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As I successfully executed the Hardened Body Technique, the gazes around me shifted to shock.

“What the—”

One of the knights, who seemed to be a companion of the hero, frowned.

“Hmm…”

Count Kalstein, the commander of the unit, stroked his chin in interest.

Such things didn’t matter to me at the moment.

As I thrust my spear into Wilhelm’s face, blood spattered everywhere.

“Ugh…!!”

He instinctively stumbled backward, clutching his bleeding nose.

Victory had finally been obtained. I could not let this momentum slip away.

Stepping forward, I took a large stride. I twisted the spear halfway and jabbed it.

I targeted Wilhelm’s empty abdomen. The thrust, repeated thousands of times, was unleashed at a blinding speed thanks to my enhanced body from the Hardened Body Technique.

In an instant, I could see the glinting spearhead drawing closer, causing a fleeting look of terror to flash in Wilhelm’s eyes.

His crimson pupils slit like a snake, emitting a reddish glare.

At the same time, Wilhelm opened his mouth as if he was having a fit.

“St-Stop!!”

“…Ugh!”

Just before the spear point pierced Wilhelm’s abdomen, my body suddenly froze in place. No matter how hard I tried to move forward, I couldn’t budge even a finger.

I widened my eyes in confusion. It wasn’t some colossal external force binding me; it felt like my body and mind were faithfully obeying Wilhelm’s command.

This was the power of the Higher Being that controls the minds of lesser beings, the command…

Poof!

The moment I realized this, blood surged from my chest.

In Wilhelm’s hand was a pure white sword, shimmering as if carved from light. He had drawn the Holy Sword and pierced my chest.

“Cough…!”

I dropped the broken spear to the ground and helplessly fell backward.

A pool of blood spread widely around my punctured chest, soaking the dry earth beneath me. As blood drained away, I felt all my remaining strength slipping away.

From above my dazed head, an enraged voice echoed.

“You bastard, how dare you…!!”

“Your Highness, please! The duel is over! Beyond this—”

“Shut up! I’ll kill you!”

I felt the furious footsteps drawing near me, like an inescapable death approaching.

However, someone stepped in front of me.

A curtain of dark black hair swayed and unfolded above.

I couldn’t mistake that familiar hair.

It was the hair I’d stroked and caressed countless times with my own hands.

“Shal… Cough! Cough, cough!”

I tried to lift my head and call out to Charlotte.

But all that came out of my mouth was a cough mixed with blood.

Without casting a glance my way, Charlotte addressed Wilhelm.

“Calm down, Hero.”

“Calm down? Calm down!? That guy made my face look like this, the next emperor and hero! He must know that touching royalty is punishable by immediate execution!”

Even in front of Wilhelm’s rage, Charlotte spoke calmly.

“This was an event that occurred under a legitimate duel. You have more than adequately used your command and the Holy Sword.”

“How dare you speak back to me! Step aside! If you don’t move, I’ll make you suffer the same fate!”

“If you wish, then please do so.”

“What?”

Wilhelm’s expression stiffened in front of her unwavering demeanor.

Charlotte gazed calmly into Wilhelm’s eyes.

“However, Hero, is the purpose of that Holy Sword truly to stab a human? I believe someone with a much more significant mission, watched over by the Goddess, would not waste their time on such trivial matters.”

Wilhelm flinched at Charlotte’s words about the Goddess and looked around.

Though the Goddess was not here, he realized that many eyes were upon him, forcing him to breathe harshly as he suppressed his fury.

A brief silence lingered in the duel arena.

Count Kalstein, who had been waiting for a moment to intervene, cleared his throat lightly and spoke.

“It seems the outcome of the duel has already been decided, Your Highness. He is a soldier belonging to this unit, so the fate of his actions is under my jurisdiction now that the duel has ended.”

“Are you also taking the side of this lowlife, Count Kalstein…!”

“Of course, if Your Highness wishes to decide his fate with your winning authority, I cannot dare to stop you. However, he will ultimately be one of the soldiers who will fight alongside the Hero against the Demon King’s Army.”

Count Kalstein pointed around as if to emphasize his point.

“Surely, Your Highness believes you will show him proper mercy, and the other soldiers must think likewise?”

“Ugh…! How dare, how dare…!!”

Wilhelm’s face flushed red as he struggled to conceal his rage and hesitated for a long moment.

He seemed to weigh the benefits of killing me versus sparing me and ultimately decided that not killing me was the better choice, sheathing the Holy Sword with a rough demeanor.

Then Count Kalstein bowed politely.

“Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness.”

In my line of sight on the ground, I saw Count Kalstein signaling to his aide. Understanding quickly, the aide started clapping rapidly, and the surrounding soldiers began to clap in unison.

The hero’s companions also praised him for being great and overflowing with mercy, causing Wilhelm’s fury to gradually subside.

I couldn’t comprehend it. Why was everyone so freely ending the duel?

I was still breathing, and I could still move.

“C-Cough…!”

I scraped the blood-soaked ground, squeezing every ounce of strength from my body.

It was harder than ever to rise due to the slickness of the blood, but I refused to give up, using my elbows to support my weight as I gradually, ever so slightly, lifted myself.

I felt the astonished and curious gazes of those around me directed at me.

I didn’t care. I focused all the cells in my body on standing up.

“Ah, I can… do it…”

I couldn’t give up like this. The duel wasn’t over yet.

Command. I was caught off guard since I wasn’t familiar with it. I felt that if I experienced it one more time, I could figure out how to break free.

The spear has broken. But it’s okay. I can fight with my bare hands.

Struggling, I bent my knees and pressed my feet against the ground.

I could rise if I summoned just a little more strength.

At that moment, large black eyes stared at me coldly.

“Ion, please.”

Her delicate fingers touched my forehead.

“Please… no more, don’t rise again.”

A pure white light burst forth from the tip of her fingers. The gentle burst of light that had healed me so many times before began to seep slowly into my head.

I recognized this. It was Charlotte’s magic, which often soothed me to sleep during my nightmares.

A strong drowsiness and lethargy spread throughout my body, causing my limbs to grow heavy against my will.

“…Shal, lot.”

Why?

Answer me.

Why are you saying you want to leave me?

Desperately, I tried to hold onto her, but I couldn’t muster strength in my fingers. A relentless tide of drowsiness washed over me, and I could only keep my eyes closed.

I tried to exert strength over my eyelids, but even so, I couldn’t withstand the encroaching sleepiness.

In my fading consciousness, Charlotte’s voice sounded very distant.

“…Let us not meet again, Ion.”

I saw her expression slowly shift beyond my closing eyelids.

I couldn’t see what expression Charlotte wore for the last time.

In the end, I couldn’t witness it.

*

When I opened my eyes, Charlotte was no longer by my side.

Instead, Count Kalstein was there.

He said something as I regained consciousness, but my head was too foggy to remember anything.

“……”

Just the realization that Charlotte had permanently left my side.

Only one fact filled my mind.

A deep wound remained in my chest. Charlotte, being the only priestess of the unit, had only put me to sleep the moment she departed, without fully healing my injury.

Whether she was mindful of the prince’s scrutiny, or if she feared that healing me completely would allow me to recover swiftly and follow her, I couldn’t tell.

Ignoring the medic’s words that I would be left with scars if not treated diligently, I staggered onto the battlefield, my half-healed body in tow.

“Grahhh—!!”

I swung the spear wildly like a crazed person.

Pouring out the rage and sadness still left within me, I swung toward the oncoming monsters wrapped in blue magical energy. Piles of enemy corpses began to stack up.

The more I fought, the more my arms trembled, and my entire body felt heavy as if soaked in water. The spear clenched tightly in my hand grew slippery with sweat and blood.

As the battle dragged on, my wounds steadily increased, but Charlotte was no longer there to heal my injuries.

The battlefield was filled only with screams and roars, and in my ears, her now inaudible voice and laughter spun endlessly like a broken record.

Memories of Charlotte became a heavy burden on my heart, tormenting me even in battle.

The depth of that wound grew unbearable, making even breathing feel like a struggle.

It hurt.

It was an unbearably deep pain.

“Grahhh—!!”

Wishing that this pain would make me stronger, I didn’t stop swinging the spear.

 

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