A Chance Encounter (Continued)

He let out a laugh that he intended to sound hearty, but his voice sounded rather weak and strained—he didn't care, and simply left, carrying his shield and gun, walking into the distance.

"I suggest you change your name!" Miss Surtr called softly in the direction he had left. "The name Patches always gives me an uneasy feeling. How about Lapp? Perhaps this new name will bring you good luck!"

She saw Patches simply wave his hand. Then, he disappeared into the distance.

So Miss Surtr said nothing more and simply watched him leave. And so they parted.

She couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Giants, treasure—what an awkward, old cliché. Patches always liked to do this, deliberately pointing out places where treasure might be found, then rewarding the greedy with traps. He generally didn't lie; the treasures often did exist, just not as valuable as people imagined. But compared to the treasures he pointed out, there might be something even more precious beyond them.

—I know that there are spear-throwing giants on the towers outside the Undead Fortress. Those giants have sharp eyes and immense strength. They can strike any creature that approaches the tower with the precision of a missile. And I also know that if you show the giant a tender white branch, it will become an ally providing ranged support, whether in the Sunken Church or in the Farron Marsh. The giant's obsession lies in this friendship, for if all the tender white branches symbolizing friendship under the Farron tree are taken away, it will die from the shattering of its obsession.

—In its hand lay a treasure called the Ring of the Hawk Eye. It was the symbol of Gough the Hawk Eye, one of the Four Horsemen of the King, the sharpshooter. Ah... was Patches reminding me that Gough the Hawk Eye was the giant who lived in the tower? Ah... indeed, it too became immortal. And because it bore too many curses, it lost its memory?

—Well, we did meet once before. It wouldn't hurt to go and see it... Perhaps I can help it remove the curse and restore its memories and power.

Miss Surtr thought to herself. She looked up at the sky and whispered, as the Originium Arts Sound Projection, already transcribed, were released from her lips and reached the caravan that was hovering in the sky.

"Fire Keeper, I'm heading north. There's a tower forty kilometers away, where a skilled giant archer might be hiding, hostile to all alien creatures... I'll take care of that. You fly higher, just don't get shot down."

She quickly received a response.

"Even the Silver Knights' archers couldn't shoot me down, Miss. But since it's your wish, I will comply."

She looked up and saw the caravan rising higher into the sky. So she took a deep breath and stepped out toward the north.

Go ahead.

Forty miles is not a long distance.

She walked very fast, at least not much slower than the caravans flying in the sky.

But when her gaze caught the outline of the tower, she was not immediately struck by the giant from afar.

There was none twenty miles away.

There was none ten miles away.

There was still nothing within five miles.

The tower's outline grew larger in her vision, and when she approached within a mile, she still encountered no external force—the top of the tower was silent, still, and soundless. Yet, an unusual presence lingered at the top of the tower. And that unusual presence even made her feel the flames within her body flowing faster.

The fire of sin is boiling.

This is a novel experience that has never been seen in previous battles.

Miss Surtr slowed her pace.

—There, there is a strong one.

—A stronger fighter than Aldrich and also stronger than Yhorm.

—It is waiting for my arrival.

Is this considered a provocation? Perhaps.

Was this a chance encounter? Perhaps not.

Miss Surtr raised her hand, and the Coiled Sword for passing on the fire appeared in her palm—she took a light breath, and the flames inside and outside her body began to boil.

She stopped at the foot of the tower.

Her gaze rose, landing on a spot at the top of the tower—she saw a figure clad in full black armor standing atop the very top. And that figure was precisely where this intense presence emanated.

Black armor—she noticed that the edges of the black armor had gold patterns, and the top of the closed helmet had a pair of sharp points pointing straight up.

—No mistake, it's the Black Knight. Gwyn's personal guard, the Sun King. It is said that their armor was blackened by smoke while protecting Gwyn as he entered the First Flame, a testament to their glory and military achievements.

—And I do indeed remember a Black Knight around this Farron Keep. It was supposed to be guarding the interior of an abandoned fortress, a formidable foe that could be ignored and defeated without any gain.

—Is it that? But even if it really is that Black Knight, this amount of souls that surpasses the average level of the Lord of Cinder, and is not even just barely above but far beyond it, is simply too exaggerated.

Her thoughts raced; she knew they weren't far from Farron. And the Black Knight before her had a reason to be here: the giant Goff, over ten thousand years ago, in an era still ruled by the gods, had been banished from Asgard by Gwyn, the Sun King, on some fabricated pretext—purely a way to purge meritorious officials and prevent turmoil in Divine Court after he linked the Divine Court Flame.

Miss Surtr's voice then echoed throughout the entire tower.

"I have come to visit a knight, a giant—who are you, and why are you here?"

She stared at him, but the knight, who could perhaps be called an uninvited guest, did not respond. No... not even a verbal response. Because at that very moment, the knight atop the tower raised his lance.

Guns... The Black Knight weren't incapable of using guns. But Miss Surtr remembered very clearly that in the game, the Black Knight located near Fran, or rather, those who would appear in this era, carried only swords and battle axes.

—Is he Black Knight from somewhere else?

—Tsk...did it execute Goff? These guys...you weren't this enthusiastic when it was time to link the fire!

Miss Surtr tightened her grip on her sword slightly—she could clearly feel a needle-like sensation between her brows; it was obvious that her opponent was eager for battle and ready to fight.

"It seems we'll have to resort to weapons to negotiate?"

With a soft breath, the girl's fiery hair billowed in the sudden gust of hot wind. And then—

A thunderclap!

The spear and sword clashed in mid-air, and the entire tall and sturdy tower shattered and broke in the instant of the clash! The knight's figure was blasted into the tower, with the burning Flame Sword following closely behind!

Collision, impact, shifting position in mid-air. The Black Knight's back absorbed all the force into the bricks the moment it hit the tower, and as the blade approached, the knight's iron feet were already able to step on the flying boulders to adjust its direction.

The boulder shattered, and sword and spear clashed a second time. The spear crackled with golden lightning, the power of the sun god forcing back the flames and vaporizing the surrounding environment.

Vaporization, vaporization means the surge of airflow.

Miss Surtr, riding the air currents, shifted behind the knight in the instant the lightning erupted, her greatsword aimed at his neck, but was blocked by a spear just before her hand could strike. One side's forehand, the other's backhand; the difference in strength was thus revealed. The final result was that the tower's foundation was torn apart by the falling Black Knight, a narrow chasm ripped into the earth.

But this was not the end, for golden lightning struck the end of the chasm, and an arrow formed from lightning grazed the cheek of the Flame-haired Girl as she turned her head, striking a distant hill. The hill collapsed, large chunks of earth and rock were hurled in the explosion, leaving behind a massive crater. The forest burst into flames, but the fire, instantly drawn by sin, gathered around the Flame-haired Girl, transforming into protective armor.

—The Lightning Arrow, the Lost Miracle of the Ringed City.

—A powerful soul force and profound martial arts skills, and an undeniable background as a member of the Gwyn gods... So that's it, you are Hila, the captain of the personal guard of the Goddess Filianore of the Oolacile Township, and the daughter of the duke!

—What are you doing here in Fran instead of staying in the Ringed City?

—Do you perhaps wish to rekindle the fire?

The thought raced through her mind, but her actions were swift and decisive. The pent-up Profaned Flame within her erupted suddenly, and in the next instant, she cleaved the incoming Lightning Arrow in two with a single strike, then charged toward the source of the arrow!

A series of sonic booms echoed through the air.