Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 193 - One Way

The thunder of the Spirecrusher cannon was deafening.

The air rumbled and the ground shook, a veritable earthquake rocking the knights and nobles stationed at Jestel Plaza as the Spirecrusher spat out its enormous payload. Tons of pure steel careened through the air, annihilating all that stood in its way. Not even the infinite regenerative properties of the witchspawn would save them from the sheer power of such an attack, the cannonball annihilating them in a single strike as it shot through their feeble bodies.

The massive sphere of smoking steel buried itself in the black Spire, forcing open the twin doors of obsidian metal that once barred its entrance. That alone served as enough of a signal for the knights of Avalyne Academy to continue surging forward, striking at the witchspawn forces from all angles and preventing them from clogging the path that had been carved by the Spirecrusher.

Atop her mount, Medrauta looked at the cannon's remains as she offered a hand to Viviane, helping the noblewoman up. The Spirecrusher's parts laid charred and smoking on the ground, a mere vestige of its former glory. Though it now rested after serving its purpose, the vibrations that it had sent through the air when it was fired mere moments ago still shook Medrauta's body to its core.

If only we had another one of those... She thought, a grim smile on her face. Though she was a knight, she had never really been enamored by weapons of war until now. It was only after seeing the immensity of the witchspawn army that she had gained a new appreciation for artillery, especially heavy artillery like the Spirecrusher. There would likely never be a weapon of its magnitude ever again, but she couldn't help thinking how something like that would change the tide of the war in the north in an instant. After all, they're still hard at work up there.

"Something on your mind, Medrauta?" Viviane asked as she observed her knight's thoughtful expression.

Despite her relaxed demeanor, adrenaline coursed through the noblewoman's body as she prepared for their imminent rush into the sea of witchspawn that awaited them. The Spirecrusher had parted a channel for them to charge through, but the prospect of being so close to so many witchspawn was still daunting. After all, she had only ever shot at them from afar.

Medrauta shook her head. "Just... thinking is all. Thinking about how we'll still have Kaslavna to deal with after all this."

"Yeah... I hope mother and father are doing alright up there."

"I'm sure your mother is having the time of her life based on the stories I've heard. Didn't the Round Table try expelling her a couple years ago, only to be completely destroyed in a one on twelve match?"

Viviane laughed nervously. "T-That's just an exaggeration, I'm sure!"

Although she knew it would be inevitable for her mother and Medrauta to meet one day, she genuinely feared that eventuality. After all, there was no doubt in Viviane's mind that her mother would demand a duel, and the tone in Medrauta's voice as she recalled tales of Artoria's antics certainly implied that the silver-haired knight would be more than eager for a duel. At the moment, Viviane didn't even want to think about the destruction that would result from such a match.

"Let's hope we find out after this all blows over, eh?"

Let's not... Viviane thought as she flashed Medrauta her best smile.

The sound of hooves echoed from behind Medrauta and Viviane. Eris urged her steed forward, Scarlet holding onto her knight's waist tightly. It was very obviously Scarlet's first time on horseback, and the poorly-veiled fear in her eyes showed. As it turns out, the noblewoman had primarily journeyed in a carriage even during the civil war as she absolutely refused to wear anything other than a dress.