Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 150 - Heartless

Viviane's hands moved before she even understood what she was doing.

Am I going to lose her...? The image of Medrauta throwing herself in front of the black spear Amelia had fired prior to their departure from Avalyne Academy flashed through Viviane's mind. Back then, she really thought Medrauta would die, and the feeling of loss had pierced her heart so painfully that it was as if the witch's lance had impaled her anyway.

That same pain shot through her chest now, causing it to tighten like the taut string of her bow pulled to full draw. She couldn't comprehend why Medrauta had attempted such a suicidal maneuver, especially against a formidable opponent like the Walpurgisknight. Time slowed down as Viviane could do nothing but watch in horror as the black-clad knight's colossal blade inched closer and closer to Medrauta's body before it inevitably cleaved the silver-haired knight in two.

But while her mind was frozen, her body was not. Moving instinctively, Viviane's body somehow knew exactly what it was she had to do. Even without her conscious input, the noblewoman's desire to save her knight drove her limbs. There was no need to sight her next shot, nor did she feel the strain of her back muscles as they drew and held the bowstring beyond its maximum capacity.

In the next second, the Walpurgisknight's deadly blade would bisect Medrauta, but Viviane's arrow flashed through the air in a fraction of that time, piercing through time and space to strike its target with impossible accuracy. It was not a shot that Viviane had aimed, nor was it a shot she even knew she could make despite the incredible skill she'd gained with the bow. At the same time, it was also a shot she could've made with her eyes closed.

The reason for that was simple: Viviane's love for Medrauta had become so ingrained in not only her mind and body, but the very root of her being such that she no longer needed to provide conscious input to act while her beloved Medrauta was in danger. So long as Medrauta's life was being threatened, her body would force itself to move. Such was the strength Viviane had gained after witnessing Medrauta stand before the face of death so many times.

No longer would she stand uselessly behind her knight.

Plip. Plip. Plip.

A pool of crimson grew steadily beneath the feet of both knights. Medrauta's sword slid out of the Walpurgisknight's chest, carrying a river of blood along with it. She shuffled back several paces, distancing herself from the Walpurgisknight who remained towering over her. His crimson eyes still glowed ominously behind the black steel of his helmet, glowering down at the silver-haired knight.

Is it over...? Medrauta frowned. She tightened her grip around the hilt of her sword, breathing deeply in an effort to alleviate the thunderous thumping of her heart after the incredibly close brush with death. No, of course not.

The black-clad knight stood still, his sword arm hanging loosely and uselessly by his side as it waited for his regeneration to kick in and repair the damage Viviane's arrow had dealt to it. The pauldron protecting his shoulder had been completely annihilated, the flesh underneath utterly eviscerated as the limb now clung to his body by only a few ribbons of muscle. Blood poured incessantly from the gaping wound, but the Walpurgisknight uttered not a single word.

Viviane's fingers quivered in an almost excited fashion as she stared at the damage she'd done to the Walpurgisknight despite the armor protecting his form. Never before did Viviane think she was capable of firing such an impressive and powerful shot, but just as her fingers quivered, so too did her bow. Even now, the flexible but strong wood was vibrating fiercely in protest, begging Viviane to not reproduce an attack of such magnitude again.

If only I had Sakura's moonsteel bow... Viviane thought bitterly. Despite the Walpurgisknight's speed and skill, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be able to take the armored knight's head off with a well-placed shot while he was caught up in defending against Medrauta's flurry of attacks. The noblewoman clicked her tongue in annoyance as she watched the Walpurgisknight's shoulder and arm begin to regenerate rapidly. The only thing she wanted right now was a guarantee of Medrauta's safety, but it didn't look like that was going to be achieved any time soon.