The two Great Knights stood face to face.
Neither spoke.
They didn’t need to.
Words were meaningless at a time like this.
In the end, the victor would achieve their goal regardless, so they simply stared at one another, each assessing the other with a long, penetrating gaze that missed no detail.
The knight of our province was a tall man.
His long golden hair reached his shoulders, smooth and wavy, as though every aspect of his appearance had been carefully crafted.
He was undeniably handsome, with strong, finely sculpted features.
Yet for some reason, I couldn’t determine his true age.
He looked young, but at the same time carried the aura of a man who had lived for decades—a man who possessed the kind of wisdom that could only be forged through countless years and innumerable experiences.
He stood perfectly straight, radiating nobility and confidence, as if the entire world lacked the power to make him bow.
His opponent, on the other hand, was even taller—to the point where I could almost call him a giant.
Massive muscles stretched beneath his clothing, threatening to tear through the fabric.
His short black hair was neatly trimmed, every strand seemingly in its proper place.
A large burn scar covered the left side of his face, extending from his jaw nearly to his eye.
Rather than diminishing him, it only made him more imposing and terrifying.
His gaze seemed capable of piercing steel itself—merciless eyes devoid of hesitation.
The two Great Knights remained motionless for several minutes.
Minutes that felt eternal.
Were they evaluating one another?
Preparing their opening moves?
There was no way to tell from the outside.
Then, without warning—
The wind appeared.
A powerful gust erupted from the previously still air between them.
Yet it felt less like a natural phenomenon and more as though it served our knight, obeying his commands and moving according to his will.
Concentrated currents of air slammed into the giant.
And yet, despite the force behind them, they couldn’t move him even by a single hair’s breadth. New chapters come out on g.com first.
The soldiers around us clung to whatever they could find to keep themselves steady against the gale.
I was no exception.
The wind tugged violently at my clothes, threatening to throw me off balance.
Then, almost immediately afterward—
An oppressive heat flooded the battlefield.
I quickly turned my attention back to the two knights.
The first thing I saw was fire surrounding the giant.
Yet the flames didn’t burn him.
They obeyed him.
They twisted and shifted according to his will, taking whatever shape he desired.
Moments later, both Great Knights raised their swords and charged.
Fast.
The word wasn’t enough to describe them.
I couldn’t properly follow either of their movements.
The only thing I managed to see was the instant they collided.
In that single moment when their blades met, sparks exploded outward and the entire battlefield seemed to tremble.
They exchanged strike after strike.
I couldn’t tell who held the advantage.
Their battle existed beyond what an ordinary person could perceive or comprehend.
Even the regular knights—the ten I had watched fighting earlier—were incapable of keeping up with them.
If there was one word that truly described them, it was this:
Titans.
Unable to follow them with my eyes, I shifted my focus and attempted to sense their auras instead.
I tried to feel their wills, just as I had done with the knight trainee before.
Nothing.
It was as though neither of them possessed any presence at all.
I was completely helpless.
Faced with that strange impossibility, I concentrated with everything I had.
I clenched my teeth.
Tensed my stomach.
Forced my mind beyond its limits.
Then—
I felt it.
A spark.
A tiny flicker of will…
And I immediately wished I hadn’t tried.
Their wills were vast, overwhelming, and concentrated in a way I had never imagined possible.
Each felt as though it contained hundreds of wills.
No—
Thousands of intertwined wills compressed into a single crushing force.
Merely sensing them nearly split my head in two.
I collapsed to my knees and grabbed my head with both hands.
A violent cough tore from my throat, so intense that I thought I might start coughing blood.
My eyes burned fiercely, and my mind descended into complete chaos.
The sounds around me seemed distant and distorted, as though I were submerged underwater.
The last thing I sensed was Amy’s touch and her panic.
Her hand gripped my shoulder.
Her voice reached me from far away.
And then—
I felt nothing at all.
Only endless darkness.