Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 27

Chapter 27 – The Purple Phoenix and the Vampire Saint – 3

—–CROW—–

To begin the story of why I know the Nameless Saintess so well,

We have to go back to when I first encountered *Knight Heart*.

During my scorching summer school days, filled with the buzzing of cicadas,

There was an advertisement that said you could win character merchandise by drinking a certain soda and entering the code under the tab.

“Another cider today? Student Soohyun?”

“Yes, please give me that.”

Seeing that, I only drank the cider with eight stars on it at the school store.  I wasn’t good with bitter drinks.

“Why don’t you try other drinks?”

“Only this one has an event. Here’s the change.”

I remember being scolded by the store owner. I didn’t care much. Honestly, cider is delicious, right? Refreshing and cool.

“..This isn’t it.”

Other people aimed for Ariel or the polymorphed dragon merchandise, but I was different.

“But I finally got it.”

The cool, metallic sensation in my hand.

A smiling girl with wolf ears.  I was glad it wasn’t her usual stoic expression.

It ended with a single SD character keychain of the white-haired Saintess.  One of the items I still possess 10 years later, even in reality.

Back then, I felt the limitations of a middle school student’s financial resources, and

“Our Saintess’s 1:1 scale figure is not for sale?  Are you kidding me?”

When I almost couldn’t get the merchandise in <Black Heart>, as an adult, I threw my entire bank account at it.

They said they’d give it to the player who bid the highest price. It’s an infamous event from the sequel that I don’t even want to remember now.

[Wow, someone actually bought it.  Certified whale…]

[Not a whale, this is Saintess fetish, isn’t it?]

[Moo~~]

[A cow is speaking human language!!]

[Look at those vulgarly large lumps of fat..]

└[Pure Love Black Knight: What are you talking about??  That’s an overwhelmingly powerful ‘legal wife pocket’!]

└[Yeah, right, concubine~ No happy ending for you alone, right?]

└[Even in the harem, she’s the least favorite…. This is a bit..]

└[Pure Love Black Knight: (Saintess emoticon declaring herself the legal wife)]

What can I do if the person I happen to like has that kind of body?

“…”

Actually, she wasn’t a popular character, so there weren’t many competitors. I was treated like a crazy person in the game community, but I didn’t care.

“Hahaha.. I’ll have to live on ramen for a few months now.”

A huge package arrived at my apartment stairs, and I almost didn’t know what to do with it, but I managed to bring it inside my room,

and I met her in person.

“This must be what it feels like if she were real.”

Looking at her white hair that reached her waist, I felt a strange sensation.  So a woman’s hair can be this long. The golden wolf eyes looked even more beautiful in reality than in the game.

“..She’s shorter than me.  Is this why she reacted that way in the height-measuring event?”

[You’re quite tall…? Knight..  Oof..!]

There was a solo event exclusive to the Saintess where you measured each other’s height and she imagined a kiss. I could never forget her blushing and having innocent fantasies while standing on her tiptoes.

[It’s okay now, Knight.  You seemed taller because you’re wearing a helmet!]

But why doesn’t she have a kiss event?

While enjoying the *Knight Heart Trilogy*, my room, filled with white merchandise, had a corner occupied by a life-sized Saintess.

She was like a blank sheet music, white from head to toe.

“Well, I guess it’s true that I fell for her face..”

I was also captivated by her smile, which was different from usual.  She had a beautiful smile. Looking at her recharged me when I was tired and exhausted from work.

“Let’s get a happy ending in this sequel, Saintess.”

What I resolved the day before I received the email, looking at her. It felt strange, like a groom being seen off,

..Is that why I possessed this body?

Anyway, I’m this serious.  There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize the Saintess.

—–CROW—–

“Ugh, my tongue is numb. As expected, I can’t give my first kiss to just anyone.”

My vision blurred like dissipating fog, then cleared, and I was standing in the chapel-like space again, sword in hand.

Dreams are dreams, reality is reality. Even if I twisted the boundary between them, the unfortunate incident of my tongue actually being cut off didn’t happen to me.

“Such.. a heretic..!!”

“You shouldn’t have imitated our Saintess in the first place.”

I snapped at Servi, who was clutching her cheek and healing herself.

“How dare you, how dare you ruin the Omniscient Hero’s prophecy..!!”

“I can also write third-rate novels.”

Even the Demon Lord’s calculations, based on the number of lives in the book of life and death, would be somewhat accurate, but I could also make those kinds of conjectures if I wanted to.

I believe in a fate that can overcome a predetermined destiny.

“..Where did you hide Senior Chartinese?”

“Do you think I’d tell you? Kyahaha..!”

Honestly, I couldn’t control my emotions. Should I have investigated Senior Chartinese’s whereabouts or gathered more information about the Hero Church?

All I knew was about the Omniscient or the Demon Lord of Truth.

Then, I heard Nex’s voice beside me.

“Huh..? Junior? Is that you?”

“Senior Nex.  You’re late waking up.”

“Haha.. Sorry. I must have overslept..”

The purple-haired man seemed to have regained consciousness.  That’s a relief. Now I’ll have less to deal with alone.  I took Nex’s hand and helped him up.

“Don’t worry now. I watched the situation, you were very angry.”

“Did it show?”

“Yes, your hands are still shaking, Junior.”

He hit the nail on the head. I didn’t realize it. Is this why Nex was worried about me when we first met?  I felt embarrassed that he saw through me.

“Chirp!”

The phoenix’s eyes were also back in focus.  The spirit, regaining its vitality, flapped its wings vigorously.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

“Yes, Chirp Chirp. Did they try to do something bad by imitating our Chart? I feel the same way.”

“Were you also affected, Senior?”

“If I had been a little late? It’s thanks to you, Junior.  Thank you.”

Nex’s fox-like smile showed relief, and the purple flames, shaking as if drying themselves, chirped,

expressing hostility towards the succubus in front of us.

“..This.. can’t be.. happening..!  In the Hero’s prophecy, Nex Aureus was supposed to..!”

“It’s not Hero, it’s Demon Lord.”

“Right, Junior Licht.”

The Apostle of Lust’s expression was filled with bewilderment as she saw Nex wake up.

Moreover, perhaps thanks to the sword wave I unleashed that injured her,

“W-what? Why is there blood on my clothes?”

“..Succubus?  You’re not the Hero?”

“Weren’t you supposed to resurrect people..? Why am I here..? Then, all of that was a dream….”

There was also some confusion among the believers who seemed to believe in the Hero Church.

So they didn’t gather people who believed from the beginning? Unlike Demon Lords, Apostles can’t show their powers, so the fanatical faith they can gather is naturally this much.

“Everyone calm down..! This is a trick! There’s a heretic there!”

Servi’s pink eyes glowed again as she gave orders to the believers.

She healed with divine power, but the damage to her body must have broken the charm.  Still, there were people in white robes targeting Nex and me.

“Capture those two immediately!  No, kill the one in the black knight helmet! Kill him!”

The succubus pointed at me, isn’t this too blatant?  As if she thought my life was over, she grinned.

“Understood!!”

“Down with the false hero!”

“The target is the Black Knight! Kill the heretic!!”

“Long live the Hero Church! Long live!!”

Men in white robes rushed towards Nex and me, shouting hoarsely. They wielded various weapons.

“..Junior, I’ll take care of this.”

“Alright, Purple Phoenix.”

Nex stepped forward and blocked my path.  The scene I saw in *Knight Heart* overlapped.

This is like a comrade route line.  Is he no longer going to be a rival?

“Haha.. To rebel against the descendant of the Ten Swords, it’s not even funny anymore.”

“Chirp.”

Unlike usual, his expression was hardened.  Nex’s eyes turned serious as he summoned his spirit.  Flames flickered in his purple eyes.

「Helios Midnight.」

The phoenix in his arms transformed into a giant ball of flames.  A heat like the sun swirled.

“Only those who wish to be burned to death should step forward.  Hero Church followers.”

He shouted at the crowd and moved forward.  The swirling purple flames opened a path towards the succubus.

“U-ugh.. It’s so hot….”

“My weapon, melted..?”

“The magic circle won’t appear!!”

The maces held by the Hero Church followers melted and became gooey, and the magic circles they were casting turned into smoke and disappeared.

Spirits are truly overpowered.

Whether big or small, they’re strong. It was a new experience to see with my own eyes that even a spirit that looked like a sparrow could wield such tremendous power.

“What are you doing!  Try freezing magic or anything!!”

Servi shouted in a tearful voice, watching the believers who started to run away, unable to endure any longer.  It’s a shame, but it won’t work.

“It’s useless, Apostle of Lust.”

“What..?”

“The phoenix’s flames can burn anything.  Magic, swordsmanship, divine power, everything.”

“That’s right, our Junior is absolutely right.”

The wounds on her healing body started to reopen.

“C-cough.. This can’t be.. happening..”

“Our Junior Licht has quite the temper!”

“Is that so?”

He put his arm around my shoulder again.  We were now right in front of the succubus.  I pointed my sword at her neck and asked,

“..Where is Saint Chartinese? Answer me properly this time, Succubus.”

“Kyahahaha… Never..!”

She lowered her head and started laughing maniacally.  Fine, if she doesn’t want to tell me. I moved towards the podium.

“..Huh, Junior?”

Nex found my suspicious behavior strange. But time is of the essence.  I was going to ask Servi if the gimmick had changed.

“Don’t play with people’s lives.”

I’ll just do it.  I memorized this because they gave a good item for clearing it in the original game. I turned my back and started muttering to myself.  I had to recall my memory.

“There are two bricks missing here at the edge.  Unnaturally so.”

I placed my palm on one side of the wall.  I could feel the concave square shape.  I wouldn’t have seen this in the dark if it weren’t for Nex.

“W-what? Heretic, what are you doing..?”

“So.. like a puzzle.”

A gimmick like a sliding puzzle. It glowed brightly as I touched it, reacting to my touch.

A strange pattern was engraved on the wall of the podium.  A spell that looked suspiciously like a magic circle.  Originally, Servi would have interfered and prevented me from solving it.

*Click.*

The charm is broken, and the Apostle can’t even approach thanks to the spirit’s interference. In the game, you just had to enter and solve the puzzle.

My hands trembled as I put the pieces together one by one.  This is right, isn’t it?

*Click, clack.*

Fortunately, a clear sound rang out, confirming my prediction.

“As expected of a dungeon created by the Omniscient Demon Lord.”

“N-no way. That wall has divine power….”

To think I’d see his name here.

There wasn’t anything like this in the original game even after solving it, the fact that this is the past keeps tripping me up. I frowned slightly.

As I completed the puzzle,

A giant magic circle pattern was completed, and a large disc rotated, and the wall slid inwards like a vault opening.  It seemed to be an elaborate locking mechanism, as the sound of several gears turning could be heard.

*Rumble!*

“Head Ache.”

Ugh, the naming sense is truly terrible.

Several letters glowed, revealing a hidden room inside.

“Chart!!”

“Nex.. Is that you?”

I saw the Vampire Saint tied up with ropes inside.  She wouldn’t have been harmed.  If the hostage is hurt or something happens, persuasion is impossible from the start.

..It would have been a different story if Nex had come alone.

He didn’t seem to care about the puzzle I solved and rushed inside as soon as the door opened.

—–CROW—–