Chapter 34: The Night of Knighthood Elevation (Part 7)

Villainous ladies really do hold grudges.

“You want to cut me down? What, you expect a priest like me to cross swords with a knight?” Samimi chuckled lightly.

“You used Niubao as a shield?! I knew you were up to no good raising a half-beast! You didn’t just use me—you used Niubao too! And you deceived my grandfather!” Fabiana accused harshly.

“No, no, I must clarify. I only used you. My feelings for Niubao are genuine. As for your grandfather—I respect the old man, and I respect the Giant Whale Knights too.” Samimi pointed with her small hand. “From beginning to end, you were the only one I couldn’t stand.”

“Hisss…” Fabiana inhaled sharply, her heart aching.

Because she knew that Niubao had willingly thrown herself in front of her. Although Fabiana and Niubao had a kind of mentor-student relationship, if Niubao had to choose between them, she would choose Samimi without hesitation—even if it meant killing Fabiana.

That was their bond. The kind of bond Fabiana had dreamed of. The kind she could never reach.

She had also once wanted to be friends with them—mutual trust, companionship—but someone who had betrayed them once could never be trusted again.

The one time she gave her heart sincerely… she lost everything.

“You’re beyond saving!” Fabiana’s thoughts grew muddled, overcome with jealousy and bitterness.

“And yet you believed me and taught us your sword techniques. You are the one who’s hopelessly naive,” Samimi mocked.

“Face my blade, villain!” Fabiana finally lost all reason and charged forward, sword raised.

And then—

She saw Samimi’s smile widen the moment she attacked.

Samimi had definitely been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. She had been hoping for this day, just for Fabiana to make the first move.

“[Holy Shield Technique].”
“[Secret Art – Sanctuary].”
“[Haste].”
“[Weapon Enhancement].”
“[Defense Boost].”
“[Strength Boost].”
“[Endurance Boost].”
“[Impact Resistance Boost].”
“[Penetration Boost].”
“[All Attributes Amplify].”

On the quiet path, Fabiana could clearly hear Samimi’s rapid chanting.

But the target of those buffs was no longer her. The chants, like a demonic lullaby, unsettled her spirit and made her sword sluggish.

Clang! A crisp sound rang out.

In an instant, the Demon-Slaying Sword clashed with the Golden Sword, sparks flying.

Fabiana and Niubao collided in the middle of the path, swords crossed, strength pitted against strength. They could both see each other’s expressions clearly.

Niubao’s young face showed no emotion, her beastly eyes firm and steady. She swung her sword without hesitation.

In contrast, Fabiana’s face was twisted, jaw clenched, her hands trembling with conflicted emotion.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Soon, the two were locked in fierce combat, blade flashing against blade, a flurry of strikes without mercy.

Yet Fabiana could easily read every one of Niubao’s sword paths and countered them with little effort.

After all, it had been Fabiana who first taught Niubao how to use a sword. Her style came from the prestigious Dilmutt family.

Niubao had only been training for a couple of months, whereas the Pure White Knight had trained since childhood. No matter how talented Niubao was, she couldn’t surpass that experience.

On paper, Niubao should have been a mere novice, easily taken down in a single strike.

At the Sweetmelon Chapel, they’d often sparred with wooden swords—and Niubao had never lasted more than three moves against her.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Yet now, Niubao had endured over thirty exchanges and was holding her ground.

Fabiana’s technique was solid, but with each strike, her shock grew.

Because Niubao’s sword had become heavier than ever before, fierce and unstoppable. Every blow made Fabiana’s arms go numb. She had to treat every strike with the utmost care.

Of course, it wasn’t that Niubao had suddenly improved. It was because behind Niubao… stood Samimi.

That little beastkin nun had received Samimi’s full buff set. And now, she could match the Pure White Knight blow for blow?

Utterly unacceptable! This was a real humiliation! A denial of everything the Pure White Knight stood for!

“Niubao, brace yourself! Your master’s getting serious now!”

But the longer Fabiana fought, the calmer she became. She’d been overwhelmed by sadness before, but sparring with Niubao helped her clear her head.

Even as she marveled at Niubao’s rapid progress, she knew—she could not lose this fight.

The nature of this duel had changed. As the Pure White Knight, she must not lose to a beastkin nun.

“You’re thinking to yourself, ‘I absolutely can’t lose to a little beastkin,’ aren’t you?” Samimi’s voice teased from the back.

“!?” That piercing comment shook Fabiana to her core, right when she’d finally regained some focus.

Momentarily distracted, Fabiana was hit by a fierce counterattack from Niubao.

A flurry of blows from the Demon-Slaying Sword forced the Pure White Knight into retreat.

“[Parry].” Pushed to her limit, Fabiana stepped back, pulling the Shield of Victory from her back and raising it to block.

Boom!

Niubao’s sword slammed into the shield and rebounded violently.

She was knocked back hard, heels digging into the ground to stop herself.

Her arm trembled from the impact, too numb to risk attacking again.

Even though Samimi’s buffs raised Niubao’s base stats to match Fabiana’s, there were two things buffs couldn’t give:

Skills and Equipment.

Niubao was a gearless swordswoman with no skills, relying on brute force. It was a huge disadvantage.

Fabiana, on the other hand, had some of the best equipment in the royal capital. Her white knight armor and golden sword were top-tier, custom-made masterpieces.

But her strongest asset wasn’t her sword or armor—it was that unassuming knight’s buckler:

The Shield of Victory.

The name might sound plain, but it was a Legendary Orange-Grade Divine Weapon.

First, despite being a light shield, it had the defense of a heavy shield. Its stats were overwhelming—utterly tyrannical.

Then came its built-in abilities:

• Passive Skill – Counterstrike: Every block rebounds a portion of the attacker’s force back at them.
  Though the reflected damage was small, over time it added up. Against monsters, it didn’t matter much. But in duels against humans? Devastating. Especially against melee fighters.
• Active Skill – Wall of Triumph: Generates a phantom wall of defense.
  It was this skill that had blocked the breath-blast of the newborn demon last time.

And as a legendary weapon, the Shield of Victory never wore out. If it ever failed, the problem wasn’t the shield—it was the wielder.

“As expected of the Pure White Knight. That gear of yours really is top-notch,” Samimi smirked with hands in her pockets, tossing out mockery from behind.

She wasn’t just a support. She could heal, she could fight, she could cast magic, and she could taunt. She was truly all-purpose.

“I’m going to rip off that nun’s headpiece and shove it in your mouth!” Fabiana roared, regaining some momentum and immediately exploding in rage again.