NOVEL NEXT 82. Igneel Windsor
The three watchmen stared at the silver knight with a gaze filled with purpose. They needed to stop the knight from advancing and to buy as much time as possible for their men to escape. But to have three watchmen dedicated to such a cause would be too much. Someone needed to continue leading the men.
Tucker pointed his sword at the knight and spoke in a voice only the three of them could hear. "One of you needs to lead the soldiers."
"It'll be Eric then," Luka whispered. "I'm not leaving you behind."
"What?" Eric stared at them in disbelief. "How can you ask me to abandon you guys?"
Tucker glanced at the soldiers who followed them. "This plan had gone to shit since the Empire brought the barrier crystal. We need someone to lead the retreat, and the men will follow your orders."
"But still—!"
"We don't have time to argue." Tucker cut off Eric mid-sentence and focused on the knight who approached them. They had lost too many lives from this one attack alone, and there was no telling how many more would follow. Right now, they needed to preserve their forces. "Lead the men out of here. That's an order."
"Shit!" Eric cursed under his breath, then nodded and immediately waved at the men to follow.
The sound of footsteps fading entered Luka and Tucker's ears. However, they refused to lose focus as the silver knight gazed at them. A heavy pressure pressed down on their shoulders, as if the world itself was crumbling. The enemy soldiers stood beside the knight with their weapons gleaming in the light. They were outnumbered, but that didn't matter.
Time seemed to stretch, dragging on endlessly as more soldiers stood at the summit. Their footsteps echoed like a mallet striking a drum. They refused to rest despite the lingering scent of blood and smoke that filled the air. Each breath that Tucker took felt shallow, but his mind remained calm.
The metal plates from the silver knight shifted. He raised his arm and slightly bent his elbow. "Kill them." With a single swing from his hand, the soldiers rushed forth without hesitation. They trampled on the ruins of the building, crushing broken wooden planks and old furniture that used to be someone's home.
Tucker stared at them with his sword in hand. He stepped forward, feeling the wind push against his face, urging him to retreat, but refused to do so. Gale was circling high above them, along with Luka's companion. A small bird with bright golden feathers on its wings and a white belly. Their spirits were worried about them, terrified even. Yet all they could do was watch as the mass of soldiers charged against their contractors.
Luka summoned his spirit essence into his palm, feeling the energy violently surge. Threads of earth woven together, forming a triangle with the long end pointed at him and the base at the enemy. A single character written in the center. An "R" with two dashes through the center.
With no time to spare, he slammed his hand into the ground, releasing the essence within and sending it forth. The ground shook as several sharp, jagged rocks burst through the earth in a cone that gradually expanded. The enemy soldiers staggered, trying to get steady footing while raising their shields. But before they could properly protect themselves, a gust of wind hindered their movements.
The spikes formed of stone pierced through the bodies of countless soldiers. Their screams of agony filled the air. Before the attack could spread any further, the silver knight twisted his blade, shattering the attack in one fell swoop. Fragments of dirt and stone obscured the knight's vision, but as the natural movements of the debris shifted. He raised his sword, blocking the blade shrouded in emerald energy.
His eyes slightly widened, not in surprise but in excitement. "It's you," he said with a grin. "The young watchman who ran from Elder Pyron's goons."
Tucker's arms shook. He clenched onto the hilt of the sword, glaring at the knight with indifference. "You act like I should know the name of everyone who's crossed me."
"Then you should at least know the name of the man who'll kill you." The knight tightened his grip and swung with all his might, pushing Tucker back towards Luka. "I am Igneel Windsor, knight of the twelfth order."
"A knight? Not a knight captain?" Tucker asked.
"The Captain has more important matters to attend to than this," Igneel replied.
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Luka glanced at Tucker, their eyes met and soon they nodded. They had overestimated their opponent but if it was just a knight, then the chances of them winning was drastically higher compared to before.
Igneel scoffed at their reaction and turned to his men. "Go around to the other side. The other knights should have made an opening for you."
"But sir, our orders were to assist you," one of the soldiers said.
"You'll only be in the way," Igneel said gravely. "If you want to be of help, then it would be best for you to leave or have the other knights assist me."
The soldier hesitantly stood there before saluting Igneel. The knight got what he wanted and now it was just them.
Cannons erupted once more as the watchmen examined the knight. The earth shook with smoke rising on the far side. Buildings were crumbling one after another, allowing more cracks in their defenses. They were slowly losing ground and there was nothing they could do. Tucker and Luka had to deal with Igneel or else the damage would be devastating.
Yet that was easier said than done. There wasn't a single weakness in his defense.
Luka and Tucker stood there with their blades in hand. The terrain was in shambles, and the knight was on high ground. It would be disadvantageous for them to fight under such conditions, but the moment Luka shifted his foot back, Igneel charged forth. The white vapor on the edge of his sword drew a fine line through the air.
Tucker met Igneel head-on, their swords clashing against each other with a deafening bang. Sparks of green and white danced along the steel, but as the watchman focused on the knight. His eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. The white aura that came from the sword's path didn't disappear. Instead, it seemed like it was slowly rushing forth.
Right before Tucker could firmly plant his feet into the ground, the white line shot forth. Slamming into his blade and pushing his body back several meters. Dirt piled up beside his metal boots, and a look of disbelief filled his eyes. Before he could move any further, Luka grabbed onto his shoulder to steady him.
"Is that the unique property of the knight's aura?" Luka asked.
"Yeah, it looks like a repeated attack," Tucker replied.
"Then that means it follows the same path as their blade." Luka walked to the side while Tucker moved in the opposite direction. "Which means it's predictable."
Tucker nodded as they both circled around Igneel. The knight grinned beneath his visor and readied his sword. They weren't running like before, and that itself was commendable. Igneel glanced at the two. He knew one was a wind contractor from what Elder Pyron's men had reported. Now he just needed to figure out what element the other watchman held.
The knight glared at Tucker, who immediately raised his guard. Igneel's figure disappeared for a second, and seeing this, Tucker prepared himself against the knight's attack. Yet the attack never came. Igneel stood before Luka, his sword gleaming in the light as he raised it overhead. With all of his might, he tore through the air and released a shockwave that sent shivers down the watchman's spine.
Luka felt his ears pop from the force behind the attack. He gritted his teeth, conjuring walls of stone to protect himself. Yet each one crumbled with a thunderous crash, shattering into tiny fragments as the white aura crackled. He knew the attack would break through, but that didn't mean it was hopeless. Opportunities would present themselves if he continued blocking. He just needed to be patient.
The knight's blade tore through the last wall, but right before it could reach Luka, the watchman drove his sword through the clouds of dust. His golden aura pierced through the crumbling defense and into the knight's chest. Cracks emerged as the two auras collided. Igneel withdrew with a displeased expression. He wanted to defeat the earth elementalist in one swift blow. But with the layers of defense, such a thing wasn't possible.
He carefully thought about his possible options, but soon felt a subtle killing intent prick at the back of his neck. Igneel looked over his shoulder, raising his sword at the same time to meet the emerald-clad sword. The wind surged around them, and with a twist of his blade.
Steel met iron as Igneel spun on his heel and deflected the thrust along the spine of his sword. The metallic sound sang in their ears as the knight retreated. His back pressed against what remained of the stone wall Luka made, but before he could even think, he heard the slightest rumble from behind him.
His hand struck the wall, immediately sending a burst of aura through the object. On the other side, spikes made of stone rushed at him like a tidal wave. Only to be blown to smithereens by the powerful shockwave released from his palm. The watchmen's attacks were well-coordinated, but from his experience. He knew the nature of their swordplay.
As Luka was pushed back, Igneel focused on Tucker, pressuring him with a torrent of attacks in all directions. Their blades clashed back and forth, releasing flashes of green and white throughout the area. Tucker felt his heart hammer in his chest. There wasn't a single opening for him to take advantage of, and each strike caused his hand to go numb.
Meanwhile, Luka fought desperately to break Igneel's defense, but every strike was met with calm, precise counterattacks that left him reeling. The watchmen were slowly being driven into a corner. Luka clenched onto his sword and swung it in a wide arc, bringing it down towards Igneel's exposed back. Yet as the knight slashed at Tucker, forcing him to retreat. His sword drew a crescent line towards Luka's blade, catching the attack and knocking it harmlessly to the side.
Luka fell back several steps and stood beside Tucker with a dire expression. "Captain, this isn't good. It took me a while to realize this, but the only Igneel I know of is the son of General Windsor."
Tucker gave a bitter laugh. "We really do have shitty luck."
The Windsor family was one of the pillars that supported the Avalon Empire. A family that had trained countless generations of talented knights, and before them was Igneel Windsor, a master duelist who'd slain hundreds of foes with ease.
They both knew it.
They couldn't win this fight with conventional methods.
Not against a legend like him, yet here they stood. Two watchmen with their blades drawn.