Episode 13: The Blood-Stained Princess ② – The Celestial Knight Sinks into Darkness
Several days have passed since we left the royal capital, and we are now getting close to the Elven Kingdom.
The Elven Kingdom is located deep within the forest, so the closer you get to it, the more it changes from a plain to a forested area, and so we would limit our travel to daytime, and at night we would rest while keeping a barrier to keep out the cold. It was night again, and as I was camping while making a fire, the devil was staring at me.
"What, do you have something to say to me? "
The devil nodded in agreement to my words.
"The Black Dragon King... Hroboros' army seems to be attacking the countries and villages around the kingdom for now, but it will eventually reach the Elven Kingdom. If they were to attack the Elven Kingdom, what would you do, Celestial Knight? "
"……I'm sure I'll fight."
When I said that, she looked at me in surprise. The devil tilted her head to the side.
"Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh? After watching the Kingdom fall, will you save the Elven Kingdom? ――――Isn't that contradictory? "
"……That may be the case. But I'm sure it's not just about logic. If the Elven Kingdom is attacked and Falty and Luqur are in danger…… I think I'd raise my shield. Also, I don't think of them as something I need to 'see through'."
The people I need to be sure to see to are the ones who drove Alberic to his death, and that does not include everyone in the Elven Kingdom. I think I'm the one who is causing trouble and inconvenience.
"Hmm, I understand. Perhaps it was this contradiction in your heart that attracted me. ……But even if the Celestial Knight and the Dragon King clash, there's a 50-50 chance that you'll both die, and the other 50% is that you'll die for nothing. "
"I know that already."
From the moment I exchanged glances with him in the capital, I knew that even if I fought him with everything I had, the most I could do would be to make a stand and die together.
The dragon species are protected by their strong scales, and they also have powerful limbs for close combat, making them the highest class of monster in this world.
And even among those, with that huge body and power to turn an entire city into a scorched field, he is undoubtedly the strongest of the dragon species.
Originally, the Celestial Knight's Celestial Sword was a weapon that could strengthen and protect the user, and while it was a sword, its firepower was insufficient to fight against beings of a higher rank than the user, such as dragons.
So if I were to fight Hroboros, I would be forced to fight a war of attrition against that huge dragon, wearing down my own endurance, so even if I had a chance of winning, it would be only after a long, drawn-out battle.
Similarly, Falty's divine bow is also weakened by the dragon's scales, which have resistance to projectiles, and it doesn't have the power to deal the decisive blow, but it is certain that it still has a better chance of winning compared with Falty's head-on attacks……
"That's a bit of a problem…… I'd be rather disappointed if the Celestial Knight was defeated by that kind of Dragon King. So, when you were fighting the Demon King's army, how did you defeat the Dragons?"
"……It was the holy sword of the hero."
The Holy Sword――― A brilliant, star-like shine that could cut through even the scales of a dragon like a piece of paper. The trump card and strongest force of the hero party, which I saw many times during the journey to defeat the Demon King.
"I see, the Holy Sword of the Hero. Then it looks like you should prepare that."
The devil nodded, acting as if it were nothing, and as she had thought of a good idea.
"What in the world are you talking about? "
"――――Let's have you weild the world's most powerful instrument of violence, Celestial Knight."
With a smile on her face, she clapped her hands together once, and as the devil did so, the bonfire went out and the area around them became dark... or rather, in an instant, darkness enveloped the area.
"This darkness is the darkness of the Celestial Knight's heart, the space between worlds.
If the goddess created the holy sword with her prayers and hopes for the world, then I will create a sword from the despair and hopelessness within a single human being. It's the opposite of the way the goddess gave birth to the holy sword, but since I'm the one making it――― The power of what is produced should be the same, Celestial Knight."
The devil, standing upside down in the air in front of me, looked at me happily as she said that. I felt that there was a lot of meaning in the words, but I didn't know what to say or where to start, so I was at a loss for words.
"This is my first time doing something like this, so I'm really excited. I wonder what kind of “Holy Sword” will be born from within the heart of the Celestial Knight?"
Without care for how I was feeling, she spun her words with a smile on her face, and I felt a sense of awe for this devil for the first time, along with an unknown fear. To begin with, what exactly is a devil? Why is this devil so at ease with the goddess who protects this world? Until now, I had never seen or heard of the concept of a devil in this world.
"What…… are you? "
That was the phrase I finally managed to squeeze out. I think those were pretty stupid words, but her reply came back as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
"―――A devil, you know? Nothing more, nothing less."
Then my consciousness sunk into darkness.
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Sousaku - 創作 - We Create! 