In front of the head bodyguard, a silver force rippled in the air, manifesting an appearance like that of stained glass, representing holy concepts as it completely blocked the lightning-clad figure from moving further.
"Negate and repel," the hooded bodyguard invoked.
"Hah!" Sirius couldn't help but laugh in joy as he was blown back, flipping backward before landing on his feet.
Emilio was surprised at the result of the encounter, "What was that? It looked like you couldn't even reach him."
The man ran his fingers through his electrified hair with a smile, "I've figured it out: that right arm of his is able to produce a "nullifying" force and repel objects, while his left arm is able to produce attacks that can't be defended against."
"Huh? Is that some sort of magecraft?" Emilio raised an eyebrow.
"Don't know, don't care!" Sirius said, launching back into battle.
The mysterious bodyguard held his left arm out, which was clad in a unique set of ivory armor: the gauntlets were bulkier and etched with designs that resembled the wings of an angel.
"All-Encompassing Cleave."
With a simple movement of his sword, the ivory figure produced a colossal slash that stopped Sirius in his tracks, forcing the Stormheart to dash around it as it cut through a portion of the room.
'I couldn't even see that attack. Just who is this guy, anyway?' Emilio wondered.
Every strike that the ivory-clad knight made invoked unseen slashes, only able to be foretold by the howls of wind that arrived in their wake. By the way that Sirius actively avoided the strikes with no attempt made to defend against them, they were undoubtedly lethal.
"The God of Man's Punishing Hand."
'In my left hand, the miracle of The God of Man has gifted me with the power to punish any–no matter their defenses. In my left, a different miracle, yet simply the other side of the coin has been entrusted to me–a power capable of rendering any attack null,' the knightly bodyguard thought.
"The God of Man's Untouched Hand."
It was with his right hand that he stopped any and all attacks from reaching him, continuously invoking this impenetrable defense despite Sirius' fast assaults.
"Woah!" Sirius let out, delightfully surprised as an invisible strike came close to hitting him before zipping by, bolting from wall-to-wall before flicking a lightning bolt towards the ivory-clad knight.
Again, it was a fruitless attempt as the enigmatic protector raised his right hand, completely negating the reach of the lightning.
"Alright, then! Try this!" Sirius challenged.
With multiple strikes of lightning forming into the shapes of enormous swords, shooting off in multiple angles towards the head protector of Maximus, the knightly figure nullified them with his right arm.
'I can sense it. When I look at this man's eyes, I can see it–he's a hero. Somebody who possesses an unrelenting will,' the bodyguard thought, '...I see somebody I recognize. The man I once was, perhaps. But that was long ago.'
Caught in his own thoughts, the figure shrouded in ivory armor stumbled to the side just as he managed to catch a stray blast of electricity with his blessed right hand. The array of lightning spiraled like a drill, stopped and unwoven by the protective miracle.
"--!" The bodyguard planted himself.
"Not breaking yet, are we?!" Sirius laughed.
It was difficult even for the man as swift as lightning to get around the powerful, nullifying arm of the bodyguard, though an opening was finally found as Sirius amplified himself:
'Now's a good time to try "that" out. Consider yourself honored, nameless protector!' Sirius thought before lowering himself into a running space before bolting off.
[Supercharge!]
Sirius surpassed at the speed of lightning, bolting around the room and bouncing off of the walls with speed that continued multiplying with each movement; an overlapping, exponential rise in speed that caused the entirety of the hideout to rumble.
The speed he reached surpassed that of lightning completely; Sirius himself felt his physical form changing, his own consciousness splitting in those moments as he retained it through sheer will. This molecular breakdown led to him achieving a realm of speed beyond physical form, warping around the room perhaps thousands of times within a fraction of a second.
Emilio felt everything around him rumbling, raising his own defensive shield of mana as large coils of electricity encircled the room as massive beams of magenta lightning, causing the air itself to become electrified.
'Just what kind of move is this…? What is he doing?' Emilio questioned.
All of this led the knightly figure to be unable to know where to defend himself from, turning in circles before he raised his hand, seeming to sense where the attack was coming from, however–
"Ghhh–!"
CRACK
["Stormheart: Event Horizon"]
He was already hit; through the bypassing of physical matter and conventional speed, the attack used by the Stormheart delved into an entirely different realm, causing his attack to reach a few seconds into the past.
"Gotcha!" Sirius exclaimed with a smile.
Being slammed into by a fearsome lightning bolt kick, the armored bodyguard had his armor crack before being flung across the room by the speed-warping blow.
Sirius slid his boots across the smooth, hardwood floors after coming to a stop, causing his shoes to produce steam, "Your abilities are tricky, I'll give you that. Though it's pretty simple how to overcome them: just be so fast that you can't react to my attacks."
"Fast…? That goes beyond any meaning of the word," the bodyguard coughed out his own crimson fluids onto the floor.
The ivory armored man picked himself up slowly as his helm crumbled away, looking up as his appearance was revealed beneath his beige hood: he had snow-white, shaggy hair and a pale face, though it was clearly inflicted with burn scars that covered most of his right side.
"--" The bodyguard struggled to stand after receiving the attack.
Sirius raised his hand, focusing enough electricity for a bolt that would easily disintegrate the figure, "Oh well, it was fun for a bit, though."
"Sirius, wait," Emilio walked over, stopping his companion.
"Hm?" Sirius looked over at him.
Emilio looked towards the scarred knight, "You. You're a knight, aren't you? What's your name?"
"--" The head bodyguard was silent for a moment before responding, "I abandoned my knighthood a long time ago. Just as I did my name."
"I can tell. I don't think anybody who calls themselves a "knight"--somebody who stands on the side of justice and honor–would be working for somebody as unforgivable as Maximus," Emilio reasoned.
The knight seemed conflicted when hearing those words, still knelt down as he held his sword against the ground to keep himself sat up.
"It's as you say…I am no longer a knight," the man said, "Just…do what you must."
Bowing his head, the former knight accepted his fate, relinquishing it to the hands of those who sought the high-profile merchant.
"Sure thing," Sirius said, gathering an abundance of powerful voltage around his fingertips.
The former knight kept his head down, awaiting the certain fate that was cemented in his own failures, though to his surprise–he was still alive.
"Just kidding," Sirius smiled, relinquishing the electricity around his hand.
"What…?" The former knight let out in surprise.
Sirius sighed, ruffling his own hair, "I'm not the kind of guy that kicks people while they're down, ya know? Not my style."
Even though he was allowed to live, the snowy-haired, middle-aged knight hardly looked happy about it, only confused by the merciful notion.
"Is your Boss back there?" Sirius pointed to the curtained area at the other end of the room.
A slow nod came from the former knight, "...Yes. There is a special barrier spell he has up, but I doubt mages of your caliber will struggle to take it down. He is capable himself, so be careful."
"Thanks," Sirius said, beginning to walk to the otherside of the vast, empty room.
Emilio stood in front of the knelt man for a moment, feeling some sort of way about the clearly scarred figure–who held scars both visible and not, as clear as a glass pane by the experiences etched into his light, olive eyes.
"Your life's been spared by my friend," Emilio said, kneeling down in front of the man, "An opportunity like that wasn't given so that you could continue living as the shell you are now."
"--" The former knight looked up.
"So, what's your name?" Emilio asked.
The white-haired man looked hesitant to speak it, and somewhat challenged to say it, as if not having spoken his own name in some time, "Isbrand."
"Isbrand, huh? You're pretty strong. I bet you'd make a good adventurer," Emilio remarked before standing up, "If you decide to become one, maybe we can go on a quest together–come find me if you do."
As he left the path to a new life for the burned man, he waved as the snowy-haired figure picked himself up, left speechless by the turn of events.
'...Maybe that young man is right. Make something out of my life…I suppose I have no choice now,' Isbrand thought.
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnovel(.)com