“They continue to reject our aid.”
“They are likely attempting to preserve the Southern Continent’s autonomy.”
“Tsk. They truly have no idea how the world works.”
“Do they honestly believe they can withstand the Great Land’s conquest army without us?”
“They only think that because they are ignorant. Peace has lasted so long that they have forgotten the hardships the Sky has endured.”
“Those who have never experienced violence tend to forget the value of peace.”
“Then perhaps it is time we remind them why the Sky is necessary.”
“Is that wise? The Southern Continent will be reduced to nothing but ash.”
“It does not matter. Even if only ashes remain, do we not possess the power to cultivate that land into something brilliant once more? Never forget: a crisis is an opportunity. War is the greatest business of all.”
“Then we are all in agreement.”
“Indeed.”
.
.
.
“We abandon the Southern Continent.”
“And once the war is over, we shall claim the spoils left behind.”
“Just as we always have.”
* * *
Aaron could not believe what was happening.
This was a White Iron Shield. It was a resource unobtainable in the Southern Continent—a top-tier artifact gifted by the Machine Empire’s Magic Corps, who had appeared alongside the barbaric army of the Great Land. He had heard it was one of the five finest shields in existence.
And yet.
“Heugh, huff!”
At this very moment, the White Iron Shield was being reduced to mere scrap metal. The components of the shield were being dismantled, failing utterly in its purpose to absorb the impact. Every time Aaron blocked Arhan’s sword, a searing pain shot through his arm as if the limb were being wrenched from its socket. If this exchange continued, his arm might actually be torn off. The swordsman before him possessed that kind of monstrous power.
“You can’t even deflect a blow properly with that shield!”
“We provided the best equipment possible, and yet look at him…”
“And they call that man a Great Warrior? Dammit, they said he was the newly appointed one, but he fights worse than a child. We should have given that gear to our War Mages instead. Even our youngest could fight better than that if we gave them a shield!”
The Machine Empire’s War Mages supporting Aaron did not hold back their vitriol. Though they had tried to remain civil as allies, they could no longer contain their fury as they watched the precious White Iron Shield being smashed to bits.
“Ugh.”
Aaron, the new Great Warrior of Condemnation, was simply that pathetic in combat. To begin with, Aaron was neither a Crusader nor an Inquisitor. He was a Chief Priest of the Holy See—a non-combatant whose only role in battle was to stay in the rear, performing miracles or offering prayers. There was a world of difference between him and Ismael, who had fulfilled the duties of a Great Warrior for decades.
“Are you truly a Great Warrior?”
Arhan spoke as he shoved Aaron back with overwhelming force.
“The Great Warrior I knew wasn’t this weak.”
Arhan’s words struck Aaron’s deepest insecurity. Aaron himself had wondered countless times if he truly possessed the qualities of a Great Warrior, but hearing it from an enemy’s mouth made the shame unbearable. And when a person’s weakness is exposed, they tend to lose their temper. An agitated person becomes simple-minded.
“Shut up!”
And so.
“A wretch like you—ack!”
Agitation is a taboo in battle.
“…!”
For a moment, Aaron thought his head had been lopped off.
No, it wasn’t an illusion. Just now, Aaron’s head and body had been separated. Aaron didn’t even know how the sword Arhan swung had taken his life. The only reason he was still alive was because of his necklace. It was an incredibly rare magical tool—one of only a hundred on the continent—that bound the soul and body together to evade a fatal blow even at the brink of death.
Twice. I’ve died twice in an instant.
As he felt his life force being restored, Aaron’s despair deepened. He had tried to deceive himself with bravado, anger, and the exaggerated persona of a Great Warrior, but now that he had hit a wall, he couldn’t keep his head straight. How was he supposed to win? How could he possibly defeat a monster like that?
Is it even possible to win?
They said Ismael, the Great Warrior of Condemnation, had driven this swordsman to the brink of death. The elders of the Holy See had told Aaron that since he was younger than Ismael and possessed far superior equipment, he would easily crush this man named Arhan. But the more they fought, the more Aaron felt awe for the traitorous Ismael rather than confidence in himself. How had that old woman, long past her prime, managed to seize the advantage against this monster from the Western Continent?
Aaron did not know how to perform the miracle of manipulating crosses.
He could do it, but he was so clumsy at it that he found it better to just swing a shield or a mace. They said Ismael controlled crosses as if they were her own limbs, but the talent required to do so was like splitting one’s consciousness into multiple bodies. Aaron had tried to imitate her, but it only made him dizzy and nauseous.
“Huff, huff.”
Aaron had now lost his will to fight.
Reality was far different from his imagination.
Even his overflowing faith was beginning to waver.
Perhaps the Son of Sin and Punishment was wrong.
Perhaps His Holiness had made a mistake in appointing him as the Great Warrior. Why would He choose a fool like me? As tears of resentment and frustration welled up, Aaron heard a voice from within.
「Do not despair, my Aaron.」
It was the voice of a god.
「I chose you because I favored your sense of justice. And because you are fearful, I favored how you rely on me more than anyone else. Ismael was a powerful Great Warrior, but because of that, she had too many thoughts of her own. She did not truly believe in me.」
“My God…”
「Entrust your body to me, Aaron. Surrender even your soul to me.」
The Son of Sin and Punishment.
As the voice of one of the Seven Chief Gods resonated deeply, Aaron wept. Looking at the approaching Arhan, Aaron nodded willingly.
“What are you doing, you idiot!”
“Why are you just standing there!”
“Dammit. We should have just sided with the scraps of the Iron Kingdom instead of running away! The Iron Prince who devoured his own father is better than this guy. To think the lifeline we grabbed was a rotten rope…”
And then.
“Silence.”
With a heavy thud , a single cross fell from the sky.
The cross that slammed into the ground was stained with viscous red blood. In the next moment, the pitch-black sky was dyed crimson. A night of blood arrived, and the trembling Aaron vanished. In his place stood a Great Warrior who had fully accepted the divine will.
“If you do not cease your profanity, I shall judge you as sinners as well.”
* * *
The atmosphere shifted completely.
Through the chill running down my spine, I instinctively knew that Aaron had used ‘Descent.’ It was the most powerful miracle a Great Warrior could perform. However, even if it was a powerful miracle, it was one I had experienced before. And I never fall for the same technique twice.
“You—!”
A thunderous voice echoed.
It was loud enough to make even the War Mages of the Holy See’s support units bite their lips in fear. The moment Aaron used Descent, I returned all the souls I had summoned through Radiance back into myself. Then, I gave up on the idea of a direct confrontation and retreated. In his current state, normal attacks wouldn’t work at all.
“Everyone, fall back!”
I issued a retreat order to the residents of Antoine as well.
Looking back, I didn’t even need to lead them; the mercenaries of the Black Archipelago were already guiding the residents away. The veteran mercenaries seemed to have already sensed the danger of ‘Descent.’ As for Zeppelin Gold? He was nowhere to be found. He had already fled before the situation even turned dangerous.
I stretched out a 「Path」 behind me and moved to the rear.
I appeared among the fleeing crowds, and after using the Path several times to move with accelerated speed, I soon returned to Antoine. Amidst the rubble of a collapsed building, next to the body of Priestess Frey who looked as if she were in a deep sleep, sat Moses—the girl who held the starlight within her.
“I have something to ask.”
“Ask away, Traveler.”
“Have you become the Star Proxy Warrior now?”
This was an important question.
I had the weapon to execute a Great Warrior, but using it was tricky. If that was the case, it was better to use a more efficient method than struggling. A Great Warrior should be handled by another Great Warrior. If two of them fought, their attacks would actually land.
“No, I haven’t. Priestess Frey gave me the Authority of the Star, but I haven’t been officially recognized as the Star Proxy Warrior yet.”
“Then can you become one soon?”
“No. I’ll likely have to pass many trials before I can be appointed. Thanks to Priestess Frey, I only have the basic authorities; the Star has not yet accepted me.”
Hmm, it seems there’s no easy way out.
“Then what can you do?”
“I can seal other miracles, and I can lead those who are lost onto the right path…”
“Is that all?”
“I can also sing the beautiful Song of the Stars.”
Useless.
In the end, nothing had changed.
“Moses, then please evacuate the people of this city.”
“…To where?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Traveler, there is no longer any place safe for us in this Southern Land.”
Moses gave a faint smile.
As I momentarily lost my words, Zeppelin appeared.
“Lord, I have a proposal.”
“A proposal?”
“Why don’t you accept them into your territory?”
Zeppelin Gold’s eyes sparkled.
“For the Caravan estate to develop, we need to have at least one major Order. Having an Order is good for the residents, and above all, it makes the territory much safer. People are generally reluctant to invade a territory where an Order is stationed. Unless they have a pretext like a Holy War as the Holy See does, a territory with the Star Order will generally not be attacked. Other Orders aside, almost no one would declare war on the Star Order, which speaks only of peace and harmony.”
“…”
“Don’t worry about the money. I’ll cover those costs out of my own pocket. Besides, isn’t that girl the last remaining priestess of the Star Order? From what I can see, she has the potential to become a Great Warrior… If so, Lord Caravan, you can take in some residents, adopt Southern culture and technology, and have a Great Warrior of an Order in your village. Furthermore, if the City of Stars disappears, your land could become the new Holy Land of the Stars.”
Zeppelin Gold’s eyes were the color of gold.
It seemed he had found a way to turn this into a profit.
It wasn’t a bad deal for me either.
“Moses.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any intention of coming to our territory?”
“You’re telling me to leave this Southern Land.”
“If you’re reluctant, you can refuse. I know this land is precious to the Star Order, and to all of you.”
At my words, Moses shook her head.
“I’ll go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. The stars are everywhere, and the City of Stars is simply where those who chase the stars gather. As long as there are people, the city does not disappear. I accept your proposal, Traveler.”
Zeppelin Gold smiled.
“I’ll handle the detailed procedures, Lord.”
The calculator in his mind was likely working overtime.
Then Moses spoke.
“But will we be able to leave safely?”
Moses’s eyes were fixed on the distance.
Toward the place I had come from, where Aaron was.
The girl with the starlight was still anxious.
I told her.
“There’s no need to worry.”
It might be a bit troublesome.
But still…
“Because today, every single cross will be broken.”
I do not lose.
* * *
Aaron felt power surging through him.
As the overflowing divine power granted him immense strength, even the rampaging stranger, Arhan Caravan, had fled. Aaron savored the ecstasy and pursued the fleeing Arhan. His mind was hazy—a dreamlike fog—but the overflowing power was satisfying.
And then.
“The light of countless stars has faded.”
He saw a shimmering light in the distance.
“They vanished without even getting the chance to twinkle.”
The light soon took the form of a man.
A man standing alone in the desert.
In the man’s hand was a flame.
“I cannot accept this.”
A brilliantly burning lantern.
“I cannot accept the end of the youths swept away by the era, the radiant children, and the kindly smiling elders. Those who should have shone were reduced to mere parts and vanished. Those who danced and sang were broken and disappeared while wailing. Those who wished for love and peace are gone.”
The man looked like a youth, yet also like an old man.
But he was no match for Aaron.
For the Great God was with him.
“Judge the sinner!”
At Aaron’s command, the Crusaders charged.
The man still stood motionless.
“How happy was the age when one could look at the starry firmament and read the map of the paths that could and must be taken?”
The man recited a verse like a poem.
With it, the lanterns he held increased one by one. Three lanterns, then six, then dozens, then hundreds. Those holding the flickering lanterns were all kings. There were small kings, old kings, young kings, and youths. All of them bore the character for ‘Han’ (韓) near their hearts. A certain dynasty resided there.
“And the age when the starlight brightly illuminated that path.”
Wings fluttered.
The man who chased the stars.
Another man who inherited that man’s dream, his children and brothers, the dream passed from blood to blood, the original will passed from mouth to mouth—it all manifested in the world at this moment. Through Arhan’s ‘Radiance,’ lanterns bloomed across the desert.
“How happy was it?”
With a sickening crack , the body of the foremost Crusader was shattered. As the lanterns fluttered, the burning lights were extinguished one by one. Rushing blades broke the iron-clad Holy Knights and halted the legion. The eyes of the Magic Corps wavered.
“This… this goes against the laws of nature…”
While the War Mages were thrown into confusion, Aaron was not afraid. If his brothers could not do it, he would step forward himself.
“Brothers, get behind me!”
Aaron pushed the Crusaders back and charged forward himself.
He believed that in his current state, he could defeat them all.
And—
“…!”
The ground beneath the charging Aaron suddenly gave way. As the earth crumbled, the War Mages waiting in the rear used earth magic. However, their formulas were completely dispersed.
“What?”
“Spirits! It’s the power of spirits! And it’s far more advanced than the magic we use—”
The Earth Spirit King.
Through the authority of the sword inhabited by Gaia.
“This…!”
Aaron fell, flailing.
Even if the effects of Descent allowed him to ignore attacks from the middle realm, it didn’t mean he could defy basic natural laws. This was a fact Arhan had realized while fighting Ismael. So, Arhan had dug a trap. He had hoped the novice Great Warrior would jump in blindly, looking only forward.
And.
“Farewell.”
At the very bottom of the trap was Arhan.
The third steel: Demon Ore.
Arhan was waiting there, his sword gleaming.
