Chapter 109

# Chapter 109: Tin Knight and the Crimson Monster

When Kalidah swung her great sword and sent Adelheid flying, the audience erupted in cheers.

“She’s the invincible champion!” they chanted Kalidah’s name.

But the excitement was short-lived.

As she ominously approached the already downed Adel, people began to feel puzzled, and when she gruesomely killed the judge trying to stop her, suspicion turned into horror.

“Send the guards! Stop Kalidah immediately!”

The lord of Trakus barked orders, his face and voice tinged with urgency.

No matter how bloody a martial arts tournament may be, there’s a world of difference between slashing your opponent during a fight and mercilessly killing a helpless opponent after the match has concluded.

Especially when that opponent was a little girl from the Lion Duke’s bloodline.

Despite seeing his subordinates rush into action, the lord’s head was filled with confusion.

‘What the hell is going on?’

He couldn’t comprehend Kalidah’s sudden outburst.

Though she employed rough and brutal tactics in battle, it was all part of the spectacle to raise the tournament’s profile.

Personally, Kalidah was a rational and straightforward individual.

There was no way she would go off the rails like this.

‘Has she lost her mind due to a serious injury? Damn it, this is a disaster.’

While the lord was troubled by the looming aftermath, his worries seemed a bit premature.

“Y-Your Lordship! This is bad! There’s some kind of transparent wall obstructing our entry into the arena!”

“What?!”

As the lord’s voice rose in shock, Franka Aglaia, watching the match from the VIP seats, frowned.

‘A barrier. An incredibly high-level one at that.’

The domed wall stood erect, severing the arena from the audience.

Feeling the overwhelming magical power emanating from the wall, Franka was petrified.

Even considering it wasn’t her area of expertise, she wouldn’t even dare to attempt to dismantle such a flawless creation.

Even more astonishing was the fact that, despite its immense power, she couldn’t sense where it originated from.

Among the people she knew, only her mentor, the West Witch, could pull off such a feat.

‘But even so, there’s no way my mentor is here… Is that armor looking suspiciously strong?’

While guards and spectators alike were itching to rush into the arena, they were all but stuck, pacing angrily at the barrier.

The only exception was the Magical Automaton, who had entered just before the barrier emerged.

Franka quietly hoped that whatever plans she had to find her children wouldn’t be disrupted.

***

As you burst into the arena, the first thing you did was slam right into Kalidah with all your might.

The moment your hulking, metal body collided with her, it was as though she had been hit by a car, sending her flying.

After knocking Kalidah back, you quickly assessed Adelheid’s condition.

Her left arm and legs were twisted in unnatural directions, and about half her hair had been sliced off, but fortunately, she wasn’t bleeding out dangerously.

It seemed she instinctively managed to use her sword as a shield just before Kalidah’s attack.

Had she not, she would have ended up in worse shape than the judge.

Seeing that Adel was barely making any sound from shock and discomfort, you intended to carry her over to where Dorothea and Sophia were, but you froze in your tracks.

You noticed that the two individuals across the spectator seats were unable to move closer, seemingly blocked by some force.

Seeing Dorothea smack the air with her staff, it looked like there was an invisible wall obstructing their path.

Clank.

Moreover, you saw Kalidah, who had been propelled away, rising once more.

Though blood was gushing from the wounds Adel had inflicted, her ominous magical power only intensified.

It looked more like the armor was controlling the person rather than the other way around.

The purple eyes peering from beneath her cracked helmet were suffused with intense malevolence.

You decided to move Adelheid as close as possible to Dorothea and Sophia.

After gently petting the anxious Adel’s head, you readied your sword and shield.

From your perspective, everything was utterly confusing.

What was the source of Kalidah’s mysterious vitality? Why was she glaring at Adel with such rage? And what in the world was this puzzling barrier? You couldn’t make heads or tails of anything.

It was as if you were being thrown into a boss fight without a clue about the plot or settings.

In a way, it felt like a situation you knew all too well.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ has a simple solution: Just defeat the boss, and most issues will resolve themselves!]

Trusting that the details and bothersome matters would be handled later by someone else, you resolved to take on the foe in front of you.

Neither you outside the monitor nor you within the Tin Knight had any objection to exacting vengeance for what they’d done to your precious apprentice.

***

Boom!

The sound of two feet striking the ground echoed simultaneously.

The Tin Knight and Kalidah charged ahead, swords swinging.

The shockwave generated between them rippled outward with a thunderous roar.

It felt less like swords clashing and more like two speeding cars colliding head-on.

Crash!

In the first test of strength, the Tin Knight lost out.

As the knight was flung backwards, Kalidah’s great sword swung horizontally, aiming to cleave the Tin Knight in two.

But then, the Tin Knight’s left arm moved.

He swung his shield upward, catching the edge of the great sword, while simultaneously lashing out at Kalidah’s shin.

The impact would have caused compound fractures in an ordinary person, yet Kalidah’s leg barely budged, remaining firmly planted on the ground.

Seeing that immense magical power gathering in Kalidah’s great sword, the Tin Knight rolled to the side.

Boom!

As the downward slash made contact with the ground, it felt like the entire arena trembled violently, not just figuratively.

The ground began to shake, causing the audience to sway or lose their balance, and creaks echoed from all around the building.

Kalidah’s previously displayed might was already beyond ordinary, but this time it transcended human capabilities.

Of course, the Tin Knight didn’t flinch.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ deems his instant death technically irrelevant if he has to wait long for it!]

Long before Kalidah could raise her great sword again, the Tin Knight swung his sword at her side.

The mixed gray and blue blade sliced through Kalidah’s forearm.

Clang!

The sound of metal scraping against metal rang out.

Although the slash didn’t sever Kalidah’s arm, it left a noticeable scratch.

Kalidah swung her great sword again.

A diagonal upwards slash from bottom left to top right. A downward arc from top left, circling behind her head, back down to bottom left. An attack from her right shoulder. A horizontal slice from left to right.

These weren’t mere muscle-bound attacks anymore; they were a synchronized, graceful dance of offense.

Yet, the Tin Knight blocked every strike head-on.

He parried, dodged, and countered, timing his attacks with precision.

Clang clang clang!

The Tin Knight’s sword couldn’t cut Kalidah down.

But with every swing, her armor accumulated more and more damage.

Slice, bash, jab, kick—the Tin Knight chipped away at Kalidah’s defenses, bit by bit.

Crack!

At last, after a relentless barrage, her armor began to crack and splinter.

Kalidah might have been talented in defense, but the Tin Knight’s blade was sharper.

《──■■■■! ! !》

Kalidah let out a roar that seemed to be more beast than human.

Whoosh!

With a powerful kick, Kalidah sent the Tin Knight stumbling backward.

Even though he had transferred most of the impact to his shield, his feet dug grooves into the ground, creating a cloud of dust.

Just before the Tin Knight could charge in again, Kalidah swung her great sword horizontally.

Though the Tin Knight remained outside her attack range, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine, causing him to crouch low.

Swoosh!

A flash of light erupted.

The crimson light arced like a massive crescent moon, blasting forth from Kalidah’s swinging sword.

Part of the Tin Knight’s helmet was sliced off like paper before scissors.

As the crescent-shaped blade hit the barrier, which previously remained completely still, it shook for an instant.

The onlookers behind the barrier gasped at the abrupt display of power, yet the Tin Knight, rather than shrinking back, charged in boldly.

[The ‘Tin Knight’ is firing a crucial strike! It’s a technique with history and tradition!]

That fearless action, devoid of any hint of fear, finally led the wild-eyed Kalidah to fully recognize the Tin Knight’s presence.

《Who are you?》

[The ‘Tin Knight’ responds: “I’m the head-hunting team!”]

Though that reply sounded utterly demented, the swordplay unfolding from his hands was nothing short of a climactic event itself.

Even those who couldn’t hear the Tin Knight’s words couldn’t help but recognize that lurking threat.

Kalidah’s great sword charged up with magical power once again.

The intensity of her attack was several notches above what she’d shown against Adel.

An intense melee ensued.

The Tin Knight’s blade pierced Kalidah’s abdomen, while her punches caved in his chest.

Her bleeding intensified while the Tin Knight’s body recovered without issue—yet his magical power began to dissipate fast.

Both Kalidah and the Tin Knight.

You felt an instinctive sense that the end of the fight was not far off.

As their swords clashed in a standoff, Kalidah used all her strength to push the Tin Knight away.

With the effort, Kalidah’s arm cracked painfully, but it forced the Tin Knight back once more.

Crimson magical energy swirled around Kalidah, and her grip on the great sword tightened.

A faint purple spark danced along the blade’s edge.

***

Outside the monitor, you realized something: if you could dodge this upcoming attack and replicate your previous move, you could secure victory.

Inside the Tin Knight, you understood: if you didn’t block this, Adelheid behind you would be put in jeopardy.

You reached a conclusion.

***

Kalidah’s great sword swung down from above, unleashing a massive slash.

The ground was upheaved, and the very air seemed to tear asunder in the face of her fierce attack. The Tin Knight charged forward head-on.

Gems embedded in his shield shimmered brilliantly without leaving a single one behind.

As the piercing crimson wave advanced toward him, the Tin Knight swung his shield and unleashed the power contained within the gems.

A blinding flash.

And then an impact.

The crimson magical energy was crushed directly, and the Tin Knight leaped high into the air.

From above, it felt like he was layering another slash onto the path Kalidah had carved.

Swoosh!

The Tin Knight’s sword cleaved through Kalidah’s upper body in two.

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