"Welcome back to the Kazimierz Grand Tournament! I'm your old friend, Bigmouth Mob, and I'm sure everyone knows who today's contestants are. First, hailing from the Red Goblet Knight Order and known as Kazimierz's Crimson Chalice—Blood Knight Dikaiopolis! Thanks to him, Infected knights officially became part of the Grand Tournament.
His opponent is none other than the Nightmare Knight Tola, who fought the Radiant Knight to a grueling standstill just yesterday. Both are incredibly powerful warriors. What kind of clash will occur when the mighty Blood Knight meets the legendary nightmare? I'm sure everyone's on the edge of their seats.
No knight order backing, no sponsorship—my God, why would anyone pass up such a lucrative opportunity? Someone make a knight order for this man—you'd make a fortune!"
"We meet again, Nightmare. Still chasing the shadows of the past?"
Blood Knight and Nightmare Knight ignored Bigmouth Mob. From the moment they stepped onto the stage, their eyes were locked on each other.
"Where's that aura of yours from yesterday?"
Compared to his overwhelming presence when fighting Nearl, Tola now seemed less spirited. Perhaps Blood Knight's words had shaken something within him.
"Minosian... while my brethren scourged the old era, your heroes fell before the Khan's army," Tola finally said after a long silence.
"And where is your Khan now? Where are your once-proud kin?"
Blood Knight cut him off coldly, answering with a pointed question.
Tola fell silent again.
"You're just a nightmare stuck in the past. A pitiful man."
"Minosian. Infected. Why do you fight?"
For once, Tola didn't respond in anger. Instead, he asked Blood Knight with genuine curiosity. It seemed he had taken the earlier words to heart.
"To survive. Though they call me a hero, hold me as a symbol, all I ever wanted was to live."
Blood Knight voiced the truest desire in every Infected heart.
"A hero for the Infected? You fight for your kin?"
Tola was not Infected and didn't truly understand their plight. Though honestly, even if he were Infected, his experience wouldn't have been much different.
"We are not kin. We share no blood, no homeland—only a disease. But their suffering stirred pity in me. And so I fought for them. I searched for a way forward for all."
With his strength, Blood Knight could've lived comfortably without ever stepping into the arena. But upon seeing the state of Infected in Kazimierz—and inspired by the legend of the Radiant Knight—he chose to enter the tournaments.
"Hah! Absurd! You're not even one of them, yet you fight for them? Has Kazimierz's steppe truly been carved up by Infected and foreigners? Where are the Kazimierz people? Where is the Golden Pegasus?"
Tola's voice rose with fury. For a land that once defeated the Nightmare Khan to now rely on a foreign Minosian to bring salvation—it was an insult he couldn't bear. His blade slashed toward Blood Knight, sharp and filled with killing intent.
Clang!
Sparks flew. Both knights staggered back two steps. Unlike yesterday, when Blood Knight had blocked Tola's strike easily, this time Tola was fresh. In raw power, he wasn't far off from Blood Knight or Nearl. He could've been a Monogram Knight—but he was an Independent, and didn't care about titles.
"What an even match! The man-made stone tiles are getting shredded like paper! The field that was just repaired yesterday might need to be patched up again today!"
The destructive nature of knight combat was unavoidable. The Commercial Union even had an entire division of earthwork mages dedicated to quickly restoring the arena after each match.
"So this is Kazimierz's commercial center? Sure is lively."
While the intense battle raged in the central arena, Daniel, the Doctor, Amiya, and several others were strolling through Kazimierz's bustling commercial district. Hibiscus looked around excitedly—after all, as an Infected, it was rare for her to be allowed in public, let alone here.
Across Terra, attitudes toward the Infected were generally negative—only Yan Nation was somewhat better. Even today's outing had required several days of applications to get approval from the Judiciary.
Daniel, with the power he held in Kazimierz, could've bypassed all this easily—but he chose not to. As the Grand Knight herself once said to Flametail, it's easy to give someone an ID. But the crystalized infection in their body? That can't be fixed by law.
This outing was a reward for the medical staff who had been working nonstop since arriving in Kazimierz. Everyone here, except for Amiya, was a medical operator. The Doctor counted, being an Oripathy expert—and so did Daniel.
"Strictly speaking, this is just one of hundreds of commercial hubs in the Grand Knight Territory," Gravel explained with a chuckle.
"There's too much junk food here. It's either popcorn or burgers. This isn't healthy at all," Hibiscus frowned, losing her excitement as she scanned the store signs along the street.
"Haha... probably because there's an arena nearby," Amiya offered.
"That's right. The arenas are the core of Kazimierz's business scene. This is what knightly combat really is."
Gravel glanced at a nearby street screen, currently broadcasting the match between Blood Knight and Nightmare Knight. A small crowd was gathered beneath it, watching.
After all, with ticket prices set at 300 gold coins, not everyone could afford to enter the stadium.
"Doctor, Amiya, you're not allowed to eat that junk food!" Hibiscus scolded, making both of them wince. Fortunately, they managed to hide it—or she'd start another long lecture.
Word had spread among the Infected at Area Zero: there were two "demon doctors" aboard Rhodes Island. Naturally, they were Hibiscus and Gavial.
Some patients turned and ran when they saw them—but to no avail. Gavial's strength needed no explanation. Hibiscus might look delicate, but she was a Sarkaz, and strong in her own right. So was Nightingale—perhaps the most delicate-looking person on the island, yet her strength wasn't to be underestimated.
"Look, it's a Nearl figure! So cute!"
"Wow, it really is!"
Their wandering took them to a store selling figures. When Nightingale spotted the Nearl merchandise, she rushed over excitedly. Hibiscus followed suit.
"Are all of these Nearl figures?" Amiya glanced around and saw that nearly the entire store was filled with Nearl merchandise. She was shocked.
"Yes, dear customers—if you're fans of the Radiant Knight, you've come to the right place! This is a specialty Nearl shop. I dare say no other store in Kazimierz has a more complete lineup! And here's a little secret—if Nearl beats the Wind Knight, the supplier will release commemorative Originium-carved figures. You can even pre-order them now!"
Today was the semi-finals. Nearl was competing again. Her opponent was a Monogram Knight—not weak, but still inferior to Tola. The group wasn't worried at all.
"A shield? Has Nearl ever used one? Still... that could work." When Nightingale asked if there were any shield-related figures, the shop owner hesitated, but quickly realized this was a business opportunity.
"You're using Lungmen credits? Let me calculate... I'll round it down—1.3 million."
When they totaled their purchases, the figure was staggering—especially the shop's prized Nearl figure that Nightingale had chosen. It alone accounted for 80% of the total cost. But she bought it without hesitation.
As a medical operator on Rhodes Island, Nightingale earned a solid salary. Rhodes Island was a legitimate medical corporation—not some heartless black-market outfit. Their staff were paid well, at rates equal to or better than similar positions elsewhere.
"Figures really are profitable..." Daniel mused. He had once made money off them himself.
"Looks like the match is reaching its climax."
On the screen, Tola, after being provoked by Blood Knight's words, suddenly stood still. Though he didn't move, black mist erupted behind him, engulfing the entire arena.
"Nightmare... in all that glorified history you dream of, across the millennia—was there ever a sliver of hope for the Infected? You call yourself Khesik. Where is your Khan now? Bring him out!"
The history of the Infected was one of oppression. It always had been. According to some researchers, their persecution began as soon as law itself was born.
"My family is dead. My kin are lost."
Tola wasn't the only one of his people left—but he was the last pure-blooded Khesik to still walk the heavenly path. Everyone else had forgotten the Khan, forgotten the dream. It had been over a thousand years.
"My Khan is at the tip of my blade. I am my own Khan. Come."
As Tola spoke, silhouettes appeared in the mist—dozens of armored warriors bearing banners. An army.
"This... this is your obsession?"
The same words came from two mouths—Blood Knight and Nearl. Her match had already ended, naturally with her victory. As for the Wind Knight... well, Nearl was a Kuranta.
"Banners fluttering, horns sounding—an army, a nation, a history. Is this why you forsake the present, chasing death like a madman? You lack the courage to face your fate."
Even though it was only an illusion, seeing the Khesik army stirred something in Blood Knight. With a swing of his giant axe, he charged into the mist.
Clang, clang, clang...
Sounds of fierce battle rang out. Blood Knight emerged moments later—his crimson armor torn and bloodied, the lines between his blood and his armor blurred.
Even for him, facing so many enemies—even illusions—was too much. They were real enough to wound.
"Fall."
As Tola stepped forward, so did the army behind him—charging like a real battalion.
"You wounded me. But my blood... has stained your weapon."
Blood Knight's crimson axe glowed brighter, and the arena was now marked with red streaks—his spilled blood.
BOOM.
A blood-red slash surged across the entire stage. Half the arena was obliterated. The mist, the phantoms—all vanished. Only Tola remained, standing motionless.
"What's going on? Why is Nightmare Knight still standing? Did he block that hit?" Bigmouth Mob shouted in disbelief.
"The match is over. He's unconscious."
Blood Knight's words were soon confirmed by the referees. Carefully, they approached Tola. After confirming he was out cold, they finally relaxed. Medical personnel rushed in and carried him off.
"Blood Knight! Blood Knight!"
The arena and its surroundings erupted in thunderous cheers. Most of the voices came from Infected spectators.
Bigmouth Mob opened his mouth as if to say something—but a glance from the spokesperson made him think better of it.
"This is the hero of the Infected—Blood Knight. Radiant Knight, how will you deal with someone who mirrors your image so closely?" the Candle Knight asked Nearl in a low voice.
"I'm grateful. It means we're not alone. Even in the places we can't see, others are still fighting for the same ideals."
"I only want to take a few of my people. That's not a problem, right?"
At Area Zero, Tolan found Daniel directly.
"Of course not. But if you want to talk kin, I've got mine too. Don't forget—Borzecosty is in Cut City. Plenty of Sarkaz have settled there now. I think they'll live better there. And only Rhodes Island can properly treat his condition."
Daniel hadn't cared much about Sarkaz before. But Amiya was the Sarkaz King—and with the Victoria incident looming, how could a king walk without followers?
Theresis had many of the Court of the Ten Kings. But now Amiya had her own: Patriot, Borzecosty...
Wendigos had once been part of the Court, but when Patriot defected, he took nearly all of them with him. Now, Kazdel had none left.
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