The Ninth Wonder-Chapter 29: The black winter (4)

On an abandoned forest filled with luscious trees and a warm air, the was a straight, wide ravine that looked like a giant sword slash.

Currently two figures were engaged in battle within the ravine, one simply overcoming the other.

Harley struggled under the onslaught of the black knight. The knight was over seven foot tall, towering over him slightly, and every hit of the longsword made his arm tremble.

"I see right through you. Right through that wicked heart of yours." The knight rushed forward once more, clashing with Harley.

The knight was like a hurricane, lashing it’s hand out at different angles, giving Harley no time to breathe. He was on the defensive... No, it’s more than that.

He’s losing.

’Up! Deflect! Dodge!’ Harley’s mind was in a battle of its own.

Eman, the knight captain, taught him how to defend an incoming sword attack from all angles.

*"The trick is to watch your opponent’s movements."*

He remembered the captains words clearly, but still, that wasn’t enough.

The enemy that he was currently facing was fast, he was viscous, and he could sense a deep hatred towards himself coming from the knight. It really wanted to kill him...

’Am I that... Revolting?’ He couldn’t help but think.

Not only did the Oracle hate him, but even people he met, and monsters, seem to all harbour a hatred for him. Even life itself hasn’t been very fair when distributing luck to people.

"Argh!" Harley blocked a horizontal slash from the side with the flat part of the blade, making him slide a few centimeters.

He got his footing immediately, clashing head on with the knight once more. Even if he couldn’t win, even if he couldn’t... Win.

’What? Is it affecting my thoughts too?’ Harley wondered to himself.

He didn’t know himself to be a person to give up. He had never quit, not in the orphanage, not in the mines, and not even in the circus. He worked his way up from nothing, and now he’s thinking of the possibility that he CAN’T.

Harley looked at the knight walking towards him, it’s shoulders bobbing up and down. He just guessed that the knight was giggling in a volume so low that Harley couldn’t even hear.

"Pathetic." The knight swung again, meeting Harley’s blade.

The sword was still as heavy as ever, Harley couldn’t help but think that determination may only take him so far.

"Huh?" His eyes suddenly went to Vernox, whose face had been covered and was now looking lifeless within the growing ice surrounding his body.

The ice encased most of his body, becoming thicker and thicker. And it crept over his nose slowly, blocking his breathing.

Gritting his teeth, Harley suddenly went invisible completely in front of the knight. It took a step back as it saw this, tilting it’s head slightly.

"Oh, tricks?" It looked around, turning slowly.

*Crack!*

A loud cracking sound resounded in the ravine and the Knight’s neck snapped to the side, seeing Harley punching the ice off of Vernox’s face. Breaking the ones growing anew too.

"You!" The knight leapt forward, ramming into Harley with its shoulder.

*Bang!*

He crashed against the walls of the ravine, letting out a breath that came from his stomach.

*Crishh! Crishh!...!*

The only sounds in the quiet ravine were the sounds of the knight slowly walking towards Harley, crushing the icicles on the ground. Now though, Harley was feeling a strange intent coming from the knight.

It had an unnatural will and drive to kill Harley right where he was.

The intent thickened.

It pressed down on Harley’s chest, heavier than the knight’s blade ever could. This was just killing intent, but it was greater than anything he himself had ever felt.

The knight stopped a few steps away from him, its towering frame unmoving now. For the first time since the battle began... it wasn’t attacking.

It was looking at him.

"...Do you know why?" the knight asked.

Harley coughed, blood trailing from the corner of his lips as he forced himself upright against the ravine wall.

"...Why what?"

A pause.

"Why everything rejects you."

Harley’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The knight took a slow step forward, its armored boots crushing the thin layer of ice beneath.

"It is not hatred."

Another step.

"It is not misfortune."

The blade lowered, pointing directly at Harley.

"It is recognition."

Harley’s grip tightened slightly and he found himself grabbing a piece of ice instead of the sword, though his arm trembled.

"...You talk too much."

The knight ignored him.

"The world is not kind. It is not fair. But it is... precise." Its voice carried a strange weight now, as if it spoke not just for itself—but for something far greater.

"It knows what belongs."

Another step.

"And you do not."

Harley felt it then—that pressure again. Not from the knight... but from everything around him.

"Pfft... Hahahahaha..." Harley laughed loudly, showing his teeth as he looked at the kniight straight in the face.

"Oh wow. Tell me something I don’t know already." He smirked, looking at Vernox who hadn’t still broken out of the illusion.

The knight stopped directly in front of him.

"I have never felt this strong urge to kill someone. You’re not a threat, to me. Yet I feel like killing you right now."

The tip of the black sword pressed lightly against Harley’s chest right where his heart was.

"Perhaps, You are not being tested."

A pause.

"You are being rejected."

The knight’s grip tightened around its sword.

"For the same reason the body endures poison," it said.

"To purge it."

A faint shift in its stance.

The air grew still.

Then—

The knight straightened.

Its presence sharpened, becoming something absolute.

"Aurelius Dune Tyros."

The name echoed faintly through the ravine.

"Keeps the balance. Preserves the order."

It raised its blade.

"And removes what should not exist."

He simply looked at the knight.

At Aurelius.

And for a brief moment—

His brain shut completely off the moment the blade drove forward.

It drove straight into Harley’s chest—piercing directly through his heart.

"Ack!"

His body jerked violently.

A sharp gasp escaped him—

Aurelius held the blade there for a second... before pulling it out in one smooth motion.

Harley collapsed to the ground, his vision was blurry. For some reason also, the stab didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would.

He raised his head again, that was when he saw Vernox’s eyes open wide. And a smirk played on his lips as he mumbled;

"It’s... about time."