But wait—where did Bedivere go?
The guidance from [Revelation] definitely pointed toward this side...
Takumi quickly scanned the entire village, feeling a wave of confusion.
Just as he was about to activate [Revelation] again to lock onto Bedivere's exact coordinates, a village guard approached him. Because Takumi had appeared suddenly but remained silent, the guard was initially wary. However, feeling the emotions diffusing from Takumi's heart, the guard realized Takumi was a friendly ally here to help and also sensed his confusion.
Without a second thought, the anxious guard spoke up:
"The silver knight has already headed to the western village! That place is under attack as well!"
Crap!
Hearing the guard's words, realization struck Takumi like lightning.
Because so much time had passed since he originally experienced the story, his memory was a bit fuzzy. There were actually two villages belonging to the People of the Mountains, and the Lion King had cast down a "Holy Judgment" upon each of them.
If Bedivere wasn't here, and he had made it to the western village in such a short amount of time, it meant he had hitched a ride on the "Arash Express" over there!
Takumi whipped his head toward the west, his pupils shrinking instantly.
He could already see golden light piercing through the cloud cover!
"Thanks!"
Throwing the word over his shoulder, Takumi broke into a frantic, panicked sprint toward the descending light.
—At this distance, I can make it!
"You're... welcome?"
Blinking in bewilderment as Takumi vanished into thin air, the guard tilted his head in confusion.
***
The Western Village.
It had clearly been set ablaze, and large sections of the buildings were already reduced to rubble.
Knocked back by a massive sword crackling with crimson lightning, Bedivere looked up at the "Holy Judgment" rapidly descending from the sky and shouted at the knight in front of him with intense urgency:
"Mordred! If you don't leave now, not only me and the village, but even you will be killed by Our King's Holy Lance!"
"Obviously I know that! Who wouldn't be able to see something this massive?!"
Mordred snapped impatiently.
The slow descent of the "Holy Judgment" had not only dyed the sky gold, but its radiance illuminated the ground so intensely that it seemed as if shadows had ceased to exist. Even an ordinary person a dozen kilometers away could see it clearly; how could Mordred, standing directly beneath it, possibly miss it?
A flicker of awkward, complex emotion crossed Mordred's eyes, but she quickly tossed it aside. Flashing a wicked grin, she asked:
"But tell me, do you know what blessing the Lion King bestowed upon me?"
Before Bedivere could answer, Mordred rested her greatsword on her shoulder and cheerfully answered her own question:
"It's [Rampage]! As long as I am in combat, it causes my soul to burn with full intensity. If I fight at full power for too long, even this body of mine will burn away to ash along with it!"
"So this blessing was literally made for self-destruction from the very start. Why would I be afraid of getting caught in the blast of a 'Holy Judgment'?"
"You, on the other hand..."
Mordred narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Bedivere. She had a gut feeling that this former colleague of hers was crucial, the type who would cause massive problems down the line. But if asked to explain exactly why, she wouldn't be able to articulate a single reason.
"...You aren't afraid of dying, are you?"
Unable to figure it out, Mordred relaxed her brow and asked casually.
"How could I be afraid of dying... Ugh..."
Bedivere had just opened his mouth to retort when a piercing, agonizing pain erupted from his silver arm. The sensation of his very soul being torn apart and set ablaze drew a muffled groan from his lips.
Yet, clutching the arm that felt as if it were on fire, he forced through the pain and declared:
"—I have a duty I must fulfill. I have a reason I must see Our King! Therefore, I absolutely cannot fall here!"
Bedivere's voice trembled from the sheer agony, yet the absolute conviction woven into his words was so palpable that even Mordred could feel it.
"Then just run away. If you want to run, I won't stop you."
Mordred understood what Bedivere was saying, but she deliberately chose to be obtuse.
"Run away..."
Bedivere chewed on those words. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Cursed Arm Hassan—whom Mordred had already beaten to the brink of death—and the terrified civilians huddled nearby, watching the two of them with pleading eyes.
Bedivere smiled helplessly.
"...How could I possibly turn my back and run away under their gazes, pleading for salvation? If I did that, how could I ever call myself a Knight of Our King?"
Bedivere's eyes hardened with renewed resolve.
"I have already committed one grave mistake that I deeply regret to this day. I absolutely will not make a choice that leaves me with regret ever again!"
"Only by doing so can one be called a true knight!"
"You bastard... you just keep spouting big talk one line after another..."
Watching Bedivere assume a combat stance once more, Mordred couldn't help but bare her teeth.
"If that's the case, then you can just disappear alongside me under Our King's Holy Judgment!"
Mordred activated [Mana Burst]. Instantly, violent, crimson lightning coiled around the silver-white blade of her greatsword as she leveled it at Bedivere, ready to strike.
And Bedivere, looking at Mordred—who was clearly getting serious once again—pressed his parched lips together. His expression was a mixture of intense anxiety and grim resignation.
Mordred was right. He truly was just spouting big talk.
Facing Mordred, who was going all-out and backed by a Divine Blessing, Bedivere—who was only barely qualified to fight her by borrowing the power of his "Silver Arm"—had long since exhausted his tricks. It was impossible for him to quickly defeat Mordred, and equally impossible for him to evacuate all the civilians.
But exactly as he had said, under the weight of those pleading gazes, he simply couldn't find it in his heart to abandon them and flee.
He could only put up a brave front and pray internally:
Please... anyone...
Bedivere prayed in silence. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, a bizarre feeling washed over him—a genuine belief that someone really would step in to help him at the last second. The feeling was so strong it left even him feeling a bit confused...
***
"Made it!"
Takumi stood atop the hill, panting heavily. Looking up at the colossal Lance of Light that had already breached more than half the cloud cover, a spark of sheer joy flickered in his eyes.
Don't misunderstand—Takumi wasn't happy about the impending "Holy Judgment." He was ecstatic that he had managed to arrive in the nick of time.
His absolute full-speed sprint hadn't been in vain!
For Takumi—who was a master of breathing techniques—to be panting this heavily, it was obvious just how desperately he had pushed himself to get here.
Taking a couple of deep breaths to slightly calm his ragged breathing—even though his chest was still heaving—Takumi gripped his flag with both hands and decisively hoisted it high into the air.
—Can I block the power of the Holy Lance?
"If I can't even block a single blast from the Holy Lance, what right do I have to think I can block that cannon meant to incinerate the Human Order?!"
It wasn't a question of whether he could block it. It was a matter of he must block it!
Standing directly beneath the colossal "Holy Judgment" that had eclipsed the entire sky, Takumi tilted his head back. A blinding, incandescent light ignited within his pupils as he roared with everything he had:
"Bring it on! I don't care what it is, I'll block it all and show you!"
Before his roar even faded, a golden light—entirely distinct from the radiance of the Holy Lance—erupted from the earth, rising steadily to meet the descending devastation.