Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: 28-3. Love for Life
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I turned to the man with striking blue hair and piercing white eyes in his glasses.
"Professor Dennis, please evacuate Pine and the others."
"I can't do that. It's far too dangerous. Are you planning to take on Head all by yourself, Licht?"
"Then who else here can deal with 'Omniscience' and 'Ignorance' besides me?"
"Well..."
Dennis trailed off, unable to respond right away. No surprise there. He'd just heard the Demon King shout, and it must have shaken him pretty badly.
"This can't be!! There can't be two heroes of the same concept!!"
It was like a perfect counter to the Demon King had appeared. Come to think of it, Magic Hat had said something similar during our final battle. He must have nullified even lies back then.
"I'm fine. Any other time, maybe not... but right now."
I locked eyes with the golden gaze of the glass knight. Thankfully, she looked unharmed. As long as things stayed this way, she wouldn't end up as the Nameless Saintess.
"...I feel like I can kill that bastard for good."
With me here, who would dare touch my Pine? The thought that he'd tried to use Ignorance to turn her into a complete idiot made my grip tighten on my sword.
"Licht, are you angry?"
"No? I'm perfectly fine."
"No, you look furious."
Damn, Pine had seen right through me. How was she so perceptive when I was the opposite—completely oblivious? Even with the helmet hiding my face.
"I'm a little angry."
"...I see."
A chuckle escaped me for no reason. To think she hadn't realized even after sticking by my side this whole time. Truth be told, I wanted to scream, "Aaaah!! I'm sorry!!" right here.
"Then we'll give you some space, Licht."
"Thank you, Professor."
"I have to help you if things get dire."
Situations like this meant I'd save the reckoning for later. No matter how much the order got pushed back, my karma wouldn't vanish.
"Licht. Together..."
"Fight together? No. You might still have aftereffects."
"I don't want you shouldering everything alone anymore..."
Don't say things that weaken my resolve like that. To keep Pine from becoming the Nameless Saintess, I had to eliminate the Demon King Head Ek standing before me.
"..."
Words failed me for a moment. We couldn't delay any longer. If we did, everyone would get swept up in the battle with the Demon King.
"...Professor Dennis."
"Got it. Take care."
At my signal, the blue-haired mage activated a 3D Magic Circle, teleporting everyone around us except me and Head away.
"Licht...!"
Even as she vanished, she reached out, trying to grab me. How could someone have such a soft heart?
Just leave it to the pure love Black Knight. I've got experience slaying Demon Kings, after all.
With me here, no risk of spatial coordinates being traced back. I slowly advanced toward Head, sword at the ready.
"Hero, do you even realize what you've done?!"
"Beats me. What did I do?"
The sports field pelted by drizzling rain.
"You've thrown away the last card that could avert the fate barreling toward us!!"
"Screw fate."
In the pouring rain, two men with irreconcilable views faced off as enemies.
A transparent status window popped up before my eyes.
The devs were at it again. It had happened last time too, when I tried to save Pine. I should have realized something was off when she was by my side after succeeding the Fallen Route glitch.
'What an idiot I am. Shouldn't have judged Kainel.'
I thought I knew everything about the one I loved, but apparently not. Love isn't something you parse with words or logic, after all.
Honestly, without our saintess, I might have fallen for Pine Granasia ages ago. The glass knight's heart was warmer and kinder than anyone's.
She'd just risked her life to pull me from my trauma. How could I not fall for someone like that?
'Or have I already?'
My heart had already surrendered to Pine to a dangerous degree. Ever since possessing this body, I'd built walls against the women, fearing entanglements.
I'd kept my distance from anyone without a clear coupling like Ariel or Sharutineth Saintmarriage, and even then, I'd step aside at key moments.
'...Thinking back, it was the same at drinking parties or festivals.'
By then, I knew she was a girl, but I'd stuck to my usual routine.
Drinking together, giving her piggyback rides—things normal me wouldn't do, but something kept pulling me to not leave her alone.
Being with Pine made my heart race, and her kindness moved me deeply.
"...If fate exists, then so must a 'fate' to overcome it."
I strode forward, eyes fixed ahead. If the story followed the original, she'd become the saintess and maybe even like me.
But that wasn't love. At least, not worthy of the pure love label.
"Sophistry...!! This isn't some word game!!"
"I'm the Black Knight. I'll drink any poison for the one I love."
What would have happened if I hadn't been here when Head attacked Grand Hearts Academy? Sharutineth probably would have been kidnapped for real this time.
'That's why no contradiction message during the [Sunset Rendezvous] dungeon clear.'
Chills ran down my spine. Excluding the Magic Hat and Head incidents, everything else had followed the creators' script.
The windows overlapped, blotting out my vision, so I slashed through them with Giyu.
Serack—the status windows split in two.
The irritating text dissolved into motes of light. This kind of warning from the creators meant one thing.
'Kill that Head, and Pine will never be forgotten among people.'
It proved I could twist the original and sequel's flow. I wanted to see her live as a princess, not a saintess—her smiling face was far prettier than any sad expression.
The reason was simple.
If I took down Magic Hat too, we might even get her mother, Bellin Granasia, back.
Listen to these warnings now? Fat chance.
"No one can stop my 'prophecy'!! Countless will die or be hurt. I'm just trying to minimize that!!"
"Is that really a prophecy?"
Head glared at me, eyes bulging in a last desperate outburst.
"Hey, Demon King of Omniscience."
"What is it, boy?"
"Do you know who would win if we fought?"
He shook his head at my question. Figured as much.
"...I don't."
"Why not? Aren't you the 'Demon King of Omniscience'?"
"..."
Demon Kings' powers weren't that perfect. Even simple answers eluded the confused Omniscience Demon King.
"...So you might be wrong, yet you've been weighing lives on that flimsy judgment?"
"No. I've confirmed it seven times. Ruin is inevitable."
He ground his teeth. Seven confirmations—what did that mean? No way...
"Head, you're a regressor."
"How did you...!!"
Obvious. Omniscience itself was contradictory. Even in the original [Knight Heart], his dying words were, "Let's meet again at the time of prophecy."
With me as a possessor, a regressor or two wasn't surprising. Hell, even Heavenly Demon appeared.
"I wasn't in any of those loops, right?"
"Correct. So if you lent your power, boy, we could save even more lives..."
"Screw that. Who do you think you're fooling with that three-inch tongue? Shouldn't you start with, 'Sorry for killing people based on unconfirmed futures'?"
That sealed it. He'd never doubted his visions were unchangeable, ruthlessly turning his blade on others.
"What should I have done, then? I tried siding with the Ten Heroes, betraying the Demon Kings."
Head grinned like a madman. Something was missing.
"I strove seven times to change those grim futures. You, Lee Soo-hyun from another world, should understand better than anyone!!"
"Your premise is flawed, Head."
He might resemble me superficially, but this Demon King and I were worlds apart from the start. The difference?
"If you'd abandoned regression and staked your life, things might have changed. Omniscience vanishes."
For the one I love, I'd stake my life. My life was saved by Pine Granasia from the beginning.
She didn't need to become the Nameless Saintess. Pine was Pine. I couldn't let my one-sided love hurt her.
If anyone got hurt, it'd be me. I'd never let her suffer while I lived.
Pine deserved more happiness ahead. Better this than falling into the Demon Kings' clutches.
"...Negotiations failed. Hero."
"Ouch, hit a nerve? My bad."
He scowled, aiming his red revolver. Bang—the gunshot echoed across the battlefield. Head fired at me.
"I'm not a hero. I'm the Black Knight."
Using Giyu, I turned my body to water droplets, dodging the bullet. The academy under drizzling rain.
In that downpour, the Demon King and Black Knight poured everything into killing each other.