49. Brielle Averin - The Hero

Before Gavin and Lucien took their stand, another fight had already started—a two against one where the sole elf was at a disadvantage even if he didn't admit it.

While it was obvious that he couldn't keep up with the two girls forever, Yumino quickly alternated between daggers and his trusty bow, defending more than he was attacking. As an archer, Yumino didn't fight well when he was pinned, and the two ladies attacking him knew that all too well.

While Nimera and Averin didn't usually fight well together, their ability alone was enough to make sure that, at the very least, they wouldn't be in each other's way.

Unlike his usual dances with the lady turned vampire, having a girl clad in black armor intervene threw the elf off balance. Every time he had a clear line to take a shot at any of them, the other one would jump in and force him to dodge. If anything, they seemed to know exactly what they were doing.

The only thing the elf could cling to was the weak mental state of the knight lacking conviction. He knew she was struggling, and he didn't hesitate to shake her up even more.

"Even your friends are fighting against Lucien! Garronn is only trying to protect you! Is it worth it to break the bond you've created for a fragile lord who is using you?"

Averin tried to ignore his words and charge at him with her giant sword, yet her trembling lips couldn't help but part by themselves.

"It's my duty as a knight!" she screamed, swinging her weapon at the elf, who had easily predicted her clumsy move.

Yumino dodged with little effort and rolled over her back and kicked her away, creating a moment of respite that allowed him focus on Nimera, but the vampire lady didn't stay idle either. Before Yumino could get a line of sight, she quickly ran to his side, making his struggle futile.

Or so she thought.

"It's a present from Velmira!" he said and winked, shooting his arrow into the snow. Soon, vines emerged from where the arrows had sunk, and Nimera got tangled up in no time.

Yumino's next move was to shoot arrows all around the vampire, lighting them up and having the lady trapped in a sea of flames and vines.

By that time, Averin had regained her footing, but not her composure. She took one more swing at the elf, but he had no trouble dodging. Yumino immediately twisted his body and kicked off her helmet, letting snowflakes melt in her dark hair.

Behind the helmet, the struggling expression of Averin could be seen clearly. Tears soon froze on her lashes and clouded her vision even more than her thoughts did.

Taken aback by the sight, Yumino almost forgot he was in a fight. Fortunately, Erolith quickly reminded him to close the range, and their fight resumed.

In a fight blade to blade, Averin had the advantage. Even in her sorry state, she saw many openings through the elf's moves, but her body stiffened up whenever she tried to go for one of them.

That's what Yumino had been betting on, and thanks to Erolith's guidance, the elf managed to connect to every spot he wanted to strike.

The next time the two took their distance for a breather, Averin felt her body was much lighter. Her expression clouded over as she tried to find the reason, but by the time she noticed, it was too late.

One by one, pieces of her heavy armor fell off of her.

"NO! FATHER!" she screamed, trying to pick them back up, but all that was left were a bunch of metal plates and a girl kneeling in the snow, desperately trying to hold them together.

"I've told you before. A good knight is modeled after the person, not the other way around. And especially not by the armor."

Averin looked at the elf who spoke him mind. Left in only her under-armor, the girl who was almost drowning in tears tried to get up. She whimpered as the armor she was holding fell from her arms, and she fell back on her knees in an attempt to hold it all together.

Instead of trying to get up again, she desperately reached for the crest on her chest, ready to accept defeat with what little dignity she had left, but she felt nothing.

In the place where Lucien's crest should have been, only some cuts remained—cuts that spelled the letter "A."

"Averin, Knight of... well... Averin and none other. You may rise now," Yumino proclaimed with a wide smile, shining even if the sun was beyond the clouds.

Feeling as light as a feather, liberated from an armor she had been blindly carrying, the girl cried her heart out. She screamed and rubbed her nose, not knowing whether she should thank or curse the one in front of her. It was a cheap trick, but he had done it; he had released the girl and pushed her on one side of the fence she had been stuck on.

Only she knew what had been going through her mind that whole fight. Even now, Yumino couldn't say for sure whether he had fixed the girl's problem or taken away something important to her.

It was at that moment that the ground below them started shaking. Soon after, vampires started emerging from beneath their feet, surrounding the area.

"It's about time he played all of his cards," Yumino said in a sarcastic yet sour tone, preparing his bow for the next fight.

"Leave those to me, Yumino!" Averin's voice rang suddenly.

"Averin?" the elf said with an optimistic look on his face. "I take it you've already changed your mind?"

"I'll decide what to do with you later!" she said. "At the very least, those rabid creatures are not my comrades!"

As she spoke, Averin ran towards a group of oncoming vampires, bodies flying left and right as she flung her sword with vigor that made Yumino understand he stood no chance alone in a fight against those two girls.

Left behind, Yumino took a look at the trap he had set for Nimera. She had already freed herself, and she was bound to be angry.

The elf grinned at the thought of seeing her like that. He knew that feisty and angry were synonyms for the girl. 

Next, he looked at Velmira, who was busy fighting the giant. He shot a bright crimson arrow right at Garron, and then turned his full attention to the vampire lady.