Chapter 38
Around the time Arti knocked Raul’s sword away with his fist.
-Die—!
-O Sun—!
Clang!
“!”
Aria was struggling to decide what to do. Beside her, Adrian coughed up blood as his divine power rapidly drained away. It was the price of forcing himself to cast divine spells in an old man’s body.
“Guh—cough…!”
“P-Priest…! Let me heal you.”
“Cough, no. Guh… The one you need to help is not me….”
“If you don’t take care of yourself now, you’ll be in danger! You pushed your divine power too hard!”
“Hah… The path you must take…”
Adrian raised a trembling finger.
The finger pointed toward
the Sacred Sword Danan lying on the floor.
“Keep thinking, keep thinking… Don’t trap yourself in false truths… Your own will…!”
“!”
“Cough!”
“Priest…? Priest—!”
….”
At last, he fell, blood spilling from his mouth.
Aria’s eyes trembled.
If things continued this way,
Adrian might die in the aftermath of the battle.
‘But if I don’t help the Hero now…!’
In that moment of confusion,
a familiar woman’s voice sounded beside her.
“…Please don’t worry. I’ll take the Prayer Priest out of here.”
“!”
Aria turned her head.
Mirian had appeared beside her like a shadow. She wore tight-fitting leather clothes and had lowered the mask that had covered her mouth.
“Lady Mirian!”
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
The princess’s maid who had arrived with a carriage,
along with Lydia’s letter.
Mirian spoke gently.
“Don’t worry about the Prayer Priest. You should help the Hero. I think he’ll need someone’s help soon.”
“Lady Mirian?! How…?”
Mirian answered her question with a smile in her eyes.
“To stay by Her Highness’s side, you need a couple of dangerous secrets.”
“What…!”
“I’ll take the Prayer Priest somewhere safe and come back. Don’t worry.”
She spoke with conviction.
“As long as the Sun God’s sacred sigil is with you, that evil monstrosity will never defeat you. So long as you fight here, the power of the Dark Realm will rapidly dissipate.”
“!”
Aria reflexively looked at the sigil set in place for the Hero’s test. The sigil, as if made of solidified light, still shone serenely atop the altar.
….”
She didn’t know the details.
But that explanation was enough to convince her.
“Yes, please.”
“Then…”
Mirian respectfully lifted Adrian, who had collapsed. Then, at an unbelievable speed, she left the chapel.
Flash—!
….”
Aria rose to her feet.
And thought.
-Don’t stop thinking.
She thought endlessly.
-I was too weak to hold on to my first love.
….”
Right now,
what can I do…?
“…!”
The Sacred Sword was before her eyes.
A sword that no one but its chosen wielder could hold.
It was a restriction imposed by the Sun God’s solemn oath.
But.
-You alone have the right to interpret the Sun God’s will. Therefore, the Saintess’s autonomy must be respected in the Theocracy.
….”
If so,
I…
‘will wield that sword.’
And protect Arti.
Not as the Saintess of Prophecy,
Aria thought.
She reached out,
and took hold of the Sacred Sword.
The Sacred Sword did not vanish like a shadow. It gave off a blue light, not rejecting Aria’s touch.
Vwoom—!
“!”
A chilly sensation.
The Sacred Sword trembled in her hand and whispered to her.
【Fate is will. I respect your will.】
On Aria’s right hand,
the Sacred Sword’s crest began to glow.
Flash!
“…!”
Aria’s heart began to pound. Someone unknown had affirmed a fate no one had ever told her about: a Saintess taking up the Sacred Sword to fight.
“…From now on.”
From now on, this was entirely Aria’s will.
Aria ran to Arti’s side.
And declared,
“I’ll protect you.”
“!”
Arti flinched. But more than the fact that the Saintess had come running with the Sacred Sword, he was overjoyed by her declaration that she would stand with him.
“…Yes, let’s fight together.”
[Aaaaargh—!]
“!”
“!”
Both Arti and Aria looked ahead.
The monstrosity, once called Raul, roared as its entire body writhed. Countless spikes sprouting from it stretched out like tentacles.
Fwsh!
Aria didn’t try to dodge the attack. She simply ran forward, raising the Sacred Sword in her hand. She meant to protect Arti as he prayed.
“Haaah—!”
Every dawn.
Watching him.
Without even realizing it, she had learned.
With that swordsmanship,
she swung with all her might.
Shhk—!
At that attack,
the clusters of spikes that had shot out as if to pierce Arti and Aria at any moment were effortlessly sliced off.
“!”
Arti burned the severed spikes with blue lightning.
“O Sun—!”
Crackle—!
Arti and Aria
moved forward like that.
Seeing them,
the monstrosity twisted its whole body and fired its spikes.
[Graaagh—!]
A spike as thick as its torso seemed to bar their approach. Ignoring Aria, it charged straight at Arti. The spike-tentacle flew at him like a soldier’s thrown spear.
Boom!
“Guh…?!”
Arti was shoved backward.
Aria shouted from ahead,
showing him the sigil glowing on her right hand.
“Hero! The first test—!”
“!”
Arti understood
what Aria meant.
A moment of realization.
Arti focused his mind on the sigil on his right hand. Then Aria’s right hand glowed, and the Sacred Sword vanished. Arti was holding the Sacred Sword again.
Before the massive spike,
he gripped the Sacred Sword and shouted through clenched teeth.
“Sacred Sword Manifestation—!”
Brilliant light gathered in the Sacred Sword.
A terrifying blow was being prepared.
[…!]
The monstrosity instinctively focused on Arti.
[Sacred Sword Technique— Divine Punishment—!]
The lake’s brilliant light
and lightning stained with shadows collided.
The two powers pushed against each other for a while, then exploded.
Kaboom—!
A sound that felt like it would burst their eardrums.
All the monstrosity’s spikes writhed and drew back.
The impact was strong enough to collapse the surrounding altars and pillars.
[Guh…!]
The monstrosity barely managed to deflect the terrifying blow. Unlike mindless monsters, its body held decades of battle-hardened memories.
But the power of the Sun
had slowed the monstrosity’s body.
It couldn’t forgive that.
[Aaargh!]
The monstrosity glared at Arti.
Once that attack ended, Arti wouldn’t be able to move for a while.
Arti was being pushed back by the aftershock of his attack.
“Guh…!”
[I’ll kill… you—! Heretic—!]
The reply came from right in front of the monstrosity.
It was Aria, holding the Sacred Sword with a cold expression.
“No.”
[What…!]
“I won’t let that happen.”
The monstrosity struggled.
It turned the spikes rising again toward Aria.
[You… you’re…! How—! You’re mine—!]
….”
Aria held the sword calmly.
And answered.
“My will is entirely my own. If it conflicts with yours, I’ll gladly fight you and win.”
Her silver hair swayed,
and brilliant light swirled around her.
Aria’s silver eyes shone fiercely like the setting sun. The Sacred Sword in her hand emitted a light that called the sunset to mind.
[…!]
A girl, beautiful and forlorn beneath the setting sun.
The monstrosity unconsciously tried to seize her.
That light looked far too beautiful and noble.
[That’s my light…!]
But.
The sunset…
could not be grasped by hand.
Aria looked at the monstrosity trying to clutch the sunset and said,
“…Farewell.”
Uncle Raul.
[… .]
The monstrosity murmured.
[A-Aria….]
And a tremendous light exploded in the chapel. The Sacred Sword’s light, glowing red like the sunset, surged forth and instantly annihilated the monstrosity engulfed in shadows.
The holy knight who had sought to become a hero by slaughtering countless people and wanted to make a girl his…
vanished within the sun he had believed in all his life.
*
[Gwoooar—!]
The skeletal rider hurriedly turned its horse around and tried to flee the other way. Dense steam had risen in the main street of the shopping district, a place once filled with skeletons.
Sss…!
It was steam from holy water vaporizing.
Whenever they came into contact with that steam,
the skeletons writhed in agony, unable to withstand the holy aura.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Morgan shouted again from atop a tall building.
[Trembling energy, crimson vibrations, burn—!]
The street had been filled with blue ghostfire.
A conflagration large enough to swallow a person whole blazed red. The flames instantly vaporized the holy water and ordinary water scattered across the ground.
Sss…!
As if insecticide had been poured over them,
the skeletons that had filled the street trembled and collapsed.
Thump
“It’s effective.”
Lydia had been throwing containers of holy water from the rooftop for a while, then let out a wry laugh. There hadn’t been enough holy water, so she’d hastily brought water magic into play… and it was far too effective.
Thanks to that, they could gradually squeeze the skeletal rider from the opposite side, where Lucian’s group had blocked the way. The skeletal rider, which had been hiding in a corner, was the one being cornered now.
Even if it tried to run,
it was gradually being ground down against a sturdy anvil.
[Gwoooar—!]
The formation is collapsing.
It’s being crushed from both sides, little by little.
The skeletal rider circled in place, trying to escape.
Clip-clop
Clip-clop
But it couldn’t escape. The place it had thought was a fortress had instantly become a trap. That was why it ran around frantically.
Lydia spoke to Mave, who was throwing holy water beside her.
“Now let’s drive that skeletal rider toward where Senior Lucian is.”
“Yes!”
Mave answered reflexively, then flinched.
“…H-how?”
“When the skeletal rider circles around in a frenzy and comes near us, you and I will jump down. Then we’ll each cut through one of those black stakes embedded in its neck at the same time.”
“B-black stakes?”
“Yes. Even when you were knocked down… one was embedded in the skeletal rider’s neck. Arti completely annihilated it with the Sacred Sword’s power.”
“With that country boy’s Sacred Sword…”
“For now, all we can do is cut them down in one stroke with precise swordsmanship. Arti struggled because he overlooked the black stakes at first, but we know about them now, so we can do it.”
….”
Mave murmured darkly.
“Can I… really do it?”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
“!”
Lydia gripped Mave’s shoulder firmly.
“You’re a friend I’m proud of, and the future commander of my knights, aren’t you? Have confidence. Don’t think about failure. Follow your heart.”
“…Yes!”
After confirming Mave’s answer,
Lydia looked at the skeletal rider with cold eyes.
….”
The blue ghostfire circled endlessly.
The thing that had moved away had returned.
Clip-clop
Clip-clop
Clip-clop—
“!”
Lydia shouted.
“Now—!”
“Yes!”
Lydia and Mave leaped down precisely in unison, swords in hand. Like blades of a guillotine, they aimed to sever the black stake each had been assigned to cut in a single swift stroke.
“Haaah—!”
Mave’s eyes shone.
Now.
This moment.
I’ll avenge that defeat…!
*
Boom—!
Along with the loud crash heard in the distance,
countless skeletons suddenly crumbled to dust.
Crumble…!
“!”
Lucian shouted.
“The skeletal rider has fallen! Keep formation and return to the fortress—!”
“Waaaah—!”
“Don’t let your guard down yet! Protect the fortress from the remaining monsters—!”
The shopping district was filled with cheers.
Hope was gradually settling over this place.
The endless monsters had been intercepted by the academy cadets and staff. Meanwhile, the fallen knights who had been rampaging through the streets and cutting people down were now sprawled on the ground, their heads severed.
The monsters were defeated.
The Sun had triumphed.
-Waaaah—!
People cheered and sobbed.
“We did it! We’re alive—!”
“Long live the Golden Knight!”
“Long live the heroes of Arien Academy—!”
Through that crowd,
a renowned clergyman walked toward them.
Albert had returned, guided by Instructor Zach.
“Cardinal Albert!”
“Are you all right?”
Albert replied with a benevolent smile.
“Yes, of course. It’s all thanks to the Sun God’s protection.”
“What a relief!”
“What on earth happened…?”
“Ho ho, don’t worry too much. Everything will be fine…”
At that moment,
the woman in a black dress who had walked up beside them said,
“Hmm? Really?”
“?”
Albert turned around.
And was aghast.
The woman in the black dress was holding the Sun’s sigil lightly. The sigil, as if woven from light, was still glowing.
Albert was horrified.
“W-what?! What are you—?!”
“Eit~!”
Beatrice playfully pressed it against Albert’s lips.
At that moment…
“Graaagh—!”
Albert’s body writhed,
and the black stakes inside him began to protrude.