Chapter 97
I opened my mouth towards the striking blue-haired man with a white aura.
“Professor Dennis, please evacuate Pina and the others.”
“That’s not possible, it’s too dangerous. Is Licht planning to face the Head alone?”
“Then, is there anyone here besides me who can handle ‘All-Knowing’ and ‘Nightmare’?”
“Well…”
Dennis had a hard time answering me after listening to my words. I mean, it makes sense. He probably got quite the shock hearing the Demon King scream just now.
“This is absurd!! No hero from the same concept can appear!!”
It’s like a brand-new counter to the Demon King has just appeared. If I think about it, that guy said something similar during the battle with the Magic Hat too. I guess he was able to nullify lies back then.
“I’m fine. It might be different at another time…”
I spoke while making eye contact with the golden eyes of the Knight. Thankfully, he looks alright; if it stays this way, I doubt I’ll become the ‘Nameless Saintess’.
“…Right now, I think I could definitely kill that guy.”
Touch my Pina when I’m around? Especially the fact that he was trying to completely turn her into a fool using ‘Nightmare’ made my grip on the sword tighten.
“Licht, are you angry?”
“No? I’m perfectly fine.”
“No way, you look really angry.”
Oh no, Pina caught onto my feelings. How could she be so perceptive, while I, the oblivious one, never notice? With that helmet on, I thought her expression would be hidden.
“I’m a little angry.”
“…I see.”
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. To think I didn’t realize she had been beside me all along. I actually wanted to scream, “Waaaaaah!! I’m so sorryyy!!”, but…
“Then we’ll keep our distance from Licht.”
“Thank you, professor.”
“I must help you whenever you’re in a dire situation.”
Given the circumstances, I guess we’ll do that later. After all, even if the order gets delayed, my sins won’t vanish.
“Licht. Together…”
“Together in battle? No way. You might still be experiencing aftereffects.”
“I don’t want you to bear it all alone anymore…”
Please don’t say things that soften hearts like that. Pina, to prevent you from becoming the Nameless Saintess, we really need to take out that Demon King Head Ake in front of us for sure.
“…”
For a moment, I was speechless. There’s no more time to waste. If we keep this up, everyone will get swept away in the fight against the Demon King.
“…Professor Dennis.”
“I understand. Be careful.”
As I signaled, the blue-haired mage activated a 3D magic circle, teleporting everyone around us except me and the Head.
“Licht…!”
Even as she was leaving, she stretched out her arms trying to reach for me. How can she have such a tender heart?
She could just leave it all to the pure-hearted Black Knight. Despite appearances, he has experience in taking down Demon Kings after all.
With me here, there’s no way the spatial coordinates will get messed up. I slowly walked toward the Head, raising my sword.
“Hero, do you even know what you’ve done?!”
“Well, what have I done?”
A downpour drenching the field.
“You’ve thrown away the last move to prevent the destiny that awaits!!”
“Destiny is bullshit.”
In the pouring rain, two men faced each other in a standoff which couldn’t be bridged with absolute differing views.
[In [Night Heart], a ‘contradiction’ arises!! Lee Soo-hyun, please cease combat!!]
In that moment, a transparent status window appeared before my eyes.
The developer is at it again. He did this the last time too when I tried to save Pina. I should have noticed that Pina was beside me since I successfully glitched the Corruption Route.
“I really am a slow-witted person. I shouldn’t have blamed Kainel.”
I thought I understood everything about someone I love, but it seems that isn’t the case. After all, love shouldn’t be interpreted or judged with words or sentences.
To be honest, if our Saintess wasn’t here, I might’ve already fallen for Pina Grancia. The Knight’s heart is warmer and kinder than anyone’s.
She just risked her life to pull me out of trauma. How could I not fall for someone like that?
“No, have I already fallen?”
My heart was already partially conquered by Pina. In reality, after possessing this body, I’d been on the lookout, worried that I might get tangled with the ladies.
Unless there was a confirmed coupling like Ariel or Schartines, I rarely interacted, and even then I stepped aside during critical moments.
“Thinking back, it was the same during drinking parties or festivals.”
Back then, I knew I was female, so I should have just acted like I always did.
Drinking together, giving piggyback rides, doing things I normally wouldn’t—yet, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her all alone.
Being with Pina made my heart race, and her gentle nature deeply affected me.
“…If there’s a destiny, then there should also be a ‘destiny’ that can overcome it.”
I walked forward with focus. If the story flowed as per the original, she might become the Saintess and even possibly like me.
But that’s not love. At least it would be embarrassing to label it as pure love.
“That’s nonsense..! Such wordplay won’t solve this problem!!”
“I’m the Black Knight. I shouldn’t hesitate to drink the bitter cup for the sake of my beloved.”
What would have happened if I wasn’t here when the Head attacked Grand Hertz Academy? Schartines would probably have been nabbed this time.
“Is that why there weren’t contradiction messages when clearing the ‘Sunset Secret Meeting’ dungeon?”
A chill ran down my spine. Which means, except for the time with the Magic Hat and the current Head, everything else flowed according to the developer’s intent.
[A contradiction arises in the original [Night Heart]..!]
[In the original [Night Heart]…]
[In the original [Night Heart]….]
As the transparent status windows stacked up and blocked my view, I slashed through with my sword.
“If it is fate that brings unhappiness to that person, then I will slash through it again and again.”
Slash The status window split in half with a nasty sound.
A collection of unpleasant letters turned into a light and disappeared. So this is how the developer’s warning came about.
“If I just kill that Head, there’s no way Pina will be forgotten among people.”
It’s also proof that I can disrupt the flow of the original and its sequels. I wanted to see her, not as a Saintess, but as a princess living her life as she originally should have.
Because she looked more beautiful with a smiling face than a sorrowful one. The reason was simple.
If I kill the Magic Hat too, I might even get back her mother, Bellin Grancia.
Hmph, will I even get to hear this warning now?
“No one can stop my ‘prophecy’!! Countless people will die or be injured. I’m only trying to minimize that!!”
“Is that really prophecy?”
The Head, seemingly making one last desperate attempt, glared furiously at me, his eyes bulging.
“Hey, Demon King of All Knowledge.”
“What is it, boy?”
“Do you know who would win if you and I fought?”
When I asked, he shook his head. It makes sense.
“…I don’t know.”
“Why don’t you know? Aren’t you the ‘Demon King of All Knowledge’?”
“…”
The powers and abilities of Demon Kings aren’t as perfect as I thought. The All-Knowing Demon King looked confused and unable to give even simple answers.
“Then you’ve been weighing lives with such poor judgment?”
“No. I’ve already confirmed it seven times. I can’t stop the destruction.”
He ground his teeth hard. Seven times? What does that mean? Could it be…?
“Head, were you a time traveler?”
“How do you know that?!”
Well, it’s obvious. The very concept of All-Knowing contradicts itself. In the original [Night Heart], he even left a message as a dying wish: “Let’s meet again in the time of prophecy.”
Since I’m a possessor, it wouldn’t be strange for a time traveler to appear. After all, a Celestial Demon is involved too.
“During those time travels, I wasn’t there?”
“That’s true, so if you lend me your strength, perhaps even more lives…”
“Shut it. Where do you get off babbling like that? Shouldn’t the first thing to say be, ‘I’m sorry for killing people with uncertain judgments up till now’?”
It became clear. He has never doubted that the future he saw would not change and has mercilessly pointed his blade at others.
“Then what was I supposed to do? I’ve already fought alongside the Ten Heroes and betrayed the Demon Kings.”
The Head spoke to me with a twisted maniac’s smile. Something’s missing.
“I tried to change the dark future seven times. Given that you, Lee Soo-hyun, come from another world, you should understand perfectly!!”
“One major premise is missing. Head.”
You could say he somewhat resembles me, but from the start, the Demon King and I were different. The difference was quite simple.
“If you had given up on time travel and risked your life, things might have changed. You lose your All-Knowing ability.”
I’m someone who can sacrifice even my life for the person I love. From the beginning, my life has been saved by Pina Grancia.
It wouldn’t matter if she didn’t become the Nameless Saintess. Pina is just Pina. I couldn’t let my unrequited love hurt her.
If she gets hurt, then I get hurt. I won’t let myself see her get hurt even before I lay in the dirt.
Pina is the one who should become happier from now on. This is better than her falling into the hands of the Demon Kings.
“…Negotiations have failed, Hero.”
“Oops, did I hit the nail on the head? I’m sorry for that.”
He frowned in annoyance and pointed a red revolver at me. Bang, the gunshot resonating throughout the battlefield. The Head fired a bullet at me.
“I’m not a hero; I’m a Black Knight.”
I transformed my body into droplets using Pina and dodged his bullet. In the pouring rain at the academy, the Demon King and the Black Knight poured all their strength into killing each other.