Chapter 29: Holy Knight vs Hero ①
“Y-Yamada…”
“It’s been a while, Ryuguin.”
Strangely enough, the greeting slipped from my lips as if all the tension from our reunion had vanished. However, that wasn’t the case for him—
“W-why…?”
“I’ve come to deliver your final judgment.”
“—!!”
I could see Ryuguin visibly panic, fear etched across his face.
“Y-you came to kill me?!”
With surprising agility, he cowered backward, his movements frantic.
“Think again, Yamada! Revenge brings nothing but despair!”
As I took a step closer, he shuffled back, his movements rustling like dry leaves.
“Even if you seek revenge, nothing will remain afterward! Only lingering malice will be left behind!”
I advanced another step, and he retreated again, rustling as he did.
“Revenge is not only a wound to the avenger but also a curse upon those around them! You must understand!”
Ryuguin spun hollow words from his perfectly shaped lips.
“Yamada! Please, think of yourself first! Take care of yourself! As a fellow party member and a friend from the same hometown, I worry about you more than anything else!”
“That’s rich coming from you… We’re not even party members, let alone friends.”
Everyone, except for one person, directed cold, hostile glares at Ryuguin, but he remained oblivious.
“Yamada, I truly care about you! You know that, right?!”
His flimsy words were thinner than cheap tissue paper.
“It all starts with forgiveness! Forgiveness is what matters! It’s essential! Do you understand?! Revenge breeds new hatred, creating a cycle of vengeance! Therefore, one must endure the pain and cut it off somewhere!”
“That’s right, Hero-sama!”
At this moment, someone stepped in to defend him. It was Princess Puffy. Whether the barrier restraining her had weakened, or she had somehow freed herself, or perhaps she possessed some item, she broke free and stood before me like a mother protecting her child, facing Ryuguin. He quickly sprang to his feet and hid behind her, as if fleeing.
“I remember you!”
Her expression turned fierce.
“How dare you, who always indulged in filthy games, use your nonsense to blame our Hero-sama, who has been fighting for us with all his might! Have some shame!”
Even knowing that Puffy was not in her right mind, it was still painful to witness. Yet, because I understood her state, there were choices I could make.
“The Arcana King and Chancellor Madison must have seen this too!”
Puffy turned to them, seeking their agreement, her voice rising in fervor.
“Look at him—Yamada the Holy Knight, in all his foolish, filthy, and shameless glory!”
Just as she finished, the barrier erected by the church officials enveloped her and Ryuguin once more. Unlike before, this barrier was powerful and unyielding. Though her voice was muffled, I could see her shouting, “Let us out of here! You insolent fools!”
“Just wait for me, Puffy.”
I whispered, ensuring no one else could hear. It was a declaration of my resolve.
Only Ryuguin was left alone, cast out from the barrier, thrust back in front of us once more.
“H-huh… h…”
Having finally lost his last ally, he stood there, pale and vulnerable, like a fledgling bird that had lost its mother.