Past and present, East and West.
They say the truly strong can sense an opponent's power in an instant.
I'm not exactly one of the truly strong, but even so, I can more or less tell how strong someone is.
This armored knight is strong.
And this armored knight is a monster.
Some kind of undead shaped like a human.
When you think of armored knight monsters, the first thing that comes to mind is a Dullahan.
But this armored knight isn't riding a demon horse.
Is it even a knight to begin with?
I thought it was a knight because it was wearing impressive-looking black armor.
Its armored form wasn't ornate or extravagant.
And yet, there was something noble and dignified about it.
So it's a knight.
That's what I've settled on, anyway.
A black knight. A lukewarm breeze drifts by.
There's the smell of blood.
Drifting from that black knight.
I took my stance. Knife in one hand, I drew Banish with my dominant hand.
I was the one who moved first.
Four rapid steps — left, right, left, right.
Toying with him, I pressed the attack straight from the front.
The black knight didn't block the slashing knife with his sword. He dodged.
Banish didn't connect either.
I immediately swung the knife toward the black knight's blind spot.
But he evaded with ease.
Without even moving much. A few steps, and he was out of the way.
"............"
I backed off.
He could have easily blocked with his sword. That would have been the easier option.
The fact that he dodged instead meant he understood that being touched would be bad for him.
In other words, if I could land even a single hit, I'd win.
Then I just needed to attack aggressively.
That way, even a grazing wound should leave a mark.
"...Here I go. Black Knight!"
I steeled myself and charged forward.
Dash. Seven steps in a disorienting pattern — left, right, left, left, right, right, left. I swung in from the diagonal!
How long had it been since then?
Five minutes? Ten minutes? Maybe even an hour.
"Haa... haa... haa... haa..."
I stumbled back, gasping for breath.
I glared up at the black knight.
"...Wha... what the hell..."
My attacks weren't landing.
No matter how many times I tried, no matter what I threw at it, I couldn't even graze the thing.
Something was wrong.
This was beyond wrong.
I'd stacked up to twenty-one steps and swung my knives from seven different angles.
And still, still, I couldn't land a single scratch.
What's more, the black knight was moving the absolute minimum it needed to.
I suspected a Relic, but it didn't feel like one.
Even if it was using one, a Relic that could dodge this well would be too overpowered.
Every Relic has its strengths and weaknesses.
Maybe it was a Relic that left the user completely unable to attack while dodging.
But somehow it didn't feel like a Relic.
What if. What if.
What if this evasion was pure skill alone... that thought sent a chill down my spine.
There was no way I could win like this—then a sword suddenly slipped into my field of view.
It took me a moment to realize it was the black knight's blade.
And then a cut so impossibly quiet and slow sliced through my arm.
…?"
There was no pain.
What told me I'd been cut was my knife arm bouncing off and falling away.
The boy's arm. My arm.
Ah, I'm done for.
I'd had a premonition. I knew I couldn't win.
Even so, I'd given it everything I had.
If a scratch could take him down, it should've been within my reach.
I'd grinned at that thought.
But I hadn't come close at all.
Having a cheat weapon doesn't mean a thing when your strength can't back it up.
What a pathetic, infuriating fool's tale.
This is what happens when a fool like me gets cocky.
I realize it now. I finally understand.
I'd been telling myself I was strong.
I thought I was being modest about it, keeping it under wraps.
Ah, ah… how infuriating. How infuriating.
I want to get stronger. The black knight's sword was about to sever my head.
At the last moment, the black knight pulled away from me.
I glanced at the black knight, then picked up my fallen arm.
A remarkably clean cut. I still don't feel any pain, and there's no blood.
It's strange that no blood is coming out, but maybe I've reached that level of something.
Well, whatever.
I pour an elixir on my arm and press the severed end back into place.
Like a lie, my arm reconnects.
The black knight has its sword raised.
From that stance, I can feel an overwhelming pressure.
If this were the normal me, I'd have already passed out long ago.
There isn't a single opening I can detect in that stance.
"You are strong."
I state it honestly.
I let out a sigh.
"I am weak."
It's the truth.
I was pushed to the brink of death — I was about to die.
The only reason I ended up in a situation where dying wouldn't be unusual is because I'm weak.
And I don't want to be killed.
I don't want to die, which is why I'm exposing myself in this wretched state.
This miserable display of shame is something else.
I used my fourth Relic, Generous.
"......Forgive me."
Purple hair streams in the wind as he murmurs, violet eyes fixed on the Black Knight.
And then he activated his fifth Relic.
"Phantasmagoria."
Countless Banish materialized.