Francis reluctantly agreed to the duel proposed by Allen. Yet, he insisted on a peculiar condition—he would launch the first strike before the duel began.
"Then..." With a swift motion, Francis unsheathed his sword and -SLASH-,
He aimed it at Allen.
"!!!" Allen exclaimed.
"What are you doing?! It's forbidden to use real swords!" Geirhild shouted.
Francis tightly gripped the blade, now stained with a bit of Allen's blood, and made a deliberate cut on his own hand.
"The Masque of Red Briddle," Francis muttered.
A mysterious figure, shrouded in a red robe, materialized behind Francis, and swiftly
-WHOOSH
darted towards Allen.
With no time to evade, Allen instinctively shielded his body with both hands. However, it proved futile; the figure passed through him, and when Allen turned around, it had vanished, leaving behind an eerie sense of illusion.
"What just happened?" Allen muttered, still recovering from the bewildering encounter.
