After bidding Artoria farewell, Arthur walked along the trail toward Dun Scaith, feeling somewhat uneasy.
He had ignored Nessa and left the Land of Shadows. Now, a full day had passed, and it was already night by the time he finally returned home.
I bet Nessa is furious and just waiting for me to come back so she can get her revenge… Arthur thought to himself as he walked through the nearby village.
In the village, many children who had been playing were gathered around a bard, listening as the old man slowly told his story.
Arthur didn't stop. He passed through the village and continued onward.
He arrived at the gates of Dun Scaith, his anxiety growing with every step.
Arthur entered calmly through the gates.
"How am I supposed to explain this to Nessa…? Still, if I give her a good explanation, she'll probably believe me, right?"
"But what if she doesn't?" Arthur felt conflicted as the thought crossed his mind.
Judging by how Nessa used to punish him when they were younger, she would probably pin him to the bed and tickle him endlessly… It might not sound like much, but Arthur had developed a genuine psychological trauma from it.
A cold wind blew past, bringing with it a light drizzle, and a thin mist spread through the surroundings.
The slanted rain struck Arthur's face.
His steps slowed, his body trembled slightly, and he abruptly came to his senses.
Is it because the weather is too cold…?
No—this wasn't it. It had only started raining lightly, and it wasn't particularly cold.
Then what exactly was causing this chill?
Arthur shuddered involuntarily again. He turned his head sharply and stared down the long corridor behind him.
He sensed something approaching at extremely high speed!
At that instant, an image suddenly flashed through his mind.
His premonition had activated.
For the first time in a long while, fear flashed in Arthur's eyes. He turned decisively and retreated at full speed. An image had just crossed his mind—the image of his head being pierced by a spear.
He crouched as fast as he could when, suddenly, with a sharp buzz, a spear shot toward him from afar, cutting through the air and heading straight for his head.
The moment he ducked, a second image appeared in his mind.
Arthur immediately raised his spear and held it horizontally in front of him. In that instant, another spear flew toward him at lightning speed. The spear he raised blocked the incoming spearhead, causing it to slide along his weapon and ultimately pierce the pillar behind him.
"An enemy…" Arthur took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, glanced at the spear embedded behind him, and then turned to face forward.
"To sneak into the Land of Shadows without being detected, you must be my Master's sister—Lady Aife, correct?"
"A clever child." A female voice echoed from the end of the corridor as footsteps slowly approached.
She had purple hair, tied into a high ponytail that gave her a dazzling appearance. When she met Arthur's gaze, she revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "Good evening, apprentice of Scáthach… or should I say, apprentice of Morgan le Fay?"
This woman was Aife, Scáthach's sister—the Queen of Alba, equally skilled in martial arts. And now, that queen had appeared within Dun Scaith.
However, Arthur had already been mentally prepared for her arrival. His expression remained calm as he gave a slight bow. "Lady Aife, is there anything I can do for you?"
Even before Scáthach had left, he had sensed that Aife would appear eventually. He simply hadn't expected it to be so soon.
"Do I need a reason to come?" Aife displayed an arrogant, shameless smile. "I am your master's enemy. Do I need a reason to appear in these lands?"
"Hmm… that's true," Arthur pondered briefly before continuing. "But my Master is currently away on a journey. If you wish to train with her, I believe you'll need to wait until she returns."
"I'm certain no one here could give you a proper fight like she could," Arthur added calmly.
"Are you implying that I would only attack someone weaker?" Despite the sarcasm in Arthur's words, her smile didn't fade, and her disdainful posture remained unchanged.
In the end, however, she sneered unhappily. "That's exactly why I hate that woman. She knows I dislike striking the weak, so she dares leave you behind in the Land of Shadows."
Arthur's eyes remained calm. "She understands you well because you're sisters. She believes the strong should not attack the weak."
"Does that mean you consider yourself weak?" Aife narrowed her eyes.
Arthur shook his head. "Compared to you, naturally I am weaker. But if we were from the same generation, I don't think I would lose."
Aife stared at Arthur for a long moment, then suddenly laughed. "That woman is always like this—acting as if everything is under her control. You know, I see her shadow in you. You're acting the same way right now."
"Compared to my Master, I still have a long way to go," Arthur replied calmly.
"But!" Aife finally raised her hand, pointing her spear at Arthur. "Although I don't normally raise my hand against the weak, I've changed my mind! Since she's convinced I won't strike the weak—and you're convinced of it too—I'll make an exception this time!"
Arthur's eyelids twitched slightly, and the composure he had maintained finally cracked. He immediately grew serious and raised his spear.
Scáthach had told him that her sister Aife was an exceptionally proud warrior who never bothered attacking the weak. That was why Arthur had spoken to her so calmly until now.
He knew he couldn't defeat her. His plan had been to turn around and run—but—
"Don't even think about running from me! I want to see that woman's reaction when she comes back and finds your corpse hanging from the gates of her castle!"
Aife charged instantly. She was so fast that Arthur had no time to react before her spear thrust forward in a swift strike, its tip aimed at his right shoulder.
But then something unexpected happened.
Before Aife's spear could hit him, Arthur positioned his own spear in front of his right shoulder.
The spearhead traced along the red shaft, diverting Aife's attack.
The moment he finished defending, Arthur lunged toward Aife.
"How naïve." Aife took half a step back, easily avoiding Arthur's attack.
Then, suddenly, Arthur released his spear.
Aife's gaze was instinctively drawn to the weapon. In that instant, Arthur drew his dagger and hurled it toward Aife's neck.
Aife's pupils contracted slightly as she swiftly stepped to the side. With a sharp buzz, the dagger pierced the pillar behind her—much to her surprise.
At that moment, a thin line of blood trickled from a precise wound on her neck.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. After a moment of stunned silence, Aife regained her composure and looked at Arthur with a far more serious expression. Her smile faded considerably.
"That was truly unexpected. I didn't think you had a trick like that up your sleeve."
She had never imagined that one of that woman's disciples would be such a cunning individual.
Aife's face hardened with fighting spirit, her expression growing solemn. "Very well. I won't hold back anymore, boy."
"You think this is the end? Now I'll use the secret technique passed down through generations of the Joestar family." Arthur smiled faintly and snapped his fingers.
"Return, dagger!"
As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on the dagger embedded behind Aife.
Aife's pupils dilated as she abruptly turned her head.
Could it be… that dagger has some kind of rune allowing it to return to that brat's hand!?
After a moment, the dagger remained completely still.
Aife finally realized what was happening and turned to Arthur. "Did you really trick me?"
The instant she turned, a look of shock appeared on her face.
"Nigerundayo!!" Arthur shouted as he fled at full speed.
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(End of Chapter)