Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The City Without the Sun (8)
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Ignoring Ruin's warning, I stepped into the Black Tower.
The sensation hit me instantly—something draining out from deep inside my body.
'Holy Power...'
Just as Ruin had said, my Holy Power was completely gone.
The power the goddess had bestowed upon me before my death, the force that lent me strength whenever danger loomed, the support that let me save lives.
Not a single shred of it remained.
Immediately after, a profound sense of helplessness took over my entire body. Without Holy Power, I couldn't use a single Holy Knight technique.
But still.
"...Prelia Forestian."
Murmuring the name of the woman trapped inside, I took a step forward.
I had no idea how she'd ended up here, but according to Ruin's explanation, the woman in this place was probably...
The mage heroine.
A stunning beauty with golden hair and green eyes, the kind of mage with a personality bold enough to keep talking to Ruin even after his confession.
Taken individually, each trait might fit a few people in this world, but only one person matched every single condition—in this game world, that is.
And right now, our mage heroine was trapped inside this utterly hopeless tower.
In a situation so dire even the protagonist Ruin had given up on rescuing her.
"...I'll do it myself."
If even the Hero had abandoned her rescue.
Then a mere Holy Knight like me had no choice but to step up.
The tower's interior was pitch black; I couldn't see a thing. Still, I pressed forward blindly.
A space of pure darkness that swallowed even the sound of my footsteps.
For some reason, no matter how straight I walked, I never hit a wall.
'Am I looping around the same spot?'
Environments that forced you to repeat sections were common in games and other media, so the thought came quickly.
'Or maybe it's messing with my senses?'
It could be disorienting my sense of direction, making me think I was going straight when I was actually veering sideways.
About five minutes in, by my estimate.
"Kiriririri!"
"Gorrr..."
"Gurororo!"
"Galiriririk?"
Muki cries echoed from all directions.
'Here we go.'
The battle with the mukis, stripped of all my power, just as Ruin had described.
With not even a speck of light, I couldn't see the mukis, and having offered my left arm's armor and shield as tribute, that side was defenseless too.
No matter how you sliced it, there was zero hope in this situation... but.
"Eh, I'm used to this sort of thing."
When had it ever been any different?
"Even if it kills me, I'll save the heroine and get out."
For this world, for its people, for the goddess, for the heroines.
I'm always prepared to throw my body on the line.
Well, since things have come to this...
"Goddess, I confess my sin."
Time to come clean, loud and clear.
"I ignored the Saintess's warning not to throw myself away recklessly."
When I ignored Ruin and entered the tower, I caught sight of Ariana reaching out for me from behind.
"But I don't regret my choice."
Still, I clenched my eyes shut and stepped inside.
"Because Prelia is a being this world needs."
Prelia Forestian, the mage heroine, was someone who spread immense positive influence across the world, whether she joined the protagonist's party or not.
Besides...
"It wouldn't be right to play favorites with the heroines, would it?"
I've already saved the Saintess heroine Ariana—discriminating between heroines like that? No way.
"So, I'll confess my sin, but I won't beg forgiveness."
All I want is one thing.
"Just... help Prelia hold on until I reach her."
So that even if it costs my life, I can save her.
So that she endures.
Now then...
"Kirrurrr..."
"Come at me, you monsters!!"
The hopelessly lopsided fight began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Is! Isuuu!"
"Ariana, calm down! I can't lose you too!"
After Is entered the tower.
Ariana tried to follow him inside.
But Ruin grabbed both her arms and wouldn't let go. Without her Holy Power, Ariana was just an ordinary village girl—she'd never survive in there.
"Let me go! Is went inside!"
"I warned you! Inside there, you're just a normal person, same as me! And the enemies are those shadow monsters from before! There's no way you could handle them!"
"I know that much! I know I can't survive without Holy Power!"
"Then why—"
"That's exactly why we have to go in!"
"...!"
Ruin's pupils trembled at Ariana's shout.
"You think Is went in because he's confident? No way! Without Holy Power, Is is barely half his strength! Sure, his rigorous training makes him about as good as a regular knight, but that's not enough against the mukis!"
Tears streaming down her face, Ariana glared at Ruin.
"And yet! Is still went in! To save the person you were too scared to rescue!"
"No, I..."
"Am I wrong? You gave up on saving the person right in front of you just because your Holy Power vanished, just because your talents disappeared!"
"...I had no choice."
"Of course! Because your innate talent for Holy Power was everything you had!"
Ruin's nerves were raw from Ariana's words.
Unable to hold back any longer, he exploded.
"Fine, fuck it! Yeah, my talent as the Hero, my Holy Power—that's everything to me! Holy Power is the pinnacle of my talent, proof that effort can never catch up to genius! I've lived my whole life banking on that talent alone!"
Ruin released Ariana and clenched his fists tight.
"Holy Power is my life! And inside there, it all vanishes! It's like my entire life is being denied! It's fucking bullshit!"
Ruin raged like a hormonal teenager.
Ariana stared at him with utter disgust.
"...You're no Hero."
"No, I am a Hero. The goddess herself chose me, no matter what anyone says!"
"How can you call yourself a Hero when you ignore someone in need right in front of you?!"
"If I go in there, I'm no longer a Hero! How can I be a Hero without Holy Power?!"
"Then what about Is?"
"What?"
Ariana trembled with fury as she screamed at Ruin.
"Is has no Holy Power either! So he's no longer a Holy Knight—so why is he in there?! Huh? Answer me!"
"That's..."
She was right.
Just as Ruin would cease to be a Hero without Holy Power, Is would no longer be a Holy Knight.
Yet Is hadn't come back out.
"Even without Holy Power, Is is still a Holy Knight. And even if he stops being one, he'll still save people. That's..."
Our duty as followers of the goddess.
Ruin's mind went blank, as if struck by a thunderbolt.
Ignoring the dazed Ruin, Ariana turned toward the tower.
"Even without Holy Power, I'm still a Saintess. And even if I stop being one, I'll still go into that tower."
She bolted straight for the entrance.
"...Wait."
Ruin snatched her wrist.
Then, slowly, he spoke.
"Fuck this."
"W-what?"
The words from his mouth were pure filth.
"The more I think about it, the more pissed I get. According to you, I'm still a Hero without Holy Power, still a Hero even half-crippled, still a Hero even if I swallow injustice."
She was about to snap back at his twisted rant, but Ariana caught his eyes and fell silent.
"Fuck it. If some shitty Holy Knight can show off, how can I, the Hero, just stand here?"
It wasn't the terrified, cowardly gaze from before.
"Fuck, even without Holy Power, I'm still the Hero. How did I not see that?"
Not exactly righteous, but brimming with sheer willpower.
"If you're a Saintess, act like one and wait back there. Charging in is the Hero's job."
He roughly yanked Ariana behind him.
"Kyaa!"
Ariana fell flat on her butt.
The halo above her head spun rapidly, as if angry.
"...Fuck it, let's do this. You annoying Holy Knight bastard."
Ignoring the fuming Ariana, Ruin pictured a scene in his mind.
Reaching out toward him.
"Hey! That's hell up ahead!"
Despite Ruin's desperate cry, the mere Holy Knight's response was...
"I know."
Is's words echoed in his head.
'Annoying bastard.'
It felt like Is was saying, 'This is my path—you couldn't keep up.' Gritting his teeth into a savage grin, Ruin raised his sword.
"I'm the Hero anyway. I'll be the one laughing at the end."
Vast Holy Power surged from his entire body, flowing into his blade.
"If I can't break through from inside, I'll do it from outside, you dumbass."
-Fwoooosh!
The sword aura exploding from his blade cleaved the tower in half.
Cough cough! Ugh! Grah, kek! Fuck... it hurts so fucking much!