I must draw my sword immediately!

Chapter 72 The Skin of a Counterfeit

#
Suya rode his warhorse swiftly to the top of the hill.

The first thing I saw was this scene—

Hector, commander of the Companion Cavalry, held up his massive lance, about to plunge the gleaming tip into Lucan's brow.

Lukan,

This Knight of the Round Table who pledged allegiance to him was a fraudster with ulterior motives.

He looked like he was about to die.

As agreed, he lured the Companion Cavalry out, and after being unexpectedly exposed, he did his best to slow them down, creating an opportunity for the main army to break out and buying time.

Without any hindrance, Suya immediately understood this.

However, after understanding this fact, Suya was unable to understand what was happening before her eyes.

Why would this fraudster do this?
Why do we have to go to this extent?

Why would you give your life for yourself?

For some reason, as my vision gradually turned crimson, the whole world seemed to suddenly freeze.

A series of questions lingered in Suya's mind, making him feel increasingly lost.

In a nearly static world, he could observe the expressions on everyone's faces.
Just like in the past,
In the crowd,

In a group,

In a 'society' composed of countless individuals, the fear of being an 'outcast' within this vast concept keeps me awake at night, often waking up in a cold sweat.
then,

He cowered in the corner, desperately trying to observe and imitate with his eyes, trying to make himself look like a 'person', even though Suya was very sure that he was a person and that he had everything a human should have.

but,

This intuition, this seemingly innate, primal instinct that seemed to reside within his very muscles, told him...

You are not!
be careful!
Quick, hide!
Like a small beast in human skin, trembling under the noses of countless hunters, humbly begging for food before their 'blades', which are distinct from the slash-and-burn era.

They possess high-pressure water guns that can easily cut through scales, hypersonic missiles more terrifying than dragon breath, and nuclear bombs more frightening than the most powerful magic, capable of melting hundreds of thousands of people and a giant city-state in an instant.

It's as if once the disguise of being a 'fake' is torn away, one will immediately face attack, be skinned alive, and have countless greedy, immortal-seeking superiors gnaw at one's neck and drink one's blood.

Just like those evil dragons in fairy tales that are always defeated by heroes,
Sometimes, Suya would involuntarily imagine whether she was that kind of evil dragon.

Even the concept of 'evil' cannot be established.
In the era of mysterious retreat, he was more like a young 'hungry dragon' that could never be satisfied and wandered through human society, a monster born in the wrong era.

Its scales have degenerated, its horns don't grow, and instead of flames, it spews burps that taste like chives. Its claws are like tofu dregs, easily cut off with nail clippers.
He could only fawn over them with a flattering, almost obsequious attitude, forcing a smile and trembling as he tried to please each hunter who filled him with fear, each insect that seemed to him he could crush at any moment, attempting to disguise himself as the hunter in order to fit into the group.

By living in seclusion and never revealing too much of his abilities, he concealed his extraordinary 'eyesight,' which far surpassed that of normal humans and could only be considered a superpower. He suppressed his desire for 'wealth,' his revelry in 'killing,' and all the 'natural instincts' he should have possessed.

And so, I live.

Living in fear

Living tremblingly

Bearing the thought that they would never make an enemy of 'humans,' who are more terrifying than monsters, they knelt down like an elephant that had finally learned how to beg for survival under the gun.
Live humbly.

until--

After that blink of an eye
Suya came into this world.

Upon first seeing the Macedonian army marching forward in formation, and after killing the two Macedonian scouts,

Suya felt something far beyond fear.
But -

A kind of suppressed ecstasy deep within my heart!

However, the humility he had always used to beg for survival made him warily suppress this arrogance and ecstasy, and he continued to approach the people and things in the world he encountered with a tentative attitude and disguise, instinctively and cautiously.

Until he met 'Merry', 'Lukan', and 'Dagonet'.

Like circus clowns, they gathered around this 'fake' for their own purposes.
They were like kobolds serving a dragon in a Western fantasy world, constantly running around to help him gather food and escape danger.

For Suya, they were like a temporary refuge built for him in a dangerous world teeming with hunters licking the blood from their blades—a haven full of coincidences and accidents. An utopia where only outcasts, non-human beings, counterfeiters, deserters, gamblers, and fraudsters existed.

Yes,

For Suya, this was his comfort zone, his ideal world, a place where he could openly display his "different" side, stretch his muscles and bones, and even drool in his sleep without worrying about being shocked unconscious with a stun gun in the middle of the night or being strapped into a lab for biopsies.

It was exactly the nest he had always dreamed of!
He genuinely didn't care what those con artists, gamblers, and deserters wanted to do with him.
After all, Suya, who was already used to integrating into the 'group' with a humble attitude, knew very well that if you want to gain something, you always have to give something in return.

now,

In a stagnant world, Suya, driven by this doubt to frantically dissect himself, gradually realizes the emotions hidden deep within his heart, emotions he dares not speak of to outsiders, and even emotions he has deceived himself about.

What he wanted most was actually such an absurd 'ideal land'.

What he craved most was a group of people with whom he could communicate on the same wavelength, regardless of whether they were actually human.

And what he feared most was...

It's simply that kind of feeling, even when you're surrounded by millions of people, that you can still constantly sense—

lonely.

#
The world began to come alive.
The strange fragrance of soil mixed with grass roots, crushed and trampled by horses' hooves, wafted through the air once again.

And in front of me,
Lines of text quietly appeared:

You have chosen to uncover part of the 'mimicry'.

[Your talent for discerning the truth has vanished and solidified into the Demon Eye: The Eye of the Red Dragon.]

[Eye blood vessels activated, magic power boosted to: D-.]

[The battle runes have begun to burn.]

[Sword energy connection initiated.]

[You have successfully become a Saber.]

[Your awakened Crest Art is: To protect the Red Dragon's Nest (Ex) of the counterfeit ideal world.]

Suya slightly raised her head.
In the crimson vision, ribbons of spiritual veins growing from the earth and invisible magical particles floating in the air were clearly visible, as if they could be reached out and touched.

He raised his hand and, almost instinctively, grabbed a bolt of silk.
[Link to 'Dayuan' successful.]

A crimson light erupted from the center of his palm, and a massive amount of magic gathered and poured into the reins he gripped tightly.
Suya gritted her teeth, her face contorted with rage as she looked towards the south side of the hills.
Looking at the half-hero knight who was about to take away his 'treasure', a terrifying and extremely violent rage suddenly exploded in his mind!

"Lukan!!!"

He roared out the name of his own 'treasure'.

Then, with the other hand, he pulled on the reins, unleashing the remaining power of this Noble Phantasm!

At this moment, Suya, who was gripping the two scarlet ribbons with both hands, felt as if she had grasped two wings, or as if she had placed herself on a taut slingshot string.

The next moment——

The magic slingshot launched!

A spindle-shaped scarlet beam of light carried Suya away!

In an instant, he shot in front of Hector, revealing a sinister smile to the thief.

Then, he threw a punch!
The fist pierced through the clouds and emitted a sharp whistling sound, forming a ring of sonic boom around the arm before slamming into Hector's face!
Hector's pupils suddenly contracted, and then,

Under Suya's slightly horrified gaze, he released the spear in his hand, swung his long arm, and clenched his fist in an instant, clashing it against Suya's fist!

This is just the most basic hook punch.

"Peng!"

A circular shockwave swept across a radius of 50 meters!
Both of them were sent flying backwards.

Hector, this half-hero, actually took a punch enhanced by a C-rank Noble Phantasm with his bare hands and emerged unscathed! (This is partly due to the angle of the angle and partly due to the way the Noble Phantasm was used.)
And the advanced swordsman Suya,
This will also be the first battle of his career that is almost hopeless!
(End of this chapter)