Alleyway

Sid realized that he needed to lead the knights somewhere with no people around to avoid any innocent bystanders getting hurt. He quickly formulated a plan and they started running through the narrow alleys, but Evangeline was struggling to keep up.

"Run ahead while I distract them," Sid shouted to her.

Evangeline hesitated, not wanting to leave Sid behind, but she knew he was right. She reluctantly nodded and took off, leaving him to face the knights alone.

As the knights closed in on him, he activated Integration once again, this time focusing all of his energy on his leg. He had observed Darkness using this move before and had managed to learn it just by watching him.

"I need to lead them somewhere with no people," he muttered to himself, his mind racing with possibilities.

Swish!

In a flash, Sid's first step was so strong that it left deep cracks in the ground. He dashed towards the knights with lightning-fast speed, and they felt their scalps tingling in fear.

With a loud clash, Sid's sword clashed against one of the knights' blades, but the knight managed to deflect the blow. he cursed under his breath, realizing that he was unable to shift his energy from his legs to his arms quickly enough.

He quickly dodged the next strike and spun around, slashing at the knight's unprotected back. The knight was caught off guard and stumbled forward, allowing him to deliver the finishing blow.

The other knights were shocked by Sid's sudden burst of speed and hesitated for a moment, but they quickly regrouped and attacked him from all sides.

He knew he had to act fast. The knights were closing in on him, and he couldn't let them overpower him.

He gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath before focusing his energy. His arm glowed with a bright blue aura.

FWOOOSH! The sound of the wind being displaced filled the air as Sid swung his sword. With a single swing, he sent the closest knight flying backward.

"That was too close, I need to use this time to run away" he muttered to himself, his heart pounding in his chest.

He knew he had to leave quickly before the knights recovered from their shock. Grabbing his sword, he ran in the opposite direction of Evangeline's path.

"Call for reinforcements. Get sir, Luke to aid us" " One of the knights yelled. The command was urgent and laced with desperation, the knight's voice barely masking the fear that had taken hold.

Sid persevered in the pursuit, deftly maneuvering through the maze of alleyways. He sought a secure location that would prevent him from being encircled. Spotting the end of the alley wall and the open street beyond, he made his way toward it.

As he emerged from the alley, patrolling city guards caught sight of him, his sword unsheathed.

"Halt! Drawing one's sword within city limits is prohibited," a guard declared, attempting to apprehend Sid. Undeterred, Sid skillfully vaulted over the guard and continued running.

"That kid is a Knight ? "Resigned, the guard simply let Sid slip away and heaved a sigh. He had witnessed the Rosegold Family in pursuit of the fleeing kid, so he surmised the situation would soon be resolved. Reporting the incident seemed a futile endeavor.

"Should I have avoided escalating the situation earlier?" Sid mused, recognizing that his impulsiveness had set these events in motion. His newfound strength had bolstered his confidence, leading him to become overconfident and presumptuous. True bravery required not only courage but also the power to back it up; otherwise, it was simply foolhardiness.

' But it's too late to regret now 'Sid shook his head as he put all of this doubt in the back of his mind.

As he sprinted away, he suddenly sensed imminent danger approaching.

Swoosh!!!

"This isn't good," he mumbled to himself, instinctively halting and leaping sideways to evade a lethal attack materializing out of nowhere. He watched as a long sword sliced through the pavement as easily as cutting through butter, leaving an impeccably clean cut without generating any debris.

"Your instincts aren't too shabby," a man clad in black, lightweight armor chuckled. He bore the same Rosegold insignia as the other knights, but his armor was noticeably lighter. With brown hair and a well-trimmed mustache, he exuded maturity and handsomeness.

"A Three-Star Knight?" Sid mused, taking in the flawless slash in the ground. It was the result of Condensation, the ability of a knight to transfer and concentrate their energy into their weapon.

"Why don't you surrender, lad? You're young and gifted. I'd rather not extinguish the life of someone with such potential," the man suggested.

"I'm afraid you'll just kill me instead, I already killed someone from your side" Sid retorted, readying his sword.

"You're not as naive as you seem," the man laughed, adopting a battle stance.

"My name is Luke, I'll give you a sound thrashing to teach you a lesson," he said, smirking.

"I'll be in your care, senior " Sid replied with a resolute voice.

The face-off between Sid and Luke crackled with tension. Sid steeled himself, aware that he faced a formidable adversary.

In a sudden blur of movement, Sid launched himself at Luke, his sword gleaming in the sunlight as it descended toward the knight's chest.

"Excellent speed" Luke muttered

With lightning-quick reflexes, the knight expertly deflected each of Sid's sword strikes with ease. Sid was determined to land a blow, but Luke was simply too skilled, able to anticipate and counter every move.

"But speed is not enough to beat me " Luke added.

As Sid pressed his attack, Luke suddenly shifted his weight, changing the trajectory of Sid's strike and transferring the force of his attack to the ground. The move was executed with such precision and speed that Sid was caught off guard, his sword suddenly hitting nothing but empty air.

Luke grinned in appreciation of Sid's boldness, acknowledging his unwavering resolve. But Sid wasn't done yet. He quickly recovered his footing and initiated a relentless counteroffensive, unleashing a flurry of swift strikes toward the knight. Despite his opponent's ferocity, Luke effortlessly parried each blow, demonstrating his mastery of combat.

"How about becoming my student? You dont need to worry about your crimes if you agree " he offered .