Ch.121The Second Continent’s First City. Aparcart (3)

As my strike, like the sun itself, hammered the earth, the minions of the abyss screamed and vanished into dust, consumed by the tendrils of aura spreading in all directions.

“How dare you praise the abyss before me, a Knight of the Sun! Just as the Sun did 350,000 years ago, I, His faithful servant, shall judge you!”

Those creatures were traitors of an unforgivable race who feared the radiance of the sun and sold their bodies and souls to the deep, deep abyss.

Whenever their breath touches my skin, whenever their thoughts reach my ears through their mouths, I shall swing my sword without hesitation.

That was my oath to the Sun and my mission.

Crackle…

A lightning-like flash envelops my sword.

This was my will, and His will as well.

“The sun rises! His ancient enemy approaches!”

Seeing the flash cast upon my sword, the slaves of darkness startled violently and began to fall clumsily on their backsides.

Yes.

The sun is rising.

With His radiance in my hand, those who dare disturb the peace of this city shall be eternally cursed in the name of the Sun!

“Long live the Sun!”

I swung my sword, and with a thunderous sound, the heretics began to burn like trees struck by lightning.

“I am the one who received the Sun’s message, a knight bearing the name of victory, chosen after trials and hardships!”

In the frost-covered mountains, as I was dying at the hands of the giants of the white mountains, I heard His message. What greater glory could there be for one destined to die?

And what greater honor than to execute these things that have forsaken humanity, trembling in fear before me?

“If you are near, tremble at the Sun’s power! If you are far, submit to the Sun’s light!”

All living beings, and all machines forged and refined by those lives, are born with the Sun’s blessing.

Yet, how dare these beings who received the baptism of light volunteer to become minions of darkness before me!

I shall burn them all!

“He is the light that brings comfort! The radiance that guides the way! The brilliance that burns away the unholy!”

Like foam created by breaking waves.

Like sunlight filtering through the leaves of forest trees.

Like a baby taking its first steps toward its parents.

I advanced, swinging my sword.

“Repent, slaves of darkness! The Sun shall absolve your sins through death!”

How many I killed, and how many died.

As I marched forward singing hymns, voices gradually began to reach me.

“The Knight is purifying the monsters!”

“Pour bullets on them! This city is ours! We will never surrender it to the minions of darkness!”

Police, military, and even righteous citizens who rose against injustice were fighting for Aparkart.

This was why Master Saburo chose to shed his human flesh and burn eternally as a soul.

As long as there are righteous people standing against injustice, the Sun will never be extinguished!

Saying so, I swung my sword filled with the Sun’s wrath at their center, burning the endless surging powers of the deep sea.

“Follow the master!!”

My wife’s sharp voice reaches me, along with Simon’s groans and the sound of the elf sisters plucking their bowstrings.

And the sun rises behind my back, with the solemn anger and holy hatred from above annihilating the enemies!

“Guided by the Sun! I shall bring light to this earth!”

Shouting thus, I launched a slash toward the strange creatures fleeing toward the shore.

The wave imbued with soul power cut them horizontally, killing them instantly, and soon an indescribably deep sound echoed from the depths of the sea.

[GROOOOAR!!!!]

As if the sea itself was enraged, the calm waters suddenly grew rough, bringing a storm here, but knowing the Sun was behind me, I stamped the ground forcefully with my greatsword and shouted.

Now that the sun had begun to rule this world once more, no being could claim greatness before His power.

“Come forth! Fugitive of the deep sea! Lead yourself, not your servants and slaves, once more under the light of the Sun!”

KWAAAAA!!!

As I shouted, the seawater stretched like mucus and wrapped around my body.

It was easily over 10km in length, a massive stream of water capable of sweeping away an entire city.

But I was not afraid.

There was no need to be.

“Did you think you could hide yourself from the Sun’s light by wrapping yourself in salt water? How foolish and pitiful!”

Saying so, I placed my hand on the water stream constricting me.

The seawater then turned into salt crystals and began to scatter on the ground, and the undulating sea, as if in pain, withdrew from me and sent painful throbbing sounds toward the shore.

[UOOOOOOO!!!]

“Let it be inscribed once more in your body and soul that all beings in this world exist beneath the Sun! I am the Sun’s representative and the Knight of Light! As long as I walk this land, you minions of darkness shall never set foot in this 13th world!”

I am the Knight of the Sun.

The apostle of light chosen by the greatest human and most powerful warrior who chose to burn himself eternally to save humanity.

And before me, a being of darkness, having witnessed the light, was withering away and sinking back into the deep, deep abyss.

RUMBLE!

Soon thunder struck, and the dark clouds gathering toward the shoreline dispersed instantly, and the clear sky, the Sun’s blessing, once again shone upon Aparkart.

“It’s the power of the Sun!”

“Master Saburo is bestowing his blessing upon Aparkart!”

The world might be ruled by the Four Great Gods, but humanity was ruled by the Sun and Moon.

Whether they know it or not, the Sun shines its rays equally and fairly upon all—what tremendous mercy this is!

“Praise Saburo’s sacrifice and the brightness of the Sun! Through Him, we have all been saved!”

I praised the greatness of the Sun as I watched the retreating dark clouds and the calming sea, then lost consciousness.

*

Several hours later, I opened my eyes in a hotel suite.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

The first to welcome me was a doctor in a white coat, followed by a nurse in a white uniform.

“The hospital facilities were ruined in the explosion. We had no choice but to rent this room, the cleanest available.”

“Ughh…”

“Just lie down. Your body is severely fatigued from overusing aura. We’ve hooked you up to an IV; you should fully recover in about two days.”

After adjusting the valve of the IV in my arm, he left the room.

Looking at the IV, I saw a familiar translucent pinkish liquid, which from my long experience on the streets, I recognized as diluted potion.

Of course, being an IV, it was probably mixed with saline or other medications…

“Hmm…”

That aside, I don’t remember much from the middle part.

Like a game checkpoint, I remember what I said and did, but the memories in between are missing.

Like a photo against the light where you can’t make out what’s in it.

The door swung open.

Simon entered my room.

“I see you’ve regained consciousness?”

“I guess so… What happened? My memory… it seems like it’s gone.”

“Divine possession.”

“Divine possession?”

Divine possession meant a god possessing a mortal.

While I might be stronger than my peers, I wasn’t strong enough to undergo divine possession…

“Well, what you know as divine possession is 100% output, and this time…”

“1%?”

“Aren’t you overestimating yourself? It wasn’t even worthy of being called possession, just a mere push from behind. However, given the gap between god and human, that was enough for you to go wild.”

Simon’s words were harsh but true.

Having only started using aura a few months ago, if I were to receive a full divine possession—something even gem-rank adventurers might experience once in a lifetime—my soul and body would be torn apart the moment the deity descended, regardless of whether it was 100% or 1%.

“Haa… But it wasn’t bad, was it?”

“Indeed. Your… speech, shall we call it? Anyway, thanks to your powerful oratory skills, the morale of Aparkart’s citizens has greatly improved. The surviving military and police are conducting a major crackdown, so the roots of the remaining heretics in the city will soon be pulled out.”

“Hahaha… I suppose the Sun would be satisfied with this much?”

“Of course.”

Then I could be satisfied.

Having received the Sun’s message, I became a knight, and by fulfilling a knight’s duty, I protected the name of the Sun.

Nariakira Saburo, Sun of Humanity.

May your justice be realized on this earth as well.