Ch.BONUSThe Knight’s Special Ending

Dark.

Everything visible was stained in monochrome.

Clouds scattered like ash and smoke rising from a burning world. Blood hardened to a dark red, and corpses swarming with insects. The suffocating scenery of this world pried into collapsed eye sockets, sneering, demanding to be seen.

Live by evil.

The world spoke thus, bestowing a malicious black energy throughout her body. The old woman carried a burden that allowed no hope of salvation and maintained her silence.

Creeak, creeeak.

The worn-out armor made a clamorous noise. The armor, once nearly pitch-black, had been dyed an ominous color from human blood splatter. It was horrific enough to cause seizures in any human who merely glimpsed it.

Clank, click, creeeak, creak…

Even climbing a gentle hill, the armor screamed earnestly. It seemed as if it was crying out in pain on behalf of its owner who endured suffering in silence.

The armor’s owner herself remained silent.

No flowers bloom on split earth.

The old woman, driven by madness, had slashed indiscriminately at the human world, sparing neither heaven nor earth.

The land, scarred beyond recovery, would forever remain a land of death.

Thus, the old woman climbed to the summit of an open hill on the land she had ravaged.

At that place, where the dark landscape was clearly visible, stood a modest hut. And near the hut, two skeletons lay peacefully together. They had been the owners of the hut, lovers who cherished each other, and innocent victims who perished by a sword trembling with madness.

“…”

The fallen old knight shifted her gaze to the sword with which she had cut them down.

A large sword in the nodachi style. Its blade was blood-red, befitting evil. Looking at it quietly, one could hallucinate blood dripping from its tip.

The old woman released her grip on the sword. The executioner’s blade that had taken countless lives fell powerlessly to the dry earth. It was clearly felt that without its owner’s will, a sword was merely a sword.

The old woman in blood-red armor opened the door of the hut.

Two chairs and one bed. And an old shelf and dust-covered tableware coldly greeted the old woman.

Clatter, click!

The old woman removed her heavy helmet. Gray hair, rotting away, emitted a foul stench. One eye socket was empty, and the other eye was sunken with a faded iris that had lost its focus.

Next, she removed the armor covering her shoulders and upper body. Her skin, barely covered by loose bandages, revealed a shriveled naked body. Though there were no wounds to be seen, her skin was covered with what looked like black rashes, making one instinctively wrinkle their nose.

Her legs and feet were the same. The surface, corrupted as if by burns, had long since lost human form.

Perhaps the old woman had revealed her naked body for the first time in 40 years after removing her armor.

Though her body was so aged and corrupted that gender distinction had become faint, traces of womanhood had not completely disappeared.

Thud.

She took a few steps and collapsed onto the bed.

Forty years’ worth of fatigue overwhelmed her all at once. Even a woman who had destroyed the world could not resist the oncoming tide of sleep.

And so she fell into a long slumber.

This deep sleep after decades was very long.

Yet warm droplets fell from her empty eyes.

It was because she unconsciously dreamed of happy memories with her cute little sister from when the sky was still clear.

But her sister’s face was not visible.

Her sister laughed and chattered faintly, her image full of noise. But in truth, she couldn’t even hear her voice. She realized that she had completely erased from memory not only her sister’s age but also how tall she had been.

In her dream, she played happily with something that barely maintained the form of her sister.

Despite communication being impossible, she embraced an overwhelming sense of happiness.

Even though it was a memory where she couldn’t distinguish anything clearly, she never wanted to return to reality.

One day passed, then two. After that, two weeks passed, and the seasons changed.

The old woman’s long, long sleep thus came to an end.

The world suddenly darkened, and she vaguely felt her body temperature growing cold.

The woman who had once made many men flutter with her beauty, and who had become a terrible destroyer in an ashen world, thus breathed her last in loneliness.

Until the day the blood-red sword that had replaced her broken silver ceremonial sword weathered away.

Her corpse disappeared, preserved in malice, without leaving even bone dust behind.

…

……

“…Ah”

The woman let out a faint moan.

A sharp pain assaulted her chest like a needle stabbing. Her heart pounded, and cold sweat sank into the soft surface of her pillow.

“Ugh…”

The more she recalled, the more she felt like she would collapse. Although it was just a dream, it was not an ordinary one for her.

It was part of a world that had once been reality. A world that could not be saved, should not have hoped for salvation, and was full of karmic retribution.

Rustle.

At that moment, warm body heat and a scent that soothed her mind and body enveloped her shoulders. She was certain in her heart that it was an unconscious struggle to embrace her.

Shuffle.

She wiped her damp eyes with the back of her hand and burrowed into his embrace.

Every time she heard his heart beating in his warm embrace, her world regained tranquility.

“Irefi…”

Old habits die hard. He still called her by the name we shared in our past.

‘You really…’

What a foolish person. Someone so foolish that he could steadfastly love such an ugly person like her…

“It’s Justitia…”

That’s why I love you.

How could I not love you, who gives such excessive love even after hundreds of years?

Tears well up because you never utter a single word of resentment toward your lover.

So, although you wouldn’t want it, I always steel my resolve.

I want to be a pillar you can lean on this time.

I want to be a shelter where you can bury your pain.

Even so, you would rather be such an existence for me.

Then I earnestly hope that your companion can also be such an existence for you.

Even if my appearance becomes infinitely ugly and my memories fade away.

Even if the cruel world points fingers at you and drives you away.

The woman who was saved by you will remain here.

Today.

Tomorrow, and two weeks from now.

Until the seasons cycle and our wrinkles count the passing years.

I will love only you forever.