Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 63 - Betrayal

"F-Focus on the battle, Medrauta!" Viviane shouted, flustered.

The witch snapped her fingers.

A sea of black spears blotted out the sky.

The witch stood upon the wooden platform, glaring at Viviane and Medrauta through her crimson mask. Though she hid her surprise, she certainly hadn't expected such a development to occur.

"You look as though you truly believe you can defeat me."

Medrauta leveled the point of her sword at the witch in answer.

"You cannot."

Without even deigning to reply, Medrauta shot through the air toward the witch.

The pitch-black sky fell, countless lances laced with death raining down upon the sole knight that dared challenge their might.

Against that backdrop of pure darkness, Medrauta was a lone spear of silver light. A single ray of hope that dared wander into the abyss.

With the newfound strength that coursed through her body and Viviane's eternal love that stayed even the scythe of death, Medrauta swung her sword in a wide arc as she waded fearlessly into the spearborne night. An incandescent wave of light burst forth from Medrauta's blade, swallowing every spear with its overpowering radiance.

As the silver-clad knight landed upon the platform, the witch was forced to retreat at last. She leapt back in anticipation of Medrauta's next attack, but it never came. Instead, Medrauta simply smirked.

"You're right. I can't," Medrauta admitted.

An arrow pierced through the air as it sped past Medrauta's shoulder, almost finding its mark on the witch's head. At the very last moment, the witch had managed to twist to the side and avoid the full brunt of the shot, but the arrow still carved a long gash in the gemstone surface of the witch's mask.

"But we can," Viviane's determined voice carried across the ruined festival grounds with ease, reflecting the strength and resolve she'd acquired. In her once-trembling hands she held Sakura's moonsteel bow, and by Viviane's side stood the foreign lady and Riku, her knight. Her golden eyes were fixed directly on the witch now, unwavering just like her love for her knight.

Inspired by Viviane's newfound courage, Sakura and Riku had managed to reach Viviane's side in the midst of all the chaos. Though both foreigners still trembled in fear despite Riku's best attempts to put on a brave front before his lady, they stood defiantly beside Viviane, unwilling to retreat after witnessing the strength of her will.

The witch paused for a moment as she drank in the paradoxical atmosphere. Standing before her was a knight clad in radiant armor as if a veritable beacon of hope. Yet, the air around that knight was heavy with the stench of death. It was only because of the knight's presence that those weak nobles behind her could even hope to assemble and put on such a futile display, else they would no doubt still be shaking in fear.

The witch couldn't help but laugh hysterically, a vile and frightening sound that shattered the brief silence as it tore through the air like discordant notes from a mistuned violin. Even when her laughter finally faded, the sound lingered in the ears of all who were unfortunate enough to have heard it.

When she finally recovered, she turned her attention to Medrauta, taking the knight seriously for the first time since she'd arrived. With a wave of her hand, black butterflies materialized in the air and coalesced into a sword blacker than any abyss, its unfathomable darkness seemingly sapping away all light and color around it. She took a stance, and an unfathomably powerful murderous intent washed over all those who still remained in the area.