Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 228 The Bloody Wedding 2
The Winter Festival originated from commemorating the polar night tens of thousands of years ago. After enduring extreme cold, hunger, and suffering, people defeated the Others who came from the ice plains. In the endless winter, a bright human settlement was established. Later, with the help of the human settlement, humans gained the means to survive on this continent. To commemorate this unforgettable moment, the Winter Festival came into being.

As time passed, people forgot the original purpose of the Winter Festival. It was simply passed down from generation to generation as an annual celebration. People, with high hopes for the new year, would put on the most abundant food and the most beautiful clothes, and the whole family would gather around the campfire to welcome the arrival of the new year.

Blood splattered everywhere, a testament to the courage that humanity displays in the face of greatest danger. Aside from the heavy casualties in the first wave of attacks launched by the black-clad assassins and disguised servants, the remaining nobles rose up in resistance, briefly halting the advancing assassins.

"Damn it, these shady cockroaches are getting bolder and bolder, daring to launch an attack at a wedding."

A middle-aged man with his neatly combed reddish-brown medium-length hair slashed open the chest of the last black-clad assassin with a single slash, then shook the blood off his palm and looked around the hall.

The assassins who attacked their table were all killed by his fierce attack. However, after dealing with the assassins, the man did not choose to go to support other tables. Instead, he obediently guarded an old woman.

"Aunt, should we leave first? I feel it's too unsafe here."

The old woman seemed to ignore what the middle-aged man was saying, her cloudy eyes revealing a glimmer of wisdom.

"Hehehe, Kimiral, what, you, the Sword of Dawn, can't even protect this old woman?"

Hearing his aunt's words, Kimiral scratched his head in distress. Feeling that there was no way to reason with the old lady, he simply pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Do as you please, do whatever makes you happy. We can leave whenever you want, Auntie."

"Ah, that's right, Kimira. You need to get involved in more things, instead of always trying to avoid being idle. Today's matter is quite interesting."

However, it was clear that Kimira didn't take his aunt's nagging to heart, and even picked up a plate of meat from the table and ate it with a bit of boredom.

The other side of the battlefield.

Haven, holding his longsword horizontally in front of him, squinted at the assassin girl blocking his way. The faint killing intent emanating from her caused Haven's released mental energy to feel a stinging sensation.

"Havent, show me your full strength, or today will be your death day."

As the girl's cold voice rang out, Haven's brows furrowed involuntarily.

"So this was a plan you had in mind all along?"

Faced with Haven's question, the assassin girl appeared completely at ease, deftly flipping two short blades emitting a pale purple light between her fingers.

Hehe~ I won't tell you~

"Instead of worrying about that, you should worry about yourself. You got away so easily last time, but I won't let you off so easily this time."

"Don't worry, I'll avoid your pretty face; it's my trophy!"

After surveying the surroundings, the situation at the wedding venue had largely stabilized. Apart from the initial surprise attack that caught everyone off guard, the various noble families quickly regained control of the situation.

This also demonstrates the varying strengths of different noble families. Some families suffered heavy casualties in the first round of attacks by the assassins, and some unfortunate noble families even had all their participants killed.

Some families with deep roots and great strength were only slightly surprised when faced with the attack, and then quickly dealt with the assassins who wanted to launch the attack.

The Davis family, to which Dawn's Sword Kimira belongs, is a prime example. When faced with an assassin disguised as a servant who suddenly attacked, Kimira gratefully flicked his finger, and the maid who swung her weapon at the back of his aunt's head blew a huge hole in her neck.

Before the maid's body even fell to the ground, Kimira had already dealt with the other assassins who had surrounded them.

"Your men are almost all dead, and your operation has failed again. If you don't leave now, you won't be able to escape when the noble district guards arrive."

"Cuckoo~"

At that moment, the girl let out a clear, crisp laugh.

"Havent, your communication skills are truly impressive, but... saying more won't help..."

As soon as the girl finished speaking, her slender figure vanished instantly. Haven, who was already prepared, unleashed his mental perception to its maximum.

Ta-da!
A series of sparks appeared out of nowhere. Compared to the triangular spikes the girl used last time, this time the purple double blades were clearly the girl's preferred weapon.

After barely managing to withstand a few stabs, he couldn't keep up with the pace. If it weren't for the exceptional toughness of the Savior's leather, Haven would have had several large holes pierced through his body.

'Voice, Sloth, Da'

Sensing that things were going to get bad, Haven quickly delivered a powerful blow to the assassin girl.

Vira, struck by the unyielding force, crossed her arms, and a burst of magical runes suddenly lit up the surface of her red and black leather armor before slowly disappearing.

"Your dragon language magic has a long cooldown period, so what are you going to do next?"

Seeing the assassin girl unharmed despite the relentless attacks, Haven felt a headache coming on; she was the most troublesome peer he had ever encountered.

Feeling that his conventional methods were ineffective against the assassin girl, Haven had no choice but to take a desperate gamble.

"You and your organization will pay the price for this foolish action."

"Skuyomi~~~"

Holding a sword in his right hand and covering his left eye with his left, Haven activated his pre-cast ability against the assassin girl. Using it on only one person would not be too taxing on him, and he wouldn't become a paralyzed cripple after using the ability.

His premonition ability had quietly activated, and a cold, timeless torrent instantly invaded his consciousness. Beneath his left eye and palm, there was not complete darkness, but countless shimmering fragments—the intertwined, death-laden paths that might occur between Vera and him in the next few seconds.

Real time did not completely stop. The moment the "rehearsal" started, Vera's figure rushed in again like a gust of wind carrying a pale purple breath of death! In reality, her movements were blurry light and shadow as fast as lightning, but in Havent's "rehearsal" vision, they were broken down and dissected. The trajectory of the deadly purple double blades, the landing point of her feet, the twist of her waist, and even the taut knuckles due to the exertion were clearly presented—and deduced and combined in countless possible subsequent movements.

when!
In reality, the first strike landed, and Haven's longsword precisely parried the short blade that was meant to pierce his ribs. A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in Vera's eyes, but her movements didn't falter. Another short blade, like a scorpion's sting, slashed at Haven's throat at a tricky angle. This ghostly strike was almost impossible to avoid in reality.

But in the "rehearsal," Haven "saw" it! The instant Vera's shoulder twitched, his body reacted first—not by retreating, but by a sudden twist and sidestep, narrowly avoiding a glancing blow from the cold blade across his neck; he could even feel the sting of the sharp wind. Simultaneously, he flicked his wrist, his longsword shooting out like a venomous dragon, aimed straight for Vera's exposed right ribs! *Swoosh!*

Vera's reaction was astonishingly fast. Facing what was supposed to be a sure hit, her body twisted in a bizarre way as if it had no bones. The longsword only made a screeching sound and sparks as it scraped against her red and black leather armor. The opening that should have been penetrated in the rehearsal was made up for by her extreme speed and flexibility!

"Oh?"

Vera chuckled softly, her voice like an ice bead falling onto a plate, carrying a hint of amusement.

"This is interesting! What does that sentence mean?"

As the girl spoke, her actions became even more ferocious. Her twin blades transformed into a purple curtain of deathly light, no longer simply fast, but filled with bizarre changes and feints, feinting again and again, each strike aimed at a vital point, each dodge accompanied by a deadly follow-up combo. The air was rapidly filled with a dense, rain-like clashing of metal and the shrill whistling of blades tearing through the air.

Faced with the girl's offensive, Haven gritted his teeth and pushed his mental power to the limit.

The "pre-rehearsal" ability was running wildly, and my brain felt like it was being pierced by countless steel needles.

The reality and the rehearsed scene collided and merged violently in his consciousness. The assassin girl was too fast and her strength far exceeded her size. Every block made his arm go numb, making it extremely difficult for Havent to continuously activate his ability and attack at the same time.

Faced with the oncoming purple cross, Haven dodged Vera's swift cross-shaped strangulation with a clumsy roll, tapped the ground with the tip of his sword, and bounced up, narrowly avoiding the throat-slitting strike that followed.

Having anticipated Vera's feint attack, Hevent didn't try to block the dummy left-hand blade. Instead, he slammed his shoulder into her, using his shoulder guard to block what should have been a fatal right-hand stab. It can only be said that the leather of the Savior's Armor was tough enough, leaving only a deep dent on the surface. Taking the opportunity to catch his breath, Hevent thrust his longsword toward the girl's chest, forcing Vera to take a few steps back to create distance.

Although they only exchanged a few dozen blows briefly, the danger involved was immense. Although Haven managed to avoid fatal wounds thanks to his premonition ability, he continued to accumulate small cuts and bruises.

Faced with Haven's sudden slippery appearance, the assassin girl felt a little strange and increased her attack frequency even faster, like a tireless and incredibly precise killing machine, her attacks flowing like mercury, penetrating everywhere.

Haven is like a prophet dancing on the edge of a knife. Although he appears to be struggling, each dodge and block carries a thrilling sense of "prophecy." His movements are simple and effective, even somewhat clumsy, yet he manages to avoid the most dangerous blades.

"Hehehe... Still holding on? How long can your spirit last? This kind of heightened perception is quite a burden~~~"

Vera's voice carried a hint of excited panting; Haven's tenacious resistance had clearly ignited an even stronger fighting spirit within her.

"I've seen through your little trick!"

Vera's speed suddenly increased again! She seemed to have used some kind of secret technique, a faint, almost transparent purple mist spreading around her body. The frequency and unpredictability of her twin blades' attacks instantly doubled! Haven's pressure increased sharply; in his "preview" vision, Vera's movement trajectory became even more blurred, and the number of interfering "false" paths surged!
Dangdangdang!

A series of even denser bursts of sparks erupted. Haven's longsword swung like a windmill, each parry fraught with peril.

With his mental energy nearly depleted, the Savior's leather covering shrank to the size of a breastplate. A bloody gash appeared on his left shoulder, and the sleeve of his right arm was completely torn off, leaving a shallow bloodstain. The intense pain and severe mental exhaustion caused his movements to become distorted.

"Aha~~ Can't hold on any longer, huh? Gotcha!"

A burst of purple light flashed in Vera's eyes! In the midst of a high-speed spinning attack, she made an extremely concealed change of direction, and the short blade in her left hand, at an extremely tricky angle, seemed to break through the limitations of space, stabbing straight at Havent's heart, which was exposed as he parried the blade in his right hand!

This strike was executed with unparalleled speed, timing, and angle. Among the countless fragments of the "rehearsal," this was the most frequent and most lethal strike!
Reality and rehearsal overlapped perfectly at this moment! Haven's longsword was parried by the right-hand blade, his center of gravity was shifted, and it seemed that there was no way to avoid it!

At this critical moment, a resolute glint flashed in Havent's eyes. He abandoned his defenses! In his "rehearsal," he had already repeatedly "experienced" this moment of deathly fear.

This time, he made an extremely bold, even suicidal, choice!

Haven didn't try to parry or dodge—because his rehearsal told him that he couldn't avoid it in the conventional way! Instead, he took advantage of Vera's force that shifted his center of gravity, and his body suddenly staggered forward, bringing his entire vulnerable chest to the deadly purple light!

This move was completely unexpected by Vera! In her calculations, Havel would either have to defend and block, only to have his wrist pierced by Vera's counter-attack, or he would have to dodge to the side, only to be struck in the back of the head by Vera's anticipated spinning kick. This act of deliberately putting himself in the line of fire was simply insane!

Vera's movements faltered for an extremely brief, almost imperceptible moment—the instinctive reaction of anyone facing absolute surprise! The trajectory of her thrust deviated from its original perfect angle of piercing the heart due to the slight shift in the target's own initiative and her own momentary confusion.

It's now!

As Haven fell, his right hand, which was gripping the longsword, did not loosen. Instead, using the momentum of his forward lunge and the centrifugal force of his body rotation, he swung the longsword from under his ribs at an incredibly unbelievable angle, aiming it at Vera's exposed and unprotected left lower abdomen, which was exposed due to the thrust!

"Pfft——!"

A dull thud as a sharp blade pierced flesh drowned out the sound of metal clashing!

Vera's short blade, aimed at Havent's chest, only pierced through the Savior's leather coat due to Havent's forward lunge, embedding itself deep in his upper left chest, just inches from his heart! Blood instantly stained Havent's front of his shirt.

But at the same time, Haven's almost self-destructive counterattack pierced Vera's abdomen solidly!

"Ugh—!"

The girl let out a muffled scream, her pale purple eyes instantly contracting in pain and shock! She jerked back, spraying blood in her wake.

"How could that be? How dare you~~~"

Vera glanced down at the rapidly spreading bloodstains on her lower abdomen; her red and black leather armor had been pierced. She quickly touched the area around the wound with her left hand, and a faint magical light flashed, seemingly suppressing the bleeding temporarily. However, the injury was clearly serious, and her movements became noticeably sluggish.

"Havent...!"

"You're great! Very good! I'll remember you!"

Just then, a deafening horn sounded from afar! The horn's sound was deep and majestic, carrying a sense of power that tore through chaos!
"W-W-W-W-!"

In the sky, dozens of royal griffin riders swooped down on their griffins, while a large contingent of noble district guards, their bodies shimmering with magical energy, charged into the manor with their weapons in hand.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless and there was no chance left, the remaining black-clad assassins quickly created distance, took out smoke grenades, threw them on the ground, and began to retreat.

(End of this chapter)