* * *

Somewhere back in an open field, Alexia and Sofia were clashing with one another. Sounds of metal clashing with one another could be heard from all around.

As Sofia surged with overwhelming energy and power, her form continuously shifted into a more deformed and menacing figure. Meanwhile, Alexia found herself gradually being forced backward by the relentless assault.

Strategically, Alexia maneuvered from one position to another, striving to keep a safe distance from the deformed monster that confronted her. Her mind raced, searching for the best approach to take down her formidable adversary.

On the other hand, Sofia's appearance had transformed to the point where she resembled a creature sprouting sharp blades all over her skin. She had lost her own senses. With each missed attack or aggressive charge towards Alexia, she emitted growling noises reminiscent of a wild beast.

Sofia was still considered a holy knight. So combined with the monster’s mutation on her body, she was leaping into another level of power. Simply by charging past Alexia, she was able to graze anything that was near her.

Alexia was overwhelmed by this, and no matter what she tried, she didn't seem to be able to figure out a weakness for this monster.

Having narrowly evaded yet another charge from the mutated knight, Alexia took a deep breath, summoning a gust of wind beneath her feet. This allowed her to leap several meters into the air, granting her a vantage point to observe the monstrous foe below.

As she peered down at the creature, a mix of determination and concern flashed in her eyes. 

‘No matter what technique I use… it doesn’t seem to work on her. It's almost as if her whole body isn't human anymore.’ 

Alexia glared at the confused mutant on the ground who was standing motionless.

‘....but what did I expect from someone like her?’

Then, after a brief moment of trying to come up with another sort of strategy, Alexia closed her eyes for a moment. She knew that she was in a safe space, floating several meters above ground, so she took this chance to recharge her stamina and think.

But right as she let her guard down for a split second, she felt a slight grazing pain on her cheek as if someone had suddenly cut her. 

“Wha…?!”

She immediately snapped back and looked down to where the mutated holy knight was. She noticed that she had let her arm loose, as if she had done something from there.

She waited for another brief second before the mutated holy knight grew several more knives on her exposed arm and threw them towards Alexia by swinging her arm as a ballista.

Alexa immediately saw the exact locations where those knives were aimed, so she used her skill to relocate herself to another position in the air. Her body was very flexible, so she was able to curve her body sideways, making her able to avoid another blade that almost stabbed her belly.

Alexia has been fighting this mutated knight for over an hour now, and so far, she has gathered the following information. Firstly, when fighting in close combat, the mutated holy knight would use her usual sword, combined with her techniques as a knight. 

But this was when things became tricky. Once you take some distance away, the mutated knight would then charge towards its target and use every blade on its body as a weapon to take down anyone. Then, upon its target taking a considerate defensive position, such as flying at a safe distance, the mutated knight would decapitate its own knives and use them as projectiles.

Using daggers, sharp nails, or even poison was ineffective due to its mutated skin. Blocking its sight was also something that she didn't even consider due to the fact that her face was almost swollen and covered with many blades.

‘Her body has become a weapon itself! Just what can I do to take her down? …The only thing left for me to do… is to charge directly at her.’

From her position in midair, trying to avoid any of the projectiles, Alexia took a deep breath before landing on the ground within a second. Then, before the mutated knight could even turn around, she closed her distance with her quick steps and swung her left dagger, aiming for its ear. 

“Grrrll!”

Her thrust was effective, and the blade of her dagger managed to get its way through the sharp blades growing out of the skin. But by doing so, many sharp blades were also impaled on Alexia’s arm.

‘I don't care about my arm for as long as….’

Alexia gritted her own teeth while glaring at the mutated monster without caring about her injured arm.

“....I get to kill you!”

Alexia continued to thrust the blade deeper, ignoring the fact that her arm was bleeding from the many sharp blades on the mutated skin. But before Alexia almost managed to reach the main body of the mutated skin, Sofia turned around and swung her arm towards its attacker. 

“....GAAhg!!!”

“GRRLLlllll!!!”

Upon impact, Alexia was blown away from her position, her eyes widening in both pain and fury. 

After what felt like an eternity, she managed to regain her footing, landing firmly on her own legs.

Normally, Alexia could easily withstand a regular punch or arm strike, thanks to her sturdy physique. However, this attack felt entirely different, akin to being struck by a wooden club adorned with numerous nails and blades. The excruciating pain left her stunned, realizing that Sofia's mutations had imbued her with a deadly force beyond anything she had encountered before.

After realizing the dire situation of getting hit by that sort of attack, Alexia looked at her own chest and noticed the multiple cuts that had managed to get through her small layer of armor. Blood was drenching her clothes, and she was beginning to feel a burning sensation as if her whole chest was about to explode.

“Cough… GHkk!!”

Then, after coughing up blood, she glared at the mutated monster in front of her before gripping her own dagger and charging towards it at top speed.

“....Heup….AAAAAGGhHH!!!!”

Once again, Alexia closed the distance between herself and the mutated monster, engaging in a furious clash of swords. The speed at which they clashed was so intense that she had to rely solely on her instincts to both attack and defend.

Sofia was still a holy knight, so each of her sword swings and movements were at a speed where Alexia was barely able to keep up. Until this point, Alexia was simply using her own senses as an assassin to keep up with it.

This continued for several more minutes. Sofia and Alexia continued going after each other's lives until the fight seemed to have come to an end.

With another powerful swing, the mutated holy knight cracked Alexia’s daggers and managed to blow her away with raw power. 

“....Ah.”

Alexia knew that her body was being pushed to its limits, and sooner or later she was going to collapse from the injuries she had all over her body. And right now, as her body was being flown away, she had accepted that there was nothing that could kill that monster.

Waiting for her body to reach a hard impact from being blown away, Alexia soon felt a soft cushion around her head and body, as if she were enveloped by a sudden comfort.

“...Huh?”

Confused about what had happened, Alexia opened her tired eyes, looked above her head, and noticed a young white-haired girl who seemed to have caught her body.

“Are you okay?”

“...you are that girl… Aya, right?”

Confirming the identity of her rescuers, Alexia looked at her with a slightly worried expression. She wasn't sure how she got here or why she would be in this dungeon. Alexia knew that Aya was a companion that Hiroki clearly cared about, which was why she used her remaining strength to get up and warn her. However, her body was no longer able to move on its own.

“Ugh! Ghk....Aya, you should get out of here. That monster over there is way too strong.” Alexia groaned through her pain.

Concern etched on her face, Aya gazed at the wounded girl she had caught and gently cradled her in her lap. She reached into her belongings and retrieved a bottle containing green liquid, offering it to Alexia's lips.

"Please drink this. Your body has suffered a lot of injuries," Aya urged, offering the bottle with green liquid to Alexia.

Accepting the drink, Alexia glanced at Aya and attempted to rise to her knees, her body still wracked with pain.

“....You have at least run away from…”

Her body was still in pain, and while most of her injuries were beginning to heal rapidly, she tried persuading Aya to get away from here. However, despite the warnings she was trying to express to her, Aya didn’t budge, nor did she show any sign of unease.

Struggling to get up, Alexia firmly grasped Aya's shoulder, attempting to convey something urgent.

“Aya, I—-”

*Clang!* *Slash!*

The moment she tried speaking up, she heard noises coming from behind her. She knew that it had to be the same mutated knight against whom she was fighting. But for some reason, the sounds were rather different. They almost sounded as if the mutated knight was fighting someone else.

Intrigued and uncertain about the presence of another person in the dungeon, the dark-haired girl turned her head toward the noise. And to her surprise, she caught a glimpse of two figures clashing swords at an astonishing speed, surpassing anything she had witnessed before.

"It's matching its speed..." Alexia gasped, her eyes widening at the spectacle before her.

The two knights moved at such a speed that both Aya and Alexia were barely able to follow. 

* * *

The fight between the two knights raged on for an intense half-hour, their blades clashing ceaselessly as they darted across the open field. The mutated knight resorted to utilizing every blade on her body in an attempt to slow down her opponent, but Ryosaki displayed remarkable finesse, smoothly countering each assault.

Realizing that her attacks were in vain, the mutated knight took a few seconds to gather her strength before launching a full-speed charge towards Ryosaki. This new burst of speed was nearly ten times faster than before.

"...."

However, with expert precision, Ryosaki swiftly erected a barrier using his other hand, effectively blocking the charging mutated knight. Sofia collided with the barrier, causing her knives to shatter and revealing her emotionless eyes.

“....Sofia…”

“Grwlll!”

Ryosaki tried calling out to the monster, who was stunned from the crash, only to get a deep growl as a response.

Ryosaki knew Sofia very well, and he felt that this version of her wasn't her true self. Despite the way she talks and treats him, Ryosaki was well aware that she would never turn her back on him and act like this.

‘No… Aya is right.’ Ryosaki thought to himself, ‘That woman must’ve done something to Sofia. That's the only explanation that can explain her behavior.’

“...GRAAAWWWLLLL!!!”

“.....”

After taking a head-on hit from the strongest knight, the mutated knight let out a high-pitched growl before charging towards its target once again. Her arms were modified once again until several long swords grew from the sides, showing less opening on her body. Then, without wasting any more time, she charged towards Ryosaki and tried to overpower him by using her whole body as a weapon.

“...GRWWWL!”

Every part of her body was filled with countless blades and swords. But despite that, Ryosaki didn’t fret from his position other than to sternly look at the way this woman had transformed herself.

“...Sofia…”

He tried calling out to the woman, who had lost complete control of herself. But despite his voice calling out to her, she still didn't stop her charge and tried clashing with him head-on. However, Ryosaki simply gripped his sword and broke off all of the visible long swords on her skin with a fast swing that even the mutated knight couldn't grasp.

“...Is that all you have to show? You've grown weaker.” Ryosaki questioned with a stern voice, his eyes reflecting both pity and sadness.

“..GRwwlll!!”

"Where is that same girl who used to spar with me every day... the same girl who yearned to compete for the title of the strongest knight... Was it all just a deceitful facade from the beginning?" 

Ryosaki's voice deepened as he tried to reach out to the girl, observing her fall with a miserable expression.

"Tell me, Sofia!!"

“....Grrwll!”

 

"Was all of that hard work as a holy knight, only to become a monster yourself?! Was all that training for nothing? Also, our time together…."

"....."

Ryosaki looked down at the struggling monster, trying to regrow its blades. Despite his attempts to reach her, nothing seemed to get through to Sofia.

“Fufu~ It's useless, Mr. Strongest.”

As he observed Sofia's pitiful state, Ryosaki suddenly tightened his grip on his sword when he heard a voice from above. He recognized the voice of a woman who seemed to be deriving amusement from the situation. Keeping his guard up, Ryosaki directed his stern yellow eyes towards the floating white-haired woman, who watched the scene with a hint of mockery.

“...What do you mean by that?”

“Fufu~ What a silly man, for someone who holds the strongest title.”

“....”

“...That woman over there has already been consumed by her own madness. No matter what you say to her, she won’t be able to hear you.”

Ryosaki kept his own composure while trying to hide the fact that his hands were almost leaving a mark on the handle of his sword.

“...Then what If I kill you instead?”

“Fufu~ Quite the dangerous man you a—”

*Swish!*

In a swift motion, Ryosaki unleashed a warning slash, catching the white-haired demon off guard. A sudden graze of wind surrounded her, and she realized something was amiss as she felt lighter on her feet. A horizontal red line appeared below her knees, and in the next moment, her legs were cleanly severed.

“Wha!?”

She glared back down at Ryosak, releasing that he hadn't moved an inch from his spot.

“That was only a warning. I was planning on capturing you in the first place. But now the situation has changed… I won't let you go alive unless you revert Sofia back”

“....”

* * *

Back in the same room, watching everything occur in the open fields of the dungeon, was Hiroki in his ghost form. His gaze was almost emotionless, but a hint of curiosity and intrigue could be sensed reflecting as Ryosaki was trying to make Sofia snap back to her usual self.

‘...A hero huh… to think that his skills were this powerful…’ 

His eyes did not budge an inch away from the screens while he tried to learn anything from the strongest knight in the kingdom. From the moment he learned about this knight holding the title of the strongest, Hiroki was on guard, ready to gather every bit of knowledge that could aid him.

Even if he wanted to avoid him, he knew that in one way or another, he would’ve had to find a way to either gain his trust or simply get rid of him.

But now, after seeing how far his powers were going, he knew that Ryosaki was simply showing a fraction of his powers. 

‘Maybe I should have instructed that demon to create a more powerful mutated monster…. one that wasn't a knight. That way, he wouldn't hold back in the battle.’

But still, Hiroki wanted to test something by turning Sofia into a mutated monster. He knew that woman was somewhat closer to the strongest knight, which was why he tried giving him this test of what sort of decision he was going to make. But as he already might’ve expected...

Dark thoughts swirled in Hiroki's mind as he contemplated his next move. 

‘Despite everything, he still chose to protect her... Typical of a kindhearted hero like him,’ Hiroki mused, acknowledging the knight's unwavering loyalty to the girl.

‘Maybe I should use Aya to get closer to him. I did tell her she was free to do as she wished,’ he pondered. The idea of having Aya become part of the knight's family surfaced, as Hiroki believed it might present an opportunity to gain control over the strongest knight through a soul contract.

Hiroki had already seen that Ryosaki's strength was immeasurable. Which means that even if he caught him by surprise, his skills would be unable to possess him. 

‘...the only way I can get him under control… is by tricking him into accepting me.’

However, that wouldn't be an easy task, because if Ryosaki even harbored a hint of suspicion towards Hiroki, he knew that Ryosaki had the capability to find a way to eliminate him.

‘....I must avoid that no matter what….’ 

Hiroki’s eyes narrowed as he watched Ryosaki cut the legs of the demon he had sent out there. But the next moment, Ryosaki moved his eyes and started right back at the screen, as if he was watching Hiroki through the screen.

“....”

And in the next moment, all of the screens went blank, as if the invisible eyes or cameras were completely shattered.

Ryosaki was able to sense that someone was watching him, and as a result, he was able to cut the connections towards the dungeon’s main screen room.

Hiroki waited for a couple more minutes in wonder at what he was going to do next. He was aware that he had been found, which was why the right next decision was to get away from here before he was found.

As minutes passed, the very same woman who had been confronting Ryosaki unexpectedly teleported into the screen room.

“...Haa…haaa…Hhaaa… That fucking…  haa… human… Haa..haaa…”

Hiroki looked back at the woman who was on the floor, trying to catch her breath, her body covered in sweat. Her legs seemed to have been healed. However, that didn't seem to matter at the moment.

“What happened?” Hiroki inquired.

“...Haa…Haa….Can’t you tell? That bastard is way too strong! If I was even a slight second later, I might've died.”

“...wait, how did you escape?” Hiroki asked once again, his eyes looking at the woman suspiciously.

“What do you mean, I–”

“Cut the bullshit!” 

The moment Hiroki glared at the way she was trying to work her lies around, the white-haired demon showed a smirk on her face as she looked at the ghost in front of her.

"After that human cut the connection to the surveillance eyes, I told him about not being the one responsible for everything..."

"....you."

"Fufu~ Did you really think that I would be dying for nothing?" The white-haired demon's smirk widened, her amused expression accompanied by blushing cheeks as she looked down at the ghost. "If I'm dying, then you should be coming with me."

“....”

"And right now, that human is on his way to this palace."

Hiroki listened to the white-haired demon's confession, his emotions swirling inside him. 

If Ryosaki would be able to reach this place, he knew that all of his plans to get closer for him would all be for nothing. Not to mention that lying or setting up a fake scenario wouldn’t work against him.