Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 664 No, Daniel
She turned her head in the woods and smiled at him, her milky skin shimmering in the morning light and mist, making her stand out from the crowd.

He could only stare at her dumbly, his confidence, arrogance, and nonchalance in front of others completely useless at this moment.

The only thing he could do was try his best to hide the bouquet of flowers behind him.

But as clever as she was, she had already seen the flowers in his hand and noticed the embarrassment on his face.

“No, Daniel,” she said, her face slightly flushed, “you’re the young master. If someone sees us, I’ll be so embarrassed.”

I'm so embarrassed...

I'm so embarrassed...

mine……

of……

But—he became increasingly embarrassed and at a loss—what should he do? Should he tell her that he had painstakingly collected these along the Mirror River?

A chill ran through me.

Her voice rang out again, but it was as cold as ice:
No, Daniel.

In the corridor on the second floor, DD suddenly woke up and, at the critical moment, raised his arm and drew his sword to deflect a deadly sword blade that was heading straight for his face: Clang!
Oh no—metals colliding! DD gritted his teeth—how could he have been so distracted at a time like this?

But reality didn't allow him much time to think. The enemy's second sword strike was relentless, forcing him to recall the most basic swordsmanship footwork: sidestep, spin, block, and leave the space most suitable for a counterattack...

Just as the old knight taught.

Yes, the old knight, that annoying red-nosed old man, was lying crookedly in his once bustling knight training ground, which now reeked of sour wine, surrounded by vomit.

“You know what, little Danny,” the old knight said, tilting his head back drunkenly, groping for his bottle and muttering incomprehensible nonsense, “as knights, we should fight for the weak, but the reality is, if we don’t fight for the strong, we won’t even have swords—that broken tower understands this much better than we do.”

As a servant under his patronage, he could only cover his mouth and nose in disgust, thinking that his morning exercise was probably ruined again.

"So, little Danny, the smartest thing we can do is to get drunk until dawn when you're forced to draw your sword for the strong! Hahaha, cheers, my little servant!"

The old knight brought the empty bottle to his lips, shook it violently, and then sprawled out on his back, pouring it into the nauseating filth.

"So screw swordsmanship! Screw knights! Screw imperial style! Screw standing army! Screw the inevitable end of chaos! Screw the eternal empire!"

A sense of tension suddenly overwhelmed me.

The old knight's words repeated in his ears, yet they were deafening:
To hell with the eternal empire!

DD was jolted awake, realizing that he was on the second-floor corridor of the Diop mansion, facing a whistling wind of sword energy.

But he didn't have time to dodge and could only barely parry.

boom!
With a muffled thud, Doyle, sword and all, crashed into a room on the second floor. He grimaced, feeling pain all over his body.

"Concentrate," the old knight said sternly, his mustache bristling like a hedgehog. He slammed his club into Doyle's crooked sword-wielding hand, causing the latter to hiss and cower. "If you really can't concentrate, then use pain to help yourself—no, what's the use of pinching yourself? Think, think of your most painful, unbearable, and unbearable memories, the kind you can't escape. Experience them in your mind over and over again, and then, believe me, you'll find that not thinking about anything and just idly practicing swordsmanship is such a blissful thing."

what happened?

DD shook his head violently, trembling as he got up from the ground and picked up his sword.

Focus, focus, focus.

He retreated to the window, repeatedly confirming to himself that this was Emerald City, at the crime scene, not the training ground of the old knight from his childhood.

Footsteps approached, and the enemy, carrying a knight's longsword, entered the room from the dark corridor, exuding a chilling aura.

In the bright light, Doyle saw the other person's entire appearance and his pupils contracted.

The man who entered the room was dressed very unusually.

His entire body—chest, arms, legs, and hips—was tightly wrapped in black cloth of unknown material, revealing not a single inch of skin or feature. Even his head was covered by a dark black face mask and headscarf, with only his eyes covered by a pair of dark-colored action goggles.

He was—DD stared incredulously at the other person's attire—afraid of being recognized?

Or is he a killer who prefers to operate at night and is a full-time hunter?
"you--"

DD tried hard to hold back, not letting the words "Don't you feel stifled?" slip out:

"What kind of trick was that just now?"

The assassin in black stood in front of him.

“You’re much weaker than him,” the assassin behind the dark goggles said, twirling his sword in a chilling voice. “That big guy is tough; he withstood at least eight rounds, taking three sword wounds and still managing to stay upright.”

DD suddenly remembered his comrades.

"What did you do to Golov?"

DD moved her feet slightly and cautiously looked down the corridor:

"Zombie, are you alright?"

But Golov did not answer.

The other party said the zombie lasted at least eight rounds...

Damn it, it's all this darn corridor's fault! If I had arrived sooner, we could have attacked from both sides...

But Doyle immediately realized something and panicked: Oh no, now he was all alone.

The assassin in black sneered:
"But its strength is limited."

As soon as he finished speaking, the enemy lunged forward and launched a surprise attack with his longsword!

Despite his panic, DD had no choice but to grit his teeth and raise his sword to meet the enemy, barely managing to parry one of their attacks.

Damn it, the enemy's sword is steady, sharp, and deadly.

He gritted his teeth and said to himself: How did I end up with this bad luck?

But that's not the most troublesome part; what's even more deadly is...

"Raise your head! You are my son! A man of the Doyle family! Hmph, it's such a trivial matter, why are you so scared..." The old man stood proudly with his hands on his hips, giving him a lecture.

As far as I can remember, this was the old baron's most impressive moment.

No, here we go again!
DD shook his head frantically, pulling himself back to reality from his daze, and desperately blocked the sword that was already upon him—was this how Golov fell for it? He lost focus while fighting and collapsed headfirst?
But he, Danny Doyle, the socialite of the guard, is weak—cough cough, he has other strengths!

When it comes to swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, military campaigns, and reliability, he's not as good as Golov!
Why did you let him end up in such a dangerous situation, fighting to the death with the enemy?

Isn't this what the protagonist should be doing?
The enemy's swordsmanship was ruthless, and DD felt powerless to resist. Before long, his left hand was struck by a sword, and he had to stagger backward.

How to do how to do?
How to do?
DD had to parry while frantically shaking his head, trying to think about the present situation and avoid getting lost in random thoughts.

When will the prince and the Terrorblade's reinforcements arrive?! Either that terrifying Morgan, or that arrogant Neshi, or even that Aarond, anything would be fine!

He can't handle this alone!

No, wait, does he really have backup? Does Marius even know he's here?

No, no, concentrate, concentrate! Stop thinking about anything else, quickly think of how to save my life—how about jumping out of the window? Find a decent way to land? I can't possibly chase this scoundrel all the way to Kongming Palace in broad daylight!
Oh no, the zombie is still in the hallway. What will happen to this big guy if he leaves? — Sigh, it's all that stupid big guy's fault. Screw that attack from both sides!

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Doyle's weakness was finally seized upon by the enemy. The assassin in black sneered and thrust straight through his defenses!

Think about your most painful, unbearable, and distressing memories, the kind you can't escape, relive them in your mind over and over again, and then...

The old knight's words rang out again, but this time, they were particularly stern.

DD was taken aback.

The enemy's sword tip was close to his head, and it was clear that there was no way to avoid it.

The girl's voice echoed in the void:

No, Daniel... I'm so embarrassed.

At that moment, DD felt a lump in his throat.

No.

hum.

His heart clenched violently.

No.

DD trembled as he remembered something.

In an instant, he instinctively moved, dodged, and blocked, sacrificing his shoulder to avoid the fatal blow.

"Hmm?" The assassin in black asked, having missed his first attack.

[...I'm so embarrassed.]

No.

His body was moving, but his heart was wailing helplessly:
It hurts.

No.

[...I'm so embarrassed.]

The pain spread from the heart throughout the body, awakening the long-dormant power of termination, which roared in endless wails:
It hurts!
No.

No.

No.

"You're the young master... no way."

"Do not!!!"

Heartbroken, DD roared as if he wanted to tear apart all his senses!
At this moment, the power of his demise, like a spider, covered his brain, its legs digging into his flesh, seizing his entire attention and spirit with unparalleled pain, commanding him to forget those distracting images, commanding him to move, lower his shoulders, and swing his sword...

clang!
Amidst the clash of metal, DD breathed in a daze. The spider of the power of termination still covered his mind, its legs swinging back and forth mercilessly and coldly, yet it could not relieve the excruciating pain in his heart.

Parry, advance, force the opponent to defend...

This sword strike lures the enemy, the next strike is a counterattack...

Find your spot, prepare your killing move...

The feelings he once had traveled through time returned to his consciousness and body, those sword techniques and tactics that he thought he had forgotten for a long time.

but why……

Why is he still in so much pain?

“I misjudged you,” the assassin in black said, swinging his sword rapidly, his movements becoming faster and faster, yet he still had the strength to speak, “You are better than that big guy—wait?”

DD had no patience for his nonsense; the overwhelming pain, with nowhere to go, was suffocating him, and all he could do was roar to vent his anger.
"No!"

Swish!
Finally, Doyle's sword broke through the opponent's defense and, with the old knight professor's "Triumphant Strike," struck straight at the opponent's chest!

Like the duel of ancient knights, the final, decisive sword strike.

clang!
An unprecedented metallic clang rang out. The assassin in black, though slightly disheveled, still managed to perfectly block the deadly attack, retreating seven or eight steps until he was out of the room.

hateful!

DD roared inwardly: Why—why didn't it hit? Why wasn't it fatal!

Fuck!
The merciless spider in his mind began to move again, which instantly calmed him down, and he immediately realized that the assassin in front of him was a master swordsman.

Even his strongest killing move...

“Your ‘Triumphant Strike’ is too loose and too soft, relying entirely on sheer grit,” the assassin in black stopped outside the room, quietly observing Doyle, who was panting heavily. “You haven’t practiced enough.”

DD paused for a moment.

"Are you Joaquin's student? Or his student's student?" the assassin in black asked slowly, strolling into the room. "You even served as a knight's squire, which allowed you to learn the 'Ten Legion Styles,' including the Triumphant Strike, right?"

Joaquin.

Upon hearing the name, DD paused for a second.

“Yes, Danny Doyle, what you’ve learned will be useful, even if the Crimson Years are over, even if knighthood is no longer an honor,” the old knight’s staff was still sharp and hurtful, but he was just thinking about when he could finish class and go find her. “You will face that moment, everyone will, whether with a sword or with their life.”

Joaquin.

Joaquin...

The spider in DD's brain stirred again, pulling him back to reality.

The assassin in black gave a cold laugh, and with a flick of his wrist, he changed his sword stance, his aura shifting accordingly—to a more rigorous, imposing, and resolute one.

Majestic.

But DD was stunned by the other person's posture.

This familiar feeling...

The next second, before he could react, the black-clad assassin launched another attack, clashing with DD's twin swords in a flash!

The assassin in black attacked, then spun around and dodged.

DD then blocks, advances, and counterattacks.

With each move, the two exchanged attacks and defenses with unparalleled fluidity, like perfectly fitted building blocks.

It was as if they had practiced together hundreds or thousands of times.

This round didn't last long; the two separated as soon as they touched each other.

DD stared in shock at the assassin in black, who was also observing Doyle through the goggles on his mask.

“This is the ‘Marching Stance,’ the starting stance of the Legion Ten,” DD said in a daze. “You, old Joaquin, no… who are you? What is your relationship to Teacher Joaquin? Are you also his student?”

In that instant, the old knight's figure did not disappear; instead, it became even more vivid, overlapping with the person before him.

But... no, that's impossible.

According to my father, weren't Joaquin's students, his servants, and those ancestors who were many generations older than him, all of them in the bloody years...?

"No wonder."

The assassin in black didn't answer him, but instead laughed to himself.

His laughter was cold and frightening, hoarse and unpleasant.

“No wonder you and him, like Joaquin,” the assassin in black said slowly, his words filled with deep-seated hatred, “are pathetic losers.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the assassin in black suddenly knelt down!
DD instinctively raised his sword, only to find that his opponent wasn't attacking him, but rather dodging.

call out!
A sharp sword light appeared above the black-clad assassin's head, narrowly missing him.

The next second, the assassin in black turned around without pausing and drew his sword, exchanging three sword strikes with the attacker!
With a swift movement, the black-clad assassin's sword flashed fiercely, forcing the attacker back.

Upon seeing who it was, DD beamed with joy.

"What, Royal Guard?" the assassin in black asked, looking at the other man. "Do you have women now?"

The attacker brandished his sword and said coldly, "It will be here soon."

"Ms. Miranda!"

DD exhaled, feeling as if dawn had broken.

"Thank goodness you finally—watch out!"

Before he finished speaking, the assassin in black drew his sword again, attacking Miranda who had come to her aid!

The female swordsman, not to be outdone, flashed her sword and engaged the enemy.

“A symphony of celestial horses,” the assassin in black said, still having time to speak after two rounds of fighting, “the easiest to recognize—and also the easiest to deal with.”

Miranda frowned, her sword thrusts intensifying.

"Watch out, this guy has superpowers!"

Unable to intervene, DD, in desperation, offered a word of advice:

"It can disturb the mind..."

But his warning came too late.

In DD's eyes, Miranda's Eagle Flight rhythmically swam toward the assassin in black, but paused midway and drooped down crookedly.

It's like suddenly falling asleep.

Miranda's eyes were glazed over, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.
"Okay, but Mom, you can't peek, okay? You have to count to one hundred before you come out to find me..."

The assassin in black sneered and brought his sword toward Miranda's neck.

Oops!

Doyle roared and charged at Miranda, but it was too late.

No, no, no!
"boom!"

With a muffled thud, a figure burst in from outside the door, slamming the assassin in black against the wall!
Miranda fell to the ground, shook her head vigorously, and tried to regain her senses.

"Zombie—Golover!"

Seeing the enemy being suppressed, DD was both surprised and delighted:

"Ah, you're still alive—damn it, a pincer attack from both sides..."

But Golov ignored him.

The zombie, covered in blood and seemingly insane, gripped the black-clad assassin by the neck, pinning him against the wall, his hair and beard bristling, shaking his head in agony.

"Teto, little Teto... you bastard, what did you do to my head?"

But just a moment later, Golov shuddered and released the black-clad assassin.

"No, no! Okay, I won't cry, I won't scream, I won't tremble, I'll hold this apple properly..."

With a thud, Golov fell to his knees, his face filled with terror.

“I know my abilities,” the assassin in black said, straightening his clothes that had been torn open by Golov under DD’s incredulous gaze. He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “I tried my best to conceal them, but… you know, it’s like instinct. No matter how much you hide it, you will eventually slip up and reveal your true form.”

He casually reached out and pushed the dazed Golov down, then stepped forward, retrieved his sword, and looked at DD again.

Doyle looked at his companions in shock: Golov was leaning against the wall, trembling, while Miranda was lying on the ground, struggling to get up.

He then realized what was happening, and a chill ran through him:
Why am I the only one left again?
“You’re not very old,” the assassin in black twisted his head, his joints cracking. “I guess Joaquin took you under his wing in his later years?”

"It's truly unfortunate, both for you and for him."

As the other party approached step by step, DD swallowed hard.

That's right, being taken in by that old drunkard knight was indeed unlucky.

“You’re too weak, little Daniel. You can’t endure hardship, you lack perseverance and determination, let alone the will to die for your cause. Alas, I’m afraid you’ll never develop the power of the end and become a knight in this lifetime,” the old knight took a sip of wine and sighed at him under the starry sky. “But it’s alright, you know, some people, even if they have the power of the end, are not worthy of being knights.”

Damn it, here it comes again, that guy's superpower!
DD slapped his head hard.

No, Daniel.

A familiar yet terrifying voice rang in my ears.

It evoked countless pains, causing DD to dispel memories and strive to overcome the superpowers of the assassin before him.

“If you kill me, Royal Guard,” the spider crawled back up his brain, entering his consciousness in pain, ordering Doyle back to the mansion, and commanding him to grit his teeth and raise his sword, “the Royal Guard will not let you go.”

Well, there's no need to rely on the Terror Blade.

I wonder if Officer Bridge will avenge him?

For the sake of the old guard?

"Royal Guard? I've encountered three of them, and they are indeed all very strong," the assassin in black said nonchalantly, approaching DD step by step. "I only managed to kill one of them."

Slaughtering a royal guard...

DD's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously assumed a "marching stance".

The assassin in black sneered from behind his mask:
Will you be the second?

Doyle glanced at Golov and Miranda and smiled.

The spider in his brain relentlessly manipulated his nerves, forcing him to speak:
Hopefully, this is the last one.

The assassin in black remained silent for a few seconds before slowly raising his sword.

Just then, Miranda finally regained consciousness and, panting, spoke:
"window."

Doyle, who was intently watching the assassin in black, paused in surprise upon hearing this:
What window?

Clap!

In an instant, with a crisp sound, the glass in the window shattered, startling DD!
Boom!
With a muffled thud, the assassin in black instinctively raised his hand to block, then slammed hard and fell to the ground.

Amidst the shattered glass, DD was astonished to see a long arrow piercing the black-clad assassin's arm, its tip sinking deep into his chest.

Doyle instinctively turned his head:
Outside the window, on the rooftop opposite the mansion, Paul Bozdorf stood calmly, bow in hand, methodically nocking his second arrow.

The big oaf was right—Doyle was both surprised and delighted.

The Western Wilderness people's bows and arrows are incredibly accurate!
"Damn it!"

The assassin in black cursed, bracing himself with his sword, and charged out of the room with a roar before the second arrow could fall.

He was injured and couldn't run far!

DD's spirits lifted, and he was about to call on the zombies in the room and the invincible Northern Iron Warrior to give chase, but they were all lying on the ground, unable to get up, let alone give chase.

But he immediately realized:

Hey, isn't this my chance to single-handedly achieve great things and triumphantly reclaim my little teddy bear?
With his mind racing, Doyle instinctively took a step and chased after the assassin in black.

Haha, this birdman wrapped in black cloth from head to toe is nothing special!
But the moment he took his second step, in DD's mind, the spider of the Ending Force ruthlessly retracted its legs.

In that instant, the wounds on his arms, wrists, calves, and back from fighting the black-clad assassin suddenly returned to DD's senses, causing him to cry out in pain and collapse with a thud.

What the hell!

Why does it hurt so much!

“Don’t worry, we’re just the first batch of reinforcements. There’s a net outside,” Miranda said, rubbing her temples and gritting her teeth. “No need to chase him, he can’t escape—ah, this damn illusion.”

Is it.

In that case, hmm.

Despite the excruciating pain, DD made a resolute decision to sacrifice himself for others:

Let the opportunity to make a great contribution be given to someone else—there must be someone who needs it more than I do.

Moreover……

Recalling the black-clad assassin's skills, DD breathed heavily, exhausted and still shaken.

No, Daniel.

DD suddenly trembled.

What is this?
Didn't that assassin in black escape?

Why, why is his superpower still affecting me...?

No, Daniel.

At that moment, Danny Doyle stared blankly at the unconscious Golov, and suddenly felt a chill on his wrist.

That was a drop of water.

It's raining?
No, that wasn't rain.

One drop, two drops, three drops... more and more drops of water fell onto his hands.

The next second, the spider that was crawling in his brain completely retracted.

DD was suddenly startled.

What...what's going on?

In the room, which was in complete disarray, DD trembled as she realized that she was already in tears.

(End of this chapter)