Chapter 4: Despair, and Then Collapse
Despair, and Then Collapse
"Akra... Is what remains inside...?"
"..........?"
A fragile voice.
And then, a voice filled with longing reached him.
Swish.
It was directed at the Black Knight, bound to an iron chair with chains.
"What the hell?"
The Black Knight, realizing he was restrained in a dark place, reacted with shock.
"Hmm, you're much rougher than I expected?"
A graceful woman with glossy orange hair tied in a half-updo sat elegantly on a luxurious chair, studying the Black Knight.
".........?"
Her unnaturally glowing red eyes slowly traced over his restrained form.
"You bastard..."
The Black Knight stiffened upon seeing her face.
Click.
"Watch your mouth."
A woman leaning against the wall behind him warned him about his tone.
She wore a black suit, her long hair cascading down her back.
Even with an eyepatch covering her right eye, an inexplicable pressure radiated from her.
"What the hell's an eyepatch bitch like you gonna do about it?"
Thud. Thud-thud-thud.
"Oh?"
The orange-haired woman smiled faintly at the sound coming from the Black Knight's body.
CRASH—!!!
The Black Knight shattered the chains with sheer strength and stood up.
"You... You're a magician, aren't you? And a pretty famous one at that."
His crimson eyes glowed from within his helmet as he glared at her.
"You do know about me! But since this is our first meeting, I should introduce myself~!"
Swish.
She rose from her seat, placing a hand on her chest.
"My name is Azaria von Valentine. You can call me Lia~!"
"Why the hell did a big shot like you kidnap me?"
Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank.
The Black Knight strode toward Azaria, his steps heavy with barely contained fury.
"Ooh, so scary~!"
The Black Knight stood well over two meters tall.
Even Azaria, who was quite tall for a woman at 170 cm, looked like a child next to him.
"And where the hell is this place?"
Normally, such a height difference would intimidate most people, but...
"This is my garden—Valentine Garden."
She answered with a smirk, a smile teetering between amusement and something more sinister.
"............!!!"
Valentine Garden.
A floating academy for magicians.
The domain of the Valentine family, one of the Four Great Families of the world.
Its reputation was legendary, but very few had ever set foot inside.
"You know, right? This isn't exactly an easy place to reach."
"Why... did you bring me here...?"
"You keep asking questions, but can I ask mine first?"
Azaria cut him off with a playful grin.
"............"
The Black Knight's anger didn't subside easily.
She was one of the few S-rank Magicians in the world.
And the head of the Valentine family.
Even the Black Knight, who paid little attention to worldly affairs, knew that much.
The fact that she had appeared after the Catastrophe had already wreaked havoc—only to kidnap him—left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He wanted to scream at her—Where the hell were you before everything went to shit?
"Since you're not objecting, let's proceed~! Do you know anything about the names 'Akramainas' and 'Laplace'?"
But her relaxed demeanor made it hard for him to regain control of the conversation.
"What kind of bullshit is this?"
"Okay. That's all I needed to confirm."
Azaria nodded in satisfaction and continued.
"Then let me explain step by step. You died in Plutoid's T-1 District during the Catastrophe's attack."
"............"
He already knew.
His body had been crushed—he had definitely died.
And yet... here he was...
"But suddenly, your consciousness entered the armor we possessed, and you were summoned there—annihilating the Catastrophe in a single strike."
A single punch had obliterated the disaster.
A feat no magician could ever hope to replicate.
"Right after, you lost consciousness and collapsed. The barrier created by the Catastrophe vanished, and I found you lying there—so I brought you here. The chains were just a precaution since I had no idea what you were. Understand?"
".................."
The Black Knight remained silent.
His mind was in chaos.
He had died. His only family was gone.
And yet, his consciousness had somehow possessed the Black Knight's body.
It was too much to process.
"Now, here's my proposal~! If you help me, I'll help you find the android named 'May' that you lost."
"...What?"
The Black Knight stiffened at her words.
"Headmistress."
The eyepatch woman interjected sharply.
"Oops. My bad."
"You bastard... How the hell do you know so much about me?"
"I did some digging. When I said I didn't know what you were, I meant you—the one possessing the Black Knight. But I know all about you—a fourth-year student at Terra University."
"...I see."
The Black Knight realized it instantly.
This woman was trying to use him.
May was dead.
Torn apart by the Catastrophe's violent winds.
And Azaria was deliberately hiding what she knew.
Trusting her was impossible.
Clank.
"You piece of shit. Where the hell were you bastards while we were dying?"
The Black Knight loomed over Azaria, his voice dripping with menace.
"............"
"You show up after everything's over and ask for help? If you magicians had come just a little sooner, I wouldn't be fucking dead."
He barely restrained his fury as he spat out his grievances.
"That Catastrophe you dealt with... It was special."
"Don't give me excuses."
"In terms of raw power, it was average for a Catastrophe—but its ability to conceal itself with barriers made it a nightmare to track. Still, thanks to you, most of the victims were saved. That's your doing."
("That thing... was just 'average'...?")
The Black Knight's expression darkened at the thought of the city-destroying disaster being called moderate.
"As a magician, and as the head of the Valentine family, I owe you my gratitu—"
Before Azaria could finish, the Black Knight turned on his heel—
Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank.
—and walked straight toward the door of the headmistress's office.
"Hey, aren't you going to hear my thanks? Or what I need from you?"
"Not my problem."
BANG—!!!
He kicked the door open and stormed out.
"Headmistress... Are you really okay with this?"
The eyepatch woman spoke cautiously.
"Yeah. He needs to realize where he stands."
"But if he doesn't return..."
"No. He will come back. On his own two feet."
Azaria smiled faintly, utterly confident.
___. ___
Whoooooosh...!!
Leaving was surprisingly easy.
The garden's teleportation device allowed instantaneous travel to specific locations.
Fwoosh—!!
"Just pissed me off even more."
The Black Knight muttered bitterly as he walked away.
Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank.
He was now in Plutoid's S-2 District—where Terra University was located.
Murmur murmur murmur...
"............"
The Black Knight noticed the crowds whispering as they caught sight of him.
"The hell are you looking at?"
He snarled and kept walking.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
He had a destination in mind.
His university.
Even in this form, they would recognize him.
He still believed he had a place to return to.
"The Catastrophe that struck T-1 District yesterday has left over 200 casualties, with many still missing..."
".............."
Swish.
The news report on the street screen made the Black Knight lower his head.
His family had died there.
And so had he.
So...
Tap.
He quickened his pace.
Hoping against hope that some part of May might still remain.
To let them know he was still alive.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—!!!
Ignoring the stares, he broke into a run.
And then...
"...What?"
The school was empty when he arrived.
The students had all left to attend the mass funeral for the victims—many of whom had lived in S-1 District.
"What the hell... Graduation's just around the corner..."
Click.
The Black Knight picked up a white flower left on a desk and muttered quietly.
"Damn it... This sucks..."
___. ___
By the time night fell, the Black Knight had wandered aimlessly before finally arriving at the crematorium where the funeral was being held.
("Those idiots... They better not be crying.")
He imagined their reactions upon seeing him alive and smirked.
("If someone faints, that'd be hilarious—")
Creeeak.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside—
"..................."
—only to see Row, standing at the front, placing incense before a portrait.
His portrait.
"Ugh... Hic..."
"Why... did you have to go...?"
Behind him, countless students in black suits mourned silently.
"Everyone..."
There was no laughter.
No jokes.
This wasn't the rowdy, troublemaking group he knew.
Right now, they were grieving—truly grieving—for their lost friend.
"Stop joking around... I'm... I'm right here..."
He had thought they'd send him off with laughter.
But this... this bleak farewell was something he never imagined.
Swish.
"Row..."
The student council president called out worriedly as Row stood up.
"Sorry... I need to wash my face..."
Tap. Tap.
As Row walked past—
"............"
—the Black Knight blocked his path.
"Excuse me... Could you move...?"
Row's voice was choked as he asked.
"It's me..."
"Huh...?"
Row blinked at the Black Knight's quiet words.
"You're... me...?"
"What are you talking about...?"
".................."
It shattered.
The Black Knight's hope.
The hope that the people who had once supported him would recognize him.
Swish.
Row brushed past him, but the Black Knight couldn't call out to him.
Row—and everyone else—had already said their goodbyes to the delinquent.
There was no place left for him to return to.
"Ugh... Hic..."
The professor, tears streaming down his face, spoke before the portrait.
"That child you saved... I'll raise her well. Rest in peace..."
It was the girl the Black Knight had rescued.
Her left arm was in a cast, but otherwise, she was unharmed.
The last life he had saved was safe.
".............."
Click.
The Black Knight took one last look at the scene—
Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank.
—and quietly left.
This was no place for him.
___. ___
Swoooooosh...!!
The R-3 District shoreline.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
The Black Knight trudged alone across the sand, drained of all energy.
"Again... It's over... I've... been forgotten again..."
He muttered, completely broken.
"Oh? Mr. Black Knight? You don't look so good."
A girl in a white dress, her silver hair gleaming, appeared before him.