Flynn paused to think, though he remained poised for any eventuality; he needed to figure out a way to escape rather than simply standing his ground. A tightness began to constrict his chest.
(What should we do?! If we attack, there's no telling who might die... I have to do something...!)
The thoughts echoed in his mind. He tightened his grip on the hilt of *Exceed the Storm* until his fingers trembled violently. Memories he had tried to bury for years began to resurface, forcing him to recall the very things he wished to forget.
(Once was enough...!) His gaze darted from Lilith—who was struggling to get back on her feet—to Nathan and Iris, who lay helpless after the attack by the Infori-like creature; it was his friend, yet tragically, not the friend he knew. (I can't let this happen again—I can't repeat the same mistake...!)
They might not have been childhood friends, but he still had a duty to fulfill as a captain of the Stornia Kingdom's Knightley Queen.
(I have to do what must be done!)
Meanwhile, Iris and Nathan were regaining consciousness. Their breathing was still ragged, and their bodies felt weak from the force of being thrown backward.
"Ugh... Huh?!" Nathan was the first to notice; he started in shock as the Infori imitation fixed its gaze upon them with red eyes that bore a striking resemblance to the real Infori. Yet, there was a distinct difference this time—a cold, piercing stare directed right at him.
Nathan hurriedly tried to stand, but a sharp jolt of pain shot through his back and radiated across his entire body. "Ack!"
His legs buckled beneath him. He had never experienced such internal agony in his life; to him, it was far worse than the slash wound he had once sustained on his leg. (I have to move... right now! This is no better than having a slash wound on my leg! Ever since I crossed over into this world I've been researching... things like this keep happening!)
But just as he tried to stand up again, Nathan sensed something amiss. He felt a presence right behind him; still seated, he twisted his body around to look at the figure who had appeared out of nowhere and was standing there, gazing down at him.
Nathan blurted out instinctively, "You?!"
A man dressed in a tunic of brown and black with leather accents—his entire frame draped in a black cloak—stared back with dark hair and eyes the color of amethyst.
Yes, it was Dimsk.
Flynn was equally shocked to see the original owner of that Infori imitation standing there. "What?! How did you...?"
The man answered, deliberately cutting off Flynn's unfinished sentence. He spoke casually, without a hint of exaggerated emotion. "How did I get here? I am always here—anytime, anywhere. I decide exactly where I exist. Even you can't do that, can you, Flynn?"
Flynn's shock gave way to wariness; he couldn't predict the man's next move. He could only speculate and try to weigh his options.
"...."
Lilith, having regained consciousness a moment ago, surveyed her surroundings; Flynn, Nathan, and Iris were still within her field of vision. However, one unfamiliar man commanded her attention. She did not recognize the person standing behind Mr. Nathan, positioned right next to Iris, who lay unconscious.
(Who is he...?) The question echoed in her mind, as if she were unable to recall the people she had met in the past.
Flynn, however, remembered all too well.
He clearly recalled the man before him; despite having met him no more than twice, he vividly remembered the person who had cast his friend into an inexplicable, empty portal.
"Let me ask just this once: where is Infori? Where did you take her?" Flynn's question to Dimsk was deadly serious; his voice had deepened with gravity.
Dimsk answered immediately, though his reply was far from helpful—it was little more than a joke.
"Who knows? Maybe she's in a monster's cage right now, getting skewered by a giant skeleton."
Flynn's eyes widened at the casual way his friend was being mocked. He took a sharp breath, then forced himself to visualize something calming—a gentle, steady breeze.
He might have momentarily forgotten the guiding principles of a Knightley Queen knight, but he would not forget them again.
"Haa... Perhaps only the wind can guide one back to the right path; I believe that." Flynn steeled himself, fixing a sharp gaze on Dimsk—not one of murderous intent, but of judgment. "And let the wind guide me to the right path. Unlike a monster in human form with no clear purpose, I must do what is right."
"Hoo... Those are some profound words. But are you sure a single sentence is enough to help?" Dimsk then opened his right palm facing downward and channeled a bit of his energy to summon a pitch-black, one-handed longsword—a traditional, straight, single-edged blade.
He gripped the hilt and spoke while moving to the right of Nathan's position. "Or will it actually lead to a dead end?"
"I don't know who you really are, but from where I stand, I'm certain you're no ordinary being."
"Indeed."
"In that case..."
Flynn moved his sword, feeling its weight directly in his hand. Yet, that posed no problem for him.
"...I won't be afraid to give it a try."
He brought the blade to a halt right before his face. It was as if he were offering a prayer to his weapon, seeking to fully unleash its power.
Closing his eyes, Flynn chanted an incantation to his sword.
"Cleave through the darkness with a raging storm..."
Winds began to flow gently toward Flynn's sword. Soon, the blade was enveloped in a fierce gale—a gust strong enough to sweep away all the dust from the ground.
"Transform the storm's fury into infinite speed...!"
Everyone present felt compelled to watch the unfolding spectacle. The blade now glowed with a blue light, crackling with lightning drawn from the storm that shrouded it.
"Come. I welcome it gladly," Dimsk said without a hint of hesitation.
Flynn snapped his eyes open and shouted the names of his sword and its skill: "Let's go! Exceed The Storm — Exceed Slash!"
He thrust his sword forward; the blade's radiance illuminated the surroundings, leaving everyone—including Lilith—transfixed by the display of Flynn's power.
Flynn crouched slightly, then took a single step forward and surged ahead with incredible speed.
WOOOSSSHHH!!
He moved so fast that the surrounding dust seemed to freeze in his vision; to his eyes, the world itself appeared to stand still, as if forced to witness what was about to happen.
And—
CLANG!