The Amber Sword

Chapter 22 – The knight of the past (3)

Ebdon lowered his head in slight confusion to the rocks, but Brendel had already leaped into the air. His entire body was in a blur, and behind him were countless afterimages of himself, and within a split moment, he had already crossed over a dozen meters.

It immediately found that it could not capture his movement. He was like a gust of wind that seemed to went past him, and before it was able to react, he was already behind its back.

[I seen him use this before at the start of battle, but experiencing this terrifying technique for myself is different. This young man isn’t simple!]

Ebdon’s White Fang left its sheath immediately, instinctively covering his back with it. A loud clang rang out as it blocked the Thorn of Light.

This defense had left the boundaries of swordsmanship.

They were using their experience to fight each other.

Brendel immediately stepped to the side like a ghastly spirit leaving hazy shadows behind, and struck at Ebdon’s left chest.

[One more second left to the Charge technique.]

But Ebdon immediately swept its sword around to parry the tip of his blade, not showing any signs of weakness—

[Even with 44 OZ worth of agility, he still managed to block the first and second attack... This foe is really troublesome.]

Suddenly the flames in the undead knight flared. He suddenly felt another presence behind him and felt an attack coming towards it. He immediately turned around and swung his sword, only to find a gargoyle that was split into two and tumbling onto the ground.

That moment seemed to extend itself for a long time, Ebdon watched the gargoyle slowly crumble into several pieces and fall onto the ground, but it immediately knew that the situation had turned.

Brendel placed a foot forward and took a deep breath. He launched his final Power Break onto the White Raven Sword Arte.

The wave unleashed onto Ebdon and his Nightmare horse. The wave instantly severed the horse’s head and caused it to stumble downwards, but Ebdon threw his sword onto the ground and a gigantic force propelled Brendel backwards along with his sword.

[The Wall of Will! Shit, that technique is from the Sun Knight Aegwynn!]

Brendel stumbled backwards eight steps before he rushed up again with clenched teeth. Ebdon had successfully gained enough time for it to launch a counter attack. It threw his white cape away and picked up the White Fang and marched straight to Brendel. Three consecutive metallic wails rang throughout the valley, and each time the swords struck each other, Brendel was forced to retreat backwards. The air in the youth’s chest was completely knocked out and he could not maintain a proper stance anymore —

“Aouine,” Ebdon watched coldly as Brendel could not defend properly anymore and raised his sword. The white flames in his eyes seem to freeze everything: “Has grown too old.”

The white blade lunged forward.

Brendel’s teeth gritted so hard that his gums bled. He struck down at Ebdon’s blade, but it hardly diverged from its course and he tried to grab the sword next. The leather gloves glowed blue for a moment but it still pierced through, causing the blade to run through his palm, cutting apart his chain armor and split apart the links, until it snaked its way into the youth’s abdomen.

The scarlet blood that flowed down was as red as old wine.

But Ebdon did not find victory.

Brendel had an insane look in his eyes as he gripped its right wrist with his left hand, locking the White Fang in place. He raised the Elven Sword with the right hand.

Ebdon found the words ‘A’ssonston, Donamiru-‘ glowing on the Thorn of Light—

And then.

The sword thrust forward.

Ebdon tried to use the left hand to block it, but the sword immediately burned through with as the purification fire flared up, stabbing straight into its chest.

Two swords, connected the knights together. At that moment they could only hear the cold wind.

“Hahahaha,” Brendel said weakly: “You bastard, you are wrong......”

“You think you won, young man?” Ebdon said with a cold voice.

Its chest felt like it was burning up, the pain torturing him, but at the same time the wound was not fatal.

“No, it’s just that....... Even though Aouine has grown old....... There are still people who loved it regardless.”

Brendel coughed. Ebdon was waiting for this moment, but he had also planned for the same thing.

They pulled their swords out together at the same time, and Brendel ignored Ebdon’s attack which made its way to his lungs. At the same time, he had hacked off the undead knight’s left arm far away.

Two of them stepped back at the same time.

Brendel immediately fell to the ground and started coughing. Specks of blood fell onto the ground. He felt burning sensations all over his chest, and he had never experienced such pain ever in his life, except for one place— Bucce.

The talent ‘Unyielding’ had already activated, and he stood up with his sword supporting him.

Ebdon was ready to act. Its injuries were much lighter than Brendel, and even though it was surprised and impressed with his tenacity and unshakeable resolution, it needed victory more than ever.

It stumbled a little on the rocks in its path. It had difficulty maintaining its balance, but it was at a better state compared to Brendel who had knelt down once again to the ground.

Ebdon glanced at the mercenaries who were closing in. It quickly raised its sword and rushed at Brendel again.

Suddenly a golden flash of light came from the high ground.

[That is not an illusion!]

It quickly turned its head to check the source and immediately saw a ring that was on a woman’s thumb shining like a star.

Freya shouted clearly: “Flamme!”

The mercenaries saw a straight line of fire streaking across the air, but Ebdon saw a gigantic ball of fire charging straight at him. The speed of the fireball was so fast that the mercenaries only saw a line of fire—

Ebdon tried to parry it with its sword, but it was late in doing so.

The fire immediately exploded onto him, creating a powerful wave of shockwave that swept through the mountain valley, flinging everyone’s hair backwards with the the needles of the fir trees flying all over to the sky. The mercenaries’ horses stopped in fright and they stood up in fright, sending a few of them onto the ground. The flames continued to persist for a moment longer, before it vanished into the night.

Brendel was also sent backwards, but after the dust settled, he saw Ebdon half-kneeling on the ground.

He did not move.

[I-I won?]

He rubbed his forehead. The fireball from Freya had actually caused AOE damage to him and sent him a fright, but immediately recalled that he was as resilient as a cockroach. A grin slowly formed on his face as the realization that he was the victor.

[The ‘Unyielding’ talent was my final trump card...]

He took a look at him once more, wondering what Aouine’s former hero thought at the end of his life.

[Did he still sought after the past glory in his memory?]

Brendel thought for a while before he finally prepared himself to sit up. Suddenly, there were sounds of shuffling noises behind him and he became alert. When he turned his head around, he saw Freya and Ciel coming towards him anxiously.

“Brendel!” Freya had nothing on her mind other than to support him up. She asked carefully while she looked at the youth who was still lying down on the ground: “Brendel, are y-you alright?”

Just as he wanted to assure her, his mind suddenly thought of something and laid back down.

“Freya, is that you?” He suddenly coughed repeatedly after asking weakly on the ground.

“Y, yes, it’s me..... C-can’t you see me?” Freya’s tears were already falling when she saw his body was covered with wounds, and the uncontrollable bleeding from his abdomen and chest made it clear that he was not going to make it. “Brendel, don’t talk anymore, I-I’ll bandage you up.....”

“Freya... There’s... no point. I-I need to request you to do something for me.”

“W-what is it?” Freya’s heart sank when she heard him speak in this manner.

“Can you..... kiss me?”

“Eh, ahh.... huh?” Freya’s mind stopped working for a moment. But her face was serious after it registered in her mind.

Brendel could not hold back his laughter as he sat straight up with some effort. “I’m joking, Freya, here, help me up instead–”

“Y-your wounds, don’t move Brendel! Stop..... I-I’ll kiss you!” Freya shouted loudly as she thought he was upset with her for not fulfilling his last request.

Brendel coughed and explained quickly: “No, seriously, I’m really fine.”

“How can that be possible!”

“You know that I’m not only a knight, I’m also a wizard—” Brendel knew that she would not believe him so easily with his fatal injuries, so he could only use a white lie.

“A-are you really fine?”

“Of course.”

Brendel pretended to be fine as he rummaged for Holy Potion number 9 in his bag with full of cold sweat on his forehead.

Freya looked at him in a daze, first turning from white into red, then to white again, then to red again. Finally she clenched her fist and bit her lips.

“Brendel, you, you.......”

“Shameless cad!”