Chapter 63: We’re Doing This One More Time. - 8

With his dying scream, the horse split apart into fire and wind before fading away.

Unlike the first battle.

In this joust, it was Scaramuccia’s side that set foot on the ground first.

He was aghast.

I was a little surprised too.

He had killed me twenty-eight times, and this was our twenty-ninth fight, yet I had never seen such shock on his face before.

That golden spear had unhorsed everything it so much as touched. This must have been proof of just how much faith he had placed in it.

"At last."

I dismounted Kafka.

After all, the moment my body touched that golden spear even slightly, I would be thrown off immediately.

Mounted combat was not my style, either.

"It seems we finally stand on the same ground."

"To think I would be the one to touch the ground first. And against a Sword User, no less."

Scaramuccia laughed bitterly, as though the very thought were absurd.

And then.

He was not looking at me.

A little farther to the left.

He was looking at someone behind me.

Someone slowly approached my side.

She held a flag in her right hand.

Her sapphire-blue eyes were shining gold.

Her impression had changed so drastically that one would not recognize her without looking closely.

Iris had finally awakened as a saint.

It seemed that golden attack which had deflected the golden spear earlier had come from Iris.

"I knew, just as the captain said, that she would awaken as a saint, but—"

Before he could finish speaking, a warm golden aura embraced me.

My body gradually began to recover.

[You have received [Saint’s Miracle].]

[Health and mana recover by 50%.]

[You have received [Saint’s Blessing].]

[Attack power increases by 50%.]

[Defense increases by 50%.]

[All stats increase by 50%.]

A barrage of absurdly powerful notifications flooded before my eyes.

My nearly depleted mana and stamina began to recover.

My attack and defense rose by fifty percent, and the stats enhanced by Flower of Chivalry soared even higher.

It felt as though, in terms of stats alone, I might even be able to defeat the Scaramuccia before me.

It was not as if my realm had risen enough for me to use an aura blade.

But…

How?

Haede had not died, so how had Iris awakened as a saint?

"Still, something is strange. I understand that she has awakened as a saint, but…"

Scaramuccia narrowed his eyes as he looked at Iris.

"Can that possibly explain how she deflected my attack?"

That was strange indeed.

Even if Iris became a saint, it should not make her strong enough to deflect head-on the skill of a level-seventy Scaramuccia.

At most, it should make it easier for her to endure, ignore mechanics, and deal damage more smoothly.

Could she really become this strong?

"That was a fine battle cry, junior."

At that moment.

The voice that came from Iris’s mouth was not her own.

It was not the gentle voice that brought a capybara to mind, but something more cynical.

[Insight Eye activates.]

【Iris Floria】

◈ Level: 33

◈ Has awakened as a saint.

◈ ■■■■ is possessing her.

According to Insight Eye, someone appeared to be possessing her body.

No, what was this?

I did not think there had been an event where someone possessed Iris.

I had played through Iris’s route seven times. I had seen events where she awakened after Haede was sacrificed, and events where she awakened without Haede being sacrificed.

But this pattern was new.

A pattern where someone possessed Iris after she awakened as a saint.

And judging by how whoever possessed Iris called me junior and acted as though they knew me…

They seemed to know me.

Who was it?

At that moment.

Scaramuccia’s golden spear thrust toward us.

Iris casually swung her flag and blocked the attack.

When his attack was stopped by her once again, his eyes twitched.

Only for a moment.

I gave Scaramuccia a brutal kick.

My kick sent him flying through the air, and he crashed into a massive wall.

Of course, because of the mechanic, he probably had not taken any damage.

Still, the man who had barely budged even from my kicks was sent flying into a wall.

Saints truly were broken.

Then Iris slowly approached my side.

"By the way, I made that ring for my junior, yet…"

She continued while pointing to the ring near her solar plexus.

"How did you ever decide to entrust it to this child?"

A ring made for a junior?

A ring, a ring… if it was a ring.

I mulled over the word.

There was only one ring I had given Iris.

The Holy Maiden’s Ring.

If that was true.

There could only be one person possessing Iris’s body.

With an awkward expression, I opened my mouth.

"Um, Holy Maiden?"

Iris nodded at my words.

One of the voyeurs who watched over me, and the person who had made and given me the ring.

The Knight of the Holy Maiden stood before me.

#

Ars, Charles, and Asdel had all fought with their lives on the line.

Sir Kyle and Lady Isabella had risked their lives too.

Lady Dolnesia, Lady Angelica, and Dante had also risked their lives.

Ede had put her life on the line to protect us.

And Ian had fought, risking his life as well.

But I…

I could not do anything.

It was not that I wanted to use my lack of strength as an excuse.

Nor was it an excuse that I had no talent.

Even when Ian threw himself in the way to stop attacks aimed at Haede.

Even when Ede hugged me and then charged at the terrifying masked man.

I could do nothing.

My legs trembled, and my feet would not move.

I only called Ede’s name and prayed for someone to save her. I did not even try to run forward.

For someone who said she never wanted to see anyone die before her eyes again…

I did not try to move.

I did not want anyone to die anymore.

I did not want Ede to be in danger again.

I did not want Ian to have to keep fighting.

But what was I supposed to do?

My legs would not move.

I had swung a sword again and again because I wanted to wield one, but I was still afraid.

I cried that I did not want anyone to die.

Yet I did not have the courage to die for someone else.

I felt pathetic.

I had come to the academy to become stronger.

But it felt as though nothing had changed. All I did was cry.

"Wouldn’t that be enough?"

At that moment.

Someone spoke in my mind.

The world before me turned black.

Sound and light vanished, and I was standing alone in a black void.

Before me stood a human figure made of light.

"Honestly. I had wondered why he gave you the ring I made for him to use. Did he perhaps intend to exploit a loophole like this?"

The figure made of light pointed at me.

More precisely, at the ring Ian had given me, which hung around my neck.

As though resonating with that person, the ring released a warm golden aura that spread throughout my body.

It was my first time experiencing it, yet it felt strangely familiar.

As if…

I had experienced it many times before.

"What is wrong with this ring? And who are you?"

I held out the ring and asked the person.

Where exactly was this?

Who were they?

And how did they know about the ring Ian had given me?

The person who had been questioned slowly approached me.

They stopped just in front of my nose.

"More precisely, I am the owner of the ring you possess."

They pointed to the ring again.

"Ordinarily, we would never have met. But if this too is the will of God, then so be it."

"We would never have met?"

"Yes."

They nodded at my question.

"When I made that ring, I never envisioned something like this. I merely hoped he would use it in battle, but he gave it to you instead."

By he, did they mean Ian?

"But you possess the qualities of a saint."

A saint?

Was that not…

I had heard about saints from Asdel.

A saint was the one and only person chosen by God.

The most exalted person in the Holy Kingdom, where all were embraced and shown mercy.

But me?

Asdel had said there was already a saint…

Perhaps sensing my thoughts, they said,

"The fact that you were a vessel fit to become a saint; the fact that my holy power dwelled in that ring; the fact that, through twenty-eight challenges, there were experiences in which you awakened as a saint; and finally, although you do not remember those times, I do."

The owner of the ring continued.

"You could say it is a product born from coincidence upon coincidence—the unique properties of Moji’s bridge called Dreamland, created by the Magic Knight, all coming together."

This was difficult.

I did not understand what they were saying.

But.

What I could understand was…

"I became a saint, then?"

"That is right. More precisely, if you accept my holy power."

The owner of the ring walked around me in slow steps.

"Though you do not remember, there were multiple battles among the twenty-nine in which you awakened as a saint."

"Twenty-nine battles?"

Twenty-nine battles?

I had awakened as a saint before?

"Yes. This world has gone back twenty-eight times."

Was that strange familiarity I had felt whenever the ring gave me its warm aura…

And those incomprehensible words Ian had said to Ede—

"When you died, Iris cried ten times harder for him. You said she would be equally sad no matter who died. But you were different."

Were they related to those twenty-nine battles?

"At the time, awakening as a saint had no meaning. The instant time turned back, the fact that you had become a saint ceased to exist. But…"

They drew a flag from the mass of light.

It was a long flag with a spear-like blade at its tip, while a large sheet of cloth fluttered below it.

"That does not mean it left no trace. I remember the stories he accumulated—the records of your awakenings."

They brought the tip of the flag toward me.

"Twelve times out of twenty-nine desperate battles. That is the number of times you awakened as a saint, and also the number of times Ian failed to save Miss Haede. Those memories are preserved intact within the holy power inside that ring now."

"…He failed to save Ede?"

My voice trembled faintly.

I did not understand what it meant that he had failed to save Ede.

The owner of the ring merely nodded at my words.

"Yes. Unless it was through this loophole I have arranged… she had to die before your eyes for you to awaken as a saint."

I had not known.

That for me to awaken as a saint…

Precious Ede had to die in front of me.

Then…

The reason Ian had desperately protected Ede was…

"Ian wanted to protect Miss Haede. He was willing to turn back time to protect her. Of course, it was only after he turned back those twenty-eight periods of time that we were able to meet."

Those incomprehensible words about Ede dying and me crying ten times harder.

It was because Ian had fought hard enough to turn back time in order to save Ede.

And yet I…

I knew nothing and only screamed.

I did not even move.

Was that not utterly pathetic?

Ian had fought even to the point of turning back time to save Ede.

But I had done nothing.

I had tried to do nothing.

Could a coward like me truly be a saint?

Then.

They gradually came closer to me.

"Iris."

"Yes?"

The owner of the ring called my name.

"You need not blame yourself."

"But…"

"Everyone has their own turn. Iris, your turn simply has not come yet."

With a hand made of light, they slowly stroked my head.

It was a warm hand, gently stroking me as though telling me to rest easy.

Then.

This was my turn now.

I looked at the flag they held.

"If I accept this holy power, can I become a saint?"

"Yes, though you will have to entrust your body to me."

"All right."

I nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

Ian and Ede had both risked their lives.

Then I had to risk mine too, for it to be fair.

"You may use my body however you wish. If it can help those people… I will even offer up my soul."

"It seems you are misunderstanding something. This is not a demonic contract… You only need to lend me your body for a little while."

Was that so…?

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