Chapter 217: Steel and Treachery

A few of Jooquin’s crew exchanged glances before breaking into sinister grins.

One by one, they began spreading out, gradually surrounding William and his knights. Some drew their weapons, while others casually rolled their shoulders as though they were preparing for an entertaining brawl.

The knights immediately tightened their formation.

Gray watched the sudden change in the situation with a mixture of surprise and cautious interest.

’Well, this certainly took an unexpected turn.’

He had anticipated trouble from the expedition, but he hadn’t expected their own allies to turn against them so quickly.

Still, he couldn’t deny that the situation was becoming increasingly favorable to him. With the pirates attacking the knights, he might be able to escape with Luna without having to fight everyone himself.

Luna, however, seemed completely caught off guard.

Her crimson eyes widened as she stared at Jooquin. For a moment, she appeared unable to believe what she was witnessing. Then her expression hardened, and she glared at the pirate captain with barely concealed fury.

"Jooquin...!"

William stepped forward, his face contorted with anger.

"This is betrayal! The Marquis will never forgive you for this!"

Jooquin merely laughed.

"Betrayal? Don’t make me laugh. I couldn’t care less about what some marquis thinks."

He tilted his head, looking at William with disdain.

"Especially one whose territory is already on the verge of collapse. Do you honestly think a fallen noble’s threats mean anything to me?"

William clenched his fists around his weapon.

"You will regret this!"

"Perhaps. But that can wait."

Jooquin turned toward his crew and raised his curved sword.

"Enough talking. Kill the knights!"

His gaze briefly shifted toward Gray and Luna.

"And remember, don’t touch the hooded man or the mage. They’re mine."

"Understood, Captain!"

The pirates responded with excited shouts.

In the next instant, they charged.

Steel clashed against steel as the knights raised their weapons to defend themselves. The first pirate lunged forward, only to be intercepted by a knight’s shield. Another swung his axe toward the formation, forcing two knights to move together and block the attack.

William immediately shouted commands.

"Maintain formation! Don’t let them surround us!"

The knights responded with disciplined movements, forming a defensive line against the approaching pirates.

But the pirates had no intention of fighting fairly.

Several slipped around the sides, while others attacked relentlessly from the front. Their laughter and curses mixed with the sound of clashing weapons, turning the camp into a chaotic battlefield.

Gray remained still, keeping Luna restrained as he watched the fight unfold.

’This might be my chance.’

Yet he didn’t relax.

Jooquin was still standing nearby, watching the battle with a satisfied grin. And judging by the strength he had demonstrated against the Abyssal Sea Serpent, Gray knew that the pirate captain was not someone he could afford to underestimate.

For now, he would wait.

Let the humans kill each other first.

William clicked his tongue in irritation before stepping into the fray.

"These damn pirates..."

His sword flashed as he moved forward, abandoning the defensive position for a direct attack. The moment the first pirate approached, William twisted his body and unleashed a sharp zigzagging slash.

The blade moved unpredictably, changing direction several times before reaching its target.

A pirate barely had time to widen his eyes before his head was severed from his shoulders.

William’s swordsmanship had reached the fifth stage. His movements were precise, powerful, and honed through countless battles. Against ordinary opponents, such techniques were more than enough to overwhelm them.

Two more pirates rushed toward him from opposite sides.

William adjusted his stance and swung his sword in a wide arc. One pirate attempted to block the attack, but his weapon was knocked aside before the blade cut through him. The other tried to exploit the opening, only to be met by William’s sudden counterattack.

However, the pirates were far from ordinary.

A man wielding a dagger suddenly appeared behind William, taking advantage of the chaos to launch a surprise attack.

William reacted immediately.

Clang!

His sword intercepted the dagger just inches from his back.

"You’re getting careless."

William twisted his wrist, forcing the dagger aside before driving his sword toward the pirate’s chest. The man tried to retreat, but William’s follow-up strike caught him before he could escape.

’This is going to be troublesome.’

William’s expression darkened.

The Marquis had anticipated the possibility of betrayal and had brought considerably more knights than Jooquin had pirates. In terms of numbers, their advantage was undeniable.

And the knights were generally stronger and more durable than the pirates.

However, the enemy’s experience couldn’t be underestimated.

These men were accustomed to killing other humans. They fought in groups, exploited blind spots, and showed no hesitation in using dirty tricks. Their coordination was far more dangerous than their individual strength suggested.

Even the knights were struggling to maintain their formation.

Despite that, William continued cutting through the pirates who approached him. His sword moved relentlessly, forcing several attackers to retreat while leaving others dead on the ground.

His gaze briefly shifted toward Luna.

’I won’t let them take her.’

He tightened his grip on his sword.

’No matter what happens, I’ll get her out of here.’

Jooquin, meanwhile, had been watching William’s performance with growing interest.

"Hmm..."

His earlier amusement faded slightly.

"Looks like I underestimated that knight."

William was stronger than he had expected. If he continued allowing the man to fight freely, the pirates might suffer unnecessary losses.

Jooquin turned toward Gray, who was still holding Luna hostage.

"Hey, hooded fellow."

Gray’s attention shifted toward him.

"Don’t go anywhere. If you try to run, I’ll personally hunt you down."

Jooquin flashed a threatening grin before beginning to walk toward William.

Gray watched him leave.

’Perfect.’

With Jooquin moving away and the pirates occupied with the knights, the situation had finally created the opening he needed.

Gray glanced at the restrained Luna.

’Now’s my chance to get out of here with her.’

Without wasting another moment, he began considering the safest direction to escape.

Meanwhile....

William stood amid the battlefield, his sword dripping with blood. His armor was already stained from the numerous enemies he had cut down, and several pirates lay motionless around him.

As he noticed Jooquin approaching, his expression grew serious.

The pirate captain was no longer wearing his carefree grin. Instead, an intense pressure emanated from him, weighing heavily upon William like an invisible force.

His instincts screamed at him to kneel.

Yet William remained standing.

He gritted his teeth, tightened his grip on his sword, and forced his trembling legs to remain steady.

’I will not bow.’

Jooquin noticed his resistance and smiled.

"Oh? You’re more impressive than I thought."

He stopped a short distance away, casually resting his curved sword against his shoulder.

"With talent like yours, it’d be a shame to die here. Why don’t you join me instead?"

William remained silent.

"You’d get to live, and you could do whatever you wanted. No more serving some noble whose territory is falling apart." Jooquin’s grin widened. "And naturally, you’d get to keep that pretty mage by your side. You seem rather concerned about her."

William’s expression didn’t change.

"I’m not interested in your offer."

Jooquin raised an eyebrow.

"Not even a little?"

"Not in the slightest. I have no intention of joining a piece of trash like you."

For a moment, Jooquin simply stared at him.

Then he sighed.

"Well, that’s disappointing."

He shrugged, seemingly accepting the rejection.

"Your loss."

The moment those words left his mouth, Jooquin’s figure suddenly disappeared.

William’s eyes widened.

’Where—?!’

He immediately scanned his surroundings, searching for any trace of the pirate captain.

Then, without warning, he sensed something approaching directly in front of him.

William reacted on instinct.

Clang!

His sword collided with Jooquin’s curved blade, sparks scattering between them.

The pirate captain had appeared right before him, his grin widening as he looked into William’s startled eyes.

"Found me."

Jooquin’s grin widened as he poured more strength into his sword.

The pressure behind his next strike increased dramatically.

William’s eyes narrowed as he tried to withstand the blow, but the sheer force behind it threw his balance off. His feet slid across the ground, and his arms trembled from the impact.

’Damn it... He’s both faster and stronger than me!’

Before William could recover, Jooquin abruptly shifted his stance.

A knee slammed into William’s chest.

"—Gah!"

The impact drove the air from his lungs. William was sent flying backward, crashing into several knights and pirates who were still fighting nearby. The sudden collision sent them tumbling across the ground.

Jooquin lowered his leg and glanced toward the direction William had been thrown.

"Oops. That was a little too far."

His tone was almost apologetic, though his grin suggested otherwise.

William struggled to rise.

His body ached, and his chest felt as though it had been crushed. He pushed himself up from the pile of fallen knights, using his sword to steady his trembling body.

’He’s on an entirely different level...’

The realization was undeniable.

Jooquin’s strength far surpassed his own. The difference in speed, power, and combat experience was overwhelming.

But William slowly straightened his back.

’Even so...’

His gaze shifted toward Luna, who remained restrained by the mysterious hooded creature.

’This is my duty. I cannot abandon her.’

William tightened his grip on his sword.

A brilliant golden aura suddenly erupted from his body, illuminating the battlefield beneath the night sky. The light spread across his armor and weapon, shimmering like molten gold.

William unleashed the full extent of his Fifth Stage aura.

The golden radiance flickered fiercely around him, casting long shadows across the bloodstained ground.

Jooquin’s smile gradually returned.

"Oh?"

William raised his sword, his eyes burning with determination.

"I haven’t finished yet."