The haughty knight flinched and finally unsheathed his blade, screaming, "Ha! Do you know who we are, commoner?" He spoke with a confident bravado that was quickly deflated by Levi's cold stare.
"Yes, I do," Levi said, his voice a low rumble that made the knight shudder. "But you are criminals that I have to execute."
Cedric sighed and slowly unsheathed his blade. It was a fierce greatsword with a reflective surface and a specially crafted golden hilt. "I am afraid we can't allow you to do that," he said, assuming a battle stance. The haughty knight, emboldened by his partner, also took up a fighting position.
Levi looked at the two knights and suddenly started laughing. Cedric grew tense, while the haughty knight trembled, unnerved by Levi's bizarre reaction. The knight turned his head to look at Cedric when, in a blink, Levi's figure became a blur, his fist flying.
Cedric reacted fast and sidestepped, but he wasn't the target. The haughty knight didn't have time to react as Levi's fist crashed into his helmet, sending the man crashing through a nearby cart. Cedric swung his sword, but it only cut through the empty air; Levi's body was gone. The haughty knight's vision went blank from the punch. His helmet caved in, and he was still trying to recover when Levi's foot stomped down on him. The asphalt broke, sending shrapnel scattering everywhere.
The haughty knight lay in the crater, defenseless. Levi smiled, reached out, and grabbed the visor of the helmet. His grip was firm as he lifted the knight's body into the air. The knight's state was pitiful. His helmet was completely caved in, with cracks still spreading across it, and his breastplate was shattered, revealing a chest pierced with broken bones. But still, it wasn't enough.
Levi raised his hand to finish the job when Cedric's blade cut through the air with astonishing speed. Levi let go of the body, letting it crumple to the ground, and sidestepped the blade. The sword slammed into the asphalt, causing a web of cracks to spread out. Levi grabbed the sword and threw both the blade and its wielder away without much effort. Cedric's body shot through the air, but the gaunt man was somehow able to regain his balance mid-air and land on his feet.
'He is skilled,' Levi thought as he watched the man land on the asphalt. They stared at each other for a while. The former smiled, carefree, while the latter was clearly rethinking his life choices. Cedric ground his teeth, acknowledging Levi's inhuman strength. Who is this guy? he thought, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly.
Levi's voice echoed on the empty road. "You know, I don't want to kill you," he said in a carefree voice. He wasn't lying; he seriously didn't want to kill the knight. If he was unsure before, now, after seeing the man's skill, he felt truly reluctant. The world needed more soldiers like him.
Cedric's answer was stubborn. "No, it goes against my honor and duty to let a criminal go scot-free... even if I die."
Levi studied the knight, sighed, and shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said as his body blurred once more. Cedric sprang into action, spinning with his blade, attacking everywhere around him. But no attack came. His thoughts were interrupted by a sickening sound. He stopped and glanced in the direction of the haughty knight. What he saw almost made him sick. The haughty knight's body lay lifeless on the ground, decapitated. His head was scattered all over the ground. He looked up and saw the killer himself; blood was splattered all over the place, but for some reason, none of it stained Levi's white suit.
Levi frowned and met the man's gaze. "Are you still sure about this?" he said, trying to signal that he didn't want to kill him.
Cedric gulped and tightened his grip on his blade, anger washing over his body. "I'll kill you!" he roared as he charged toward Levi. Cedric came faster than Levi had anticipated. He swung his blade horizontally, aiming to cut Levi in half. Levi jumped back but was met with Cedric's leg. Seeing that his swing cut nothing, Cedric lashed out with his leg. Levi sidestepped and distanced himself from Cedric completely. He bent down and picked up the bloodied blade of the haughty knight.
'This will do,' he thought as he faced the rampaging Cedric. Even though Cedric was overwhelmed with anger, he still managed to maintain his calculated demeanor and attacked with precision. Steel met steel as Levi swung his blade. Cedric gritted his teeth, feeling as if his wrist was about to snap. He disengaged and ducked, thrusting his blade. Levi was faster; he jumped to the side and landed a kick to Cedric's face. Cedric didn't fly away, but his jaw seemed on the verge of shattering.
Even though Cedric was proving to be a stubborn opponent, Levi still didn't want to overpower him. To at least respect the soldier, he reduced his strength to the minimum, but even that was still too powerful. Cedric rolled away and lunged at Levi once more. Levi deflected a simple vertical slash and thrust his blade. Cedric managed to change the blade's direction, but the impact still shook him a bit.
They clashed under the massive silhouette of the royal castle. Cedric slashed, kicked, punched, and did everything he could to try and gain the upper hand, but to no avail. Levi parried a thrust and kicked Cedric away before dashing in from the side, using the pommel of his blade to smash into Cedric's helmet. The helmet was easily torn apart, but Cedric somehow maintained his balance. He turned and attacked with his sword. Levi ducked as the blade whistled above his head.
'Time to end this. There's not enough time left,' he thought as he met Cedric's onslaught. Their blades clashed, creating a litany of steel crashing against steel. But in the end…
Cedric stood, his hand still holding his blade. He was bloodied, and his armor was torn apart, leaving the man's upper body bare, riddled with holes and stained with blood. Levi lunged at Cedric. He raised his hand to block, but Levi feinted the slash and twisted his body, swinging his blade at Cedric's throat. Cedric's eyes widened as a red line suddenly appeared on his neck.
Levi sighed and looked up at him sorrowfully. "You fought well," he said with a sad smile. Cedric's head fell to the ground, and it was at that moment that the sound of people's voices and footsteps echoed across the street. Levi lingered for a while, staring at the body, and retreated to avoid being seen.
The execution was complete.