“So… just who might you be? Allow me to witness your prowess firsthand!”
No sooner had Leya spoken than, as if in direct response to her provocation, the colossal mass of black aura began to churn and roil. Finally, a portion of it separated, taking on the form of a swirling vortex.
With the distance already less than a hundred meters and its speed truly astonishing, it surged toward Leya in mere seconds. Under such circumstances, Leya decisively abandoned any thought of escape, allowing the black mist to envelop her.
Yet, if that were the case…
‘Is it trying to obscure my vision? Or perhaps exploit humanity’s primal fear of darkness to exert psychological pressure? Tsk… for a mere beast, your tactical acumen is rather impressive.’
Presumably, the phrase “pitch black, unable to see your own hand” could not describe it more perfectly.
Within this profound darkness, her eyes were utterly useless. All she could perceive was a vast, inescapable ‘cage’ woven from an aura so dark it defied further blackness.
Were an ordinary person to stumble into such a state, they would scarcely be able to contend with an approaching enemy. Indeed, even the trivial matter of maintaining composure would likely prove an insurmountable challenge.
After all, humanity’s innate fear is not so easily overcome. In a space devoid of even a sliver of light, seemingly boundless and utterly sealed, one might fare well for a short while. But prolonged exposure to such an environment would surely drive even the strongest-willed individual to madness.
This was, in essence, a combination of nyctophobia and claustrophobia!
Though she could not ascertain if the monster possessed such knowledge, its instinctive application of these fears was undeniably a formidable stratagem.
In this predicament, the creature might not even need to lift a claw. Its trapped victims would very likely succumb to their own mental collapse first.
But then…
“If you believe this alone is enough to make me yield, you might be overestimating yourself just a touch, wouldn’t you agree?”
Her tone was light, yet her words held a deadly seriousness.
It was laughable. Having perfectly inherited her original power, now standing as the illustrious King of Knights, how could Leya be rendered helpless by such a trivial trick?
To attempt to psychologically break a knight who had fought tooth and nail on countless battlefields, a great monarch whose name resonated through a thousand years of human history!
Even the mighty Gilgamesh, the most supreme king in human history, a walking, breathing template of wealth and power, could not make Saber bend!
Of course, perhaps someone truly could achieve such a feat, but it certainly wouldn’t be this monster, whose true form remained unknown.
Moreover, Leya’s consciousness was capable of suppressing the wills of ten thousand deities. How could she possibly lose her combat effectiveness to the psychological assault of some obscure beast?
And perhaps the most crucial point was this: while humans might indeed feel fear…
Leya, at this moment, felt absolutely none. In fact, she found it utterly natural. What difference was there between light and darkness? She truly didn’t know. Were they merely two opposing colors?
This state was, of course, not innate to Leya. Quite the contrary, as an orphan in her past life, Leya had been exceptionally sensitive to dark environments.
But now…
Completely oblivious to these changes within herself, Leya merely flexed her right arm, testing its presence. Well, after all, if she couldn’t see it, she simply couldn’t see it.
Then, with a graceful sweep, her arm arced through the air before she clenched her fist.
Suddenly, as if by magic, Leya, as was her custom, commanded the system to manifest the King’s Sword from an unknown space, taking it into her hand.
Thankfully, it truly lived up to its reputation as an epic artifact! While it ultimately couldn’t compare to the legendary Holy Sword Excalibur, the light it cast in the darkness was perfectly adequate as a makeshift torch!
Er… cough, cough, cough. Of course, of course, Leya genuinely hadn’t intended to use it as a flashlight from the start! Truly, she hadn’t!
“Hiss— ”
Abruptly, a roar from an unknown direction caused Leya’s heart to clench.
Gripping the King’s Sword, she scanned her surroundings, but to little avail.
Though the golden radiance emanating from the King’s Sword could illuminate a few meters around her… it was, indeed, only a few meters!
With visibility so limited, attacking was out of the question; even defending would be difficult. She had no idea where the enemy was or from which direction it would strike. Relying solely on instinct would, at best, allow her to barely protect herself.
Thus, the situation reverted to her initial dilemma: should she throw caution to the wind and unleash a powerful ultimate attack to quell her apprehension? Perhaps it might even disperse the mist…
“Cough… cough, cough… cough, cough… Ugh— ”
Without warning, as Leya pondered her options, a sudden sweetness filled her throat. She then erupted into uncontrollable coughs, spewing forth blood.
And that wasn’t even the most alarming part!
What truly astonished Leya was that her right arm, she could feel it, was rapidly losing strength and magical energy, draining away at an alarming rate!
“No… this… how can this be!?”
This time, Leya was genuinely shocked.
‘No, no… the system said this black mist might be some kind of curse. But based on my previous injury, it shouldn’t be able to cause this much harm, unless some external force, like what happened in the carriage, stimulated the black mist…’
Cold sweat began to trickle down Leya’s golden hair, drop by drop. Instantly, the surrounding air seemed to solidify.
Everything… was terrifyingly still!
“Could it… could it be…”
“Have you finally realized? Though it’s far later than I anticipated…”
A voice, sounding like an ancient elder with one foot already in the grave, suddenly echoed deep within Leya’s mind.
Indeed, it genuinely startled Leya.
“Telepathic communication? So that’s it…”
“Oh? You’re surprisingly calm, aren’t you? Though, to be honest, I expected no less…”
“………………”
An unsettling aura pervaded the surroundings, vexing Leya, though she couldn’t pinpoint its source.
Yet, one fact was undeniable:
Leya’s magical energy was gushing out from her right arm like a breached dam, a truly dire situation.
There was no need to ponder. This accursed black mist must have somehow resonated with the wound on her right arm.
“Tell me, human… may I call you that? For although your appearance is indistinguishable from that of a human, the aura you exude is entirely different…”
The voice in her mind spoke with an utterly bizarre tone.
Disregarding its words, Leya wondered if it was merely stalling for time. She spoke, “Hmph… you’re just a beast. All mysterious and cowardly, do you truly think this will render me helpless?”
“Heh heh… don’t be so hasty. While I don’t quite understand how you alter your appearance to gain power, I can confidently say that, as you are now, you are no match for me…”
“Oh? How amusing. Are you saying… *I*, as I am now, am no match for you!? Hey…”
“Are you serious?”
Hearing the voice in her mind, Leya laughed instead of growing angry.
How many opponents had underestimated her now? Oh, no, no, she misspoke. This opponent likely couldn’t even be called a person.
“I never lie. Ugh— but even if I say that, you probably won’t believe me, will you? Human emotional systems are truly peculiar.”
“…………”
“So… what then? You didn’t trap me here just for a chat, did you?”
“Heh heh, no… no. The reason I’ve kept you alive until now, instead of simply devouring you whole, is to figure out one thing…”
“Oh? Figure out one thing?” Consciously ignoring the first half of the ancient voice’s statement, Leya found the latter part utterly perplexing. “Have you figured it out now? To be honest, I don’t have much time. After I deal with you, I still need to sort out those beastkin over there.”
“Well… I suppose… I’ve more or less figured it out? Or so I believe…”
“Is that so? For a mere beast, you’re quite sentimental, I must say. To be honest, I’m growing rather interested in your true form… What do you say? Would you consider becoming my divine pet?”
‘Hmm, provided you’re cute, of course, like an adorable lion… cough, cough, cough, what on earth? A lion? I don’t recall having a preference for such animals!’
“Heh heh… a pet? What a nostalgic word… It reminds me of that time. Human… you are the second to say that to me…”
“Oh? There was a first?”
Her casual question, unexpectedly, seemed to unearth a piece of this creature’s dark history!
Well… not that it mattered much, anyway.
“Indeed, there was a first… Heh heh, but unlike a strange half-measure like you, who merely possesses an aura, *she*… was a truly formidable, awe-inspiring, and supreme existence…”
“…………”
“Now then—enough idle chatter, human. By my reckoning, the time is ripe… Your magical energy should be almost completely drained by now!”
“…………”
W… WOC!?
Could it… could it be that this entire time… she had been distracted, leading to the loss of her optimal attack opportunity!?
No… this can’t be a joke, can it!?!?
She had actually been played for a fool by a… a scheming beast!?