Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

-

Back at home, they had specially cleared the open space for Margaret's training. Margaret had been injured in the battle with Tora. It had to be said that Tora was a formidable foe—his terrifying physical fitness, brought about by his Nightmare bloodline, and his strange magic, had even subtly suppressed Margaret's light. If Margaret's own martial arts weren't so strong, and she didn't rely so much on Originium techniques, I'm afraid...

If you want to face the Wind Knight in the next match, you must at least heal your wounds first... Noya instructed Margaret. However, with the help of Shining and Nightingale, Margaret immediately returned to training. The battle with Tora seemed to have given her a new understanding, and her growth rate has been astonishing. This is the talent of the Golden Pegasus, becoming stronger with each battle—almost catching up with a certain alien race that likes to dye their hair.

Maria, while helping Margaret with her sparring, asked with some confusion, "Sister, you've already secured a spot in the semifinals... Honestly, there's nothing to lose if you lose now, so why are you working so hard? To win the championship?"

"'You can't defeat the master of the rules by being within them.' My uncle once said that," Margaret responded.

"Yeah, I still remember."

"Uncle Manna saw it clearly. Just like the previous verdict, Margaret should have advanced—but they just made a random excuse with no precedent," Noah added. "But... we're not rebelling against the master of the rules."

"Yes, we want to break the rules themselves. We want to teach those who have been tamed to stand up and let those who have fallen return to the light." Margaret nodded, agreeing with Noah's statement. "Uncle's idea is not wrong. He has experienced much more than us. He naturally has the confidence to remind us, because he has probably tried thousands of times. He has been disappointed and no longer believes that anyone will follow the torchbearer and charge into the storm."

Margaret looked at Maria and smiled.

"But I don't think so. If we can dispel this bitter darkness, people will always move forward. Now we just need to let people see that this path is feasible and achievable. Someone has to lead the way first."

"That's what I said...but it sounds so difficult..." Maria complained, "Isn't there an easier way?"

"After all, she is Margaret..." Noah covered her mouth and laughed, "You've worked hard, but you must make sure to rest. Your injury just healed."

"Well, it's just a minor injury." Margaret also smiled. She felt that the atmosphere between Noah and Margaret had changed slightly since that day in the hospital. Although Maria understood, she was still happy about this change.

"Everyone has their own way of doing things. I want to be that kind of person, so I'll do it this way. Maria, you can do whatever you want, whether it's becoming a craftsman, a knight, or just being a happy little girl. It doesn't matter." Margaret touched Maria's head and said with a smile, "You've done well. There's no need to put too much pressure on yourself."

"...Huh?" Maria blinked. "I didn't... I didn't put any pressure on myself."

"Come on, you have dark circles under your eyes. You've been up all night helping me adjust my armor?" Margaret couldn't help noticing Maria's changes. "You should get enough rest, too."

"...Hehehe...ah, I suddenly remembered that I seemed to have forgotten to bring the repair gel for my sister's armor. I'll be back soon!" After being exposed, Maria immediately found an excuse to escape the scene. Xinteleya on the side shook her head helplessly, waved to Margaret, and followed Maria. After all, she was Maria's bodyguard now.

Chapter 186: Nightmare

Maria also knew how she felt, but she did have some... thoughts that she didn't even understand.

When she saw her sister and Noah together, she felt that the two of them were a perfect match, but she also felt that there seemed to be a layer of window paper between the two of them that had not been broken. They obviously understood each other so well, cared about each other, and were childhood sweethearts. Could there be a more perfect match than this, right?

As Margaret's younger sister, she should have been happy about the progress of the couple she was supporting, but for some reason, when she saw the two of them having an intimate conversation together, and when she saw Margaret's eyes were basically filled with sister Noah, she felt inexplicably blocked in her heart.

She'd run away not only out of embarrassment at her sister finding out she'd stayed up late, but also because she felt it was best to act voluntarily and run away. She'd been among those shocked yesterday when she learned Uncle Lime had proposed to Noah. On the one hand, she had no memory of it, and on the other, she felt a pang of bitterness. Ultimately… even if she knew, she wouldn't be in a position to comfort Noah.

After all... I am just a younger sister, and my elder sister is the one who has the position and ability to comfort Sister Noah.

Obviously, Sister Noah has helped me so much, and even helped repair the relationship between my uncle and them, but it seems that I can't do anything for my sister.

Looking at it this way, I really am just a little sister who is only cared for...

What can I do for Sister Noah?

Obviously, I don't want to just be spoiled... My two sisters are too outstanding, and no one can help me with this pressure.

"Why are you running so fast? No, you want some candy?" Xinteleya rushed over to Maria, fished a piece of fruit candy from her pocket, and handed it to her. Seeing her distressed expression, she complained helplessly. "Okay, okay, I know you're a little tired of staying here, and so am I. These two are so inseparable. If they hadn't officially announced it, I would have thought they were secretly married."

"...No," Maria whispered, taking the candy from Cintrea. "Noa and my sister... they're a good match, but they're not ready for marriage."

"Same-sex marriages aren't uncommon on Terra..." Cintela curled her lips. "And judging by the Brilliant Knight's behavior, it's probably just a minor affair."

“…I see…”

"Why are you even more depressed... Could it be that you're still a sister complex?" Cintrea noticed Maria's expression suddenly darken again, and thought she might have said something wrong. She quickly handed her another candy, "Okay, okay, I'll give you another one. Don't be angry."

"Why are your pockets full of candy—"

"Because life is so hard, eating more sugar is good for your physical and mental health." Xinteleya said confidently, "Okay, it's just a habit. Besides, sugar is so good. It's much better than drinking coffee."

"Uncle will definitely not agree..." Maria opened the wrapper and ate one. Indeed, sugar is a cheap source of happiness.

"Then I don't care. I just like eating candy. What's the point of enduring the most bitter hardships? People who like to endure hardships are definitely masochists." Xinteleya made a bold statement, making Maria laugh unconsciously.

"Thank you, Sintela." During this period, Maria's relationship with Sintela has made a lot of progress. Sintela is a very interesting person and she also understands what Maria needs.

Sometimes, a lot of words are not as effective as a piece of candy. So her pockets are full of candies——

Occasionally, there are some small snacks.

—Crash…

At that moment, the sound of weapons dragging across the ground came from the dark alley, and Xinteleya's ears twitched slightly. "What's that sound?"

The two soon saw a tall figure at the end of the alley. Nightmare was dragging a long weapon, leaving sparks on the ground.

Tora's anger did not dissipate. During the interrupted duel on the field, he saw the shadow that he had only seen in his dreams, the shadow whose face he could not see clearly.

The duel under the Khan's gaze... was interrupted.

How could this not make him angry, and this anger made him follow the smell of light - and come here.

Fear materialized, and when Nightmare appeared before them, sword in hand, Cintrea immediately protected Maria, bow drawn, warning, "Don't come near, or I'll shoot."

Tura turned a deaf ear to her, staring at Maria with red eyes, who was emitting a light similar to that of the Radiant Knight, and let out an inhuman roar.

"Damn it..." Xinteleya was ignored, and seeing that the other party had no intention of stopping, two sharp arrows immediately pierced the night sky and flew out, but the next moment, they were easily knocked away by the other party's hand. This method made Xinteleya instantly realize that she might not be the opponent of the other party, so she quickly turned around and ran away with Maria.

Maria was confused, but she still kept up with Cintrea, but running away from a nightmare... was almost useless.

The next moment, Xinteleya suddenly felt a little uneasy in her heart. She hurriedly pulled Maria to dodge to the left. Sure enough, a phantom suddenly appeared behind her and chopped down on her head.

If I hadn't reacted quickly, I would have been broken in half.

"What the hell is this thing!" Xinteleya secretly groaned. This thing was more difficult to deal with than she had imagined. She was still in a dark alley, and the opponent's Originium skills were more than a level higher than those on the field.

"You're... afraid..." Tora's voice came, "You're not the Radiant Knight... Oh, you're her sister."

——Where is she?

"What do you want to do with my sister..." Seeing that she couldn't escape, Maria could only muster up the courage to confront Tora, staring at the enemy in front of her who she had almost no chance of defeating.

"Our duel is not over yet." Tora responded, "I will continue this glorious duel—"

"But the game is over." Maria was surprised that the other party came to seek revenge privately, which was against the rules.

"A competition?" Tora wondered. "My long journey to heaven wasn't for a competition. The Radiant Knight is the one I must conquer. This sacred duel, this duel watched by the Khan, was actually interrupted by an outsider!"

"Then you win the match against the Blood Knight, and you can face your sister in the next round..." Maria argued, hoping that the other party would not attack her sister when her sister was injured. If he did, what would her sister do in the next match against the Wind Knight?

"Enough--" Tora raised the long knife in his hand and slammed it hard on the ground. The metal collided with the ground, making a heart-shaking sound.

"A tournament... a knight's tournament... all that frivolous stuff." Tora loathed knightly competitions just as much as the knights who fought in them. "Rules, spectators, listen to all this nonsense. Don't you feel the ridiculous blasphemy?"

Chapter 187 Kuro vs. Tora

This is knight competition, what do you win? What do you get?

Honor, wealth, and family revival, but something was missing... yes, something was missing.

Maria barely had time to think before raising her sword as if in response to the cheers.

The distinct pain coming from the arm alone was enough to change the applause.

"How dare you compare me to those jesters who are played with by others!" Tora's roar awoke Maria. Furious, Tora had already decided to slay the young golden Pegasus before him. Perhaps only by doing so could he arouse the wrath of the Radiant Knight and continue the glorious duel. "...I am a descendant of the Keshig, and I must complete my heavenly journey."

"Weak Pegasus—hate your weakness, for your blood will be the beginning of an endless duel between me and the Radiant Knight!"

"Do not……"

Maria suddenly raised her head and took off the sword and shield that had never left her body. Maria knew that she really had no ability to defeat the man in front of her, and there was even a high possibility that she would die.

However, she was not a burden to her sister. She was always thinking about what she could do and what she should do.

She didn't think about it anymore. All she wanted now was... not to let this guy go to her sister's side.

"What are you doing?" Sintela was already confused. This Tora has a problem with his brain, do you have a problem with yours too? You want to fight a top four competitive knight? You can't even compete in the official competition...

"Cintrea...you go first. I'll stop him—"

"How can it be!"

"Go!" Maria knew that she had a chance. Her Sword of Repentance still had three full uses. As long as she hit it once, Maria was confident that as long as she hit it once... she could let Tora understand her determination.

"You...are just a squire of the Radiant Knight—"

"Squire?"

"Your beautiful dreams were given to you by others, and your beliefs were borrowed from elsewhere." Takuma stared at the Tenma in front of him and said, "Of course you can use your youth as an excuse to justify your confusion... but what's the point? You don't even know what you want. You are just a pathetic empty vessel imitating your sister."

"…What do you want to say?"

"You're not strong enough, Tenma. The world may laugh at Knight Yao's pedantry and stubbornness, but who can deny her strength?" Tora replied, "Only when you're strong enough can you make others listen to you... and you, you're not even a knight."

"..." Maria's confusion was revealed by the person in front of her, and she couldn't even think of any words to refute for a moment.

Knight? What exactly is a knight?

"Get out of the way—I suddenly don't want to kill you anymore, but if you stand in my way, I will spill your blood all over the ground."

"No!"

Takura looked at the Tianma in front of him with confusion. The other person's courage made him put away his murderous intentions, but she still blocked his way. Didn't she know how weak she was? Didn't she know that if she blocked him, she might die?

"I can't... let you see your sister."

"...Is the Radiant Knight avoiding a duel with me? Doing so to ask you to stop me? No, the Radiant Knight wouldn't do that. So...she's injured?" Tora guessed something from Maria's reaction. "Are you saying...I injured her in the duel, so I have to wait until she recovers before challenging her again?"

"..."

"Haha...hahahaha...don't you think it's ridiculous?" Takula said, "Being injured...can't be a reason for her to retreat. Shameless follower, this is my last warning, get out!"

The long sword came down, and Maria only had time to block it with her shield, but this casual blow was more powerful than the blow with her left hand. Maria's shield almost fell out of her hand. A warrior who could hurt her sister naturally could not be blocked by herself.

But Maria had no intention of retreating, even though... she was already beginning to feel fear in her heart.

"You're already afraid... You're not suited to the battlefield at all. You can't even calmly wield that exquisite weapon in your hand... If you were on the battlefield, I would have killed you long ago."

"...It has nothing to do with these things, nothing to do with my strength!" Maria was indeed afraid, but she wasn't afraid of dying or losing. She was afraid that her abilities wouldn't be enough to protect her sister. "I just wanted to protect her."

"Knight Yao... is it your turn to protect a weakling? You ignorant Pegasus--" Tora continued to move forward. At this time, Xinteleya had already gone to ask for reinforcements. Maria knew that the other party would most likely ask Sister Kuro to come for help. This was also her purpose. She had to delay Tora in front of her and wait for Sister Kuro to come.

But... can I hold on until then?

Maria blocked several consecutive attacks, each one teetering on the brink of death. How many more times could she possibly block?

She didn't know, but she knew she had to hold on until Kuro-san arrived...

"I won't let you pass."

The atmosphere of fear has almost solidified in this alley. Tora is now like a real demon king, using the weapon in his hand to suppress the little Pegasus in front of him step by step.

To be honest, Tora is a person who bullies the strong but not the weak. Bullying the weak would only make him feel bored - but he showed no mercy in every one of his strikes, and the other party actually took them all.

This made Tora a little confused - how on earth could this guy take his knife?

Tora's sword and Maria's shield interweave in the alley to create a melody, a terrifying melody.

But…Maria did persevere, albeit with great difficulty. She could hear someone approaching from behind, and the next moment, Tora was forced to raise his sword to take the blow from the sky. It was a pitch-black giant sword, hurled from a distance, yet still carrying terrifying force. Then came a cold voice. "Back off!"

The person who came was of course Kuro. After she arrived, she immediately threw the giant sword in her hand, forcing Tora to retreat. Then she jumped up and caught the giant sword that was blocked by Tora, and jumped and chopped again. With a loud bang, Tora was directly pushed back three steps by the force of the chopped sword... This was the second time.

I could actually be defeated... in terms of strength?

Tora found it a little hard to believe that the masked woman in front of him actually had a strength that was vaguely superior to that of the Radiant Knight?

Casimir... Is this your true face?

As expected, fate brought me here just to experience trials—

Here I met my lost relatives, I met a noble person with noble blood, I met a shining knight, and then... I also met a warrior who was powerful enough to repel me.

It is already... worth the trip.

Chapter 188: One Punch

"Maria, I'm late." At this time, Noah arrived at about the same time as Kuro.

After Xinteleya rushed back, she told Noah about the matter immediately. Noah made the same judgment as Maria, that Margaret could not be allowed to deal with Tora, so she immediately ordered Kuro to set off, and she asked Xinteleya to help bring him here.

When she arrived, Kuro was already confronting Tora.

"Sister Noah?! Why are you here?" Maria thought Cintrea had only asked Sister Kuro to come, but she didn't expect Noah to come too. "It's not safe here, you..."

"No, I have to come." Noya turned to Tora with a complicated expression, "Because... this is a battle I must witness."