Calm and Calamity

Chapter 60

Day: 667

Days Left: 4813

Lives Saved: 3

Pearl and Daina watched from afar as the brutal and relentless fight between their ward, Princess Alfreda, and the blood-thirsty golden knight continued without pause. It seemed that with every attack, they were both becoming more ferocious and reckless, as if managing to hurt the other was worth risking getting hurt themselves. Of course, they both wanted to win so badly, but it was uncertain for Pearl and Daina, standing on the sidelines, who the winner would be.

The golden knight was showing no signs of exhaustion; in fact, it seemed the longer the battle went on, the stronger she was, no longer holding back against her opponent. Princess Alfreda, however, was not looking as hot. She continued to risk her body cracking and crumbling from the heat to burn the golden knight.

After the fire demon released a burst of flames from her mouth, Pearl and Daina flinched as the golden knight powered through the intense heat and struck the princess in the stomach, causing the rock-like skin to crack, and lava-like blood seeped out.

Daina swallowed and glanced over to Pearl; the old woman kept her stoic and uncaring facade throughout the fight, but Daina was starting to notice the cracks. She knew that Pearl was likely feeling as guilty as she was by not fighting despite being ordered to stay out of the way. It wasn't as if either of them would be of any help; they had already used their masks today and could risk the transformation going wrong. Regardless if they could use their masks, they wouldn't be of any use, a blind giant mole rat and a banshee that could only scream.

What the imps had relayed, that the golden knight had already defeated eleven people, echoed through Daina's mind. How can anyone win against that thing? It was impossible. Why was Princess Alfreda even trying? Pride? They should all just run away and save themselves. Daina clenched her fists, her mind and body at war with each other on what to do.

The golden knight retreated back and examined her left arm, seeing the burning steam billowing from the black metal armour.

Princess Alfreda grinned and chuckled lightly through staggered breaths. Her plan was working. All she had to do was land one more strike against the black armoured arm, and it would easily break.

But what about after that? What was the next step of the plan? Yes, the golden knight would only have one arm, but she seemed perfectly capable of fighting with just one. How long could Alfreda keep this up?

The fire demon princess raised her head, maintaining her graceful posture, radiating her usual air of confidence and superiority. There was no turning back. She could win this.

Her focus on the fire demon, the golden knight walked over to the spear on the ground and picked it up. The blade of the spear was no longer smoking and hot, returning to its previous hardness.

"Oh, pet," Alfreda cooed. "Did you finally realise the reality and knew you could not hope to win against me? I doubt using your spear again will give different results. Do you not remember how well it worked last time?"

Unresponsive to the princess' barbs, the golden knight twirled the spear in her hands with ease, then rushed back into the fray.

Alfreda remained on the defensive, narrowly dodging the golden knight's spear attacks, waiting for the opportune moment to strike back. However, with every attack and block, the princess' confidence dwindles as the fear she attempted to lock away returned. Throughout the fight, Alfreda kept reminding herself that inside that armour, behind that golden mask, was Miss Warren; it wasn't her mother. But everything the golden knight, from her fighting style to just the way she stood and walked, was precisely like Alfreda's late mother. As these thoughts pervaded in every corner of her mind, Alfreda blocked and evaded even less of her opponent's attacks. She trembled and cowered whenever she was struck, gasping in pain as her rock-like skin cracked even further. The tears in her eyes were barely given time to form as the heat turned them into steam that billowed out, blinding her.