Tenra and Gaspar laid Isaiah to rest in an unmarked grave, hidden deep in the woods. No headstone. No words. There was nothing more to say.
"Lord Tenra… he was so pitiful," Gaspar murmured.
He hadn't known Isaiah, but the story had struck him hard. Compared to his own fate—just being locked away in a castle with Valerie—Isaiah and his friends had suffered far worse. Brainwashed, used as test subjects, then discarded like trash when they were no longer useful. Their suffering put his own to shame.
Tenra said nothing. He simply stared at the fresh earth, silent and still.
Isaiah and his companions had been victims, yes, but not just of the church's cruelty or fate's indifference. Their tragedy, Tenra thought, was rooted in weakness. Because they were weak, they'd been manipulated, used, erased. Weakness was a sin—and Tenra vowed he would never make the same mistake.
He would keep his promise to Isaiah and the others. Someday, when his strength was enough, he'd avenge them all.
"Let's go, Gaspar."
"…Okay."
With one last glance at the lonely grave, Tenra turned away. Gaspar followed, and together they vanished into the shadowed forest.
A few months later—outside a rural church.
"Lord Tenra, this is the place."
A cloud of bats swooped down, swirling into Gaspar's shape. He checked the night sky. The timing was perfect.
Tenra tossed him a magical communicator. "Keep watch out here."
"Yes, Lord Tenra!"
With Gaspar on lookout, Tenra melted into the darkness, slipping toward the church.
It had been months since Isaiah's death. In that time, Tenra had learned to control his surging power—and fully mastered [Sword Birth]. But tonight's mission was something else: a rescue. There was one more survivor of the Holy Sword Project. No—now, the only survivor.
After Isaiah and his friends were executed, the Holy Sword Project's secrets had leaked inside the church. Archbishop Valper Galilei, the project's mastermind, had been ousted and was rumored to have defected to the fallen angels. The church tried to bury the scandal, but Tenra, after paying in blood and coin, had finally tracked down the last survivor.
He moved with care, masking his presence. The church's defenses were lax—barriers meant for monsters and devils, not for someone like him, a half-blood who couldn't awaken his lineage.
Inside, Tenra followed his intel, weaving through corridors and avoiding priests and nuns. Whenever he risked being seen, he relied on [Forbidden Balor View] to freeze time and slip by unnoticed.
At last, he found her—a hidden chamber, a sleeping girl about twelve or thirteen, long white hair spilling over her shoulders. She was sealed inside a shimmering, spherical barrier, eyes closed, utterly still.
According to Tenra's sources, this girl possessed a rare barrier-type Sacred Gear. When Valper's men tried to kill the children, she'd unconsciously activated her power. The barrier persisted, even in a deathlike state. After Valper's fall, the church had discovered her, but unable to break the Sacred Gear's protection and desperate to keep the project secret, they'd hidden her away here.
Tenra frowned. With the barrier up, he couldn't just carry her out—and if the church couldn't break it, neither could he, at least not by force.
He summoned a magic sword, testing the barrier. The blade shattered instantly, the shield unscathed. Tenra's eyes widened. What a Sacred Gear—rare, powerful, and defensive. If only…
An idea struck him. Maybe, just maybe—
He activated [Sacred Gear Plunder] and reached toward the barrier. This time, to his delight, the shield didn't resist. His hand slipped through as if the barrier recognized him.
Suppressing his excitement, Tenra pressed his right hand to the girl's chest, feeling for the Sacred Gear within. He drew it out, inch by inch.
The process was agony for the host. Even in her sleep, the girl's face twisted in pain—but she made no sound. Maybe she was simply too weak.
As the Sacred Gear left her body, the barrier shattered into motes of light.
[Domain Barrier]—the instant Tenra fused with the artifact, its name and power flooded his mind. His strength surged, new abilities sparking to life. A grin broke across his face. Every Sacred Gear he claimed made him that much closer to the top.
Someday, he'd stand above them all.
A soft whimper pulled him from his reverie.
The girl stirred, eyelids fluttering. Tenra caught her before she collapsed.
"What's your name?" he asked gently.
"T… Tosca…" Her voice was barely a whisper, her face pale and dazed.
"I'm Tenra Kamiyo. I was Isaiah's friend. Don't worry—I'm here to help you."
He kept his tone calm, not wanting her to panic and alert the church.
"Tosca… Isaiah… Tenra…" She repeated the names, relaxing a little. Then her eyes rolled back and she fainted.
She was far too weak. If he didn't get her help soon, she might not survive. Tenra hoisted her onto his back and hurried out of the chamber.
Carrying someone made stealth nearly impossible. Twice he was nearly caught, but Tenra managed to slip past the patrols and escape the church, heading for the rendezvous point.
"Gaspar?"
He called into the darkness. No response.
Tenra's heart tightened. He hadn't heard from Gaspar since entering the church, and now the boy was gone. Gaspar would never abandon him—not willingly.
A cold sense of dread crept in. Something was wrong.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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