The Vow for the Princess (3)
The brilliant golden light, more radiant than any jewel, pushed back the darkness. A blade steeped in the golden hue of the stars—that was the true form of the Holy Star Aldebaran.
Instinctively sensing danger, Meyros reinforced his blackish-gray bio-armor to its thickest possible state and charged at Edanant. But the golden slash struck first, driving the Apostle of Hardening backward instead.
Crack! Craaaack—!!
The bio-armor, which had casually deflected even the mana blades that knights took such pride in, was shredded apart by the golden strike. Countless fragments scattered through the air, splattering blood in their wake.
The bio-armor that had never yielded to any external force was being torn apart.
“Th-this… this is impossible!”
The noble, refined voice twisted into something monstrous and raspy.
“It is the blessing bestowed by the sublime god! This cannot be! It must not be!”
To Meyros, the unbreakable bio-armor was proof of his unwavering faith. Just like his devotion that had never bent to any pressure, the blackish-gray armor boasted absolute hardness. Watching it being shredded apart was nothing short of blasphemy and denial of everything he believed in. All the sacrifices and devotion he had offered through countless offerings were crumbling away alongside the metal fragments.
“O great god! Please grant your mercy once more to this humble lamb!”
As the fanatic cried out, the Fallen Essence embedded in his chest blazed with even clearer light. Power surged explosively. As if to prove it, the blackish-gray bio-armor began thickening further. It reached the level of heavy armor that should have rendered movement impossible.
Yet Meyros, receiving infinite energy from the Fallen Essence, displayed monstrous strength—moving freely even while encased in that massive armor.
“How about this! This is a miracle from god, hahaha!!”
Power overflowed. It felt like boiling lava. This was the grace of faith. It had to be the gift bestowed upon a beloved apostle.
Boom!! Boooooom!!
Every time the bio-armor-clad fist slammed down, a thunderous roar like artillery fire echoed. The fists, boasting incredible destructive power, rivaled high-explosive shells in their crushing force.
“Edanant!!”
Being hit directly by a fist as thick as cast iron would naturally crush one’s entire body. If struck repeatedly, the victim would be reduced to unrecognizable minced meat.
Watching Edanant barely continue his desperate defense, Elizabetta’s face turned deathly pale as she let out a scream close to a wail.
It was reckless. He was being driven to the edge of a cliff. Elizabetta clasped her hands together as if in prayer. Please, please let him be safe. It didn’t matter if he won or not—just let him survive.
Her emerald eyes, clouded with anxiety, were fixed on Edanant’s back as he continued his fierce battle against the monstrous creature. Her expression made it painfully obvious how terrified she was that he might be caught in the explosive barrage.
Crrrrrrraaaaang!!!
In response, the deafening sound of metal being crushed rang out. The bio-armor ravaged by the Hero’s swordsmanship had dulled like scrap iron. The body was covered in hideous wounds from the relentless slashes. At first glance, it seemed Meyros held the advantage with his explosive, cannon-like punches.
But in truth, Edanant had held the initiative from beginning to end. As proof, despite Meyros swinging his fists nonstop, he hadn’t managed to land a single injury on Edanant.
“Why… why won’t it hit?!”
“Turn into bloody pulp and spit blood already!!”
“You’ve just gotten slower.”
Edanant kicked out. The blow caught Meyros squarely in the jaw, sending him tumbling helplessly backward.
“Huk…! Hah, haaah!!”
The metal-encased monster rose while breathing raggedly. The weight was becoming unbearable. The metal covering his entire body was beginning to act like shackles. Meyros felt a flicker of doubt. Until now, no matter how heavy or thick the bio-armor had been, hadn’t he always moved with speed?
Even though his stamina was being drained from the continuous exchange, he had been receiving energy from the Fallen Essence. Yet for some reason, his body was growing heavier at an alarming rate.
“Grrrrraaaaaah!!”
The brilliant golden light coiled around the blackish-gray bio-armor. It was being eroded at terrifying speed. Like a venomous serpent burrowing in, it invaded through the cracks in the metal. Strength was being stolen. As his power rapidly faded, resistance began to build within his body. Aldebaran’s divinity was wildly disrupting the energy emitted by the Fallen Essence.
Meyros frantically tried to release the bio-armor, but the erosion was far too fast. The golden light that had wrapped itself around his entire body now began threatening his very life.
“You insolent bastard!!”
Even so, it seemed he still had enough strength left to struggle. Meyros threw a desperate punch with all his might. But the attack, delivered in a state of exhaustion, was far too slow.
“It’s already over.”
Edanant swung the Holy Sword, deflecting the powerless fist. The blackish-gray metal crumbled like limestone. The once-impenetrable armor that had blocked every attack was now reduced to useless scrap that couldn’t even stop a stray bullet.
Edanant gripped the hilt with both hands. Drawing a wide arc like a crescent moon, he delivered a vertical slash that severed the final breath of the bio-armor that had clung to its host like a leech.
“Kuhak!”
“Finally showing your real face after hiding behind all that wrapping.”
The blackish-gray bio-armor was ripped apart from both sides as Meyros was forcibly ejected outward.
Thud.
At last, the Apostle’s true form was revealed. The man who had been impersonating Dagileg Branon was a crude-looking brute. His eyes lacked any focus, as if to prove his insanity.
“God’s grace…! The grace bestowed by god!”
“Uwaaaaaah!!”
The once-invincible bio-armor collapsed into a pile of scrap metal. Refusing to accept it, Meyros clutched at the fragments while screaming. It was the result of relying solely on divine favor. Having lost the bio-armor, Meyros completely lost his will to fight.
Wasn’t it hollow? The blessing he had boasted of as God’s special favor had ultimately been reduced to mere scrap.
Edanant slowly walked toward Meyros. He raised the hilt of his sword.
“You… n-no way!”
Meyros, who had been staring at the miserably shattered fragments with a look of utter despair, finally turned his gaze toward Edanant, who now held the blade high. His eyes turned pitch black. Within those blackened eyes, only the golden pupils remained visible.
It was the mark of an Apostle. Although he hadn’t activated the forgotten god’s blessing, he was undoubtedly an Apostle. Only then did Meyros realize why his body had remained intact despite taking a direct hit from the explosion of the Fallen Essence. It was because he, too, was an Apostle—just like himself.
“It’s over, Apostle.”
To the Apostle who stared with wide, horrified eyes, Edanant brought down a golden trajectory without hesitation.
The cruel and merciless Apostle who had turned the villa into a battlefield finally drew his last breath. A dying scream. That single sound announced the outcome of the battle.
The wicked cultist who had tried to sacrifice the Platinum Princess had finally been subjugated.
After finishing off Meyros, Edanant straightened his clothes and returned. The moment he did, he was met with overwhelmingly blatant stares from a great number of people, including Elizabetta.
Ahem. This is way too embarrassing…
He scratched the back of his head and walked forward.
“As expected, Edan won!”
The first to break the heavy silence was a girl with light green hair. She trotted over and hugged him around the waist. Edanant gently stroked Rue’s head as she clung to him.
“It was super scary but I held it in! Because I believed Edan would win!”
“Well done. You did great.”
After comforting Rue, whose eyes were brimming with tears, he stood before Elizabetta. He delivered the news of victory to the princess who had been anxiously waiting for the outcome.
He had slain the Apostle.
At those words, Elizabetta and the knights let out sighs of relief. The metallic monster that had haunted their nightmares had been defeated. The maids attending the princess must have been utterly terrified; the moment they heard the report, they collapsed on the spot.
“As you commanded, I have returned safely.”
“Yes… You did well, Edanant.”
The golden-haired princess smiled brightly. Like sunlight breaking through dark clouds, a radiant smile bloomed across her face that had been filled with worry. He had protected her from malice. Seeing that beautiful smile allowed him to finally relax.
When he showed her that he had returned unharmed, Elizabetta wiped away her tears and nodded. Given the continuous thunderous sounds of battle, it was only natural she had been terrified. Her tears of relief were completely understandable.
“Well, of course I believed Edanant would win since he’s a Holy Sword user! Yep, obviously…! So I wasn’t worried at all!”
Elizabetta hastily wiped her tears with her sleeve while putting on a brave front. Her bold attempt at acting tough made him burst into laughter without thinking. At that, Elizabetta’s beautiful face turned bright red.
“W-why are you laughing?! I said I wasn’t worried!”
“Understood.”
“Ugh! That face clearly says you don’t believe me at all!”
“Yes.”
Her adorable appearance, like an angry kitten with its fur standing on end, nearly made him laugh again. But if he laughed one more time, he would truly incur the wrath of the Empire’s villainess, so he held it in with great effort.
Was she always this cute? He suddenly felt the urge to poke her flushed cheek with his finger.
“Sir Edanant!”
“Truly a display befitting a Holy Sword user!”
While he was sharing a long-awaited reunion with Elizabetta, the handsome young men who had been hiding in the bushes observing the situation cleared their throats and approached. They were the Platinum Princess’s suitors. It seemed they had been holding their breath until the situation was resolved.
The sudden appearance of these pretty boys spouting flattery left him momentarily awkward. If they had been nearby the whole time, they would have definitely witnessed him saying all those embarrassing things to Elizabetta.
“I had no idea! That you cherished Her Highness so deeply…!”
“I was honestly upset when the marriage talks fell through… but now I’m fine with it! Because Sir Edanant is by Her Highness Elizabetta’s side!”
The suitors who had passionately adored the Platinum Princess suddenly began cheering for the relationship between Elizabetta and Edanant with fervent voices. He tried to protest immediately, but the deeply moved suitors wouldn’t listen.
Are their ears blocked or something?
Their constant chatter was giving him a headache.
“I will withdraw from the marriage talks.”
“You have proven your love by defeating the wicked Apostle.”
“It is something we ordinary men, who hid in fear of death, could never do…! From now on, we shall wholeheartedly support Sir Edanant!”
The hot-blooded scions of prestigious families seemed greatly moved after witnessing him slay an Apostle for the princess. They cleanly gave up on the marriage talks that could have brought them meteoric success and instead offered their support. Judging by their excited fervor, they seemed sincere.
“N-no…! It’s not like that!”
“There’s no need to deny it so strongly! Where in the world would you find a man who risks his life for a woman he doesn’t even like?”
Fuck. I’m telling you it’s not true.
There was no way he could have romantic feelings for Elizabetta, who had been his brother’s fiancée just a month ago. He felt like punching their smooth, smug faces as they kept babbling on.
“Ahem! Ahem, ahem…!”
Feeling a chill at the suitors’ stubborn attitude, he glanced at Elizabetta. She let out an unnatural cough and turned her head away.