Holy Kingdom – Appointment Ceremony (5)

The brilliantly shining barrier shattered into fragments and crumbled down.

Beneath it, the central plaza was already a battlefield.

“Evade!”

-Boom!

“Priests, focus on defense! Holy Knights, follow me and assist His Eminence the Cardinal!”

“Another magic attack incoming!”

Dozens of spells poured down like a torrential rain.

-Boom! Boom! Boom!

The priests and holy knights barely maintained their defensive barriers, enduring the onslaught.

While keeping the Holy Kingdom’s forces in check, Ian was also blocking Cardinal Daniel’s frenzied spear strikes.

-Crash! Boom!

“I wonder how long you can keep this up. There’s no point in resisting like this-“

Daniel hastily retrieved his spear and ducked to evade a blue blade.

“…Did you predict my movements?”

“That level of analysis is basic. And I’m not just resisting. I’ll make sure the plan succeeds.”

Ian’s eyes flashed.

“Huh. You’ve completely lost your mind.”

“You’ll see who was right in the end.”

Ian tore scroll after scroll, unleashing world-shaking magic across the battlefield.

**

Amidst the whirlwind of chaos.

Jade seemed to have forgotten all the commotion, gazing solely at one person.

“Rena.”

“…Long time no see.”

An awkward silence fell after their brief exchange.

Though he had mountains of things to say, he didn’t know where to begin.

Jade was the first to break the silence.

“Are you hurt?”

“Yes. I was treated with high-grade potions. No major aftereffects.”

“That’s a relief.”

Jade let out a sigh of relief.

Though he’d believed she was safe, seeing her unharmed with his own eyes brought peace.

‘Is she hiding any injuries?’

But there was no time to dwell on that. More urgent matters demanded attention.

“Rena, what should I do now?”

“…I can’t explain everything right now. Just trust me.”

“Trust…? Can I really trust you this time?”

“That…”

Rena deeply bowed her head at Jade’s question.

“I’m sorry.”

Watching her apologize, Jade quietly closed his eyes.

Doubt and distrust churned in his mind.

The wound Rena had inflicted resurfaced.

What if Rena truly conspired with demons?

Or if she and Ian had deceived him together?

‘…This feels like my last chance.’

The irreversible moment of crossing the line approached.

“Rena!”

A voice full of joy called out.

Annie came running with her red hair flying, embracing Rena tightly.

“Annie.”

“I’m so glad you’re safe. I really, really missed you.”

“Me too. You must’ve had a hard time.”

“No. I know you suffered much more.”

Annie forced a tearful smile.

Witnessing this scene, an old memory stirred in Jade’s heart.

‘…It’s really been so long.’

When was the last time the three of them talked like this?

The suffering endured in the Holy Kingdom suddenly felt overwhelmingly long.

Annie gestured at Jade.

“Jade, what are you doing? Come here quickly!”

“…”

The sight of Annie and Rena smiling brightly.

Jade stared intently at this scene.

‘As expected… my choice was already made.’

Because I’m someone who can’t live alone.

“Why are you just standing there…? Wait, are you serious?”

Seeing Jade motionless, Annie cried out in disbelief.

“Are you insane? You couldn’t even protect Rena properly last time, and now you don’t trust her again? You really-“

“Annie, calm down.”

Rena soothingly patted Annie’s back like comforting a child.

“How can I calm down? Look at him! He nearly killed you by mistake, and now he’s acting like this!”

“It’s okay. I hurt Jade too. Jade always did his best. We all tried. It’s just… we faced trials beyond our capacity.”

After calming Annie, Rena looked at Jade.

“Jade, it’s natural you’re confused now. His Holiness used holy relics for brainwashing, they say. It must be hard to believe-“

“Hahaha!”

“J-Jade?”

Rena and Annie widened their eyes at Jade’s sudden laughter.

“…Are-are you okay?”

“Of course. I’m just happy. I’ll believe you. No-I have no choice but to believe.”

Jade strode forward and pulled Rena into a fierce embrace.

“Then you didn’t betray me. Our love wasn’t a lie either.”

This had been his doubt during days of agonizing.

Ian and Rena had merely confirmed it for him.

Joy flooded his entire being.

‘Right, Rena didn’t betray me.’

The time they spent together, their love-none of it was false.

No.

‘Even if it were fake, I wouldn’t care.’

Only after losing Rena again did he realize.

Jade couldn’t live without Rena. She had already become too deeply ingrained in his life.

‘Even if this path leads to ruin.’

Jade would choose Rena.

“Rena.”

Jade whispered in her ear.

“Even if you did betray me, even if you lied-it doesn’t matter. From now on, I’ll always believe in you.”

“…Jade.”

“If you try to kill me… we’ll die together.”

Rena stiffened at his mad words, but Jade ignored it and held her tighter.

After the prolonged embrace ended.

Though the two looked at Jade with complex expressions, he paid no heed.

“Rena, Annie. Wait here.”

“But going alone…”

“Rena.”

“…Alright.”

At Jade’s gaze, Rena quietly stepped back.

Jade intended to handle this alone from now on.

‘Rena would obviously recklessly endanger herself otherwise.’

Jade turned and began walking forward.

A man stood atop the platform.

The root of all his suffering.

‘…His Holiness the Pope.’

The man who trampled on Jade and his comrades’ lives, nearly turning them into eternal puppets.

The pain and rage he’d suppressed until now were about to explode.

“Your Holiness. You owe me an explanation.”

Astonishment and anger flashed across the Pope’s face.

“Do you truly intend to believe their nonsense? Moreover, have you forgotten? There was even the Goddess’s prophecy delivered by the Saint.”

Veronica urgently blocked Jade’s path.

“Hero-nim, please calm down! I understand wanting to believe in Rena-nim, but you must trust His Holiness and my words. This is about the Goddess-“

“Shut up.”

“What?”

Veronica’s breath caught at the sharp rebuke, her eyes widening.

“Veronica, your words now are just empty shells. They mean nothing.”

Countless doubts were resolving in Jade’s mind.

No matter how much memory she lost, the Saint’s brilliance couldn’t vanish so easily.

Yet Veronica had shown excessive affection from their first meeting, even resorting to sexual acts.

All these illogical events.

Everything made sense if the Pope had planned it all.

“You’re the one who needs to come to your senses. Can’t you feel how wrong this situation is?”

“…I… don’t know…”

Jade cleanly abandoned persuasion at her response.

‘Nothing can be done if she’s brainwashed.’

It was never a problem solvable with a few words anyway.

“Move aside. I know you’re a victim too, but seeing you now… honestly angers me.”

“…”

Veronica hesitated, then finally cleared Jade’s path.

With the obstacle gone, Jade resumed approaching the Pope.

“Your Holiness. It’s time to pay for everything.”

“…You’ve truly gone mad.”

“That’s what I want to say to Your Holiness.”

How could he maintain such shamelessness after committing such acts?

The last vestiges of hesitation vanished.

-Shing.

Jade drew his sword from his waist.

‘…How ironic.’

The Holy Sword-created to slay demons.

Now he pointed it at a human, no less than the Pope.

-Boom!

Someone blocked the path between Jade and the Pope with a thunderous noise.

“It would be wise to calm down.”

Cardinal Daniel.

“Step aside.”

“I cannot.”

“Hoo… Do you really have leisure to spare for me?”

Jade pointed sideways.

The moment Daniel left his post, the battle between Ian and the Holy Kingdom forces rapidly tilted.

‘Ian anticipated this situation from the start.’

An impossible fight alone.

But Ian clearly believed Jade would trust Rena and oppose the Pope.

‘Disgusting, but…’

He had no choice but to let it slide for now.

After briefly scanning the battlefield, Daniel fixed his gaze back on Jade.

“Think carefully. If you point your sword at His Holiness, you’ll lose everything. Be stripped of your hero status and rot in prison forever.”

“Threats. Showing your true colors now.”

“My patience for this unimaginable foolishness is limited.”

“I don’t understand. You must have heard the truth too… Why block my path?”

“Because that isn’t the truth.”

Despite the firm answer, Jade slowly shook his head.

“No. You knew everything from the beginning.”

-Clang!

Sparks flew as the swiftly swung Holy Sword clashed against the spear.

“Fine. If you insist on this path… I’ll oblige.”

Daniel’s face instantly turned icy cold.

‘He’s coming.’

Jade immediately raised his sword.

-Boom!

“Kkh…!”

Instinctively moving his body, he blocked with his sword.

A relentless barrage that left no room to breathe. The onslaught of spear trajectories filled his vision.

His wrists tingled from the bone-jarring impacts.

‘This is too fast.’

He’d simulated countless defensive maneuvers in preparation.

But in reality, even enduring was painful, let alone counterattacking.

-Clang, clang, clang!

Jade gritted his teeth.

‘…This is the end.’

The Daniel before him was a being who’d pushed speed to its limits.

7-star experts each possessed unique strengths.

Overcoming this gap wasn’t easy.

“Pathetically lacking.”

“Haa, haa…”

“The powerless like you can’t obtain what they desire in this world.”

Daniel momentarily retreated and adjusted his stance.

“Playtime’s over.”

Holy Power condensed at the spear’s tip.

Simultaneously, sacred light gathered on his arms and legs as Daniel’s aura explosively surged.

‘I can’t dodge this attack. But-‘

Jade took a deep breath and focused his mind.

‘I can do this. I’m the Hero. I must protect everyone… no, protect Rena.’

-Boom!

The figure charged with lightning speed.

Jade didn’t chase Daniel’s movements.

Instead, he observed the violently fluctuating currents around them.

A fine crack appeared in the regularly flowing current.

There.

Instinctively, he thrust his sword.

‘Got it…!’

As the aura pierced the crack, the harmonious flow itself began collapsing along with the spear.

Even Daniel seemed momentarily flustered.

‘I can block this. No-I blocked it.’

Jade was certain of his success.

But it lasted only a moment.

-Crack!

An ear-splitting shatter.

The sensation in his hand became abnormally light.

‘…Huh?’

Fragments of the Holy Sword were scattering in the air.

Jade’s thoughts froze at the unbelievable sight.

It broke?

-Thud!