Killing the Knights

After assisting Enri, Aurelius made his way over to where Luminous and Albedo stood guard, both radiating considerable momentum. However, their expressions shifted abruptly as they caught a faint scent on Aurelius—a scent that reminded them of a human, particularly that of a human woman.

Right away, suspicion flickered in their eyes as they glanced towards Enri behind him with daggers.

Thankfully, Aurelius, who had sharp eyes, saw their change and intervened before things got out of hand.

"Albedo, you are a tanker, but since you might have a chance at being pregnant soon, you are not allowed to act as a tanker."

"I understand, Aurelius-Sama."

"Luminous, you protect me."

"Yes, Aurelius-Sama," Luminous affirmed, her cheeks flushing at the low tone of his voice.

"And remember, Luminous, it will be your turn with me tonight. So no holding back any grudges or jealousy."

Luminous nodded eagerly, her blush deepening with excitement and anticipation.

"Then let's proceed," Aurelius declared, pushing off the ground as he headed with Albedo and Luminous towards the village.

....

"Kroooor!"

A thunderous roar echoed through the village, sending shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

The hunters became the hunted as the merciless slaughter unfolded before their eyes.

Swoosh!

A 140-cm sword was swung at the knights, and their bodies split in two.

Thud!

As the savagery unfolded in front of them, horrified viewers reeled in terror.

"W-what the **** ?!"

One of these knights, who appeared to be the captain, muttered an unfamiliar curse.

"Why has such a damned creature appeared here?"

Standing over two meters tall, the monstrous figure continued its relentless onslaught, each swing of its seemingly toy-like sword claiming the lives of one knight after another.

Unconsciously, the captain took two steps back, increasing the distance between himself and the threat. The weight of impending doom pressed down on him, instilling not just physical but also mental fear.

His armor rattled, a harsh clicking sound reverberating through the air. His grip on his sword tightened, and his hands trembled with adrenaline-fueled anxiety.

It wasn't just him—the same was true of all eighteen of his comrades surrounding the monster.

Fear gripped them all, making the idea of even escaping unthinkable.

It wasn't courage that they stood at their place. Rather, it was fear.

The clamor of their armor betrayed their desperate desire to flee—if only they could abandon everything and run.

But escape was an impossibility they couldn't even entertain.

The monster's crimson gaze bore down on them, its breath visible in the frigid air.

"M-me, protect me! Go, someone! Kill that monster!"

With each step the creature took, the unspoken surrender to impending death tightened its grip on the knights' trembling bodies.

"I'm not supposed to die in a place like this! Buy me time! Be my shield!"

Nobody moved.

They couldn't move.

No matter how valiant or loyal they were, who would risk their lives for a man without any sense of honor or chivalry?

However, since all the knights were silent and only the captain's was shouting, the monster, in response, turned to the captain.

And rushed towards him.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Strange footsteps followed, each echoing louder than the last, instilling an even deeper sense of dread within the captain.

"Please, protect me! I'll pay you! 200 gold coins! No, how about 500?!"

But once again, silence greeted his pleas.

-Thud! Thud! Thud!

The monstrous footsteps drew nearer, intensifying the fear that gripped them all.

Bang!

Then it happened.

The monster struck directly at the captain, splitting the ground with its force. With a panicked cry, he turned to flee.

"Aaaaagh!"

As he tried to flee, the monster took a throwing stance, aiming its sword at the captain with precision.

With a mighty heave, the monster hurled its blade like a spear, the weapon slicing through the air with explosive speed.

Swoosh!

Its target—the fleeing captain.

In an instant, the sword found its mark, piercing the captain's heart and bringing his desperate flight to a sudden, tragic end.

"Kwaaahk!"

As soon as the captain fell, the monster moved to the captain's spot.

He grabbed the sword stuck in the dead captain's heart and moved it up and down like a saw. The captain's torso split in two along with his full body armor, and a tremendous amount of blood spurted out around him.

Nevertheless, the monster continued to hack up the corpse.

The Dragon Warrior killed the human knights one after another and went almost crazy when he smelled their blood.

The sight of the Dragon Warrior's frenzy mutilating the corpse soured Aurelius's expression.

He had just strolled into town with Luminous and Albedo when he saw this gruesome sight.

With a soft sigh, he spoke.

"Dragon Warrior, stop."

In response to his order, the Dragon Warrior's compliance was immediate. With a nod, it retrieved its sword and began to approach Aurelius.

"Good work, Dragon Warrior. You may rest now."

"Kroooor!"

Upon canceling the summoning of the Dragon Warrior, the Dragon Warrior vanished, yet the lingering scent of blood stirred Aurelius's senses.

'If Shalltear was here, she would have been pleased, heh.'

With a wry chuckle, Aurelius surveyed the fallen knights and crossed his arms.

The two surviving knights came out frightened, and their bodies stiffened in front of the dark and silver knights, Albedo and Luminous.

Aurelius's bloody eyes also flickered at their sight.

"I see, you guys don't even know what happened just now. Are you lacking in learning ability? Or are you just ignorant?"

The knights remained silent, bowing their heads in submission. Aurelius's overwhelming presence, exuding a momentum countless times greater than that of the earlier monster, left them with no choice but to yield.

"You may leave now. Go, and let the masters who sent you here know that their arrogance will face judgment."

Saying that, he slightly released his aura, but even that caused both the frightened knights to fall.

"Hmm, even this energy is a bit strong for you guys. Ha! How weak and pathetic."

His disdainful gaze remained fixed on the knights.

"Now get lost, before your disgusting presence makes me change my mind."

"Yes, yes!"

"Aaaaagh!"

With a sense of urgency, the knights scrambled to their feet and hastily fled the scene.

Frankly speaking, Aurelius purposefully let them go because he was too lazy to go to their leader, the fool from the Sunflower Scripture.

Aurelius wanted him to come.

Besides, Aurelius had his own plans to attend to.

"Heh heh...❤️️"

"Mmm...❤️️"

But then both Albedo and Luminous suddenly emitted strange, nasal sounds, pulling him out of his reverie.

"Hmm?"

Visible breath escaped from Albedo's helmet, while Luminous rubbed her thighs together.

"Why are you two behaving like this?"

"I am simply reveling in your magnificent presence, Aurelius-sama."

"Same here, your supreme aura, Aurelius-sama... It... It just makes me wet."

They were both incorrigible perverts, but he was no less than them.

Of course, he couldn't let them know about it. He had an image to maintain.

"Ahem!"

So, clearing his throat, Aurelius chose to ignore their behavior and continued on his way toward the villagers, maintaining a friendly demeanor and exuding an air of reassurance.

"Fret not, good people. I have defeated those who sought to harm you."

"Ah... Oh... Thank you, benefactor. May we know your name?"

The question came from a gray-haired elder, likely the village's chief.

With a peaceful smile, Aurelius introduced himself, his voice calm and reassuring.

"I am Aurelius Nova Lucifer. I witnessed the attack on your village and intervened to lend my aid."

Upon hearing this, a wave of relief washed over the villagers, calming their agitation.

Accompanying them inside the village, Aurelius engaged in a brief conversation with the apparent village chief before waiting patiently in the chief's house, when suddenly the village chief, who had gone out for a second, came in running.

"Aurelius Nova Lucifer-sama!"

The sudden urgency in this voice caught Aurelius's attention. Observing the chief's expression, he detected an unmistakable seriousness, indicating that another troubling development was imminent.

"What's going on?" Aurelius inquired.

"I-I heard that warriors on horseback are approaching this town..."

"Oh, I see," Aurelius replied, already aware in his heart of who it might be.

Gazef Stronoff.

A man whose strength and warrior-like demeanor were notable even among humans. Aurelius also had the desire to make him his subordinate.

'But that guy is foolish too. Hmm... I think I need to check myself to see if he's worthy of becoming my experimental subject.'

With that decision in mind, Aurelius turned to the village chief.

"Leave it to me. Please gather the survivors as soon as possible. You will accompany me to the square."

Ringing the bell to summon the villagers, he made his way to the plaza with Albedo, Luminous, and the village chief in tow.

The village chief, who appeared anxious and frightened from behind, trembled visibly.

Seeing this, Aurelius offered a soft smile and spoke reassuringly.

"Don't worry. We'll assist you this time too."

"Oh, thank you!"

The village chief responded with gratitude, his trembling subsiding slightly as he thanked Aurelius with a wry smile.

Soon, several cavalrymen emerged at the end of the road that ran through the heart of the village. They formed ranks and silently advanced into the square.

Aurelius turned his gaze in that direction and spotted a commanding figure leading them. He was like a textbook depiction of a warrior with a muscular body.

'Gazef Stronoff.'

Instantly, a sinister light flickered in Aurelius's eyes as he licked his lips inwardly and moved towards the troops in armor, greeting them with a smile.

"What did you come for?"

Under his polite facade lurked a devilish smile and the arrogance of a dragon looking down upon the world.