CH 31

Hero’s Back

Go back in time to just before the venue fell silent.

“……”

The Knights of the Guard, who guarded the doors to the viewing gallery where King Light was, bowed in a dignified position.

“May I ask what your business is?”

“What! Gah ……”

In an instant, both Guard knights fainted.

Immediately afterwards, the figure opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.

“Your Majesty.”

“You have come indeed.”

Celestia and Shiro rose from their seats on the left and right.

This was a development that had been predetermined.

“With a magic sword like that out, it’s impossible to do anything rashly.”

Celestia was as graceful and beautiful as ever.

“……”

Shiro, on the other hand, drew his sword with heartfelt regret.

“Yo Harmal.”

“Your Majesty. I ask you to reconsider. Angel Cult is the pillar of the nation’s heart. It has sustained us all through the hard times, and it will be the light of salvation for the people of the Kingdom of Light, now and in the future ……. Excluding it will lead to the collapse of the country.

Harmal drew his magic sword with a sense of awareness, tossed the scabbard aside and petitioned the king, who rose quietly from his jade throne.

He raised the magic sword, which had the shape of a crystallized blade, as if in a threatening manner, and his dangling eyes shot a sharper look than ever before.

The blade was raised to the king.

The determination of Harmal to not back down was evident in this.

“I will not exclude it.”

“Your Majesty ……

Harmal showed a relief look.

Even if he had to take a brave step, even if it would have cost him his head, but if the country was safe, he had nothing more to say.

“But all those involved in the incident will be punished”.

“……”

Harmal’s expression stiffened.

“…… Although the Angel Cult itself is not sinful, it is true that there are people within it who hate the country. Those involved in the abduction that has been a perennial problem in the country have been convicted. Even the nobles and knights are deeply infiltrated by that hand. Almost all of them are related to the Angel Cult …… although you don’t seem to be.”

That possibility he had deduced from the attitude of the King and Celestia after the interrogation of Seeley.

“The fact that it has been found out, I will not change my mind even if I will be despised as a foolish king. I will deal with all Angel followers who got involved according to the law.”

From the tone of the King’s voice, it seems that the Angel Cultist will all be punished severely, and surely the truth will be communicated to the people.

That would not do.

That would give the people a bad impression of the Angel Cult and might be rejected by the rioting people as a bad religion.

“…. Looks like you don’t want to listen. It can’t be helped, this is the only way left…”

“…. Is that so? Then I won’t say anything more.”

The king said nothing more in the face of Harmal, who quietly raised his magic sword.

“I’m going.”

“I’m ready anytime.”

“……”

Two against one. Moreover, the opponent was the powerful Shiro …… who had quickly emerged to prominence as soon as he appeared a few years ago, and that Celestia.

The path he would take had already been decided.

Until the moment I die, I will sacrifice my life for the sake of the Angel Cult and the nation.

However–?

“…?”

“What, what!?

“……”

Suddenly, an unusual aura was felt from the middle of the arena.

“Is that the ‘Black Knight’ that Hakuto and the others are talking about ……?”

“Who the hell is ……?”

It was a man covered in heavy full body armour, appearing like a ghost in the middle of the arena, which had a very strict security system.

“Is that …… him saving Erika. ……?”

“That seems to be the case …….”

In the field below, he denounced Goso’s misconduct and by some unknown means threw Goso, who was still trying to get in his way, out of the way.

Both Shiro and the king were drawn to the man’s god-like demeanour, his majestic posture full of power was very appealing.

“……”

Even Celestia was frozen in amazement and stopped moving her hands.

However, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the man over here.

“— Watch out!!!”

“…! Kuh!?”

Harmal, whose consciousness had turned back to this side, struck a blow with his magic sword, shattering the sword of Shiro, who had reacted instantly.

Shiro was unable to resist at all and could only take a step forward to avoid the magic sword’s strike in the nick of time, but at the same time lost his balance. The king, deprived of his guard, was now defenceless.

Even Celestia would have found it very difficult to block the sword from the king’s seat.

“I’m sorry!”

The sword came down with thunder and lightning, and it came down on the king’s forehead…

Something fluttered in the air.

“Gahhhhhhhhhhh!”

Something flew from the other side of the arena and jabbed towards their side, sending the magic sword flying along with Harmal’s right arm.

“…… Black Knight he …… protected …… His Majesty ……?”

“……”

In front of King and Shiro’s sight was the Black Knight who had thrown a meteor-like sword to sever Harmal’s arm.

“Gah!!!

Harmal jumped toward the arena following the direction where the magic sword fell.

“Wait a minute! We have to leave it to Hakuto and the others next ……”

Shiro remembered what the battle was about and just had to stop.

“…… Father.”

“Um, ah. What’s wrong?

“Have you forgotten? The original purpose.”

“…… That’s right. …… Then I’m counting on you.

Celestia, who stood there blandly as if she had no meaningful feelings, nodded at those words and then walked out of the scene.

“….Although I am a little worried over there, the problem now is…”

“This side, right?”

On the other side, Harmal landed in the middle of the arena

“Ha! Ha! Ha!”

He tied a cloth around his shoulder to stop the bleeding, then stripped his magic sword from his right hand and held it in his left.

He then stared at the powerful being in front of him with an expression twisted by pain.

In contrast, the Black Knight did not assume any particular stance, but simply stood in the way.

“Erika!”

Seeing Erika standing dumbfounded behind the Black Knight, the resurgent Hakuto and Oswald rushed over to stand between her and the Black Knight.

Immediately afterwards, from the audience came Shiro’s voice.

“Hakuto!!! That man is now a rebellious who has his eyes on Your Majesty’s life!!!”

“Eh ……?”

“How can be …… it’s lie ……”

“The soldiers are no match for him! I can’t get away from His Majesty either!!! I’ll leave it to you to defeat him!!!”

Hakuto and Erika learned that their long time acquaintance was an assassin.

Then at the same time ……

“So, did you save His Majesty ……?”

“…… If you look at it from multiple perspectives with an academic point of view, it may be so …… but I don’t know.”

Hakuto was wondering if that was the case.

The audience around the scene, who had finally begun to grasp the situation, also let out exclamations and praises one after another.

“…… Well.”

However, probably not interested in this matter, he turned his back and passed between them leisurely like a lion walking in a deserted wilderness.

“Wait, please wait!”

“The rest is your problem. Isn’t it?”

The Black Knight gave a quick response.

It’s unknown know if it was because he was a little anxious to see that there was still some naivety left in Erika, but he interrupted the second sentence she wanted to say with a strong tone.

“Then-”

“Black Knight!!!

Behind him, as the words suggested, Harmal began to fight for his life, slashing at the Black Knight with his magic sword.

But the Black Knight was–

“Hmph.”

Turning back, his palms came together and shattered the approaching magic sword.

Looking at the sword, which shattered as easily as a soft fruit, one must have realised, whether one wanted to or not, the extent of its power.

There was a time when Lionel the Hero, who had lost his sword on the battlefield, had demonstrated the ability to take a blade with his bare hands.

What was happening now was a far more powerful sight than that.

Whoever was attracted by the sheer power of the move could not help but shudder.

“The …… magic sword …… actually broke ……?”

The shiny shards of the magic sword flew in the wind.

“See ya….”

In the face of the dumbfounded Harmal, who was left speechless with a waterfall of sweat and blood, the Black Knight left with these words in a strong voice, and accelerated his steps and left like the wind ……

In the venue, no one fled because of this extraordinary state of affairs, their eyes did not leave the enigmatic Black Knight from the beginning to the end, witnessing it all the way to the end.

The men felt a sense of longing, the women were enchanted, and the hearts of whoever was there were filled with respect, looking at that back and thinking that this was the ‘real hero’.

♢ ♢ ♢

The man’s heart was filled with anxiety.

This unforeseen state of affairs and unfathomable unfolding had left him feeling very confused.

Then he thought.

In short, he wanted to go to a quiet place where he could calm himself down and sort out his thoughts first.

Having thus decided, he eliminated his breath as he endured the stifling heat of his armour and set off at a brisk pace towards his destination.