Chapter 47: Requiem
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: Requiem
“It… stopped?”
“…No way.”
Noel and Katya gasped in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief.
And who could blame them? Just moments ago, the spirit had been on a terrifying rampage. Now, it had come to a dead halt.
Its gaze was fixed on the national flag draped over Aiden’s shoulders.
The flag bearing the image of a lion. The national flag of the Empire.
[- ]
Ragged breaths echoed from beneath the visor, where an ominous red light glowed.
There was no longer any trace of the mindless monster that had lunged at Noel, nor of the human tank that had bulldozed every obstacle in its path.
What reflected in those eyes was, without a doubt—a final, inviolable line.
Even now, her mind shattered to the point of losing her sanity and even her ability to speak, there was one line she would never cross.
The Lord Protector. The knight who protects the nation.
It seemed that even after death, a knight who had lived her life bearing that title still remembered the pride she had built.
The Lord Protector does not harm the symbol of the Empire.
She does not harm those who carry it.
…As I thought.
Aiden worked from a simple premise.
A spirit could only manifest in the material world if it possessed a powerful, unfulfilled desire from its lifetime. The stronger that desire, the more powerful its manifestation.
No matter how much the demons—the main enemies of this scenario—had intervened, that fundamental rule remained.
This meant that even those who could resurrect spirits with techniques akin to necromancy could never twist that fundamental ‘desire.’
In other words…
Even if they had brainwashed her into believing that harming Noel was the only way to protect the Empire, they could never shake her core identity as the Empire’s protector.
“…”
Aiden silently stared into her eyes, which glowed like red lanterns.
No matter which records of the Lord Protector he recalled, no such phenomenon had ever been documented.
This was clearly a far cry from how she had been in life.
It was proof of some form of madness. She was likely in a state where maintaining her sanity was impossible.
It couldn’t have been easy to implant the suggestion to harm someone—especially one as precious to her as Noel—into a person of such unyielding integrity.
The curse and erosion must have been a long, drawn-out process, to the point that it would have been easier to simply shatter her mind completely.
And yet.
The Lord Protector.
Dame Theresa Adelite.
Even with her mind shattered, she had done nothing to bring shame to her name.
“I’m sorry,” Aiden quietly offered his apology once more.
How could he not admire her?
Until the very, very end.
Beyond death, with her mind clouded, and even with her spirit defiled and corrupted by filth…
This knight had not lost her pride. She had fought desperately to protect the Empire.
She had acted without a single shred of shame toward her title as the Lord Protector—the knight who protects the nation.
And what Aiden was now exploiting was that very same, brilliantly shining pride.
It was only right to apologize to the knight who was now fighting her own body with all her might, unable to bring her sword down upon him.
But even so.
…I can’t let someone like her be forced to kill her own family with her own hands.
That was precisely why he had to strike her down.
Aiden raised his sword.
Supernatural energy circulated through his body.
[-…]
First, he prepared the First Vow. Then, he fused it with the Pure White Qi.
[-…!!]
The two fused energies were reborn as the Guardian’s Flame, generating a destructive power far exceeding the original.
This alone nearly doubled his power, but he didn’t stop there.
— Divine Power Enhancement: Detonation.
The energy enveloping his body instantly surged, doubling in strength once more. And then…
— Spiral Cavity.
He manifested the refined energy, shaping it according to the application method he had copied from the Imperial Prince.
[-…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]
The coalescing energies expanded with explosive fury, shredding themselves into fine, spinning particles.
It was a manifestation that inspired a growing, instinctual dread in anyone who witnessed it.
Aiden wrapped the gathered energy around his sword.
Now, only one thing remained.
A sword has two main components.
The hilt and the blade.
Unlike a complex mechanism like a revolver, it couldn’t hold multiple abilities, but it could hold at least two.
Which meant he had one final way to strengthen his attack.
…Come to think of it.
Some time ago, Mayer had asked him a question.
He’d said that no matter how powerful or perfect a technique was, it was meaningless if you couldn’t land it.
He had asked Aiden if he possessed the skill to actually hit his target.
Aiden had answered casually, saying he was the type who excelled in real combat and was confident he could. His senior hadn’t paid him any mind at the time.
It was a shame he couldn’t show him now.
Because this was the reason for his confidence.
— System Message
▶ ‘Skill: Savior’s Oath’ is reacting.
▶ ‘Public Enemy of the World’ detected.
▶ In accordance with ‘Restriction: Protect the World’, supernatural ability is enhanced!
Seeing this, Aiden let out a soft chuckle.
…Just as expected.
He knew this restriction would be perfect for the main scenario. After all, his entire journey was now about saving the world.
When it came to this kind of ‘real combat’…
…he had the ability to amplify the technique Mayer had crafted for him by dozens of times.
He saw Katya’s and Noel’s jaws drop in unison as dozens of cores erupted from his body and began to orbit him.
“…What on earth is—!”
Controlling dozens of cores was an achievement that even the legendary high priests of the Great Plains could barely manage. Anyone would react that way seeing someone summon them so effortlessly.
And soon, that Dharmic Power was channeled into the sword’s hilt.
— System Message
▶ ‘Ability Bestowal’ successful. Weapon power increases!
With that message flashing before him, Aiden raised his sword.
[-!]
Now that the manifestation was complete, the Lord Protector finally tore her gaze from the flag and raised her sword to defend.
But by this point, it was already too late.
The technique’s only drawback was its long casting time; an opponent would never normally wait for it to be completed.
And in any case…
…choosing to ‘defend’ against this attack was the wrong decision entirely.
He took a deep breath, raised his sword, and muttered the trigger phrase Mayer had taught him.
Tear them apart.
Blade of Dawn.
And then.
A single flash.
The tip of the sword gleamed.
* * *
There are those who are called Saints.
It was a title bestowed upon those who had reached the absolute pinnacle of their respective fields—a moniker given with deep reverence to those who had left their mark on the continent.
The Sword Saint who conquered the continent with a single rusted sword; the Divine Spear who felled a primeval giant with a mortal body; the Crowned Archer who repelled an otherworldly calamity pouring from the atmosphere—
The one known as the Knight of Dawn had also entered the ranks of the Saints, and as befitted his title, he was a man surrounded by countless heroic tales.
Those who witnessed him fight in the pitch-black of night, with no source of light, all testified to the same thing: it felt as though he were splitting day from night.
Indeed, it was said his moniker, the Knight of Dawn, was derived from the brilliant light that erupted from his weapon whenever he unleashed his techniques.
It was, so to speak, a symbolic phenomenon.
Honestly, she had thought it was just a bizarre exaggeration left behind in historical records.
Until she saw it with her own eyes.
“-!”
Noel grit her teeth and raised an arm to shield her eyes.
If she didn’t, she doubted even she could keep her eyes open against the blinding energy erupting from Aiden’s sword.
There was no other way to describe it.
The dawn…!
The sheer force was so absurd that she wondered if the historical records had actually been an understatement.
A light so intense that even she, a superhuman standing at the absolute peak, could barely keep her eyes open.
Where on earth did he get something like this again…!
As Noel felt an almost absurd sense of grievance toward Aiden, who seemed to pull off these ridiculous feats every time she blinked, he swung his sword.
The Guardian’s Flame already possessed devastating power, being Divine Power manifested through the density of Qi. The moment it left the tip of his blade, it split into several streams.
Every single one was a fiercely spinning spiral, imbued with the piercing power to tear through any defensive barrier.
They were slashes of such immense power that even a superhuman of Noel’s caliber would struggle to recover if hit head-on.
“-!”
However, the Lord Protector’s response was equally formidable.
Though it was too late to react properly, she somehow manipulated her Qi, shaping it into blades.
Knowing a defensive barrier would struggle against such spirals, she chose to intercept them instead.
Her counter-attacks were precise, their trajectories perfectly aligned to neutralize most of the incoming slashes.
It was a clean response that, while unable to block the attack entirely, should have been enough to avert a fatal blow.
But.
Noel’s jaw dropped at the sight unfolding before her.
The tiny, split spirals were accelerating their division, multiplying without end.
From a few, to dozens.
From dozens, to hundreds.
From hundreds, to thousands—
“What?!” Noel blurted out, dumbfounded.
The slashes divided endlessly. Tiny spirals blanketed the entire area, multiplying so fast that even she couldn’t track all their trajectories.
It was as if the world itself was being consumed by the brilliant flash illuminating the surroundings.
And the myriad slashes slipped right through the gaps in the Lord Protector’s counter-attack.
-!!
-!!!!!!
Noel was left utterly speechless as she watched the attacks ruthlessly pierce the spirit’s armor.
Because she now fully understood the sheer power of the attack Aiden had unleashed.
This is…
An attack unleashed with Divine Power, amplified by the density of Qi. It spreads over an unavoidable area, targets the gaps between vital points, and pierces any defensive barrier.
In a real battle, there were ways to counter it.
One could flee before the caster unleashed the attack or disrupt it before it could be launched—if one racked their brain, they could find ways to deal with it without a direct confrontation.
—But.
If it could be unleashed…
And if it could land…
And on top of that, if the opponent was a spirit…
…An instant kill.
…There was no other way to describe it.
Forget the Lord Protector’s spirit; even the spirit of a far greater being would be unable to withstand this!
-!!!!
The Blade of Dawn slipped through the gaps in her armor and began to incinerate the Lord Protector’s spiritual body.
The Divine Power, which held a natural advantage against spirits, flared far more intensely than usual the moment it came into contact with the spectral form.
The Lord Protector’s movements, so fierce just moments ago, began to slow. Her armor started to crumble.
“…”
Aiden quietly watched the scene, slowly lowering his sword.
It was a fatal blow.
Even for the Lord Protector, who had grown strong enough to overwhelm Noel, continuing to fight after taking such a hit head-on was impossible.
Indeed, the sight of the burning Lord Protector, her spiritual form tattered and torn, was agonizing. It was a miracle she hadn’t been extinguished instantly.
But.
[…-!]
Even so.
The knight did not retreat.
With a battle cry choked with what sounded like bloody phlegm, she still tried to rise, her will to fight burning as fiercely as ever.
“…”
Aiden quietly watched her.
One could call it stubbornness. One could say she was foolishly clinging to something that was already over.
But considering why this person was manifesting in the first place, it was a tenacity that should never be belittled.
Aiden didn’t know how the Lord Protector’s mind had been warped or what insidious methods the demons had used to shatter her sanity.
What was certain…
…looking at her now…
…was that the Lord Protector was clinging to her existence so desperately because she believed that ‘continuing to fight’ was the only way to ‘protect the Empire.’
“Dame Theresa Adelite.”
Therefore.
“This is my home, too. My father and my younger sister live in the Empire.”
Because she was that kind of person, there was something he had to promise her in return.
“My family, my friends, my acquaintances—everyone is here.”
The desire she had left behind was something Aiden couldn’t help but deeply empathize with.
Noel had said the Lord Protector was like the sun.
A knight who valued spending a peaceful day with anyone, regardless of social status, age, or gender, above all else.
The reason such a person believed so deeply in the value of the Empire was, presumably, because of the people within it.
Their families and relatives. The people living diligently, doing their duties.
Ordinary, average people. Powerless but good-natured people.
And her desire to protect those people… it overlapped perfectly with the very reason he had recently thrown himself into the insane task of saving the world.
[- ]
Beneath the visor, her red eyes stared straight at Aiden. Or perhaps she was glaring. Either way, she stood perfectly still, listening to his words.
No more battle cries escaped her.
She just stood there, quietly listening to what he had to say.
Locking eyes with her, Aiden continued.
“So, I promise you.”
He invoked the Savior’s Oath once more.
His father had drilled one lesson into him since childhood, a lesson he had learned firsthand after coming of age: avoid people who make empty promises at all costs. Aiden had no desire to become that kind of adult.
To the restriction dwelling within his cores of Dharmic Power, he added another vow.
Following the first restriction—to save the world—he engraved a second one right before the Lord Protector’s eyes.
“I will protect the Empire in your stead.”
Aiden would inherit her will: the Lord Protector’s ideals, the values she sought to protect, the idyllic, simple life she cherished—a dream he, too, held above all else.
Therefore.
He prayed.
“I will make sure the people within it, the powerless but good-natured people, never suffer injustice.”
And so, he prayed.
“So…”
Please, no more.
“You don’t have to fight anymore.”
Rest in peace.
[-…]
A long silence hung beneath the visor.
With her sword still raised, the Lord Protector stared at Aiden for a long, long time.
And then.
Clang.
The sound of the sword slipping from the Lord Protector’s hand echoed.
The lantern-like red glow beneath her visor remained, but the hostility radiating from her had vanished completely.
She was out of her mind and had lost her ability to speak. There was no way to know if his words had even reached her.
And yet… it felt as though he heard her voice.
[I’ll trust you.]
At that moment, her spiritual form crumbled, scattering into the air like dust.
As if she had finally fulfilled the desire she had clung to so desperately before her death. As if she no longer held any lingering regrets.
“…”
“…”
Amidst the silence, through the crumbling and scattering spirit of the Lord Protector…
…the ‘energy source’ at the core of her being was revealed. Walking through the drifting motes of light, Aiden gently cupped it in his hands.
Noel blankly muttered its name.
“A pinwheel…”
It was the token of promise she used to make for Noel all the time.
I will protect the Empire!
With only that.
With nothing but the sheer will of the oath she had sworn, the Lord Protector had endured, even beyond death.
“…”
The pinwheel in Aiden’s hands dissolved into particles of light and drifted away.
The token of promise containing the knight’s oath scattered in all directions, fading into the distance as she quietly departed, finally free, where no one could ever disturb her again.