Chapter 21: Swearing in Whose Name?

Yabin dragged the female knight's hand as they dashed forward. The effects of the Prayer Spell, Strength Spell, and Agility Spell roared through his veins like a raging river, unleashing every ounce of his power. The trees on both sides blurred past, their branches occasionally whipping his face, leaving burning scratches and shallow cuts.

The boots on his feet seemed to possess a speed-enhancing effect. Every step and leap felt lighter, more effortless. If this was one of those magic items with a permanent effect that didn't require replenishing magical energy—and considering the advanced water magic of "Waterwalking" imbued within—it was no ordinary magical equipment. This was undoubtedly a treasure on par with the female knight's Glory Armor.

Yet in their current situation, the Glory Armor was more a hindrance than a help. The once-miraculous divine blessing, "Grace of the Heavens," could only be activated once per day and was currently unusable. For now, the legendary armor was nothing more than cumbersome iron plating. Adding to her unhealed injuries, the female knight's pace was barely faster than an ordinary person's, forcing Yabin to half-drag her to keep up.

Even so, the two ran like the wind, faster than galloping horses. But the shouts and footsteps of their pursuers drew closer.

Leading the pursuit was the masked woman, Jessica. Her lithe figure darted silently through the forest like a shadow cat, unimpeded by the dense trees. Had she not been waiting for her companions, knowing she couldn't take on both Yabin and the female knight alone, she might have already caught up.

Second in line was the mysterious man. As he ran, he cursed venomously, followed by the dual-sword-wielding Hilton and the druid in wolf form. The druid had been slow to react, only setting out after the others had covered a good distance. But once transformed into a wolf, he quickly closed the gap.

Bringing up the rear was Hilika, unarmed. His enormous two-handed greatsword, weighing hundreds of pounds, had been left behind—it was impossible to carry while chasing someone. Despite his bear-like stature, his agility and speed were shockingly disproportionate to his size. However, the dense forest posed a challenge for him; while the others could slip through gaps in the trees, Hilika had to either detour or directly smash through, toppling trees as he went.

As for the magician Esis and the old man, they were entirely out of the equation. Even the man's thunderous shout hadn't roused them from their deep sleep. Hilton had initially wanted them to cast speed-enhancing spells on the group, but knowing their half-asleep state, they likely couldn't even chant properly. It was faster to leave them behind.

Not that it mattered. The white magic glow emanating from the fugitives was a perfect beacon in the dark forest, ensuring the pursuers never lost sight of their prey. In fact, they were steadily closing the gap.

"Damn it, boss, how'd you let that kid rescue the wench?" Hilton shouted at the man in front. Without realizing it, he had started addressing the mysterious man as "boss," recognizing his dominance among the group. To men like Hilton, the one with the strongest fist, the cruelest heart, and the sharpest mind naturally became the leader. But the fact that this new "boss" had let the kid escape with the knight seemed unfathomable.

"Humph, I got careless and fell for the kid's white magic," the man growled, his tone dripping with fury. Though his expression was obscured by the darkness, the anger in his voice was unmistakable. "When I catch him, I'll make him regret it."

"Don't worry, the Pidon River is just ahead. They won't escape," Hilton spat. "Damn, I thought that kid seemed decent, even liked him a bit. Who knew he was a church spy? Bastard. Hey, Anderson, once we catch that church rat, you better finish him off. They're your mortal enemies."

The druid, Anderson, said nothing. His face was expressionless, leaving it unclear whether he was unwilling to speak or simply unable to in his wolf form. He merely followed silently behind the man.

'Crack!' 'Crash!' The sound of splintering wood marked Hilika's progress as he barreled through the forest, breaking trees in his path.

"You... should throw away... the armor..." Yabin managed to gasp between labored breaths. His chest and abdomen ached with every inhalation, his legs felt like lead, and dragging the armored knight was pushing him to his limits.

"Impossible. The Glory Armor is a divine relic bestowed by Celeste. I cannot abandon it under any circumstances," the female knight replied firmly, her voice steady despite her own evident exhaustion.

"I'm not saying... forever. We can... come back for it... later," Yabin grunted as a small branch whipped across his forehead, leaving a bloody gash.

"No. The value of the Glory Armor lies not just in its physical form. It is a symbol of the Pope's blessing... of the honor and faith of every temple knight. Even temporarily abandoning it is unacceptable," she insisted, her breathing finally growing heavier.

The voices of the pursuers were now unmistakably close, the man's curses clear above the din.

"If you don't ditch it... we're dead," Yabin snapped through gritted teeth.

The female knight bit her lip. "Even if it means death, I will not forsake my honor or my faith in the Lord."

"You..." Yabin's foot caught on a protruding tree root, nearly sending him sprawling. He barely managed to regain his balance. Even under the moonlight, his face was visibly flushed, whether from exertion or frustration.

"Stop running, you two bastards! Stand still and I'll make it quick!" Hilton's voice rang out behind them, his words clichéd to the point of absurdity.

Suddenly, the female knight wrenched her hand free from Yabin's grip and stopped in her tracks. Yabin skidded to a halt, turning back to stare at her in shock.

"I'll hold them off here. You go on alone. I'm glad you saved me; the Lord above will surely recognize your kindness and bravery." The female knight turned to face the pursuers, her strong and clear features radiating a steadfastness akin to that of a true warrior. Her voice was firm, resolute. "I cannot abandon my honor and faith. I trust my choice, and the trials and dangers I face are tests given to me by God."

The closest to them, Jessica, stopped and waited for the others. The group of pursuers caught up and gathered together but hesitated several dozen meters away from the two. They knew the pair could no longer escape and wanted to see what tricks they still had up their sleeves.

"You're crazy! Run!" Yabin turned around and grabbed the female knight's hand. He could already see the light in the man's eyes—not something that could simply be described as sharp or cold. Perhaps only he could understand the deeper meaning behind that gaze.

"Grraaa!" With a forceful kick, Hilika felled a tree, and his massive, muscular frame appeared in everyone's view. His eyes radiated a feral light more savage than any beast, a glint that anyone could understand. You didn't need to be human—any creature would sense the explosive, bloodthirsty aura emanating from his entire being.

"Go on without me." The female knight pushed Yabin's hand away. "I told you, I'll stay here. I'll use my honor to protect you—"

Slap! Yabin delivered a loud, powerful slap to the female knight's face, striking her so hard that she staggered. Her cheek swelled instantly.

Everyone froze for a moment, but no one was more stunned than the female knight herself. Her cheek burned painfully, her head buzzed with confusion, and she couldn't tell whether it was from the slap or the incomprehensibility of the situation.

The other pursuers slowed their steps, but Hilika didn't stop. Like a bear, he lumbered toward the two. He had no curiosity or playful intent to toy with his prey. Even if he did, it would be after he had captured them, ripped off their limbs, and listened to their screams and pleas while watching their blood and bones spill out.

Yabin ignored the female knight and didn't flee on his own, as she had suggested. Instead, he turned to face the pursuers, both near and far. He suddenly raised his hands and chanted loudly, "Lord above, grant me the brilliance to banish evil!"

Everyone, including Hilika, immediately assumed defensive stances. But nothing seemed to happen. Between Yabin's outstretched hands, there was nothing but empty air.

"Damn it. What kind of trick is this? Just surrender!" Hilton waved his punching swords and advanced toward the pair. Leading the way was still Hilika, whose ferocity had only grown tenfold after being momentarily fooled.

Then, as if a grand, soundless lightning bolt had struck or a blazing sun had suddenly emerged from the darkness, an overwhelmingly brilliant light burst from Yabin's hands. This was the magic conjured by his chant, delayed intentionally to catch them off guard.

No one was spared. Everyone, including Hilika, had let down their guard due to the earlier feint. The dazzling white light struck their eyes directly. Cries of surprise and pain erupted as they bent over and clutched their faces. Jessica's scream was particularly piercing, as if her eyes were being gouged out with a knife.

Clang! Amidst the cacophony of screams, all four pursuers distinctly heard the sound of a sword being drawn from where Yabin had been standing. Everyone instinctively retreated and assumed defensive stances, bracing for an attack in their moment of blindness.

The sound of rushing wind was followed by trees crashing to the ground, branches snapping and splintering. Hilika and the others held their positions, too wary to move, ready for a blow to land on them at any moment.

But no such attack came. After several seconds, as their vision gradually returned, they realized the two white-clad figures were nowhere to be seen. Where the pair had stood, two trees lay cleaved in half. The crashing sound of their fall had completely masked the sound of footsteps as the pair made their escape.

"Damn it! How cunning! After them, now!" Hilton, furious at being fooled twice in a row, bellowed in rage.

"That damn trick again!" The man seemed even more incensed, his anger boiling over.

Hilton knelt down and listened carefully for a moment before pointing in a direction. "This way. Don't worry, I can hear the sound of a river. They can't get far."

The female knight's mind was still blank from the earlier slap. Its effects lingered as she mechanically allowed her hand to be pulled along, the scenery around her blurring past as they ran. Only when she saw a wide river ahead did she snap out of her daze. The broad river elegantly formed a looping "G" shape in front of them, encircling their location. The hand pulling hers finally let go. Yabin stopped, bending over on the riverbank, gasping for air. His stamina was nearly depleted.

The pursuers soon caught up, spreading out in a line as they encircled the two trapped prey.

The female knight's heart sank. She knew that even if she tried to escape by swimming, her armor would be a deadly burden. Just as she was losing hope, the young man, who had been panting beside her, suddenly wrapped his arms around her. Shouting, "Hold on tight!" he charged toward the river.

Everyone, including the female knight, was stunned. But what happened next shocked them even more. Yabin's feet actually stepped onto the shimmering surface of the river as if it were solid ground. Each step sent ripples across the water as he sprinted toward the opposite bank at an incredible speed.

"Water-Walking Magic? This kid actually has such a high-level scroll!" Hilton exclaimed. He was certain this was the result of a magical scroll. Otherwise, if a young man like Yabin could not only wield white magic but also perform such an advanced water spell, it would have been Yabin chasing them instead of the other way around.

In just a few breaths, Yabin reached the opposite bank. The moment he let go of the female knight, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

The female knight stood up, glancing around in disbelief. Had they really just escaped? Once she regained her senses, she quickly knelt beside the young man who had saved her. Thankfully, he had merely passed out from overexertion. She cast a healing spell on him, and he began to recover.

"Damn it! Did they really get away?" Hilton jumped up and down in frustration. The river was nearly a hundred meters wide. Although everyone in their group could swim across, it would take enough time for the female knight to escape with Yabin on her back, disappearing without a trace. Hilton turned to the druid in desperation. "Can't you transform into a fish—or better yet, something like a turtle—and carry us across?"

The werewolf responded with an angry roar.

Hilika, too, growled low in his throat, a sound reminiscent of the werewolf's, as his entire body trembled with suppressed fury. He stared at the two figures across the river, so near yet unreachable, his muscles twitching violently.

"To the man wielding that wicked weapon on the other side!" the female knight's voice rang out across the river. "In the name of the Lord, do you dare reveal your name? I swear by the honor of my knighthood and the name of God—I will one day wash away this shame with your blood."

"To the bitch on the other side, listen up!" the man's roar echoed back, filled with fury. "I swear on my name, the next time we meet, I'll rape you first, kill you afterward, and send your corpse as a gift to that old bastard Magnus!"

"Go back and tell those bastards from Celeste that my name is Sandru."

Far away, in a distant location, an old man sound asleep was abruptly awakened by two massive sneezes.