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The dusky smoke settled over the Research Facility.

At first glance, it resembled a smoke screen or perhaps the fog of dawn, but it was not the kind of mist born naturally.

From within the black smoke, the dull clang of steel rang out.

The figure clad in plate armor evoked images of a medieval Knight.

His unmoving stance exuded a sense of strength that seemed unshakeable even against the tempests and calamities of the world, and his broad shoulders looked like a symbol of bravery and valor.

The gauntlet casually draped over the armrest hinted at confidence, suggesting he wouldn’t lose his cool even against any foe.

“…Hmm.”

Facing his steadfast form, Francesca suddenly started to chuckle.

She pulled out a glove she had never seen before from her bosom and slipped it onto her left hand.

“What a knight straight out of a fairy tale. I presume you’ve come to slay a dragon or something?”

Camila’s gaze swept over the plate armor.

“Armor that bullets can’t penetrate? I’ve never heard of armor that can block even bullets, let alone a longbow or crossbow… And on top of that, he has the strength to send a person flying with his bare hands.”

This isn’t going to be an easy opponent.

Camila added briefly, slowly starting her reconnaissance as she moved. Francesca, too, observed the opponent with a relaxed posture.

“From the looks of it, there aren’t any fancy patterns or decorations, and he doesn’t even have a surcoat, so he probably isn’t a noble. But for what it is, the craftsmanship of the armor is quite remarkable. I guess he must’ve been a Knight in his lifetime, even if his strength might be a gift from some power.”

“……”

“Where did you leave your sword, Sir Knight?”

A question filled with sarcasm or doubt came forth, yet no answer returned.

The figure maintained his pose silently like a statue, keeping his silence.

As Francesca and Camila circled around the area, they exchanged signals to share information.

They could feel the imminence of battle in their skin.

The potion vials hidden behind them, the air swirling at their fingertips, and the sword left behind by the Archmage glimmering with a blue hue.

“How about I tell you an interesting story for the Sir Knight who has awoken after hundreds of years? What ended the era of Knights since ancient times was—”

Francesca, who had been quietly smiling, grasped the rune sword.

“It was magic.”

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Episode 17 – The Blood-Drinking Tree

A blue cataclysm fell. The blade left behind a lingering trail of blue magic as it passed.

The chillingly beautiful afterimage created an illusion as if it had split the very air. It was an abnormal phenomenon difficult to explain scientifically, yet magic is the study that creates miracles.

The alchemist, holding the legacy of his ancestors, ignited his own ideals.

—

The blue magic surged from the crack formed. Its deep azure stretched across the open sky like three tentacles, reaching out in all directions.

Thin, dense flecks shot in from every angle. The knight in plate armor, witnessing the onslaught, leaped into the air.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Francesca, staring down the Vampire, reached out her left hand as if she had been waiting.

The magic that elongated like threads gently coiled into her grasp. Following the gesture that sliced through the air, azure threads connected to the rune sword gathered, and once she grasped all the threads, she pulled her gloved hand tight.

Then an astonishing event unfolded. The threads made of magic began to move simultaneously under her command.

The threads that had been rampaging freely were pulled taut for a moment. Francesca skillfully manipulated the threads, resembling a puppeteer controlling puppets.

—

-Swish!

-Crack!

Walls, ceiling, floor, apparatus. The azure threads traced elegant curves, leaving marks everywhere.

Francesca continued to maneuver her gloved hand freely, while the Vampire struggled to shake off the relentless pursuit. Rather than counterattacking like before, it was desperately dodging her attacks while it failed even to find an opportunity to approach.

At that moment, a gunshot echoed through the air.

Concrete debris rained down from the indented spot, and the embedded bullet lodged itself near the thigh. Though the spent round failed to penetrate the armor, it certainly left a vivid mark.

The crumpled projectile caught in the gauntlet fell away, and the glimmering helmet tilted downward. The moment the creature noticed the bullet wound on its armor, it lifted its gaze toward this direction.

“I’ve stopped!”

I raised my voice and pulled the trigger.

It vanished behind a concrete pillar to evade the intense gunfire, but as it turned the corner, the threaded trap caught it mid-escape.

—

-Tatatata! Tatatata!

-The clattering of metal!

The heavy sound of steel, the crack of the rifle, and the chilling noises from the moving threads filled the air.

Despite donning the plate armor, it moved with fluidity. Skimming just narrowly past the threads, it rolled over the floor and leaped across the desk before the torrential bullets could even graze its armor.

It was terrifying speed that forced gasps. Fast as lightning, it soared over significant obstacles with unparalleled grace.

“What the hell is that guy? What kind of trick did he pull off to be able to run around in armor like that?”

“Since he’s not human, that kind of movement must be possible!”

Francesca fiercely struck the seized threads. Then, an attack that was almost too fast to follow began.

The hunt was on!

Despite launching a snake-like onslaught, my opponent was far from easy.

As she delivered her threads from the air, the creature slid beneath the experimental apparatus. Swinging the threads from left to right, it pressed closely against a pillar, waiting until it almost crossed over before slipping away.

A near miss—swift attacks followed in a dizzying array. Francesca concentrated hard, maneuvering her threads while the vampire tracked every strand with its sharp gaze.

-Whack!

Targeting its hidden form, I pierced through the very cover, but once again met with failure.

The creature lowered its stance, rolling away while deftly dodging the barrage and gracefully escaping the scene.

“……”

Though it faced repeated failures, there was no sign of impatience or anxiety. The alchemist patiently controlled the threads like a seasoned fisherman waiting for a bite.

-Whoosh!

A deadly sound sliced through the air, prompting the helmet to turn left. Spotting the diagonally flying threads, the creature quickly darted toward a blind spot.

Everyone has their habits. Fighting is no different.

During their continuous encounters, the creature learned Francesca’s patterns.

The number of threads reacting when she pulled a finger, the upper body movements before delivering a downward strike, the type of attack that would follow if the strike missed based on elevation—all of it.

Having adapted through countless lessons, the creature adjusted to the battle against Francesca.

Ignoring factors like the penalties of heavy armor or differences in range.

-Crunch!

As the threads tore the door off the freezer, a piece of metal was caught by the gauntlet.

The creature seized the door panel with its gauntlet, readying itself. There was no time to react. The hefty door panel was hurled toward the target.

Not in a parabola, but in a perfect straight line. Francesca shook the threads entwined around her five fingers, causing the airborne door panel to split into hundreds.

And there stood the armored figure.

Successfully drawing attention with an obstacle, the creature seized its fleeting moment.

Covering great distance in a flash, it extended the gauntlet.

Amidst the scattered fragments, a smile formed on Francesca’s lips.

“Gotcha.”

A low voice cut through the chaotic din. The glinting helmet directed its gaze downward. One gloved hand, wrapped in azure threads, began to quiver.

The azure threads, tracing long curves, responded immediately thereafter.

The floating threads shed their slack and regained order.

The taut azure threads crossed over one another, morphing in shape, while the mesh quickly took form as a net.

The fishing was complete.

Every attack, hundreds, even thousands, was all for this moment.

The fisherman, having waited, pulled in the line with a smile.

“One shouldn’t let a net meant to catch evil escape….”

And with a firm grip on the tightly woven net, she yanked it hard.

“I won’t let evil escape.”

The net unfurled in the sky, descending upon the opponent.

The azure threads glimmered as they slipped into the seams and gaps of the armored figure. The desperate thrashing to free itself produced sharp metallic clinks, but the more it struggled, the tighter the net constricted.

With effort, Francesca managed to contain the vampire, striving to maintain her hold on the net. However, she lacked the strength to match its monstrous power.

But there was no need to keep it trapped until reinforcements arrived.

“Now’s the time!”

A shrill voice rang in everyone’s ears. The sound came from above us.

Upon hearing the warning, Francesca swiftly released the net. I wrapped my arms around her waist, hoisted her up, and while launching toward the predetermined cover, I gazed upward.

The vast ceiling was filled with dark, smoky tendrils.

Piercing through the gloom reminiscent of a night sky, a beam of light descended like moonlight.

Camila, with her red hair swirling, pointed her finger at the target.

“Bang!”

The world was painted white.

The light that drove away darkness swallowed the sounds in the area.

Stimulating colors flickered, disorienting eyes. The shivering tremors grazed the cavern and desert, resonating within people.

“What was that just now?”

“Was it an earthquake? I wonder if something’s happening below…”

And then.

After the crimson storm passed, as Camila slowly descended to touch the ground carefully, the dark smoke began to clear, and brilliant light started to dispel the research facility’s shadows.

 

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