The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha! -
Chapter 134 - 20: The Battle of the Holy Knight
Chapter 134: Chapter 20: The Battle of the Holy Knight
"Holy Knights are rare, you say? We rob one caravan, and we run into five of them!" shouted Club, his voice cracking with panic.
"Four First-Rank Angels..." Vivian stood frozen, her face pale with disbelief.
"Catherine, can you explain to me why their Guardian Angels are all First-Rank, while ours are Second-Rank?" Black Cat yelled.
"I... I became a Guardian Angel by accident," Catherine stammered, clearly flustered.
Shelley stood there stunned, entirely at a loss, her wide eyes filled with confusion.
"Damn it, we’ve been ambushed! Didn’t I say the Church couldn’t be trusted? Only fools stick to the idea of justice!" Andrew growled angrily, slowly edging his horse backward.
Everyone present—soldiers on both sides, as well as the civilians—stared in shock, their mouths agape.
This battle had been a relentless rollercoaster of surprises for them. A single Angel appearing would have been considered a miracle, but now four were present, and another was yet to appear—but appear it would, inevitably.
"What’s with those three? Which side are they on?" someone whispered.
"Of course, they’re on Holy Knight Levi’s side. There are only five Holy Knights on the continent, and they’re all here. Holy Knight Gray has conflicts with the Church, and now the Church has sent all its Holy Knights to deal with Holy Knight Gray..."
"Then Holy Knight Gray is done for..."
After a brief moment of stunned silence, realization dawned, and the Golden Snake Army erupted into cheers, while the White Fox Army broke down into wails of despair. The civilians, spared from the fighting, were simply awestruck. After all, this had little to do with them.
Gene II’s face turned ashen.
Moments earlier, Lusien V, who had been fleeing in disgrace, now broke into a slow chuckle that escalated into peals of wild, uncontrollable laughter.
"Well done! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant—! Hahaha! I knew it! I knew they wouldn’t come unprepared! Cough, cough! I always knew there was no way they would be unprepared!"
Perched upon her horse, Camilla was clearly panicking.
Arthur, too, was caught in a daze.
"Gray, what do we do now?"
"I think we’re doomed! I’m just an uninformed ghost hoping they’ll show mercy and spare me."
"Let me speak to them... let’s hope it works."
The voices of three external advisors tangled in Gray’s mind, while Gray himself, standing at the eye of this storm, remained eerily calm and silent.
The soldiers’ attacks, which had paused with the arrival of the Holy Knights and the sudden appearance of Angels, had completely ceased. Gray, on horseback, stood within the encirclement, raising his sword high above his head.
"Fall back—!"
At once, the dispersed Silver Moon Knights moved swiftly, retreating from the battle and regrouping in the direction of the Dwarven gunners. All except for Gray.
Indeed, Gray alone remained behind. Between him and the Dwarven gunners were Levi and the newly arrived Julian. Gray remained deeply entrenched, surrounded on all sides.
Shelley, who had managed—if only barely—to grasp what was happening, covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock as she stared blankly ahead.
In the distance, the three Holy Knights who had come to reinforce Levi were now galloping toward the Golden Snake Army, their accompanying Angels following closely behind.
All eyes were fixed upon the lone figure at the center of the circle—Gray, mounted on his horse, holding his longsword aloft. Soldiers on all sides began to pull back, parting to form a passageway, eager to witness the duel between Holy Knights.
Under the watchful gaze of countless onlookers, a burst of black mist erupted. Vivian descended to Gray’s side, spherical weapon in hand, assuming a defensive stance.
"Is that girl a Mage?" someone wondered aloud.
Moments later, a pair of wings unfurled slowly as Catherine descended above Gray.
The crowd let out another gasp, though the astonishment this time paled in comparison to earlier.
"Miss Succubus, I advise you not to act rashly. This is an internal matter of the Holy Camp. If you interfere, it will be deemed a violation of the pact, and we will be forced to take action against you." Levi’s voice echoed in Vivian’s mind.
Vivian took a small step back, hesitating.
"Stop this!" Catherine’s voice rang out directly into the minds of all the Angels and Holy Knights present. "Are you about to start a Holy Knight civil war?"
"Who do you think initiated this civil war?" a voice retorted.
"What we see is Holy Knight Gray leading dark creatures to attack humanity," another voice stated, calm and devoid of emotion.
"He attacked out of righteousness!" Catherine shouted. "Lusien V reneged on his oath—he has a duty to punish the oathbreaker!"
The two voices fell silent.
Another voice broke the stillness: "You’re correct; this matter can be interpreted in many ways. However, we prefer our own interpretation. What’s happening here is more than just this one incident. Holy Knight Gray has gravely endangered the foundation of faith on the continent, threatening the Church itself. We must put an end to this farce."
It was Levi’s voice.
"So... just an excuse, right? This should be reported to the Holy Spirit! Let the Holy Spirit render judgment!" Catherine cried out.
"The Holy Spirit will not intervene in disputes between Holy Knight Gray and the Church. Wasn’t it Holy Knight Gray who himself requested that the Holy Spirit not get involved?" one voice countered.
"You! You’re exploiting loopholes in the pact! You can’t do this—!"
Catherine was exasperated, but no one was listening. The Holy Knights continued their advance.
"Catherine, stop arguing. It’s pointless." Gray’s calm voice materialized in Catherine’s mind. "I never realized, in the Holy Spirit’s pact, that I am considered a dark creature..."
"I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you. I’m so sorry..."
"It’s alright. I know you meant well." If Gray could smile, he would probably be smiling wryly right now. Lowering his head, he reached into his armor and pulled out a pendant inscribed with the name "Krimasha," hanging it around his neck. "Don’t worry. No matter what, I will not fall into darkness. Even if no one acknowledges it, I am a Knight. For I have upheld every tenet of the Knight’s Code. I will continue to uphold justice—the justice that belongs to me."
"Gray..."
Catherine, Vivian, and Black Cat fell silent.
...
"Jones, escort Shelley away. Ensure her safe return to White City," Gray’s voice echoed in Jones’ mind.
"Understood!" Jones turned to Shelley. "Dora and I will accompany you out of here."
"Why?" Shelley’s voice broke as she panicked, tears spilling from her eyes. "He’s going to lose, isn’t he? No, I won’t go! I can’t leave him! He’s my husband!"
...
"Club, Andrew, you’re free to choose—fight with me and die here, or leave," Gray’s voice echoed in their minds.
"Alright, I’m leaving right now!"
Andrew quickly turned his horse around. Beside him, Club roared in fury, "What do you take us Dwarves for?! We’re not like those pansy Elves who break their oaths!"
"What did you say? Who are you calling a pansy?!" Andrew glared, his eyes bulging with indignation.
"Isn’t it obvious? Get lost! I don’t want to die alongside some damned Elf!" Club snarled back, his beard bristling.
Turning his head, Andrew noticed a Holy Knight subtly altering his route, sealing off his escape.
Was this... a strategy to eliminate us all?
Swallowing his fear, Andrew reluctantly turned his horse back around, trembling slightly. "Who said I was going to leave? I... I’ll keep my oath too."
The two glared at each other, their animosity seemingly greater than that toward their actual enemies.
...
"Carl, I think I can hold them off. You may choose to leave," Gray’s voice resonated in the minds of the Silver Moon Knights.
"Leave? To where? To another place to rot as mere bones?"
"We are tied to you. The moment you fall, our magic power will dissipate as well."
"Let’s fight... In life, I achieved nothing good. Who knew that in death, I’d finally do something right? This is the most glorious moment of my existence."
"To hell with dark creatures! I’m not a dark creature! I have faith!"
"I died in sin once; this time, I want to die for justice."
"For justice!"
"For justice—!"
One by one, scattered voices echoed in response.
"Why didn’t you ask me?"
"Do you want to leave?" Gray asked.
"Uh... now that you’ve asked, I feel embarrassed. Guess I’ll stay after all..." Black Cat, hidden within her armor, replied feebly.
The Silver Moon Knights quickly reached a consensus. They gathered around, forming a defensive formation alongside the Dwarves.
The Golden Snake Army had fully encircled them, forming a ring. At the center stood Gray. Opposite him was Levi, with the Silver Moon Knight Order arrayed behind him. On the outermost ring stood the three Holy Knights who had come to reinforce him, guarding their positions from three directions.
...
The wind blew softly, and the entire world seemed to hold its breath.
Shelley stood on the hilltop, hands covering her mouth, her eyes wide with despair as tears streamed down her face.
Those present were, without exception, stunned speechless.
...
"Holy Spirit, are you watching over us?" Gray lowered his head, gripping his sword, and began to pray before the battle. "If we die here, will Heaven accept the souls of dark creatures?"
Every Undead Knight silently uttered prayers of their own. Even the faithless Dwarves found themselves mimicking the gestures.
Levi’s voice rang in Gray’s mind: "Just as you gave Lusien V his final chance, I now give you your final chance. Abandon these dark creatures and surrender them to us. Renounce your oath to the Duchess and pledge to serve the Holy Father and obey the Cardinal Court’s orders. If you agree, we will withhold our attack."
Only after finishing his prayer did Gray slowly lift his head, meeting Levi’s gaze. "What if I refuse?" he asked gently, gripping his sword tightly.
"If you refuse, we will defeat you here," Levi replied with a smile. "We will humble your proud head, unmask you, and deliver you to the Church, where you’ll be placed under house arrest forever—a Holy Knight in name only. And as for these dark creatures under your command, we will exterminate them. That, I’m afraid, is non-negotiable."
Reciting the words of the Knight’s Oath, Gray raised his head high, his voice unwavering. "I will stand by my knightly brothers, so long as they have not abandoned their faith, no matter the adversity. Even if it demands my own life, I will march forward unhesitatingly." On horseback, his shining sword pointed directly at Levi as he softly declared, "I, Holy Knight Gray, Count Gruglu, protector of justice, refuse your terms of negotiation."
"As a Guardian Angel, I am bound by my duty to protect my Contract Knight until the very end, so long as he has not fallen to darkness. An oath does not alter because of external circumstances!" Catherine drew her shining blade, leveling it at Julian.
For the first time since arriving in the Human World, she unsheathed her sword—only to aim it at her own comrades-in-arms.
At that moment, all was silent, and the world seemed to freeze. Time itself ceased to flow, as though the universe held its breath in anticipation.
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