What am I?
By the Summon of Duty, I have lived through twenty lives, so why is it that I cannot even escape from this single piece of cloth, this mere garment?
"Hoo..."
The level 9990 NPC, Aged Kimchi, let out a low sigh.
And he thought.
It seemed he had failed once again. Once again, he had failed to draw out the essence, the true form, of the clothes he wore.
'How many times has it been now?'
In truth, he could barely remember.
It had certainly passed a hundred attempts by far.
It must be nearing two hundred by now.
"...."
His gaze lowered.
And he saw it.
The clothing he was wearing.
Heart-Sparkle Magical Girl Wand Set.
Once, in the nineteenth life, the Summon of Duty had clothed him in this. The signature fluttering skirt had once seemed quite charming.
But to him now... this outfit felt like the shackles of a curse.
And why wouldn't it?
Just walking while making the skirt sway caused everyone to whisper!
"Oh my, he must be crazy," whisper whisper
"Ugh, damn it, my eyes," murmur murmur.
And every time, every breath he took, he was forced to endure the overwhelming shame!
"..."
Someday, somehow, he would break this history of disgrace(?). He would live, wearing normal clothes.
Aged Kimchi turned his gaze determinedly to the side.
There lay the Holy Sword of the Evil God.
It had once been in the form of a magical wand, but he had drawn out its true form hidden within. Now it was a magnificent jet-black blade, no longer a source of embarrassment.
'Yes. This Heart-Sparkle Magical Girl Wand Set must also have a hidden original form, like that sword.'
That must be why the Summon of Duty had dressed him in it.
And so, he had to challenge it.
... Crack!
He would succeed.
He would find the hidden, splendid form of these clothes and awaken it. So that he would no longer have to walk around in shame.
Absolutely.
Without fail.
No matter what.
'I will achieve it...!'
Aged Kimchi clenched his fist, igniting his resolve. He summoned all the mana in his body and poured it into the Heart-Sparkle Magical Girl Wand Set.
.... Kwa-ha-ha-hak!
The fluttering outfit swelled from the inside as if it would tear apart at any moment. Yet, not a single thread snapped or burst. Instead, the reactive force constricted Aged Kimchi's entire body.
"Kh... ugh...!"
The pressure flushed his face bright red!
But he endured.
Even if he passed out.
Even if it meant breaking through his limits.
Afterwards, he would, without a doubt...
'I will break free from these clothes!'
Bang-!
The floor of the training ground trembled. The ceiling creaked as if it would collapse. The entire building, the mansion, and even the ground beyond the garden all began to shake.
But then it happened.
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!
Suddenly, someone pounded fiercely on the door of the training ground.
The intrusion shattered Aged Kimchi's concentration. His mana, which had been rampaging on the verge of explosion, instantly scattered in all directions.
"...!"
Aged Kimchi's gaze grew fierce.
He had been sensing it.
This time was different...
'So why, of all times, now?'
He felt wronged.
He resented whoever was knocking.
And at the same time, he grew curious.
'Who is it?'
This was the Asrahan family's special training ground. Since he had entered it, no one had knocked on the door—not for months.
Thanks to the strict orders given by Reivaj himself. No matter what happened inside, no one was to interrupt the training.
And yet...
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!
"...."
Again.
Who could it be?
Just then, an unexpected voice came from beyond the door.
"Sir Aged Kimchi! Can you hear me? It's me! Reivaj Asrahan!''
Bang-bang-bang!
"...."
Reivaj Asrahan?
The young master?
He was personally knocking at the door?
'Why?'
What could be so urgent that the young master himself would be knocking, calling for him in such a desperate voice?
Then, Reivaj's voice continued.
"Right now! Something terrible has happened! I need your help, Sir Aged Kimchi!"
"...."
My help?
What could possibly have happened to need my help?
Should I respond to this request?
I don't know.
If I just push a little further, if I just try a bit harder, I feel like I'll finally find the clue to take off these clothes.
Honestly, I don't want to go. I don't want to get involved unless it's something serious.
...so thought Aged Kimchi—but those thoughts vanished without a trace the moment he heard Asrahan's next words.
"Right now! In the square! Sir Kim Jangcheol is on the verge of death!"
"...!"
The moment he heard those words—training and all that, escaping from these clothes and all that, every thought and obsession vanished as Aged Kimchi shot up and ran toward the door.
***
"....2! 1! Start!"
Across the square, Kim Jangcheol's shout echoed.
At that moment, Archbishop Rephelon was convinced.
"....!"
It was him.
That man was the Saint of Ten.
Now, it was beyond certain.
All humans, by their very nature, reveal their true essence clearly and transparently at moments of life and death.
'Even in a moment where his life hangs in the balance... to uphold the Rule of Ten so relentlessly.'
If such a person wasn't the Saint of Ten, then who could possibly bear that title?
Thump... thump...!
This was a miracle.
A rapture and blessing, the hymn of history—the prophecy mentioned in the Book of Perfection, long thought impossible, was becoming reality before his eyes.
It made the Archbishop's breath quicken. His legs wobbled slightly from the dizziness.
But he endured.
To become a living witness of history.
To clearly see, record, and fulfill his duty to document the emergence of the Saint of Ten in humanity's history.
He widened his eyes.
He tried not to miss a single move of Kim Jangcheol, absorbing every gesture into his sight.
And the more he watched, the stronger his conviction became.
"Sirgi! Ride Asurat! Asurat! Carry Baal and spread your wings!"
"Purururing! Puruk!"
"Kkuwaaaak!"
"Baal! Boarding!"
Kwaang!
Baal galloped forward and leapt high. Then, with a spine-cracking force, he landed on the back of the pelican Asurat.
"....Kkwaaak! Go easy, you lunatic!"
"Baal! Boarded!"
Seeing this, Kim Jangcheol shouted.
"Good, well done! Then, Sirgi! Run along the edge of the square and pick up speed! Once Asurat gains momentum, take off! Lady Artanis! Continue engaging the statue! I'm counting on you!"
— Leave it to me-meow.
"And Sir Hector! Ah, gah!"
Kwaaang—!
The statue, shaking off Artanis's interference, brought down its greatsword. Kim Jangcheol narrowly dodged the attack and pointed at Hector, the captain of the royal guards.
"Sir Hector! Bring the baskets filled with flower petals prepared for the marching ceremony! As many as you can! Quickly!"
".....What?"
Hector, startled by the unexpected order, flinched.
Flower petal baskets?
Bring a whole bunch?
'Why?'
Questions fluttered like bubbles in his mind!
Kim Jangcheol's shout continued.
"And! Once you bring the baskets! Sirgi! That is, follow the alpaca and shake the baskets while running! Got it?"
"...."
No.
He didn't get it.
'Why... should I?'
Why would he have to run after an alpaca, shaking flower baskets? How could such an action possibly help in this situation? Wouldn't it be better to swing his sword just one more time?
...But those doubts were shattered by Kim Jangcheol's sudden roar.
"Ah, come on! If I give orders, just move already! If you're not going to do it, then back off completely! I'm already on the verge of dying here!"
"....!"
Rebuked again.
Reflexively shrinking his neck, Hector ran toward one side of the square.
There, countless flower petal baskets lay abandoned. Light pink petals, prepared to be scattered beautifully into the air throughout the marching ceremony, filled them.
He gathered as many as he could.
He packed them tightly into the largest basket. Even so, doubts kept creeping into his mind.
'Is this... really okay?'
These were just harmless flower petals. Props meant only to be scattered meaninglessly into the air.
And yet, against such a gigantic statue, here he was, gathering flower petals?
"....."
Honestly, he had no idea.
Hector, full of questions and doubt, stood up. Following Kim Jangcheol's orders, he ran alongside the alpaca circling the edge of the square.
"Shake it! The basket!"
"....."
Oh, whatever.
Shake shake!
Hector, running, shook the basket.
In that moment, thousands, tens of thousands of flower petals, tightly packed into the large basket, burst out explosively.
And swept up by the powerful vortices created by the running Sirgi and the flapping wings of the pelican Asurat, they soared upward.
...Pa-haat!
The square was painted with the calligraphy of petals.
Following the running Sirgi, following Asurat spreading its wings, tracing a circle around the edge of the square, tens of thousands of explosively blooming petals spiraled up into the sky.
It was a spectacular sight.
So much so that even the statue, which had been rampaging madly with the sole purpose of killing Kim Jangcheol, momentarily had its attention stolen. Thanks to that, it didn't even notice Asurat, Sirgi, and Baal, who had successfully taken flight.
"Higher!"
At Kim Jangcheol's shout, Asurat flapped its large wings forcefully. The statue, briefly dazed, snapped back to its senses and flared with murderous intent toward Kim Jangcheol.
The attacks resumed.
But Kim Jangcheol no longer ran away. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the statue.
For one reason only.
To make the statue stop moving. So Baal could safely approach the statue's face.
.....Grit!
He clenched his molars tightly.
His legs trembled slightly.
Honestly, he was a little scared.
'.....'
He had only been a regular agricultural sciences graduate student.
He never imagined that one day, he would find himself doing something like this, standing before a statue the size of a 30-story building trying to kill him.
"Come at me!"
He shouted amidst the swirling petals.
The statue of the Archangel immediately responded.
Kwaaa—!
The greatsword plunged down toward him.
But he didn't dodge far.
With the bare minimum movement, skimming just along the razor-thin line where he could avoid a direct hit and the flying debris.
Tap tap!
He moved ten steps.
Thunk!
The greatsword embedded itself in the ground!
At that moment, he sprinted toward the sword. He climbed up the blade. He ran. Following the edge of the blade. Toward the statue's hand gripping the hilt!
Ding dong!
[The Archangel Statue you observed for 212 seconds shudders with the horror of someone being counterattacked by a cockroach. Oh my goodness!]
Once more, he activated bloodshot eyes.
And through it, he realized.
'If a bug that always runs away suddenly changes direction and charges at you... it's seriously terrifying!'
It's always that way.
When you're aiming bug spray at a cockroach, confident you've cornered it, and then, out of nowhere, it jumps like a lunatic and starts climbing up your wrist—
No matter how muscular or battle-hardened a warrior you are,
at that moment, you'll let out a sincere, high-pitched seventh-octave shriek.
The Archangel Statue was no different.
[...!]
The statue recoiled in terror.
The abhorrent demons.
And among them, an even more exceptionally repulsive being—the Demon King.
Such a filthy creature wasn't just standing on its precious greatsword, it was now trying to cling to its wrist in the most horrifying way!
[!!!!!!!]
The statue panicked, flailing its hand urgently. It hunched its shoulders, leapt backward, scowled with its whole face, and let out a silent shriek—Kyaaa!.
Because of this, the statue didn't notice Asurat, Sirgi, and Baal, who had been approaching through the storm of petals at high altitude.
"Baal! Go in!"
Kuwhack!
Baal kicked off Asurat's back.
He soared through the air at sixty meters altitude.
And smacked right onto the statue's cheek.
[ ...! ]
For a moment, the statue flinched.
But before the statue could shake Baal off, Baal puckered his lips.
"Statue! You're big and beautiful! Baal doing his first kiss!"
Smack, mwah♡
In the moment Baal's heartfelt, warm kiss exploded(?) on the statue's cheek—
….Pfffwoosh?!
The statue's face steamed up and flushed hot.