Chapter 220
Chapter 220
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: The Blind Knight, the Enigmatic Mage, and the Mimas -6
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Siselle Yurensuto had often pondered her own end. Like everyone else, she knew eternal sleep would one day claim her.
She might meet her death in the heat of battle, or tumble over while swinging her sword in the backyard, or perhaps one morning simply fail to wake.
Such thoughts had once invaded her dreams. On the night she received a conditional death sentence from a priest.
In the dream, Siselle discovered multiple versions of her own corpse, each reflecting her like a mirror, all sharing the same strangely relieved, vacant expression.
Siselle circled her bodies before suddenly waking.
When she told First Princess Elaine about the dream, Elaine focused not on the death itself, but something else.
"Was the dead you young, or old?"
All were the same youthful Siselle. Just like looking in a mirror.
"Have you ever imagined growing old, bearing children, building a family, and dying happily surrounded by grandchildren—a blessed, natural death?"
No. Siselle couldn't picture her old age.
The mere idea that she might still be alive then felt vague and burdensome. Life was too long...
After that, she set aside thoughts of death. They no longer haunted her dreams, and if someone brought it up, she could brush it off as if she hadn't heard.
Dwelling on it changed nothing, and to build the fame of Knight Yurensuto on the battlefield, using her Awakening was not optional—it was essential.
Head to the front lines, train, sleep, then back to the front lines.
She spun like a cogwheel until she was thrust into the Hero Selection Tournament. By then, she thought herself indifferent to death...
Or perhaps it was all denial.
Maybe she'd locked away her heart to keep idle thoughts from spilling over.
But last night, after receiving three restrictions from that peculiar physician.
The thoughts kept resurfacing.
She'd thought herself detached from death.
"Group A Round of 32 in the 'Courage' Tournament! From the left... does she even need an introduction? She's felled her opponents with a single swing so far! Deputy Captain of the Azure Wind Knights, Siselle Yurensuto──!!"
Clank, clank.
The iron boots that now felt like her own skin scraped against the ground. She advanced into the brightly lit arena. The light dazzled, but to Siselle, it was the light of death.
Squinting, she shaded her eyes with her gauntlet. The shadow over her eyelids brought some relief.
Round of 32.
Three times.
One Awakening per match meant she'd die in the quarterfinals.
"From the right... one of Group A's top contenders! He wields the earth freely with his Awakening ability—Kargan of 'Bankruptcy'──!!"
She took the stage.
The stage of 'glory' that had defined her since childhood.
She gripped her zweihander with both hands and raised it. It felt heavier than usual. Only three left. Thinking one might snap with this swing made it seem pitifully few.
Like leaves falling from a bare twig...
......
Her opponent resembled a bear—a famed war mercenary whose earth manipulation rivaled the Golden Tower's elite mages, or so she'd heard.
She had to use it. Swordsmanship alone wouldn't win.
"So you're the knight who made a name on the Eastern Front. I've heard tales from out there. Thanks to the First Princess's support, you stockpile expensive priests and rotate them in three shifts? Quite the luxury."
"......"
"A knight who cries like a child for healing at the slightest scratch, fighting in such a cushy environment—your skill's obvious. I'll expose your limits. The real battlefield, where life and death hang in the balance, is different── What? Ignoring me?!"
"Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought..."
Handling two thoughts at once overwhelmed her. Her mind was a mess. His words barely registered. Siselle apologized for her inattention.
Did it come off as disdain? Kargan bellowed, summoning his Awakening with full force.
"My Awakening is 'Earth Dominion'! It lets me control the ground within a three-meter radius. I'll bombard you with rock projectiles until you admit defeat, Eastern Front knight──!"
Rumble rumble rumble.
Boom, thud!
"It's rising! The arena floor around Kargan is cracking and floating into the air! Each one's man-sized, and there are over ten! And now dust?!"
"Take this──!!"
Rooooar──!!
Dust billowed like a wave, blinding her vision. In an instant, everything turned earthen yellow, like a massive sandstorm.
Then came the sound of a huge object hurtling toward her. Likely one of the massive rocks ripped from the ground. Most would fail to react and get crushed.
Siselle too. Her natural abilities couldn't evade it—no burst speed to close distance, no focus to exploit openings, no strength to deflect the boulder.
No Jewel-like charm or intuition.
No Yuna-like genius.
Yet if she had to somehow, absolutely prevail. Even if it meant discarding herself. She couldn't bear those weary, disappointed gazes any longer.
She had to do it.
Siselle's fingers trembled with uncharacteristic hesitation. But soon, she pulled the trigger.
Hummm──.
She activated it. Dyed her soul.
Flooded with thick, murky gray emotions, her soul writhed in agony, pulsing. Become a knight worthy of the family. That shackle squeezed her soul tight.
With indescribable, searing pain.
The ash-gray soul, crushed like a rotting apple, leaked special mana from the cracks downward. The mana spread through her body like paint.
Thus manifesting 'Heaviness'.
Her body grew heavy. The world pressed down with weight. Her hands trembled finely on the zweihander. But when Siselle barely swung the greatsword, tracing a semicircle through the air──.
Swooooosh.
Kaaaaaaa──!!
So immense the heaviness that grazed past, the zweihander's path generated tremendous suction. A faint black rift lingered, sucking in dust, air, and the incoming boulders.
As if a curved black hole had opened overhead. Everything nearby clung to the trajectory, forming a crescent moon of rock in the sky.
A gravitational manipulation born from the simple concept of amplified weight.
Awakening, 'Duty's Grasp'.
"Wh-what...?!"
Kargan gaped in shock, his attack wholly stolen. Too stunned for a follow-up.
Had that sword's arc aimed forward instead of upward, Kargan might have been pulverized by his own rocks.
Or crumpled without a corpse in the direct slash zone. This was the knight's mercy.
She knew up from down and offered early surrender.
"......"
"I won't take your head. It's a festival, after all."
Thud.
The zweihander rested on Kargan's shoulder. Sweat poured as he raised both hands in surrender.
"It's over in a flash! No clue what happened, but with Kargan's surrender, the winner is Siselle Yurensuto──!! Another one-swing victory, advancing straight to the next round!"
Boom!
As if celebrating her win, the airborne rock mass finally escaped the pull and crashed to the ground.
The crowd roared. Siselle turned her back on the cheers, heading for the exit tunnel.
The brutal soul-squeezing halted, color draining from her spirit. Exhaustion and fatigue hit like a marathon sprint.
...That makes one.
Two left.
Her body seemed to claim it could endure more, but likely delusion. The man Karen introduced understood her soul's depths, pinpointing her symptoms accurately.
Unable to sense even death at her doorstep... it made sense. The gravely wounded forget pain.
Two...
The emotion filling Siselle Yurensuto's heart was dual— anxiety that it had come so soon, or relief that the end neared? She couldn't tell.
Or perhaps she refused to distinguish.
"Kuhahaha! This is the end for the Mysterious Beauty Mage X! Me? I'm loaded with cash, a gold fighter aiming for Hero with sheer wealth. Surrender, and I'll give you a 30-day unlimited Mima body pillow pass!"
"Hmph—trying to bribe me? Sorry, but my shoulders bear the crowd's cheers and expectations. I'll disqualify you painlessly with my signature X Kick, Gold Fighter."
"...Not even tempted? Don't tell me you're enjoying the fame from this thoughtless tournament entry— Ow, it hurts! You said painless!"
"Stay still, idiot, or it'll miss! Youthful Gale Fist!"
The redheaded girl linked arms with Siselle as they walked.
"That match was awesome! We're all clang-clang-clang with swords, but yours had rocks flying and storms raging... You aren't tired, are you? Wanna grab a bite? You've probably had fancy stuff, but this city's got some decent spots."
"Ah, I, um..."
"Oh! If you're super worn out... there's that aromatherapy and massage place. Sweating it out might help your health? Or."
"Th-thank you, but..."
Since the shocking terminal diagnosis, Karen had been incredibly attentive. She didn't know the exact soul ailment, but had heard Siselle's days were numbered.
So she fussed over her. Siselle felt burdened and tried refusing, but Karen's momentum overwhelmed. She'd never received such care before—it felt alien.
But.
"Wanna go sing?"
"......"
It wasn't unwelcome.
Flustered, she got dragged along to a stage. Karen performed in the same spot, while Siselle, amid the audience, swayed to her dance and song. Her heart lifted.
Siselle watched the crowd—some stomping cheers, others dancing—then tentatively moved her arms awkwardly.
Her own kind of dance.
She'd never played like this. Her family obsessed over filling the 'Wall of Glory,' and under First Princess Elaine's banner, it was all battle.
Even after Elaine's Awakening changed, lightening the Eastern Front's mood, it remained a deadly seesaw. 'Play' was rare. No one drew Siselle in.
So perhaps this was her first real fun.
After the show, Karen fluttered her collar to cool off and stepped down.
"Phew, how was it?"
"Great. Cool... really cool."
"Then after the break, wanna join me on stage?"
"...Pardon?"
Siselle's eyes widened at the sudden invite. The person inside Karen—recalling some grand mage's face—couldn't help but chuckle.
Karen waved her hand.
"Nine out of ten enjoying a show just soak it in, but the last one thinks, 'I wanna be up there.' You too, right, Siselle? The stage."
"But..."
Did she really want to? Her atrophied senses couldn't judge her desires anymore. Still.
It felt closer to wanting.
But worries surged. Untrained, unrehearsed—she might make a fool of herself. Disappointing others would crush her.
At least a day, no, ten days, a month of practice first.
But in a month, she'd long be dead.
In her turmoil, Siselle dredged up an excuse to suppress her urge.
A knight singing on streets? Unbefitting. Rumors would tarnish her dignity.
As if hooked, Karen grabbed her hand tight.
"There are knights who sing in battle, they say... But if you're that worried! As long as your identity stays hidden, we can play, right?"
"Eh? Y-yes, I suppose..."
"I know the perfect spot! The world has all sorts of artists, some who want pure judgment of their music, free from outside status──."
With oddly fitting narration, Karen led her to a basement bar. Dim lights lit a central stage, surrounded by scattered tables and chairs.
And everyone wore masks concealing their faces.
A lone pole might suggest sleaze, but no—this was a contest of hidden identities, like a masked talent show.
A mad mage had scouted, persuaded the owner, lured bards flocking to the city, and holograph-filler the rest to build this stage.
Karen and Siselle donned rabbit masks.
Singing anonymously behind masks preserved Knight Yurensuto's dignity.
Siselle fidgeted intensely.
"...But what do these outfits even mean?"
"This is the magic trick that makes getting caught zero risk!"
Masks weren't enough. Full costumes hid identities better. Thus, Karen's secret weapon.
Bunny girl outfits.
Siselle clutched her chest, at a loss. Even solo in an Eastern Front mega-gate hadn't felt this hopeless. Her heart raced wildly, face burning like a fire.
So exposed. Her identity was safe, but...
"...They'll see everything!"
"Yours is a bit loose, especially the chest."
"You don't have to point that out...?!"
By day a knight, by night a bunny. Siselle's double life began.