Chapter 36

“There’s no real loyalty or anything like that, is there?”

The dragon knight showed no anger at the one who had stabbed his master, standing calmly instead.

Then, he made eye contact with me.

That was when the dragon knight moved for the first time.

He casually raised his sword and swung it down forcefully.

I tried to block it with my sword in one hand, but the blow was heavier than I expected, so I used my other sword to block it with both hands.

“Blocking with both hands… how long has it been?”

Indeed, it’s no wonder this sword is considered a masterpiece.

This guy is strong. There are few who can have a one-on-one duel with me.

The dragon knight tried to push me back with sheer force, but I relaxed and deflected his sword.

The dragon knight’s sword struck the ground, gouging out a large chunk.

Seizing this opportunity, I aimed for his neck, but the dragon knight, despite his massive frame, dodged my attack with surprising agility.

It’s been a while since someone avoided my attack.

Usually, everything ends in a single blow.

This realization made me smile naturally.

“Interesting… how about this?”

I spread my swords wide and launched a barrage of attacks.

The dragon knight skillfully wielded his huge sword, blocking my consecutive strikes.

However, his responses gradually slowed.

He was starting to lose his composure.

I didn’t miss the opening and suddenly switched from a flurry of strikes to a thrust.

An unexpected attack.

The dragon knight quickly retreated to avoid the thrust.

By putting physical distance between us, he escaped the thrust’s range.

But in doing so, he left himself defenseless.

A prime opportunity for a follow-up attack.

With that thought, I stepped forward.

At that moment,

“Whoa!”

The dragon knight opened his mouth wide and breathed fire.

I twisted my body sideways to evade the flames, spinning once to avoid them completely.

As expected of a dragon knight.

He possesses the characteristics of a dragon.

But.

“The same trick won’t work twice!”

I spun my body sideways and rushed toward the dragon knight like a tornado.

Utilizing the centrifugal force, I struck a powerful blow, aiming to knock away the dragon knight’s sword.

He managed to block it, but each block caused his sword to be repelled, forcing the dragon knight to retreat step by step.

Gaining momentum, I increased the power of each strike.

Sensing he couldn’t withstand it any longer, the dragon knight switched to offense.

Holding his sword with both hands, he swung it down straight.

Simple but powerful.

He probably just wanted to stop my attacks.

But it wasn’t enough.

I lightly floated my body, dodging the attack.

I landed on top of the dragon knight’s sword.

“So, what will you do now?”

The enemy was right in front. He couldn’t use his weapon.

In that situation, the dragon knight chose to breathe fire again.

Feeling a bit bored, I cut through the fire.

“I told you it wouldn’t work.”

I stepped forward and aimed for the dragon knight’s neck.

But, as expected, the dragon knight didn’t easily give up his neck.

As I attacked, he forcefully shifted his position.

His neck moved out of reach.

At this rate, I couldn’t deal a fatal blow.

So, I cut off the dragon knight’s right arm instead.

With a thud, the thick arm fell to the ground, and the dragon knight staggered with a groan.

Now there would be no next time.

If he couldn’t defend himself in peak condition, he certainly couldn’t with one hand.

The dragon knight seemed to understand this and began to distance himself from me.

I felt reluctant to kill a defeated opponent, but if I left him, he might harm someone else.

I had to finish him here.

Without emotion, I slowly closed the distance.

Just as the dragon knight entered my attack range.

“Uwoooooooo!!”

A lone rider charged at me.

An Imperial army general.

Swinging his sword from horseback, he aimed for my neck.

I had noticed him approaching.

I had ignored him because dealing with the dragon knight was more important.

And because it wouldn’t change anything he did.

I clashed my sword against the general’s.

With just that, the general’s sword shattered in two.

“Cutting through a sword… is this the skill of a swordmaster?”

The general marveled as he held his broken sword.

Returning to face me was a wise decision.

Now that I was here, he would undoubtedly be killed on the way to the capital.

Concentrating their forces here was their only chance of victory.

A slim chance, but still.

“I won’t tell you to give up… but at least change your weapon.”

“You would kill that beast in the meantime. That’s unacceptable.”

“Then, what will you do?”

“I am Bachstein, a general of the Imperial Army! I will fight!”

Bachstein charged at me on horseback.

Why are all Imperial generals so determined?

With a sigh, I pierced Bachstein as he passed by.

No, to be precise, Bachstein dismounted and came to be pierced.

“That’s one down…”

“What about the other?”

With my sword deeply embedded, Bachstein grasped my arm while coughing up blood.

Sacrificing himself to immobilize my right hand.

But I still had my left hand.

However, the dragon knight seized the opportunity and moved.

He swung his sword down with his remaining hand.

I blocked it with my left-hand sword.

Now both my hands were occupied.

And then.

“Fire!!”

With Bachstein’s shout, the Imperial army opened fire.

A barrage of gunfire and cannon fire was directed at me.