Headless Knight

Biodata

Appearance

The Headless Knight is a headless armored rider who emerges from fog aboard a black horse and carries a longsword wreathed in ethereal green flame 43.

• Wears light armor 43.
• Rides a black horse that responds to him and retrieves him during combat 43.
• Wields an enchanted-looking longsword burning with green flame 43.
• Has no head, yet retains intelligence, mobility, and swordsmanship 43 46.

Abilities & Skills

Immortality and Regeneration

The Knight survives decapitation by nature and rapidly repairs damage from firearms and piercing attacks. The forest witch states that he cannot truly be killed again, only sent back to Hell 43 44 50.

• Continues fighting after being shot and impaled through the body 43.
• Rapidly heals holes made in his sword arm by handgun fire 43.
• Can be sent back to Hell only by returning his lost head 50.
• His body can still be damaged; Zheng Yichen considers sufficiently destructive firepower a possible countermeasure 43 44.

Mounted Combat

The Knight attacks from horseback, using his mount's speed and repeated charges to pressure opponents 43.

• Charges while wielding his flaming longsword 43.
• Was thrown from his horse by Zheng Yichen but remounted once the black horse returned to him 43.
• Adjusted his tactics after being knocked down, becoming more cautious and circling his opponent before retreating 43.

Swordsmanship

Accounts describe Headless Knights as possessing exquisite swordsmanship, while this Knight uses his flaming longsword effectively during mounted charges 43 46.

• Swings at Zheng Yichen's neck while impaled on a polearm 43.
• Carries a sword coveted by Zheng Yichen as potential magical equipment 43 48 50.

Equipment

• Ethereal green-flamed longsword — the Knight's primary weapon; its supernatural appearance motivates Zheng Yichen to pursue him 43 48 50.
• Black horse — his mount and a key part of his mobility in the forest 43.

Relationships

• Zheng Yichen — adversary. The Knight confronted Zheng at a murder scene, endured his attacks, and later became Zheng's primary target due to the sword he carries 43 48 50.
• Forest Witch — knowledgeable about the Knight's nature and location; she explains that returning his lost head is necessary to send him back to Hell 50.
• Katrina — knows of the Knight through Zheng's recorded encounter and assists Zheng's search for evidence in the forest 44 49.

Story Role / Major Arcs

First Encounter

While investigating a headless murder victim, Zheng Yichen follows hoofprints and encounters the Headless Knight emerging from fog. Shotgun slugs and a Black Gun-enhanced fishing rod fail to stop it permanently; Zheng manages to throw it from its horse, but the Knight heals, remounts, and retreats into the foggy forest 43.

Murders and Suspicion

A further headless victim, Brom, is found near the town. The townspeople suspect Zheng Yichen rather than accepting the existence of a Headless Knight, compelling him to seek proof by hunting the creature down 48 49.

Search for the Lost Head

A forest witch identifies the Knight as a being returned from Hell. She reveals that he wanders the human world in search of his lost head and can only be sent back by having that head returned; she also directs Zheng toward his location beneath the Death Tree, along a path facing the sunset 50.

Trivia

• The Knight's apparent power is partly shaped by the era: Zheng Yichen considers a mounted, immortal swordsman exceptionally dangerous in a society reliant on horses and carriages, but potentially valuable research material in Longcheng 47.
• Zheng Yichen does not want merely to banish the Knight; he specifically wants the Knight's sword 50.