Heartless

Viviane’s hands moved before she even understood what she was doing.

Am I going to lose her...? The image of Medrauta throwing herself in front of the black spear Amelia had fired prior to their departure from Avalyne Academy flashed through Viviane’s mind. Back then, she really thought Medrauta would die, and the feeling of loss had pierced her heart so painfully that it was as if the witch’s lance had impaled her anyway.

That same pain shot through her chest now, causing it to tighten like the taut string of her bow pulled to full draw. She couldn’t comprehend why Medrauta had attempted such a suicidal maneuver, especially against a formidable opponent like the Walpurgisknight. Time slowed down as Viviane could do nothing but watch in horror as the black-clad knight’s colossal blade inched closer and closer to Medrauta’s body before it inevitably cleaved the silver-haired knight in two.

But while her mind was frozen, her body was not. Moving instinctively, Viviane’s body somehow knew exactly what it was she had to do. Even without her conscious input, the noblewoman’s desire to save her knight drove her limbs. There was no need to sight her next shot, nor did she feel the strain of her back muscles as they drew and held the bowstring beyond its maximum capacity.

In the next second, the Walpurgisknight’s deadly blade would bisect Medrauta, but Viviane’s arrow flashed through the air in a fraction of that time, piercing through time and space to strike its target with impossible accuracy. It was not a shot that Viviane had aimed, nor was it a shot she even knew she could make despite the incredible skill she’d gained with the bow. At the same time, it was also a shot she could’ve made with her eyes closed.

The reason for that was simple: Viviane’s love for Medrauta had become so ingrained in not only her mind and body, but the very root of her being such that she no longer needed to provide conscious input to act while her beloved Medrauta was in danger. So long as Medrauta’s life was being threatened, her body would force itself to move. Such was the strength Viviane had gained after witnessing Medrauta stand before the face of death so many times.

No longer would she stand uselessly behind her knight.

Plip. Plip. Plip.

A pool of crimson grew steadily beneath the feet of both knights. Medrauta’s sword slid out of the Walpurgisknight’s chest, carrying a river of blood along with it. She shuffled back several paces, distancing herself from the Walpurgisknight who remained towering over her. His crimson eyes still glowed ominously behind the black steel of his helmet, glowering down at the silver-haired knight.

Is it over...? Medrauta frowned. She tightened her grip around the hilt of her sword, breathing deeply in an effort to alleviate the thunderous thumping of her heart after the incredibly close brush with death. No, of course not.

The black-clad knight stood still, his sword arm hanging loosely and uselessly by his side as it waited for his regeneration to kick in and repair the damage Viviane’s arrow had dealt to it. The pauldron protecting his shoulder had been completely annihilated, the flesh underneath utterly eviscerated as the limb now clung to his body by only a few ribbons of muscle. Blood poured incessantly from the gaping wound, but the Walpurgisknight uttered not a single word.

Viviane’s fingers quivered in an almost excited fashion as she stared at the damage she’d done to the Walpurgisknight despite the armor protecting his form. Never before did Viviane think she was capable of firing such an impressive and powerful shot, but just as her fingers quivered, so too did her bow. Even now, the flexible but strong wood was vibrating fiercely in protest, begging Viviane to not reproduce an attack of such magnitude again.

If only I had Sakura’s moonsteel bow... Viviane thought bitterly. Despite the Walpurgisknight’s speed and skill, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be able to take the armored knight’s head off with a well-placed shot while he was caught up in defending against Medrauta’s flurry of attacks. The noblewoman clicked her tongue in annoyance as she watched the Walpurgisknight’s shoulder and arm begin to regenerate rapidly. The only thing she wanted right now was a guarantee of Medrauta’s safety, but it didn’t look like that was going to be achieved any time soon.

“I knew you’d do it, Vivi!” Medrauta grinned, preparing herself to attack before the Walpurgisknight’s regeneration was complete. Although she would’ve liked to press her advantage immediately after her thrust had successfully pierced through the black-clad knight’s chest, the reality of the situation was that her gambit had partially failed.

“...You promised me to never do that again.”

“I-I’m sorry, Vivi! But I wasn’t planning to sacrifice myself! Honest! I was just—”

“Later.” Viviane shut her knight’s protests down with a harsh tone that brooked no argument. Medrauta gulped, almost wishing that she’d been defeated by the Walpurgisknight if only to avoid the monstrous lecture that was no doubt lined up for her after this battle.

The Walpurgisknight hefted his sword in an almost experimental fashion as he parried Medrauta’s latest attack, retreating from the silver-haired knight’s assault for the first time since they’d fought. Although it was only a minor victory, Medrauta felt a rush of triumph surge through her body, emboldening her to press the attack and continue to harry her opponent with a flurry of cuts from every direction.

With a large part of his shoulder and arm now exposed, the Walpurgisknight suffered countless wounds from Medrauta’s attacks as the silver-haired knight relentlessly tore through her opponent’s defenses. Unfortunately, her efforts would be in vain as the Walpurgisknight simply regenerated the damage he had taken within seconds.

“My heart was the first thing I lost.” The Walpurgisknight said as he blocked Medrauta’s latest thrust with the wide flat of his blade, using it to shove the silver-haired knight back. “Until my purpose is served, I shall not die.”

Medrauta narrowed her eyes, her suspicions confirmed. Indeed, her gambit had failed not because of her execution, but because of that very crucial fact. Normally, it was only possible to defeat Witchsworn by decapitation, but Medrauta figured that she would be able to stop the Walpurgisknight’s regenerative properties by targeting his heart as if targeting a witchspawn’s heart. While a solid plan in theory, it unfortunately failed to account for the Walpurgisknight’s lack of a heart.

“The fuck...?” Medrauta clicked her tongue in annoyance. “How crazy can you be?”

Naturally, the Walpurgisknight didn’t answer. Even without speaking a word, it was obvious to Medrauta that her opponent knew the risks that came with such a decision and fully embraced them. Without a heart, the Walpurgisknight was an existence solely sustained by Amelia’s mana and mercy. Should the witch choose to cut ties with him on a whim, the Walpurgisknight would no doubt dissolve into nothingness just like the gradually disappearing witchspawn below the tower.

A flurry of arrows flashed through the air as Viviane supported her knight upon seeing the Walpurgisknight burst toward Medrauta’s location in an attempt to mount a counterattack. He raised his sword in front of him, shielding him from the arrows that were expertly aimed at his helmet’s eye slits. As the arrows clattered uselessly off the black blade, Medrauta dashed forward quickly, taking advantage of the Walpurgisknight’s lack of vision to issue a vicious upward slash with her sword.

“...Guh!”

“Damn!” Medrauta growled in frustration. Naturally, her cut had been aimed directly at the Walpurgisknight’s neck, seeking to end this battle once and for all. Had the armored knight not managed to shift backward slightly, Medrauta might well have emerged victorious thanks to that single strike.

The Walpurgisknight leapt backward now, creating a large distance between himself and Medrauta. He touched an armored hand to the wound on his neck, feeling the deep cut. For the first time since the battle commenced, the Walpurgisknight was finally treating Medrauta and Viviane as worthy opponents, glaring at them with an appraising gaze.

Medrauta stared back, meeting the Walpurgisknight’s eyes. Again, there was something strangely familiar about the black-clad knight’s stare, but she simply couldn’t place it, and it wasn't like his bladework was easily recognizable either. Instead of dwelling on such thoughts, Medrauta readied herself once more, prepared to enter a decisive clash with her opponent.

In the rear, Viviane could feel the tension rising between the two knights. Thanks to witnessing numerous battles by Medrauta’s side, her finely honed instincts told her that the battle was approaching its conclusion. The next strike would likely be the last. Her fingers twitched against the bowstring as she watched her knight’s back with a strange mixture of amalgamation and resolve. Whatever happened, she would ensure that Medrauta emerged victorious.

The Walpurgisknight advanced, and so too did Medrauta. Their blades at the ready, both knights exploded forward in a flurry of motion...

...Only to be interrupted as the entirety of the tower shook violently. Only it wasn’t just the tower that shook, but the ground beneath it as well.

“Medrauta!” Viviane cried.

“I-I’m alright, Vivi! But what the hell is that!?” Medrauta pointed, gesturing toward something in the distance. Although she knew she couldn’t afford to be distracted with the Walpurgisknight in close proximity, both she and Viviane’s eyes were inexorably drawn to the strange phenomenon that had dominated the skyscape.

An enormous pillar of crimson light had erupted in the south, piercing through the air and into the sky. Instinctively, both Medrauta and Viviane knew that this was the reason behind the witchspawn’s crazed stampede earlier, and though the crimson beam’s origin and purpose remained unknown, the pair could tell that this was something Amelia likely wanted to stop, a theory that was confirmed by the Walpurgisknight’s next words.

“...So it seems Volutia failed.” The Walpurgisknight turned to Medrauta, his blade ready and resting on his shoulder. “No matter. Let us finish this here.”