Chapter 47

Lusia snorted with a smirk.

“To harm His Majesty? Only over my dead body!”

The knight who looked the most like an adventurer in the Royal Knights declared this with finality. A shadow of killing intent flickered in her blue eyes—deep as a hidden lake.

This girl…

Was strong.

She flicked her white cloak aside, revealing three guarded knight swords. In one fluid motion, she hurled them at Leon.

The blades shot toward him like arrows. Their speed startled Leon—he deflected two with his sword and dodged the third.

The next instant, Leon blurred right before her. Her gloved hands materialized two fresh swords, effortlessly parrying his flurry of strikes. Steel scraped steel.

Up close, Leon saw her smirk. She was savoring the thrill of their clash, utterly at ease.

Leon spun and slashed again within a fraction of a second—blocked! Seven, eight consecutive strikes—all deflected! How could Lusia’s slender arms withstand strength that could send entire groups flying?

“You’re strong,” she complimented him. “Since you won’t serve His Majesty… die!”

Ten identical swords materialized midair like the teeth of a comb. They plummeted toward Leon’s head. He had to leap back, widening the distance.

It’d been ages since Leon faced such a formidable foe. This blue-haired girl in a white cloak and thigh-highs possessed power wildly mismatched with her delicate frame. How?

Though to outsiders, Leon himself—a lean, unassuming guy—being this strong was equally unbelievable.

So Lusia… she was the female counterpart to the Hero!

Absolutely a pillar of the Adventurer Guild.

What if they’d met later? As allies in Eilant’s labyrinth district…

Too bad.

“Not attacking? Is this all the legendary Hero has?” Lusia’s shadowed gaze pinned Leon. Behind her, phantom blades shimmered—ready to answer her will.

At this rate, they’d fight till dawn and never reach the throne room behind her. Should he unleash the ultimate technique he used against the Archdruid? Leon tightened his grip on both swords.

“I haven’t even begun!” Lusia snorted. “Those who threaten His Majesty… are unforgivable!” She drew an impossibly long, serrated crimson blade from her back—longer than her own height.

“Take this! My ultimate art—Bloodthirsty Dance!”

As she shouted, Leon lunged—

Their clash was imminent. Lusia smirked and “released” her sword. The serpentine blade snapped apart into twenty chained segments, whipping wildly into a storm of steel. Nothing within its radius stood untouched.

Leon countered with his own dual-blade ultimate. Their strikes tangled in a dizzying blur. Stone tiles shattered beneath their feet.

Smoke cleared. They stood apart again—both unharmed. Their attacks had canceled each other out.

“I can keep going! Can you?” Lusia’s smile held a flicker of madness. This razor’s-edge battle thrilled her. “If you can’t… sorry. Die.”

A voice cut in—

“Already fighting?”

Both turned. A cool woman in a black trench coat approached, a strand of dark hair falling between her eyes.

“Vanessa—?”

“Vanessa?”

Lusia and Leon spoke her name simultaneously. Then both froze—*She knows her too?*

“Won’t even call me ‘Master’ anymore?” Vanessa’s gaze, unreadable, locked onto Leon. “So eager to cut ties?”

“What are you doing here?” Leon’s gut twisted. Her appearance never meant good news.

“My presence is perfectly normal. The Adventurer Guild’s original squad had five members: Ivan Reyes, Aelie, Tridiss, Lusia…” Vanessa’s lips curled as she watched him.

“And me.”

To be continued.