Chapter 12: Flash of the Dying Light

—Whaaak!

“!!”

A sudden change in Ace’s aura made the expressionless Adele freeze for a moment.

‘Divine power?’

The golden energy that had been surrounding Ace’s body—his divine power.

Had been gently coating him like a layer of skin.

But now, it had suddenly transformed into something like a raging flame, giving the illusion that Ace himself was on fire.

Adele hesitated for just a moment at the sight of the blazing divine power.

But she quickly searched for a weakness within the flame and frowned deeply.

‘Sloppy.’

At first glance, the blazing divine power looked just like the legendary “Sacred Flame” from history.

But upon closer inspection, it was nothing more than a crude imitation, mimicking the Sacred Flame using divine power.

With every flicker, some parts of his body were heavily reinforced while others fell outside the range entirely.

Even Adele—who wasn’t a priest—could see how unrefined it was, and she reevaluated her impression of Ace.

From a curiously interesting holy knight, back to just another one of them.

Adele had first taken interest when she saw Roer and Ace confront each other at the training ground.

And since the Imperial Princess herself suggested the duel, she accepted without question.

She figured—if even the Princess thought he was worth recommending—he must be different from the other holy knights.

Adele disliked holy knights who relied solely on the Goddess, Leaving most of their technique and effort to divine power alone.

She thought them lazy and arrogant.

But in the end, Ace was no different.

“Just for show.”

Holy knights were always like that.

They shouted the Goddess’s name and scattered hope among the people.

That the Goddess would save them.

That the divine power they held was proof of it.

But if the Goddess were so all-knowing and all-powerful—then why did her family…

‘Let’s finish this quickly.’

Shaking off the remnants of old memories that began to rise again.

Adele rushed at Ace without hesitation.

Divine power was supposed to bring fullness, omnipotence, clarity.

The man in front of her was likely intoxicated by that very divine power and had let down his guard.

Without a word, Adele swung her sword.

After all, most holy knights—even covered in divine power—were knocked out in just a few strikes from her.

But.

—Fwoosh!

The golden flames burning across Ace’s body suddenly gathered into his shotel.

The shotel, now wrapped in golden fire, met Adele’s sword—and matched it.

And then they collided.

—Claaang!

A deafening crash that made it seem like one of their weapons might break.

But neither Adele nor Ace backed down at all.

‘How…?’

Contrary to Adele’s expectations, Ace didn’t let his guard down—he blocked her nearly surprise-like strike head-on.

And the golden flames—so wild and forceful—were even starting to grind down the edge of her sword.

Ace, murmuring quietly toward her as she hid her surprise behind her helmet.

“I blocked it, didn’t I?”

“!!”

Unlike the heavy, composed tone he had shown up until now, his words were nearly mocking.

And just as Adele was about to respond.

—Thud.

“?!”

As the golden flames vanished, Ace’s body suddenly collapsed.

Adele instinctively caught his torso before it could hit the ground.

Then gently laid him down, still taken aback by what just happened.

He had fainted—Adele quickly understood his condition.

“Ace!!”

Seeing the Saintess and the Imperial Princess running toward them, Adele fell into thought.

That flame…

Unlike the other holy knights she had seen, his golden fire had been wild and chaotic beyond reason.

If the divine power of regular holy knights resembled beautiful, well-tended flowers.

Then his aura felt more like a carnivorous plant, dangerous and unruly, grown on the side of a rough path.

It was as if, unlike the other holy knights.

He was twisted in some way.

If other holy knights had seen him like that, they might have scolded or condemned him.

But to Adele, that wildness carried a different meaning.

He might be different…

Maybe—he really was unlike the rest.

***

“…Hmm.”

I sat up, feeling the soft comfort of a bed beneath me.

Seems I fainted during the spar with Adele, probably because I recklessly used divine power to the limit.

Since I woke up in the room I’d been assigned, someone must have carried me here.

I had been using a new technique without holding back, so it was bound to happen.

Yaaawn…

As I let out a long yawn, I suddenly snapped fully awake and jumped out of bed.

“Th-the time?!”

What time is it?

I have to go guard Ariana.

“Mmm… Ace, you’re awake?”

“S-Saintess?!”

Why is Ariana sitting next to my bed?!

As I looked at her in confusion and panic, Ariana gave a soft smile and calmly explained.

“You collapsed from divine power overuse, so I was sitting by you, providing some divine energy. Still, I’m glad you woke up quickly.”

“I… I see.”

I lowered my gaze, feeling ashamed, and Ariana let out a quiet laugh.

“Puhuhu, you don’t have to feel so guilty. It was because of the sparring match, wasn’t it? Even if I don’t know much about swords, I could still tell how wide the skill gap was between you and Adele.”

“I… I see…”

Thinking back on the match with Adele, I fell into deep thought.

I had forgotten in the moment, but now that I think about it—didn’t Adele have a strong dislike for holy knights?

I mean, I did block her attack in a way that could’ve come off as mocking her…

She’s not going to hold a grudge against me, right?

But still, I was so happy I managed to block it.

For a rookie holy knight like me to block a strike from someone as strong as Adele.

It’s like a three-year-old stopping a grown man’s punch with just a stone.

As I held the back of my neck, lost in those worries, another issue popped into my mind.

‘Come to think of it… that incident is supposed to happen in two days.’

In the game, on the very day the Saintess arrives in the Empire, a major incident is supposed to break out right away.

But since we arrived two days earlier than the game’s progression, we should’ve had more time…

“Still, you seem a lot better after sleeping for two days!

During that time, our holy knights and priests worked hard, so you don’t need to worry about anything!”

“…Wait—sleeping for how long?!”

Did she just say I slept for two days?!

Then today’s date must be.

At that moment.

—Bang!

Someone suddenly burst through the door in a rush.

It was one of the imperial knights.

He looked surprised to see Ariana and me just waking up.

Then immediately shouted.

“Black mage! A black mage has appeared!”

“What?! Let’s go, Ace!”

“Understood, Saintess!”

I quickly armed myself and rushed out.

“This is the place, apparently…”

We arrived at a dark alley.

Even though it was daytime, the shade made the place feel pitch-black.

And a thick scent of blood hung in the air.

“Let there be light.”

I immediately created a divine light source in my left hand and took the lead.

The knight who had alerted us, followed by me, Ariana, the other knights, and then the holy knights, Entered the alley one by one.

“…It’s horrifying.”

In the light’s glow, a corpse lay sprawled on the ground.

Blood streaming from every hole on its face.

I clicked my tongue and looked around.

Then, in that instant.

“Hhup…!”

The lead knight suddenly swung a dagger at my neck.

—Crack!

“Gghk!”

I grabbed his wrist—the one holding the light source—and snapped it instantly.

“What in the…?!”

Ariana stood behind me.

Her expression a mix of shock and fury as she started to shout something.

But before she could, I grabbed the knight’s head and twisted it 180 degrees without hesitation.

—Crack!

—Thud.

The knight’s body collapsed onto the ground.

“What’s going on?!”

Knights behind Ariana shouted in alarm.

So I lifted the dead knight’s body by the collar and showed them.

“He tried to kill me.”

“What! Don’t tell me… a traitor in the knight order—”

“That’s not it.”

Before seeds of distrust could take root among the knights.

I immediately shoved the divine light I was holding into the corpse’s mouth.

And then.

—Kieeeek!

From the dead knight’s ear, a black, slimy substance oozed out.

No.

More accurately, it wasn’t just a liquid.

It looked… like a leech.

What burst out of the knight’s body soon fell to the ground.

Twitching grotesquely.

I crushed it underfoot without hesitation.

—Ssssss…

Its corpse melted away, emitting black smoke.

This was the very source behind the deaths of the holy knights who came to the Empire.

Deaths that were described in the game with just two lines of text.

It was the work of the black mage known as Devouring Parasite.

As the name suggests, the parasite created by this black mage burrows into people’s brains.

Gnawing away and eventually taking full control of their bodies.

It doesn’t matter how strong the victim is.

Once infected, they become the parasite’s slave.

According to the game’s storyline, the Devouring Parasite had already infected most of the knight order.

I immediately whispered to Ariana.

“Saintess, please fire divine power at the heads of all the knights.”

“Ah, okay!”

Ariana trusted me completely and fired divine power like bullets toward the heads of the knights.

“Huh?”

But strangely, not a single parasite came out from any of them.

“What did you just do…?”

The knights looked confused, glancing between Ariana and me.

And to be honest, I was just as confused.

‘This is supposed to work.’

The method to reveal the parasite is simple—blast divine power directly at the head.

That’s exactly how I exposed the one earlier.

But for some reason, the entire knight order appeared to be just fine.

I watched the knights in confusion.

And at that moment.

“Kyaaaaaaaaah!!”

From deeper in the alley, an old man wearing a black robe came running toward us.

“That man…!”

It was the Devouring Parasite himself.

Screaming a mixture of pain and rage, he kept charging forward.

And when his eyes locked with mine, he pointed at me and shouted.

“So it was you! You destroyed my last remaining parasite!”

“…What?”

Before I could even respond.

He pulled a pouch from inside his robe.

And tore it open.

“Come forth—Poison of Solitude!!”

“…Are you kidding m—”

I’m about to face a final boss.

And the Hero hasn’t even arrived yet.