Behind Bruno's fallen figure stood a figure all in black with a hood hiding his face.

　The sleeved cloak was long and covered up to his ankles, and combined with his slightly bent forward stance, it was difficult to even estimate his size by visual measurement.

　The two knights returned in less than two seconds from their sudden astonishment at the events, and immediately turned their cutlasses at the mysterious person who had attacked Bruno, identifying him as a new threat.

'Lay down your weapons and surrender. This is an ultimatum.

　A formal notice that was assumed to be unacceptable, as a member of the Knights of State Rights.

　The black-robed figure was pretending as if it was going to give Bruno a chase, but perhaps judging that even that movement would be a fatal gap, it turned to the knights with a dagger in its hand.

　Wavering--. An eerie movement that doesn't feel human-like.

　It's a sense of foreignness that even brings up the fundamental question of whether that is really a living thing.

'I'll take care of it. You take care of Bruno.
Yes, sir.

　The two knights didn't even exchange glances, completing the division of roles in the shortest possible exchange, and immediately began to act.

　A sword flash from a gust of wind-like step.
　The cloaked figure dodges the blow, which I couldn't even notice until I finished swinging through, by jumping back with a speed that seemed to pull me backwards.

　Without a moment's pause, the other knight stepped forward and rushed to Bruno, who was slashed in the neck and fell down.

'He's breathing, pulse. Bleeding stopped. Temporary stupor due to massive blood loss from the carotid artery?'

　Hearing that, I let out a breath of relief in the shadows.

　It was a concern that his body was weak due to his illness, but if Bruno's [Self-Renewal] skill was fully functioning, it was damage that he could recover from with no problem.

　There were a few times before when that guy lost consciousness due to massive blood loss, but each time he came back unperturbed.

　Humanity aside, he was a man worthy of respect for his resilience and sword skills alone - but even so, a disease that can't be beaten is really an insurmountable substitute, isn't it?

''The white wolf. What are you relieved about?　You're not a very good relationship with him.
Still, it doesn't feel good when someone you know dies. Don't you want us to help you with that?
You don't want to go off on your own, you don't want to surprise me. You will be surprised when you get the chance.

　That 'opportunity' came easily and without warning, as if it were a lie.

　After a high speed grandstand where there is no room for me to interrupt, the vanguard knight finally flicks off the dagger of the figure's all-black shadow.

　The shadow's stance collapses, creating an opening that anyone can see as decisive.

　If he had struck a fatal blow here, he would have been able to take a life for sure.

　However, the Knight of the Silver Wing is burdened with the constraint that he must 'capture the culprit if possible'.

　The opponent is not an enemy soldier, but a criminal.
　If the situation is unavoidable, he won't hesitate to kill them, but capturing them alive is his greatest mission.

　Otherwise, the whole story of the incident will be endlessly distant.

　Hence, what he chose to do at this point in time was to stop the movement with minimal injuries.

''Phew--!

　The white blade slices deep into the legs of the blackened figure.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of the situation.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends and family.

　The silver-winged knight avoiding the unexpected counterattack with a paperweight.

　A vertical slit appeared on its torso and a large amount of fresh blood gushed out.

''Wha, ni......?

　Without a moment's pause, the all-black figure leaped on one unharmed leg, and this time, with a sideways rotation, swung out a half severed leg.

　The vanguard knight held his sword and arm to the side of his neck and stopped a kick aimed at the carotid artery - no, the clawed end - to prevent a slash by the short sword.

　The sword barrel was cut off and the blade bit into his arm, scattering blood spatter.

''This guy couldn't possibly be ......!

　A shout and a great deal of blood was spat out.

　The blackened figure kicks the knight away with its unharmed legs, then leaps high in reaction, kicking the warehouse wall to gain more altitude while taking the other knight's head.

　The knight immediately activates his skill and leaps at the shadow of a man like a strangled arrow. As they pass each other, he cuts off the shadow's body in two.

　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it, but I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it, but I'm going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.

''Guhaha......!

　The silver-winged knight falls headfirst, unable to passive.

　The upper half of the blacked-out body bounced in the air with only his arms, and grabbed the waist of the lower half of his body, which rushed up to meet him, and set himself back in place.

　Only a few seconds in time - I wonder if ten seconds had really passed.

'...... stay back, white wolf!

　Garnett runs out of the shadows, sword in hand.

　An instantaneous, deadly action with no time to break in.
　Regretting that you should have jumped out of the way from the beginning is just a worthless and groundless consequence.

　What you should do is not regret, but action.
　All you have to do is continue to make the best move you can in the current situation.

　That's why I held my hand over my right eye without hesitation and tried to activate the Right Eye of Wisdom by [disassembling] the eyeball.

　--That was right after that.

''............ Whoa whoa whoa!

　A stiff sword swung down with a roar.

　The black-robed figure that turned around as if it had identified Garnett as a new enemy was slashed in half from the top of his head to his groin.

　No blood flowed, no odor of viscera overflowed, and only an inorganic sound, as if a piece of pottery had been dropped, echoed in the back alley.

　Perhaps, as the knights realized before they were defeated, the true identity of the all-black figure was a doll.

　The basic question of whether the doll, which is merely manipulated by magic, can be strong enough to defeat the knights - such a fundamental question is drowned out by the shock received from the scene in front of me.

　It was the slash that Bruno, who had regained consciousness, delivered that cut off the blackened doll in both directions.

　And the Right Eye of Wisdom, which was activated slightly later, told him that the true identity of the object held in his hand was a sword that had been surface treated (coated) with mithril.

　No, it doesn't matter.

　Why is that sword - stabbing through Garnett with the returning blade?

''Garnett!''
Gah! ......!

　At the same time as I scream and run up to her, Garnet retreats backwards with her enhanced leg strength and jumps into my arms from her back.

　At the same time as I catch that slender body, I activate my 【Restoration】 skill and glare at Bruno while recovering from my injuries without a trace.

''Kukku...... hahaha...... you guys are going to get in my way too, aren't you?　I'd be happy to have this sword... ...... I'd be happy to have this sword... ......　So, hey, no one is going to get in the way of that: ......!　To everyone!

　Bruno's eyes, which peeked out from underneath his disheveled bangs, were so wide open that he could no longer see that he had lost his mind.