Chivalry of a Failed Knight Volume 10

With that call, the four of them concluded the training as they had an impatient look
saying「it was time, you know」and gathered where the young man with blond hair…
where Kledelland Kingdom’s First Prince Johan──who was also the leader of the
delegation was.

- Meanwhile, we were ready a month ago. Why did it take a lot of time to them?

- Certainly, they were really slow, huh.

While the red-haired young man used abusive language and the large man agreed with
him, each one of them received the order list of Vermillion from Johan.

The two women followed next and read the order list.

- Let me see〜. Heehee. As expected, Her Highness Stella is participating〜.

- Those two too, huh. The Diver and the Shooter.

- That’s because there are just 3 C-Ranks in Vermillion. Just as expected, no?

- Also, the fourth guy is the C-Ranked King of Vermillion. Well, this person was
obvious, wasn’t he? A relatively solid lineup, but why did this order decision take so
long? … Eh? What?

Then Mira, the woman that appeared to have a lively mood, inclined her head.

- Who’s this fifth guy?

- Ikki Kurogane? A Japanese? Why is a Japanese appearing as a representative of
Vermillion?

- Moreover, there are notes, Luke. F-Rank? Maybe Vermillion was completely worried
about revealing something like this?

They knitted their brows.

However, the replies of the quiet-looking woman Enaris and the large man Reid were
different from the two.

- Hey, hold on. Have I seen the face of this man somewhere before?

- Ah! T-this guy! I saw him on TV! He’s Stella-hime’s boyfriend!

- Oh! You’re right! The match in Japan where Her Highness Stella lost in the satellite
broadcast the other day!

- That’s right.

Johan affirmed before the reactions of the two.

- 《Seven Stars Sword King》Kurogane Ikki. He’s an F-Rank, but he’s a master of a
superhuman-like sword technique that compensates for his low magic power value and
in Japan, he has defeated the《Crimson Princess》 twice. He’s an authentic powerful
person.

Both Luke and Mira changed their complexion with those words of Johan.

The two, who hadn’t watched the broadcast of the match, just knew the rumor that a
low-ranked Knight of a foreign country defeated《Crimson Princess》.

- Ah, don’t tell me that such rumor was a true story…?

- I thought it was a lie….

- It’s not a lie. … I also watched the match, but this guy was really amazing.

- B-but Johan. This guy isn’t a person of Vermillion, right? Is it fine that he’s
participating in the war?

Certainly, this should be prohibited by the League rules, and Johan nodded and
returned an affirmation to Reid who said so.

- Originally, he wasn’t. But this time, the King… my father approved it. To sum up, it
seems that his participation had been decided due to a『Special Convocation』frame.

- E―――h! Why did he expressly approve a thing that has become a disadvantage for
us?

- It seems that Lunaize-san has been gallantly coming and going, negotiating many
times about this over the last month. ――”They want to use this war and test whether
Mr. Kurogane is suitable as Her Highness Stella’s husband or not”.
- T-the hell? Is that a “becoming an adult ceremony” of a tribe or something?
- It’s because that doting King won’t let his daughter be his wife no matter what with
such achievements he has, or so it’s what I heard. She also seems to be very troubled.
Johan shrugged his shoulders while not being able to hold back his laughter.
During that, both Mira and Enaris spouted out as if being unable to endure it.
- Ahaha! That’s right. Such a scene is coming into my mind.
- My dad was the same, but aren’t all the fathers of families like that, Reid?
- Hahaha…. Maybe.
Reid, who just got the permission of engagement from the parents of Enaris the other
day and was invited to talk by Enaris, replied while putting a wry smile.
Will I be like that if my daughter was born? Certainly.

- Johan. By the way, are the rumors of this guy really true? Wasn’t《Crimson Princess
》’s physical condition very bad?

- To put it bluntly, even if the five of us hit him, we can’t win.
- But isn’t written here that he’s an F-Rank? Isn’t this a mistake then?
- No, the rank itself is correct. I also watched the match, but his magic-related power
couldn’t be ranked other than F-Rank. However, he’s strong… or rather, to an unusual
extent where he’s『good at fighting』. It’s unfortunate, but we’re no opponents for
him.

To Johan, who affirmed so, Mira expressed her discontent saying「Eeeh」.

- Oh, so we got two defeats decided before starting, huh? How lame.

- Prince-samaaa! Can’t you make a participation prohibition rule for outsiders using
your power?

Johan returned a「Don’t ask for the unreasonable」

- I’ve got Lunaize to lend me all sorts of intelligence periodically. I can’t increase what
I’m borrowing more than this.

Because Johan and Lunaize were hanging out with each other since they were very
young as the heirs of the next period of both countries, they were childhood friends,
one of them being one year older than the other.

They also graduated from the same university, the Cambridge one, and at that time,
they were busy with their private lessons and the ignorant-of-the-ways-of-the-world
Johan was greatly helped by the clever Lunaize.

If she weren’t there, he would have ended up committing an irremediable mistake
because of the invitation of a bad friend who ended up making a mistake at the
university. Johan remembered it well together with the pain of an earnest slap that he
had received from Lunaize back then.

The woman one year older than him who had been guiding him since he was a child.

That was what Lunaize meant for Johan, that image couldn’t be eradicated even now.

That was why he couldn’t strongly stand against Lunaize at all.

- Johan is weak to Lunaize-san as usual.

- It’s inevitable. Our hierarchical relationship from childhood isn’t something that can
be easily turned upside down. That’s why allow me to count on you. Besides, although
two loses are important, winning the rest of them all is something we can say. Tilmitt
Gracie and Miriallia Lazy are strong when working together, but when it comes to
fighting by themselves, they fall short as knights. King Sirius, also known as《Crimson
Wild Lion》, is an old person whose gold age has ended. Those three are in a category
where they can be managed somehow by the five of us that will confront them.

Besides──

Johan told them, softening his facial expression.

- Well, I’m not saying this like there’ll be a big loss even if we lost terribly.

This was true.

The name of war was a war done for the ownership of the gas fields near the border,
but in the agreement between the two countries signed several decades ago, it had been
decided that the winner side would bear the infrastructure improvement costs of the
loser side in the form of money.

In other words, there was almost no difference in this war between winning and losing.

In fact, it was like a public joint exercise where excellent knights of their own countries
would contribute jointly to it.

The form of this war that shared profit between both parties was generally well
received as it was a situation where even the citizens got to celebrate and compete
seriously with the neighboring country, and nowadays the war has become an once
every five years in-name-only informal social gathering between citizens of both
countries.

The reason why the King of Kledelland allowed the participation of Ikki, a powerful
person of a foreign country, was because of this sort of background.

This wasn’t a battle where both countries would go in desperation for the victory.

That was why the delegation didn’t feel like denunciating him for real with Johan or
the King from the beginning.

Luke agreed to Johan’s word with「You’re right」,

- Oh well, it’s a good chance since the techniques of the samurai have come all the way
here from the distant Japan. I hope we get him to enjoy it.

He made manifest a scarlet knife, his own Device, played with it and threw it lightly
with a tension that was looking forward to its trip.

- So the princess is engaged to him? She fought at the past Sword Art Tournament, but
somehow or another she was so stoic, or rather, she was so much serious she was
unapproachable; I was surprised because I certainly thought she was going to devote
her life being a brave maiden.
- Oh, so you went even that far, to fall in love right away like that? Aren’t they making
a kid for next year too? ――Ena, Reid, you can’t lose, alright?
- 〜〜〜〜
- L-Luke! That’s none of your business!
The faces of the newlywed married couple reddened like apples with the common
words of Luke.
That situation was charming, both Luke and Mira of the unmarried group, shook their
shoulders and laughed.
Eventually, the newlywed married couple was enticed by the smiling faces of the two.
With the figures of these four people, Johan thought that the team he was leading from
the bottom of his heart was a good team.
If it was with them, then they would be able to hold back the enemy well, get the
remaining three victories and win against Vermillion.
He was convinced, he broke out into a laugh ――it was at that moment.
Blended with everyone’s happy laughter,
A noise, was heard.

- Aha aha aha.

- Eh…?
A laugh like scoffing at everything of this world stirred up unpleasant feelings.

Everyone except Johan heard the same person? They looked at each other’s face,
At that moment, they shifted their attention to the direction of the loud laughter that
didn’t belong to any of them.
And, they found out.
- It’s not a rumor at all, but I heard that the war of League is a terrible farce. A war
where it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose is no more than an insipid comedy.
A small figure with a black hoodie that covered his eyes was sitting on top of the
catwalk fence of the training area.
The small figure narrowed his blue like a will-o’-wisp and red like blood eyes that
shone inside the very dark hanging hood and laughed.
- It’s way more interesting to look at an ants’ nest.

◆◇◆◇◆

- This is such a waaaste. Even though I was born in this world as a powerful being at
last, I can’t be tamed to be a good-for-nothing thing that will exhibit its power to satisfy
things like『Society 』. Since I was granted the ability to speak, then I’d say that’s a
loss of irreplaceable time of what is called life.
(What’s with this kid…?)
A creepy child appeared in front of them without any warning in advance.

Johan felt intimidated by his darkened gray hair like covered in ashes and his blue and
red pupils that shined mysteriously behind it.



It wasn’t just a person.

The representative members of Kledelland except Johan felt it.

- Who are you!? How the hell did you get in!?

- This is a training camp that representative members have reserved for exclusive use.
The entering of outsiders is prohibited. Leave from here immediately.

Luke and Reid not just scolded the child much younger than them.

They also prepared themselves and lowered their center of gravity so that they could
immediately shift to battle.

Towards all present, and while the intruder moved their white bare feet, looking bored.

- … well, isn’t it natural? Because you don’t know anything. The pleasure of slaughter.
The ecstasy of plunder.

When he told so with a tone of voice that hid even pity, the hood showed a smile that
cut deeply into his cheeks as if a red crescent moon casted a shadow and said.

- That’s why I’ll teach them to you. … Together with a demonstration.

(――――!!)

Immediately after, the B-Rank Knight Johan, who was the most powerful Blazer there,
noticed it.

Only he noticed it.
*Terrified*, Evilness and maliciousness that completely covered the whole room were
spewed out from the small body of the intruder as if the lid of the cauldron of hell was
opened.

Simultaneously with that, Johan understood.

―We can’t win.

Because the being before their eyes wasn’t a being of a level where they were good
enough to face him.

So,

- Everyone! Run away right noooooooooooooooooooow!!!

He shouted.
A loud voice that he had never given since he was born.
As if vomiting blood.
But――it was too late.
No, it wasn’t about being faster or slower.
Because the moment this being was in front of them, their destinies had already been
decided.
- … eh?
Fresh red blood scattered on Johan’s face and body.
The one who caused a shower of fresh blood was Reid, the young man of large build.
His heart was pierced.
It was done by the golden knight-spear manifested in the left hand of none other than
Johan.
- Huh…? What?
Reid’s understanding couldn’t catch up with the sudden crime of Johan.
Not even understand the pain.
Just surprised──
- Jo…han… wh-why…?

The next moment, he collapsed to the front while being pulled by the spear that was
extracted.
Reid spurted blood out from the cavity of his chest like a waterfall and extended his
hand to his shocked wife who had lost her voice due to this tragedy, trying to beg for
help.
But that hand didn’t reach her, and when it fell to the ground together with his
consciousness, he immediately stopped moving.
- N-Nooooooooooooooooo―――!?!?
- H-hey. Reid.... you’re joking, right…!?
- L-leader!? W-why did you do that!?
Mira thrust her Device which was two pistols at Johan who committed the crime.
But――this wasn’t Johan’s intention of course.
(This…!)
Johan noticed.
His body wasn’t moving under his own will anymore.
Johan didn’t know the reason for that.
But he could understand that he had fell into the control of the enemy.
He couldn’t do anything with his own strength.
So,
- Everyone, don’t get close to meeeeeee! Run! Run away, quickly!
Johan cried desperately to his companions to throw them away from him in order to
make them escape.
But, that desperation ended up being noticed by Luke.
Is something strange happening to his body?

- …! I see, this kid is doing something!
The culprit of the tragic event.
Luke, who understood that the opponent should be defeated right now, sprung at the
enemy sitting on the catwalk at a speed which was also the origin of his alias《Swift
Wind》having his knife-shaped Device ready with a reverse grip.

- Wait! Right now――!?
- Luke!?
However, the blade of Luke never reached the enemy.
His body stopped in the middle of the empty air.
Like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web.
- …hell, is, this…? My body… isn’t moving!*
And then, the body of Johan drew below the feet of Luke without following his will.
- No way! Hey, what are you doing, leader!? Stoooooop!
- C-cut it out…! Stoooop!
The scream of Johan was in vain, his body went through the body of Luke crucified in
the air with the knight-spear directly from below.
- Gu, bo──
The body of Luke that was pierced by the golden knight-spear convulsed violently
several times and then relaxed.
He died shortly thereafter.
Just about everything that was stuffed in the abdomen of Luke rained incessantly on
the whole body of Johan who pulled out the spear, staining his beautiful blond hair
and heart.

The spirit of Johan that killed his companions, his friends one after another with his
own hands, was already at its limit.
But, even so, he desperately took hold of his spirit that seemed to be burning off,
- … I beg you… Mira…!
Run away.
He begged to the surviving companion while shedding tears.
- ────!
With the gaze of Johan, Mira understood what she should do.
She ran up to Enaris who kept shaking the dead body of her husband and grabbed her
in her arms.
- Ena! Get up! We have to run!
- Reid! Answer me, Reid!
- Let’s go!
- Noooooooooooooooo! Reid! Reiiiid!
Mira pulled upright with all her strength the confused and disobedient Enaris and
headed to the exit with undivided attention, running away from the place in
accordance with Johan’s instruction.
At that moment.

- Heh, can you use that technique? This is a rare chance, so let’s do that to the two of
them.

A high-spirited voice as if it had found a new toy was heard from
behind──immediately after,

A golden light surged in the entire training area.
- Mi-Mira-chan!
(No way…)
Mira also turned around due to Enari’s surprised voice.
And then, they despaired.
Mira and Enaris, his teammates, recognized it.
This shining was──

- AvoOoOOoooooid iiiiiiiit!!!!

It was《Circus Maximus》──the Noble Arts done by Johan’s Device《Chariot》.
By straddling a golden warhorse which was also the real form of his Device, it
flattened and ran over all that existed before him to form a road, it was an incredibly
strong charge attack.
Not just its destructive power, it was also the fastest and strongest blow in Kledelland,
boasting an instant speed that left behind even the《Swift Wind》Luke.
It was something that Mira and Enaris couldn’t deal with at all,
「「…!」」
An instant.
The golden brilliance that pierced everything ran past from behind them.
The destruction done by it didn’t limit to the straight line where the light ran past from
behind.
The blasted atmosphere splashed in all directions, pulling out all the fixtures existing in
the facility from their roots, striking the walls and destroying the lights.

When the legs of the warhorse stopped and the golden light weakened, darkness fell in
the facility──
- Ah......, aah......
When he looked back the path that he had trampled down, Johan saw.
The corpses of the two women, whose bodies were twisted and crushed, rolled on the
hideously burned ground in the dark.
On the other hand, the culprit of everything clapped his hands together, looking like he
enjoyed watching the facial expression of Johan.
- How was it, Prince-sama? Wasn’t this somewhat exciting? Didn’t you taste the
throbbing as soon as aha aha you slaughtered your precious companions one-sidedly
with your own hands?
- … kill you…! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill youuu aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The anger that surpassed the limit stimulated Johan in an instant.
While making sounds of muscle fibers snapping apart and scattering a blood mist from
his torn off skin, Johan pulled the reins of the golden warhorse without caring if his
body was destroyed,

- 《Circus Maximus》――――!!!!

With an overly burning rage, he launched a charge on the enemy sitting on the
catwalk.

The ability of《Chariot》was《Road》.

《Road》was an ability beyond that of humans, it overcame every single bad road and
obstacle and of course, it also made him float in the air.
Therefore, the hoofs of the warhorse went straight to the enemy while kicking the
empty air,

The knight-spear that Johan pushed out thrust away at the face of the enemy──at that
instant,
Like it was natural, Johan was forced to stop all movement.

- Hmm. I prefer not slaughtering you. It’s a pity that you couldn’t enjoy it and get
drunk on blood because of how you are. Prince-sama.
The enemy remained immobile all this time ever since he appeared before Johan and
the others.
Without even moving one finger.
And yet――they couldn’t do anything to such enemy.
(The difference, is too much…)
How much was it? He couldn’t even grasp the difference in strength.
The riding warhorse and knight-spear of Johan became something like gold dust and
disappeared.
The Device was the soul of a Blazer.
If the mind of its owner collapsed, then the Device would also collapse.
To such state of Johan,
- Oh, that’s right. The effeminate Prince-sama liked the one over here. Though it
would have been great if you had told her so from the beginning〜.
The wicked one that had created this tragedy had the most enjoyable-looking smile as
of now.
- …!?
Johan put himself on guard with an expression that showed signs of fear.
He’s still planning things to do?

But it didn’t matter how prepared he was, his body was already at the mercy of the
wicked――
When Johan’s body landed on the ground, he, to the dead body of Enaris,

He tore up her coat with all his strength.

Johan made his voice quiver when he guessed the intention of the evil, his intentions
with her fallen breasts.
- Don’t tell me…
The wicked《Marionette King》――Or=Gaule showed shark-like teeth to the
despaired Johan and told him with a smile full of joy.
- She’s already dead but, I think it’ll feel good since she’s still warm, no?

◆◇◆◇◆

- Aha aha aha.
In the very dim light illuminated only by the moonlight that flowed in from the blown
window.

The《Marionette King》made his body shiver in pleasure while listening to the sound
that mechanically struck hard the flesh.
It was Johan begging forgiveness as much as his voice allowed him, but now he was
nothing but sobbing and shedding tears.
He only moved his body while repeating words of apology as if talking in delirium and
with eyes out of focus.
That was certainly transmitted to《Marionette King》through the steel-wired Device
《Black Widow》.

The sounds of his heart cracking and collapsing.
――Were irresistible.
One life, just like his own life.
A loveable being that was loved by someone and loved someone.
This sensation of destroying as he wished, like a cheap doll.
The sorrow and feeling of emptiness that struck the heart──the ecstasy exceeded those
greatly.
Once he was aware of it, there was no turning back anymore.
He couldn’t live without the stimulus of this destruction.
And the stronger the stimulus, the better it was.
- I’m looking forward to it.
The《Marionette King》yearned for it.

Citizens, family, a beloved girlfriend….
What face would Stella put when all of that has fallen apart?
- I’m sure it’s going to be a very adorable one…
Ecstasy ran in his whole body just by imagining so.

The core of his body got hot and began to dissolve.
That stimulus seemed to be bringing even more excitement than the moment when he
would have destroyed her.
――He couldn’t endure it anymore.
He wanted to play with her soon. He wanted to enjoy himself outside soon.

But, if he was finally going to play, then he better have lots of toys prepared.
The《Marionette King》moved his hands for the first time there.
He raised horizontally both hands that were covered by a loose-sized hoodie,
──And extended a fine thread that couldn’t be captured by the eye.
The thread went through the blown window, weaved its way through the many trees of
the forest and went to the city──
To capture soldiers, to capture pregnant women, to capture children.
And then… to build up little by little, little by little.
His own Kingdom――《Wonderland》.
Even the captured people weren’t aware of it now.
Without knowing it, everyone was becoming dolls of that person.
The thread eventually extended over the entirety of Kledelland, establishing a number
of hubs. Those were practically『roots』.
Roots of a parasitic plant that would make the Kingdom of Kledelland a seed-plot.
And when this parasitic plant were to bear fruit… it would begin.
The war written as《Vermillion’s Military Campaign》in the history of the stars.

◆◇◆◇◆

The《International Mage-Knight League Headquarters》in the United Kingdom.
There were two figures in a room of the division where only the single-digit knights in
the world ranking determined by the director of all the branches, otherwise, the
League, could get in.
- Oh, that’s right. The story where Mr. Alexis of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
France collapsed. Did you hear it too? He collapsed like a thread that was cut during
a dinner at the previous foreign trip. He quickly regained consciousness, maybe it was
just stress and he should rest one day…, but since this happened to more than 500
important political and business people around the world almost simultaneously, it’s a
different story.
One of them was a young man who was speaking in front of an inserted-styled display
that emitted a sole light in the unlighted room.
The other one was a tall man who heard his voice from inside the stagnated darkness
that surrounded the room.
The young man continued explaining to the tall man while operating the display.
- The integration of media and police information has confirmed that nearly 1000
people apart from the political and business people have collapsed all around the
world. Most of them were treated as heatstroke patients, but how such a coincidence
happened like that? However, what became conclusive for us, the League, was the

video recorded in Kledelland two days after the multiple heatstroke that happened
simultaneously in the world.

The video shown on the display changed together with those words.

A small figure with a hood pulled over his eyes.
Immediately after, the shadow of the tall figure standing in the darkness shook and the
sound of metal rubbing against metal was produced.

Was he shaking?

The young man continued his words without being concerned about it.

- We used connections that we had and investigated him behind the scenes, but it
seems that a big confusion occurred in the side of Rebellion due to his actions. Well,
the independent action itself of the《Twelve Apostles》Numbers isn’t that much
unusual, is it? Those guys of Rebellion aren’t the ones who were in control to begin
with. The problem is… that he’s not the puppet, his real body hasn’t come out from the
darkness. He also willingly let go of all the control of the dolls that were the eyes and
ears of Rebellion. Is he planning something…? Or is it just a caprice…? We don’t know
at the present time, but this isn’t a situation that can be ignored if it’s about《
Marionette King》Or=Gaule who moved. … If we talk about detailed danger, a
troubled Desperado is far more dangerous than《Tyrant》, the leader of Rebellion.
――We, the League, need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

And then, the young man turned his tough eyes to the black armor in the darkness.

- You’ll have to go to Vermillion. 《Black Knight》Ascaride. You’re the only one
qualified in the League for this mission. You also know the dreadfulness of《
Marionette King》more than anyone else.

FF

- ――――――

With this order,《Black Knight》waved his cape and turned back.
Then, he left the room.
He didn’t return an affirmation or negation.
But, that fist was grasped strongly in anger.
――Blood dripped from the joints of the metal plate, stronger. And stronger.