapt into the air again and drew an arrow. But he did not expect that the Flametail Knight had somehow risen despite her grievous injuries. Dragging her battered body forward, she thrust her rapier mercilessly into his back.
Platinum let out a muffled groan as he was slammed to the ground by Flametail's force.
Margaret swung her lance, clashing once more with Platinum's crossbow. Enduring the pain, he drew an arrow and barely parried Flametail's rapier.
In a single exchange, Platinum was already wounded. Flametail herself was far from weak, but she had been hindered by inferior equipment. Margaret, however, possessed overwhelming combat strength. Together, their combined power far exceeded a simple sum.
For the first time, Platinum considered retreating. Though loyal to the Armorless Union and a hound in its service, he had no desire to throw his life away here.
With that thought, the arrow in his hand flared with silvery-white light. This was the first time he had used Originium Arts, a blinding and numbing surge that brought searing pain.
A light appeared in Margaret's hand. She crushed it. As radiance poured over her body, she tightened her grip on the lance.
Golden pegasus wings spread behind her once more. At this moment, Margaret Nearl—
Like a pegasus knight from legend, she was invincible. Her presence was dazzling, her battles destined for victory, her very existence a beacon of hope.
"A knight is one who illuminates this land!"
Golden light devoured the pale white glow. With a thunderous roar, the underground sewer warehouse was completely destroyed. Thick smoke filled the air as piercing sirens wailed. Margaret Nearl stepped forward and pulled her lance from the ground.
A pool of blood and a shattered crossbow lay nearby. It seemed Platinum had not escaped without paying a price.
Margaret returned to Flametail's side, swiftly examining her condition.
"Fractured ribs. Internal bleeding. She needs treatment."
Margaret took out painkillers and injected them into Flametail, then gently supported her in her arms.
The Flametail Knight regained consciousness and led her toward the safe house.
Under Felix's design, the Clever already possessed a medical module capable of performing surgical procedures. Fortunately, the safe house in Kawalerielki, slated for Tomorrow's Development, was equipped with surgical instruments and a fully sterilized environment. After placing the Flametail Knight onto the operating table, Margaret moved aside and leaned her lance against the weapon rack.
Since entering Kawalerielki, she had been operating alone. Supplies had never been an issue. Tomorrow's Development maintained countless safe houses throughout the territory, and all she needed to do was quietly aid the knights and the Infected.
There had been eyewitness reports of her appearance, but the upper ranks were more inclined to believe that their hounds had simply misjudged the situation. After all, the King of Liberation had already arrived in the Kawalerielki, and they had to show him some respect.
Still, Platinum's retreat today undoubtedly increased the risk. Her reappearance was now a certainty, and that would inevitably cause trouble for Felix.
With that in mind, Margaret dialed Felix's number. To her surprise, it connected after only a few rings.
"Margaret, I'm here. What's the matter?"
"Your Highness, my identity has been exposed. After clashing with me, the Platinum assassin retreated and reported the encounter to the Armorless Union."
"Is that all?"
"Yes… I beg Your Highness to punish me."
"Oh…"
Felix's calm voice on the other end of the line made her cheeks warm and her heart race.
"So what if your identity is exposed? As long as I am in Kazimierz, you could challenge them right in front of the Chamber of Commerce building without any problem."
"Margaret, you are a senior executive of Tomorrow's Development, and also my sister. I trust you understand what I mean."
"…Just a sister?"
"…?"