"That was just too cool! Little squirrel is awesome! I'm a fan, I'm a fan! Waiter! Waiter! The ten super-fliers from before, no refund! Give her ten more super-fliers!!"
"Awesome! I can't believe the very first match on the first day of the regular season was this good! It looks like this year's event organizers finally get it! They know how to put on a good show! A good show deserves a reward!!"
"I suggest less PVP and more PVE. What's the point of always watching knights fight knights? We want to see knights fight monsters! It'd be best if they added something like a game dungeon later, where several knights team up to fight a big monster. That would be so much better~"
Sona's final stylish maneuver, where she counter-attacked to slay the large Pincerbeast and then left without looking back like a swordmaster, was an homage to a classic movie scene. It could only be described as "explosively cool."
Because today was the first day of the regular season, and with the news that Infected could become official knights, the number of people watching the broadcast and the live match broke a historic high for the regular season. So, a lot of people saw Sona today.
Sona's series of moves were clearly seen by all the spectators. Especially the final scene of her stylishly sheathing her sword and leaving. It quickly began to circulate on numerous video sites. With this, even people who hadn't watched the match learned about it.
In today's internet age, one advantage is that a person can become famous overnight, and Sona was a prime example. Within minutes of her leaving the arena, many professional social media companies had already edited a clip of her final sword-sheathing moment, paired it with some high-energy BGM, and completed a simple video. This video was then posted on many accounts and spread like wildfire online.
After walking back into the exit tunnel, Lucas returned control of the body to Sona. The moment Sona regained control, the composure Lucas had displayed vanished, replaced by sheer exhaustion.
"Thank you, Mr. Reeve. If it weren't for you, I probably would have died to that monster because of my own mistake...." Sona was a little self-critical. She had promised herself before the match that she would never trouble Lucas again. Since this was the Knight Major, she had to use her own strength. And yet, in the end, she still needed Lucas to finish it for her.
"No need to blame yourself."
Lucas's voice was gentle.
"You already did very well."
"After all, you've never had any professional training before, and you've only trained in the breathing technique for a month. To be able to perform at this level in just one month is, I think, already excellent. A sword technique like this usually has a training cycle measured in years. For anyone else, it's a question of whether they could even grasp the basics in a month, but you can already use it. So, there's no need to feel guilty. Besides, that Pincerbeast wasn't something you could handle at your current level. If it were a normal knight, you could have won easily."
Lucas was telling the truth.
A Pincerbeast of that size would be difficult even for many fully-equipped high-level Operators, let alone the current Sona. By diligently practicing the breathing technique, Sona's future achievements would likely trend toward the level of an Elite Operator.
Hearing Lucas's sincere comfort, Sona pursed her lips, licked her dry lips with her cute little tongue, and nodded obediently.
"I still need more training!"
Sona's gaze gradually firmed. She still had too many, many shortcomings. Indeed, if she had more time to train before the match, even just one more month, Sona could have fought more easily.
But...
"Mr. Reeve, I... I'm not really interested in the Knight Major anymore."
Lucas smiled. He didn't say anything. He knew Sona would end up thinking this way.
"I know."
Sona stood in the empty corridor, leaning back against the wall, murmuring to herself, confiding in Lucas.
"Before... I admired knights. I looked up to the Radiant Knight. My dream then was to become a great knight like her. I knew I could never be as great as the Radiant Knight, but I thought that apart from her, the other knights, and even the Knight Major itself, were all great things."
"I used to think that the Knight Major wasn't just about showcasing the knights' bravery and indomitable spirit, but also about spreading the great spirit of chivalry throughout Kazimierz, to all the spectators watching."
"However... I seem to be wrong."
"Today's match made me realize that, to the organizers and the audience, a knight is more like a product, a commodity for their entertainment. And the spirit of chivalry... seems to have been abandoned long ago. No one cares about what a knight is supposed to be."
Sona kept pouring her heart out to Lucas.
And Lucas didn't speak, just listened silently, acting as a quiet audience, letting Sona vent all the doubts and dissatisfaction in her heart.
"It's normal."
Lucas said: "Because the current Kazimierz lacks a beacon to guide the way. I once heard Nearl say that the spirit of chivalry in Kazimierz originally came from the Knight-King who overthrew the rule of the gods. Back then, the Knight-King was the faith of all knights and common people. The spirit and virtues of chivalry were engraved in everyone's character along with the Knight-King's appearance. But now... that beacon is long gone. Above everyone's heads is a high tower, just like the Chamber of Commerce in the center."
"The dark clouds on that high tower have obscured the sun, leaving the ordinary people of Kazimierz without the guidance of light."
"And what Kazimierz needs now is a light with enough influence, a brilliance that can pierce the dark clouds veiling Kazimierz's sky."
Sona was stunned. She stared blankly at the light from the arena entrance ahead.
Brilliance...
Sona murmured.
That was too far removed from her.
Even if Kazimierz truly did have a brilliance that would one day dispel the darkness, that person would have to be someone great, like the Radiant Knight...
While Sona was lost in thought, the next knight, who was about to enter, brushed past her. This knight was also Infected. It seemed the organizers, in order to chase clout, had stacked all the Infected competitors right at the beginning.
There were only ten Infected knights registered for the regular season in this city.
Not a large number. Compared to the hundreds of ordinary knights, this number was truly small.
This Infected knight hadn't expected to run into Sona here. He didn't stop, but the glance he shot Sona was full of admiration. He had also seen Sona's entire fight broadcast on the TV in the preparation room. It was so cool!!
Seeing the second person go on, Sona didn't plan to stay in the tunnel. She returned to the preparation room, somewhat dazed. She walked slowly, thinking about what Lucas had said.
Beacon? Brilliance.....
Sona didn't feel she was worthy of such lofty words. In her eyes, only a great knight like the Radiant Knight could live up to them.
Sona walked very slowly, ambling back to the preparation room. When she pushed open the door, suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from the TV in the room. When Sona looked up, her eyes widened in the next second. She froze, as if petrified, even... staggering unsteadily against the door.
On the screen.
The nameless Infected knight who had just brushed past her, alive and well, was now lying on the ground, covered in blood. He was dead, dead beyond dead. His tattered armor was in shreds, his entire abdomen sliced open, blood and organs spilling disgustingly onto the ground. Opposite him was a figure shrouded in black.
That appearance?!!!
Sona's eyes widened.
It looked exactly like that Devil Knight...
The death of the Infected knight didn't cause the slightest discomfort or silence from the audience. The blood all over the ground instead aroused their most primitive desires. One by one, they howled in excitement. It seemed... none of them felt it was wrong that a living person had just died in front of them. Instead, they found it normal, even exciting.
As for the many veteran knights in the preparation room, they were already used to it. They just sighed and said nothing.
Sona covered her mouth. She wanted to speak, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Is... is this the Knight Major I dreamed of?
Such a filthy place....
It's an insult to the spirit of chivalry!!
"Do you want to leave? If you want to leave, then go... Just close your eyes, and you won't see any of it."
Lucas's voice sounded in Sona's mind.
"I...."
While Sona was thinking, the third Infected knight in the preparation room was also getting ready to go on stage. However, it seemed that after witnessing the first two matches, she didn't want to participate anymore and tried to leave. But this kind of official match doesn't allow desertion. The knight was dragged to the arena by several men in black. The bloodstains from the previous Infected knight's death were cleaned up in just a few minutes. This Infected knight seemed to be luckier; her opponent wasn't a monster, nor was it one of *those* monster knights.
It was a regular knight.
This regular knight still had a shred of conscience. After the match began, the Infected knight had already lost her will to fight and was no match for him. After knocking the Infected knight's weapon away, the regular knight allowed his opponent to surrender, winning the match without bloodshed.
However, this kind of dull match left many in the audience quite dissatisfied. No exciting combat, no reversals, and certainly no blood. Just a flat, one-sided stomp. This was starting to make the audience unhappy.
In the Chamber of Commerce branch building.
Several directors were sitting in a dedicated screening room, watching the live broadcast of the match.
Sona, as the first knight to compete, had a match full of reversals, and the hype was maxed out. This made the directors very satisfied. The second knight being slaughtered also drew cheers from the crowd. However, the third match... these directors were very dissatisfied.
"Are the later matches any more exciting? If it stays this dull, the hype we just built up will die down again."
"How about this: arrange a regular knight vs. knight fight next. Let the little squirrel rest. Then, for the match after that, have the little squirrel team up with another Infected. Make it a 2v2. As for the opponents, they can't be too strong. Arrange someone weaker than the Pincerbeast. That little squirrel is good. She has potential. We can't let her die, otherwise, it'd be a waste."
"Yes!"
By the door, the Chamber of Commerce's external spokesperson bowed slightly, then immediately notified the city's Knight Major organizers.
After the next match, a regular knight versus a regular knight, concluded... after the excitement of the first and second matches, this kind of bland fight couldn't get the audience excited anymore. Many were already feeling bored and wanted to see a strong knight. But during this championship year, the regular season rarely featured any famous or powerful contenders. So, what they really wanted was to see the little squirrel again.
And the announcer's declaration at this moment seemed to align with everyone's wishes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, are you still thinking about our Flametail Knight? To be honest, it's not just you. I, your announcer, can't get this adorable little squirrel off my mind either! I really want her to stay on this stage! So!! The next match will be a 2v2 cooperative battle!"
"Our very own Flametail Knight will be teaming up with another Infected knight, Fartooth Knight! They will be facing our Sarkaz twin knights, Chaos Knight and Fallen Knight!!"