Chapter_20: Grimoire Battle

"Ragnar," Bane said in disbelief.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay inside the Royal Castle?" he continued, still in disbelief.

Bane was met with silence, and the room fell quiet for a few moments. While staying inside the castle was preferable, Bane's concern was whether the royal guards would treat them kindly. As a mere guest at the castle, Bane found it somewhat amusing that Ragnar was inviting a friend to stay there.

"Bane, it's fine. No one will try to harm you there. Everyone inside the castle is kind to me, so no one would even think of kicking you out," Ragnar reassured him. Confidence and hope for their safety remained in his heart.

Bane continued to resist Ragnar's response, unsure if he was missing the point of his questioning.

"What if they decide to kick me out and execute you?" Bane pressed, his worry evident in his eyes.

Ragnar reassured him, "Bane, you're overthinking it. They won't be angry with either of us. They are kind people and will treat you with kindness as well. There are plenty of rooms in the castle, and they won't mind you staying in one."

Bane still looked uncertain. "But Ragnar, don't you think it's rude to invite someone into the royal castle as just a guest when you're not the owner?"

Ragnar considered Bane's concern before responding, "I understand your worry, but trust me, they won't see it that way. They will welcome you as my guest and treat you with respect."

With no choice, Bane just had to accept Ragnar's invitation, even though there was still concern inside him, but he tried not to overthink it.

"I see. Then, let me ask Grandma Ethel."

Bane quickly made his way to the living room, wearing a smile on his face. Ragnar also left the room, closing the door behind him. As he walked through the living room, Garnette was washing the dishes, and Falco was continuing to eat his salad as usual. Ragnar then glanced at the kitchen area, where Bane could be seen with a large smile on his face speaking to Grandma Ethel as she prepared tea.

'He's probably asking her if he's allowed to.'

After a minute of conversation, Bane's excitement turned to disappointment. With a sorrowful face, he turned around and headed towards Ragnar, asking, "Is it alright if both of us clean the entire house before I leave this house?"

'The whole house? '

"I'm not sure if I can do it," Ragnar admitted.

He began moving his shoulders faster, despite the wave of pain that shot through his arms.

"But I'll give it a shot."

Bane was unaware of Ragnar's shoulder injury, so Ragnar chose to keep it to himself in order to assist Bane.

"Then, let's head to the second floor."

Bane led the way out of the house, with Ragnar following behind. As they ascended the staircase to the second floor, Ragnar struggled with the pain in his shoulders and held onto the wooden railing for support.

Upon reaching the wooden platform, Bane opened the nearby door and entered the room, with Ragnar following out of curiosity.

The room was a storage area and appeared quite dirty. Storage occupied the left and back areas, while the right side was dedicated to building and creating technologies.

'That workbench is probably for Arawn.'

Bane moved toward the back of the room and then grabbed two brooms, tossing one to Ragnar.

"Let's clean up, Ragnar!"

Ragnar realized that they needed to clean the room, and perhaps the entire house, in order for Bane to accompany him. With that in mind, he began cleaning the room.

…

In the densely packed Lowfire District, the Royal Knights were given the task of eliminating a menacing Grimoire. The creature was causing chaos, rampaging through the clustered houses and destroying everything in its path.

Standing at about seven feet tall, the Grimoire had a wide frame, and its skin was a combination of green, black, and purple goo that could melt human skin. It had three arms on each side, and its two marble eyes were unsettling. As it moved, its gooey mouth could melt and maw bones, leaving destruction in its wake.

As the Grimoire slowly advanced towards them, Lancelot turned to Davi and asked, "Davi, can you try to examine the Grimoire? We'll give you time to do it," while he readied his blade.

Matheus also prepared his blade, noting, "The surroundings are already destroyed, and there have been two recorded deaths according to the people. Lancelot, this Grimoire might give us some trouble."

The tension in the air was palpable as the Grimoire closed in on them, its menacing mouth opening with each step.

Davi quickly ascended the stairs behind him, urging the onlookers to evacuate as they watched the Grimoire. He swiftly made his way up the stairs, leaping onto the nearby roof of a house.

Once there, Davi swiftly used his senses to analyze the Grimoire. The monstrous entity was only a few feet away from both Lancelot and Matheus, its mouth opening every second.

'It looks like the infection has fully transformed, and the Grimoire appears to be in its monstrous form. It's definitely a second-level Grimoire,' Davi observed.

"Lancelot, the Grimoire is at the second level, and it's dangerously close to reaching the third level, which means it's about to unleash destruction!" Davi called out urgently as they prepared to confront the Grimoire.

Lancelot glanced at Davi and then at Matheus, speaking quickly, "Let's take it down before it reaches the third level!"

With a nod from Matheus, they both turned their attention to the advancing Grimoire.

Taking a deep breath, they charged at the entity with furious determination. Its arms extended rapidly towards them as they swiftly slashed at them one by one. However, the arms kept regenerating each time they were severed.

As an arm lunged at Lancelot, striking him on the side, he gritted his teeth and continued his relentless charge.

Lancelot lunged his blade at the entity, declaring, "I've pierced my blade at it!"

However, as he maintained his position, arms rapidly sprouted around him. As the arms closed in on Lancelot, he had no choice but to release his own blade.

To his astonishment, an arm emerged in front of Lancelot, right where he had pierced the entity. The arm surged towards him with such speed that he couldn't react in time.

The hands seized Lancelot's arms and legs one by one, while arms from the Grimoire continued to multiply.

"Big mistake!" He gritted his teeth as the arms constricted around his bones.

But with determination, Matheus slashed each arm one by one as he lifted Lancelot out of the entity's grasp.

"Not a wise move, Lancelot. You shouldn't have charged in alone." Matheus fiercely slashed another arm approaching them.

Lancelot hesitated to reply to Matheus after a critical error that nearly cost him his life. He brushed it off, stating, "The Grimoire didn't react when I pierced it with my blade."

"A second-level Grimoire should always react to damage, even if it's minor. But it didn't react at all when I clearly pierced it!" Lancelot argued, frustration evident in his voice.

As Matheus slashed at another arm, he noticed the entity getting closer to them. With each movement, an eerie and terrifying scream filled the air.

"You're right. Get up, Lancelot; let's end this," Matheus urged.

Davi, noticing Lancelot's condition, tossed a blade to him, saying, "Use this."

With effort, Lancelot stood up, feeling the pain of his broken bones. "It really crushed some of my bones," Lancelot remarked as he stretched his arms and legs.

After finishing his stretches, they prepared for another charge at the entity. They closed their eyes, allowing the wind to calm them. The wind tousled Lancelot's hair, growing stronger.

With determination in their eyes, they charged at the entity once more.

Lancelot and Matheus maneuvered around the entity, deflecting each arm that came their way. Matheus found a weak spot, and with a smile, he struck the entity from behind.

The entity let out a blood-curdling scream as it felt the pain. Its marbled eyes searched for the source of the agony.

The wounded part of the entity regenerated swiftly, creating more arms to attack Matheus. As they continued to circle around the Grimoire, slashing at it, the entity became more hostile, releasing venom from its mouth and screaming in rage.

As the tactic persisted, an arm suddenly emerged from the ground near Matheus and lunged towards him. More arms surfaced, heading towards the two men as they slashed at the Grimoire's gooey body.

Davi quickly reevaluated the Grimoire, addressing the arms emerging from the ground. After a moment, he discerned the reason.

'The Grimoire is quite cunning.'

"Lancelot! The Grimoire uses its arms to burrow underground and attack from below!" Davi declared confidently.

Lancelot glanced at him with a smirk, expressing his gratitude. Lancelot and Matheus continued to hack away at the entity until the Grimoire emitted a piercing scream that could deafen a human. Fortunately, both men promptly covered their ears, creating distance from the enemy.

As they moved away from the enemy, Matheus swiftly severed another arm that lunged at them. Surprisingly, the severed arm split into two hands, which forcefully pushed Matheus against the wall, causing him injury.

Concerned, Lancelot turned to Matheus and asked, "Matheus, are you okay?"

While focusing on Matheus, Lancelot failed to notice the arm approaching him. Just as the arm was about to strike, it was abruptly halted by a rock thrown in its path.

The one who threw the rock was none other than Adriel, who sat alongside Davi on the roof, seemingly unnoticed. Adriel was not alone; Gideon and Azariah also arrived, both armed and ready for battle.