"Welcome to the Grand Tournament! Welcome to tonight's Kazimierz Knights Special Championship Match! The two contenders in today's battle are already well known to everyone here. First, we have the Radiant Knight, Nearl, two-time champion of the Grand Tournament.
Her opponent is a unique presence in the long history of knightly combat—one of a kind. A bloodline of purity, pure terror, and pure might. From the depths of the grasslands, a lone warrior, the last of the Khesik: Nightmare Knight Tola.
Both of them are Independent Knights—no corporate sponsors, no support from knight orders. They have climbed to this stage relying solely on their own strength."
In the arena for the match between Nearl and the Nightmare Knight, Bigmouth Mob was once again the commentator. A rare appearance in the Central Grand Tournament, the generous pay for this job had motivated him to put in a lot of effort. If this tournament concluded successfully, his earnings would be enough to bring his parents to the Grand Knight Territory to live in comfort.
Independent Knights were exceedingly rare in Kazimierz's arenas. Usually, once a knight gained a bit of fame, corporations would rush to sign them as product ambassadors.
Take the Left-Handed Knight, for example—his armor was plastered with corporate logos every time he appeared, earning him the nickname "Sticker Knight" behind the scenes. He knew about it but didn't care at all. In a previous life, someone once summed it up: "You laugh at Left-Hand for throwing matches, Left-Hand laughs at you struggling to pay your mortgage."
Due to his endorsements and obedience to the Commercial Union—agreeing to throw matches or manipulate bets when ordered—Left-Hand's personal wealth likely surpassed even that of some Great Knights.
Becoming an Independent Knight in Kazimierz was incredibly difficult, especially after the appearances of Black Knight and Nearl. The Commercial Union had grown even stricter about this. Even Blood Knight had a knight order backing him. Flame Tail had the Red Pine Knights, small as they were.
Even Shining Flash was swarmed by corporate offers the moment she entered the scene—Markiewicz had been among them.
People had also approached Tola, of course, but he clearly had no interest. In the end, they let him be, perhaps realizing the cost of recruiting him wasn't worth it—or because his background wasn't as sensitive as someone like Shining Flash.
"I've finally waited long enough. Golden Pegasus... do you know how long I've waited for this day? The knights of this city have been nothing but a disappointment."
On stage, Nightmare Knight Tola did something rare—he gave Nearl a formal knight's salute before the match began. Tola had long sought the heavenly path, and he came to Kazimierz specifically to challenge the Golden Pegasus.
Back in the day, Nightmare Khan had led the Khesik in a rampaging conquest—Ursus, Gaul, Victoria, all fell before their might. Only Kazimierz had withstood them, defeating them through the Golden Pegasus.
As a descendant of the Khesik, Tola naturally wanted to witness that legendary power for himself.
Daniel, having learned this Kazimierz legend, speculated that Nightmare Khan had lost to the Golden Pegasus in a duel, not in full war—after all, the Khesik's campaign had continued.
Their army had been truly formidable, and it was only unfortunate they never reached Yan. Had they tried, their conquest might have ended there.
Back then, the Khesik had swept across much of Terra, but the sheer distance likely kept them from reaching Yan. After all, there were no high-speed landships or flying transports in that era. A massive army encountering Yan would've been highly unlikely.
Regardless, those events were long past. Nightmare Khan had eventually taken his army to fight eldritch horrors. Whether they still existed was anyone's guess.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
After Nearl returned Tola's salute, the two exchanged only a few words before launching into combat. This opponent was unlike the Candle Knight—Tola was a battle-hardened warrior, similar in nature to the Black Knight.
Their fight carried the feel of true battlefield combat: brutal and fierce. Neither used Originium Arts at first; instead, they clashed using pure martial skill.
In moments, the arena was a shattered mess—scars and craters covering the ground. Though called an arena, the platform was the size of a soccer field. After all, these were elite knights—a small space wouldn't suffice.
"Amazing! I knew Nightmare Knight was strong! He's definitely champion material!" shouted one excited spectator.
"I agree! I bet 400 gold on him!" said another, visibly thrilled.
"I bet on the Radiant Knight."
"What? Didn't you say you supported Nightmare Knight?"
"I do. But clearly Nearl is stronger right now. I'm not going to throw away money."
"Nonsense! Nightmare Knight will win!" the man who bet 400 gold bellowed. Others around them began joining the argument.
While many supported Nearl, plenty had put their bets on Nightmare Knight.
"Some rich folks here… but I guess that's expected. If you can afford to attend the Grand Tournament in person, you're not poor. Changing Kazimierz won't happen overnight..."
Watching the bickering crowd, Daniel couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Kazimierz's currency was primarily gold coins. The Grand Tournament was always a huge money-making opportunity for the Commercial Union—just ticket sales alone brought in vast profits.
Each ticket cost 300 gold. In the old days, the corpse of an Infected in the Unshackled Union was worth that much. If the deceased was an Infected knight, the price doubled. This was how the Commercial Union kept Infected numbers low in the Grand Knight Territory.
Because of that high bounty, Unshackled Union members had even killed their own—yes, even they had Infected among them.
Infected were the easiest to bribe.
"What… is that?" Suddenly, the arguing spectators felt a wave of dread, an oppressive fear that spread across the entire arena.
"This feels... similar to the Ursus Internal Security's techniques. Terra's races, extradimensional horrors… this world is full of secrets..." Daniel, who had fought the Ursus Interior Forces before, sensed something familiar in Tola's Originium Art and began forming a theory.
"I wonder... do true Kuranta from the Golden Academy still exist? Radiant Knight—if your reputation isn't just for show, then let reality make way for me."
A pitch-black shadow loomed behind Tola, absorbing all light. With a single step, a shockwave burst outward, and he raised his massive blade wrapped in black light.
"I'm sorry… but my blood runs red."
Nearl, unfazed by Tola's ominous aura and the vision of blood-soaked battlefields behind him, lifted her left hand. A miniature golden spear appeared in her palm. Its radiant glow flowed into the lance she held.
"That's... against the rules!" Bigmouth Mob cried, stunned by the arena's shift. According to regulations, a match like this should've been halted. But when he saw a spokesman shake his head, he fell silent immediately.
When Bigmouth Mob agreed to be this year's commentator, he'd warned himself—don't speak out of turn, or you might vanish without a trace, just like that predecessor.
BOOM.
A thunderous roar rang out in the arena, forcing many to cover their ears. The golden and black light clashing created a blinding radiance that forced most spectators to shut their eyes. Only a few had the strength to witness it directly.
The shockwave knocked both Nearl and Tola backward—though Tola stumbled back several steps more than she did.
"A beautiful strike. You've seen death and cruelty and are unshaken by fear. Unlike these pitiful masses."
"Strong enemies and impossible odds aren't terrifying. What's truly horrifying is the numbness and willful degradation shown by this city."
"Kazimierz is indeed repulsive now. Then let's continue. Let the people see what it is they're really watching."
Tola prepared to strike again. For him, the tournament was meaningless—only life and death mattered.
"Enough."
Before he could act, a crimson streak tore through the sky, splitting the ground in front of Tola. A blood-red battle axe slammed into the earth. From the shadows, a tall figure clad in blood-colored armor emerged: the Blood Knight.
"You're joining in too?" Tola asked, unbothered.
"I said that's enough. You've lost. Your next opponent is me. And my next opponent... is her."
"You sound pretty sure I'll lose to you."
"Of course. Shadows of the past cannot defeat me. What terrifies people is always the present."
The Blood Knight retrieved his axe and turned to Nearl. "Infected one, I await the day we face each other."
Boom.
With that, he swung his axe backward, blocking Tola's surprise attack without turning his head, and walked off stage.
"I'll see you in the arena," he said, though no one knew who it was addressed to.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Tola burst into laughter and left without another word.
"What a breathtaking spectacle. Who could have guessed the Blood Knight would intervene? I now officially declare the winner: Radiant Knight Nearl!" Bigmouth Mob wiped his forehead in relief. Thank goodness nothing got out of hand.
From his perspective, the changes in the Commercial Union were far above his pay grade. As far as he knew, they were still the same ruthless power.
"All the blood is lifeless... Is this erosion? Nearl's next match will be rough..." Daniel muttered. Where the Blood Knight's axe had struck, the land was dry, and traces of blood seeped from the soil. A very troublesome type of Originium Art in combat.
Fighting the Blood Knight meant blood would inevitably be shed.
But this battle was unavoidable—and critically important. Two Infected champions going head to head. Under the old Commercial Union, this would've been suppressed. Now, Daniel did everything he could to make it happen.
In fact, Nearl wasn't even really Infected. But that fact hadn't been revealed yet. Daniel and the Doctor had agreed to keep it hidden—for now.
Revealing it too soon would have mixed results. But with the Commercial Union gone, the truth should be saved for a key moment.
Such as... when a cure for Oripathy is discovered.
The belief that Oripathy is incurable is widespread in Terra. Many have been deceived by snake oil cures and scams. Even nobles have fallen victim, not just the desperate poor.
Daniel was confident they'd find a cure. And if this world couldn't do it, he'd keep exploring new worlds until he did.
Then, when Nearl announced the cure, it would cause a sensation. And coming from the Radiant Knight, few would doubt it. Even the Blood Knight had only fought for Infected rights because of Nearl's example.
Though both were Infected champions and Grand Tournament winners, Nearl's fame far eclipsed his—even among the Infected.
To many, the Blood Knight had become complacent, while Nearl still represented the fight. Infected rights shouldn't be charity—they should be earned through struggle.
Nearl hadn't liked the idea of lying. But after the Doctor explained the reasoning, she agreed. She had intended to reveal the truth anyway.
Interestingly, she hadn't even known she wasn't infected. She'd believed it all her life—her grandfather had told her so. Though she never showed symptoms, she assumed her case was mild.
Only when she met Shining and Nightingale—members of the Apostles—did she learn the truth.
"It's just a scratch." Back at Zofia's house, Daniel healed Nearl's injuries from the match.
"The Blood Knight is a truly formidable foe," Zofia said as she recounted his many victories. Of all the contenders, he was the busiest—constantly reviewing match footage.
As for Shining Flash, she was still immersed in her hobbies. She, too, would eventually join Rhodes Island, which boasted artisans from across the world—many of them masters.
Unfortunately, Whiplash Zofia wouldn't be joining the island just yet. She needed to stay as a member of the Nearl family to assist in Kazimierz's upcoming reforms.
After all, the three current heirs—Młynar, Nearl, and Shining Flash—were all departing. Młynar was setting out to find his brother and sister-in-law, while Nearl and Shining Flash would head to Rhodes Island.
But Zofia's absence would only be temporary. Once Kazimierz stabilized, she, too, could join the island.
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