A Knight Who Eternally Regresses

"You could end up dying in the end."

Audin spoke with his head raised slightly, kneeling on one knee. After a short pause, Enkrid answered.

Tatang!

The sound burst out as sword met staff.

"Who would?"

He didn't say it aloud, but Audin knew—Enkrid would've said exactly that.

"Knights aren't immortal."

Audin kept speaking. He meant that even a ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) knight couldn't stand against the full force of the Church.

"I'm not asking for that."

The answer came, unaffected.

"In the end, you won't achieve what you want."

To be pursued by the Church and still fulfill a dream—that was far too difficult. There was no reason to take such a path. He could have just abandoned Audin. All it would take was letting go.

But Enkrid wouldn't do that.

Audin knew that.

His own resolution had come late.

It wasn't just about facing his past and mistakes.

It was about discarding the sins he had already acknowledged.

Still, Audin spoke. He asked again and again. And this was his final question:

"Even so, you're saying you'll stand on this side?"

It was a hard and painful path.

Audin had once thought of it as a dream—but more than that, he believed it was his responsibility, his duty. He had turned away only because he believed it was impossible.

And Enkrid had scolded him for that.

"There are things in this world that can't be done?"

No. There weren't. Those who had proven themselves said so.

Boom!

A deafening crash. The Valerisian steel sword finally broke, and Enkrid's body flew through the air, his arm twisted in a direction it shouldn't have gone.

Audin caught him reflexively.

Thud.

Тhe body landed square in his arms.

Audin didn't shake in the slightest. His hands didn't tremble, his back stayed straight, and his eyes remained clear.

Though seated, he looked larger than anyone else in that moment.

"You'll have to give up your dream."

He spoke while holding him.

"Why would I?"

The answer came.

Not a hallucination—an actual voice.

Enkrid had been listening to the mutterings Audin thought he'd spoken to himself.

Audin smiled.

Yes, of course. That's what his commander would say.

Audin changed his mind.

One person's will shone so brightly—how could he not respect it?

Especially when that will aligned with everything he, too, believed was right and had longed for.

"Walk the road of hardship. Pass through the narrow gate. Walk the narrow path, if your purpose lies there."

Quoting the Father's words, Audin rose.

Behind him stood his commander with a broken arm—

The man who had helped him see the world anew, after Audin had given up everything, even his own life.

And behind them was a child destined to suffer the same fate as Pildin.

Audin resolved to protect them both. Even if this was his end.

Even if he could never wash away his sins. Even if this wasn't what the Father wanted.

'But right now... this is simply what I want. Father.'

A binding like this couldn't be broken by force all at once.

Doing so would only cause recoil—and that recoil could kill him.

So what?

He repeated his commander's words to himself.

The chains in his mind unraveled and shattered.

The seal had been one he placed upon himself.

He didn't need anyone's permission to break it.

Audin lifted his head, once bowed in prayer. His eyes now shimmered with white light.

A light that spread from his eyes to his entire body—а divine radiance, far beyond anything Overdееr's silver gaze could match.

It was holy light.

And Audin once more showed the miracle Seiki had revealed earlier.

Zuuuuung!

The holy light became a pillar rising from him.

Twice as thick as the one Seiki had shown—it pierced the sky. Light flooded in all directions.

It was as if the God of War said:

"I lend my light in support of your will."

That's what the God of War—Audin's Father—would've said.

Even if He hadn't actually said it, Audin decided to believe it.

That was faith. That was belief.

The light embraced Audin.

And Audin embraced the light.

Born and raised in the Holy Nation, he had long been a possessor of divine talent no one dared challenge.

Now he released the divine power he had spent years condensing.

Tears of blood trailed down his cheeks with the light.

The recoil from unleashing the seal didn't matter.

'So what?'

If it meant doing what he wished right now, he would stake his life.

This wasn't about saving the continent.

It was about saving one girl, called the Saintess, and upholding the will of the commander.

That was all.

But because it was what he wished for—

It didn't matter if others called it insignificant.

[If you hold to your beliefs, why listen to others and fall prey to the devil's whispers? Prove your faith and move forward by it—and the devil's words will be nothing but noise.]

As the seal broke, the words of the holy scripture echoed in his mind.

Audin spoke from within the light.

This time, it wasn't scripture.

It was something he'd learned under his commander.

"If I ever return to the Order, Brother Rem would be marked for death."

He smiled as he spoke, raising both fists.

The raging holy light hovered over Enkrid's arm and chest.

It couldn't heal him instantly, but it would help.

The divine light he had suppressed for years still erupted like a storm.

The pillar of light descended, coating Audin's entire body.

It didn't scatter—instead, it thickened and clung to him like armor.

"Holy Light Armor?"

Overdееr spoke.

That's right. Covering oneself in divine power—first as invisible armor, then adding layers of light—culminated in the ultimate technique: Holy Light Armor.

A rare feat, requiring brutal training. Muscle density had to change. Skin had to be toughened like real iron. Only then could it be cultivated.

You had to master both body and divine power. Explode the divine energy—then draw it back in.

The muscles and skin harmonized, and a gentle white glow covered his body. That towering frame—now clad entirely in armor made of light.

"Even a hundred years of training didn't let me achieve that..."

Overdееr said.

"Just a difference in talent, I suppose. How about we start with one good hit?"

Audin sneered, mocking the so-called prophet's gift—then moved.

Even if he usually lived calmly, watching Enkrid get beaten like that would've frustrated anyone.

He needed to let it out.

And truthfully, Audin wasn't one to live so calmly.

He wasn't the type to offer the other cheek.

He was the type to hit back—and ask, "Does that hurt?"

Whung.

The holy light left afterimages.

Only the trace of light remained.

That massive bear-like frame launched a punch.

Overdееr swung his staff to meet it.

Boom!

Fist met staff—divine against divine.

Light exploded in all directions.

It was so blinding that Enkrid, still lying on the ground, couldn't even open his eyes.

Shilma and the others all shut their eyes tightly.

The blast caused the light to shoot upward, then scatter like fireworks—and for a moment, it was bright as midday.

The violet dusk vanished without a trace.

It was a miracle made from divine light.

The light rained down—like tears from the heavens.

Audin, like a candle reduced to its base, had poured out everything.

And he had overwhelmed Overdееr.

With bare hands, he struck down the man's engraved weapons—two rods called Mental Staffs.

"One hit, at least."

Audin shouted, forcing out Overdееr's divine aura with his own and swinging his fist.

A heavy blow landed on Overdееr's shoulder.

Crash!

The divine armor shattered with a thunderous sound.

The light coating Overdееr's body flickered.

"If it doesn't break something, then it means I'm just not strong enough! If I can smash it head-on, there's no need to 'pierce'—penetration is just trickery!"

Audin roared.

By now, Enkrid surely understood what kind of trick the enemy was using.

Audin wanted to say—don't bother learning it.

Just use your Will properly and crush it.

That's the proper way.

Penetration techniques were fine, but unnecessary. He would leave this as his final teaching.

Overflowing with Will—just fight in accordance with that.

The two clashed again.

"Magnificent!"

Overdееr shouted during the fight.

He hadn't been pushed back until now largely due to the superiority of his weapons.

His rods, infused with divine power, didn't break easily even under Audin's blows.

Light exploded like shattered stars, raining down again and again.

It was a spectacle.

Some felt a reverent awe just from watching. Rare divine light spilled everywhere.

Of course, it wasn't light for healing or peace—

It was light filled with the intent to harm.

"O Father, your child comes before you."

Audin chanted softly.

A hymn.

The holy song made his divine light surge even higher.

Facing him, Overdееr tried to muster his strength.

Audin concentrated the divine light.

Blood poured from his eyes, nose, and ears.

He had reached his limit.

That was the moment.

Something no one expected happened.

From behind—Shilma recited a divine spell through prayer.

Wooooong!

The sound came first.

Light gathered at the tip of Shilma's outstretched hand and launched like a bullet.

Unlike the light shown by the two knights, this was murky.

A dim divine bolt.

It flew not at Enkrid or Audin—but toward the Saintess.

No one had expected it.

The divine bolt carried the force of a boulder. If it struck the girl, her body would be crushed.

Eight bolts flew toward her.

Shinar reacted first. His blade split into spirit blades, matching the form of the Nai Daggers, and slashed five of them.

Enkrid, still lying down, threw sparks and his short sword.

Two flying weapons—thrown with the technique of sword-throwing—shattered two more bolts.

Clang!

The murky gray divine bolts shattered mid-air and scattered.

At that moment, Enkrid felt a pang of failure.

He had aimed to pierce one bolt and hit the adjacent one as well—but failed.

One bolt remained.

And one person blocked it with their back.

Boom!

It wasn't Audin. He was in the middle of launching a chant, sending divine light through his entire body.

For a brief moment—he couldn't move.

Instead, Audin launched the gathered light straight upward.

Like a meteor rising from below—

A ball of light pierced the sky.

It climbed like a new star, shining as it rose. And the one who blocked the last divine bolt turned his head.

The impact didn't seem to faze him. But from the accumulated blows taken from Audin earlier, blood ran down his lips. His insides were damaged. Not fatal, but serious.

"Priestess Shilma, what do you think you're doing?"

Overdееr spoke.

He looked at Shilma. White smoke rose from where the divine light struck his back. The rain of light had just ceased.

"Why did you—?"

Shilma stammered. She saw the situation and sensed danger.

At this rate, they'd steal the Saintess. And she wouldn't survive.

'The gods have spoken.'

That child must remain in the Temple of Plenty.

If that's not possible, then what?

'Hurt her—almost to death.'

She would need a priest to survive. Her hands, specifically.

If she was wounded just shy of death—? Shilma scanned Shinar and Enkrid.

There were several who could intercept it.

One hit was enough.

What if it killed her? That wouldn't happen. The gods would protect her.

And if not—

Then it was the will of the gods.

Shilma succumbed to the devil's whisper.

That's why she launched the divine bolt.

"Why did you stop it!?"

She shouted in anger at Overdееr's action.

This was what they called a thief scolding a saint.

The one in the wrong rebuking the innocent.

She was blinded.

She had lost her way.

Shilma's bloodshot eyes darkened.

"Priestess Shilma?"

Alma called her name.

"Paladin Alma, they're tired. This is our chance."

It was as if a black veil had covered her eyes.

Shilma couldn't grasp the situation.

No one here was going to back down just because they were tired.

Least of all Overdееr.

"What a mess," Overdееr muttered.

He felt the need to assess the chaos. His gaze swept across the room.

No one dared speak.

Audin had fallen to his knees. The light around him was dimming. Something was clearly wrong.