Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 130 - The Beast Within

Everything happened within the span of a heartbeat.

Medrauta's body moved before her brain could even process it, hurtling across the chamber as she drew upon an untapped reservoir of pure strength and speed that she never even knew existed. As someone who rarely needed to use her full power, Medrauta never really knew the true limits of her body, nor was she aware of what she was ultimately capable of. That is, until now.

The stone beneath her formed a massive crater as it was forcefully compressed by the sheer might of Medrauta's acceleration, the silver-haired knight becoming a barely-visible line as she burst forward with a thunderous sound that shook the entirety of the chamber to its core. With barely a fraction of a second to spare, Medrauta thrust an arm in front of Viviane, pushing her back with her other hand even as Bastiche's bolt of death hurried toward the noblewoman.

Viviane could hardly comprehend the events unfolding before her eyes. She'd heard something that sounded like an explosion, and then Medrauta had simply appeared, standing right in front of her with an arm poised to tank the black-red sphere Bastiche had shot during the noblewoman's moment of distraction. Following that was yet another explosion accompanied by a hard push that sent her flying back.

"Ugh!" Viviane winced as she struck the ground with incredible force, the side of her head slamming against the floor. Though she was still enhancing her body with ki, there was only so much that her still-human form could take, especially after being accelerated by both Medrauta's shove and the explosion's shockwave. A cluster of throbbing pain rushed through her head, preventing her from moving despite her best efforts. Her vision ebbed precipitously, fading with alarming speed as she attempted to reach out toward her knight.

Although she hadn't been seriously injured, Viviane could do nothing to resist the overwhelming tide of darkness that closed in around her, enveloping her body and mind as it pulled her into an unwilling slumber. The last sight she saw was that of Medrauta dashing toward her, shouting worried words soon lost in the sludge of Viviane's rapidly waning consciousness.

"Viviane!" Medrauta cried, her sword clattering to the ground as she dashed toward her fallen lady. Viviane laid prone and still, even her chest refusing to rise and fall as she became totally unresponsive despite Medrauta's best efforts to shake her awake. Completely disregarding Bastiche and Ritya who now confidently advanced toward her with their desire for victory clear in their eyes, Medrauta fussed over Viviane to no end. The noblewoman didn't look injured at all, and there were no open wounds on her body either, yet she refused to regain consciousness regardless of Medrauta's attempts.

"Looks like you've failed, Medrauta." Ritya smirked, taking pleasure in the silver-haired knight's despair. Mere moments ago, Medrauta had boldly claimed that she would defeat Ritya despite the black-clad knight's newfound strength, but now all she saw was a weakling who had lost their sole reason to fight. It wouldn't be as satisfying to slay Medrauta anymore, but the silver-haired knight's last moments being drenched in despair made Ritya's body tremble with perverse excitement.

Medrauta didn't respond. Instead, she simply stared at Viviane's unconscious body, unable to process the fact that she had failed to fully protect her lady from Bastiche's devastating attack. To make matters worse, Viviane's breath grew more shallow by the second as the noblewoman slipped deeper and deeper into her coma. Even as Ritya's armored footsteps stopped beside her, Medrauta refused to turn her attention away from Viviane, hoping and praying that the noblewoman would just open her eyes.

"What a disappointment," Ritya laughed as she raised her sword, preparing to execute Medrauta. "Be grateful. I've decided to send you off with your beloved lady."

Did Viviane's heart still beat? Did she still draw breath? Medrauta didn't know. She couldn't feel her lady's breath against her cheek. She couldn't hear the beautiful sound that once thumped in her lady's chest. The only thing she knew was that she had lost the will to fight.