ManHua/Chinese Comics/漫画 1. Chapter 1 - Taking the Wrong Path

Disclaimer: Legend of Sun Knight is owned by Yu Wo

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Everyone knows Grisia Sun is a force to be reckoned with. But in this case, 'everyone' refers to people who know him well enough to fear his bad side, and people who've been unlucky enough to cross paths with him. Either way, enraging Grisia would mean begging for a slow, torturous death.

Unfortunately, unlike his sword skill, this is not a common knowledge among the citizens. Guan must admit, he was one of those ignorant men who only think that the benevolent, 'perfect' Sun Knight is just a sissy who can't even hold his liquor. Apparently, his wife thinks differently, so everytime he muttered this (in a very, very low whisper) he always received a hard slap on the head.

Lucia is not the most gorgeous girl in town, but her cheery smile and caring personality (and the cherry pie she makes) attract many suitors, including Guan. They've been married for 2 years and are now expecting their first child. But his business is not thriving well, and with an additional mouth to feed, Guan desperately needs money. So when Seisho, an old friend from his mercenary days persuaded him to take part in his 'plan', Guan let himself being enticed.

"It's going to be alright!" His friend slaps his thigh hard, swaying dangerously as he gets more drunk. "Come on, Guan, don't be such a wuss! See, I've got a perfect plan, nothing's gonna go wrong!" Seisho's friends, with attire as haggard as his, laugh along with him.

Guan says nothing. He feels nervousness setting in, with a hard, guilty feeling sagging in his stomach. His heart twists wondering what Lucia would say if she knew what he's going to do… _No, she definitely can't find out._

Still, his internal conflict makes him uneasy.

_I'm not that kind of person. _A voice sounded in his head.

_Well, are you going to stay this way then? Miserable and not being able to feed your family?_

Guan shakes his head. He dreadfully needs alcohol right now. But tomorrow's the day, and he can't let himself get intoxicated. So instead he decides to sleep early to calm his nerves. He rises from his seat.

"Where are you going?" One of Seisho's two friends who looks less drunk seems to notice him leaving.

"Home." He answers shortly.

The man appears to be brighter than the rest, with a nicely angled jaw and copper skin. He would be what the ladies called 'dark and handsome', if not for a long scar marring his face. An angry red line runs from his left temple, passes his nose and down to right cheek. For a second Guan wonders what's the story behind it, but then decided he isn't really in the caring mood.

"I see." The scarred man nods. "See you tomorrow at the planned time, then."

Guan nods, turns around and starts walking towards the tavern's door. He can feel the man staring at his back as he exits.


	2. Chapter 2 - Choosing the Wrong Target

Clad in an all-black outfit, with a mask covering half of his face, for a hundredth time Guan is pondering what the hell he's doing in here.

The four of them are hiding in bushes, looming trees casting shadow on them. With their dark attire and the absence of the moon, they're almost invisible. As they shuffle across the vast courtyard and settle behind a big tree, Seisho makes a signal for his comrades to gather around.

Huddled together, Seisho starts to whisper. "I'm gonna ask once more, is there anyone who's still unclear of our plan?"

Hearing this, Guan smiles bitterly. If by 'plan' means dressing as burglars, breaking in, taking valuables by force, and leaving as quickly as possible, then no, he's beyond clear. Then the copper-skinned man, whose name Guan just discovered to be Iloyd, rises his hand.

"Yea?"

"What if," he seems to choose his words carefully. "in the most unlikely case, our target is able to overpower us?"

"Pfft!"

Seisho and his other friend, a sinister-looking man with yellow crooked teeth and bad skin, put their hand over mouth to stop themselves from laughing. After a while, although he still looks humoured, Seisho speaks.

"It's not possible! What do you think a woman as fragile as her could do against us, four full-grown men?"

…she definitely looks frail, with a slender frame and thin wrists. Although they differ like sky and earth, her flowing mahogany hair reminds Guan of his wife's, and it's making him uncomfortable.

But Iloyd's face is serious. "Well, she could be a witch, or at least a magician. Else why would she live in the outskirt of the city?"

Seisho only shrugs. "Maybe she likes peace and quiet? How would I know?" He seems a bit irritated, then suddenly he displays an eerie smile. "Man, just think about what we can do to her…" He grins disgustingly, his laugh joined by his sinister friend.

Guan's face contorts and he frowns. "Seisho, we've talked about this. You know I…"

"Yea, yea, I know." He dismisses it with a wave of his hand. "You've got a wife, you could keep it in your pants. The thing is, my friend, I don't." And he grins in a perverted manner again.

Guan feels nauseaous. Whoever this woman is, she doesn't deserve this fate. He can see that Iloyd is also disturbed.

After a while, Seisho speaks in a loud whisper, breaking his musing. "Well, it's time, ladies. Let's get going."


	3. Chapter 3 - Letting Down Her Guard

Disclaimer: LSK is owned by Yu Wo. This story is set after V8 and contains spoilers, so read at your own risk. Thank you for the support, please leave a review :)

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She glances at the clock showing past midnight, then huffs irritatedly. He's late. She can feel her headache getting worse. Maybe today she'll just let this slide and sleep first… Sighing, she rises from her seat and starts clearing up the table. It's true that she's disappointed, but he must has a reason for coming back late.

After all, he's never let her down.

The beautiful bracelet wrapped around her wrist catches her eyes, and she smiles sadly. He's been showering her with jewels, accessories and yards of silk, even though what she really craves is his attention. Still, she knows that the emeralds adorning the bracelet are the least precious of its worth; he always holds her safety in the highest regard, so all his gifts must have strong enchantment on them for various purposes.

Her mouth curves into a smile. He's a really paranoid man. First he tried to persuade her to take servants, even though her house is small enough for two people, and now these magic artefacts. For goodness sake, even though it's in the outskirt, her house is still located in at Leaf Bud City. Who will be stupid enough to cause mischief with all those holy knights patrolling around? Shaking her head, she changes her clothes and climbs into bed. A fever seems to be developing, so she'll try to rest for now. After a few tosses and turns, her eyelids grow heavy.

The rustle of the leaves lulls her into a deep sleep. It was a quiet, dark night, and the sound of soft breeze coaxes her into a pleasant dream. In it, she could almost recall their first meeting. The moment that man, who was grumpy, annoying, and mysterious, caught her eyes for the first time…

…and that's when she is jolted awake.

A stinging sensation runs all over her body, making her shivers. She looks down and notices the gem on her necklace is glowing brightly. Her eyes widens in disbelief.

_..someone is trespassing her house!_

_Wait, calm down, _she tries to breathe more slowly. _Maybe it's a big animal. Or a lost child. Or…_

A soft 'click' is heard – then the creaking noise of the front door being opened. From the sound of the muffled steps, there are multiple culprits.

_…burglars. _

She swears softly, jumps out of bed and gets dressed as quickly and quietly as she can, both her head and heart thumping painfully. Suddenly she's well aware that he's not here, and she's utterly alone and unwell. She curses herself for not accepting his offer of putting up wards around the as lightly as she can, she approaches the door slowly after grabbing several artefacts and, of course, her staff. Even though clerics' main job is to heal, it doesn't mean they don't possess offensive spells. Especially when your teacher is the strongest, ehm, 'magic-user' in the continent.

She smiles grimly and pushes a small button. Whoever these people are, they're not going to have an easy time, especially if they expect her – and the house – to go down quietly. Nevertheless, she still remembers her lesson: never takes a chance unless you're 200% sure to win. And now, with a fever and bad headache, she can only be…50% sure. So she pulls out a small mirror she always carries in her pocket and whispers a single word.

"Grisia."


	4. Chapter 4 - Getting Caught in a Trap

Guan cringes when the front door makes a small 'creak' sound, and he prays it doesn't alert anyone in the house. Well, the woman should be in a deep sleep now, clueless of the horrible fate life has in store for her. Once again he feels remorse, but once he steps inside the house those thoughts are erased from his mind. Seisho whistled softly, impressed, and even Iloyd is taken aback.

"Wow," Seisho whispers, his eyes gleaming with joy. "this is even better than what I expected!"

While it looks modest from the outside, the interior of the house is gold; not in a real sense, but close. Coming from a carpenter's family, Guan can quickly measure the worth of the furnitures. They are all of a top-notch quality. Painted white, the wall is old oak with exquisite carvings. And he suspects the fur carpet under his feet is real bear's, not some cheap rabbit's fur they usually sell in the market. But Guan knows the things that attract Seisho's attention are the gems: they seem to be attached on everything: from a flower vase sitting on the coffee table to the handles of silver cutlery. There is even one dazzling, enormous emerald buried on the floor in the corner, its surface so shiny Guan can see his own reflection there.

"What the hell?!" The sinister man exclaims. "Honestly, who the hell is she? A jewel smuggler? A nobleman's mistress?"

"Sshh!" Iloyd shushes him, but he too is clearly fascinated. His eyes light up in greed.

For a few minutes they just stand there, try to absorb all the excess wealth around them. Then finally Seisho snaps back into reality.

"What the hell are you imbiciles doing, just standing here?" He whispers angirly to the others. "Iloyd, you bring the woman here! Everyone else, get to work!"

Iloyd, after looking surprised and slightly annoyed, goes to secure the woman.

Without another word, Seisho starts to sweep anything that has a jewel embedded on: the vase, cutlery, goblets and plates, photo frames, a small clock...

Hurriedly, Guan mimicks his action and put everything in a huge sack they've prepared. However, when he nearly finished ransacking the kitchen shelves, a scream echoes throughout the room.

"Arghhh!"

His head snaps and he turns around in horror, ready to reprimand his partner on how loud he's been, but when he sees the view in front of him his jaw drops.

The sinister-looking man is hanging upside down, his foot tied up by a rope dangling from the ceiling.

Guan gapes, as well as Seisho. What have just happened?

After recovering from the shock, Guan automatically jumps and tries to pull him down, followed by Seisho. But the man continues screaming.

"No no no! Get away! Look down!"

His mouth still gaping, Guan looks down, and with a dread realizes the floor is _freaking moving_.

They get away in time just as the floor cracks open, revealing a series of sharp needles poking from the basement. The hanged man shrieks like a banshee, while the two of them just go real quiet, their faces pale.

"What the…?" Seisho murmurs.

"What, what did you just do?" asked Guan to the hanged man.

"I-I, I was just trying to break the giant emerald from the floor…." The sinister-looking man is really crying now, an ugly sight to see. His rope is swinging dangerously, but there's no safe way to release him now with those stakes below.

"Ah," Guan murmurs. "Well, a gem as big as that will definitely be given enchantments… we should've checked before."

Seisho spits, his face contorted in anger. "That bitch! She'll pay." His expression darkens. "Where's Iloyd? Don't tell that bitch is really a magician and she's able to overpower that moron."

Naturally, no one answers. But then suddenly a high-pitched voice, one belonging to a woman's, rings out in the room.

"Actually, that 'bitch' is a healer. And she's way stronger than you guys."

Their heads spontaneously snaps towards the voice's owner, and there she is, dressed in white nightgowns and light blue robes, with her one hand holding a clerical staff and the other wielding a short knife - which is resting right on Iloyd's throat.


	5. Chapter 5 - Turning the Tide

Disclaimer: LSK is owned by Yu Wo.

Thank you for your support :) As per request, I'm writing some explanation about the OCs!

Guan: an ex-mercenary, now working as a weapon trader. A good man and a hard-working husband.

Seisho: an ex-mercenary, Guan's old friend who has a very sinister personality.

Iloyd: Seisho's friend. Described as scarred, dark and handsome. A gentle man at heart who's taking care of his little sisters.

The identity of the woman should be revealed in the later chapters (she's not an OC), but for you who have finished V8 should've guessed who she is. Enjoy :)

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It seems like a ridiculous sight, a man as big as Iloyd being threatened with a puny knife by a frail lady. But he is currently rendered immobile, with ice chains wrapped around his body like a snake. Guan shudders as he realizes she's truly a magician. This is both good and bad news: bad because they have no magicians in their group that could counter-attack her spells, good because magicians are known to be slow, and they, being former mercenaries, can overpower her in strength. Although she said she's 'way stronger' than them, it must have been a bluff.

But the strongest of them has been taken hostage and another is hanging by a thread, so this situation can't be taken lightly. He exchanges glances with Seisho. The said person straightens himself and tries to appear relax, but Guan knows he's thinking hard.

"Well, beautiful lady, I doubt that you can beat all of us. Can you please release my comrades, and after that we can talk." Guan cringes. Even for him it sounds dubious.

She arches her eyebrows. "Oh? I'd prefer not to. I have him wrapped around my fingers here and your friend over there-" the hanged man whimpers "seems comfortable enough." She extends her staff at him, murmurs in a low voice, and with alarm Guan sees the man's head falls limp to the side. Then she looks around the room, her expression grim. "And I can see you've done some….redecoration to my house."

Guan looks down, ashamed, but Seisho only chuckles. "You catch us at bad timing, lady. Should you not, we would've been best friends." He stares at her in a not-so-polite way and starts making his way towards her.

An expression of pure disgust appears in her face. "Don't you even dare move, you perverted lowlife."

Seisho laughs, but still continue striding over. "And what if I do?"

The woman presses the knife on to Iloyd skin, causing drops of blood to trickle down his neck. "You don't care about your partner's life?"

But Seisho only laughs again. "Do you think I care?"

Guan gasps. Iloyd's eyes dims, but he doesn't seem surprise. Seisho just continues in an easy, relaxed tone. "You should know, lady, that 'comrades' are 'replacable people'. They are deemed to betray you someday, anyway. So," He smiles, and this time, it's an eerie one. "I'll spare you the trouble of killing him." With that, he flicked his knife, sending it straight down Iloyd's chest.

The woman gasps in horror as the man in her constrainment chokes and falls to the floor, blood pooling under his body. Quickly, after dispersing the ice chains the woman kneels down and tried to cast healing spells on him.

"Iloyd!" Guan shouts in panic. Enraged, he grabbed Seisho's clothes. "What the hell did you do that for?"

A hard punch sends him flying. Groaning as he can feel his nose broken, he forces himself to sit and sees Seisho tidying his black garb. "Stop interfering, Guan. I'm trying to save our asses here." As he says so, he pounces into the woman, who was distracted, knocking her into the floor and pinning her down.

"Don't touch me!" The woman screams, her voice full of resentment.

Guan feels sick in his stomach. Now that he knows what Seisho's really like, he can't just turn his back on this. Grabbing the short knife the lady has dropped, he approaches him from behind quietly, and in one swift move places the knife on Seisho's neck.

The man froze, his hands still holding down the struggling woman. His eyes slowly focus on Guan's. "What's this, old friend? Are you betraying me?"

Guan can feel his hands trembling. He doesn't want to go to jail, but he doesn't want to let Iloyd or that woman die. He might be an ex-mercenary and a criminal, but he's not a cold-blooded murderer.

"Release her, Seisho. Or I'm going to kill you."


	6. Chapter 6 - Asking for Forgiveness

Tears are threatening to leak from her eyes, but she refuses to cry. She is unharmed, although that revolting man's initial assault has left her shaken. The moment she manages to overcome her fear she starts to softly chant a spell, one that his guardian has taught her before. Thank the God of Light and God of Chaos the other burglar is distracting him right now. It seems they are having an internal dispute.

The emerald embedded in her bracelet starts to glow, and she could feel dark element gathering around her as the gem turns black. The gem is a catalyst: it will speed up enchantments and boost its power. The moment the two men realizes that something is happening, it's already too late.

"Chain of Darkness!"

Seisho shouts in surprise as his body is suddenly wrapped with a thread-like black chain. But his surprise turns to fear as a new knowledge dawns on him.

"Y-you…" he stares at the woman, who's now trying to stand up and fixing her clothes. "You're a necromancer?"

She only looks at him in disdain, and doesn't answer. Instead she shifts her attention to the other burglar, who's free but is shifting nervously as if he doesn't know what to do.

"You were going to kill him." She asked in low voice to Guan. "Why did you do that?"

Guan opens his mouth to answer, but then closes it. He looks down, and for a while he doesn't speak. Finally, he raises his head and instead of answering the question, he says, "I'm sorry."

The woman doesn't say anything.

"I…" He stops. He doesn't know what to say. Finally, "…I have a wife."

The woman blinks.

"We..we're going to have a baby."

The woman continues to be silent, although her gaze softens a bit. Guan looks down again. "I need money, but I never…never want this to happen. I might be a petty thief, yes, but I'm not a rapist or a murderer. And when this scum," he eyes Seisho with fury, "tried to kill Iloyd, that's when I decided I couldn't let this slide." He looked pleadingly at her, begging for forgiveness and understanding. "Please believe me."

She is silent for a while, then she nods. "I believe you."

Guan heaves a sigh of relief.

"Well," the woman is muttering under her breath. "Even if I forgive you, he might not… no, he'll most definitely seek vengeance, no matter what I say about this matter… what to do." She sighs. "What's your name?"

"..it's Guan, my lady."

"Well Guan, it's better if you get out of here fast. My…husband is coming back, and he won't be too pleased with what you guys have done here. And believe me, you don't want to face his wrath." She smiles sadly. "Oh, and grab the young lad there and bring him to the clerics. I know he's not bad man, he told me about you guys and convinced me to let him play hostage."

Guan looks up in surprise, touched by her kindness. But the moment he is going to thank the lady, that scumbag Seisho suddenly manages to break free of his restrain.

Guan shouted in panic.

"Look out!"


	7. Chapter 7 - Saving the Day

_Disclaimer: LSK is owned by Yu Wo. Sorry for the late post, I just came back from a trip to Barcelona. Amazing city, a really great place to visit for you who haven't been there! Once again, thank you for the reviews :)_

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_What foolish people_, thinks Seisho. While they're talking, he's chopping up the damn cocoon. Who cares if she's a necromancer? It seems she's not a particularly strong one, considering how easy it is to break the chains.

Finally, he feels them loosening, and a grin appears in his face. Oh, he's going to give that woman hell for making him going through this ordeal. But first, he needs to subdue her. Calculating his timing, finally he pulls out his sword in one swift movement, cut the chains apart, and pins her to the wall.

The woman shouts in pain, and Guan, that useless man, roars at him to let her go. What a dissapointment… he thought Guan would become useful at least. In the end, even Iloyd has betrayed him. He swears under his breath.

If looks could kill, the woman's glare would've sent him to hell now. "You won't get away with this. When Grisia comes he'll make you regret you've ever been born!"

Seisho throws his head back and laughs. "Grisia? Who's he, the Judgement Knight? Where's he now, hm, I wonder?"

He continues laughing, failing to realize that the woman has stopped struggling, and is looking behind his back with a hopeful smile on her face.

A previously non-existent magic circle glows on the floor where the enormous emerald is located, and the next second a handsome man, with shimmering blonde hair and a black cape draped on his body, appeared right in the middle of the circle, his feet making no sound as he landed. The brilliant smile that was previously plastered on his face dissapears straight away after he observes the situation in front of him. Suddenly, his worried look turns murderous, his beautiful blue eyes glinting dangerously.

He opened his mouth, and each syllable echoes clearly in the room like the sound of a spoon tinkled on a crystal glass.

"Let her go."

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With one hand trying to stop blood gushing out from his nose, Guan stares at the newcomer, trying to figure out his identity. He looks oddly familiar, which is strange, because if Guan really had known this handsome of an acquintance, Julia wouldn't have spared him a second glance.

His features are breathtakingly beautiful, the most eye-catching would be his long blonde hair that looks like molten gold, his milky fair skin, and his sky-blue eyes - although those pairs of eyes look ready to kill right now.

"Take your hands off her." His voice is cold. He didn't raise his tone, but unvoluntarily, Guan shivers inside.

However that scumbag, Seisho, is still grinning maniacally. He wraps his arms around the woman's neck, choking her with one arm while having his sword on her throat with his other hand. "Yea? And what if I don't?"

The man called Grisia starts to move towards him, but stops right away when Seisho presses his sword deeper. Small drops of blood fall down and the woman softly gasps. Grisia's eyes narrows dangerously, and Guan can see his fists are clenched so tightly as his body trembles in anger.

But suddenly, the next second all his anger seems to dissipate. With confusion Guan sees that that man is even smiling, although the smile is the kind that makes your hair stands at the end. But his facial expression right now betrays no emotions. Instead, he reaches out his hand in a peaceful gesture, and when he speaks his voice is as calm and soothing as a tranquil lake.

"Please put the sword down, brother. None of us would like to see anyone gets hurt tonight, correct? I see that your companions are all still alive."

Seisho just narrows his eyes, his breath unregular. For an instance it looks like he fears the man, which is unusual for him, especially since the man carries no weapon and does not have the build of a fighter. Hearing no response, the man continues to speak.

"Let her go. Then we'll talk."

"Are you taking me for an idiot?" Seisho shouts loudly. "She's my guarantor of escaping here alive and not being dragged into the Judgement Knight's complex! Beside, you shouldn't be making any demands. I could just kill you both right now!"

"Kill both of us...ha!"

The man, for an unknown reason, looks flabbergasted at first and then actually starts laughing. With confusion Guan also can see the woman has a faint smile that shows a bit of irony on her face. For some reason she no longer looks afraid, as if she completely believes in the man.

"You…" Seisho is speechless, and a bit angry. "What are you laughing for? Don't you know that I hold you and your wife's fate in my hand?"

Suddenly, he stops laughing. Even Seisho has to take a step back when he sees him staring sharply with his eyes darkening. Slowly, the man speaks. "That's where you get it wrong, brother. I'm the one holding _your_ fate in here. You have no idea what you'll have in store if you really hurt her and me. So because of Sun - my benevolence, upon releasing my wife, I'll give you a chance to get away. And if you be so kind as to return the things you have taken by force, Su – I might be forgetful enough to mention this incident to Judgement Knight."

Seisho grits his teeth, his blood boiling hearing the outrageous words the man spoke. He tightens his grip on the woman, making her gasps aloud. "Are you insane? Can't you see how easily I could kill this woman right now? Why in the hell would I release her?"

"Ah." The man inclines his head to the side. "So you refused my proposal? What a pity. Well then, I have no choice but to also use force. You see, that's my woman you're holding there."

With a relax smile he gives a small flick with his hand and suddenly, out of nowhere an invisible force blasts Seisho's sword away. It flies off his hand, slams on the wall, and drops down on the floor with a loud _clank_.

"Grisia!" The moment Seisho's sword is blasted away, the woman struggles free from his loosening grasp and throws herself into Grisia's arms, which quickly embrace her in a protective cage. The woman buries her head in his chest as he soothes her in low mutters.

Both Guan and Seisho are speechless, their brains unable to comprehend what just happened. The moment Seisho shifts his attention from the missing sword in his hand and his hostage to the man, he already makes another move. Faster than a swing of a sword, he gathers water element into a form of sharp blades, freeze them, and send them towards Seisho's direction. The latter, having no time to react, is unable to do anything. Everything takes place in just a few seconds without a single enchantment that could be heard.

_ This man, Grisia… To possess such high capability of magic, who is he really?_

"Arghhh!"

Seisho shouts in pain as his body is pierced from all angle by the ice blades, although none has hit any vital parts. Staked on the wall, he groans as blood gushes out from his multiple wounds. Guan's eyes widen, his heart racing as he realizes he might meet the same fate as his partner's soon. He steals glances at the man, legs trembling, but that man's attention is utterly devoted on the woman.

He could hear him whispering soothing words at her, asking and worrying about her welfare. Finally, she looks up, and while her face is wet with tears, she smiles brightly.

"I'm fine." Guan can hear her speaking softly. "I'm fine now, don't worry."

The man cups her chin with his hands, worry written all over his face. He notices her shivering and removes his black cape, draping it over her body. Guan quickly realizes he is wearing some kind of uniform under the cape, which is long and lavish-looking. It is pristine white in colour, with lustrous blue linings and gold embellishment in his upper arm in the shape of…

_God of Light, we'll all be damned._

A sudden realization hits Guan, and with a horrified gasp, he looks at the man standing in the room in a new light. It can't be, it's not possible that he's…

"You, you… you are the Sun Knight?!"


	8. Chapter 8 - Grisia

Disclaimer: LSK is owned by Yu Wo.

Spoiler alert for V8 and LSK 39. Read at own discretion.

Thank you again for the support! It's Grisia's POV this time :) many people have correctly guessed the woman's identity, but I'm not going to reveal her until the last few chapters. If you think she's a bit OC, please forgive me. I haven't read LSK 39 (only the summary by Lucathia) so I could only roughly guess her character and appearance. Anyway, enjoy :)

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Grisia looks up to the voice's trembling owner, and out of habit he automatically puts on the 'Sun Knight-style' smile. Strangely, it doesn't seem to pacify the frightened man, instead he looks even more scared.

_Well, he should be, especially for what I'll be doing to him…_

Suddenly he feels a tug on his sleeve and he looks down. The woman in his arms is shaking her pretty head. "Not that one." She whispers. "He's a good man."

Grisia's eyes darken as he sighs. Sometimes she is just too naïve and kind for her own's sake. They are burglars, people who entered her house by force and tried to kill her! "He's one of their accomplices. He must be punished."

"By the Judgement Knight, yes."

Grisia sighs again. She knows him too well. If those men were left with him or his squad, they would be beaten to a pulp before they have a chance to even say 'please'.

"And that bleeding man over there, please save him." She pleads, pointing at an unconscious man lying on the floor with a stab wound on the chest. "I've casted a few healing spells on him, but it wasn't enough. He'll die soon if you don't help him."

His fingers trace the side of her face. "And why would it matter?"

He can see she's getting upset. "Because he helped me! He told me their plan and agreed to become my hostage, but that vile man over there," she motions towards the crucified man on the wall with obvious disdain, "stabbed him! His own partner! I can't believe it!" She grits her teeth in frustration.

Grisia frowns. If that's true, then this man has saved her. Sighing on the complexity of this situation, he moves towards the unconscious man.

"Wha-what are you going to do to Lloyd?"

Grisia turns around. It's the trembling man. Upon inspection Grisia can see that he looks quite sturdy, with a body built like a mercenary. He's holding a long sword in one hand, while the other is covering his nose that seems to be broken and bleeding. Aside from that, he's not severely hurt.

So he ignores him and continues making his way towards this Lloyd person. After casting several low level healing spells to make sure the man keeps breathing, he examines his injury and decides that, annoyingly, he needs major healing. Laying his palm on top of the man's wound, Grisia starts chanting softly. Light element begins to gather around him, and if he was able to see he's sure it would be honey-colored instead of the usual pure white.

"Ultimate Heal!"

A great amount of light envelopes the man's body. Slowly, the wound closes and fades, leaving only a single faint scar that is practically invisible compared to the one marring the man's face.

After he finishes, Grisia feels a pair of arms circling his neck as she leans and kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you."

He holds her tighter. "You know I'll do anything for you." He says lightly. After a while, he finally puts her down and turns around to face the two people left conscious in the room. He spoke with a cold voice, but with a smile on his face.

"Now, where shall I start?"


	9. Chapter 9 - Revealing the Identity

Disclaimer: LSK is owned by Yu Wo!

Sorry for the late update, been a bit busy :( I think this'll be the second/third latest chapter... well, thanks for the reviews, enjoy!

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Guan still can't believe his eyes. But every aspects, from his appearance to his strong healing magic, seem to point out to a single conclusion: that this man is truly the Sun Knight. Guan has seen the Twelve Holy Knights parading on the streets of Leaf Bud City hundreds of times, but at those times they never looked real, like he and them were separated different worlds apart. Well, although they are the figureheads of Forgotten Kingdom's main religion, they actually live a pretty detached life from ordinary people.

To see the Sun Knight here, in the flesh…

Not to mention, Guan is pretty sure this man is the 38th generation of Sun Knight, the one they call the 'most perfect' Sun Knight of all. But right at this moment he doesn't seem benevolent at all. Sure, he is smiling, but Guan has a feeling this guy is really dangerous and not to be messed with. The fact that they have messed with this woman, who seems like someone of significance to the Sun Knight, terrifies him.

"Let me go, bastard!"

Guan's head snaps towards his partner who was stuck on the wall. Seisho is bleeding profusily, but refuses to back down. Barring his teeth like a wounded animal, he keeps snarling and spewing curses, still unable to comprehend his own dire circumstance. Seeing the Sun Knight's eyes glint dangerously, Guan makes his decision right at that moment. His mercenary instict tells him that if he keeps doing nothing, all of them will meet an extremely gruesome end.

So throwing his weapon and pride aside, he performs a dogeza.

"Please forgive us!" He shouts in a trembling voice, trying to show as much sincerity as he can. "Please don't take what that trash Seisho said to heart, good Sir. Sun Knight, you're more than right to take the three us to the Judgement Knight, but I beg you please let Iloyd go. He's a good man."

Silence. Heart thumping painfully inside his chest, Guan can't bear to look up. He's terribly afraid of what the Sun Knight might do next.

The silence continues, but then a sound of footsteps echoes in the room. Curious, Guan lifts his head slightly.

"…Advanced Heal!"

Once more he can't believe his eyes. Guan sits there, dumfounded. He can't believe the Sun Knight just healed that trash Seisho!

By the way, the person mentioned latter seems to mysteriously fall unconscious.

"Don't be mistaken." His voice is still icy-cold. "I'm not doing this for you, or for anyone. It's just that he needs to be alive when I bring him to Judgement."

Unable to speak, Guan just nods. However, suddenly the Sun Knight's attention shifts. Guan senses a movement from Iloyd. Looks like he's conscious now. Groggily, that scarred man tries to stand up, wincing in pain as he clunches his recently-healed chest. He looks around the cluttered room in confusion, but then his gaze stops on the Sun Knight. As understanding dawns on him, he looks very guilty. But then he makes a move that surprises everyone, including the Sun Knight.

He executes a perfect knight salute towards the Sun Knight, grinning in pain as he does so. "Sun Knight-captain. Thank you for saving my life, I can't be more grateful."

The Sun Knight's eyebrows are raised. "Do I know you?"

Iloyd straightens his body, although it's obvious he's still in pain. He keeps his head down in a respectful gesture. "My name's Iloyd, Sir, a member of Hell Knight platoon."

Guan gasps, and he can hear the woman behind him also makes a surprised sound. But the Sun Knight's expression is unreadable.

"What's a member of Hell Knight platoon doing in here? Are you under Roland's command? Or are you trying to change profession?"

The Sun Knight's tone is, as always, soft and light. But there's a dangerous edge in his final words, something that Iloyd also seems to sense. He hurriedly rambles, "That's right, Sir, I'm here under the order of my Captain and Judgement Knight-captain. The Judgement Platoon has been tracking the movement of a group of bandits for a long time now, and this time they decided to ask for Hell Platoon's assistance in infiltrating their group. I'm the only one who managed to get close to one of their top men, Seisho, and he invited me on a personal… "

"In short, you're a spy planted in this man's group," Interrupting his speech, the Sun Knight motions towards Seisho's motionless body, "..am I correct?"

…Never has Guan heard the Sun Knight speaking in such an easy-to-understand way before. Iloyd nods timidly with dread in his eyes. "Yes, Sir."

"…then explain why you didn't interfere when they decided to rob my house in the first place. And you dare to put this lady's life in risk at the cost of not being discovered? Surely you know who she is?"

His tone grows colder and colder, and for the first time anger can be heard in his voice. Iloyd seems to shrink under the Sun Knight's cold gaze.

"Many apologies, Sir." It's a strange sight, that a big, sturdy man like Iloyd is looking like he's going to cry. But he's clearly unnerved by his leader. "Seisho didn't reveal his target until today, so I had no way of knowing… If I had, I swear I would've tried to stop it with all I had!"

He looks utterly frightened that Guan half-expects him to piss his pants.

"Grisia, stop bullying him."

Suddenly, the woman comes forward and puts her hand on the Sun Knight's arm, a faint amused expression on her face. For hundredth time Guan wonders about her identity; the Sun Knight is only dedicated to the Light God, surely she's not the Sun Knight's…?

Iloyd turns towards the woman and bows so low his nose nearly touches the ground. "Please forgive me, Ma'am, for putting you in danger and failing to protect you."

The Sun Knight looks like he wants to retort sharply, but the woman just waves her hand in ease. "You have helped me, Knight Iloyd, there's nothing to forgive. Don't let this mean guy here bullies you."

Guan gapes, surprised at how daring this woman is. To talk like that towards the Sun Knight! Well, he's supposed to be kind and benevolent, but Guan suspects he has just discovered a darker side of the 'perfect' Sun Knight. Beside him Iloyd is also flustered.

But the Sun Knight is only looking at the woman, amused, perhaps with a bit of exasperation on his face. The two of them are communicating in silence. Finally, he sighs heavily.

"If you say so…"

He then speaks sternly at the scarred man.

"Knight Iloyd, I order you to speak no more about this late night incident to anyone beside the Judgement Knight. Just tell Roland that they have discovered your true identity, but in turn you suceeded in catching one of their top men."

"Interrogate him to find the rest of the group and their base, and we'll work from there on. You could even send him back to the group as a spy, as no one aside from us knew that he has been caught. "

Hearing the order, Iloyd stands straight and salutes. "Understood, Sun Knight-captain!"

Swiftly, the Sun Knight makes his way towards them. He moves so fast it looks like he's teleporting. He squeezes their arms painfully and puts the two of them side-by-side, then moves his head down to whisper.

"…if you tell any soul, even just a _single_ one, about what happened tonight, believe me when I say you'll regret it."

"Dear brothers, Sun is sure none of us wants to experience being buried sixty feet under alive, right?"

..Guan is so scared shitless that he can only shakes his head once slowly. Beside him, Iloyd is shaking his head so fast like he's having seizures. The Sun Knight looks satisfied and releases his grips.

"Knight Iloyd, go back straight away to the Holy Temple and report to the Judgement Knight before I change my mind."

It's needless to say that Iloyd is out of the door the moment he finishes saluting, leaving Guan alone with the Sun Knight, the woman, and his two unconscious partners-in-crime.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: LSK is owned by Yu Wo.

I apologize whole-heartedly for the short hiatus, college had been merciless and I'd got a writer block (don't we all? lol) anyway, enjoy!

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"…So that kind of thing happened, huh."

Lloyd hangs his head low, not daring to look at the Judgement Knight in the eyes. He is ready to accept any punishment. Not only has he failed the infiltration mission, he even exposed the Sun Knight's significant person to danger… Not being pushed off a cliff and trampled by a horse personally by the Sun Knight has truly been a miracle.

Lesus sighs. How does that guy – and everything related to him – end up being a target seven out of ten cases? He surely has a thing for attracting dangers…

"Knight Lloyd, while it's a shame your cover is blown, we manage to capture one of the organisation's heads without alerting the rest of them. I thank you for that."

Feeling like he deserves no praise, Lloyd stays quiet.

"You, however, have failed reporting this personal mission on time and as a result, a civilian nearly got hurt. I order you to reflect in detention room for 3 weeks."

Can't believe he gets off with such a light punishment, Lloyd only nods and answers in soft voice. "Understood, Sir."

"I'll personally inform the Hell Knight. As for you….this incident tonight never happens."

_…There is no need for Judgement Knight to say that. Even without being told, he knows the only way to stay alive after getting involved with Sun Knight's messy affair is to keep quiet!_

"Yes, Sir. Oh, and Knight-Captain Judgement…"

Lloyd's voice trails off, he himself unsure what to say. Lesus looks up from the report he has been reading the entire time.

"Yes?"

Lloyd hesitated. Finally, after a quick thought, he steels himself and speaks with a strong resolution. "Knight Captain Judgement, Sir, I apologize for saying this, but I beg you to pardon one of the culprits."

Lesus Judgement raises his eyebrows. "Knight Lloyd, are you aware of what you're saying? Why would I do that?"

"…H-he, that man, Guan… He's not a bad person."

"Not being a bad person is not a good enough excuse, Knight Lloyd."

Flustered, Lloyd runs his fingers through his dark hair that is almost as black as the Judgement Knight's. "N-no, yes, I understand, Sir, but Sir…"

He continues to jumble over his words. Inside, Lloyd despairs. He knows he isn't going to suceed convincing the Judgement Knight, the most accomplished person in interrogating, deducting, and condemning sinners. He stops talking.

In front of him, Lesus stays quiet and waits patiently. He knows that the experienced knight isn't the type to defend someone without a solid reason.

So after mulling over his next words a bit, Lloyd finally takes a deep breath and says, "Knight-Captain Judgement, I've been a member of the Hell Knight platoon for 26 years. While our skill in investigating would never match the Judgement Platoon, we can proudly say that we're a good judge of character."

"Oh?"

With slight amazement Lloyd sees a thin smile forming on Lesus Judgement's face.

"Is that so? Continue."

Encouraged, Lloyd speaks again. "Infiltration, spionage, trickery… We're all familiar with the gray aspect of the society. And while we only trust our holy knight brothers, there are times that we have to seek help from outsiders. To do that, first we must determine whether they are trustworthy or not... if we weren't able to read a man's character, we would end up dying in some back alley somewhere."

Lesus nods. He can see where this is going. "I understand. So what do you think I should do with this man, Guan? Are yous saying that he's innocent and must go unpunished?"

Lloyd bows his head, deep in thinking. Lesus is still waiting patiently, but at times his eyes glance from a room's corner to the other. Finally, Lloyd looks up and declare resolutely. "I won't say Guan is innocent. But while the other two are rotten to the core, Guan would never harm an unarmed person, least of all a woman. He's pressured by circumstances. Still…he has broken a law, there's no way around that."

The Judgement Knight's sharp eyes, while unnerving him, look a bit humoured, for a reason Lloyd cannot understand. "So what do you think is a suitable punishment for him?"

Lloyd is flabbergasted. He can't believe the Judgement Knight actually asks him that! "A-ah, um, I…."

"Nevermind." Lesus waves his hand. "It would be unfair for you to try and answer that. After all, I'm the Judgement Knight." His thin smile is so full of irony that Lloyd doesn't know what to say.

Suddenly, the Judgement Knight stands up from his chair, startling Lloyd. But he doesn't look angry. Instead, he looks he is frozen. After a few minutes of silence, the Judgement Knight abruptly spoke.

"Knight Lloyd, it's late. Your punishment will start tomorrow, go ahead and rest for tonight. You're dismissed."

Although a bit surprised by this sudden dismisal, Lloyd quickly saluted him and left the Judgement Knight's room. While he still feels a bit morose for tonight's horrible incident, he feels grateful for the leniency in his punishment.

But what has caused the Judgement Knight to be agitated so suddenly?

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Back in his poorly-lit room, Lesus is still standing rigidly. After few minutes pass, he walks to the door and locks it to make sure no one is eavesdropping. And then, without turning his body, he calls out to him in a slightly questioning way.

"Grisia?"

The opened window carries a night breeze that ripples the curtains, but there's no sign of the aforementioned person. Still, Lesus is not convinced; the Twelve Holy Knights have been around each other for so long that none of them will mistake each other's presence.

He turns around, his back to the door. His eyes scan the dark room, which is illuminated only by a sliver of moonlight. He sighs.

"Stop hiding and come out. I know you're here."

Finally, after few seconds, a series of footseps can be heard. Then that person's figure, starting from his brilliant golden hair to his polished white shoes, emerges from the darkness of the room's corner.

It seems he now can teleport soundlessly anywhere he wants, in addition to be able to control shadow. It must be the lich's teaching.

"…looks like you've mastered your skill in evading people and concealing your presence. I think you can even win against the Cloud Knight now." Lesus says dryly.

He glances at his best friend and superior's face and is caught off guard.

Grisia's sky blue eyes glint beautifully under the moonlight, but there's no humour in them. The most ominous sign is his non-existent smile – which is usually very, very rarely absent from his face no matter what he feels. This leads to one conclusion.

The Sun Knight is in a totally bad mood.


End file.

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