BXBX NOVEL Chapter 64: A Knight's Flame
\'It\'s somewhat smart, but it\'s still a bug–it\'s mainly operating on instinct. It\'ll hit whatever it sees, closest to it,\' Finn analyzed, glancing up briefly to see the bloodstained armor in front of him.
The spear was brought down, bringing the swift assassin to slip between the dragoon\'s legs. As he jumped back up to his feet, the wind whistled against his ears; a telling sign.
Before even seeing it, he jumped back as the pressure from the spinning strike brushed against his body, landing on his hands before flipping back onto his feet.
Without his feet having touched onto the cleaved tiles of the metro again, he found himself looking at the dragoon right in front of him. He flicked his dagger right past the manipulated corpse–
["Blade Warp"] [Mana: -100] [1900/2200]
He reappeared just a step behind the daunting figure\'s back, not even going for a strike as he immediately dropped low–FWOOSH. The all-seeing eyes of the dragoon prompted it to spin around, striking where his head was a split-second prior.
Behind him, at a safe distance, the knight performed a long-winded incantation, like that of a knighting ceremony.
"I hereby pledge myself to the service of the Holy, to the righting of wrongs, to the repulsion of evil, harkening only prosperity to those around me…" Jasper spoke the chosen words.
Jasper took to a single knee with his head lowered as if showing reverence to something unseen. The man who never left his helmet held his sword out; the steel was elegantly brought down, tapping one shoulder with it, then the next before laying the blade against his head.
"...Grant me the strength to vanquish evil: Galatine."
["Knights of The Round Table: Gawain"] [Mana: EVAPORATED]
From the request of Jasper, the prayer was heard as a cape of flames extended from his shoulders. The helmet he wore took to a bright-orange glow as if heated by flames; the sword in his hand became engulfed in a heroic blaze.
"Alright, I\'m ready," Jasper claimed, rising to his feet.
A sublime heat radiated from where the Australian man was, felt distinctly by the assassin amidst his continuous dodging.
"What?--Oh, time\'s up," Finn said as he realized the warmth behind him.
["Turn Shadow"] [2:59]
With his task being finished, he allowed himself to slip right into the ground as a shadow, slipping right past the controlled corpse.
Like a sun rising at the break of dawn, darkness was cast aside. The entirety of the dim-and-grim subway was soon filled with light in the presence of the flame-wielding knight.
"Really didn\'t want to resort to this. Ah, well," Jasper said tiredly with a sigh, hoisting the greatsword of fire up.
Each footstep of the flame-caped knight caused the tiles to melt where he stood, leaving burning footprints that sizzled and boiled like eggs on a pan.
Finn ascended the escalator partially, looking back as he had to raise his arm from the intrusive heat that pressed against him from even that distance.
\'Seriously, that guy was hiding something like this–?\' He thought.
The presence of the sun-blessed knight brought the aggressive dragoon to a passive stance, not pursuing him as carelessly as before.
Jasper raised his sword, squeezing the handle with both hands as the flames around it were spurred as if rudely awoken, stretching into the reach of a greatsword, "--Fine, if you\'re not going to come to me, I\'ll come to you."
The blazing sword was brought down, unleashing a slash of pure fire that roared through the metro. A charred path was left behind it before reaching the parasitic warrior, forcing the dragoon to sidestep the eviscerating inferno.
While the dragoon was focused on evading the initial strike, the flame-caped knight was already on the move; Jasper used the wall itself as a path, leaving smoldering footprints on the tiles.
Swift like a fleeting flame, he leapt from the unorthodox foothold, sweeping in across the platform.
Jasper moved like a wheel of fire, only narrowly passing by the dragoon, though grazing it with the flames.
"…Where\'s my…girl…?" The vacant words left the lifeless lips of the host while leaning back from the flaming spin.
"Don\'t know, mate," Jasper spoke back while flipping around as the coattails of fire followed his quick movements.
The boot of the flaming knight was pressed down, producing a wave of heat as if a star had emerged. Even the pillars that held up the subway began to melt; like ice cream in the summer, the ceramic oozed.
Too bright to look at, Finn struggled to perceive Jasper\'s movements through his dazzling radiance.
The heat that was produced kept the puppeteered one back, causing the parasitic head to shriek at the flames grazed if.
"I\'ll put you to good rest, mate," Jasper promised the controlled dragoon quietly.
With blazing destruction, yet a serene kindness, the sword was brought forth, carrying with it the concentration of the magnificent fire. A controlled storm; hyper-condensed flames turned to that of an all-burning force, sent forth with impunity.
There was no chance for the dragoon to retaliate as the flames swept across its body.
The tidal wave of heat crashed forth like an unruly tempest; steel was reduced to liquid, flesh to ruin.
From the steps, Finn witnessed the stream of fire fill the subway platform like a flame filling a grill.
As the heat left and only embers trickled down, the dragoon collapsed to his knees. The figure was turned to a crisp, fading away as their body began crumbling into ash.
"…Maria…Daddy\'s…home…"
The words that came out through the charred lips of the dragoon came out with genuine hope. As though a gift of wind passed by, the burnt man collapsed into ashes.
Finn witnessed the finality of the figure while stepping back down to the train platform.
["Carter Warner defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x2500 obtained."]
[Experience Points: +25,000] [31100/35000]
[Assimilated ability from ["Carter Warner"]: "Heaven Piercer"]
[Assimilated weapon from ["Carter Warner"]: "Winged Spear"]
An exhale left Jasper\'s helmet as the decorative flames vanished from his body, "He can sleep now."
"Yeah," Finn said, noticing how exhausted the knight seemed now from his heavy breathing.
As they stood there for a moment, a sound like that of bones snapping caught their attention. From the pile of ashes, something erupted–a black mass with fluttering wings and bulbous eyes.
\'Watch out–" Jasper called out.
With the helmet protecting the knight\'s head, the parasite seemed to turn its attention away from the steel-clad man.
It launched itself right towards the head of Finn, who raised his dagger to prepare himself–
A flash of light passed through the desperate parasite like a sun ray through the darkness, turning the creature to ash.
It came from atop the escalator, bringing his gaze over to see that the timely shot came from the cannoneer, who was still breathing heavily with a pale face.
"I don\'t like to owe anybody debts, so…We\'re even now," Magnus said through his breaths, relinquishing his cannon as his bloodied arm laid limp at his side.
["System Parasite defeated."] ["Anarch Coin x1000 obtained."]
[Experience Points: +3000] [34100/35000]
\'It had nothing to assimilate? I guess by itself, it\'s powerless,\' Finn thought, looking at the charred body of the parasite on the floor.
Adrenaline still pumped through his body as his heartbeat rang in his ears, looking over at the clearly tired man in armor who got the job done.
"Hey, mate…mind lending me a shoulder?" Jasper asked, walking over with an exhausted limp.
"Ah–I\'ve got you," Finn said, quickly rushing over.
He gave his arm to his companion, slinging Jasper\'s arm around his shoulder to help him walk up the unmoving escalator.
"Using that skill really tuckers me out…Not fond of using it, y\'know," Jasper remarked. "Makes me a liability out here."
"You have us around now, so don\'t worry. A badass ability like that–I feel better just knowing it\'s an option," Finn remarked with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks, mate," Jasper showed his gratitude.
Magnus and Charlotte waited at the top, with the cannoneer clearly looking pale from the blood he had lost. To the left, an unblocked exit to the metro was waiting with the glimmer of moonlight dipping in.
"You managed to do it?" Charlotte asked with a look of worry.
"Well, it was mostly this guy," Finn said, playfully tapping his fist against the helmet of the knight. "So, what happened to getting away?"
Charlotte glanced over, "Well…It\'s not so easy to just leave you both to fight alone."
"Yeah, I guess I can\'t blame you," Finn sighed.
"You\'re welcome for that stubbornness, by the way," Magnus added before wincing as he grabbed his arm.