Chapter 267: Real, Fake (2)

Chapter 267: Real, Fake (2)

...Its a faint memory.

Everything I see feels distant.

A hand that doesnt seem like my own moves on its own accord, and a self that doesnt feel like me wields a sword.

I swing.

People die.

Watching this tragedy unfold, Felix feels as though hes dreaming.

A nightmare.

A terrible nightmare.

To escape it, he closes his eyes, runs away from reality, sinking deep into his subconscious.

Refusing to acknowledge the nightmare that has become one with him...

Her sword clashed against his. Sparks flew from the blade. The high heat of magic touched the armor.

Felix saw her.

Clang!

Her face looks completely different now, but Felix can see her red hair. Her clear eyes come to mind. The smile that was once pure and childlike spreads across her face.

It was because of this person.

It was because of her that Felix resolved to fight. He decided not to lose.

For her, who was suffering even more than himself.

He resisted thousands of times a day, and eventually, he overcame part of the nightmare.

'My death will be your death.

Knightmare threatened, but Felix was already prepared to die. He was ready to perish willingly.

Clang-

A clear metallic sound rings out. The sparks that burst from the sword strikes slowly turn into a thick flame.

Its Arknes sword.

Much more mature than before, Arknes sword is purely refined.

Felix also swung his sword. There was no mercy in his grip. This act itself was Knightmare's survival instinct.

Shriiiing!

Knightmares magic is a sword in itself, but Soliette's fiery magic burns it to nothing. It devours the metal.

As sword meets sword, and the red magic wraps around Knightmare's armor with each collision, the creature inside him screams. It cries out for him to run.

That he cannot win, that she is an opponent he cannot defeat.

Felix rejects the creature's survival.

Instead, he swings his sword with a smile on his face.

Boom-

A loud noise erupts. A massive rupture bends Knightmares sword. His armor starts to melt away in disarray. Half of his helmet dissolves, revealing his ghastly pale complexion.

A face thats no different from a corpse.

Soliette grits her teeth as she looks at him, but her swordplay does not stop.

where the swords exchange blows, stars scatter In the trajectory like sparks.

It was tears.

Were they his?

Or were they hers?

Swoosh.

The hot blade of the sword pierced through his armor.

This is the end.

Felix found himself smiling unwittingly.

Soliette looked up at him.

"Im sorry. I came too late.

Too late.

To the words that needed no apology, Felix simply gazed at her.

"Youll be okay now.

A burning sensation seared his heart. The soul of Knightmare, burning with him in pain.

Clearly, it was because of Soliette's Flame Sword embedded in him like a nail.

Ive been okay for a long time.

Felix said that.

Theres no need to worry about someone whos already dead, like himself.

However, he was worried about her.

Are you.

Okay?

Before he could ask, Soliette smiled.

"I am now.

She seemed to be thinking of someone else who was precious to her.

"Theres someone who supports my reality.

She nodded as if to affirm she was truly okay.

If that were the case, he is relieved.

Felix looked at her and took a step back. Then another. He knelt, a sword still lodged in his heart.

"Nowrest easy."

Soliette said to him.

I used to like you.

Ha.

At the same time, Knightmare's helmet cracked and split. The skin of his body lost its vitality.

She quietly looked up at the ceiling, struggling to hold back tears that seemed ready to flow.

Its a good thing.

She had helped him find release, so there was absolutely no need to cry

"Meow."

"Ah!

A cat suddenly flew onto her head. The cat covered her face with its entire body.

"Shi, Shion, what are you doing.

Just wait a moment.

After rubbing its paws a few times, the cat moved to her shoulder.

.What is it, Shion.

It was supposed to be a solemn moment.

"Oh. Thats good."

Shion looked at her and smirked.

"Whats good?

"Your face."

"My face.

Infimian.

Though Soliette in her current state of consciousness transition wasnt the Soliette that Shion remembered, Shion had overlaid the image of Soliette he remembered onto her with Infimian.

So that Jared could recognize her. n0ve(l)bi(n.)co/m

"Enough of that. Look over there."

Immediately after, the explosion was complete.

The gravity inside the bottle disappeared, and all space was dyed pure white.

In the dark room.

Soliette glared at the flickering light bulb, then with a snap of her fingers

Red mana spread, illuminating the interior.

It was the bathroom.

And there was a mirror.

Soliette looked at her reflection.

Something was off.

There was a small scar under her eye.

One that the current her didnt have...

She, no 'I', no 'she' sighed and disinfected a wound on her shoulder.

It was an odd memory for Soliette.

An experience she never had, yet a vague sense of deja vu surfaced.

Drrrring

The sound of a cellphone ringtone.

Soliette roughly answered the call.

Yes, this is Soliette.

Her voice was deep.

Much darker, much heavier, much more muffled than her current self.

...Dont worry. Ive already dealt with the Knightmare.

Who was Soliette talking to now?

As she wondered,

So, Shion.

She called Shion's name and continued.

Take care of yourself first If you keep moving like that, you wont last another 3 years and 7 months. Im telling you to pay more attention to your health than I do.

...Health?

Soliette abruptly opened her eyes. She sat up quickly.

...What was that?

She was dazed.

The unidentifiable deja vu, no, it was too vivid to be just deja vu, moments that felt like forgotten memories...

No, more importantly.

"Ah!

Soliette belatedly recalled the previous situation.

The scene where the Knightmare was slashing Shion Ascal.

"No, no, no, no!!!!

Crash!

As she screamed, the space around her shook.

"Kyaaak!

It was a woman's scream. Soliette looked in that direction. There was a nurse.

"Whats going on? Where am I?

"Where else. Youre in a hospital.

From the other side, a too familiar voice was heard.

Soliette quickly turned her head to look.

...Shion?"

It was Shion.

He lay in the hospital bed, looking too unscathed to imagine that he had been killed by the Knightmare or had become its new host

"Are you okay, are you alright?

"Yeah. Are you okay? We got forcibly logged out

"Forcibly logged out... No, more importantly.

Soliettes head hurt.

It was clear that Shion had been attacked by the Knightmare, yet he was unscathed, and just moments ago, she was haunted by bizarre deja vu-like memories, what in the-

"How are you unharmed? I clearly saw you being slashed by the Knightmare.

"Ah, that?

Shion chuckled. Then he lifted up the Bethune CD key. Soliettes eyes widened as she read it

"Premium... special edition?

"Yeah. Im a Bethune golden spoon. Got a permanent blessing when I started."

Namely Wieders Blessing.

I didnt know what the effect was, but thanks to the Knightmare, I found out

When inflicted with a fatal wound that could lead to death, it would, just once, defend against all damage without limit

Because Knightmare attacked me within the game, the game system defended me.

"Ah... really.

Soliette bit her lip. Shion kept chuckling at her, but then his expression turned slightly surprised.

"Whats wrong?

...What do you mean?"

"Are you crying?

Tears had formed at the corners of Soliette's eyes. She hastily wiped them with her sleeve and shook her head.

I'm not crying.

"Come on. You just cried, didn't you?

I did not cry!

Soliette got up pretending to be angry.

"Before you worry about others, take better care of yourself, Shion. You gave me quite a scare.

"As long as Im not dead, whats the problem?

Shion also stood up beside her.

Then, for some reason.

Soliette suddenly remembered the words she had said in the deja vu.

...You should take care of yourself first, Shion."

"You should take care of yourself"

If you keep moving like that, you wont last another 3 years and 7 months. Im telling you to pay more attention to your health than I do."

Shion's face froze, speechless for a moment. He looked at Soliette with a shockingly impacted expression.

"Whats wrong?

His reaction was excessively intense, so Soliette tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? Oh... no.

He seemed to feel a strange dizziness, placing his palm on his forehead. In that state, he let out a bizarre, hollow laugh.

It's nothing.

A wavering voice claiming it was nothing.

Shion was still remembering.

3 years and 7 months.

It was the life expectancy he had told Soliette before his regression, at some point in the past.