Chapter 109: The Girl Who Turned the Tide of Battle

"Perhaps you all still have a chance to continue," Lianhua suddenly spoke, just as one of the three men was suffering from a mental breakdown while the other two were in a state of confusion.

"Really?" the three replied in unison.

Vlad was afraid that if this matter remained unfinished, his various benefits would be slashed and he would be mocked by the other heroic spirits. Zhao Kuo was there because the method for his return seemed to lie in the hands of the girl in the sky, and since her companion needed to eliminate the guy in front of them—he had already forgotten which side he was supposed to be on—he needed to finish off this opponent quickly so he could be taught the way home. Lancer, meanwhile, was seeking revenge on the guy who had snatched the weapon of his comrade—the mist—and used poison to severely damage his stomach—the thick fog—all while delaying his time to increase his favorability with the girls. That was the truth!

Feeling strange being stared at by the three, Lianhua didn't hold back and said directly, "Lancer, have you forgotten that there are others here besides us?"

"Are there?" Lancer asked, clutching his head in thought.

"Present here with combat capability—"

"One vampire, one 'Chrysanthemum Xin,' and one male lead," Lancer nodded affirmatively after thinking. "No one else."

Just as he finished speaking, he felt his torn sleeve tugged.

"Good girl. Big brother will take you to eat a lollipop after I finish off the monster. Go hide further away." Lancer patted Tianyi's head and looked back at Lianhua. "Is there anyone else here?"

"..."
"..."
"..."

"Is this guy an idiot?" the three thought simultaneously. It was obvious that anyone able to remain in this intense battlefield couldn't be a simple, cute character, yet Lancer was still... When they saw the girl cheering with joy over the promise of a lollipop and Lancer smiling as he patted her head, they realized this master and servant were both fools. They were likely the only pair who would discuss food on a battlefield where death could strike at any moment.

"Lancer, have you forgotten Tianyi-chan's primary occupation?" Lianhua decided to give Lancer one more chance, choosing to treat his behavior as merely playing dumb.

"Of course not." Lancer pulled out an apple candy and handed it to Tianyi.

"But you don't mean to—" Lancer looked at Lianhua with surprised eyes, and Lianhua, seeing that her little brother had finally caught on, revealed a relieved smile.

"Remember this, Tianyi-chan," Lancer whispered into Tianyi's ear. Even though it seemed quiet, no one present was an ordinary person. "Don't ever eat that black stuff. If you eat it, your tummy will hurt." Tianyi nodded in response.

Lianhua's anger reached its maximum, and she pulled out a baseball bat, delivering a violent blow to the back of Lancer's head.

"Go in peace, may God bless you," Vlad prayed for Lancer, shamelessly turning to the God he had abandoned over five hundred years ago.

"Just don't die or lose your memory. Even if you become an idiot, you must remember the way back," Zhao Kuo said realistically, though Lancer knew he was sincere.

"Tianyi's true profession is a Songstress! A Songstress! Do you think a Songstress has no abilities? Let me tell you, a Songstress's support can bolster an entire battlefield! You idiot!" After thoroughly disciplining her useless, loyal dog—who had successfully been demoted to the title of 'loyal dog'—Lianhua mercifully explained.

"Really?" Lancer asked, patting Tianyi's head.

"Mm!" Tianyi replied, licking her apple candy.

"OTR. If I had known, I wouldn't have just fed her like a pet. I should have at least taught her how to make barbecue. Battle cats can do it, it would have reduced my burden! Just kidding..." Seeing Lancer in a state of 'orz' despair for such a strange reason, the others felt completely helpless.

"Haha, you... you bunch of... trash..." The older 'chuunibyou' had been so excited that he hadn't taken a breath during his speech, and now, unable to hold on any longer, he finally stopped.

"But I recall the only songs Tianyi knows are—" Everyone turned their gaze toward the man still petting Tianyi's head.

"The Tianyi Feeding Song."

"You jerk!" Zhao Kuo, who also lived in the third dimension and had been a chuunibyou himself, realized after hearing the exchange that the girl standing there happily licking her candy was one of the keys to their victory. He exploded, "Have you ever played an RPG? Don't you know that Dancers are the primary source of group buffs? Why didn't you train her when you had a Dancer? Do you think we have a Priest to heal us? And what about a Mage? Is there one? Anyone?"

Although being grabbed by the collar was unpleasant, he knew it was his fault. The hope of victory had been right in front of him, but because he had raised a battle-hardened weapon as a decorative pet, everyone was now at a loss.

"Nai-nai... Master, I know other songs, too."

"!" Lancer hadn't expected Tianyi to say that. In that instant, he felt as if someone had kicked him awake during the apocalypse, only to tell him he had been sleeping in class.

Despite his surprise, Lancer pulled up Tianyi's skill menu, and sure enough, a new skill had appeared that he hadn't noticed before.

"Knight's Shadow—Battle Song: Once used, all friendly members with the title of 'Knight' will fight with a death-defying resolve, gaining a combat power boost. Consequence of use: Because it induces a will to die—use with caution!"

Lancer understood from the description that the song's power was immense. At the very least, both he and Vlad held the title of Knight; if their combat power surged, they could indeed defeat their opponents. However, he had a bad feeling. If he remembered correctly, this song was the character theme of a certain 'Lancer.'

But by then, Tianyi's voice had already begun to ring out, and as if to harmonize with her song, raindrops began to fall.

The first time he grew weary of life, he saw the stubborn girl pursuing a hollow, ethereal dream...
The first time he returned to the past, he saw the girl earnestly brandishing her longsword by the lake...
The first time the girl spoke with him, she shared her dreams...
The first time he was named a knight by the girl to guard her side...
The first time he witnessed the darkness of monsters and fought with madness...
The first time he became a Blood Knight and an executioner for the sake of his King...
Countless 'firsts' were what that girl had given him, and now that they had to part, all he had left besides memories was this title—Knight!

Standing in the distance, Vlad also seemed to be remembering something: the proud smile of his father when he was knighted, the young knight marrying the girl he still loved to this day, and the girl who was forced to commit suicide for family honor after he had been framed and captured. He thought of so much.

"I remember... I remember it now... my former dream!" Vlad muttered to himself, his eyes sparking with intensity. "I am your knight—my lady!" He didn't know to whom he was offering his tribute, but Zhao Kuo could see the tears streaming down his face.

"Wake from the darkness, then sleep in the darkness forever." Lancer's transformation was even more thorough; his white samurai attire twisted into a suit of black armor, and on the chest of the armor blossomed a single, newly opened spider lily.

"These guys are insane!" That was Zhao Kuo's only thought.