At this point in her life as an adventurer, Ais Wallenstein should have been used to watching people die. Anyone who entered the Dungeon was always at risk when facing monsters, no matter what level that person was. The pain in Ais' heart as she saw the corpse of Ennett from the Hephaestus Familia was real. Though she barely spoke with him during the expedition he seemed to be a friendly man; his thoughtful nature was fully evident when he offered to gather some delicious fruits that grew in this part of the Dungeon. Ais had appreciated his care and was horrified to find what had become of him. Despite her sadness, Ais truly had not intended to go off on her own to search for the creature that was responsible for this tragedy.
Not until Tsubaki stated the fact that the deceased Ennett had a wife and child back in Orario. That revelation triggered a visceral reaction within the Sword Princess. The very thought that a young boy or girl would grow up without a parent; his life viciously taken away by some monster… caused Ais' blood to boil. The deep seated rage from the cruelty of a parent's death… her own loss of her family at the hands of the Black Dragon… seemed to erupt all at once. Ais moved almost without thinking as her anger fueled her magical energy. Now, Ais knew that she was once again disobeying Finn's direct orders, but what was she to do? This creature had slain a comrade… a devoted father with family waiting for him back home… a parent who will never return. I can never bring Ennett back to his family, but at least I can destroy the monster that caused all this pain and suffering. As Ais moved at breakneck speed out of the forest with the help of Ariel, her wind magic, the calls from Finn and her comrades became softer and the hatred in Ais' heart only grew. I will kill it. Every single monster before me will be cut down by Desperate.
At this point, was this vengeance really on behalf of the deceased's family or Ais's personal vendetta?
For a while, Ais did not run into any monsters, so she figured that whatever creature had murdered Ennett was quite fast. Or it had enough of a head start. But, it doesn't matter. She was the swiftest adventurer in all of Orario, so it was only a matter of time before Ais caught up with the creature. Her prediction soon came true as Ais spotted a figure directly ahead. There was a lot less illumination from the overhead crystals in comparison to the forest-filled region, so the gloom made it difficult for Ais to make out what exactly it was. As she got closer, Ais could finally discern what was in front of her. A being encased in plate armour. That's no adventurer. She could see no human presence within the heavy gear, only a dark form.
It's just a War Shadow. From personal experience, Ais recalled that higher level War Shadows sometimes spawned with armour as a means to increase their defense. Still, those types of monsters only tended to be a Level 3 or 4, which would be no match for her stats. A glint near the War Shadow's hands caught Ais' gaze. Such a sight was curious, as Ais spotted a beautifully intricate white dagger in the creature's shadowy grip. That's unusual. War Shadows were not known to carry or even utilize man-made weapons since they ordinarily resorted to their sharpened claws for offense. Such a delicate-looking weapon still did not concern Ais in the slightest as she trusted her combat abilities and the incredible sharpness of her trusted blade Desperate.
Ais knew that a War Shadow did not have the kind of acid-type abilities that had been inflicted on Ennett, meaning that the culprit was still beyond her reach for the moment. But the War Shadow was just standing there in front of the only other path out of this cavern, as though the monster were guarding it from trespassers. I'll make quick work of this War Shadow and move on. She drew Desperate from its sheath and in a sudden burst of speed moved to pierce the monster in the chest. Huh? Instead of going through dense plate armour, Ais' sword touched nothing but air. Despite its heavy appearance due to the weight of its armour, the War Shadow easily sidestepped the attack. Using her battle-honed reflexes, Ais was able to swiftly maneuver to prevent her own momentum from carrying herself too forward. Her left foot scraped against the Dungeon ground as Ais spun around to bring Desperate across in a diagonal slash… only to fail to hit her target once again as the War Shadow simply took a few rapid steps backwards. Is it dodging my strikes? Ais was confused for two primary reasons. The first was that War Shadows even if they were Level 4 did not have the sentience to be able to act strategically during battle. Was this a Level 5 War Shadow? Ais had never faced one before, so she could only assume given its current actions. And additionally, Ais was surprised that the War Shadow had been able to not only see through her moves, but also react effectively against her attacks. Such a monster shouldn't be able to keep up with me.
Believing that the War Shadow had gotten lucky or was at least somewhat cognizant of basic analysis during battle, Ais decided to increase her efforts. Without hesitation, Ais unleashed a flurry of precise thrusts with Desperate, aiming for various parts of the helm and torso. The quickest way to end this fight was to destroy the monster's magic stone, which for a War Shadow was either inside the head or chest area. CLANG. SCHWING. CLANG. To her total shock, Ais watched as the War Shadow matched her blow for blow using its white dagger to effortlessly deflect every single one of her strikes. Realizing that something was deeply wrong with the situation, Ais immediately disengaged, performing a graceful backflip in the air as she decided to keep some distance from the creature. Ais did not understand. How could a War Shadow match her attacks? No. Not just match. Ais glanced down at her right hand that held Desperate. Her grip was trembling from the force of the monster's parries, and Ais felt a slight pain in her wrist.
There was a look of disbelief in Ais' face as she realized that this was no ordinary War Shadow. It had to be at least Level 5 or maybe even higher if this monster could go against the Sword Princess. Ais glared at the creature. She could not allow such a powerful monster to exist here on Floor 40. Other adventurers of future expeditions would be in grave danger against something like this. Ais knew that she had to destroy this War Shadow now before it gained even more levels. The Sword Princess was now serious, and she would not relent until the monster in front of her was annihilated.
Ais whispered softly the chant that would activate her special magic blessing that she had inherited from her mother.
"Ariel."
When Arthur heard the rush of wind coming toward him, he did not expect the adventurer to be a maiden. The young female adventurer possessed blonde hair similar to his own and carried herself with an elegant grace that reminded Arthur of a fairy's movements. She could not be much older than himself, so Arthur guessed she was about fifteen or so. Still, he was surprised that someone so young was traversing through the dangers of this Dungeon. Honestly, he had expected a more seasoned, grizzled warrior. Nonetheless, he would not allow her to pass by him, so long as Ranye was still at potential risk.
Arthur had been tempted to try to communicate with her to avoid potential conflict, but then recalled Ranye's earlier warning and decided against opening his mouth. Still, the King of Knights avoided combat unless absolutely necessary, so he did not make the first move, deciding to simply keep up his performance as a War Shadow. When she rushed toward him, her sword raised with the intent to kill, Arthur easily avoid the attempt. Hm, good form. Arthur complimented her skill with a blade in his mind. Realizing that her initial attack had failed, the adventurer quickly pirouetted to attempt another attack - a slash this time. She's had impressive training, and her reactions are quite fluid. Of course, Arthur dodged this one as well. From the perspective of an outside observer, the King of Knights apparently was more interested in evaluating the Sword Princess' swordplay rather than fight her head on.
I do believe that Lancelot would approve of her fighting methods. The famed Knight of the Lake always relied on incredible agility and a seamless fluidity in his bladeworkat least in comparison to the more heavy-handed fighting styles of the other Knights of the Round Table like Gawain. He had expected her sword flurry and followed up with moves of his own to better block the strikes. Carnwennan isn't just an ornamental weapon after all. Arthur thought as he parried the adventurer's rapid assault.
Realizing that her blows were having no effect, she created space away from him to better gauge her next move. And she has a good head. It's important for a warrior to also analyze their circumstances and know when to pull back. Overall, Arthur believed that she was doing quite well and would have made a fine knight in the ranks of Camelot. He felt the air in this area shift as Arthur saw the young woman's lips move. A magic spell? A burst of violent wind crashed against Arthur's armour as the adventurer's speed seemed to dramatically increase. She rushed forward using her ability to assault Arthur from multiple directions. Arthur raised Carnwennan to accurately match her onslaught. The sounds of their blades clashing against each other echoed through the cavern. The pace at which she moved reminded Arthur of a sort of pseudo Mana Burst, but fortunately for the King of Knights, the adventurer was still nowhere close to overcoming his own base speed.
Ais felt herself clench her teeth in agitation. No matter what she did or the angle at which she struck from, none of her attacks were landing on this War Shadow. This is going nowhere. It seemed impossible, but this lowly monster was truly able to keep up with the speed of Orario's Sword Princess. Thus, their battle was becoming a stalemate; a fact that infuriated Ais. To add insult to injury, Ais realized that the War Shadow for some strange reason had not once gone on the offensive. All it was doing was reacting to Ais' offensive measures. It's almost like this thing is mocking me…
Ais could feel the deep seated rage begin to build up within her heart as the young warrior understood that the conditions for her Avenger skill were being met alongside her growing frustration. While Ais normally disliked the surge of blackened emotions caused by her overwhelming hatred toward all monsters as it made her feel less as a true hero, in this particular case, Ais welcomed the experience. She could feel the surge in power match her rising, more violent desires. I will destroy this War Shadow, here and now!
Arthur immediately noticed the change in his opponent. While her speed gradually increased, he witnessed the once graceful and elegant swordplay devolve into a style that was far more reckless. Indeed, while the adventurer's blows seemed to double in power, Arthur saw how every strike became desperate. He could feel the bloodthirstiness coming from her magic as her blade clashed against Carnwennan. This was no longer a duel from the perspective of the King of Knights, as Arthur understood that she was now completely obsessed with the idea of his complete destruction. At this point it'd be best to end the fight quickly before it gets further out of control.
Arthur had no intent of causing her any undue harm. By now, I've delayed long enough to give Ranye ample time to find safety. With that final thought, Arthur's stance switched from one of patient defense to immediate counterattack. He took advantage as one of her vicious slashes just slightly caused her to overextend her body. As Arthur pressed forward, he used his free hand to push the adventurer's body downward with her own reckless momentum doing the rest. He saw her furious glare turn into one of shock as she realized her mistake too late. Without a moment's rest, Arthur, as softly as he could to get the job done, took the pommel of Carnwennan and bonked the crown of her blonde head. Unfortunately, Arthur ended up underestimating his strength as the mere actions ended up causing a small crater to form as the young woman's skull crashed into the Dungeon floor. Arthur winced as he heard the brutal impact, mentally chastising himself for not better controlling his strength. Here, I'll quickly heal her with Avalon so there isn't too much damag-
"AIS!"
A feminine voice called out in horror, while another female's voice let out a terrifying war-cry.
"Get away from Ais, you bastard!"
Arthur found himself jumping backwards as one of the sides of a two-bladed sword slammed into the ground where he once stood, causing a sizable tremor and pieces of rock to burst into the air. Its wielder was another young woman though with a darker complexion and wearing far less clothing than his earlier opponent, now named Ais. The look of rage on this adventurer's face was clear as day. Behind her, another individual with black hair and what looked like… feline ears? rushed over to the downed blonde warrior. Following closely behind was a fairly diminutive and youthful man with a golden spear who moved to stand beside the girl with the dual-bladed weapon. Well, this is a fine mess I've gotten myself into. Arthur really did not have any interest in further escalating conflict. Now, I've really done it. He had three new, very angry opponents to deal with.
Without even a moment to rest, Arthur found himself attacked on both sides as the two adventurers save for the one with cat ears launched their assaults. For several minutes, Arthur found himself pushed backwards as he guarded against their coordinated strikes. This entire endeavor was originally just a delaying action to give Ranye enough time to get away, not a full-scale battle. From Arthur's perspective, while his two latest foes possessed far greater power and aggressiveness than Ais, they were also significantly slower. He could see in their grimaces that both individuals had come to the same conclusion as they realized that their attacks were not getting through. Arthur considered simply retreating at this point since there was nothing to gain from further sustained combat, but he realized that these adventurers did not seem to have any intention of backing off. If he ran, then Arthur would potentially put Ranye in their crosshairs, which was an absolutely unacceptable option. So, he would stay here and block the way that Ranye had traversed through. Hopefully, these adventures would tire out and eventually retreat from whence they came.
Such a thought was quickly dashed when Arthur felt a familiar gust of wind. Ais' face was twisted in a look of murderous rage, the rivulet of blood running down her forehead giving the adventurer a more frightening appearance. Initially caught by surprise at her seemingly expeditious recovery from unconsciousness, Arthur caught the savage downward slash from her sword with the blade of Carnwennan. Ais' pushed forward with unrelenting force as her weapon grated against Arthur's dagger, causing sparks to fly.
"Ais! I haven't finished the healing spell!" The feline eared adventurer exclaimed.
"I'm fine!" Ais shouted back as her teeth grit in frustration and rage toward Arthur.
"You're still bleeding!"
"It's just a flesh wound!" Ais roared as she repeatedly struck down with her blade at Arthur's dagger.
This adventurer… no… more like an avenger with all this deep-seated fury. Arthur thought as Ais repeatedly and recklessly charged forward to attack him with no regard for her own safety or attention toward her comrades. Actually, a berserker may be a more apt description for this level of craziness! Ais' onslaught was unrelenting, and Arthur realized that she really was not going to give up until she had slain him. I need to end this now, or this situation will truly get completely out of hand.
He pushed back with his might against Ais' next blow, forcing her body and weapons backwards. Arthur took this time to grab Carnwennan with both hands, activating its secondary ability. I need to be quick to escape from here. Using this power would strip away the shadows concealing his body and true nature as a human, so as soon as it activated, Arthur would use his Mana Burst to run. Taking the dagger, he thrust Carnwennan downwards, driving the tip of the blade deep into the Dungeon floor. Immediately, the whole cavern was enveloped in the same shadows that had once covered Arthur's physique, forming a sort of Bounded Field of darkness, trapping the four adventurers within.
Once he saw that they were completely inside, Arthur, now simply a man in War Shadow armour, quickly used his mana to escape the area. As a weapon that was considered to be a Divine Construct, Carnwennan allowed its user to create a temporary Bounded Field that could only be broken through the use of divinity or once the wielder deactivated it. Of course, Arthur had no intention of keeping those adventurers, even despite the fact that Ais clearly would search to murder the War Shadow that he acted as once she got out, within the field in perpetuity. Once he rendezvoused with Ranye, and they reached at least two floors away from this zone, then Arthur would lift the barrier. Meanwhile, Ais and her comrades would simply have to patiently wait until then.
Unfortunately, what the King of Knight could not have predicted was how his actions as a fake War Shadow would roil the city of Orario. Upon the Loki Familia members' escape from their shadowy prison, the defeated expedition returned to the surface. Although Finn attempted to keep the details from their encounter quiet, it was inevitable that the other Familia members that accompanied the Loki Familia-led expedition would not maintain their silence, especially since the rest of the group had stumbled upon the Bounded Field of darkness and saw Finn, Ais, Anakitty, and Tiona eventually be freed. Finn also forgot how talkative Tiona could be, and she accidentally admitted the full story of their interaction with the unique War Shadow to everyone else as they traveled to the safe zone of Rivira.
In only a matter of a few days, the news had spread like wildfire throughout the city. Naturally, since the Loki Familia remained tight lipped about their experience, the facts were quickly twisted into rumors and gossip. The tale of a mysterious new War Shadow somehow besting not just the adventurers of the powerful Loki Familia, but also defeating its Captain and famed Sword Princess was far more compelling of a sensational narrative for the citizens of Orario.
Therefore, Ais's desire for vengeance against the monster that had so easily gotten the better of her was further incensed as she heard such stories being spread. I will hunt down that War Shadow and kill it! Was her only constant thought as Ais intensified her training to make sure that she would never be so caught off guard again.
The Guild immediately issued a warning that all under-leveled adventurers or understaffed expeditions were forbidden from going beyond a certain point for the time being, lest they face the wrath of the War Shadow of Level 40. At the suggestion of one of the Guild's newest trainee employees, a pink haired human Misha Flott, the Guild decided to further emphasize its point across by giving this newest Dungeon monster threat an official designation.
And thus, the legend of the Black Knight was born.
Thank you for taking a look at A Myth Awakened by Tremelay.
See you at the next update!
- Tremelay