Chapter 22 Strategic Retreat

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sackray shrieked, leaping backward. "Oh, Your Majesty, I know your love for me shines as brightly as the stars in the sky, and I am truly moved, but there's no need to shower me with so many tokens of affection, is there?"

Lancaster's face flushed crimson, and with a slight gesture of his hand, the once-misdirected sparks shifted course, pursuing Sackray relentlessly.

"Really, there's no need for so much!" Sackray dashed around the entire arena, with a trail of dazzling red comets chasing behind him, creating a spectacle.

Lancaster stood with his arms crossed in the center of the arena, watching Sackray perform his acrobatics.

"Well then," Sackray suddenly stopped and turned, "Since Your Majesty is so generous, I would feel rude to decline."

In a flash of black light, his movements became indistinguishable, and the meteors were utterly shattered. Well, not entirely—he held onto a fragment, though it had been whittled down to a perfect ring shape. The stone was an ominous black, yet it radiated a strange glow.

With great affection, Sackray pressed a kiss to it and slid it onto his left ring finger.

"I've accepted the engagement ring, Your Majesty. No backing out now!"

The crowd burst into laughter.

"Lancaster, don't let him off so easily, give him something more to handle!"

"Oh, come on, Lord Lancaster can't be tied down so quickly. He belongs to all of us, doesn't he?"

"Yes, Lancaster, Lancaster, we love you!"

Yet within Lancaster's heart stirred a strange feeling. He had used the Meteor Fire technique countless times before, but never once did he truly know its nature. He assumed the technique was named for its spectacle resembling falling stars, never imagining that the flames themselves concealed something more.

Enemies who faced it either turned to ashes beneath its fury or used high-level water spells to counteract it. No one had ever sliced through the flames with a sword.

Yes, he had seen the black short sword in Sackray's hand. This man's power was truly unfathomable...

Lancaster licked his lips. But that only makes it more fun, doesn't it?

"Atmospheric Blade!" This spell, though of the wind element like Wind Blade, was leagues apart in power. The Atmospheric Blade transformed the very air around the enemy into razor-sharp weapons.

Sure enough, in an instant, two or three slashes appeared on Sackray's clothing, and several strands of his hair were cut.

"Oh, Your Majesty~~~" Sackray clutched at his robe, which was on the verge of falling apart. "Some things are better done in private, don't you think? I'd be more than willing to strip for you, but perhaps not here."

"Damn it!"

"Waaah, don't be so ruthless, Your Majesty!" The pressure in the air increased tenfold in a heartbeat.

The audience was left slack-jawed as Sackray's hands moved in a flurry against the invisible blades, either catching, slapping, or deflecting, as if facing real flying daggers. His movements were so practiced, so skilled, it resembled a circus act. Someone even began to clap. "Brilliant!"

In the midst of this chaos, Sackray bowed in thanks.

Suddenly, it seemed as though he made a mistake—his left hand was sliced by several shallow cuts. But in the next moment, with a swift leap, he was back beside Lancaster. "Your Majesty, you truly are a master of the arts!"

He extended his hand, and where the plain black ring once was, it had now been carved into a sleek geometric design. "It's really beautiful, see?"

Lancaster couldn't help but smile wryly, yet felt a deeper respect for him. To be able to neutralize the Atmospheric Blade, and not only that, but to borrow its power to craft such an intricate design in such a short amount of time—this man was truly remarkable.

"Indeed, it's quite impressive," Lancaster nodded.

"Right?" Sackray's grin was radiant. Before he could finish his sentence, he leaped backward several steps, "Murderer of your own fiancé!"

In Lancaster's hand appeared an icy longsword. "Sackray, did you forget that I'm not just a knight, but also a sorcerer?"

Lotuses of ice bloomed from the tip of the sword, glinting in the cold light, surging toward Sackray.

Sackray bolted. "Help! Your Majesty, this is bullying, exploiting your power, it's unfair~~~"

Lancaster gave chase. "Weren't you quite bold just now? Draw your sword!"

"Noooo~~~" Sackray fled from the platform, stopping an inch away from the edge, arms crossed.

Lancaster sneered, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Return before the judge counts to ten, or else..." He spun his sword into a dazzling display.

"Alright! Your Majesty, surely you're not planning to kick me out of bed, that's too cruel!" Sackray moaned, leaping back onto the platform.

The next scene was so bizarre that the owner of the city's eyeglass shop burst out laughing. The two were now chasing each other at breakneck speed around the edge of the platform.

What had once been a circular stage became a cylindrical column, now transforming toward a conical shape.

"Sackray, if you have any guts, stop running!"

Sackray, while fleeing for his life, turned back and wagged a finger at Lancaster, "No, no, no, this isn't running away, this is a *strategic retreat!*"

Finally, the platform had become a perfect cone… The once flat stage had now condensed to a single point. Sackray stood upon it, frozen in place.

Lancaster leaped from the cone's edge, his sword extending by three feet, plunging from the air.

"Prepare to take my sword, Sackray!"