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The Emperor's Blades are an organization in the world of Arknights. They are a minor antagonist in Episode 08 and A Walk in the Dust.

Background[]

Emperor's Blade 1

Enemies of Ursus, beware...

The Emperor's Blades are an elite unit within Ursus' Royal Guards who, as the name suggests, directly answer to the Emperor of Ursus and carry out "the will of Ursus itself" with extreme prejudice. However, they are more infamous for the horrendous legends surrounding their acts, such as the sinking of Simonch City, the massacre of an Elafian village, and their severe casualties in the Valley of the Setting Sun, earning them titles like the "Facerending Liches"[1][2]. These feats, combined with their inhuman appearances, have earned them both respect and fear from the Ursus people, as well as those who oppose them.

In addition to their weapons, incredible combat prowess and almost superhuman physical abilities, the Emperor's Blades possess seemingly supernatural abilities, such as creating shadowy blades out of thin air and contaminating their surroundings with dark smog to hamper their enemies. It is said that a single Blade could rival several armed enemy squads; as a consequence, they are considered extremely dangerous opponents to go against.

Not known to the common folk, the Emperor's Blades actually contain fragments of Collapsals of the Infy Icefield hailing from another dimension, sealed within their armors using demonic rituals to empower them. The Blades are some of the few who are aware of these Collapsals' existence outside of the borders of civilization, and also endeavor to prevent their irruption into it. However, this power is a double-edged sword – if a Blade's armor is destroyed, the Collapsal shards within will be unsealed and cause a catastrophic detonation, forever contaminating the surroundings with demonic influence.[3] During the battle of the Valley of the Setting Sun, some twenty Emperor's Blades lost their lives and the subsequent contamination of the area was so severe that it is "no longer part of this world".[4]

Main Theme[]

Episode 08[]

Following Duke Kashchey's death at Talulah's hands, several Emperor's Blades were dispatched to hunt down the Draco. Their search brought the Blades to an Ursus village where Talulah and the proto-Reunion fighters were taking shelter. They engaged the Shieldguards, dismissing them as traitors and urged them to "die before dishonor." The sight of the Blades was enough to demoralize the regular Infected fighters as the Blades threatened those who refused to surrender with torture. Just as the Blades were about to carry out their dark designs, Talulah intervened and used her Arts to disorient one of them.[1]

Emperor's Blade 2

An Emperor's Blade stalks the battlefield.

Talulah was surprised of the Blades' presence, and asked for the reason behind it. In return, the Blades mocked the Draco for hiding the truth from her guerillas. After Talulah dismissed them as "masked villains who kill for Ursus," the Blades withdrew. However, Talulah decided to attack the Blades as they left, as they would compromise proto-Reunion's camp. However, another Blade had waited in hiding, encircling the group and forcing Talulah and her guerillas in battle.[1]

True to their reputation, the Emperor's Blades completely overwhelmed Talulah and proto-Reunion. Fortunately, Patriot arrived and protected them from the Blades. As the only one who could stand head-to-head against them, the Blades showed their respect for Patriot, calling him by his real name, and tried to persuade him to return to the palace, invoking his dedication to the empire. However, Patriot refused, saying that he chose to fight for Talulah's ideals. The Emperor's Blades accepted Patriot's decision and made a complete withdrawal. As they left, they declared looking forward to see how Talulah could change things for the Infected.[2]

At the end of the Chernobog-Lungmen crisis, an Emperor's Blade who supervised the Third Army during the crisis planned to carry out Kashchey's plan but was immediately stopped by a Shadow Guard. The Guard responded to the Blade using the language of the now-defunct Gaul, which infuriated the Blade, declaring that the age of Gaul was already over. The Blade refused the Guard's offer to serve Yan. In disappointment, the Guard lamented that there was no inner peace within the Blade's spirit and that Ursus would in time meet its downfall. Before their departure, they promised to one another that they would meet again somewhere in the future.[5]

Intermezzi[]

A Walk in the Dust[]

An Emperor's Blade who is referred to as "the Pursuer" was dispatched in a search-and-eliminate mission against Kal'tsit for her involvement in the assassination of Grand Duke Vanya. The search led him to Victoria, where he confronted Kal'tsit in the backyard of Count Vincent's manor. Kal'tsit had noticed the Pursuer's presence from the falling black snow and sent Heidi off so that she would not be caught in the impending battle.

When she faced the Pursuer, Kal'tsit tried to argue that killing her on Victorian soil would start a diplomatic crisis with Ursus. But the Pursuer haughtily declared that everywhere it walks is the dominion of Ursus. She then further tried to reason that the soldier was not sent on order of the current Emperor, who had no attachment or grudge over the Grand Duke's death, but was merely acting on his own agenda, to no avail. Seeing the negotiation was broken, Kal'tsit and the Pursuer entered a fight, where she revealed that the Emperor's Blades are not ordinary humans.[3]

The fight between Kal'tsit and the Pursuer went until the latter is wounded and its mask started to crack. Kal'tsit reminded it of the consequences if the "pocket dimension" within the Pursuer is unleashed. The Pursuer angrily rebuffed Kal'tsit and continued fighting her until his mask was about to break. Knowing the consequences, the Pursuer accepted its defeat and withdrew, but it also warned Kal'tsit that she knew too many of Ursus' secrets, and that Ursus would keep watching her.[4]

References[]

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