Chapter 114.
Only, for the King.
Only, for the King’s revival.
Only, to protect the King.
The three knights thus swore to their King.
They swore loyalty.
The reason for their existence—
They believed it was solely to protect the King.
This heart of theirs would never change—
So thought the three knights.
Except for one.
Among the three Black Knights, one knight held tender feelings for the King’s subjects as well.
As much as their mission to protect the King—
They believed the King’s subjects were also beings to be protected.
Thus, unlike the other two knights who wielded swords,
The knight carried a shield.
They vowed to protect everyone.
They believed the King desired this as well.
But the King drove the subjects relentlessly.
The King began pushing the subjects into the heart of the battlefield.
The knight could only watch helplessly as those they had sworn to protect died powerless.
For it was the King’s command.
Watching the King silently permit the deaths of the subjects, the knight trusted and waited.
There must be a reason.
Believing there was something they did not understand, the knight stood before the throne and guarded the King.
Trusting.
Enduring.
Waiting.
At the end of that wait—
Words that should never have left the King’s lips echoed across the land.
—They are nothing but meat shields!
The knight, betrayed by their deepest faith—
That day, cast aside the shield they had carried.
Realizing the direction of their shield had been wrong all along, they drew the sword at their waist.
And the knight finally understood—
Who they were truly meant to protect.
“Only…”
[……For the people.]
The Shield Knight drew their sword.
Abandoning their two great shields, they raised the drawn blade not at another—
But at their own King.
Among the three Black Knights—
The Shield Knight raised their sword against the Black King.
The blades of the two knights who witnessed this turned in unison toward their comrade.
[Only, for the King.]
[Only, for the King’s revival.]
Whoosh—!
As the massive greatsword and rapier lunged toward the Shield Knight—
Tap-tap-tap—!
Tap-tap-tap—!
With adorable footsteps—
Thud—!
Two teddy bears stepped forward and blocked the attack aimed at the Shield Knight.
The reason the two teddy bears protected the Shield Knight was simple.
Because I had told them to.
‘Well done, my teddy bears.’
Before sending the Teddy Bear Trio to face the Black Knights, I had left these words:
The other two didn’t matter—
But one.
The Shield Knight must never be defeated. For they were the key to this operation no matter what, they must not be subdued.
It was a difficult task to ask of our third teddy bear, who faced the Shield Knight.
But from what I could see, the Shield Knight’s condition didn’t seem too bad.
Rustle—
On the other hand, our third teddy bear had fought evasively, avoiding the knight’s attacks as much as possible.
Though the seams of its body had come undone in places—
‘You’ve done well, my teddies.’
My gaze slowly fell upon the Black King.
But the Black King’s hostility was not directed at me—
But at the knight who now raised a golden sword against him.
His fury was greater than what he had shown me.
[How dare…]
His voice, like a sword darker than the blackest night, carried a deep darkness.
[You would use the sword I bestowed upon you to guard me—to kill me? You… dare? How dare you!!]
Amid the overwhelming aura, the armor of the Shield Knight, clad in black, began to shed its darkness like peeling soot—
Revealing a bright light hidden within.
Like dawn peeking over the horizon, like a bright light illuminating a dark night path—
A radiance that would light the entire space.
That light belonged to none other—
Than one meant solely to cut through the tainted darkness.
And so, it began to emerge.
———=
/The King of the Black Forest
/Observed Processing Procedure
(Confidential/Handle with Care)
The only effective strike against the Black King is a holy sword, the antithesis of the dark blade he wields.
However, the location of this holy sword remains unknown.
———=
Yes, the location of the holy sword remains unknown.
Even in the <Ghost Story Record Storage> , the sword’s whereabouts were not precisely recorded.
Though not explicitly stated—
Among countless theories, one hypothesis circulated widely:
The scabbard at the Shield Knight’s waist.
Unlike the other two Black Knights, no record exists of the Shield Knight ever drawing their sword.
And unlike the others—
Rather than swearing loyalty to the King, they pledged allegiance to the people. This detail stood out to many.
Thus, some speculated—
Perhaps the Shield Knight stood not for their King—
But to protect the people.
And just now—
That truth surfaced.
[…Only, for the people.]
Repeating these words, the knight stood unwavering.
For they had resolved to protect their people now.
[Fool.]
The Black King raised his dark blade high—
And without hesitation, swung it toward the Shield Knight.
Whoosh—
The dark blade descended.
Sizzle—
Following the trajectory of the blade, an endless darkness manifested.
Behind where the Shield Knight stood—
A devastating gash, as if carved by a colossal blade, filled my vision.
Before such absurd force—
I muttered softly.
“How ruthless. And yet, this was someone who served you faithfully all this time.”
At my sarcastic tone, the Black King’s face darkened further.
[Silence. Next, I shall sever those irritating legs of yours.]
Without hesitation, the Black King’s dark blade sliced through the space where I stood.
And instinctively, I knew—
This attack could not be blocked, even with my max-level pillow.
Whoosh—
With no time to evade—
The dark blade’s path swept past, swiftly severing a man’s legs.
And in its wake—
Squelch—!
As two legs fell limply to the ground—
While the Black King stared at me…
I was smiling.
Even with my legs severed, my torso hovered in the air.
[…More cheap tricks? How tiresome.]
“An afterimage, if you will?”
[No matter. I shall carve apart every space you could tread upon.]
The Black King raised his sword again.
As I watched, my mangled form remained composed.
“I, too, am saddened to part ways with you like this, esteemed guest. Should the opportunity arise, I would love to engage in a sincere conversation again.”
Sizzle—
As my body before the Black King began to distort—
Dissolving into static—
I offered a parting farewell.
“If we meet again, that is.”
Sizzle—
As I vanished from the Black King’s sight—
An unpleasant static brushed past his ears.
And then—
The voice of one who should have been erased by the dark blade—
Spoke from behind the Black King.
Sizzle—
With another wave of static—
[Only… for the people.]
!!
[How dare y—]
Slash—!
Without the slightest hesitation—
The radiant blade severed the King’s head.
Thud—
Roll-roll-roll—
As the holy sword clattered to the ground—
The golden-haired head tumbled alongside it.
The King’s head rolled helplessly—
Until it met the sole of a black shoe.
“…It worked.”
The man exhaled in relief—
Yet stared in disbelief at the Black King’s severed head.
“…….”
…No.
I almost uttered a cliché.
Almost ruined the moment.
Focus on the present.
Thankfully, the final diversion worked.
The ‘Noise Distortion’ ability, noted in Noise’s guidebook, had successfully deceived the Black King.
The ability to create decoys using static—
I used it to hide the Shield Knight’s true form, replacing it with a fake.
Had the distance been closer, the static’s distortion might have given it away—
‘But he attacked immediately. Lucky me.’
Thanks to that, the Black King believed he had slain the Shield Knight.
And the result—
Was the King’s beheading.
Now, everything was over.
My gaze turned to the fox girl who had fought the Black Servants.
“Well done, my appren—”
Whoosh—
?
The fox girl’s flames still raged, burning something fiercely.
Despite the Black King’s defeat, she still clashed with the Black Servants.
Moreover—
Boom—!
Crackle—!
Our first teddy bear still fought the greatsword-wielding knight.
The second teddy bear’s situation seemed no different.
…Why?
Even with the Black King’s head gone—
The Black Servants and knights remained.
Amid the chaos—
[I shall commend you.]
!
The voice came from below.
As I slowly lowered my gaze—
I met golden eyes staring up at me from the ground.
Whoosh—
The headless body of the Black King moved—
Swinging the dark blade in its hand.
And at the end of that swing—
Crunch—
The Shield Knight’s body was split in two.
[As you gave, so shall I return.]
As the bisected knight and the fallen holy sword lay helpless—
Another presence emerged from the shadows.
With a low voice—
The familiar narration tone spoke.
[It seems the time has come… to lower the curtain.]
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