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Authors: Hideyuki Kikuchi
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Knight’s eyes hadn’t
even seen her change position.
“You’ve got some tricky moves, don’t you? But you’ve had it now!” Elena cried. Her
finger slid across the bike’s gauges, and its headlight disgorged a beam of crimson.
Roughly a year earlier, she’d acquired this laser emitter during a shopping expedition
in the northern Frontier. Although originally intended for communications, at distances
of fifteen hundred feet or less it was more than capable of maiming or killing.
A crimson flower bloomed on the left half of the Blue Knight’s chest. In a matter
of seconds, however, it lost its color and the armor returned to its original hue.
“Too bad,” said the Blue Knight, his lance whistling in his right hand. He wouldn’t
allow his prey to escape a second blow.
Elena smirked at him. “The game’s just getting started!”
“And whatever could you—,” the Blue Knight began to say, but the rest of the sentence
was lost. As he took a step forward, a beam of light struck his face.
Though the knight didn’t cry out, he shielded his eyes and backed away. As he came to a halt, Elena and her bike flew at him and knocked his
blue-armored form to the ground.
“Now for the coup de grace,” Elena said, raising her right hand. The sharpened tip
of the steel pipe she held was aimed right at the Blue Knight’s heart.
A flash of light raced toward the end of the weapon. The electric shock not only knocked
the pipe from Elena’s hand, but also left her whole body numb.
“Knocked on your behind by a woman? Let that be a lesson to you,” the Black Knight
said gravely. Blue light spilled from the tip of the finger he’d extended. Electrical
discharge.
“Goddamn . . . cheaters . . . ,” Elena groaned.
It was amazing that she didn’t fall off the bike or topple over with it. And for all
her agonized panting, the gleam in her eyes declared that the fight would go on.
“You needn’t have interfered like that,” the Blue Knight said as he got to his feet.
Elena wasn’t scared. Revving her bike with her numbed hand, she endeavored to maintain
her battle-readiness. She was definitely tenacious.
“Well played, missy. You can tell them in heaven that you earned the praise of the
Blue Knight.”
The knights watched with satisfaction as their compatriot hauled back mightily with
his lance and launched it at Elena’s chest in a gleaming blur.
With a mellifluous sound, the lance jolted upward. And then it completely reversed
direction and headed back at the chest of the Blue Knight. Naturally, the knight was
able to catch it in his bare hands, though the effort staggered him and he was once
more knocked back on his ass.
The three knights gazed in rapture at the powerful figure in a black coat who stood
before Elena. Was their reaction a pure response to the young man’s good looks, or
was it the joy they felt as warriors at the prospect of doing battle with such a man?
“Are you determined to do this?” the Red Knight asked in a weary tone. “We should’ve
known you could never live under the same roof as us. Before the princess awakens,
we shall take matters into our own hands.”
Not only the air, but even the flowers blooming so grandly seemed to freeze.
The three knights spread out without making a sound.
Against them stood D, alone. Basking in the moonlight, with the blade that’d deflected
the lance in one hand, he was adorned with roses of blue, red, black, and white. The
sight of him not only left his three opponents spellbound, but also captivated the
agonized Elena.
The Red Knight had all his weight balanced on the tip of his foot. One way or another,
life and death were clearly a heartbeat away from colliding in a shower of sparks.
And at just that moment, a voice as distinct as a rose flowed out into the still night
it suited so well, crying, “Hold!”
A WISH CLOAKED IN DARKNESS
CHAPTER 3
—
I
—
T he reaction of
even seen her change position.
“You’ve got some tricky moves, don’t you? But you’ve had it now!” Elena cried. Her
finger slid across the bike’s gauges, and its headlight disgorged a beam of crimson.
Roughly a year earlier, she’d acquired this laser emitter during a shopping expedition
in the northern Frontier. Although originally intended for communications, at distances
of fifteen hundred feet or less it was more than capable of maiming or killing.
A crimson flower bloomed on the left half of the Blue Knight’s chest. In a matter
of seconds, however, it lost its color and the armor returned to its original hue.
“Too bad,” said the Blue Knight, his lance whistling in his right hand. He wouldn’t
allow his prey to escape a second blow.
Elena smirked at him. “The game’s just getting started!”
“And whatever could you—,” the Blue Knight began to say, but the rest of the sentence
was lost. As he took a step forward, a beam of light struck his face.
Though the knight didn’t cry out, he shielded his eyes and backed away. As he came to a halt, Elena and her bike flew at him and knocked his
blue-armored form to the ground.
“Now for the coup de grace,” Elena said, raising her right hand. The sharpened tip
of the steel pipe she held was aimed right at the Blue Knight’s heart.
A flash of light raced toward the end of the weapon. The electric shock not only knocked
the pipe from Elena’s hand, but also left her whole body numb.
“Knocked on your behind by a woman? Let that be a lesson to you,” the Black Knight
said gravely. Blue light spilled from the tip of the finger he’d extended. Electrical
discharge.
“Goddamn . . . cheaters . . . ,” Elena groaned.
It was amazing that she didn’t fall off the bike or topple over with it. And for all
her agonized panting, the gleam in her eyes declared that the fight would go on.
“You needn’t have interfered like that,” the Blue Knight said as he got to his feet.
Elena wasn’t scared. Revving her bike with her numbed hand, she endeavored to maintain
her battle-readiness. She was definitely tenacious.
“Well played, missy. You can tell them in heaven that you earned the praise of the
Blue Knight.”
The knights watched with satisfaction as their compatriot hauled back mightily with
his lance and launched it at Elena’s chest in a gleaming blur.
With a mellifluous sound, the lance jolted upward. And then it completely reversed
direction and headed back at the chest of the Blue Knight. Naturally, the knight was
able to catch it in his bare hands, though the effort staggered him and he was once
more knocked back on his ass.
The three knights gazed in rapture at the powerful figure in a black coat who stood
before Elena. Was their reaction a pure response to the young man’s good looks, or
was it the joy they felt as warriors at the prospect of doing battle with such a man?
“Are you determined to do this?” the Red Knight asked in a weary tone. “We should’ve
known you could never live under the same roof as us. Before the princess awakens,
we shall take matters into our own hands.”
Not only the air, but even the flowers blooming so grandly seemed to freeze.
The three knights spread out without making a sound.
Against them stood D, alone. Basking in the moonlight, with the blade that’d deflected
the lance in one hand, he was adorned with roses of blue, red, black, and white. The
sight of him not only left his three opponents spellbound, but also captivated the
agonized Elena.
The Red Knight had all his weight balanced on the tip of his foot. One way or another,
life and death were clearly a heartbeat away from colliding in a shower of sparks.
And at just that moment, a voice as distinct as a rose flowed out into the still night
it suited so well, crying, “Hold!”
A WISH CLOAKED IN DARKNESS
CHAPTER 3
—
I
—
T he reaction of
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