Chapter 289: The Tin Knight and the City of Hubris (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: The Tin Knight and the City of Hubris (9)
Sophia stared blankly at her surroundings.
It was an enclosed space, devoid of any human presence.
The only thing there was the thorny vine coiling around her body, sucking her blood.
The agony of not being able to eat was bearable. Compared to the suffering of those who truly starved to death, a hunger that wouldn't kill her had its limits.
The pain of the flesh was also bearable. Pain unaccompanied by the fear of being irreversible was, once adapted to, nothing more than a fleeting stimulus.
However, the pain of the heart was agonizing even for Sophia.
The regret of failing to protect her cherished disciple.
The despair of having to send away the people who had gathered, believing in her.
The fear that all the knowledge and achievements she had built up had turned to ash, and that she herself might be sealed here forever, never to be discovered by anyone.
And so, she wove all those feelings into words.
“When Langwidere was taken by the heavenly realm, I resolved to fight against them.”
“It wasn't an easy task. It’s difficult for a single individual to raise their voice against those who can sway even a great nation at will.”
“So, I decided to set a bottom line for myself. No matter how much they denied me, no matter how they tried to crush me, they would never be able to silence me completely.”
“As long as I don't die, I can tell my story to someone again and again.”
“As long as I don't lose my memories, I can spread the knowledge I've accumulated again and again.”
“Even if I myself do not possess the power to overturn the heavens, I can one day pass this will on to those who do possess such will and power.”
There was no reply.
Nothing came into view, nor did anything change.
But that was enough.
Even without a response, even if she couldn't reach them, even if she didn't know who her audience was, even if she couldn't see their form with her own eyes.
Just the fact that someone was ‘there’ was enough to save a person's heart.
Even if she couldn't confirm a response, as long as her words were being delivered, it was not a meaningless monologue, but a clear conversation.
*
“Are you still listening to me?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ replies that he is listening, so she shouldn't worry!]
“I’ve thought about your identity in various ways, but unfortunately, there are too few clues. But that’s alright. I have plenty of time to think.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ replies that a higher difficulty is more suitable for killing time when one is bored!]
“This vine… it seems to be a creature made with considerable effort. Simply taking my blood allows me to recover quickly, so it’s gradually evolving in a way that thins my blood’s concentration. I still have some strength now, but it might become difficult to even speak later on.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ is appalled, saying that even he wouldn't be observing creatures in a situation like this!]
“The Wood Golem guarding this place must be quite bored too. I tried to talk to it, but it doesn't seem to come near me, so I think it was ordered to act that way.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ comments that he doesn't know about any orders, but it was a satisfying opponent to hit!]
…In a way, it was a futile and meaningless act.
The Tin Knight could hear Sophia's words, but he could not speak to her.
Sophia could speak to the Tin Knight, but she could not hear his words.
Some might have scoffed, calling it a farce.
Some might have clicked their tongues, wondering why they were wasting their effort on something so pointless.
Some might have pointed fingers, mocking them for playing around—one a tin can without a single drop of blood, the other a monster unfit to stand under the sky.
But the two of them didn't care.
In the dark underground, devoid of any sign of life, the two continued to talk.
And so, a long time passed.
Just as Sophia herself had predicted, at some point, her words became fewer.
The thorny vine that bound her body couldn't kill her, but it could weaken her to her absolute limit without letting her die.
The time she spent lucid became shorter than the time she wasn't, and a silence fell over the cavern that had once been filled with the sound of her voice.
The Tin Knight leaned his back against the pillar Sophia was tied to and silently kept his post.
He didn't consider it a difficult task.
The sense of time in a dream was always ambiguous.
Compared to Sophia, who had to endure an eternity in reality, he felt this was nothing remarkable.
All that was left was the end of this dream.
In other words, to hold out until the ‘them’ from reality arrived.
However, there were those who would not permit it.
Swoooosh.
The red mist that filled the world gathered toward two points, eventually forming shapes.
A deep, blood-red chalice and a flute with a sinister aura.
And centering on these two objects, the figures of two women shimmered into existence like a heat haze.
From the blood-red chalice, a vampire with a lazy yet bewitching air.
From the sinister flute, an angel with a gentle face that held a mechanical nature within.
The Tin Knight readied himself for battle, but the vampire and the angel did not charge at him.
Instead, for the first time, they spoke.
“Step aside, knight who protected the Land of Ashes.”
“Please step aside, stranger who dwells in the knight’s body.”
“That is my vessel. For I am the one who granted that vessel the charm to draw people to it.”
“That is my vessel. For I am the one who prepared the intellect to hold foresight within that vessel.”
“I will take into my hands an integrity that will not be swept away by the two kings’ tiresome, ill-fated bond.”
“I desire not a disposable life to be used and thrown away, but an immortality that will stand firm even amidst chaos.”
“The operation was for that purpose, as was death.”
“The agreement was for that purpose, as was the wait.”
“This should not be a bad proposition for you.”
“This is a proposal that will benefit you as well.”
“After I am resurrected in the vessel’s body, I shall grant your wish.”
“We have military power and foresight. We can grant most any wish.”
The Tin Knight tilted his head from side to side.
A creaking sound came from his rusted joints, but he could still move, more or less.
As the Tin Knight aimed his sword forward, the eyes of the vampire and the angel narrowed.
The next moment.
They had become one.
Seeing their new form, the tip of the Tin Knight’s blade trembled, ever so slightly.
Beautiful green hair flowed down like a wave, enveloping the body.
Beneath the garment, which looked like both a dress and a robe, a feminine silhouette was clearly visible.
Within a face that was both gentle and bewitching, eyes that shifted between pink and red stared at the Tin Knight.
Though there were differences in hairstyle and clothing, the figure was astonishingly similar to Sophia.
《STAGE ≡II VS Angel of Divine Calculation》
《STAGE ≡II VS Vampire of Thousand Eyes》
‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐
‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐
‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐‐＝≡二三二≡＝‐
《Error.》
《Change in enemy status confirmed.》
《Updating data.》
《FINAL STAGE VS ‘The Owl’》
While the Tin Knight briefly listened to the voice from the void.
‘The Owl’ spoke for the first time.
“I do not understand. The thing you are trying to protect is nothing more than a vessel I prepared. It has obtained immortality, but that is all.”
“It holds immense holy power but cannot wield it properly, nor has it obtained the martial prowess a vampire should possess.”
“But I am different. The power of an angel, the abilities of a vampire—I can handle them all perfectly.”
“The appearance is the same. The memories can be inherited as well. If you are fond of the original’s personality, I will even act it out for you.”
“All you have to do is lower your sword and step aside.”
“Then you will gain a companion who is a superior version of the original vessel in every way, one who will grant your every wish.”
“Conversely, if you continue to oppose me, I will use every means at my disposal to crush you.”
“This place is not reality, but the boundary of dream and spirit. Therefore, death here becomes the death of the spirit. Not even you, clinging to a doll’s body, can escape it.”
“Stranger dwelling in the knight’s body. I, too, am far from my full strength, but even so, I am vastly stronger than you are now. Once this fight begins, you will most certainly meet your end.”
“Even a child would know which to choose, would they not?”
The Tin Knight did not answer.
He had a hunch that he could somehow manage by using his brooch as usual, but he did not use it.
Instead, in the language Sophia had taught him, he carved words onto the wall and floor.
─You talk too much.
─Cut the crap and come at me.
─My companion isn't some high-performance superior being, but a wise yet crazy scarecrow.
The Owl fell silent.
Various emotions flickered in its eyes.
Disappointment and despair, the irritation and displeasure of looking at something incomprehensible.
And in the end, only a dry, tasteless killing intent remained.
“─Then disappear. You fool.”
A giant scythe appeared in the Owl’s hand.
The scythe, riddled with bizarre holes like a flute, let out a strange music every time the vampire moved.
What followed was a one-sided thrashing.
The Owl was overwhelmingly strong, and the Tin Knight had become pathetically weak.
No matter how transcendent the Tin Knight's skills were, it was impossible to bridge a gap this wide.
His body was carved away by the blood-red scythe, and the soundwaves that spread out made his entire body creak and tremble.
His shield shattered, unable to withstand the successive impacts, and his sword had long since broken.
The fight was so overwhelming that discussing the odds of victory was foolish.
And for that very reason, the Owl’s expression grew darker and darker.
This fight should have ended long ago.
This was a life that should have been reaped as a matter of course.
And yet, it just wouldn't end.
Relentlessly hit, slashed, and sent rolling on the floor, the Tin Knight still managed to narrowly avoid any fatal blows.
His armor was dented and sullied all over, a pathetic sight, but the blue eyes visible through the slit of his helmet were blazing like will-o'-the-wisps.
Contrary to common misconception, the Tin Knight in his former life had rarely ever fought from a position of strength.
He was undoubtedly a knight worthy of the title of the strongest, but the generals of the underground he had to face were fierce warriors that even such a knight had to risk his life to challenge.
Yet he never gave up.
In the process, he suffered irreversible injuries and had to replace parts of his body with cold metal, but he continued to challenge the strong.
The current Tin Knight is a different person from the knight of legend.
But the skills and experience left behind by his predecessor were clearly preserved within him.
Using all of it, he continued to endure.
And so, the long battle continued.
“……”
The Owl’s movements stopped.
The Tin Knight’s state was nothing short of disastrous.
His left arm was gone, about half of his abdomen had been gouged out, its contents fully exposed, and his right leg was bent at a grotesque angle, barely hanging onto his body.
The only reason the Tin Knight had not ceased all vital activity was because he was not a human, but a magic doll.
But even that was now at its limit.
The Tin Knight no longer had the strength to dodge or block attacks.
If the Owl swung the scythe in its hand, that would be the end.
In other words, it wasn't the end just yet.
Therefore, this match was the Owl’s defeat.
「────」
A clamorous presence, heard from far away.
There was a black witch.
There was an immature lion.
There was a Tin Knight who had been looking forward to a fight with a strong enemy.
They had found the scarecrow tied to the pillar.
The destiny of memory converged into its original form.
The Owl aimed its scythe at the Tin Knight.
Victory was already impossible, but if it finished off the Tin Knight now, it could at least achieve mutual destruction.
“…It’s meaningless.”
But the scythe was never swung.
The prophet who had dreamed of resurrection admitted that its own prophecy had been wrong.
“This is your… no, your victory.”
The world crumbled.
The long dream had come to an end.