Purple Flame Bird

"Then let's get started, Sir Lucius," said Ernacht.

Lucifer took a deep breath and raised his wooden sword in a steadfast position. Ernacht stabs as fast as the speed of the wind blows. The swing of his spear let out a whistling sound as it split the space. Lucifer dodged by jumping like a cat, landing with both hands on the ground and rolling forward while restoring his footsteps. Ernacht turned around as if he already knew Lucifer was going to get behind him. His range is much wider than Lucifer's sword, and Lucifer only uses a wooden sword.

Ernacht's spear collided with Lucifer's wooden sword. If Lucifer was an ordinary knight, then the wooden sword would have been sliced ​​apart in two. The wooden sword in Lucifer's hand had been strengthened with Aura. Only a Swordmaster can do that. That was why an ordinary wooden sword in his hand could cut a training puppet made of wood and straw into five pieces.

Ernacht had already obtained the proof, that this man was a Swordmaster. However, he was still not satisfied. The entire attack that they exchanged between each other only lasted for a split second. Within a minute, they were far from their original position. Even though Lucifer was just circling in dodging and defending, Ernacht didn't seem offended at all.

About two minutes later, Ernacht stopped attacking, and Lucifer began to increase the distance between them. "Sir, what can I tell you so that you are willing to fight seriously with me?" he asked.

"Young master, I still love my life, so there is no way I will seriously fight against the younger brother of the woman I love, and die at the hands of those I love," said Lucifer.

"So in essence, you are saying that Ayunda will kill you if you fight seriously with me?" asked Ernacht.

"If she were here now and saw the two of us pointing weapons at each other, she would fire her best killer spell at me and I would be thrown over the fence of the Count Croix residence," Lucifer replied. "And if I seriously fight you, she might hate me forever so I might consider suicide," Lucifer continued later.

"Magic spell?" asked Ernacht, furrowing his brows. "Ayunda is a Magus? Since when...?"

"Young Master can ask Lady Roxus that himself. And while asking that, please tell her not to hate me and spare my life," said Lucifer quietly.

First of all, Lucifer knew that Roxus loved Ernacht. Second, he knew a reality that even Ernacht himself did not know about Roxus. Ernacht knows his sister often keeps a secret card, but he did not expect that woman to hide the fact of that magnitude from her family that she is a Magus.

"Roxus had thought that this matter should be kept a secret so that her strength would not be exploited by the Kingdom. But right now, maybe she has decided to take out her hidden card," said Lucifer.

Ernacht furrowed his brows. "And are you, Sir Lucius, also the hidden card she's prepared?" he asked.

Lucifer smiled softly. He shook his head. "My luck brought me to her," he said softly.

Ernacht swung his spear elegantly. "Let's continue."

Lucifer cut Ernacht's footsteps with a movement of his sword. He began to advance and limit the range of the spear in the young man's hand. He did so without actually launching an attack. Ernacht increased the agility of his movements, turning around without leaving his back wide open for an opening.

However, as if his movements had been dictated by Lucifer, Ernacht grew frustrated. Increasingly, it is as if Lucifer can not only predict what his next move will be, but he can also force Ernacht to attack him according to what he wants. It's not enough there, Lucifer's steps are getting lighter and lighter every second, and Ernacht's attack seems to stop in the air because Lucifer's defence is so fast that no one can follow with their eyes.

Even if Lucifer was not a Swordmaster who could use the Aura Sword, his swordsmanship alone might be enough to defeat Bertia's ten best knights. "Young Master, let's stop here now before Lady Roxus arrives, because you must have found your answer, and also so that I can survive my death," said Lucifer softly, without the slightest breathless. "What's more, that spear in your hand is getting more and more fragile right now because it can't stand your fighting style."

Right after Lucifer said that the spear in Ernacht's hand began to shake violently. Lucifer turned once and took the opportunity to break Ernacht's spear with his kick. Startled Ernacht, he was pushed back a few steps. His spear broke as he tried to hold his body from being pushed further back, and only then did he find himself kneeling on the ground. Everyone fell silent.

"...Lucifer..."

A familiar voice that made everyone's attentions turn to her appeared. Lucifer saw Roxus standing on the side of the field, and at once, Ernacht could see the change in Lucifer's face to the colour of a corpse.

"Roxe! My Love! Th-this-it's not what you think—I—" Lucifer raised the wooden sword in his hand quickly. A red aura enveloped the sword in a majestic and awe-inspiring form.

"...answer my call my Purple Flame Bird..." The sky darkened and a dazzling wave fell at the speed of light into Roxus' hand which was pointing at the sky. It was a fraction of a second before the flash of light turned towards Lucifer who was as prepared as he could with the wooden sword clad in his red aura.

KRAAK!

The wooden sword in Lucifer's hand shattered to pieces and a crimson-coloured explosion blinded everyone's eyes. Lucifer was thrown far back, but not so far that everyone couldn't see him anymore. He seemed unharmed, but quickly, Lucifer jumped high into the air and disappeared from there along with a red flash that shot horizontally.

"...Ayunda?" called Ernacht, mesmerized by the events that had just played out before him. As Lucifer said earlier, his sister cast a fatal murder spell at him, but it seemed the man had survived.

"How dare that man point his weapon at my brother?!" Roxus asked angrily.