Eternally Regressing Knight Chapter 888

888. Infiltration

Encred calmly took a deep breath and swung his sword. He continued the flow without pause. If he stopped, he would die. He faced four knights. He was superior in skill to the one who had been rampaging on the gryphon, let alone the two he had faced on his way here.
Therefore, all he had to do was one thing.

‘Killing the embers.’

Block the attack before it begins. Success is always a good thing, but failure is okay. Just move on to the next one.

‘A split-second decision.’

Even if your attempt to extinguish the embers fails and a flying piece of metal or claws comes flying at you, you can simply block it. Just kick your feet, swing your sword, and unleash Will with a steady intensity. It’s not too much. I’ve done this countless times during sparring.
It’s easier than facing Rem, Ragna, or Audin.

‘A battle of endurance.’

Encred’s forte. He possessed Usuke, an inexhaustible will.
Yet, a moment long enough to be considered a crisis had passed. Sachsen had survived by choosing one of dozens of options before Encred arrived. Encred did the same.
He chose one of dozens of options. If that wasn’t the right answer, he immediately moved on to the next. He blocked, struck, struck, and blocked again. He
swatted away fists covered in thorns that seemed like they would tear flesh off at the slightest brush, and in the meantime, he swung his sword at the shield aimed at his waist from behind.
His thoughts were optimized and tightened. His concentration burned brighter than ever. His brain felt like it was melting.
At the same time, Encred’s thoughts were split in two.

‘tactics.’

One thought process forces you to consider “next” and “whole” before making a split-second decision.
Another reacts to escape the immediate crisis.
Repeat this. That was enough. Encred did just that. If he held on, even Usuke might have been pushed back, but he wasn’t alone. When Encred did his part, Saxon did his part, too.

“How?”
“Damn it!”

Their voices overlap. They’re focused on blocking and dodging the sword. It’s difficult to grasp everything that happened in between. But the result is clear.

“How did you get through it?”

He was a knight who used two shields instead of gauntlets. He believed that if he decided to block, no one could penetrate his shield and armor.
A sword was thrust into his heart. Blood trickled down the transparent blade, revealing its shape. It was a half-broken blade. Even without knowing the process, the difficulty was evident.

“Even the monster’s brute force didn’t penetrate it.”

Even as blood poured out, he spoke his mind. He was genuinely curious. He simply
wondered why his armor, which had resisted even monsters, had been pierced.
Saxon had a fairly deep wound on his side. The blood wasn’t flowing profusely. He had already tightened his muscles to block it. It was a scratch from the edge of his shield. If he had twisted his waist even a little later, he would have admired the shape of his own intestines.
Of course, Saxon was confident he could repeat the same thing over and over again.

“Even if you can’t break it with your fist, you can pierce it with an awl.”

Saxon answered. The principle is simple. It’s just difficult to achieve it.

“You avoided my attacks and found an opening to stab me?”
“It’s easier than wandering through a maze with your eyes closed and ears plugged.”

“Master, that was the way the teacher taught me.” Saxon replied, looking at one of the Carmen collection items, broken in half and transformed into a decoration for the other person’s heart. “It’s a weapon that has served its purpose. Then it’s right to let it go.
Saying things that don’t have to be said is out of respect for the other person. It’s a dialogue for a dying knight. Honor and chivalry—these were the qualities Saxon exuded.

“Woooooooo!”

Baric roars. The fight isn’t over.

“Fuck, come at me!”

Longarm also shouted. Knight Barod slowly fell to his knees. Blood flowed from the piercing blade. Light faded from his eyes. Some people struggle even as they die, but Barod’s will crumbled the moment death was confirmed.
All of this was a desperate struggle to survive.

“Do you think you can win?”

Pustis raised his flail, his eyes glaring fiercely.
Encred once again drew everyone’s attention.

bang!

He rolled his left foot on the floor and aimed his sword. The blue light of dawn caught everyone’s eyes.

“Do not let your guard down, Southern Knight. If you fail, you will die by my sword.”

It was a warning to be mindful of Saxon and not to neglect yourself. Encred was missing one shoulder armor, and a deep gash was visible above it. Yet, he acted as if his movements were unhindered. He
wouldn’t even consider a scratch on his cheek as a wound.
The fight broke out as soon as he finished speaking. Encred blocked, and Saxon hid, waiting for an opening. The problem was that Encred wasn’t being penetrated.

Sigh.

Saxony did what it had to do.

“You, you little shit.”

Next is Longam. He recalled his past, doing whatever it took to survive. The days he killed his brother and stole his treasure, the days of coveting his friend’s wife and committing atrocities.

‘I want to live.’

He was a villain with a strong survival instinct. Longarm was prepared, and Sachsen didn’t attempt to assassinate him. With his injured left arm, he wielded a stiletto and confronted him head-on.
The funny thing was, in the past, he might have been a bit behind, but now he was able to fight.
Longarm’s heart wavered at the sight of Sachsen’s confident advance. He was concerned about the dead Barod. Sachsen whistled, irritating his opponent’s nerves, and slashed his neck with his shortsword.
Every time Longarm heard the whistle, he was aware of the throwing weapon. If he had calmly assessed the situation and fought with determination, who might have won? But now, life and death divided their paths.
One side stood firm, the other wavered. This time, it wasn’t skill, but will.
Pustis’s face darkened. He glimpsed death. Yet, he couldn’t retreat.
If he retreated, the leader would be pushed back. The monster before him increasingly attacked. It wasn’t just blocking.

‘Different from the Great Emperor.’

Although it was different from the strength of the Great Emperor, this monster was still a monster.

“Where do these guys come from?”

He didn’t get the reputation of being crazy for nothing.

“Pustis, the continent now enters a new era. The former prestige will be in vain.”

The words the Grand Emperor spoke as he unveiled his newly formed order lingered in my ears. He had launched a new military force, distinct from the previous Knights of Lichenstein.
But did this diminish the prestige of the previously staunchly standing order?

“That’s not it. We’ve gotten stronger.”

The Emperor said so.

“The day when I will have the entire continent at my feet is not far off.”

The Emperor’s dream was grand. Truly grand.
Pustis’s thoughts were becoming increasingly fragmented. His thoughts were erratic.
With two daggers thrust across his heart, there was nothing he could do. Pustis dropped his flail, knelt, and bowed his head.
He thought of his mother, whom he had left behind in his homeland just before she died.

‘mother.’

“Please, at least let his mother be at peace.”
His wish was simple.

“You weren’t in the best shape, were you?”

There’s only one thing left. “There’s only one thing left,” asked Barik, the bear. He faced what had happened just after he’d surpassed his limits. It was something he didn’t want to understand and couldn’t accept.

‘It was a moment when winning was more obvious than ever.’

Should I ignore it because it’s painful? Nothing will change if I ignore it. Then just accept it.

“There was some aftereffects.”

Encred answered.

It’s true that I’m tired from riding a motorcycle for a few days.

“I am Baric of the Mud Knights.”

He clenched his fists and took a stance, saying, “I want my opponent to die as a knight.” Encred recognized that.

“Don’t interfere, Saxony.”
“I don’t have the strength to interfere any further.”

Encred faced Barik. A chilling wind blew between them. The blood of the dead wafted a pungent odor.
What color was the ground? The blood-soaked dirt was stained black. It was a bright day. The sunlight didn’t disturb anyone’s eyes. The sun rose centrally around them.
There was no need to read each other’s breathing. Barik recognized his opponent’s skill.

‘The best I can do.’

He focused on revealing what he possessed, not his opponent.
Barik charged, his entire body a weapon. If he could just get in, he could easily crush his opponent’s entire body. Then he would win. He just had to break their legs, snap their wrists, and crush their sternum with his forehead.
Encred’s dawn fell, aiming for Barik’s head as he charged.

Bang!

Before he could strike his head, a chunk of metal emerged and blocked the blade. As if waiting, Barrick pulled out the knife hidden in his back leather. It was his secret technique: hiding the weapon beneath the leather and then drawing it out with just a back muscle.
The sword strike was blocked. The opportunity presented itself to Barrick. He stretched out both arms and embraced his opponent.
Encred found no room to dodge, no opening. Instead, he let go of the sword he was swinging, gathered all his will into a burst of dots, and extended his fist. He pivoted his left foot around his body and channeled all that power into his fist.

‘The trick is to stay inside.’

The original name of the technique was Divine Penetration.
It would be better with a sword, but I’m not yet able to do that. Instead, I’ve practiced and trained with my fists hundreds of times. It began with Audin, and I learned more from the dream the boatman showed me.

‘How to carry weight while taking on the big guys.’

I’d wondered since I saw it in my dream. Didn’t it use other tricks besides just loading weight?
No. It did. It penetrated, keeping Will inside and then exploding.
Encred’s fist struck Varic’s jaw. Varic decided to endure. If he held on, he would win. The strength of his body would be enough.
Will, carried by Encred’s fist, slid through Varic’s jaw, tearing at his muscles, gnawing at his nerves, and turning his brain to mush.
Varic shouldn’t have trusted his own strength, but gathered Will to block. They made their choice, and the result was stark.

Kuguruk.

Blood and clots poured from Baric’s nose and mouth. Initially pink, they later turned red.
Encred knelt on one knee, supporting Baric as he pressed down on his body. He parried
four knights’ attacks in quick succession, then extended his reach for the final blow, and for a moment, all the strength in his body drained away. As he knelt down to catch his breath, a hand reached between Baric’s dead ribs.

“Isn’t it too heavy to wear instead of a coat?”

The owner of the hand speaks.

“Are you joking?”
“I’m serious.”

That’s a silly thing to say.

“Ugh.”

Encred rolled Baric’s body to the side. It fell to the floor with a thud, bloody debris oozing from every orifice on its face. Saxon sat down a short distance away from the body. If he was being unreasonable, he was more reckless than Encred.

“What brings you here?”

Only then did Saxon ask. Encrid chuckled. Saxon spoke again.

“Thanks to you, my lover won’t make the captain her top assassination target.”
“Well, is that what happens when you die?”
“You didn’t know?”

Saxon speaks with a smile. The usually unsmiling man beams. It’s a bright smile. His eyes widen, the corners of his mouth lift.
Is he happy to be alive, or is he simply enjoying the present? Having defeated his opponent? It’s impossible to know.

“Are you still able to move?”
“Do I look like I have any strength left?”

They say it’s the same thing, just tired.

“Where do you think the remaining forces of the enemy knights went? It’s obvious why they’re moving, thinking their main force is blocked by the spell.”

The meaning of Saxon’s words was not difficult.

“Odd-eyed!”

Encred regained his strength and stood up. He wasn’t yet exhausted enough to die.
He caught his breath and awakened his undiminished will. When willpower soars, strength arises.
The winged horse descended.

“Go.”
“Go.”

After a brief greeting, the captain, who had blocked my path like a dark green wall, suddenly departed. Only
then did Saxon finally catch his breath and close his eyes. The venom hadn’t fully dissipated, and he was bleeding profusely.
The dizziness persisted, and his limbs felt weak. “Can I rest like this?” As he pondered these thoughts, he suddenly felt as if he heard the words of a savage.

“Are you really that tired? You sneaky little cat?”

That was a truly unpleasant voice. I hadn’t actually heard it, but it was incredibly unpleasant.
Saxon stood up.

“after.”

I caught my breath and put my near-death experience behind me. Now, I could only walk toward tomorrow. Of course, I wouldn’t be alone in that tomorrow. The madmen would be with me.