Al wondered if that was just a bluff, but seeing the defeat in Sharon’s eyes, he decided it was the truth. Either way, he had to forge on; stopping would mean accepting what Ranbolg said. With clear, fluid movements, he unsheathed his sword and aimed between the two of them.
Clang!
An armored figure suddenly appeared in front of Al and skilfully blocked his strike. Ranbolg must’ve known his guards would protect him, as he didn’t even flinch at Al’s attack. He simply stood there, wearing his smug smile and fondling Sharon, while the soldiers hiding in the nearby thickets showed themselves, as if this had all been planned.
Al had let his rage take control, which led him to fall into a deadly trap. The gears in his head started spinning.
One versus eight thousand. It may have been unlikely that there were eight thousand soldiers hiding in the thickets, but that didn’t change the fact that he was grossly outnumbered, which left him with only one choice.
“Haha. You’re pretty full of yourself for being the biggest crybaby in Freiya. You won’t even face the king of a tiny country like ours one-on-one.”
His plan was to lure Ranbolg into a duel and use that chance to run away with Sharon. It was his only hope.
“Hehe. I expected something like this from the man with enough wit to withstand the mighty Empire using only a handful of soldiers. Okay, I’m in. Shall we have a duel, Your Majesty?” He immediately took the bait.
“Interesting. You seem well mannered and smart, yet...”
The soldier that held Al’s sword at bay stepped back after receiving a single look from Ranbolg.
“Naturally. Only the smartest can survive in Freiya,” he said while unsheathing his sword.
“Now, let me show you the strength of a rural nation!” Al immediately struck down with his sword after signaling the start of the duel.
“Haha, where are your manners? No wonder you’re the king of the boondocks!” Ranbolg avoided his strike with a simple backstep. “Take this!”
Ranbolg aimed right at Al’s head. Al managed to avoid the lethal strike by a hair’s breadth, then jumped back to put some distance between them.
Damn, he’s much better than expected. Al realized that this would be a tough battle in more ways than one.
“Is that an enhanced sword?”
Looking more closely at it, Al noticed that Ranbolg’s sword shone a dim blue.
“Indeed, it is. The blade is imbued with a spell to increase its sharpness, and my armor is also enhanced to improve its defense. This is the least amount of preparation I can do before a fight against the Demon King.”
Al couldn’t even call him out on it, as he was the one who had proposed the fight without checking his equipment first.
Our swordsmanship is about equal. I might have a small edge on him, but his equipment is far superior. He started to regret not bringing his trusty scythe with him. But that doesn’t matter. I have to carry out my plan!
He took up his stance and recklessly swung his sword at Ranbolg.
“Arghhhh!”
“Pointless! You can’t—! Wait, what!?” Al let go of his sword and disappeared from Ranbolg’s sight. “What are you trying to pull here!?”
Ranbolg blocked the sword flying at him and looked around in search of Al. He didn’t have to look very far, as Al had mounted a nearby horse and was making his way toward Sharon.
“Sharon! We’re getting out of here!” he shouted while leaning off the horse, desperately trying to reach her.
“No. I can’t leave.” Sharon slapped his hand away with her words.
Al looked at her in utter disbelief.
“Sharon...?”
“I have a dream to fulfill, and this is the fastest way to reach that! Plus...”
“What? Then—Gbhhh!” Instead of words questioning Sharon’s decision, a river of blood gushed from his mouth.
“A-Al!” Sharon rushed over to him. He had slid off the horse and was violently vomiting blood, countless arrows sticking out of his back.
“Sharon... Get... out...”
“No, don’t talk now!”
This is bad; the arrows punctured his lungs. He needs healing. No, maybe Heavenly Surge is the only thing that can save him now.
“Al, stay put for a bit,” she said and leaned over to him.
“Hahaha! How dare you call yourself a king, coward!?”
Hearing Ranbolg’s sinister laugh, the archers hiding in the thickets showed themselves.
“Ranbolllg!” Sharon glared at Ranbolg as if he were a disgusting cockroach.
“Watch your mouth. Getting married doesn’t mean you can raise your voice to me. Besides, King Alnoa has defiled our sacred duel. Subjecting him to punishment is only natural.”
Despite how fishy his actions were, Ranbolg simply shrugged his shoulders. Judging by the reaction speed of the archers, it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they had been prepared to strike at any point if the duel hadn’t gone in Ranbolg’s favor.
“It’s about time you accept defeat. You’ll become my wife, and that’s the end of it.”
Suddenly, Sharon’s body stiffened up as if she were bound by countless invisible chains. Ranbolg smiled at that and walked over to Al with a couple of armed soldiers.
“Sharon, sit tight and watch. These will be Your Majesty’s final moments!” The soldiers drew their swords and pointed them at the collapsed Al. “Now, finish him!”
The blade of the sword aimed at Al’s neck twinkled under the bright sun as it relentlessly cut through the air.
Al’s going to... die? Something awoke within Sharon as that sinister thought crossed her mind.
“Wraaaaaaaaagh!” She let out a feral growl, yanked her sword from its sheath, and blasted away the soldiers surrounding Al.
“Agh! H-How dare you go against my will!? Have you forgotten your past!?” Dumbstruck after witnessing Sharon’s lightning-fast strike, Ranbolg still managed to squeeze out a threat.
“I won’t let him die! I won’t let you kill him!”
She was like a beast that had broken her chains. She stood in front of Al, protecting him from any and all incoming danger.
“Sh-Sharon! Do you have any idea about the consequences of your actions? If you keep this up, the Lost Children will...”
“Ah!” Sharon froze for a moment, which gave Ranbolg ample time to issue his commands.
“Our Diva has gone mad from the Demon King’s magic! Second and third battalions, capture her!” Sharon had finally snapped back to her senses, but Ranbolg didn’t give her the time to evaluate her options. “Infantry, move in! Spellcasters, bind her!”
Suddenly, countless spider web-like strings attached themselves to Sharon’s body.
“What!? What is this!?”
“Rahhh!” While Sharon tried to set herself free by slashing the thin strings with her sword, the heavy infantry jumped on her from all sides.
“Leave me alone!” She blasted them away with a single swing, but a group of leather-clad soldiers was hiding behind them, all of whom jumped at her.
Tch, I can easily deal with these guys, but they could die if I use even an ounce more of my strength.
That slight moment of hesitation spelled her defeat.
“What are you doing!? Leave me alone! I’m your Diva! Let me go!”
The soldiers restricted her limbs, and the binding strings descended on her body from above.
“I see you’ve caught on. If you try to sever the strings, you’ll end up injuring the soldiers. This is the perfect plan against you, the tool who knows not to kill Freiyan soldiers!”
Sharon glared silently at him.
“Ahaha! They call you a Diva, but you’re truly just a puppet!” Ranbolg didn’t miss his opportunity to insult her.
“Tch.”
He ignored Sharon’s feral stare and slowly walked up to her.
“Sharon, oh, Sharon. Poor little Sharon. I’m so sorry, but your knight will perish at your feet. Don’t you think it would be merciful to end his suffering and deal the finishing blow?” he said as he shrugged and sarcastically shook his head.