CHAPTER 29
He felt exhausted after moving his body repeatedly for so long. The dance was tedious, requiring every fiber of his being to weave the elegant movements, and it had left him completely out of breath.
However, he hadn't earned his rest, and he wouldn't be resting anytime soon…
The sound of clapping resounded throughout the chamber, and the lights in the room quickly lit up, chasing away the looming shadows and revealing Gekka standing at a distance from him, her two hands firmly clasped together.
"That was great, kid. You did better than I imagined."
She clapped for a while longer as she praised him; then she came closer and patted his head gently, ruffling his hair slightly in the process.
"A few more months, and you'll be a master of combat. I can't wait to see you top the charts on your first demon hunt… Well… that's if Yukine doesn't beat you."
Megumi frowned as soon as he heard her last few words but was quick to hide his slight dissatisfaction. However, Gekka wasn't done talking.
"Speaking of Yukine, I have something I want to show you…"
Megumi suddenly furrowed his brows, wondering what it was she wanted to show him.
"… Watch closely."
Then, she held her hand forward, and soon, sparks of intricate golden light began to weave around her hand, growing bigger with each passing moment.
He watched as the sparks of light quickly assumed a humanoid shape, and soon, a humanoid figure clad in golden armor appeared between the two of them.
It was a radiant knight clad in golden armor now standing in the center of the room, its armor polished to a blinding sheen. Its helmet, a masterwork of ancient metallurgy, was etched with intricate runes that seemed to pulse with a faint crimson light.
Its visage was a furnace with two smoldering embers sitting in between them. The faint, red light pulsed with life, making his heart skip a beat as he stared at it.
For a while, his gaze remained on the summon's head as he studied its upper body…
There was a sunburn crest rising from the crown of the helmet, its points shaped like jagged rays of a setting sun.
He shivered as he stared at the helmet longer, and then his gaze slowly trailed downwards while he admired and dreaded the magnificent armor of the knight at the same time.
Then, his gaze finally landed on its hand. The hand of the knight gripped the hilt of a blade, a claymore that looked like a shard of pure sunlight, etched with the same ancient runes as the helmet.
The claymore's blade was broad—a sweeping curve of sharpened steel that seemed to drink in the surrounding shadows. Its hilt was a leather-wrapped grip, scarred and worn, and the cross guard of the sword flared out like wings.
Megumi stepped back instinctively after taking a proper look at the menacing knight, refusing to take his eyes off the imposing thing.
"What the hell is that thing?"
Gekka burst out with laughter at his question as she quickly emerged from behind the menacing figure, her elbow calmly resting on its shoulder. She stared at him with a sly smile.
"Don't tell me you're actually shaking in your boots at the sight of a cursed humanoid beast."
Megumi's eyes instantly widened in shock as he took further steps, trying to get away from the knight as best he could; then he took a deep breath and turned his gaze toward Gekka.
He felt nothing but fear each time he glanced at the imposing golden knight, his heart racing and his entire body shivering as he struggled to open his mouth.
Moments later, the knight disappeared into several sparks of light, leaving him alone with Gekka inside the large room once more. He suddenly felt relieved as the ominous dread he had felt a moment ago vanished along with it.
His breathing hastened as he tried to regain his breath, and finally, after he was able to pull himself together, he looked at Gekka, a scowl resting on his face.
"What in the abyss was that creature?"
Gekka tilted her head slightly as she stared back at him, and then she burst into loud, mocking laughter as she began to approach him.
"Oh gods… So you were afraid? Well, I'm sorry to break it to ya kid, but you'll have to spar with my paladin from now on… Trust me, it's for the best."
He remained silent for a while before slowly raising his hand…
"Before we begin, I have a question."
He wanted to finally get it out of his mind, the very thought that had been bugging him since yesterday when Rikiyo and Tsukina left.
"Why are sorcerers being mobilized? I've been pondering what happened yesterday for a while now, and I thought that Rikiyo and Tsukina joining the academy early didn't make any sense, especially when it won't be under the clan's wing… Something has to be up, right?"
Gekka lingered for a while, a bit stunned by his sudden question. She scratched the side of her neck nervously.
"I can't really say, but I can at least tell you this much: every child born of the three main branches of our clan is considered a special asset, and few of the other lower branches make it in along with the main branch. That includes you and Yuki as well… You probably saw the floating island on our way to the Snowy Peak; it's a whole new hell over there, kiddo."
Megumi nodded his head and quickly took a stance.
"I suppose, just like with Rikiyo and Tsukina, there are other special assets from the other strongholds attending along with them."
Gekka smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.
"That's right, and each of them is quite the formidable Awakened."
Then, she held her hand out, and the golden sparks of light began appearing once again… Soon, a humanoid figure clad in golden armor stood before her. It gently placed its sword to the side and began to approach him.
Megumi gulped as he planted his feet on the floor, refusing to take his eyes off of his opponent…
All hell was about to break loose.