Beneath the night sky, a cold that felt like it would tear through the skin seeped into the trench. A knight, clad in armor stained with dark crimson blood and damaged beyond repair, turned his back on the defensive line he had been guarding and began to disappear into the darkness. His fellow knights watched him with eyes mixed with fear and awe, but no one could stop his steps.
He stopped in a wide clearing barely illuminated by the moonlight. The clearing was silent, and a sinister aura lingered in the darkness, as if something might leap out at any moment.
The knight's gaze fixed on a single point. Beyond the darkness ahead, all that met his eyes was pitch-black shadow. A tangle of emotions cast deep shadows across his eyes as he stared into the darkness, and after a moment, his gaze lifted to the round moon in the sky. Tears streamed from his moonlit eyes.
It was then. From behind him, a shadow approached. Instinctively, the knight turned, gripping the hilt of the greatsword at his waist with his left hand.
The knight, who had been charging toward the shadow, was met with an unexpected sight. The owner of the shadow was none other than the knight's superior. He stood there holding a glass in each hand, from which a gentle wisp of smoke was rising.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! What a truly strange fellow."
The superior's laughter echoed across the dark, silent clearing.
The superior laughed. His voice echoed through the dark, silent clearing. He held out a glass toward the knight, who was watching him cautiously.
"Here, take it. I know you don't like it… but this isn't a simple drink. It contains my heart, meant to warm your body under the moonlight."
The knight accepted the cup with both hands, silently waiting for his superior to speak further.
"Your squad leader ratted you out again. Said you pulled a disappearing act and ditched the defensive line without so much as a 'bye.'"
The knight nodded, still gazing at the moon.
"The war we have endured… is not just a simple conflict between kingdoms. It was the Kingdom of Glaberon that first sparked the flames of this war and drenched the continent of Carbanis in blood — along with our own Kingdom of Beldoras, our ally Kingdom of Bronis, and even the Kingdom of Lubenis, who were once our brothers. The clash of ideologies and military might has set the continent of Drabanis ablaze with weapons and armies."
The knight's superior did not pause, continuing his speech.
"Not long ago, the continent of Drabanis was a land where countless kingdoms and people lived in freedom and peace."
A shadow fell over the face of the superior as he continued speaking. In a voice steeped in sorrow, he spoke to the knight once more.
"But everything changed when Kingdom of Lubenis — once our brother nation — broke its oath with Kingdom of Beldoras and joined hands with Kingdom of Glaberon and the Kelbrani Empire to invade our kingdom."
A dark shadow fell across the knight's face, carrying memories of countless battles and brushes with death.
"The Kingdom of Bronis and its allies bore countless sacrifices to defend our Kingdom of Beldoras, and in the end, they stood with us to bring down the Kingdom of Lubenis."
The superior, recalling the pain he had endured, spoke to the knight again with sorrowful eyes.
"You survived this war as well. Through dozens of battles, you always survived alone. That is why people call you 'Embracer of Death."
The knight quietly closed his eyes, letting past memories seep in as tears streamed down his cheeks.
"In the final battle, you leapt into Bronis' Helfrism assault… and yet you survived. I asked you why you did it, and your answer pierced my heart."
The superior continued,
"At that moment, I realized. You are a being who cannot die, even if you wished to. Long ago, you met Leana, the saint of the Kingdom of Beldoras, and from her, you learned something profound. Somehow, ever since, you had already foreseen the outcome of this war… You knew that our Kingdom of Beldoras would be engulfed by the Kingdom of Glaberon's devastating Helprism attack, consumed by flames, and ultimately fall."
The knight knelt on the ground, clutching his chest. His superior stroked his head and spoke.
"The peace negotiations between Glaberon and Bronis have already failed. Our ally, Bronis, which failed to reach an agreement with Glaberon, has begun withdrawing its troops in exchange for giving up Veldoras."
Before long, even the superior's eyes grew moist. He wiped his damp eyes and spoke again.
"The Kingdom of Glaberon demanded that the Kingdom of Bronis no longer protect our Kingdom of Beldoras. Otherwise, they threatened to join forces with the Kelbrani Empire and strike the Bronis alliance with a Helprism attack."
As the knight remained silent, the sound of jets slicing through the sky reached them. Without doubt, they were Glaveron's aircraft.
"Finally, you've come!"
The superior watched the approaching fighter jets from afar.
Amid the deafening roar of jet engines and the fierce sounds of explosions, the knight's superior smiled and left his final words.
"It has been an honor to speak with you. You will survive once again, won't you? I wish you good luck."
Soon, bombs dropped from Glaberon's fighter jets began to explode. The area where the Beldoras troops had been stationed was quickly engulfed in blasts and flames. Around them, Beldoras soldiers screamed as they fell one by one. And beneath the moonlight, the two who had shared countless conversations were swallowed by explosions and thick black smoke.