Chapter 58 - Toward the Sky (1)

Justia walked into the thick fog.

Standing as if nailed in place, the boy watched her back and thought.

His wish to escape the back alleys had not simply been because he wanted to survive.

He had gazed at the old blacksmith's sword not simply because he admired it.

It had been so he could move forward.

"You will surely become a knight."

He could not be satisfied with merely living.

To find meaning in life, one had to carry something within one's heart.

"So you must understand. Our swords need justification and responsibility."

Gregory grabbed the boy by the back of the neck as he seemed ready to rush out at any moment, and spoke with grave eyes.

"Repeat after me what I am about to say."

"What is it?"

At the boy's question, Gregory hesitated for a moment.

Was it still too early?

But perhaps because it was a little early, these were words he needed all the more.

"It is the only justification we can rely on now."

As they listened to the children's breaths growing thin.

As they listened to the wails of the parents.

Inside the small plaza filled with fog, there was one old rule recited by the knight with the bristling beard.

It was a rule made by the man who was the greatest swordsman and the knight of knights.

Because it was old, the solid rule was raising another pillar inside the boy's world.

* * *

A church made of gray stone.

Justia's green eyes were looking at the bell tower high above the church.

The children's breaths were gathering toward the highest point of the unholy church.

"Open the door. This is not a place for you to dwell!"

Even at her call, the firmly shut church doors did not budge.

But that did not matter.

No matter how much it was wrapped in dark energy, the church before her had been built upon land made by God.

As one who dwelled in His house, she had the right to stand proudly anywhere.

BANG!

A blow imbued with God's will smashed through the church's wooden doors that gave no answer.

And what Justia saw as she stepped into the church filled with darkness was nothing but red symbols painted everywhere.

"..."

They were traces of horrendous blasphemy.

"You arrived sooner than I expected."

At the deepest part of the chapel, on the altar that should have been closest to God, stood a priest holding a thick Bible.

Looking at the man who vilely wore a priest's robe while sucking away the breaths of children, Justia raised her sword.

"Why did you come alone? Surely just you and I cannot offer prayers for the people here, can we, Sir Knight?"

"..."

At the priest's mocking words, Justia quickly turned her head and swept her gaze across the chapel.

There was no one there, and she could sense no presence, but the man before her had clearly said the people here.

The moment Justia narrowed her eyes at the alien energy lingering inside the church.

GROOOAN!

There was a deep groan rising from beneath the floor where Justia stood.

It was not one, but many.

And all of them were shedding pitiful black tears.

DONG. DONG. DONG.

The church bell was ringing.

It was the bell announcing the hour of worship.

"You had them hidden underground."

Even in the urgent situation, Justia responded calmly.

She was one who had steeled herself, and one who had anticipated and prepared.

The only thing she lacked was a few days' leeway.

But Justia knew well that God's will was a narrow gate, and that passing through it required much hardship and patience.

"Hear my prayer."

Justia hurriedly lit the dark church with her sword and focused on the sounds she could hear.

Not one, but many.

Not heavy things, but light ones.

It sounded like bare feet running up a cold stone floor.

BANG!

At last, the sounds that had crawled up violently threw open the door that hid the underground, and blackened hands began to stretch out from within.

My child... my child.

It is too dark...

I can't see anything!

Women shedding black tears.

They were women whose eyes should have been there, but were filled only with empty darkness.

They were flailing about in the dark.

"...!"

At the gruesome sight too terrible to bear, even Justia could no longer maintain her composure.

Because what was more horrifying than the crushed eyes of the wailing women were their lower bellies, stained with blood.

"After doing something like this..."

They said the world was always harsh to the weak, but the situation now had gone far, far beyond the limit.

Something merely going wrong could not create a thing like this.

Only those who had crossed the line could do it.

"Do you not fear God!"

"Fear God, you say..."

At Justia's thunderous shout, the man who seemed as if he would always be smiling slowly began to grow expressionless.

It was an utterly natural look, a change that seemed as if he had always been that way.

"He is certainly one to be feared, but He is also someone who has little to do with me."

As if there was no longer any need to hide it, the man dropped the Bible he was holding as he spoke.

At the feet of one who had been freed from death.

"Because I no longer need to return to His embrace."

"...!"

Justia's eyes twitched as she watched him.

Looking at one who insulted her world, Justia unleashed the anger she had been holding and cried out loudly.

"O Saint Rosino, glorious commander of the heavenly host, who stands beside God!"

Justia cried the name of a saint who shone brilliantly even in the history of the church in a voice filled with anger.

Light began to emanate from her sword.

"Come and save these pitiful souls from the oppression of evil, though the price be dear!"

The women stretched out their blackened hands in search of something.

They were women who had been sacrificed and robbed by someone.

Because Justia could not take all of their hands, she was trying to open a path of light that would reach them even in the darkness.

"I shall pay that price!"

The single torch shining in the darkness began to burn itself and give off an even stronger light.

It was a light that could be seen without eyes, and found even in the dark.

Solemn Exorcism.

A miracle only a holy knight who received a sacred will could perform plunged down upon the unholy church.

"You are more impressive than I expected."

At the intense light that burned itself as its own wick, the false priest turned his head away for a moment.

It was a wave of light that possessed no physical force whatsoever, but the pillar of light made from Justia's unwavering will was violently shaking the unholy church.

AAAAAH!

The warm and glorious light that descended from the heavens was wiping away the sorrow and resentment of the women who shed black tears.

It was sending them back to where they should have been.

"Khehehehehe!"

But even within the light that burned away unholy will, the false priest only smiled.

"No matter how brightly a torch shines, there is a limit to what it can do alone!"

His fingertips were burning away from the pillar of light that was gradually expanding its range, but the man could sneer because he knew clearly where its end lay.

Her skill in performing Solemn Exorcism without any preparatory ritual was worthy of high regard, but in the end, she was alone now.

To completely illuminate the present darkness, more torches would be needed.

"..."

Just as the false priest said, a drop of sweat began to form on Justia's forehead as she closed her eyes and prayed to God.

It was a spell with a powerful backlash, and a miracle paid for with her own lifespan.

This world was filled with God's will, but He Himself was in the far heavens.

As the cries of the pitiful women subsided, the light of the Solemn Exorcism Justia performed was also slowly going out.

Watching that, the false priest drew a sword from within his own shadow.

It was a sword of such a dark hue that it seemed as if one would be sucked into it just by looking.

"..."

Watching the man slowly approach her with the sword in hand, Justia hardened her resolve.

As a holy knight who always had to assume the worst, she had prepared at least one final measure to take down the man before her with her.

Holy knights were people who prepared for moments like this.

"... May Your church bring down all its enemies."

This time, Justia began to recite a prayer to call down God's glorious flame not into her sword, but into her own body.

Each time her lips parted, her green eyes shook fiercely.

Just as she was about to prepare her final struggle.

BANG!

A tremendous sound came from behind her.

The church doors, already broken by Justia, were violently knocked away once more.

"Push!"

"Got! You're out now!"

There were men breaking through that gap with rough shouts.

Along with a carriage burning bright red.

"...!"

In that instant, everyone's gaze turned that way.

Even the women who could not see.

Into the church that was filling more and more with darkness, a new torch was charging in.

"Get out of the way now!"

At Gregory's signal, the two men who had been pushing the burning carriage with him peeled away.

"Hraaaah!"

After confirming that the startled Justia had quickly rolled to the side, Gregory shoved the carriage toward the man before him as if throwing it.

"What the—!"

At the sight he had not even dared imagine, the false priest struck the carriage with the sword he was holding.

It was a swing made in panic, without thinking of what would come after.

BOOM!

With a small explosion, the carriage burst apart and flames scattered in every direction.

As parts of the church caught fire, the flames Gregory had intended began spreading through the space that had been filled with darkness.

Here, there was light.

"Now!"

Amid the clattering movement, there was a boy cutting through the burning debris and digging in toward the priest.

["Make your opening move flashy!"]

"Hraaaah!"

A flashy entrance, one of the long-standing traditions of knights.

Vlad was there, his left eye closed and his own world unfurled.

The tip of the unadorned sword was shining more clearly than ever.

BANG!

The two swords clashed with a sound as loud as the carriage that had just exploded.

In the spreading flames, the two men who had crossed swords looked at each other.

"Going after kids is crossing the line, you fucker."

"... Well now."

Looking at the growling boy's eyes, the false priest wore a truly complicated expression.

"We meet again here. I recognize you now."

"Cut the bullshit and just die!"

While Vlad's blue eyes burned with the false priest reflected in them, Gregory and Cade quickly surrounded Justia and formed a formation.

"Are you all right!"

"If you come here... will that not cause trouble for you?"

She looked at Gregory with an anguished expression.

A knight's sword had to be as heavy as it was sharp.

A swing without justification was merely violence, and knights offered their swords to those who could take responsibility for them in order to prevent such things.

"It cannot be helped."

Gregory helped Justia up with a bitter smile.

"The children are dying."

"... Thank you."

Gregory had created justification by his own judgment and swung his sword.

Now Gregory would have to bear all responsibility for that.

Seeing sacrifice, one of the virtues a knight had to possess, Justia recalled the reason she had come here.

"We must go to the bell tower. The source of the curse is there."

"... Understood."

Gregory looked at the writhing shapes trying to approach them through the darkness and closed his left eye.

THUD!

When he stomped hard toward the floor, a solid-looking brown light soon began to wrap around his entire body.

"There is no time."

Justia was right.

Even now, the children would be breathing shallowly as they died.

'We need to separate that bastard first.'

Because the situation was urgent, they could not go up while clearing things out step by step.

At times like this, they had no choice but to split their forces, even if they had to overdo it.

And conveniently, there was one fellow rampaging with fine spirit up ahead.

"Huuuup!"

Gregory greatly puffed out his throat and swallowed a lungful of air.

"I'm here!"

Soon, with a great shout, his body shot forward as if exploding and charged toward the false priest.

Gregory shoved into the unknown man at a speed impossible to believe had come from his short body.

At the sight of Gregory charging like an enraged bull, Vlad's startled gaze brushed past him.

BANG!

Stone rubble came pouring down over Gregory's shoulder after he had dragged the false priest all the way to the far wall.

"... Sir Gregory!"

"Urgh, there is something in the bell tower!"

Pinning down the struggling false priest, Gregory shouted loudly.

"I don't know what it is, but go smash it!"

"... Understood!"

Receiving the order, Vlad nodded.

In truth, he wanted to tear apart the man pretending to be a priest and kill him, but the first priority was saving the children.

Filled with rage but not having lost his reason, Vlad hurriedly turned his head and began scanning the darkness.

'Is that it!'

Beyond the darkness of the chapel, he could see a spiral staircase.

Though it was swaying precariously, no matter how he looked, that seemed to be the only staircase going up, so it was probably the right one.

"Where... are you going!"

In that instant, a bizarre language humans could not understand began to flow from the false priest's mouth.

It was a curse, and also a signal.

There!

My child is there!

The women who had not yet ascended began to swarm blackly toward Vlad.

"Damn it!"

For every step he moved, another child's breath flew away.

Because he knew well that there was no time, Vlad focused all his attention on moving forward rather than swinging his sword.

The boy's face was cut by sharp fingernails, and the blessing of the white snake lit up to block the malice that rushed at him without pause.

'There are too many!'

Even so, the hands of the pitiful women trying to stop Vlad were drawing closer and closer.

THWIP!

Seeing the woman's head suddenly burst before his eyes, Vlad turned his head.

A knight holding an arrow imbued with Justia's blessing.

It was Cade.

"I'll cover you!"

Hurriedly conveying his intent with a nod, he nocked another arrow and quickly shot it toward another woman charging at Vlad.

It was a shining arrow that cut through the darkness.

"Hup!"

Aided by the arrows Cade scattered, Vlad quickly trampled over the women's heads and succeeded in rushing up toward the stairs.

Shaking off the black hands reaching out from everywhere, and ignoring the false priest's curse that rang endlessly behind him.

The boy found the single path that led toward the sky.

["Hurry!"]

Leaving the chapel filled with darkness, the blue-eyed boy was climbing toward the sky hidden by fog.

The boy, swinging his sword without pause, had a star carried in his heart, and to set it afloat, he had to climb toward the sky.

Toward the place where the children's breaths would be.

On the finger of the boy's hand gripping the dusty stair railing was a flower ring with no flower.

"Get out of my way!"

Darkness filled the unholy church.

And within that darkness, there was the boy's shout as he tried to climb toward the sky.

* * *

All worlds in this world are noble things, but not all can protect themselves.

But you are those who swore to protect.

So if you are where you must be.

If you stand in the moment when you must act, do not hesitate.

To burn yourselves and become torches that illuminate the darkness.

That is my second rule.