“—Aha.”
While everyone around fell silent at the sight of the person suddenly descending from the sky, Katya ran her hand through her hair and looked at Noel. “The person you’re introducing... is this one?”
As she said this, Katya’s eyes sparkled with interest.
After all, what was the reason this human was rumored to have the nickname 'Death Wish' in the first place? It was a nickname given because he showed interest in anyone who could kill him.
“…….”
And while Katya let those words slip away, Aiden was stealthily creeping closer to Noel. He had an intuition bordering on near certainty regarding the 'situation' that was about to unfold.
In the game, it is practically a fundamental premise to avoid clashing with main characters whenever possible. It is something that must be strictly upheld.
Since there are so many individuals with such strong personalities, they often clash when placed together. However, if one were to name the humans with the worst compatibility among them, it would undoubtedly be these two: Lionheart and Death Wish.
The reason is simple. In terms of 'personality,' their compatibility is truly the worst.
It’s like a meeting between a model student and a madman. They would never understand each other's motivations, not even if their lives depended on it.
“With someone like Lionheart, he’s still worth looking forward to.”
At those words, Noel tilted her head and replied. “—Look forward to what?
What do you mean?” “Do you want to try killing me?” “…….”
Noel turned to Katya expressionlessly, then squinted her eyebrows slightly as she gazed at Aiden’s look of resignation. Fortunately, having come because Aiden had summoned her due to the danger, she seemed to have clearly grasped what a 'danger factor' was.
Within the information she possesses, there could only be one person who would spout such madness so nonchalantly. “……Is this Your Highness Katya Heinkel Craven?” “Yes, yes.” “I don’t recall hearing anything about you visiting the Empire.” “Hmm.” “I will hear the details at the Imperial Command.
If you handle the formal entry procedures there—” “Stop the empty flattery.”
Katya loosened her knuckles with a crack. Seeing her casually strip off her usual coat and toss it onto the floor, anyone could tell she was taking every precaution.
“Aren’t you going to fight?” “.......”
Noel’s mouth snapped shut like a clam. It was clear she was feeling dizzy from the way the other person cut her off before she could even begin to speak.
“If I’m going to die, I have to die after pouring out everything I have. Without a fight, the premise itself wouldn’t even hold up.”
But.
As soon as she heard Katya’s words, her eyes sank heavily. “—There are civilians nearby.
Please stop making such unreasonable demands.”
Even setting aside the diplomatic or other political issues that might arise from this fight between the two, this was a clash between a monster considered one of the most formidable in the Holy Empire and the strongest knight currently in existence. There was no way the fight wouldn't have repercussions.
It was clear that everyone nearby would be caught up in it. However, as soon as she heard those words, Katya let out a snort.
“So what?” “…….” “Why bother caring about guys who aren't even that important?”
Uncontrollable rage was slowly revealing itself on Noel’s face. It was a confrontation between a person who cared nothing as long as they achieved what they wanted, and a person who had dedicated their entire life to morality and justice.
There was no way the conversation would flow right. It was evident just from the words Katya spoke, sighing in annoyance.
“Then let’s do this. If you don’t fight, I’ll go around here first and kill everyone I see.” “…….” “Then I’ll kill your husband right there, right in front of you.
That should be reason enough to fight me—”
A fierce burst of pure white energy erupted from Noel’s body. It was a ready-to-battle stance, brimming with ‘murderous intent,’ something Aiden seemed to be seeing for the first time since he first saw her.
“-Fine.”
Of course, there was one madman who smiled with satisfaction the moment he saw it. “You should have.”
At the very same time as those words, flames bright enough to illuminate the night sky shot up near Katya’s body.
Soon after, as the two supernatural abilities collided, a violent explosion burst forth, shining as brightly as the dawn sun.
▣
I knew it would turn out like this. It was a thought that crossed his mind while free-levitating for several meters as if gravity were nonexistent.
Sure enough, just as he had predicted, the mere aftershock of the explosion the moment the two collided swept everything around them, scattering it about. Even as he slammed straight onto the stone floor and rolled across it in agony, engulfed in excruciating pain, Aiden’s mind was racing.
§QUEST§
◈ Act 1, <Imperial Rift> - There is a group smuggling weapons into the Imperial Capital. Arrest them all.
- Clear Condition: Do not cause civilian casualties.
- If you fail the quest, you will die!
It is entirely his responsibility to 'solve' the problem that has fallen into this spot right now. It is the job the 'protagonist' was originally supposed to do.
'This is the worst.' The very thing he wanted to avoid so desperately is now right on his doorstep. His deep involvement in the main scenario.
I want to run away, even now. I want to cast all of this aside and flee far, far away to a place out of reach.
But if he doesn't take any action. Probably, with high probability.
Every single human nearby will die. Even Noel, who came here because he 'called' him, will be in danger.
Soon, he will die. “.......”
To prevent that, he must somehow subdue Katya Heinkel Craven over there right now.
And the first thing to do is... “-Gasp!”
Aiden sprang to his feet and looked at the humans nearby rolling on the ground just like him.
Everyone looked dumbfounded. They were clearly stunned by the sight of two people sitting at the very pinnacle of superhumans clashing.
In the meantime, they quickly found what they were looking for. “Hey.”
Aiden, who had rushed over, spoke to a menacing-looking man who was clutching a box tightly with a blank expression.
“Give me that.”
What the man was holding so preciously, as if it were a family heirloom, was a hellfire bomb. An ultra-high-power weapon that even Katya had briefly shown interest in.
“My,“Why should I listen to you—”
Seeing the man trying to speak threateningly, desperately trying to maintain a menacing air, Aiden grinned and cut him off. “Can’t you see that?”
Saying that, Aiden pointed at Katya, who was charging at Noel—who had drawn his sword—with bare hands.
Flames flicked like tongues and collided with the energy. “Trust me.
If we don’t help the knight over there right now, we’ll all die.” “What do you mean—” “The knight isn’t able to use his full power. He’s afraid we’ll get swept away.”
Of course, if one were to compare their combat prowess, Katya and Noel would be evenly matched, but anyone could see that the latter was the one being shackled.
Compared to Katya, who wouldn't care about collateral damage in the slightest, it was she who had to fight while worrying about the safety of civilians and Aiden. And Katya wasn't a fool to miss even that much.
Then, naturally, what he would do in such a situation was... “And that lunatic over there says he can't use his power because of what's around him, but he's the kind of person who could easily kill us all, you know?” “…….” “If you don't believe me, do you want to just sit there sucking your thumb and die with me?” “You're holding back strangely, Lionheart!”
No sooner had the sentence ended than a maniacal laugh that felt like it was piercing his eardrums erupted from Katya behind him.
“Is it because there are obstacles around? Shall I get rid of them?” “……For now.”
Noel replied nonchalantly, his expression cold and blank.
“You need to learn some manners before putting me on trial, Your Highness.”
A longsword enveloped in pure white energy clashed with a fist imbued with the First Vow. Violent explosions, once again coloring the night sky, erupted from both sides.
On Aiden's side, just as before, everyone tumbled to the ground amidst screams. It was absurd to see people fluttering through the air like paper, even quite a distance from where the assassins were exchanging blows.
“Did you see that?” “…….”
As Aiden, who had rolled on the floor just like him, added those words with a face covered in thick dust, the man thrust a box at him as if entranced. Taking it, Aiden sprang to his feet again and tapped the abacus in his head even faster.
This is all that is needed. The rest are the tools to handle it.
Three things are needed right now.
-System Message
▶ Copying 'Qi Manipulation: Defensive Force Field'.
▶ Copying 'Divine Enhancement: Vow'.
▶ Copying 'Magical Power Enhancement: Incantation'. These were items brought by using the skill copy rights assigned to Noel, Katya, and Dunadan, respectively.
And, finally. “…….”
With a burning sensation rising in his stomach, Aiden gritted his teeth until blood was on the verge of bursting from his gums.
What he was about to do was a path of no return. It was a one-way ticket to hell.
He could not go back. Not until the main scenario 'ended.' Even so.
If he didn't do it, he would die. And if he died, there were people who would mourn.
The faces of his family flashed before his eyes for a moment. 'Dad.
Sissela.' As expected. He could not die right here.
Rather than see those two cry, he would rather fall into hell once. 'I think I'll be a little late returning.' Aiden took a deep breath and checked the feel of the revolver in his bosom.
The sensation in his hand was terrifyingly cold.
▣
For a knight of war who had weathered the historical event of the Allied War, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he had witnessed every conceivable scene of hell. Even so.
Noel could find only one assessment to make of his opponent. Absurd.
“Ha—!”
Katya charged at her, enveloped in divinity from head to toe. She moved with such speed that it seemed as though only the beginning and the end of the movement existed.
But speed was one thing; the pressure of the divinity residing within her was enough to make even her dizzy. Flames of such density that they clung to the optic nerves and confused even the brightness just by looking flowed out in streaks around her.
“The Law. I swear.”
She quietly offered a blessing beneath her lips.
Even with the overwhelming output of her Ki, she struggled to withstand this opponent through simple manipulation alone. Reinforcement was absolutely necessary.
“The safety of the innocent.”
The ki, now noticeably more powerful than before, infused the standard-issue longsword. Soon, she swung her weapon a few times into the air.
Doing so when the distance was far enough to hit seemed utterly useless at first glance, yet Katya’s body, charging from a considerable distance, was instantly shattered. A slash that "jumps" across space.
If one could precisely manipulate the ki in the sword with transcendent concentration, even such absurd feats could be executed with ease. It was a technique made possible because this ki possessed an advantage in output, a rarity in other supernatural abilities.
However... “—…!”
Noel gritted her teeth and twisted her body.
Katya, taking the form of a ball of flame, whizzed past where she had just been. Had she been even a moment late, she would have been caught in the blast and struck.
“You’re good at this! I’ve never seen anything like that before!”
Katya looked horribly gruesome as she spoke.
Severed ribs, tattered muscles visible as severed cross-sections. This woman had just died 'again'.
Yet, the smile on the Princess's face showed no signs of fading. It is precisely because of this that she is judged as preposterous.
She charges forward, taking every blow without even attempting to dodge. She suffers countless fatal wounds.
She shows no sign of fatigue. She does not shed a single drop of blood.
“But... you know.”
No, she transcends even that. “Still, nothing—”
A scream burst forth, like a sob.
Mixed with a tearing, maniacal laugh, it sounded as if she were crying while laughing. “I can’t feel it—!”
At the sight of Katya charging forward again while saying this, Noel raised his sword once more with a sigh.
'At this rate—' she cannot subdue her. No, rather, she might be the one to fall.
“…….”
Noel glanced away. There were plenty of options left untold.
However, the safety of those around her was the concern. If she started to fight with all her might, it wouldn't be surprising at all if there were casualties.
It must have been around that time that Noel noticed 'something strange.'"... ... Mr.
Aiden?"
I see Mr. Aiden struggling to move a box he is carrying.
When their eyes briefly met while he was doing that, Mr. Aiden hurriedly waved his hands back and forth.
I wasn't entirely sure, but it looked like he was telling me to 'drag him over.' "......"
It was clear he had some ulterior motive. Noel nodded faintly and threw herself toward him.
Just as he had said, he was repeating simple charges, as if his goal was to somehow 'exhaust' her overflowing power through combat. Luring him into a certain place wouldn't be that difficult.
Like a bullfighter, she slyly dodged Katya, who was charging at her again, and guided him to the spot Aiden had requested. And at the same time, the bomb Aiden had prepared there in advance detonated with a roar that seemed to shake the heavens.
Hellfire bombs are weapons typically used to bring down high-rise buildings. Normally, the entire area should have been blown away.
However, a small 'dome' formed instantly from the epicenter. It was similar in form to the one Noel had created previously using pure white energy.
The difference was that it was now being used to isolate Katya and the explosions produced by the hellfire bombs. 'That's amazing.' Noel marveled inwardly as she wiped away her sweat.
Using a defensive force field in this way was a method she had never even considered. And while the application itself was fascinating, what was even more surprising was the durability of the dome in withstanding the explosion.
No matter how pure the energy was, holding an explosion of that magnitude within such a narrow range would require several conditions to be met, even for her. It would be difficult to do so in such a short time without even adding any fortifications.
It was likely because the supernatural ability composing the dome was a type unfamiliar even to her. She had seen it once before, though.
Divinity mixed with energy.
"-Output is similar to Ki, firepower is similar to Divinity-"
It is a characteristic that combines the best aspects of both abilities. Thanks to this, while she utilizes Ki exactly like her, isn't her performance practically a superior version?
"-The attempt was good!"
However, it was clear that this was not a situation to dwell on such things.
Her entire body was being torn apart by supersonic fragments and engulfed in scorching heat; even though it was clear she would have 'died' inside that place countless times, dozens of times, just from that alone. Katya was still tearing away the defensive force field with her hands, her eyes gleaming with a menacing glint.
"It is still a long way off before it ends like this—" "I didn't even ask."
Aiden's calm voice abruptly cut off that sentence.
"That is just for 'clearing away.' If you're going to shoot, you should at least make it a bit weaker."
Suddenly, he was standing within striking distance of Katya, holding a revolver.
The Divinity filling Katya's body functions as both a sword and a shield in itself. The place where it originates is the 'Heart,' the source of all supernatural abilities.
That was exactly what Aiden was targeting. The Hellfire Bomb was intended to temporarily weaken the divinity that guarded that spot with ironclad security.
Indeed, regenerating her body dozens of times—rather than just dying a few times—seemed quite a chore for her, as the flames enveloping him were clearly weakened. “—Listen.”
Katya glared at Aiden with a voice full of genuine disbelief.
“You went through all the preparations perfectly, only to bring out a toy like that at the very end? What are you going to do?”
Of course, even so.
It was a body that had survived a direct hit from the Hellfire Bomb without a single scratch. Inflicting significant damage on Katya with a small bullet would be impossible for anyone, no matter who they were.
Compared to the tremendous explosion just moments ago, Aiden standing before her now holding a small firearm looked almost pathetic. But.
“Well.”
Aiden pulled the hammer on his revolver with a sigh. “I think this should be enough.”
At that sight, Noel squinted his eyebrows, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
Although he had seen this look about twice before, it was easy to define what it was because it was so deeply imprinted in his mind. This was the feeling he had just before something 'absurd' happened to her regarding Mr.
Aiden. “Law, I swear.”
The first consecration contained in the trigger.
Pure white energy flowed through his fingers and infused the parts according to his will. “This humble one prays.”
The second vow contained in the barrel.
A skill copied from Katya. A prayer of a 'correct' vow that he had never learned.
Flames rising from his body settled in the barrel as if coiling around it. And finally.
“O Jewel, O Lotus, radiate light.”
The third incantation contained in the bullet. A magical power he had learned not long ago.
The final condition for him to 'imbue' his weapon with supernatural abilities. Of course, it is only half-baked because the Forbidden Seal has not yet been applied.
'How pathetic.' Because of that very fact, he is about to face a truly difficult situation. The Forbidden Seal strengthens the power of the magical energy the more it defines a 'goal' that is difficult for the target to reach.
After all, the color of the energy, the temperature of the divinity, and the 'difficulty' of the Forbidden Seal are the measures that determine the minimum output of each ability. Of course, the pure white energy he possesses is powerful.
His First Vow is also an absurd ability. However, that alone is far from enough to pierce through the innate, endless source of power possessed by the monster running rampant over there, cornering Noel.
At least, unless he acquires another ability 'comparable' to the two he previously acquired. Of course, that is nonsense.
Compared to the 'unique' skills scraped from the main scenario's protagonists, the magical energy he possesses is a magical ability with no distinguishing characteristics. However... he knows one way to make it special.
※ Proficiency increases rapidly due to the Omnipotence skill correction. A heterogeneous characteristic is granted.
※ You can only designate 'Unique' type bans. They cannot be used by any other means. However, if the conditions are met, the skill will change. Because if it were a 'Unique' ban that no one else possessed, one thing came to mind. “Therefore, I—” In that sense. In the current situation, the 'oath' he can offer to the God of Ascension is. There is only one. The only one in the world. Based on the 'original work,' the oath that only one person offers to Urgan.“-Save the world.” The ‘Protagonist’s Karma’ that is not here right now.
§SYSTEM§
[ 'General Psychic: Magic Power' changes to 'Savior’s Oath'! ] [ 'Psychic Imbuement' successful. Weapon power increases! ] Following such a message, ‘Power’ infuses the bullet.
As soon as the power that had traveled up through the entire revolver combined and sublimated into a single ‘Aura,’ Aiden pulled the trigger.
-…
-…
-----!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! “-Damn it, insane!”
With an aftermath so horrific that even Noel let out a momentary swear, a ferocious force—unbelievable to have emanated from a revolver—rushed forward leaving a trail like a meteor, shattering Katya’s body into pieces.
Her blood, which had never flowed a single drop before, splattered in all directions.