I will go ahead, my Lord," Sir Larot said to Zeus. The latter gave him a sign of approval, saying, "Go ahead." With an almost imperceptible movement, Larot vanished as if he were a ghost. Murmurs quickly filled the air: "Arrogant, vain, pompous," some said. However, one person remained silent. In his mind, Aragon Barns reflected: "Well, well, you have found something challenging. I sensed it too." Aragon, his only friend, mentor, and confidant, was the only one who knew who hid behind that imposing armor.
In a matter of seconds, Larot arrived at the battlefield. His obsidian-black armor gleamed under the dim light, and his great sword rested majestically on his back. Before him, an immense creature roared with ferocity. Without hesitation, Larot leaped as he ran, propelling himself toward the monster with a devastating kick that struck its face directly. The beast staggered backward.
The spectators watched in awe as the mysterious warrior burst onto the scene. He landed gracefully on one leg, his towering figure standing out against the chaos of the surroundings. "Do you know him?" they asked each other. No one answered. Neither the adults nor the two floor guardians accompanying the group had any idea who he was. Only Doctor Laos and Swang, high-ranking figures, knew of his existence. "Over here, Larot!" Swang shouted. Laos corrected him sternly: "You must address him with respect. He is a Sir, Sir Larot."
Larot barely spared them a quick glance before assessing the situation. His sharp eyes scanned the area, stopping at the intruders who had captured the doctor. "I see," he thought. "These intruders are the doctor. I must bring him back, but first, I need to deal with something else." He turned toward the beast, which now roared with fury after receiving the blow. The sound echoed like thunder, shattering windows and forcing everyone to cover their ears. The canine, especially sensitive due to his acute sense of hearing, writhed in pain.
The creature, its face smeared with green blood, advanced toward Larot with its enormous scythes extended. But Larot did not retreat. With precise movements, he dodged the attacks and delivered a sharp punch to the monster's stomach. It writhed in pain, retreating a few steps. Then, the beast's eyes began to glow with an intense green light, firing laser-like rays toward Larot. However, he evaded them effortlessly, displaying superhuman agility. He leaped again toward the beast, delivering another kick to its face. The ray lost its trajectory and shot upward, creating a massive hole in the ceiling. Debris rained down, partially burying the creature.
"He is too strong," the onlookers murmured. Gat approached Adia and said in a low voice, "If we face him, we will surely lose instantly." Meanwhile, Eduard administered a potion to Ezequiel, who, though regaining some health, remained too weak to stand on his own. Lidia and Rino offered to support him while the others debated how to confront the black knight. "How much more of that potion do you have left, friend?" Adia asked Eduard. "Only two," he replied. "It won't be enough," Adia said aloud. Marie interjected, "The best thing is to leave this place via the stairs and let that man deal with the monster."
Just then, an icy wind enveloped them. "Were you going somewhere?" they heard a deep, menacing voice say. It was the black knight, blocking their path. "Return the doctors to me, and I will be merciful. I will grant you a painless death," Larot declared. The group exchanged uncertain glances. They knew that even if they handed over the doctor, they would not escape their fate. Before they could react, the doctor and Swang pushed their caretakers, Gin and Dani, aside and positioned themselves behind Larot. With his hands tied, the doctor picked up some stones, glaring at the traitors with eyes full of hatred. "You will be the first to pay for this; I will make sure of it," he said. Lidia whispered to Rino, "I knew it. There's something about those little trinkets that aren't just junk. They must be containers."
Once the doctors were positioned behind the black knight, he addressed the group in an icy tone: "Well, who will be the first?" The silence was deafening. "Well, no one wants to be the first. Then I will choose," he said, raising a hand to point. Before he could act, the doctor interrupted: "Kill everyone except the children. They might be useful for a future project. And the key, the pale boy," he said, referring to Aiden. "Where is he? I need him to activate everything. Without him, I could return to that place and gather more samples using the colored stones."
Larot pointed at Ezequiel and approached him. "You are the lucky one. You are already dying; I can feel it," he said coldly. "Do not move him, children," Lidia warned, while Rino added, "Or you will also fall in the process." A sinister laugh echoed from within the armor. The children, Marie, and the others felt overwhelmed by helplessness and sadness at what was about to happen to someone they had grown fond of in such a short time.
Before Larot could thrust his fist toward Ezequiel's heart, Adia cast a protective card, and the three of them positioned themselves behind it. "Clever trick, woman," The Dark Knight remarked, "but try it again, and you will be the first to die—or perhaps all of you in one strike. I am not afraid of you." With a gesture, he shattered the dome Adia had created. The doctors began to laugh. "Face your judgment and resign yourselves. You cannot stand against the organization and the great Zeus," Swang said arrogantly. Larot turned toward them, and everyone could feel his gaze piercing their minds like a dagger. "I will handle this. At least I will give you the option to defend yourselves," he declared.
He approached the group again. "I will give you the option to defend yourselves, but it is futile, and you know it. It would be better to let me finish this in order: first your friend, and then I will choose who comes next," he stated.
"Damn it, if magic doesn't work, what can we do? I can't let them kill us," Adia wondered, looking at the others with terror. Larot raised his fist once more as he moved closer. But something stopped him: Podbe, using his Steel Bite ability, sank his fangs into the knight's arm. Larot turned his helmet to look at the dog, who still clung to his hand with determination. "Not bad, but you lack strength," he said disdainfully, and with a single motion, he flung Podbe away. "Minus forty Health Points," Reia announced. "No, Podbe, that attack, though it seemed weak, was actually quite effective," Aiden thought as he emerged from his hiding place, sensing his friend's pain in the mental space. "Podbe, are you okay?" he asked, watching as the dog struggled to rise, panting and bleeding from his chest and jaw.
"Hmm, that dog is strong, but he's lacking; he only grazed my knuckles," Sir Larot remarked, inspecting his hand. "I wanted to handle this as quietly as possible, but you people refuse to cooperate. I will eliminate all of you with a single strike," he declared.
He raised his fist again, but before he could act, enormous, razor-sharp claws crushed him. It was the beast, returning with renewed fury. For a moment, everyone felt relief, thinking they had eliminated a major threat. However, their joy was short-lived. The beast's two mantis legs were torn off as if they were dry twigs. Larot emerged from the debris, his sword unsheathed and gleaming. The creature let out an agonizing shriek and fired rays from its eyes, but Larot blocked them with his sword as if it were a mirror.
"So, you're still alive, you wretched pest. I suppose I'll deal with you first," he said, leaping toward the lion legs of the beast and heading for its mantis head. With a clean slice, he decapitated the monster. The head rolled to the feet of Podbe's friends, who watched the act in horror. What remained of the beast collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
"Well, where were we? Ah yes, time to finish you all," Larot said, turning back toward the group.