#96: Episode 21 — The Most Evil Noble Overturns the Death Flag (WN)

With a roaring buzz of wings, Rovinz flew freely in every direction. He toyed with the three regimental commanders by diving from above and snapping into sharp feints.

“A surprise attack seems to have been the right call. …That isn’t human movement.”

“Agreed. …But I question his durability. If his so-called Unison Link has a time limit—”

At times, a faint, iridescent glow leaked from Rovinz. The principle was unknown, but if it worked like the Unison Link humans used, maintaining it for long would be difficult. All three understood that.

“Tch! Your shield’s tough!”

“It should be. We exist to protect the kingdom from scoundrels like you.”

Strohk’s shield repelled Rovinz’s attacks one after another. Unshakable defense, steady swordsmanship—and when magic was layered on top, the tactics became even more reliable. Strohk’s fighting style was famous throughout the kingdom as the most stable in the knight order.

A magically deployed shield was pierced by a sharp thrust, but he blocked again by deploying a new one. He didn’t always stop attacks completely—sometimes he took them, sometimes he deflected them—bleeding the enemy’s time and stamina.

“I’m returning this… for the two of them. Reflect Guard.”

A counter technique that blasted a shockwave back based on the impact he received. Hovering in midair, Rovinz took the full blow, was flung backward, and slammed into the wall of vines with a dull thud.

Two years ago, Strohk had commanded the security detail for the Lords’ Council. He had assumed the enemy aimed to strike the conference—king included—but the real target had been the entire royal capital.

Strohk had never once forgotten that bitter outcome.

As the experts traded violent blows, Luke watched from inside the barrier.

‘Strohk guards with perfect timing, Yorn supports with magic… and Dad’s swordplay that attacks and defends as one.’

Top-tier strength in the kingdom. It was rare for three regimental commanders to fight side by side at all—yet their coordination never faltered. It was all he could call “as expected.”

‘Two knights and one mage. The same setup as us… but everything is different.’

Luke clenched his fist hard with frustration and shame.

Because he lacked strength as a squad leader, the two of them had been gravely wounded and brought to the brink of death. Without Strohk’s healing magic, it might have ended in the worst possible way.

Skinny and Nahal lay bathed in healing light. Their wounds were closing—slowly, but surely. If the barrier held and the three regimental commanders won, then everything would return to normal.

‘Yes. If I do nothing… it’ll be solved.’

He had chased his childhood dream of becoming a knight with desperate effort. He had kept moving forward. He endured hardship, became a knight at last.

‘And this is what waited beyond that dream. What was I misunderstanding?’

Becoming a knight, then rising to squad leader in just two years—an exception by any standard.

He understood intellectually that countless agendas were involved, but maybe in his heart he had gotten carried away. He’d been trapped in the sweet illusion that he had finally caught up to his close friend so far ahead.

“What ‘I’ll change the system’… I’m still just a useless kid who can’t do anything…!”

Becoming a knight—his dream. Changing the environment surrounding his close friend—his new goal. He had pressed on with those in his chest—at least, he thought he had. But reality was cruel, and in a way, fair.

Luke sank to his knees. His emotions blurred his vision, which only threw his emotions further out of control.

To let lives he’d saved be wasted—it was the same as betraying his close friend.

“Zeke… what would you have done at a time like this? How would you…?”

There was no close friend to answer Luke’s question.

The one who answered… was a fellow soldier.

“What’re you muttering about…? You’re loud…”

“!?Skinny!”

A small voice. Broken, faint—yet unmistakable. Luke had heard it.

“Are you awake!? Hang on! I’ll call Regimental Commander Strohk right now—”

“Are you an idiot…? If he moves… the whole fight keeping that guy in check… falls apart…”

Luke froze. Skinny was absolutely right. Luke had been so cornered he couldn’t even grasp something that obvious.

Their wounds were healing little by little, but they were still critical. Nahal still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“I’m sorry, Skinny. Because I wasn’t strong enough, this happened…”

“Huh…? What’re you saying…? Are you… looking down on us?”

Skinny glared at him through half-open eyes. He was weak, but there was a strange force in it.

“We might be your men… but we’re not someone you ‘protect.’ Don’t get it twisted.”

“!?Skinny…”

“The moment you start whining ‘cause you feel responsible… you’re insulting us.”

“No—I didn’t mean—”

“Then get up… and go. You’ve got something you have to do, right?”

Without moving his head, Skinny turned only his eyes toward the battlefield. Luke followed his gaze.

The regimental commanders’ battle was still raging. Rovinz tore through the air, repeating hit-and-run strikes.

The commanders sought an opening to counter, while the human-demon tried to slip past their guard. One shift—and the whole flow would flip.

“Gonna keep sitting on the fence? You’re fine with that?”

“…My duty is to protect the two of them.”

“—Ha! Don’t make me laugh! You think a guy with that dead look can change anything!? Do you really—really—want to change it!? —Guh!”

Skinny coughed, choking as he spat blood—yet he still didn’t shut up.

“I’m telling you—me, us… we’re here because you saved us back then! And you’ve got someone like that too, don’t you!? If that person saw you making this face right now—what would they think? They’d be disappointed as hell!”

Skinny’s words melted into Luke’s chest. Light sparked in the fogged-up mind. The stopped time began to move again.

It wasn’t over yet.

Because his close friend never stopped—no matter what.

All those quests they took on together as adventurers. The vicious monsters they fought again and again—Zeke never once complained, no matter the situation. Luke had admired him. Someday, he wanted to be like that. He wanted to stand as an equal—at his side.

“…Go, Luke. That guy’s your buddy’s enemy, right? Then hit him as hard as you can… and make him understand.”

To avenge his close friend’s enemy—and more than anything, to answer the expectations of the comrades before him—Luke couldn’t lose.

“…Thank you, Skinny.”

“Force of Grande.”

Luke was wrapped in sacred light.

To Skinny, it looked like hope itself—far stronger than the radiance he’d seen two years ago.

“What… is that?”

“Luke?”

The sudden brilliance stopped the hands of those locked in fierce combat.

The light flared brighter still—and when it settled, Luke was standing before them.

“Luke… is that you?”

“I’m sorry. I’m late.”

“You are. …Now then, Regimental Commander Strohk—sorry, but could you focus solely on treating those two?”

“…I see. So this is what you mentioned before.”

Luke, clad in sacred light. His holy glow radiated presence beyond appearances.

‘He’s grown… so much.’

Back then, Luke hadn’t even reached Brink’s waist, swinging a toy sword and declaring he’d become a knight. Brink still remembered how Luke laughed, cried, and ran around full of life.

For a time, the unknown illness had threatened his life—but blessed with a fortunate encounter, Luke had miraculously recovered.

‘I thought he was still just a child.’

Brink had watched him pursue the overwhelming figure ahead, aiming single-mindedly for his dream of knighthood. It was never an easy path. Yet Luke never broke—he kept moving, and he achieved his dream.

“I asked you what that is!”

Rovinz bellowed as he rushed in, wings roaring, trying to pierce his target at top speed—yet he never reached Luke.

“Oracle Shield.”

Unlike the barrier Brink and Strohk had formed via Unison Link, there was no rainbow glow. Even so, the strength looked equal. It completely stopped the human-demon’s thrust.

“Impossible! Without relying on Unison Link—alone…!”

Unison Link combined multiple different mana sources to produce greater power. In theory, even without Unison Link, reproducing it solo wasn’t impossible—if the caster’s skill was high enough.

Luke was deploying a barrier spell that normally required two regimental-commander-level knights.

“That arrogance born of ignorance… was it? Have you noticed? Your mana’s been wavering. —Mist Field.”

A damp fog spread through the area, blurring vision.

“!?A diversion!?”

Rovinz flinched and shot upward to escape. He barely broke out of Yorn’s wide Mist Field—only to find a knight wrapped in light waiting beyond the fog.

“No—!? How can you keep up with my speed!?”

Luke chased the flying Rovinz, carving a trail of light through the air. Rovinz tried desperately to widen the gap, but Luke moved even faster.

“I see… the same as the Silver Saintess. You awakened your ‘key’ too!”

“…Enough. Be quiet now.”

Luke accelerated further, overtook Rovinz, and took the high ground.

He poured intensifying sacred light into his sword.

He had entrusted feelings. He had a goal he had to achieve. As long as he didn’t forget that, the light would not fade.

‘No more treating him like a child—not after today. …Luke, go all out.’

The dim natural fortress blazed under the light.

Justice’s radiance that struck down evil. An undefendable holy blade came down.

“Heaven’s Caliber!”

Judgment fell upon the human-demon who had piled up his crimes.