Chapter 24 : It Was a Total Mess

Chapter 24: It Was a Total Mess

Since our first meeting, Iodin had been sulking every time she saw me.

“Senior. Why the long face? The exchange tournament ended well, didn’t it?”

When I tapped her shoulder and asked, she bit her lips hard and glared at me.

Looked like a curse word had almost slipped out of her throat just now……?

But in the end, she forced it down and turned away from me again.

“Ah, come on. Are you planning never to talk again with your one and only junior?”

When I tapped her shoulder once more, she finally couldn’t hold back and shouted.

“It’s not right! It’s not right at all! Do you call this a proper conversation between the only senior and junior? This is a public place! What kind of junior dares to speak informally to their senior in public? A knight without courtesy is no better than a bandit! Do you not understand that?”

Iodin rebuked me with righteous logic.

But the junior Ransen, who used to be flustered by her nagging, no longer existed.

“Mm\~ then you should’ve beaten me, shouldn’t you?”

“Gkk…!”

With just that one line, Iodin was silenced, her lips tightly shut.

I could feel her firm resolve—if the conversation wasn’t to be held with proper etiquette, then she wouldn’t converse with me at all.

I stretched my body with a laugh.

Really, nothing worked better to ease tension than stretching and teasing people.

The past fourteen days.

That was the time I spent working to fully make the Stage of Sword Support my own, thanks to the Grand Duke’s help.

And at last, today had come again.

After two failures.

The day I would pay back that humiliation.

Rather than nervous, I actually felt thrilled.

The Stage of Sword Support had opened a horizon to me far greater than I had imagined.

“Wow! Sir Ransen, you even defeated Sir Iodin?!”

A bright, green-tinged voice sparkled next to me.

Milo.

The kid I had failed to protect.

Even now, he stuck close to me, his eyes shining.

Iodin tilted her head at the sight.

“But… why does Cadet Milo like Junior Ransen so much?”

Even Iodin, who had kept her lips sealed, couldn’t hold back her curiosity at that.

The final day of the exchange tournament, in the grand banquet hall.

Today, I had deliberately brought Milo along to Iodin’s side.

To protect both of them.

So naturally, Iodin’s attention turned to Milo.

It must have seemed strange to her, seeing him sparkle endlessly at me. All the other cadets treated me like some villain.

“Ah! Sir Iodin! Listen! Actually, I……!”

Milo adjusted his posture, ready to repeat from the beginning everything he had been chattering to me about.

I placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Milo. This time, don’t give up.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t give up until the very end. There might be some way.”

“What do you mea—? Ah! Sir Ransen! Look over there! It’s starting!”

His round eyes tilted in confusion, then suddenly widened as he pointed to the skylight.

Deng—

The bell rang.

Yes.

It was beginning.

The Psychedelic Moon rose, and all around, cadets began mutating into monsters.

At last, it had come.

“Junior Ransen!”

Iodin called out, her face stiff.

But I gently pushed her aside.

“Junior?”

“Iodin. Listen carefully. From now on, you lead the knights and evacuate the untainted cadets.”

“What are you saying? We need to restrain the enemies first before we can evacuate anyone…!”

“I’ll hold down the monsters. Once the evacuation is complete, gather all the available forces. If you look to the south of the city, you’ll see a strange light. Attack that place and eliminate the mastermind.”

At my words, Iodin’s gaze changed.

In an instant, she erased her confusion and sharpened her eyes.

“…Junior Ransen. Do you know something?”

“Never hesitate.”

“What are you talking abou—.”

“Even if the one you face there is an elder of your own sect. Don’t hesitate, no matter what.”

“Right now… are you talking about Uncle Master?”

I just shrugged my shoulders.

After repeating time about three times, it became clear.

Kashigier Celsius—better known as Uncle Master.

Grand Duke Laitena’s elder brother.

That man.

He was definitely involved in this incident.

Anyway, I had said all I needed to. The rest was up to Iodin.

“Junior. I understand what you’re saying. But it’s absurd to face those monsters alone—.”

“Iodin. Remember last time, when you lost to me, and agreed to grant me one wish?”

“Wait! That was…”

“This is that wish. Do as I say. You’ll only get in the way if you stay.”

“…”

Iodin clenched her teeth.

It was for this moment.

This was why I had won the wish in the first place.

To make her follow my words right now.

No matter how I thought about it, this was the only way to perfectly complete this mission.

“There’s no time. Move quickly.”

Overwhelmed by the weight of my request and my strength, Iodin had no choice but to back down.

“Understood, Junior. I’ll do as you say. But…”

After hesitating again and again, she tapped her fist lightly against my chest and said,

“Don’t you dare die. Ransen.”

“Yes, yes. Of course, Senior.”

After several moments of hesitation, Iodin finally left to carry out my instructions.

I finally turned to look at Milo beside me.

His shirt was already shredded, revealing pale green skin, and his body was grotesquely twisted.

“Krk… S-Sir Ransen… krk… m-my body… it feels… strange…”

Yes, Milo.

Let’s endure this.

This time, let’s find a way for all of us to survive.

Kraaagh!

A monster lunged at me with jaws wide open, and, just like before, Milo threw himself at it to shield me.

But this time—

I wouldn’t let him die.

One step ahead of him, I cut the monster down.

Slash!

The wolf monster’s head was severed by my lightning-fast sword.

From the severed neck, pure white flames rose.

Yes. This was it.

This was the wonder of having my reaction speed reduced to zero.

Humans had limits.

No matter how fast one’s sword was, there was always an unavoidable delay between the decision to strike and the act itself.

Against enemies like these monsters—those who reacted the moment they sensed a movement or intent—it was nearly impossible to keep up.

But once I attained the Stage of Sword Support and brought my reaction speed to zero, that limitation was gone.

How could they possibly dodge a sword that extended before the thought itself was fully formed?

Yes.

This was the sensation.

Slash!

Swick!

With every swing, monster necks were severed.

“Krk… S-Sir Ransen? Krk…!”

Behind me, Milo let out a strange sound of astonishment, perhaps in awe of my martial might.

Yeah, watch closely.

Before me, an endless horde of monsters surged.

A long smile spread across my lips.

There was another reason I had to keep Milo alive.

Of course, above all, I simply wanted to save him.

But—

‘For some reason, every single monster is hell-bent on killing Milo.’

In the previous attempts, it had been impossible to hold them all back.

The monsters had their own goal, and no matter how many I blocked, others just smashed through walls and fled the banquet hall.

But as long as Milo remained alive,

All 300-plus monsters inside the hall focused solely on him.

‘I won’t let a single one get past.’

Banroa became an extension of myself, cutting through in every direction.

With each strike, one head fell.

Kaaaaaang!

Among them, stronger monsters appeared from time to time.

Ones that parried my Aura Blades and even counterattacked.

I dodged those counters.

I shook off my blade and felled the weaker ones first.

Crackle—!

At times, chilling blows even tore through my Aura Shield itself.

But even those chilling strikes, I twisted my body and avoided.

The amount of information my sword transmitted to me now was incomparable to before.

I could read the flow of moves much farther ahead, and at times, even before I consciously read them, my sword moved first to carve open a path.

I was intoxicated.

Intoxicated by the sword.

Dodging.

Thrusting.

Blocking.

Slashing.

Exhilarating.

This was exhilarating.

Was I always this strong?

The moonlight of countless hues poured in through the skylight.

Under it, aura, blades, and claws danced together.

How long had I fought, losing myself to the frenzy?

When the aura that once flowed like an unending river finally dried up, and my limbs ached so badly they trembled as though torn apart…

“Haa… haa… haa…”

Only the sound of my breathing filled the vast banquet hall.

They were all dead.

At my feet lay hundreds of monster corpses, burning in white flame.

And gazing at that sight, I realized.

‘Now… is there even a knight left in this age who can face me?’

Perhaps the Grandmasters, those rumored few—only three said to exist in all of Gloryland, only two in Roberland—what about them?

Satisfaction seeped deep into my chest.

Ah.

This time travel.

It had taken far longer than I expected,

But I had truly gained so much.

Now all that mattered was my younger siblings’ safety.

They would be safe.

With clever Seah and the rest, all skilled in swordsmanship.

I believed that, as I wiped the blood from Banroa and slid it back into its sheath.

The battle was over. All that remained was the aftermath.

“Krk…”

I turned and saw Milo, now completely transformed into a monster.

“Milo, hold on just a little longer. I’m sure there’s a way to turn you back. You’re doing well. Just endure, like now.”

I stroked his pale green back.

But he shook his head.

“No… krk… Sir Ransen… this isn’t like that… krk.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. There are skilled magicians here. They’ll definitely find a way.”

“I’m sorry… Sir Ransen… it’s not like that… I know… I can feel it! Krk… This… there’s no turning back… krk! I… even if I can’t die as a knight… kraagh! At least… I want to die as a human. Krkrk!”

“Milo!”

I couldn’t stop him.

Slash!

Milo slit his own throat with his claws.

Thunk. Thunk.

His body rolled across the floor…

At the corners of his eyes, clear tears had welled up.

And then—

Kwarrrrk!

From within his body, a vast malice burst forth, spewing countless writhing tentacles.

His stomach and chest ripped open, and those squirming tendrils fixed themselves on me.

“Ah…”

I swung Banroa, cutting the tentacles down, and approached Milo’s mangled body.

“…You went through so much.”

Lowering my head deeply, I drove Banroa into his corpse.

Milo’s body burned in white flames.

My chest felt heavy.

What cannot be helped, cannot be helped.

I knew that…

But still, I didn’t suppress the grief surging up—I mourned him.

Someday,

maybe ten thousand years from now when you are reborn,

be born into my family. I’ll treat you well then…

“Ransen! Junior Ransen!”

After a long while, at the sound calling me, I lifted my drooping head.

Through the banquet hall’s collapsed wall, Iodin entered, leading the knights.

“Junior Ransen was right! Uncle Master was performing the cult’s sorcery!”

Hoo…

I took a deep breath and straightened my back.

Milo’s remains faded into white ash.

Casting off my final regret, I asked Iodin,

“So? Did you cut him down?”

“I did!”

Good.

With that, one of the Grand Duke’s worries had been erased… Though my repayment was far from enough, at least I had repaid a small part of the debt I owed.

Well done.

I opened my mouth to say those words—

Tick, tick, tick, tick.

The sound of a clock’s second hand flooded in.

“Ransen? Junior! Ransen!!!”

Iodin’s voice grew distant.

Ah, right.

I was going back. Finally.

I thought I would feel relieved and grateful.

But, facing the moment itself, somehow,

I felt regret.

*         *         *

When I came to, it was night, and I was in the center of Kushan City.

I slowly turned my gaze, taking in the surroundings.

Let’s see.

The Lord’s Keep stood half-ruined, just as before.

The streets were littered with bloodstains, corpses, and burned buildings.

“Aaaaagh!”

“Gwaaah!”

Though it was deep into the night, faint screams echoed from somewhere.

As expected.

Kushan City had turned into a complete mess.

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