Francis reluctantly agreed to the duel proposed by Allen. Yet, he insisted on a peculiar condition—he would launch the first strike before the duel began.
"Then..." With a swift motion, Francis unsheathed his sword and -SLASH-,
He aimed it at Allen.
"!!!" Allen exclaimed.
"What are you doing?! It's forbidden to use real swords!" Geirhild shouted.
Francis tightly gripped the blade, now stained with a bit of Allen's blood, and made a deliberate cut on his own hand.
"The Masque of Red Briddle," Francis muttered.
A mysterious figure, shrouded in a red robe, materialized behind Francis, and swiftly
-WHOOSH
darted towards Allen.
With no time to evade, Allen instinctively shielded his body with both hands. However, it proved futile; the figure passed through him, and when Allen turned around, it had vanished, leaving behind an eerie sense of illusion.
