The End of Silence 3
As soon as he stepped out of the convent building, the presences of five figures approaching from that direction became even clearer. Though faint due to the distance, there was no mistaking them. Licht, who had slipped out through the window, began descending the forest path. The rustling of leaves occasionally echoed loudly. The Ascension Sword hung at his waist. His black eyes, fixed ahead, had sunk into an eerily deep abyss.
"......"
He was walking straight toward death. He knew that all too well. His body was far from peak condition right now. He could only use two circles. And the enemies weren't just one or two. Five holy knights dispatched directly from the Papal Court. From their auras alone, they were no ordinary foes. Knights handpicked by the Papacy would be tough even for most powerhouses to beat.
Normally, he wouldn't have taken it this seriously. But things were different now. Licht thought of the people at the convent. He thought of the abbess who had taken him in despite having nowhere else to go. The nuns who hadn't turned him away despite their curious stares. The children who had approached him so freely.
If he fled. If he ran from here right now. The abbess might survive thanks to her connections in the capital. The Saintess would obviously live. But the others? He couldn't be sure. They had sheltered a mysterious outsider—a wanted man who had killed five Executors of the Holy Kingdom. That alone was reason enough for punishment. Even if they claimed ignorance of his identity, it wouldn't matter. They might just wipe out the whole convent. The others would die without even understanding why, grasping at the end what had led to this.
If the Saintess intervened, maybe. But he couldn't count on it.
"......."
In the end, there were no choices left. Even if he abandoned them all and ran. No, fleeing wasn't possible in the first place. In this state, he couldn't shake off the Holy Kingdom's pursuit. Once they'd caught his trail, they'd hunt him to the death.
"In the end..."
His empty left hand caressed the hilt of the Ascension Sword. The familiar warmth enveloped his entire grip. He didn't bother wondering how they'd noticed and circled back. It was meaningless. Whether they had a tracking holy relic and had sensed him all along, or had sharp instincts, or it was sheer coincidence piled on coincidence—it had already happened. Call it fate's cruel joke if you wanted. Now, he had to make a choice.
Licht reached into his bosom. The entrance to his subspace pocket opened, and a snow-white hilt emerged. The Holy Kingdom's sacred sword, permitted only to the Pope's blades. The Execution Sword he had recovered after killing the 7th Seat, Kars, before.
He already knew this sword wouldn't take his mana. The reason he drew it anyway was simple. He judged it would help in battle. Right now, every artifact mattered.
It won't take mana, but it devours holy power.
Holy knights from the Papal Court themselves would wield immense holy power. Worst case, all five might carry relics. Ordinary attacks wouldn't pierce their defenses easily. But the Execution Sword was different. It fed on holy power. He could turn that against them. A surprise strike might let him kill one right at the start. Their defensive holy power would get sucked right in.
The attack method: sword projection. It wouldn't take mana, but he could compress wind and fire it at light-like speeds.
Licht slowly stirred his mana. Fallen leaves at his feet began swirling in a circle.
Wooong!
The circles rotated. The two rings closest to his heart began orbiting at his will. That wasn't all. The remaining three tangled rings began forcibly unraveling.
Grind!
A dissonant chord. The same discordant mana sound as before. Pain radiated around his heart. He ignored it. Forcing the circles to spin brought a burning sensation across his chest, and his dormant senses began awakening one by one.
A massive invisible wave spread out. The tremendous mana pulse from the five rings.
This is just buying time.
He knew that. There won't be a second chance. He knew that too. Even if he killed those five holy knights here, nothing would change. Members of the Knight Secreta. If their reports cut off, the Holy Kingdom would just send more to the convent. So it was just buying time. It might even make things worse. Every Knight Secreta had backing. Killing them would bring a storm of backlash.
Forcing the circles active was the same. He'd already brushed the 7th Circle wall once. Without the girl, he'd be buried in cold soil by now. It would be no different this time. Even if he killed the Knight Secreta, would she heal him again? Worst case, his circles might shatter before he could act.
But if he used that brief window to stabilize the circles and break through to the 6th Circle? Countless thoughts flickered and vanished in his mind. A fierce gale whipped at his feet. The forcibly activated circles distorted the surroundings as they sucked in mana.
Licht halted for an instant, crouched low, and kicked off the ground explosively. All stray thoughts had long vanished. His senses had already locked onto the enemies, now dangerously close.
***
In the outskirts forest northwest of the Holy Kingdom, five knights in pristine white priestly robes raced through. No words were needed. An occasional glance was enough. Long twin banners with golden embroidery trailed behind them. They hadn't drawn their swords. Left hands rested on pommels as they ran at full speed, their postures flawless.
"But."
Someone finally spoke. A large-built young man in the middle.
"They said use any means necessary. You planning to tear the building apart the second we arrive?"
A valid question. Another member answered.
"Probably. He's likely hiding there."
"If so, smashing it would be faster."
"Some of us should watch the perimeter."
"What if he's already fled?"
The last question was directed at David.
"He hasn't."
The youth temporarily in command shook his head slightly.
"Another hunch?"
"......"
"We didn't sense a thing."
"One of two things. Either he's so weak he's beneath notice, or strong enough to completely hide his presence."
"Not the latter."
"We'll see when we get there."
Even as they talked, their feet never slowed. David, at the rear, eyed the four youths ahead. Five Knight Secreta including himself. Overkill force. Enough to take on Executors.
The four youths discussed how to capture the outsider without doubting David's words. Son of Cardinal Pedro and prime candidate for next Knight Secreta Captain. Everyone in the order knew his instincts were sharp. Groundless intuition or not, that keen sense had saved David from death's door multiple times.
I'm not wrong.
As they climbed the mountain path, David thought to himself.
He was hiding his presence.
A presence as faint as any commoner's. Utterly insignificant, or from a powerhouse who could perfectly conceal it. David guessed the outsider was the latter. No evidence. Just his instinct telling him so.
"Almost there."
They'd nearly crested the path they'd descended.
"David...?"
Suddenly, the ground seemed to drop out beneath him. A nearby knight sensed the anomaly and called his name, but David couldn't respond. An ominous mana pulse from not far away. A chilling stab at his nape. The other four had noticed too, turning toward it in unison.
A presence boldly radiating aura, heading straight for them.
The lead youth slowed. That was the fatal mistake.
Screee!
A flash in an instant, something hurtling at terrifying speed. Followed by a savage whoosh.
The lead youth reacted instantly, drawing his sword.
Krunch!
The drawn blade crossed the incoming projectile in a heartbeat. Bright yellow light erupted over his sword hand, then got sucked into the attacker.
"......!"
The knights' eyes widened. But that was it. The pure-white holy sword, having devoured all holy power, blazed brightly for a moment, shoving aside the youth's blade and piercing his chest dead center.
Stab!
The tip burst out his back. Blood dripped below.
The holy sword ground with a screech, twisting half a turn while embedded.
A gush of blood sprayed out.
The large youth, sword through his chest, already had unfocused eyes.
Then, as if with a will of its own, the holy sword wrenched free.
Splurt!
A blood fountain erupted. The massive body crumpled like a puppet with cut strings.
The sacred sword, freed from the youth's body, floated motionless in the air. But only briefly. It rocketed back toward its origin, drawing all eyes there.
In the forest near the convent.
Step.
A black silhouette descended between the trees. Leaves swirled in a vortex at his feet. The surroundings warped as if refracted.
A long black cloak draped his form, hood up. Shadow hid all but a faintly visible jaw and lips.
"An Execution Sword...?"
One knight muttered in disbelief.
The black figure's right hand gripped the pure-white sacred sword that had just impaled the youth. Crimson blood dripped from the snowy blade in stark contrast. His left rested on the hilt of an unidentified sword at his waist.
An utterly incomprehensible situation.
"Why an Execution Sword..."
"Eden, Gale, Finn!"
David shouted. He didn't call Dante's name this time. The sword had already pierced and killed him instantly.
The three youths staring at the black figure snapped to. They exchanged glances, then looked ahead.
But he was gone. The figure, who had been descending slowly moments ago, now charged at them full speed.
"Group attack!"
David commanded.
The black figure slid forward like oil. The four Knight Secreta drew and lunged as one. Blades unsheathed in perfect sync with their motion. Four dark blades emerged in unison, bright yellow energy gleaming atop them.
Holy power. Just as they clashed swords drawn—
The black figure's form blurred.
The four blades slashed through as if shredding him.
A combined assault from four of the Holy Kingdom's elite Knight Secreta. No Executor could block it easily.
But they hit nothing. Only after slicing the afterimage did they realize.
Illusion.
Illusion magic.
The sharpest-instinct David spun. The black figure had slipped between the four holy knights.
Black hair swayed from beneath the tilted hood. Indifferent obsidian eyes stared blankly at one spot.
"Licht... Barbalte...!"
David spat through gritted teeth.
His swung dark blade was blocked by the Execution Sword sucking in holy power. Then a golden blade flashed like lightning, severing the throat of the youth right beside him.