Chapter 77 - Night

Every step was measured, deliberate. Yet his posture sagged under the weight of centuries.He had long since strayed from any known path, wandering aimlessly for over a millennium. Even now, his steps pressed forward—because to stop would mean facing something he dared not name.Well, that... and because he had finally decided on a goal. A person he must get to in time.He had risen from the deepest pits of Arataxia, drawn by a fragment of himself abandoned on the surface. A piece left waiting to be found."Knight." A voice, soft as breath, carried through the silent forest. He halted mid-stride.Slowly, he turned. His armor swallowed the night, blending seamlessly with shadow. Even the moonlight avoided it, recoiling from the void it housed. He loomed there, sword in hand—a blade equal to his height, forged in iron, baptized in blood, and consecrated through ritual.It was the World Sword, gripped tight in his gauntlet.And upon him lay the weight of the dark World Armor."... Please, stop this." The figure hovered just above the ground, her wings shimmering faintly against the bleakness. Golden light radiated from her presence, "You still have a place with us... with me," she murmured, her voice fragile. "You always did..."He stood, unmoved, the cold around him sharper than frost.[The only place I have...] His voice slithered into her mind, not spoken but felt—an echo without origin, sliding between her thoughts. [...is above your eternally dead corpses.]Tendrils of shadow crept from his feet, the grass beneath him withering into brittle ash.[It has been so long, and at the first sight of me in a few centuries, you tell me to yield...]Her wings dipped slightly at his words. She looked down, lips pressed tight, unable to meet his gaze.[Go back to your Goddess, Evelyn.] He relayed, [There is no stopping. Not until every corner of Arataxia is consumed in fire and shadow. And not until he is ash... and ash... and ash again, until the end of all eons.]"I... Please... Knight..." Her voice wavered, "I... I am so sorry... You didn't deserve... any of that..." The words cracked, and pure tears fell, tracing glowing paths down her face.For a moment, the knight stood silent, the night thickening around him like smoke. Then his voice returned, cold and deliberate, threading deeper into her mind.[Those tears might be real...] It slipped through her like venom. [...But your words? They were never yours. Not even before your ascension.]The forest seemed to close in, each leaf and branch strangled under the weight of his presence.[The only pure thing within you...] His tone sharpened. [...is your intent to stop me before I reach that boy. Before I foil the whore of a thousand nights—the one unjustly crowned as a Goddess and called divine.]His words hung like smoldering embers in the cold night, a curse etched into the air.[As for you...][I shall never forgive you. And I shall never forgive him.] He growled, his emotions like a metal saw, grinding against the flesh in her head, [Your Goddess, who nurtures despair—] His grip on his World Sword tightened, [And the others, complacent in the suffering they allow—]He straightened his posture as he looked to the heavens,[They shall all get theirs.]Not even crickets dared to chirp in his presence. Not even the venomous snake dared to draw near. Evelyn could only purse her angelic, glowing lips as she looked down.[Such is my oath.]He concluded, an ominous red glow emanating from beneath his helmet.Turning away, the World Sword scraped across the ground like distant thunder, leaving deep furrows in the earth. His walk was slow, deliberate, and unrelenting—each step swallowed by the swirling shadows that consumed everything in his path.Evelyn looked away, vanishing without a word.Her task was complete.[Excellent... My child. You've stalled him long enough,] a vibrant, commanding voice echoed through her mind, bright and overwhelming.[SEAL.]The chant filled the heavens, and with it, a radiant mana circle expanded across the sky, its brilliance turning night into day. At its center, the Knight stood still, shadows flickering across his form as he looked up slowly, unflinching.[Whore,] he said, voice calm and sharp as steel. [Did you think you've accomplished anything?]Beyond the mana circle, past the clouds, a towering figure loomed—wings spread wide, surrounded by legions of angels. Her presence alone bent the heavens to her will, making the very ground beneath Knight tremble.[Oh, you poor, pitiful wretch,] her voice rumbled, causing small tremors to ripple outward. Disgust etched her face as she looked down upon him. [You imagine yourself superior, yet you've fallen into this trivial ploy... Yell, rage, defy—none of it will change your fate. Divine punishment is inescapable.]Her gaze narrowed as she leaned forward, the contempt in her expression almost palpable.[I don't think of myself as above you, nor beneath you, nor even as your equal or enemy.] Knight's voice was low but unwavering. [I am your executioner. And I will see my oath fulfilled. Your schemes—childish, vile as they are—end here.]The angel's brow twitched, irritation flickering across her face. [Arrogance. Such arrogance... You had your moment years ago. But I am no longer what I was.] Her wings spread wider, light cascading around her. [Every god in this realm is bound to me by sacred contract. I am prayed to by millions—] her words ground through clenched teeth—[millions who worship my name.]Her voice dropped into a snarl. [And you dare interfere with the powers of one of my subjects? You wretched cur...!]Knight remained unfazed, shadows pooling at his feet.[He was never yours.] His voice carried an unsettling calm. [I heard his call as he crossed the dimensional boundary—the day he arrived here, 23 years ago. He is not your subject.]Knight lifted his sword slightly, shadows coiling tighter around him.[He is mine.] His tone hardened. [My protégé, to protect and nurture. This time, I will not fail.] He straightened[Delusional, even in your demise...!] Varolia's voice thundered as she thrust her palms forward, casting the colossal seal down upon the Knight.The seal's radiance engulfed the earth, light pouring forth in waves that reduced trees to cinders, swallowing the ground beneath in a blazing flash.A wicked grin stretched across Varolia's face, twisting into a sneer as the air shimmered with divine energy.[With this... You will be sealed for all eternity.] Her voice echoed through the heavens, reverberating in the mind of every living thing within miles. [You'll suffer eternal torment—forced to witness your beloved thrive in endless joy, far beyond your reach...!!]The sky trembled at the force of her words, and clouds scattered across the horizon, fleeing from her wrath.This was it. The end of the Knight. His fall was finally at hand.But then...Knight raised his sword—And with a single swing, the World Sword cleaved the sky in two.The impact sent a shockwave so powerful it ripped through clouds, scattering them to the edges of the horizon. Lightning cracked in the open wound he had torn across the heavens.The force hurled angels from the sky like leaves in a storm, their bodies crashing into the earth with a thunderous roar that toppled trees and shattered boulders. Animals fled in terror, some collapsing under the immense pressure.[What...!?] Varolia gasped, the disbelief burning in her wide, horrified eyes.But Knight did not stop. With a growl rumbling deep within his chest, he gripped the World Sword with both hands, rising upright like an unyielding colossus.[Do not think, whore,] his voice seethed, [that you alone amassed power across time.][Impossible!!!] she roared, her voice thundering through the heavens. [No one knows your name...! I ensured that not a single being—mortal or divine—would ever know of your existence below... How is this possible!? From where do you draw strength, you WRETCH!!?]Her fury reverberated through the hearts of her angels, each of them trembling beneath the weight of her wrath. Wings faltered, divine auras flickered, and even the most stalwart among them felt the edge of her seething rage gnawing at their resolve.[Detain him... Hurt him... Stop him at all costs!] Varolia snarled through clenched teeth, waving her hand toward the army above. The air hummed with angelic chants, their weapons gleaming with divine light as they closed in from every direction.|Shall I intervene, my Goddess?| Dauz asked, hovering beside her with a confident smile. His cold gaze swept over the chaos below. Golden hair flowed smoothly around his sharp features, his soft eyes hinting at a quiet intensity. Sun-kissed skin and a chiseled physique embodied the effortless grace of divinity. Bright, expansive wings unfurled, encasing his form like a radiant cocoon, amplifying his celestial presence.[No.] Her voice dripped with venomous certainty. [Let the others wear him down first.]|As you command,| Dauz murmured, settling into place beside her as they watched the battle unfold.As Knight fought below, Evelyn drifted silently toward Dauz. Her wings trembled with fatigue as she reached his side.|Come here,| Dauz said softly, extending his arm toward her. She hesitated for only a moment before curling into him, pressing close as if to draw strength from his warmth.|You did well, girl,| Dauz whispered, his voice low and approving. Evelyn closed her eyes, leaning into him, content for the moment.Dauz and the Goddess looked down at the scene below—the Knight bathed in angelic blood. With each swing of the World Sword, a dozen angels fell, their radiant forms shattered like glass.Each life he claimed left marks upon the earth, carving jagged scars into the mountains that surrounded him. The ground beneath his feet quaked with every blow, sending tremors that rippled through forests, splintering trees and shifting rivers from their course.His presence was a force of nature—relentless, unyielding, and filled with grim purpose. And though the angels descended upon him in waves, they crumbled like sand under the weight of his oath.============= ELSEWHERE ============Meanwhile, Amoria escorted Van outside the apartment. "We're lucky she's so naive," she sighed."Yes... Playing it off as me coming for advice on how to deal with my 'dad' was a smart move... Good night," Van murmured, his voice trailing off as he turned to leave."Van?" Amoria called softly, making him stop and turn to meet her gaze."Don't... Don't come near me or her... Ever..." She cleared her throat, fists clenched tight at her sides. "At least for now, okay?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, dissolving into the night.A heavy silence settled between them. Van's gaze drifted to the side, where a shadowed figure stood just beside Amoria, their aura unmistakable—making their presence known without uttering a word.Van gave a silent nod, turned away, and disappeared into the night.Amoria's fists remained clenched around the fabric of her gown, knuckles white."What do you want?" she asked, her voice sharp and cold. "Coming to my house at night... Have you lost your mind?" She faced him fully, her expression hollow, the light drained from her eyes.The figure stepped forward with a sneer. "I'm just a curious man, Miss Veil. And... I take it you and 'meaty' aren't close anymore, huh?"Amoria's gaze dropped briefly, as if seeking the right words to say in the cobblestone below.He leaned closer, his grin widening. "Then you won't mind if I have a little fun with him, right? Me and a few other 'retired' knights have a bone to pick with meaty... for all the good times we had, thanks to his loose tongue back in the day... And, to discipline him for talking so inconsiderately to a respectable lady as you, next to your very daughter..." His words dripped with venom, his grimace baring rotten teeth.Amoria remained still, her voice brittle. "...Do as you like. He and I... We were never close." Yet even as the words left her lips, they trembled; their meaning don't quite reach her eyes."So, begone in the next few seconds, or else," Amoria said, turning her back on him and walking toward her house. She paused briefly at the door, glancing over her shoulder. "I don't need to remind you what'll happen if my daughter even sniffs your foul stench lurking near her, do I?" Her glare sharpened, slicing through the air and making the retired knight visibly shiver.He chuckled nervously, swallowing hard. "Heh... As terrifying as ever... Don't worry, I wouldn't dare. So, relax..." He murmured, avoiding her gaze and scratching the back of his head.Amoria's lips pressed into a tight line as she narrowed her eyes at him one last time. Without another word, she sealed the door behind her, leaving only silence—and the cold darkness of the street—to keep the royal knight company.The knight exhaled slowly, stretching his shoulders."Now then..." he muttered, following the path Van had taken."If I'm not mistaken, Meaty has a place, right? Looks like he's headed toward the guild. Guess we'll have a little welcome back surprise waiting for him..." His tongue flicked across his cracked lips, his grin widening."I can't wait to break you—see that face again..." His voice dripped with malice as he whispered to himself. "For making respected knights into street trash... You thought you could waltz back in here and live a good life? You fucking slab of meat..." His fists clenched, knuckles cracking. "We'll remind you exactly what you are—very soon."