"Uuuh..."
The black knight twisted his head, letting out constant strange noises.
Seeing this, Luke immediately warned excitedly, "It looks like something's wrong with this guy!"
This meant their previous efforts weren't in vain.
Receiving no response, Little Red Riding Hood attacked again; this time, her target was Gaul's horse. The sharp blade in her hand drew two arcs, and the horse's two front legs were actually sliced off.
Gaul fell straight to the ground and struggled to stand.
Perhaps just as Luke said, he was indeed experiencing a severe anomaly.
Little Red Riding Hood's blade approached again, crimson flames sweeping over; this would be the fatal blow.
But this time, he didn't dodge; he never feared blades and swords to begin with.
Their figures crossed, and Little Red Riding Hood's strike hit nothing but air.
What happened?!
Watching from the side, Luke saw it clearly; he noticed that at the moment of contact, Gaul's body had completely transformed into black flames!
Little Red Riding Hood's methods were blades and fire magic, but this guy could turn into fire and was immune to such damage... So how... could he be killed?
Luke was incredibly anxious on the sidelines, and Little Red Riding Hood moved once more!
She spun around and slashed, her crimson magic actually knocking the knight back several steps!
It worked!
Could direct magic discharge also cause damage and even affect energy-based entities?
Perhaps the color of magic shares similarities with the color of the soul. Red souls represent 'vitality,' meaning red magic is more aggressive... while that guy, both his soul and magic are black.
Deep, powerful... yet of poor quality.
For some reason, Luke truly felt a hint of contempt for him, to the point where his mockery was quite sincere.
In a daze, he also had the illusion that the opponent was merely a clumsy fake—a counterfeit!
But the moment this illusion appeared, it brought a sense of dissonance... That thing possessed a power far beyond Luke's current reach; how could Luke even compare himself to it?
Gaul steadied himself again, pitch-black and oppressive magic gushing out. He attacked with both hands; though he exposed openings, they weren't fatal, while a downpour of spear light and sword edges rained down, aiming straight for Little Red Riding Hood's vitals!
Little Red Riding Hood dodged hastily. Even as agile as she was, her situation was quite dire under such a violent assault.
Yet she still hadn't taken a single hit.
"So fast!"
Luke, watching from the side, marveled from the bottom of his heart, his eyes constantly darting to track that red figure.
Perhaps the girl could win... On the battlefield, Gaul never stopped his attacks, his movements becoming more and more frantic. At this rate, his consumption would be too great, and he would inevitably exhaust himself.
This wasn't a fight where one could hold back; both had to pay a price in blood... or... death?
"Uuuh!!"
Gaul stopped abruptly, his armor clashing violently.
Little Red Riding Hood didn't want to miss this chance; she charged forward again with her blade, trailing a streak of crimson.
But then a sudden change occurred: the pitch-black flames retracted completely, and Gaul's form solidified.
He wasn't retreating; he was going all out!
Gaul was not a living being.
He was an extremely rare composite soul, and his color was "Black."
Such an existence could not be nurtured by a natural mother; usually, only "objects" could host them.
And Gaul was a counterfeit nurtured by the "Queen" using thousands of souls. He not only possessed the properties of a composite soul but could also move freely... a truly exquisite masterpiece.
But a thing like him was ultimately a freak that didn't fit in with his surroundings.
With neither loyalty, nor faith, nor strategy, he was ultimately a non-human thing.
But even so, even then, he wanted to be like others. He wanted to prove he was something useful, that he had value in existing... that he had lived.
"This! The final blow!"
By the time the voice was heard, it was already too late.
Everything happened too fast for the eyes to follow.
"Watch out!"
Luke shouted loudly, but it seemed to be too late.
With just a single movement, it was like a thunderclap—swift and lethal!
Bang!
A sharp explosion rang in the ears; everything was already too late.
And the event had already occurred—
Blood and fire intertwined, red and black reflecting each other. It was a poignant, final elegy... Little Red Riding Hood was pierced through by spear and sword.
"She..."
Luke slumped to the ground, his strength gone. He wanted to deny everything happening before him, yet realized he was like a piece of trash escaping reality.
It was just a loss! He wouldn't die; it was no big deal!
But why... but... Looking back at Luke's life, he had always been a foolish and arrogant person.
He knew this himself, but he had no intention of changing.
He always placed himself in a so-called God's-eye view to observe his surroundings, then self-indulgently voiced clumsy opinions.
He had a bit of an "everyone else is drunk, only I am sober" attitude.
But he wasn't an extrovert after all; many emotions didn't show on his face. Combined with this awkward personality, it led to... He stood up, caught his breath, drew his ill-fitting blade, and ran forward to slash at that invincible enemy.
What a death-defyingly stupid act. Tired of living?
Why? Why risk his life?
Physical pain is direct, while mental pain accumulates... He was actually very afraid of pain and death... but as said before, he was a foolish and arrogant man.
To him, he didn't need to understand his own actions; all he needed was to follow his heart and write the most indulgent poem!
Facing Luke's folly, Gaul didn't even turn his head. He threw a backhand punch that sent Luke flying, shattering his cheekbone and leaving blood all over the ground.
「A plot lacking dramatic development is really boring. I wish I lived in a shounen manga, shouting about courage and bonds...」
「Is this nonsensical monologue a life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment?」
「I really can't stand it...」
「...」
「Truly useless.」
「So be it. It's only natural for someone like me to end up like this.」
「Only, that girl...」
「I really, really care about her...」
The moment his senses returned, he felt warmth flowing—blood had reached his eyes, completely covering his vision.
He couldn't see, but he heard a voice in his ear.
It was... leisurely, soft, yet very stubborn, like a lullaby... "Requiem?"
Gaul clearly uttered those words. He seemed surprised, and anger surfaced again as black flames ignited around him.
At this moment, the nature of his soul was closer to a "human's," but he had obtained all this through the irreversible means of overdrawing his soul. Despite the great results, what was the cost?
Thus, he couldn't tolerate the slightest failure. But after sacrificing so much, why wouldn't that woman die?
Where on earth did she learn... the Requiem?
The so-called Requiem is like a little tune hummed by the Grim Reaper before an execution. When the song ends, it means the Reaper is ready to take a life.
Therefore, when the living sing this song, it serves to delay death, allowing them to linger on.
But this is only temporary; after all, it's just a deception, merely postponing the time of death.
However, right now, Little Red Riding Hood's timing was quite lethal. If Gaul showed the slightest negligence during this period, judging by her terrifying destructive power, she had the potential to overturn the battle.
But continuing like this was also an unbearable burden for Gaul himself.
The moment he paid the price would be the moment of his defeat.
So, for both of them, this would be a gamble with their souls at stake!
And any gamble fears variables.
That tiny figure, seemingly outside the battle, seemingly a corpse, moved once more.
「My weak self is truly both pitiful and helpless.」
「But somehow, this brings a sense of security.」
「No need to bear anything, no need to pursue anything; being weak seems quite nice.」
「But is that why I refuse to become strong?」
「Clearly, my current strength cannot satisfy my desire for exploration at all.」
「And without exploration, I lack inspiration. Without inspiration, how can I roam through a fantasy world...」
「I really should become strong after all.」
「But... no, if I do that, won't I 'lose' things?」
Strength means "possessing," and its counterpart is "losing."
Whether in heroic epics or history through the ages, this truth is always being explained.
「So, am I actually afraid of... losing?」
「But now...」
At some point, tears had washed his eyes clean.
He saw it... she was still alive, singing.
Small, unyielding, burning... She was giving her all just to stay alive. Was she struggling so hard because she was afraid of "losing"... 「So, it's because of admiration.」
As long as one "possesses," there is the inevitable fate of "losing."
So, to deny such a fate, one must fight, must continue on with constant anxiety.
This is a "Struggler."
「So, am I admiring her figure?」
No, that's not quite right.
「I just don't want to...」
His limp body kept shifting, trying to regain movement. The pain this caused was indescribable, but if he took it slowly, he could get used to the feeling—the so-called "desensitization."
"Hey, mongrel."
A low voice rang out, arrogant and abrupt, as if from a king—undeniable and not to be ignored.
And the speaker was very, very weak, yet sharp enough to hit the mark, bringing supreme humiliation.
"Ugh..."
Gaul's gaze locked onto Luke. At first, he was only slightly annoyed, intending to treat him like a noisy stray dog, but meeting that gaze, he found he couldn't.
It was jealousy, disgust, and even more complex emotions, making him impossible to ignore. Why? Why on earth?!
"You stray dog!" Gaul cursed. At this moment, he seemed no different from a normal person.
"Heh, your eyes look the part."
A smile hung on Luke's lips. With the help of his powerful recovery ability, his injuries had faded, though blood still clung to his face.
This wasn't bad. After all, a man with some wounds and blood on his face who can still smile calmly...
Isn't that... also pretty cool?
"Hey, look."
Pitch-black flames ignited in Luke's palm.
"It was so easy to do. It is my... power. Now, I will no longer resist it."
Watching the flowing black flames in his hand, a hint of infatuation appeared on Luke's face, but he didn't lose himself. In fact, at this moment, he was clearer than ever.
He lowered his head slightly and clenched his fist.
"Just like this, I will take back everything that belongs to me, and I will never let go!"
"Is that so... You really are full of yourself. But... if this is all you have, what can you do to me?"
The clash of words meant the battle had begun.
An excellent warrior isn't easily confused by the enemy. Gaul was a monster born for battle, so he naturally understood this.
"Yeah, this is all I've got..."
Luke toyed with the spark at his fingertips, his gaze passing Gaul to land on Little Red Riding Hood in front of him.
"I'm not bright when it comes to learning; often I have to experience things personally to understand."
"This is... what she taught me. Look, how charming..."
These words, addressed to no one in particular, received no response. The battlefield fell silent, leaving only the sound of a man's footsteps.
"So now, give that girl to me."
Luke reached out to demand her, pitch-black fire covering his entire body.
This was painful. Although he could ignore the impact of magic, he couldn't ignore the high temperature.
But it's just this much; I'll get used to it in a bit.
"If you want her, you'll have to come and take her yourself."
Gaul sneered instead of getting angry. Perhaps right now, the girl wasn't important; he already realized that the man before him was his reason for living. Only by killing him could he prove the meaning of his existence.
"You're all pitch-black and reek of cheapness. Though you look a bit like Ghost Rider, you're ultimately just a 'counterfeit'."
Luke continued his verbal assault; he was successful, as the opponent's entire body was shaking.
Alright, very close now.
"Have you ever been hugged?"
Eh?
Unexpectedly, Luke asked such a strange question.
Hug—an excessively foreign word. Though he understood the meaning, Gaul couldn't comprehend the emotions within it.
While he was confused, Luke opened his arms and hugged him. Like a sticky plaster, he showed no fear of the flames on Gaul's body; he even used the only gap to lunge forward, his head passing through the ethereal head and landing inside.
There was no doubt that neither Luke's own strength nor the magic he had just learned could cause effective damage to Gaul.
But the sensation of having a foreign object inside his body made Gaul very uncomfortable. It felt as if a dangerous sensation was brewing. He was somewhat bewildered; Luke was clearly just a clown seeking his own destruction, so why was he making him so worried?
When your eyes are burned away, you lose light and can't see many sights. It's truly terrible.
But without the world's distractions, one can focus on daydreaming, fantasizing, and constructing their own world.
And that world is exactly what is being sought—the brightest star in the night sky, the so-called 'Morning Star'.
Perhaps it was because of this pursuit that Luke had such a near-maniacal desire for exploration.
With a star, there is a direction, and moving forward becomes natural.
Only the road is too dark and too cold, appearing too pale. Such a colorless path is truly dull and lonely.
「So that's how it is...」
His body completely lost its function, and he could no longer use his limbs for anything. But it didn't matter; this narrow predicament actually brought Luke a sense of peace.
Good. Just as he thought, there were similarities between Gaul's "Black" and the "Black" of his own magic.
And things that are similar yet different are very dangerous.
Now, unable to see, he seemed to spot a glimmer of color in the pitch darkness.
It was bright red and warm.
He seemed able to sketch a few features in his mind, but the remaining time wasn't enough to complete it.
But it wasn't enough; Luke found himself to be truly greedy now.
「I want to walk with you.」
As Luke finally confirmed his thoughts, he released all his magic. The rampaging energy tore his body apart, and in an instant, it all turned into flames... 「Enjoy these brilliant fireworks.」
Boom!
The violent explosion brought destruction; hard objects will inevitably be destroyed from within.
After the brilliance, only silence remained.
The faint sound of the breeze wandering through the woods accompanied the falling rain.
The unconscious Red Hood only then woke up with a start, looking at the sky.
Oh, it's raining.
It's a really, really heavy rain.
She looked at the path she had come from.
It's raining, so it's time to go home—adults always give that serious advice.
Only, only... she glanced back.
The rain washed the ground clean; many traces were gone.
Was it a hallucination?
Had she gotten lost in this forest?
"..."
Her heart felt empty, as if something had been taken from her.
Something very, very important.
She looked at the sky; it was filled only with rain clouds now, gray and very empty.
In her ears, only the sound of rain falling remained... pitter-patter—