If we’re going to start talking about why I know the Nameless Saintess so well, we need to go back to when I first encountered [Night Heart].
It was during those sweltering summer school days, with cicadas buzzing, when there was an advertisement claiming you could win character goodies by drinking from a soda can.
“Another soda today, huh? Su-hyun?”
“Yep, that one please.”
Watching that, I always stuck to the soda with seven stars drawn on it from the snack bar. I wasn’t great with bitter flavors either.
“Why not try a different drink?”
“There’s an event for this one. Here’s my change.”
I remember hearing that from the owner, but I didn’t really care. Honestly, soda tastes great, doesn’t it? So refreshing.
“..This isn’t it.”
While other people aimed for Ariel or a polymorphed dragon, I was different.
“Still, I managed to get it in the end.”
The sensation of glimmering steel in my hands.
A girl with wolf ears, smiling. Thankfully, she didn’t have a grumpy face.
It was just a keychain of the white-haired Saintess’s SD character. One of the few items I’ve had for ten years in reality.
Back then, I felt the limits of a middle schooler’s wealth,
“An 1:1 scale life-sized figure of our Saintess isn’t sold? Are you kidding?”
When I nearly didn’t get any goodies in [Black Heart], I pulled off a bank punch as an adult.
They said they’d give a gift to the player who offered the highest bid. I still don’t want to remember that infamous sequel’s event.
[Wow, you actually bought this. Confirmed sucker…]
[Not just a sucker, but isn’t it more like a Saintess fetish?]
[Umm~]
[A cow is talking!!!]
[Look at that clump of fat!]
└[Pure Love Black Knight: What are you saying?? It’s an overwhelming ‘true love wallet’!]
└[Your next concubine~ No happy ending for you, right?]
└[Even in a Harem, you’re the leftover…. this is a bit…]
└[Pure Love Black Knight: (Saintess emoji shouting ‘True Love’)]
What am I supposed to do about someone I ended up liking who has that kind of body.
“…”
Honestly, the character isn’t very popular, so there wasn’t much competition. I was treated like a madman in the game community, but I didn’t care.
“Hahaha… I guess I’ll have to live on ramen for a few months now.”
When a huge package came up the apartment stairs, I almost had a crisis but somehow successfully got it into my room.
And I met the real thing.
“This must be how it feels if it were real.”
Seeing her waist-length white hair, I felt a strange sensation. So this is how long a woman’s hair can be! Her golden wolf-like eyes looked prettier in reality than in the game.
“..She’s shorter than me. Was that why she was so focused on the height-measuring event?”
[Wow, you’re really tall…? Knight… ukh!]
There was a solo event where the Saintess imagined kissing while measuring their heights together. No matter what, I can’t forget the image of her rising on her tiptoes, indulging in a youthful fantasy.
[That’s enough now. Sir Knight, you seem taller because you’re wearing a helmet!]
But why isn’t there a kissing event just for her?
During my time enjoying [Night Heart Trilogy], my room filled with white goodies, and the life-sized Saintess took up a corner.
She was as white as the blank sheet music, from head to toe.
“Well, I suppose it’s true that I fell for her looks…”
Even that was a rather different expression from what I usually saw. Her smile was beautiful. Whenever I felt worn down and tired from work, looking at her charged me up.
“Let’s definitely see a happy ending in this sequel, Saintess.”
That was my resolve the day before receiving the email. It felt a bit odd, like that of a groom being sent off.
..So was I possessed because of that?
Anyway, I feel this strongly. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize the Saintess at this rate.
*
“Ugh, my tongue is numb. I can’t just give my first kiss to anyone.”
As the fog cleared, my vision blurred and refocused, and I found myself standing in a room resembling a chapel, sword in hand.
Dream is dream, reality is reality. Even if I’ve twisted between the two, I’ve never had a mishap where my tongue got cut off for real.
“What… this heretic… exists…!!”
“Don’t imitate our Saintess from the beginning.”
I got angry at Servi, who was clutching one side of her face while healing herself.
“How dare you! You’ve ruined the prophecy of the Hero of All Knowledge!!”
“I can write a trashy novel too, you know.”
Sure, the Demon King calculated the number of lives through the Life and Death Book, and there’s some truth to that, but even I could make absurd guesses if I wanted to.
I believe there’s a destiny that can overcome the predetermined ones.
“..Where did Senior Schartines hide?”
“Do you think I’ll tell you? Kyahahaha…!”
Honestly, I couldn’t control my emotions. Should I have gathered more info about the Hero Church or the whereabouts of the senior?
The only things I knew about were the Demon King of Truth and the Hero of All Knowledge.
At that moment, Nex’s voice reached my ears.
“Uh…? Junior? Is that you?”
“Nex-senpai, you’re awake way too late.”
“Haha.. Sorry. I guess I slept a bit too long…”
The man with purple hair seemed to have regained his senses. Thankfully, that meant I wouldn’t have to shoulder everything alone. I grabbed Nex’s hand who was sitting and lifted him up.
“Don’t worry anymore. I’ve been watching the situation, and you’re really angry.”
“Does it show?”
“Yeah, your hands are still trembling now, Junior.”
That struck a nerve. I hadn’t noticed. Is that why Nex was worried about me during our first meeting? I felt shy as if my hidden feelings were exposed.
“Chirp..!”
The Phoenix’s focus returned, and the spirit regained its vigor, flapping its wings vigorously.
“Caw! Caw!”
“Yeah, caw caw. You were trying to mimic Schar and cause trouble, weren’t you? I feel the same way.”
“Did you fall for it too, senpai?”
“If I had been just a bit late? It’s thanks to you, Junior. Thanks!”
Nex, with a fox-like smile, showed quite a bit of relief, and the purple flames, shaking off moisture, expressed hostility toward the Succubus in front of us.
“..This.. can’t be..!! Surely, in the Hero’s prophecy this time, Nex Aureus…”
“Not a Hero, but a Demon King.”
“That’s right. Licht, my junior.”
Seeing Nex awaken, the lustful Apostle looked visibly flustered.
Plus, perhaps because I had dealt out some wounds with my sword.
“What, what’s going on? Why is there blood on my clothes?”
“..Succubus? You’re not a Hero, are you?”
“Isn’t your job to save people..? Why am I here..? So, was it all a dream…?”
It seemed the believers who appeared to believe in the Hero Church were also somewhat confused.
So they didn’t gather only those who believed from the beginning? Unlike the Demon King, it made sense that an Apostle who couldn’t show their divine powers could only gather this level of fanatical belief.
“Everyone calm down..! This is a trick! There’s a heretic over there!”
Once again, Servi commanded the believers with her pink eyes sparkling.
While restored with Divine Power, it seemed some damage was inflicted on her body, causing her seduction to fade. Still, there were people in white clothing targeting me and Nex.
“Grab those two immediately! No, kill that Black Knight in the helmet! Kill him!”
The Succubus pointed at me with her finger, clearly too blatant. Did she think my life was over? She smiled creepily.
“Understood!!”
“Smite the false Hero!”
“The target is the Black Knight! Kill the heretic!!”
“Long live the Hero Church! Long live!”
With their shrill screams ringing out, men in white attire charged at Nex and me, each brandishing different weapons.
“..Junior, I’ll handle this.”
“Understood. Purple Phoenix.”
With that, Nex stepped forward to block me. It felt like a scene from a comrade route in [Night Heart]. Wait, could it be that I wouldn’t be rivals after this?
“Haha.. to challenge the descendants of the Ten Heroes, how ridiculous.”
“Chirp.”
Unlike usual, his expression was hardened. With serious eyes, Nex summoned the spirit. Flames ignited in his purple eyes.
「Helios Midnight.」
From his bosom emerged a gigantic fireball that was the Phoenix. It radiated a heat akin to the sun.
“Only those who wish to suffer from burning should step forward. Hero Church members.”
He declared while advancing towards the crowd. The swirling purple flames opened up the path toward the Succubus.
“Eugh, uugh… too hot….”
“My weapon, it’s melting?!”
“The magic circle won’t appear!!”
The mace that the Hero Church members held melted and turned to sludge, and the magic circle they were trying to cast disappeared like smoke.
I guess spirits really are broken.
No matter how small or big, they’re powerful. Watching even the smallest creature show such incredible power felt refreshing.
“What are you doing! Use freezing magic or anything!!”
Seeing the believers who could no longer endure starting to flee, Servi cried out with a weeping voice. Sadly, it wouldn’t work.
“Useless. Lustful Apostle.”
“What…?”
“The Phoenix’s flames can burn everything, be it magic, swordsmanship, or Divine Power.”
“Right, what our Junior said is entirely correct.”
New wounds began opening up on her body that had been healing.
“Ugh, this can’t be….”
“Our Licht junior has quite the temper!”
“Is that so?”
He then threw his arm around my shoulders. Before we knew it, we were in front of the Succubus. I pointed my sword at her neck and asked.
“..Where is the Saintess Schartines? This time, answer me properly, Succubus.”
“Kyahahaha… I absolutely refuse..!”
She bowed her head and began laughing maniacally. If she doesn’t want to tell me, fine. I turned to head toward the platform.
“..Wait, junior?”
Nex noticed my perplexing behavior. But right now, time was of the essence. I was going to ask Servi if the gimmick had changed.
“Don’t play with people’s lives.”
I guess I just have to go for it now. In the original, you got good items if you cleared this, so I had memorized it. I had to jog my memory.
“There are two empty bricks at the corner here. So unnatural.”
I pressed my palm against one side of the wall. I felt the sensation of a square indentation. If it weren’t for Nex, I wouldn’t have seen it in the dark.
“What, what are you doing, heretic..?”
“So, I’m going to fit it together like a puzzle.”
It was similar to a sliding puzzle mechanism. Upon touching it, it lit up brightly and reacted.
A strange pattern was prominently inscribed on the wall of the platform. It was obviously a suspicious magic circle ritual. Normally, Servi would have interfered to prevent it.
Drut Drut.
The seduction was lifted, and with the spirit magic, even her interference couldn’t get close. The structure was one that just needed to puzzle match it in the game.
With each piece I fitted one by one, my hands trembled. Could this really be the right move?
Click, clack.
Fortunately, a clear sound rang out, confirming my expectations.
“I knew it was a dungeon made by the Demon King of All Knowledge.”
“Th-that’s impossible. The wall contains divine power….”
I truly did not expect to see this name here.
In the original, there were no such things even after fitting all these, but the fact that it was the past always caught my leg. My brow frowned slightly.
Once the puzzle was completed,
The enormous magic circle’s designs came together, and a large disc began to rotate, as if the wall was opening like a vault. It sounded like several gears moving in a finely crafted lock.
─Kugugugung!
“Head Ake.”
Ugh, that naming sense is really terrible.
A few letters glowed, exposing a hidden room inside.
“Shar!!”
“Nex.. is that you?”
Inside, I saw the vampire Saintess tied up with ropes. She surely hadn’t been subjected to any harsh treatment. Because if anything happened to the hostage, it would make the initial persuasion impossible.
..If Nex had come alone, things would have been different.
He dashed in as soon as the door opened, seemingly unaware of the puzzle I had unraveled.
