Episode 210
In response to Charlotte’s world, Dale unveiled his own.
A landscape of pure absolutes—only 100% affirmation or negation existed there.
It was a realm of cold and darkness, dominated by a towering obsidian fortress.
Charlotte Orhart stood within that very fortress.
Facing her liege, the Shadow Lord, seated upon the throne of black and gold.
Yet, behind her, another world unfurled—a realm of endless plum blossoms scattering beyond the horizon.
The two worlds intertwined, and the Plum Blossom Knight tightened her grip on her sword. The Shadow Lord rose from his throne, adjusting his own blade.
The ancient warrior’s beloved sword, Peacemaker, shimmered with the light of peace. In contrast, Charlotte wielded merely a greatsword from the Saxon duchy.
But a sword of high mastery is indistinguishable from magic. Thus, the level of swordsmanship Charlotte displayed surpassed even the world of thought a mage could conjure.
It was beyond comparison to an elder secluded in a chamber, devoted to training.
For she had honed her sword with the battlefield in mind from the very beginning.
“Charlotte Orhart.”
Thus, Dale spoke.
“As your liege, to whom you pledged your knightly oath, I command you.”
The Shadow Lord spoke, and the Plum Blossom Knight remained silent.
“Regardless of the outcome of this duel, or who claims the title of the Celestial Sword…”
Dale continued, undeterred.
“Come back to me.”
”…!”
At those words, the Plum Blossom Knight swallowed hard beneath her helmet.
“You promised. You’d come running without hesitation when I needed you.”
“Yes.”
Charlotte nodded.
“I will obey my liege’s command.”
“Good.”
The conversation was brief, but it was enough.
Plum blossoms invaded Dale’s world, and even the obsidian fortress he had built was not spared.
The bricks, marble floors, and structures transformed into tendrils of Shub, surging forward. In response, Charlotte’s swirling petals of blades clashed, scattering darkness.
World collided with world.
A realm of plum blossoms, imbued with unparalleled sharpness and beauty.
Opposing it was a winter night of primordial darkness and apocalyptic cold, with the obsidian fortress standing tall.
Clang!
Sword met sword.
The Plum Blossom Knight’s violet blade and petals clashed against the Shadow Lord’s Peacemaker, scattering the “light of peace.”
A radiant shield of light blocked the onslaught of petals, only to shatter with a resounding crash.
Charlotte closed the distance.
The Saxon greatsword swung.
Clang!
The warrior’s sword barely blocked the massive blade, which then split into multiple swords.
“Phantom Blades…!”
Yet each blade had a physical presence, descending like a barrage of rapiers.
Clang! Clang!
The Shadow Lord’s immortal knights, loyal to Dale, wielded their black swords to counter the onslaught.
As Charlotte’s prowess was held at bay, Dale widened the gap.
“You’ve grown stronger.”
Dale spoke after creating distance.
“Truly stronger.”
To be honest, Dale was fighting to defeat Charlotte. But it was different from fighting to kill her. Regardless, Charlotte’s skill could not be underestimated.
”…”
Thus, Dale offered genuine praise. The Plum Blossom Knight remained silent within her floral armor.
“Show me your avatar.”
After a pause, the Plum Blossom Knight spoke.
“Reveal the avatar of your sword.”
Not the Shadow Lord’s avatar, but the one Dale possessed as an Aura Master.
Another layer of thought Dale had built.
”…”
Dale didn’t answer immediately. Or rather, he couldn’t. But the silence didn’t last long.
He adjusted his grip on Peacemaker’s hilt, and his aura heart erupted with energy.
Whoosh!
Amidst the storm of aura, the armor of thought he had built as an Aura Master emerged.
A black knight clad in the armor of the Night Raven Knight.
It seemed ordinary. The Night Raven Knight’s armor as the armor of thought. Charlotte Orhart might have thought so. And she would never know.
The true armor of thought Dale wielded lay beneath the Night Raven Knight’s armor.
The enemy of her despised father resided within this black knight’s armor.
Beneath the Night Raven Knight’s armor, the otherworldly warrior… the Empire’s hound lay silent.
The past self hidden within the shell of the “Black Prince” of the Saxon family.
He adjusted his grip on the ancient sword Peacemaker and looked up. Charlotte would never know the face hidden beneath the black helmet. Even if she did, it wouldn’t change anything.
The otherworldly warrior had died before Charlotte Orhart was even born. Just as the divine sword Vadel had.
Thus, Charlotte could never know who stood before her now.
Dale had no intention of telling her.
He simply stepped forward in silence.
Simultaneously, the Peacemaker in the warrior’s hand began to shine.
A light incomparable to anything before.
The swirling petals of blades halted. Dale’s world was no exception.
Time stopped, yet the warrior holding Peacemaker did not.
Strictly speaking, time hadn’t stopped. The clock’s hands moved at an incredibly slow pace.
Human history is a history of war. Peace is an illusion. But if true peace existed, it would mean only one thing.
Stagnation.
Halting the wheel of history, the clock’s hands of this world.
Ironically, it was no different from when the winter of the end arrived. The entire universe frozen at absolute zero, everything at a standstill, would be the “ultimate peace.”
Peacemaker’s peace was no exception.
Thus, the clock’s hands slowed to a near halt.
Yet within the slowed clock, one being moved freely.
Tap!
The otherworldly warrior surged forward. Alone, free within the halted clock.
Tick.
The world’s pause was but a moment. Yet to warriors of this caliber, a moment was an eternity.
The second hand of the clock moved.
The warrior’s sword aimed at the Plum Blossom Knight. Alone, free within the frozen moment.
Even the divine sword Vadel Orhart ultimately fell to the otherworldly warrior.
──Before this power.
Yet even before this ultimate peace, Vadel Orhart pushed the otherworldly warrior to the brink of death. That was the mark of his knightly prowess.
Charlotte Orhart was strong. But this was the end.
“Ah…”
She likely didn’t even realize what had happened.
When she came to, Dale’s sword was at her throat.
“I win.”
The otherworldly warrior… and Dale spoke. The Plum Blossom Knight did not respond.
He reversed his grip on Peacemaker’s hilt and drove it into the ground.
“What is this…?”
After a pause, Charlotte let out a hollow laugh. As if it was too absurd to bear.
“Once again, I can’t reach you.”
Charlotte spoke with self-mockery. After a pause, Dale dispelled his avatar. The Dale of Saxon, whom Charlotte knew well, stood there.
“Your sword did reach me.”
Dale said.
“And the title of the Celestial Sword will be yours.”
“Are you pitying me again?”
“Can I be honest?”
Charlotte asked coldly, and Dale continued calmly.
“You’re too noble.”
”…!”
“You think a Celestial Sword not won fairly is meaningless. Because you didn’t defeat me. And because you think you’re not strong enough to stand by my side.”
Dale said. Charlotte did not respond.
“That’s why you’re weak.”
Dale stated coldly. Charlotte’s expression froze.
“Because you lack the courage to be tainted. The courage to get dirty and muddy. You’re so bound by lofty ideals and nobility that no matter how much you grow and strengthen, you can’t reach me.”
With those words, Dale turned his head, leaving behind a world steeped in ancient darkness and the chill of the end.
“I’m a wretched human being.”
”…”
“So vile, filthy, and despicable that you can’t even begin to imagine.”
Dale laughed bitterly at himself.
“And that’s what made me who I am today.”
“Why do you want to become so strong?”
“To bring down the Empire.”
Dale answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Here, I’ve lost to you. And you’ll claim the title of the Celestial Sword and return to my side.”
Dale said.
“To you, it might seem like a disgraceful and unworthy act. But I don’t care. And if you can’t accept my offer…”
Dale no longer needed “Charlotte Orhart.” Charlotte was not someone who couldn’t grasp the meaning behind those words.
“I’ll accept.”
And so, Charlotte Orhart nodded. Dale was right. No matter how ugly or disgraceful it was, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to be by Dale’s side.
─ Yes, it’s so amusing! Truly, truly amusing! I can’t help but love these creatures called humans!
Shub giggled uncontrollably, as if unable to contain its delight. To Charlotte, it sounded like the fortress of darkness itself was howling in some strange ecstasy.
Charlotte’s ugliness, Dale’s ugliness—this was humanity. Shub, who understood this truth, laughed and laughed, unable to hold back its joy.
Leaving behind Shub’s endless, maniacal laughter, Dale finally swung his arm. Charlotte did the same.
The world that enveloped them vanished.
There, in the silence, stood the Seven Swords.
The Hall of Swords.
It was there that the “Black Prince” of Saxon knelt.
“I, Dale of Saxon, accept my defeat before Charlotte Lancaster.”
Dale declared, and both Charlotte and the Duke of Lancaster held their breath, as if they had known the Duke’s intentions all along.
But it was not the Duke of Lancaster’s place to make the first move.
Kneeling, Dale smiled coldly.
Charlotte did not smile.