A large number of golden knights swarmed at Veer from all directions as Noelle gave a twisted laugh. Meanwhile, Eleana looked around, briefly stunned, as she unsheathed her sword and jumped over to land near Veer. Before she could, however, Noelle looked at her, gave a tsk, and moved her hand.
An armored knight crashed onto Eleana from her left, slamming her onto the floor with a bang. Eleana barely defended herself as dust filled the air. The sound of reverberation spread across the secret place. As the dust cleared, there was now a shimmering, translucent moon in the room, creating a sharp contrast against the twinkling lights in the distance. It was like green, yellow, and red lights twinkling in the distance. Meanwhile, the attacker was clearly a female, completely clad in blue armor, with two swords in both hands—one red and one blue.
More than the color, it was like flames of fire and ice.
A bit farther away, Veer was fighting four golden knights simultaneously. As he saw the incoming strikes, he concentrated on his partially formed Star Chakra Core, causing energy to flow through his channels with star energy. He was imitating the flow of energy from Star Chakra Core Perfection.
Suddenly, he burst out with double his normal movement speed as he rapidly deflected the incoming strikes and decimated the golden puppets one by one. Each of his attacks cleaved through one of the golden knights. The golden knights fell one after another as they were incapacitated. As he fought in rage, he wondered how these puppets could be so strong. They were not only solid, but every time his sword decapitated one puppet, his sword and the ground would get splashed with black liquid.
What was that?
He heard a sudden crash and noticed that Eleana had fallen. Veer realized he had literally forgotten about Eleana.
Why was he so angry?
His rage increased further as he spotted the figure that was now fighting against her. It was the same knight who had attacked him and Kerin last night. His anger only grew as he continued to bombard the golden knights with attacks.
For a time, with shallow beeping noises, it was just the clang of swords and shouts around the area.
The atmosphere was chaotic—strange lights flickered with sharp sounds, Veer's explosive strikes echoed through the air, golden knights swarmed, and Noelle's hysterical laughter slowly filled the room.
He tried to go after the blue-armored figure, but he was bombarded by attacks from all sides and could only defend and break them one by one.
As Noelle saw Veer getting pressured, she laughed. "Bastard, finally... this time, you will be in my hands!"
Veer narrowly avoided the attacks from the dozen knights who surrounded and attacked him relentlessly. They seemed to lack any sense of pain as they pursued him. Veer was getting tired but continued to defend and attack. Slowly, however, a few cuts appeared here and there.
Noelle looked at Veer as she bit her nails, laughing a bit stiffly. "Your sword skills improved again... this fast? But can you last against all of them?"
Veer had just slashed three more puppets with forward thrusts when he was struck in the foot. His body wavered as he staggered slightly. Just then, he seemed to become aware.
He realized all of it was a trap.
His pupils constricted as he looked toward Noelle—she had trapped him again.
Her initial words and rage were strange. Only now did he understand. As he regained clarity, his focus shifted to his armor, where the puppet from earlier was still attached, though partially broken.
That was the cause.
He had lost control of his emotions because of this small puppet. It was the same small puppet that had beckoned him.
As he evaded attacks and leaped away, he tossed the small puppet aside and landed farther back. The golden knights immediately chased after him as Noelle laughed.
"There's nowhere to go... Veer..."
Noelle looked toward Eleana and the armored knight fighting as she said, "Finish that bitch, Miss Shranaut... show her! Haha!"
Miss Shranaut suddenly spun rapidly away from Eleana, and both she and Eleana were completely engulfed in flames.
Veer was grief-stricken as he saw the moon shimmering within the flames while blood dripped from his own wounds caused by the golden knights.
He blamed himself.
"Again... because of me..."
But he knew he had to focus on surviving first. More knights joined the fray, attacking Veer frantically. There was nowhere to run. Veer didn't know why there were so many knight puppets. He had at least killed more than a dozen of these puppets.
He took a deep breath as there was a click.
Five puppets fell down as five cuts appeared on five puppets.
It was Quickstyle he had executed.
He shifted a few meters away as he groaned when he was hit by a nearby puppet knight. Veer was not able to properly control the direction of his Quickstyle as he landed near another puppet, which immediately attacked him.
Multiple attacks came at the same time. Veer couldn't hold out and fell back as several golden knights grabbed him. They made him suspend in the air, trapping his arms and legs.
He continued to struggle as Noelle approached.
Noelle snatched his katana and said, "Last time, you were saved by that barrier. Also, because of that damned, useless prince, my plans were foiled."
She looked at Veer as though she were looking at a priceless treasure, making Veer feel a bit of fear.
This woman was really crazy.
She had her two hands on her cheeks as she called out, "Veer... Though Master doesn't want you anymore, I want you, Veer. I want your art—your strange powers from the academy days. I want your soul. Ahh..."
She moved closer, brushing her hair against him as she leaned near his ear and whispered slowly, "This time, I'll make you mine... You'll never be able to disobey me..."
Veer's thoughts raced as he struggled, but he couldn't find any solution.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from above.
Someone had broken through the ceiling.
Noelle suddenly froze in fright as she stepped back, and Veer briefly escaped her grasp. One of the puppets loosened its hold as Veer kicked and freed himself, rolling over.
A figure had drilled through the road and concrete above, crashing into the room. As the dust settled, golden knights surrounded the newcomer as Noelle screamed, "Who is it? Again... just why are there so many idiots ruining my plans?!"
As the dust cleared, Veer cleared himself of dust, his pupils constricting again as he looked between Noelle and the newly arrived figure.
She was strikingly beautiful, with flowing red hair and silver armor. Her midriff was exposed between her armor plates. Her presence distorted the very air, and Veer could barely focus. Her face showed clear annoyance as she glared at Noelle.
What shocked him most was her face.
She turned around and punched, scattering the golden knight puppets in all directions. Half a dozen disintegrated instantly.
Eleana and the blue knight stopped fighting, staring at her in disbelief.
The figure turned to Noelle, who was dumbfounded.
Then Noelle screamed in anguish, "So, finally you've come to stop me... Sis!"
Veer was stunned.
So, she really was Noelle's sister?
Did she come to save them?
Who was she working for?
Questions filled his mind as he watched.
The remaining golden knights redirected their attacks toward the new figure as Noelle shouted, "No one will stop me, not even you!"
The newcomer punched again and said in an authoritative voice, "Noelle, you really are a traitor... Just because of you, our family is done for! I've managed to keep the news from going public, but you! Why are you doing this?! Our family is in shambles, and here you are doing this nonsense!"
"Today, I'll teach you a lesson and drag you to court!" she shouted, bombarding the golden knights with punches so fast that Veer couldn't even follow them.
Within a few breaths, the puppets were all destroyed.
Noelle stepped back as her sister advanced toward her.
The figure demanded, "Why are you doing this? Your sister is a Black Knight... We had a family... and you destroyed everything..."
She made a grabbing motion as though something were constricting Noelle, who screamed in pain.
Meanwhile, the blue knight escaped from Eleana and dashed toward Noelle's sister with a thrusting stance. Both of her swords were aimed at the new figure, but as she moved near, the void suddenly warped, and the knight crashed into the ground behind her.
Veer's eyes remained glued to the stance the new figure had performed.
It was a kick.
Noelle screamed as she struggled, "It's because of you... bitch! You all never understood the power of consciousness! You're a disgrace to our legacy! Why... why did you go after void powers?! You destroyed everything! It's all because of youuuu!"
She cried as Noelle's sister's expression darkened.
The sister raised her hand again to grab her, but Noelle recited something while she struggled to move.
From her hair, an intricate bird-shaped clip flew out, screeching as it transformed into a beautiful puppet bird.
Everyone froze in shock as it became a phoenix puppet.
Eleana murmured, "A phoenix... puppet."
Noelle's sister took a step back as she also started preparing something with her hand, though Veer had no idea what it was.
Noelle's sister began casting something as the room distorted.
Meanwhile, the puppet lifted Noelle into the air.
"I will return to crush all of you... Ahhhhh!"
Noelle screamed as the golden puppet bird tore through the ceiling with a blast and flew away, leaving a trail of blood behind.
It seemed Noelle had been injured again by her sister.
Her sister's eyes widened as she muttered, "Someone interfered..."
She spat blood and collapsed.
Veer looked around at the devastation—the escaping blue knight, Noelle's unconscious sister on the ground—and sank into deep thought.