The Present: The Frozen Forest
The air in the clearing was heavy, suffocated by the sheer density of killing intent.
Gakeru, the Black Knight who had just crushed a life with a single blow, took a step back. His eyes, usually filled with arrogance, were now wide with confusion. He looked at Magnus not as a boy, but as a predator staring at a natural disaster.
"Oho..." Gakeru muttered, a bead of sweat freezing on his temple. "I sense an overwhelming vitality coming from you. It's endless. Are you the true captain of this squad? You look... formidable. I am Gakeru, the Sixth Seat of the Black Knights."
"I am Magnus."
Magnus stood there, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. He looked less like a soldier on a battlefield and more like an actor on a stage, waiting for his cue. His calmness was unnatural. It was terrifying.
Gakeru forced a smile. He sensed danger. "Listen, Magnus. Let's make a deal. I won't touch you or your little team anymore. In exchange, I don't want to see your face here. Disappear. Go back to your camp. We both walk away alive. Deal?"
Magnus tilted his head slightly, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Under normal circumstances, I would accept without hesitation," Magnus said, his voice smooth as silk. "To be honest, these people mean almost nothing to me. I'm not a hero."
He paused, his eyes narrowing. "But... there is such a thing as a Warrior's Pride. You know it, don't you? Even if they are strangers, if someone under my banner is slaughtered, retribution is mandatory. If I turned my back now... the Valkyries would never open the gates of Valhalla for me."
He laughed. It wasn't a nervous laugh. It was the laugh of a man who had already seen the end of the script.
"Rina," Magnus commanded without looking back. "I will handle him. You protect the others. I don't want my collateral damage to kill them. After all... I can barely control 10% of my power in this vessel."
"Understood. Good luck," Rina replied, stepping toward the spot where Prina had fallen.
"You think I'll let you ignore me?!" Gakeru roared. His pride shattered by their dismissal, he lunged at Rina. "Die!"
His iron fist, capable of pulverizing boulders, aimed for Rina's head.
BAM!
The sound wasn't of crushing bone, but of metal hitting an immovable mountain.
Rina had raised a single hand. She caught Gakeru's fist mid-air. She didn't budge an inch. The shockwave blew the snow away around them, but Rina looked bored. With a casual flick of her wrist, she shoved Gakeru backward, sending the massive knight sliding across the ice.
"Hey," Magnus called out, drawing Gakeru's attention. "Your opponent is me. Besides, don't waste your energy on Rina. You can't beat her. Currently, she is far stronger than I am. She wields 50% of my prime soul's power. You are outclassed."
To a warrior, being told "you are too weak for my servant" is the ultimate insult. Gakeru's face twisted in rage.
"You arrogant brat!" Gakeru screamed, charging at Magnus.
"You know, Gakeru... I have bad news for you," Magnus whispered, his hand hovering over the hilt of his iron sword. "Today is your unlucky day. Because sensing the danger, I called upon an old friend from the void. Excalibur."
As the name left his lips, a memory from a distant, ethereal past flooded Magnus's mind.