“Big sis!”
Sylvia charged towards the Emperor, the center of attention despite the formidable beings surrounding her and the mist escaping from her device obscuring her view.
Naturally, Sylvia was the most important person in this scenario. Not only was she the target of the Emperor’s gaze, but she also possessed a complete grasp of the situation. The reason so many had followed her here was to assist her.
Wasn’t it the Emperor who said it? The reason others could enter aside from Sylvia… while he didn’t state it directly, one could tell there was some sort of power related to the ‘Goddess’ within Sylvia.
So, Claire desired to help Sylvia as well—
“—Ugh!”
Claire, who was moving forward, quickly pulled back and swung her sword.
Swish! The sound of slicing air rang out. It was closer to the crack of a whip rather than the swing of a sword. In fact, the manner in which she wielded the sword looked far from a sword at all.
“I saw this last time too, but I really don’t get how you’re moving that sword.”
“Oh?”
As Claire quickly retreated, the blade of her sword glowed with a bluish aura. Usually, sword energy is a ‘straight beam of light’. Just like the blade should always be stiff unless intentionally made otherwise, the same was true for the sword aura.
The fact that Claire’s sword aura bent like a whip, coiling like a snake, meant she was controlling it with precision.
“Isn’t it a bit strange hearing that from you?”
Bella replied, somewhat surprised. As she lightly shook off her right hand gripping the sword, the black blade, akin to a coiling snake, returned to its ‘sword’ form.
“Your way of wielding sword energy is similar to mine, right? Who did you learn it from?”
“Grace.”
Claire responded tightly gripping her sword with both hands.
“I wouldn’t think Grace would teach such unconventional swordsmanship. She only teaches proper stances, doesn’t she? Didn’t you get scolded for showing something like that at first?”
Even as Bella said this, she walked slowly to the side, not taking her eyes off Claire’s blade.
Tsk! Claire clicked her tongue at the sight.
While Bella appeared at ease, her actions weren’t underestimating Claire. Bella blocked Claire’s path to Sylvia. She believed that if Claire joined Sylvia, she would be a significant help.
“Speaking of you, how did you come to possess that sword?”
Claire entertained Bella’s question.
“The palace is filled with various weapons. I simply chose the one that fit me best among them.”
“Same here. I just opted for the method I could utilize the most while learning swordsmanship.”
“Hmmm~”
Bella narrowed her eyes at Claire’s words.
“Maybe our way of thinking is similar. Is it because you’re also from the orphanage like me?”
“…….”
“You called Sylvia ‘big sis’; did she happen to rescue you from there when you were young?”
“……Yeah.”
“I see.”
Bella nodded clearly to Claire’s answer. For a moment, Claire thought Bella’s expression had dulled. Perhaps that expression was closer to ‘bitterness’. It was different from the artificial smile Bella was constantly wearing.
“Such a pity. I didn’t have a sister-like figure.”
Claire had nothing to respond with to that.
“……So, is that why you’re helping the Emperor?”
“Hmm?”
“Is it because the Emperor saved you, that you’re following him?”
“Well, maybe.”
Bella shrugged her shoulders.
“It’s true that he took me in. But that doesn’t mean I follow him for that. More like, well, I don’t really know what else I might be doing if it weren’t for here, you know?”
As she spoke, Bella twirled the sword she was holding.
“And, well, if my father were to gain the Goddess’s power…”
Bella fixed her gaze on Claire as she continued.
“Don’t you think he could at least grant one wish?”
For instance, gifting a past that wasn’t dark.
Not the fake child that the Emperor picked up, but reborn properly as a genuine child.
“…….”
What would Bella’s reaction be if she revealed here that she was truly the Emperor’s daughter?
Claire pondered, mouth about to—
“Claire, be careful!”
—before she could say anything, that shout rang out.
Then, thwack!, came the loud sound of something solid being struck.
Turning around, she saw Leo smacking the head of someone rushing toward Claire with the hilt of his sword.
Already, civilians had been flooding into the cathedral like a tidal wave. While Claire had been distracted with her conversation with Bella, it seemed an entity had approached from this side.
“Claire!”
Leo shouted at Claire again.
As Claire hastily ducked her head, at that very moment, the blade of Bella’s sword flew right past the very spot Claire’s head had been with a swoosh. A few strands of blue hair fluttered by; the ends of her tied hair had been severed.
Claire swiftly twisted her body and unleashed her sword aura towards Bella.
“How disappointing.”
Bella gracefully leaped back and said.
“It’s funny how people always react that way when I mention my past. I mean, it’s all in the past now, isn’t it?”
Watching Bella smile with a twirl made Claire regain her composure.
Right, if it were something that could be solved with words, they wouldn’t have come this far. If it were Sylvia, she would have resolved it without fighting.
“Claire.”
Leo quietly initiated a conversation.
“I’ll hold this as long as I can, so find an opening to reach Sylvia. …You still have what Sylvia gave you, right?”
“……Yeah.”
Claire nodded slightly in response.
“Good. Let’s do as Sylvia said before we got here.”
Claire nodded at Leo’s words.
*
“Antonio!”
Sophia’s voice could be mistaken for a noble’s. It sounded different from her usually higher-pitched voice, now raspy and hoarse.
Sophia was not an emotionless figure. Rather, if anything, she was closer to being emotional.
And so, she still couldn’t figure out exactly what she felt.
She recognized her identity as a devotee of the Goddess. She was also aware she belonged to the Cathedral Knights and was a citizen of the Papal State.
Yet—
She believed in the figure known as Antonio.
A legendary character who suddenly appeared in the Papal State years ago and became a knight solely through skill. Within the knights, he was acknowledged for his sincerity and competence, garnering high expectations from many.
He was a man who wouldn’t dare to call upon the Goddess’s name without due cause.
“Sorry, but the name Antonio is just a placeholder.”
As Sophia swung her sword, ‘Antonio’ lightly deflected it with the sword held in one hand.
“My name is Damien. Damien Fanggriffon.”
“……!”
Sophia let out a cry that couldn’t even form into words and swung her sword again.
Even within the knights, Sophia was seen as an upcoming talent. She was still in the process of growing, with fast-paced growth that garnered praise. They said she’d definitely become a fine knight once she accrued enough experience through various battles.
But against ‘Antonio,’ no, Damien, she didn’t yet possess comparable skill.
Ugh…!
Damien’s light effection sent Sophia stumbling backward.
Scrape! The sound of rubber soles dragging across the smooth marble floor gave an unpleasant noise.
There was no need for further dialogue beyond this point.
In fact, there was no room for conversation now.
Before he was announced as ‘deceased’, Antonio—no, Damien was evaluated as the strongest among the cathedral knights. Moreover, the very sword he wielded right now was Jericho’s sword—his weapon as a cathedral knight.
A relic that was extremely sharp but would never dull.
How preposterous.
Was it true that the deepest part of the cathedral had been an enemy? What had the cathedral even accomplished?
They were fighting for the Goddess; thus, believed that the Goddess would grant them protection—
Kaboom!
Sophia’s thoughts, muddled with such doubts, came crashing back to reality at the sound of an explosion.
“Focus! You can’t win this battle alone.”
As Damien took a few steps back, that voice reached her ears.
“There’s nothing more dangerous than losing focus in combat. I’ll support you from the back, so please draw the attention of that Damien fellow.”
Rena said as she reloaded her weapon.
“You—”
“There’s no time to deliberate over this. Don’t worry, I won’t be shooting from behind. At least, as long as the Crown Princess trusts you, I’ll trust you too.”
“…….”
For a moment, Sophia was left speechless by Rena’s words.
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