Yuri summoned the mana of his Soul Piercer and layered it with the power of chaos. Countless possibilities radiated unpredictably, sometimes forming spears, other times shields, swirling around him like a living aura.
He took a step forward.
The Black Knight stepped forward as well.
They advanced continuously, yet the distance between them barely closed.
Moving sideways, then diagonally, like snakes eyeing their prey, they stretched their necks, scrutinizing each other’s entire forms.
Yuri admired the Black Knight’s defensive stance. There was no opening to exploit.
“Black Knight,” Yuri said, breaking the silence on a whim.
“I know the empire’s already fallen to ruin. How does that make you feel?”
The Black Knight didn’t respond.
Though his protective barrier remained solid, Yuri didn’t believe the knight was truly deaf to his words.
He exaggerated his lip movements, hoping to be understood even without sound.
“Why are you so bound to the empire? The Lord in the heavens must be disappointed. He’s watching us even now…”
At that moment, the Black Knight lunged forward.
In an instant, the gap closed. Yuri felt as if a blade had suddenly pierced through space itself. The Black Knight’s sword grazed his cheek by a hair’s breadth.
A drop of blood splattered.
Yuri smirked.
“The Lord is watching, you see.”
He wasn’t just taking hits. Dodging the attack, he swung his Soul Piercer upward, carving a long scar across the Black Knight’s breastplate.
Mastery of sword energy allowed the strike to transmit shock through armor.
The Black Knight must have felt the impact as if he’d been hit.
Yuri straightened his blade.
“They say the Black Knight only follows the Emperor’s orders. But why? Ivar isn’t a great ruler. And now he’s completely lost his mind…”
Yuri kept taunting, trying to get under his opponent’s skin. The Black Knight remained silent, but Yuri knew the ripples were spreading beneath the surface, unseen.
“You can’t be unaware that Ivar’s become Cedric’s puppet. Or did you not know?”
The Black Knight’s sword energy grew subtly more ferocious.
Yuri laughed.
“Did you know? Or did you just find out? Either way, it doesn’t matter. Is Ivar still sane? Or has he been soaked in dark magic until he’s become a monster? Probably the latter.”
As if trying to silence him, the Black Knight swung his sword fiercely over Yuri’s head.
Yuri deliberately met the blade, clashing steel and bracing himself against the knight’s raging emotions.
Each exchange sent jolts through his bones.
“Black Knight, you must know—King Conjed, who died recently, was consumed by dark magic and became a horrific sight. Ivar must be the same. What can you do? He brought this on himself.”
Whether it was Yuri’s imagination or not, the Black Knight wavered for a moment at the mention of Ivar.
Seizing the chance, Yuri unleashed a burst of Soul Piercer energy. The Black Knight was pushed back; Yuri kicked him in the stomach and swung his sword.
Off balance, the Black Knight couldn’t properly block the attack.
As the Black Knight slumped, Yuri raised his Soul Piercer high above his head.
Then he brought it down vertically.
An explosion rang out.
The Black Knight planted his sword vertically, slamming it against the barrier of sword energy to block the blow.
But the Soul Piercer’s relentless bite gnawed at the Black Knight’s mana, piercing through the wall.
The blade edged downward.
“Ugh…”
Behind the mask, the Black Knight’s eyes burned like flames.
Yuri intensified the chaos energy.
“How’s Ivar doing?”
“…”
“Not well, I bet. It’s all his own doing, so there’s no helping it.”
As Yuri habitually continued his scorn, the Black Knight suddenly dropped his barrier.
Yuri’s sword clashed directly with the Black Knight’s.
At that moment, the Black Knight sidestepped and discarded his sword, then struck Yuri’s exposed side with a punch.
Yuri’s body flew back.
“Ugh…”
He felt as if his abdomen had been shattered.
Rolling on the ground, Yuri clutched the Soul Piercer and struggled to rise—only to see the Black Knight’s head suddenly looming over him.
Then came the blade.
A chilling sword energy descended, as if to cleave Yuri in two.
“Ugh!”
Yuri blocked it, but the Black Knight rained down blows like chopping wood, shouting,
“Don’t spout nonsense when you know nothing!”
His ferocity tore through the air, closing in on Yuri.
Suddenly, the Black Knight raised his sword high. Mana shimmered like heatwaves above the blade.
He declared,
“This ends now.”
This attack was different from the previous ones. The mana flowing over the blade was immense. If it struck, Yuri had no confidence he could block it.
Dangerous.
His reason numbed, instinct took control. Mana surged from his core, spinning the energy within the Soul Piercer.
The connected energies meshed like interlocking gears.
The fractal vortex structure activated explosively in unison.
At this moment, facing death, the spinning vortex blade evolved into an instant-release technique.
The whirl spun so fast that a near-explosive expansion of energy erupted.
A massive shockwave slammed into both Yuri and the Black Knight.
The Black Knight was thrown backward, collapsing, while Yuri, who had been on the ground, tumbled several times.
Both writhed, then struggled to their feet.
“Huff, huff…”
Yuri caught his breath.
A cold sensation swept belatedly through his heart.
He had almost died.
The vortex blade had been an unconscious reflex. Without this miraculous evolution of technique, he would have failed and been cut down.
“Almost dead.”
Yuri steadied himself, raising the Soul Piercer.
If he was up, the Black Knight would be too.
The fight wasn’t over.
The Black Knight approached steadily, a scratch marking his mask.
Yuri forced a smile.
“You got mad because I insulted Ivar.”
“You speak too freely. I know you want to provoke me, but know your limits.”
“You’re the one, Black Knight. You found your faith, but in the end, the Emperor matters more. Is a man soaked in dark magic really worthy of respect?”
“Don’t speak recklessly.”
“What part of what I said was reckless?”
The Black Knight fell silent for a moment, then raised his sword and said sharply,
“The Emperor never wanted dark magic. He was simply overwhelmed by them.”
“Oh, really? Then…”
“Say no more!”
Before Yuri could finish, the Black Knight charged again.
His sword strikes hadn’t weakened; if anything, they were fiercer. So sharp and precise, they slipped through every tiny gap, cutting into Yuri’s flesh.
Yuri bled from here and there but laughed.
“Overwhelmed, huh…”
He could easily imagine what had become of Ivar.
“So he really did become a monster. King Conjed’s head and body swelled like balloons. Is Ivar like that too? Can he even open his eyes properly?”
“Shut up!”
It was easy to reignite the Black Knight’s fury.
“What do you know!”
Watching the enraged knight, Yuri laughed.
“What do I know?”
Mana exploded wildly from his core. The Soul Piercer absorbed Yuri’s emotions and momentum, growing in size.
Yuri arched his back dramatically. The moment the Black Knight stepped into his domain, he swung his sword with his whole body.
Their blades clashed. The sound of shattering echoed as the ground trembled.
Mana blazed from Yuri like a volcano.
“Black Knight, you’re a damn fool!”
Yuri pressed the attack. His swings were wide but packed with such power that the Black Knight staggered with every blow. There was no chance to exploit any openings.
Yuri shouted as he swung.
“If you’re so angry, why are you still standing here?”
“Ugh!”
“If you fight for Ivar, then point your sword at Cedric, not me!”
He tripped the Black Knight and slammed his sword down.
The knight rolled on the ground to avoid the blow.
Yuri pursued, mocking him.
“You’re mad because I said Ivar brought this on himself? Well, no one really did. No one’s to blame for the world falling apart like this. It’s just that bastard’s doing!”
When the Black Knight blocked, Yuri kicked him in the stomach.
The knight’s body lifted and crashed down hard.
“Black Knight. You say you fight for Ivar, but all you do is play the fool, a puppet tricked by a con. You really believe that’ll save Ivar?”
“Ugh…”
“And then you get mad at me. What a stupid bastard…”
Yuri staggered forward, clutching the Soul Piercer. The fierce battle had taken its toll on him too.
“I’m the one who should be angry.”
“Shut up!”
The Black Knight sprang up suddenly and lunged at Yuri.
Both of them were utterly drained of mana from their earlier clashes, like charred logs reduced to ashes. Their movements were weak and sluggish as they swung their swords at each other.
The clang of steel on steel rang out repeatedly.
The Black Knight, his blade pressed against Yuri’s, muttered under his breath, “I have no choice. I could never betray His Majesty…”
“You idiot!” Yuri shouted, pushing her sword forward. Then, using her body, she shoved the Black Knight and slammed him down.
Their swords tangled briefly in midair before clattering to the ground.
Yuri slammed her fist into the Black Knight’s mask.
“Ugh!”
“You stupid fool!” she spat, pounding her fists against the mask again and again.
The Black Knight wasn’t someone who would fall so easily.
But as Yuri pressed on relentlessly, he gradually lost the will to fight mentally.
After taking a few hits, the Black Knight grabbed Yuri’s wrists with both hands. Locked in a struggle of strength, Yuri spat out bitterly, “Ivar is gone. Just because he’s breathing doesn’t mean he’s alive. Ivar is already dead. All that remains is a pitiful monster sacrificed to dark magic.”
“I-I…”
“For Ivar’s sake!” Yuri grabbed the Black Knight by the collar and punched him again.
The mask bent under the force.
“Don’t you feel the need to fight the empire Cedric swallowed whole? Don’t you want to give Ivar peace? And you, claiming to fight for Ivar, are standing in my way?”
Yuri tore at the Black Knight’s mask.
He struggled, but she showed no mercy.
“Black Knight. Everyone’s been curious about who you really are.”
“Stop…”
“Let’s find out.”
Yuri tightened her grip around his neck. As his resistance weakened, she pulled off his mask.
The Black Knight seemed to have given up, his body limp as he gasped for breath.
But his eyes remained sharp and fierce, glaring at Yuri.
Through the mask, emerald-green eyes appeared, shining vividly with moisture.
Finally, the Black Knight spoke.
“It’s heavy. Step aside.”
But Yuri didn’t move. Instead, she asked, “What’s your connection to Ivar?”
“You’d know if you looked.”
“I want to hear it from you.”
“He’s my father.”
“Right. Sorry about earlier.”
“Now you say that…”
Seeing his face behind the mask wasn’t as shocking as she’d expected.
The Black Knight’s features bore a subtle resemblance to Ekaterina. It wasn’t surprising—an emperor of the empire surely had illegitimate children.
“So, an illegitimate child, huh? Did you dye your hair?”
“Yes.”
“And the voice?”
“Trained it.”
Yuri stood up and held out her hand. The Black Knight brushed his hair back, took her hand, and rose to his feet.
Facing each other, it became unmistakably clear.
The Black Knight was Ivar’s daughter.