Chapter 29: Roble Holy Kingdom (7)
If the position changes, the scenery changes too.
Justice follows the perspective from which it is viewed. To someone, justice is good; to someone else, it is evil. Once, Kaiser said that the act of protecting someone is beautiful and noble. Risking one's life, defeating enemies, and safeguarding something precious—this was a story where the concept of rewarding good and punishing evil truly fit.
Then, is the enemy evil?
No, absolutely not. Why had Kaiser gradually lost his humanity? Because, in some cases, he had to slay those who were clearly righteous. There were people of high ideals. Their ideals could save many lives. But their ideals were so perfect that people rejected them. As a result, countless lives were lost. Kaiser had no choice but to take the lives of these beautifully idealistic people himself. It was the only way to end the war. It was the method that caused the least harm. That is why he gradually lost himself. The human who protected humans had become a guardian who protected humanity.
"Remediosss!!!"
KWAANG!!!
Dust billowed violently, rising high enough to obscure the view, as Argos charged at Remedios. Remedios quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. The power was undeniably strong, and the speed overwhelming, but it moved in a straight line. Simply put, there was no technique. There was no sharpness—more like raw material for a powerful weapon that had yet to be forged.
But if that raw material were thrown with full force and hit a person's head, it would kill them. You could say it was a one‑hit kill. Drooling, eyes bloodshot, Argos staggered. In those eyes, Arche did not appear. Neia did not appear.
The only ones reflected there were two men and women.
He's targeting the paladins!
It seemed that Neia, being merely a squire, was not recognized as a paladin. Otherwise, perhaps because she did not participate in the previous battle, she wasn't considered a target. Either way, Remedios was the primary target, and Gustavo the secondary. And until he killed both of them—or until Argos died—this fight would not end.
"Maximum Magic: Fireball!"
From the tip of Arche's staff, a sphere of flame shot out. Thunk!! Argos struck the fireball aside with his fist. His arm caught fire, but he ignored it and dashed toward Remedios with terrifying speed. Clicking her tongue, Remedios drew her sword and blocked. Being able to make such a decision in a situation with no room to breathe was admirable for a knight. However, her opponent was the problem.
Dudududuk, KWAANG!!!
Remedios flew through the wall. Due to the berserker armor, Argos's physical abilities had already surpassed the realm of normal demi-humans. There was already a natural gap between humans and demi-humans in terms of physical prowess. Argos, as a chieftain, had been exceptionally strong to begin with. In human terms, his strength was on par with a hero, and in pure power, even heroes would struggle against him.
"Captain!!"
Gustavo drew his sword and aimed precisely for the legs. No matter how strong Argos was, if his movement was sealed, he would have no choice. Given the situation, stopping Argos's mobility was the highest priority. It was the right judgment.
"Uoooooooh!!!"
"Ugh!!"
At the ear‑splitting roar, Gustavo's body froze. Paralysis—there was a paralyzing effect in that roar. Argos looked down at Gustavo. Faced with such overwhelming strength, Gustavo felt the certainty of his own death creeping closer.
Shuuk! An arrow stuck into the joint of the armor. It was Neia's shot. Argos groaned, turned his head slightly toward Neia, then clenched his teeth and refocused on Gustavo.
He's rampaging yet keeping his reason through hatred?!
Arche looked at Argos's arm.
The burn caused by her fireball was rapidly healing. If he had healing means, giving him time was the last thing they could afford. With a sharp twang, Remedios swung her sword at Argos. Tiinng!! The metallic clash rang out as Argos blocked the sword with his gauntlet. Just as he tried to attack her with his free hand, Remedios kicked off his body to create distance, then switched to a thrust—a harder attack to deflect.
As Remedios closed in rapidly, Argos swung his tail. She ducked low as if collapsing and sliced his leg.
"Grrk—! GRAAAAA!!"
"Ugh!!"
Even as he fell, Argos swung his arm backward. Remedios blocked it with her sword, but she couldn't absorb the full impact, and the blow sent her flying sideways. Even after landing on the ground, the shock hadn't worn off; only after rolling several times could she stop. Shaking her head, Remedios rose using her sword for support.
Blocking the first strike carelessly had been a mistake. Her arm trembled violently. No—she could still hold her sword. Thankfully, it didn't seem broken.
"Arche, provide support with magic! And stay alert—"
"There's no need for that, right? Neia."
"Yeah, ever since Argos started rampaging, I can feel the demi‑human presences around us moving further away! It seems even here, he's been treated as uncontrollable!"
"They're running away, huh? Then taking this guy down will be easy."
"They might escape with hostages… Neia, go find His Excellency Caspond."
"What?!"
"It's a good plan. Your arrows barely hinder him. Staying here may be more dangerous. Go, Neia."
The leader of this group, Arshe, and the captain of the paladins, Remedios, had come to an agreement. That meant it was already within the realm of an order. Neia glanced at Arche once. Arche waved her hand casually, as if to say everything was fine. In reality, it probably wasn't. She was simply doing it to reassure Neia.
The reason they were sending Neia was that, as a ranger, she wouldn't be easily detected, and fighting numerous demi‑humans would offer a higher survival rate than facing the Argos who stood before them now. And there was also the real possibility that she might be able to escape with Caspond.
"Martial Art: Heavy Strike!"
Charging in, Remedios activated her martial art. With the attack-strengthening martial art, she swung her blade, but Argos easily blocked it and swung his fist. Crackle!! Arche's Lightning pierced Argos's body. Though he let out a guttural sound, he only stopped for the briefest moment before swinging his fist again. But that one moment was enough for Remedios to evade the blow.
Slash! Slash! Together with Gustavo behind her, they sliced at the exposed flesh between the armor plates. But if this turned into a battle of attrition, the defeat would be theirs. Remedios seemed to believe that piercing the armor directly would be difficult.
"Martial Art: Flow Acceleration."
"Martial Art: Heavy Strike!"
Gustavo struck the armor using martial arts, but it only left a faint mark, failing to inflict proper damage. Argos swung his fist toward Gustavo. Remedios intervened, rescuing Gustavo just in time. Her senses were razor‑sharp under Flow Acceleration. Taking a single breath, she switched her sword to her other hand and met the incoming punch head‑on. A tingling numbness spread up her arm.
"UOOOOOOOOOOT!!!"
"What!?"
Argos had caught up to Remedios even during Flow Acceleration. Foolish—she thought reflexively as her body moved into a defensive stance rather than an evasive one. If she dodged, Gustavo would be in danger—her instincts as a guardian moved before her thoughts.
Clang! Suddenly, as if someone were tightening a staff around Argos's neck, Arshe leapt up behind him.
"L‑Lady Arche—"
"Thunderburst!"
KRZZZZZZZZZZT!!!
Lightning erupted violently around Argos and Arche. Holding back a scream, Arche forced out a faint "Fly," and drifted backward. Slowly descending, she gripped her staff tightly while staring at the still‑standing Argos.
"Lady Arche, are you alright!?"
"I'm fine. The problem is Argos is getting faster."
"The berserker armor—does its user's physical ability increase as their health decreases? This is troublesome."
It wasn't simply troublesome.
He was displaying power that had already begun to exceed the limits of a demi‑human.
One careless hit—just one—would result in irreparable damage. They might need to forcibly bring a priest. Or perhaps they should have received a healing‑type item from Kaiser earlier.
They had defensive items, but no healing ones. Since they were still in training, they believed relying on healing magic would diminish their training results. If Arche was a fool for not preparing for emergencies, then so be it—but it was too late to regret it.
"Is your mana alright?"
"No problem."
"I see…"
Gustavo thought to himself—so this is truly the realm of a hero.
Along the way here, Arche had taken down all the stray monsters herself. And during the fight with Argos, she had already used several 3rd‑ and 4th‑tier spells. At one point she had even cast a 4th‑tier spell in a way that looked almost suicidal for both herself and Argos. She must be enduring pain like her flesh was burning, yet with an expression of complete calm, she was still calculating how to defeat him.
Her mana reserves were immense, and the power of her spells was far from ordinary. Gustavo, having traveled many battlefields, had seen Fireballs and Lightning Bolts before. But none were as powerful as the ones Arche cast. Was she using a special magic item? Or did proficiency make such a difference in power?
"I'll use the holy sword to finish him. With the holy sword… it should be possible."
It strikes the soul, not the body. Even if the opponent wore armor, Remedios' holy sword could fell them.
Among the four legendary swords that corresponded to the four great magic swords wielded by the Dark Knight—one of the thirteen heroes—the holy sword, Serphlicia, could do it. It was unavoidable; if the target were evil, they could not evade it and would have no choice but to receive the attack. With this, it would be possible to deal a fatal blow to Argos. Yet Arche shook her head.
"There's no guarantee that Argos is evil. The risk of needlessly draining our own health is too great."
"What do you mean!? This is an Ain who commits such acts! There's no doubt he's evil! Even the holy sword would judge so, Arche!"
"This comes from the emotions of this man, born of hatred! That's separate from his true alignment!"
"UOOOOOOOOOT!!!"
Arche raised her staff again.
"Maximum Magic: Thunder Strike!"
KRZZZZZZZZZZT!!!
Argos roared as he charged, as if unaffected by the lightning strike. Was he ignoring paralysis, or was it the effect of the berserker armor? Arslche whispered Fly and ascended into the sky. Behind her, Remedios and Gustavo charged with swords in hand. Argos blocked their blades with his fists and continued to attack relentlessly.
"She says that, but it might still be worth trying!"
Arche suspected Argos was not evil. He likely stood somewhere between neutral and good. His persistent targeting of only the paladins, Remedios and Gustavo, suggested he bore no great grudge against other humans. He was probably losing his own sense of self as well, even while showing hatred and inflicting torment.
"Arche, you are the commander this time! Holy sword—permission to strike!!"
"Permission granted! But prepare to evade—I doubt it will land!!"
"Understood!"
He probably won't realize it!
Arche was certain.
She had to prevent any attack from reaching Remedios. A fireball hit precisely at Argos's face. At the same time, Gustavo struck his leg again. Though it would heal quickly, it bought some time. UOOOOOOOOOT! Following that cry, Remedios surged forward.
The holy sword glowed brilliantly. Its blade extended, forming a second sword. It could be seen as a symbol of sanctity. That light did not forgive evil—it punished it. That light executed judgment upon evil.
Serphlicia had been created for this purpose, and this was how it was meant to be used.
"Die, Ain!!"
"Remediossss!!!"
She swung the sword at the charging Argos. Its radiance enveloped him completely. But Argos surged through the light and lunged toward Remedios. His eyes had already lost everything. No matter how brilliant the light, to Argos it was like absolute darkness. He had lost everything. What use was such light to him now?
"Y‑you…!!"
"Ugh!!"
Bam!!!
It landed for certain. Remedios spat blood with a kueh! and was hurled through the building, landing outside. She writhed on the ground, already grievously injured and unable to fight. Even so, Argos did not take his eyes off her.
"Remedios! Remedios!! Remediosss!!! You cut my wife with that sword!! You cut my sibling with that sword!! You cut my child with that sword!!! I will not forgive you!! I will never forgive you, even if it's something that must never be done!! Even if I fall into hell, I will never forgive you!!!"
The war between the Holy Kingdom and the Ains raged on endlessly.
This was no longer a matter of good or evil. Hatred persisted, and Argos was consumed by it. Remedios had killed Argos' family after losing her comrades. Perhaps her actions were excessively harsh, but the fury of a paladin who had lost her allies was justified. Under the name of war, this slaughter became an act of pride, honor, and service to her country.
And Argos, having lost his family, fell into berserk madness in order to kill Remedios. He was supposed to become the king who ruled over his tribe. Yet he failed even to do that, abandoning everything for the sake of revenge. Not even the people of his tribe could stop him—no, they did not stop him. Their rage and hatred were no different from his.
The tribes did not flee because of Argos's rampage—they retreated so they would not stand in his way. And so that, when Argos eventually regained his senses, he would not have to face the fact that he had slaughtered his own tribe with his own hands.
"I'll kill you! I'll kill you!! I'll tear you apart! I'll unleash this hatred!!"
"Stop!! If you kill the Captain, more of your tribe will die!!"
"SO WHAT!! You're telling me to endure it?! To forgive them?! You think I can forgive?! You think I can endure this?! I've lost everything!! I failed to protect what I had to protect! In that moment, I could do nothing!! If you tell me to endure this feeling, then I'll kill your whole family too!! Then say it again!! SAY THAT THIS HATRED PRODUCES NOTHING!!!"
Argos's berserker armor glowed an even deeper red. Remedios staggered, groaning as she forced herself to her feet. Even if she could be called someone who had reached the realm of heroes, standing up now held no meaning. As the strongest Paladin Captain, who else would save the people if she fell?
If she went down, Gustavo would have to face Argos alone. No matter how strong Arche was, she was a magic caster providing support from the rear. She couldn't lose a comrade in a place like this. That was the only reason Remedios stood again.
But her legs would not move. Her arms would not move. The only thing proving she was still a warrior was the fact that she could still grip her sword.
"Paladin Captain, Remedios… To humans, you may be a hero, a righteous one, a savior!! A messiah!! With that sword, you will save many lives! But don't forget— that sword is also proof of the massacres soaked in blood! For every life you save, don't forget there are lives you take!!"
"Ain… why… why are you…?"
Remedios staggered.
Why was an Ain uttering words about revenge? Surely they were evil beings—there was no way they had such emotions. And yet, the Argos before her carried his own convictions and reasons, even if they had nothing to do with justice or righteousness.
"DIEEEE!!!"
"—Transfer."
THUD!!!
Between Argos's fist and Remedios, Arche appeared suddenly. She blocked it with her staff, but the impact pierced through the staff and smashed into her body. With a thunderous crash, she was blown to the side, the unmistakable sound of bones breaking echoing through the air. Rolling across the ground, she collapsed. Her arm, with bone protruding, looked grotesque.
"Lady Arche!!"
"A-Arche…!!"
Remedios fell to her knees, powerless.
She believed she had acted in justice—Calca's justice. This sword had not been wrong. Everyone said so, and Remedios believed it too. If she had been wrong, Calca, or Kelart, or Gustavo would have pointed it out. Yet why… why was an Ain pointing out something none of them had?
And why couldn't Remedios say clearly that it was wrong? This Ain was, by Calca's and the Holy Kingdom's justice, unequivocally evil. Evil beyond doubt. A heinous villain who tortured the citizens of the Kingdom, who killed the innocent. Then why—why could she not deny his words?
Why couldn't she refute his logic with confidence? Was it because of her injuries? No—her mouth could move. Her throat was fine. Blood was seeping out, yes, but she could still breathe, still speak without issue.
"If this hatred… is wrong… then tell me. What am I supposed to do?!"
"Die, and let this end…!!"
When Remedios remained silent, Argos clenched his fist.
"Captain!!!"
A strange swoooong sound echoed. It came with Gustavo's voice. Argos trembled. And not only Argos—Remedios and Gustavo also found themselves instinctively lifting their gaze to the sky.
"What… what is this…?"
The sky itself was moving—swiftly, as if being pulled by some force. Arche coughed, spitting blood, and looked up at the sky. Without her Guardian's Cloak, the strike she had just endured might have killed her outright. The blow had impact, yes, but she could still move.
Looking at the sky, Arche opened her mouth.
"Y-Yukidoshin Sword…?"
Arche understood what she was witnessing. She had seen it once before, though only briefly. Was he really going to use this sword? Now? No… no, that meant he was fighting someone worthy of it. Was this someone whose life he had staked in battle? Or was it someone deserving of such respect? Arche staggered to her feet and removed her gloves.
She felt sympathy for Argos. Objectively, the course of action had not changed—but still, she was moved by the hatred driving him. No matter the hatred he bore, no matter the murderous intent or the circumstances, it didn't matter.
Argos had already fallen beyond the point of massacre, beyond pleasure or personal reasons, into evil. Even if his hatred was "just," it was just nothing more than that. He had long crossed the line of what should never be crossed, and he must be aware of it.
"Fly."
Arche rose noticeably into the air, removing her ring. She felt the flow of magic shift. The magical energy swelled immensely. Instinctively sensing this, Argos looked toward Arche. Arche clapped her palms together and stared at him.
There was unmistakable compassion in her eyes. Yet when she blinked and opened them again, they reflected clear resolve. A determination to protect what must be protected, to cut away what needed to be cut. At this moment, Arche severed her emotions—compassion was useless on this battlefield.
"Power of the Sage, lend me strength."
"U-uaaahhh!!!"
Argos leapt toward Arche. Instinctively, she knew this attack was dangerous. Crackling electricity surged from both of her hands, lightning bright enough to make it clear—this was no third- or fourth-tier magic.
"Maximum Magic: Lightning Shock!!"
KRAZZZZZZZ!!!
Lightning tore toward Argos. Gustavo's mouth fell open as he watched. The scale and power were impossible. The lightning engulfed Argos, burning everything in its path. Argos could not even scream; he let out a strained, muffled groan before finally breaking down, flames of flesh burning around him.
The power was no longer within human limits. Enhanced through training, strengthened by magic items, amplified by the Sage's Rosario, Arche's fourth-tier magic had reached, in terms of sheer force, the level of sixth-tier magic.
"Kuhhh."
As the lightning faded, Argos exhaled and fell backward. Arche wavered in the air before collapsing backward. Remedios groaned and leapt forward. And suddenly, from the opposite side, a girl identical in speed to Remedios appeared—a sharp-eyed girl.
With a thwap, Remedios and the girl—Neia—caught the falling Arche.
"Ar-Arche! Are you okay!?"
"Arche! You're alive!?"
"I'm alive."
Arche looked up at the now still sky. Checking her body, exhausted from blood loss, she let out a small sigh.
"Still a long way to go… me too."
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