Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 182 - Clarent

Eris had put on a brave face ever since she arrived to save the day.

Even now, she never allowed the smirk to leave her face despite clearly being pushed back by the sheer speed and power of the Walpurgisknight. That smirk was almost like a Crest of her own creation, something that would allow her to carry on fighting and defending her lady regardless of her body's actual condition.

In truth, she was in no state to continue fighting. It took all her focus and willpower to even continue tracking the Walpurgisknight's movements, barely managing to bring Carnwennan into position for a haphazard parry that sent a jarring shock through her arm and body every time her opponent's mountainous black blade crashed into her dagger.

She thought back to her first bout against the black-clad knight who towered over her. Back then, she had been fresh and raring to go, blitzing the Walpurgisknight with ease and stepping into the man's guard as if his defenses hadn't even existed. Had the Walpurgisknight not possessed some sort of weird immortality that surpassed the normal regeneration of the Sworn, Eris would have taken his head right then and there.

Now, the Walpurgisknight was back with a vengeance, and Eris certainly felt like her armored opponent was taking his sweet time to gradually exhaust her before dealing the finishing blow, just to crush her pride and confidence. That was why she couldn't let the smirk drop from her face no matter how badly she was being pushed back.

Even if she allowed her blade to fall from her hands, even if she collapsed onto the ground without the strength to stand, she simply couldn't allow her smirk to disappear. To abandon it now would be to abandon the fight and admit defeat. It was tantamount to giving up her life and that of her lady's, and that was something Eris would never allow herself to do.

Instead, she widened the smirk on her lips, forcing her fingers to tighten around the hilt of her dagger as she received the Walpurgisknight's next attack, a crushing overhead blow that sought to divide her body in half.

Normally, Eris would've just stepped to the side before darting in quickly to exploit the plethora of openings that such a wide movement provided, but as it stood, she could barely feel her legs. The only thing that allowed her to continue moving was pure muscle memory and willpower.

I guess those 'suicidal' training sessions really did help out, huh, Belita? Eris thought as she leaned to the side, parrying the Walpurgisknight's attack with both Carnwennan and another dagger.

With her blades and body at an angle, the massive hunk of black steel screeched against Eris' weapons and slid off to the side, burying its considerable weight in the ground. It would've been the perfect moment for Eris to strike, but all she could do was back away and hope that she could recover at least a sliver of stamina while the Walpurgisknight wrenched his blade free of the earth.

But there would be no such luck.

The Walpurgisknight advanced without pause, stepping forward and dragging his blade through the dirt with his monstrous strength, heaving the titanic sword through the air in a vicious upward swing that sent a spray of earthen debris through the air.

Again, all Eris could do was evade and defend, the attack throwing her backwards as she desperately blocked it. Her head swam and her limbs felt like jelly, but somehow, she managed to land on her feet. Her well-trained ears picked up the sharp intake of breath from Scarlet as the noblewoman gasped, worried that the Walpurgisknight's latest blow had taken her knight's life.

"Eris!" Scarlet cried helplessly, her voice stricken with distress.

In response, Eris simply shook her head, clearing it and steadying her senses as she drew strength and power from her lady's worry. Again, she readied her twin daggers, Carnwennan glowing brightly in one hand while her other dagger remained dull and lightless. She felt strength flow into her arms again, her desire to drive away Scarlet's worries allowing her to tap into a previously unknown well of stamina within herself.