act13side

Kowal, Maria will be borrowing your workshop a while longer—

—Er.

Zo—Zofia, slow down... agh!

Why did you—stop, what's going on?

...You are...

...Nightmare Knight?

What's the rising star of the year doing here? Are you trying to sneak out intel on Maria and Margaret?

If so—

How clamorous.

Watch out!

Wh... What are you trying to do here!?

Pegasus... a weak race. Only those pegasi with blood of flowing gold are worthy rivals.

But once the pegasi abdicated, this so-called 'Land of the Knights'...

Its grasslands turned feeble. You cannot be blind to it, can you, Kuranta?

In present Kazimierz, you people, all are called knights?

And in those... pompous arenas, you test your martial skills?

After your little act just now, I'm not finding the will to talk to you all nice and happy.

Hold it... boy, I still have things to ask you. The last thing I want right now is to put a bolt through your head.

Not bad... you have the will to fight still.

What about you, then?

Uh, me? Like, me? I'm just a fan of knights, just in the neighborhood. No need to waste the effort pretending I exist, I'll be fine.

I can't do a thing anyway, not a single thing, mm-hm.

(Tremoriron Marcin, proficient with warhammers. Vogelweide, campaign knight marksman. Whislash Knight, not much of a threat since she was injured... Maria, no need to monitor for the time being.)

(But none of that really matters... mm-hm... the Nightzmora came looking for Vogelweide after all...)

(Alright... now... what to do. Will the Radiant Knight come?)

This place is not worth even a quick visit. Keeping company with you people makes one uneasy to stand still.

Alright, boy, who d'you think you're looking down on?

(Ancient language) Batbayar, in the past you campaigned on the battlesands, fought with your own two hands, yet could only barely manage to protect your homeland.

(What's he saying?!)

War... you're a campaign knight? You recognize me?

(Ancient language) No, I'm no 'knight.' Nothing so ridiculous. Simply put, war is the only path in which you never shamed your ancestry, descendant.

(Ancient language) Though you stand here... in this city of steel and concrete, neon flitting through the rain, descendant, I hope you can still remember the breathing of the grasslands, and the vow the Khagan swore.

Khagan? What...?

You're going on about some stodgy old tale?

(Ancient language) I intended... before setting out once again, to seek my surviving brethren in this so-called land of the knights. It seems, now, I was simply deluded.

(Ancient language) No matter.

(Ancient language) Kazimierz's frailty spits on Khagan's accomplishments. Someone must set such conduct straight.

Stop right there! You still haven't answered me!

Hm... Though now you've lost all that made you, you're still at least half a brother... I should answer your question.

It was an old veteran who told me your name, and he, he was ruined in his age, not even able to run.

I seek every one of my brethren in Kazimierz. No matter how weak their relation, I seek them and nothing more.

Come again? Brethren? In Kazimierz, is that right?

It's no longer your concern, Kazimierzian.

Hold it.

Nightmare Knight... I've heard plenty about the badly-behaved newcomer you were.

You should've known we wouldn't let you go so easily after you kindly brandished your sword at us.

How about you take off your helmet and we have a nice chat?

'Nightmare'...? Ah, the title those city slaves plastered on me without permission?

Ridiculous... that knights are so obsessed with these names now...

It is only their inherent beliefs, and desire to grasp destiny, that urge knights to embark on their journey.

The Knights Association won't be happy to look the other way with you picking arguments like this. Do you want to be stripped of Major qualifications?

If... only vapid knights like you remain in Kazimierz... then I really am wasting my energy. What harm would losing worthless qualifications be?

However, this pegasus by your side... seems to very much resemble someone I wanted to find...

What?! You mean... my sister?

—What do you want with the Radiant Knight?

What I want...? Look at all the Grand Knights Kazimierz elevates as champions—if there remains any opponent worth conquering in this present country, I fear it may be among them.

Of course... it may also happen that they're all disappointments.

You've gone mad, haven't you. You came here just for a fight?

(Ancient language) Mad?

(Ancient language) Yes... the people who choose to live in the Kazimierz of now often tell me so...

(Ancient language) ...which is why we are no longer brethren.

I said stop! Are you just leaving like nothing even happened?

Given this endeavor is fruitless, I have no need to stay...

Goodbye, descendant.

Grr...

What in the world was wrong with that man, all high and mighty...

I can only hope Margaret doesn't meet him in the arena.

Seems he came for a quick look at you, then? Is he from your home place?

He's... a Nightzmora?

What? There's still Nightzmora alive today?

Here I thought they were all in legends, or they were holing up in Sargon or some sort.

So what? What's someone from your grandpa's grandpa's side doing finding you?

...He's calling to us.

...Tch.

Oh! Oh! This is history, being made before our eyes!

Can 'Left-hand' Tytus Topola lead the Blade Helmet Knightclub in a breakthrough here, and return to his spot as one of the top sixteen tyrants?!

This battle reeks of revenge! All of you watching! I hope your blood's on fire! He's fallen short of the Final 16 over and over, but today, will 'Left-hand' Tytus Topola have what it takes to overcome himself?!

It all comes down to one thing—his opponent!!

In the long and storied history that is the Topola family's knightly record, only one time! Only one opponent! Has brought such colossal shame!

Damn you...

What have you been doing, all these years?!

(Why... to hell with this...)

(How do I fight now? Do I make some room? No, she... hff... why is she using a swordspear, of all the things...)

(Most important...)

(...is that she... somehow has me... pressured?)

Tytus Topola shuts his eyes.

He considers this a scene of impassioned vengeance, a long-brewing opportunity to prove his worth.

But all his resentment, visions and fervor, have here and now vanished like smoke.

He cannot help but concede, this is no standoff.

Only a challenge.

A challenge, striding for the pinnacle.

(Since I became the Blade Helmet Knightclub's frontman, when was the last time I felt like this?)

A challenge, an advance, climbing to an ever higher domain.

Hah... heheh, it makes me want to laugh...

The Radiant Knight, are you truly the same woman?

To force me back to this degree... and yet you don't feel a hair of pride, not a drop of excitement? Where did the mettlesome you of yesteryear go?

Look at you now, so serene one could gag—

I don't mean to look down on you, Tytus. I never have.

However, you've already lost your way.

In the hunt that was the melee, at least, you were the last one standing. You forced your way free on nothing but a single arm like you had originally done, imbued purely with the desire to win.