Chapter 70
“Forget?”
[Time has turned back. The things you remember have now all become things that never happened. And they won't happen in the future either. So, is there really a need to hold onto them? They're painful memories, aren't they?]
As Holy Sword Rangiosa said, they were painful memories. Memories that seemed to freeze his entire body every time he recalled them. Memories he tried to dismiss as dreams and forget.
If the Holy Sword had awakened before the Military Cadet selection exam and told him this, he might have seriously considered forgetting.
But he had met her again. The emotions that had surged the moment he saw her still remained within him.
Despite the tragic end, he felt a sense of refusal to forget about Cadet Ekinesia Roaz.
Especially, he didn't want to forget the memory of watching her. Wasn't it too much to forget even those desperate struggles, those harrowing times of hers that no one else would ever know?
"...Even to prevent such a tragedy from happening again, it's better to remember."
[I told you, those things won't happen in the future. You don't need to worry.]
"What does that mean?"
[The Demon of the Demon Sword is gone, and it won't appear again in the future. So, you don't need to worry. It's better to forget.]
The Holy Sword said definitively. Certainly, the demon had not appeared. Ekinesia Roaz, who had been a demon, had become a Military Academy applicant unrelated to the Demon Sword.
However, that was a fact that the Holy Sword, which had been asleep all along, wouldn't normally know. Yuriene suspiciously stared at the golden pattern.
"How do you know that? It sounds like you know where the Demon Sword is now."
[.......]
The Holy Sword fell silent. Yuriene waited for a moment, then said quietly.
"Rangiosa. What are you trying to hide? What happened after I died?"
[.......]
"Perhaps, the one who gathered the Giosa and turned back time..."
He stopped breathing before he could utter the last word. Strength entered his fingertips. His mouth felt parched. He barely managed to pronounce the name.
"...Ekinesia Roaz?"
[You, where did you hear that woman's name? You didn't know her name.]
"She applied for the Military Academy selection exam."
[Oh, dear.......]
The Holy Sword sighed. And then, in a very reluctant tone, it began to speak.
[To be honest, I don't want you to get involved with her. I am your master, and you died because of her.]
"Don't say it like that. It's not her fault."
[Yes, it's not. But that's how it turned out as a result. You'd better not get close to her. It's not that I hate her. Rather.......]
Holy Sword Rangiosa paused for a moment as if recalling something, then continued with a deep sigh.
[I really think she's an amazing human being. But apart from that, I'm worried about you finding out about her. I've lived for a long time, seen many humans, and gone through several masters. Even so, this is the first time, so I can't guess how you'll react.]
"Rang, I'm not a child."
[That's why I'm worried, Master.]
"What are you worried about?"
[My masters have always been upright. As upright as they are, there have been many cases where once they start to go astray, they can't be stopped. I don't want to see you become like that.]
Yuriene frowned. He said in a warning tone.
"How is that different from seeing me as a child? You are not my parent, and I am your master. Rangiosa, don't try to restrict me."
[I'm not trying to restrict you.......]
"If selectively providing information and guiding me as you want isn't restricting me, then what is? Do you think that's fair?"
[......No, it's not. I'm sorry.]
The Holy Sword readily apologized. Yuriene knew that Holy Sword Rangiosa was doing this out of concern for him, so he didn't say anything more. He leaned back deeply in his chair and asked again.
"Then, tell me the truth now. Was she the one who turned back time?"
The Holy Sword didn't answer immediately. After a little time passed, it answered.
[Yes. Ekinesia Roaz, the Giosa Owner of Bardelgiosa, turned back time.]
"How?"
Yuriene recalled the last time he had seen her. The figure wailing, bound by malice. And the figure he had seen yesterday, shining like the sun.
He believed that she would overcome it someday, but how? What had happened? How on earth had she caused the miracle of turning back time?
[It's... difficult to explain in words. I'll share my memories with you.]
"Share memories? Is that even possible?"
[Because our souls are connected. Just watch directly.]
The Holy Sword said as if giving up. At the same time, the pattern on the palm of his hand began to glow. Golden Mana rose up and wrapped around him. As he accepted it, his vision was instantly dyed black. He felt a sensation as if he was being sucked somewhere. And soon, darkness came.
It wasn't complete darkness.
Light leaked in through a long, thin gap. If it were his original self, he could distinguish the surroundings with this much light, but now he couldn't distinguish anything. He couldn't move his body either.
Before long, Yuriene realized that he had become the Holy Sword Rangiosa. Or rather, he was experiencing Holy Sword Rangiosa's memories.
A rattling sound was heard, and suddenly light poured down from above. It seemed he had been inside something like a box. The lid was opened. He was blinded by the light and couldn't see anything for a moment.
"Ah. I found it."
A slender, clear woman's voice. A soliloquy that flowed out, panting as if exhausted, and filled with overwhelming excitement.
It must be the voice of Ekinesia Roaz. It was the first time he had heard her voice. He listened to the voice with all his mind.
"It was here. Finally......"
The more she spoke, the more moisture was added to her voice. And a drop of water fell with a plop. As he got used to the light, his vision gradually became clearer. Yuriene saw her reaching out her hand.
A bare face stained with sweat and dust, old and worn leather clothes. On top of that, blood was poured like a bucket. He couldn't tell if it was her blood or someone else's.
He could see scars on the hand and arm that were being extended. There were many wounds on the exposed areas outside the clothes. Something like burns, pressed marks, bruises, and cuts.
That hand touched Holy Sword Rangiosa. No, it couldn't touch it. Something sparked like static electricity, and Ekinesia flinched her hand. She tried to grab the Holy Sword several more times, but eventually couldn't touch it.
Her expression was blank. And then it slowly distorted. As if she realized why she couldn't hold Holy Sword Rangiosa.
Yuriene watched tears well up in her eyes and finally overflow.
She sat down holding the box and wept breathlessly. She sobbed, shaking her shoulders. Her fingertips holding the box turned white with force. The blood on her cheeks was washed away by tears. Her lips trembled. A suppressed cry leaked out from between her lips.
That figure, strangely, resonated with his heart so much that it felt numb. Yuriene couldn't take his eyes off her. He forgot to breathe and didn't even blink, staring at her crying.
The woman, who had barely stopped crying, took off something like a hood that she had been wearing on her head. The short pink hair hidden underneath was revealed as it scattered.
She wrapped her hand with the cloth and grabbed Holy Sword Rangiosa. She wrapped the handle with the cloth and lifted it up.
Yuriene was finally able to see outside the box. It was a cave lit with torches. He could see something like an altar, and on top of it, the dismembered human corpses were scattered. Those wearing clothes similar to priests and armed humans were lying dead all around.
As soon as he saw the scene, he roughly guessed what kind of place it was. It seemed like a chapel of a pseudo-religious group that performed human sacrifices. How did Holy Sword Rangiosa end up in a place like this? He was puzzled, but soon he understood.
The Demon of the Demon Sword was very interested in killing Giosa Owners, but he wouldn't have been interested in the remaining Giosa. Judging from his previous actions, he would have left the Giosa who had lost their masters and simply left to find humans to kill.
Since Ajenka had no affiliated country, there would have been many who discovered and plundered the ruined Ajenka. As a result, the Giosa were likely to have scattered. Since there was no Azure Knights to protect them, they would have wandered around at will among those who coveted the Giosa.
While he was thinking about that, Ekinesia laid Holy Sword Rangiosa down and held it. She stared blankly at the white sword with a face full of tears.
He couldn't tell what she was thinking, her eyes seemed empty. An expression that had weakened as if it would crumble and be blown away by the wind. A small murmur leaked out from between her dry and chapped lips.
"Yuriene."
It was his name. A call that he had never expected to come out in this moment, in this place. Yuriene shuddered as if struck by lightning.
She traced the blade with her fingertips. She couldn't touch it, so she swept it down as if skimming right above the blade. Tears welled up again in her face, which had barely calmed down. She lowered her head and whispered quietly.
"The choice you made to believe in me, it wasn't wrong."
She didn't sob like before. Only tears that welled up silently fell on the blade. She couldn't touch it, but her tears could touch the Holy Sword. Her tears flowed along the blade of Holy Sword Rangiosa.
"I will definitely prove it... I definitely will......"
Yuriene saw the light gradually dwelling in her eyes, which had seemed emptily vacant. The focus was caught in her blurred purple eyes, and her eyes became clearer and clearer. Those eyes began to burn like her soul.
"So......"
The last words were mumbled into her mouth, so he couldn't hear them well.
She wrapped Holy Sword Rangiosa in a cloth and held it in her arms. Then she got up from her seat.
The woman who stood up completely erased the expression that seemed weak enough to break, and looked ahead with eyes that had become frighteningly clear. She took a step.
Yuriene saw and heard all of that.
Even though he couldn't use True Sight, he could see the illusion of her soul burning. Even though he didn't need to breathe because he was in Holy Sword Rangiosa's memory, and he didn't even have a body, he felt suffocated and goosebumps rose.
Something welled up and at the same time, it ached so pitifully. His non-existent heart began to beat as if it would burst.
