Academy’s Pure Love Dark Knight - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 – The Purple Phoenix and the Vampire Saintess – 5

 

—–CROW—–

 

“Kyahaha… Glory to the Hero Church…”

 

Servi touched the wall on the other side.  With a *thud*, a square brick slid inwards.

 

─Rumble…

 

The ground suddenly vibrated. This only meant one thing.

 

A self-destruct mechanism.

 

This is what happens when a player makes a mistake with the puzzle and triggers a trap.

 

“Are you crazy, Servi?”

 

Was she going to bury even the Apostles with them? In the original game, it would have been game over, but here, real people would die.

 

“Of course! The prophecy must not be disrupted…!!”

 

The pink-haired succubus laughed like a madwoman. The Hero Church was truly full of lunatics.  Licht touched the forehead of his helmet.

 

The ceiling and the floor shook. The candles in the chapel-like room began to fall and extinguish.

 

*Rumble*─!

 

The entrance they had come through was blocked by stalactites and rocks that had fallen from above. The believers also started screaming in terror, completely panicked.

 

“Help me… Help me!!”

 

“I don’t want to die!!”

 

“Apostle, are you abandoning us?!”

 

The artificial sun beside them was still lit.  Despite the desperate cries of the Hero Church followers, Apostle Servi maintained a smug expression, looking at Licht and Nex.

 

“Consider it a blessing… you trash… to sacrifice yourselves… for the revival of the Hero Church… Hehe…”

 

Blood gushed from her mouth.  Even as she was dying, her fanatic faith was incomprehensible.  He could understand if it were for a true hero like Kainel, but…

 

“Pheet—!”

 

“Junior, should I take care of this?”

 

Watching this, the purple phoenix spread its wings wide, enveloping the area. Was it trying to protect Licht and senior Chartinese?

 

“Stop, Senior. You can’t use Phoenix’s Cradle.”

 

“…Now that it’s matured, I think I can.”

 

Phoenix’s Cradle was a skill that provided an absolute, invincible barrier around the user. Now that his spirit had matured, it was possible.

 

However, the compatibility was terrible.  Once cast, they wouldn’t be able to escape from it.

 

“We’ll be buried alive underground.”

 

Ultimately, escaping this place was the priority.

 

“Huh…? Junior, are you serious?”

 

“…The drawback applies to the spirit as well.”

 

It would collapse from lack of oxygen. Even if they created oxygen with magic, there was a limit to their mana.

 

The phoenix was powerful, but this wasn’t the time. Licht started racking his brain.  What methods hadn’t he used yet? How could he get out of the dungeon effectively without anyone getting hurt…?

 

“Junior’s right.  The Lord might be able to, but I can’t.”

 

“That’s because they’re one of the Ten Swords.”

 

Licht briefly assessed the purple bird as he looked at it.  No matter how powerful, it couldn’t possibly melt the entire ceiling of this cave and create an opening above.

 

As Nex said, maybe Asha Aureus, the Living Sun, could.

 

Spiritmancy was quite complex, and even if the spirit had matured, their proficiency was lacking. Even in the original game, this skill incapacitated him.  Licht put his hand on his chin.

 

“Alright, if the Hero of Wisdom says so, I’ll trust you, Junior!”

 

Nex smiled brightly at Licht, who was deep in thought. He seemed to be expecting another brilliant solution. But the senior himself was quite intelligent.

 

“Junior… you have a way, right?”

 

It seemed like a serious misunderstanding. Licht didn’t have a holy sword, the proof of a hero, nor was he chosen.

 

He could see the status window sent by the creator of <Knight Heart>, though.  This must be why no one suspected him of being part of the Hero Church.

 

“…”

 

Even considering his own skills, he couldn’t even compare to the Demon Lords. He needed to learn an ultimate skill at the very least, or perhaps if he had the weapons he mainly used in the game…

 

“Ha… My head hurts.”

 

He looked around. He couldn’t afford to get lost in thought. He reassessed the situation.

 

‘Going back is impossible. Flying upwards with the phoenix is also a no-go… Is there a way?’

 

The escape route they had used was already blocked by the collapsed path, and the other one had completely disappeared due to the brick Servi had touched.

 

What should he do?

 

He had two options left.

 

“Spirit Synchronization, is it possible, Senior?”

 

“What? Suddenly…? Won’t you be immobilized?”

 

“I don’t know my spirit’s abilities… but I have to try my best.”

 

A lump of emotions formed as he thought of her.  Maybe it would be helpful here.  He had no other options besides this and swordsmanship.

 

The size of a spirit wasn’t important.

 

The only sharp technique he could recall recently was that. Magic and divine power were impossible, and…

 

“I thought of it while watching Senior’s phoenix.”

 

Judging by the state of his current weapon, one more Void Slash would shatter it.  If anything happened after that, he’d be helpless.

 

If he was going to aim for something, he had to do it all at once.

 

“I understand. I’ll trust you, Junior!”

 

Nex nodded and placed his palm on Licht’s back again.  The circuit was tangled, but somehow, it would work again.  It was a self-made magic that had helped him improvise whenever his family needed a spirit.

 

“Be reborn from the flames.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, a black Pomeranian popped out from around his heart.

 

“Woof!”

 

Its name was Kkamang, which was quite endearing. Cute.

 

“It’s been a while…”

 

As expected, the wave of fatigue was still quite intense.  Licht exhaled several times.  He was dizzy; could he even use Void Slash?

 

“Woof!”

 

Should he acknowledge his feelings here?

 

He fell into thought as he looked at the black wolf, its eyes sparkling as it looked at him.

 

What hadn’t he acknowledged?  What could be the trigger…?

 

That was when it happened.

 

“Grrrr…”

 

His spirit was growling fiercely at Servi, the Apostle.

 

“I’m just a little angry.”

 

Was it influenced by his emotions? Considering it even imitated the Saintess, it wasn’t strange. But why was it acting like this, when it had run towards the Crown Prince without hesitation?

 

“Woof! Woof! Grrrr…”

 

It was a creature he couldn’t quite understand. Should he have used spirits in the game? He’d only seen them through Nex, so he didn’t know.

 

“Junior, seeing your spirit, I’m certain you’re not from the Hero Church. I’m glad.”

 

“If I were, I wouldn’t have come to rescue Chartinese, would I?”

 

It wasn’t his fault, but rather the fault of the developers who made it so that spirits wouldn’t appear if you followed the Saintess route. They appeared just fine in other heroines’ routes.

 

“There was a reason Mardol liked it so much.  It’s cute…”

 

He wished they’d stop raising flags for the Crown Prince route here.

 

The dungeon was about to collapse. The situation was serious. Dizziness washed over him.

 

“Stop it, Kkamang.”

 

“Pant.”

 

Licht lowered himself and called his spirit, which was acting threateningly.

 

It responded immediately?  As expected, Lupus was the protagonist. He’d have to stick with this name.

 

“…There’s no time.  Can you do anything?”

 

“Whimper.”

 

The Pomeranian-like spirit shook itself vigorously.  It looked like a puppy after a bath.  Wait, could it be…?

 

“A drill…? Is that what you mean?”

 

“Woof!”

 

The Pomeranian responded with a smiling expression, as if agreeing with him.

 

There was a way. He had to move quickly before the side effects of Spirit Synchronization overwhelmed him.

 

“Seniors!! I’m going to use Void Slash ahead, so prepare to go that way!!”

 

The ability to dig through the ground.  Any canine would have it.  The phoenix had the ability to burn things or fly.

 

He drew his sword from its sheath.  The weapon looked as fragile as cracked glass.

 

Only one chance.

 

He regained his stance and looked at the silver steel gleaming in the cave as if this were the last time.

 

‘You’ve worked hard.  My tool for forced pure love.’

 

He looked towards the direction of the exit in the original game. It was narrower than the entrance; if the spirit didn’t open the way after this, it would be difficult.

 

“Woof! Woof!”

 

Kkamang. I believe you can do it.  You’re my feelings for the Saintess, after all.

 

─*Whoosh*!

 

Once again, a mass of wind shot out, starting to pierce the escape route ahead.

 

“Junior!!”

 

“Oh my, Junior…?”

 

Cold sweat poured down Licht’s body. This was his third Void Slash today; there was no way his body wouldn’t be strained.  On top of that, he had the debuffs from Spirit Synchronization.

 

“Please… Kkamang…!”

 

With a final gasp, Licht’s strength gave out and he collapsed.

 

—–CROW—–

 

─*Thump*.

 

A rather large mound of earth rose near the back mountain of the academy.

 

“Woof!”

 

What emerged was a black Pomeranian,

 

“…We barely made it out alive.  That Apostle kept clinging on about sacrifices until the very end.”

 

“Junior… will he be alright? He seemed to have pushed himself too hard…”

 

…and Licht’s group.

 

“He’ll be fine; my phoenix is protecting him.  He looks pale… but he’s not injured.”

 

“Healing isn’t working… What is this body…?”

 

“Maybe he was used as an experimental subject somewhere. By the Hero Church…”

 

Two men and a woman looked worriedly at their junior, who was wearing a knight’s helmet and had lost consciousness. They also wondered where this hero had suddenly appeared from.

 

He knew the location and structure of the dungeon and even saw through the succubus’s nightmare magic.  He hadn’t seen a holy sword, but the possibility was high.

 

‘I heard that a country boy named Kainel was chosen as the Hero of Light…’

 

Nex recalled the information he had learned previously. But Licht in front of him was different.  Even after searching, he couldn’t find any proper information about his family.

 

There was only one reason why such a strong individual wouldn’t be known as a hero.

 

“…It’s pitiful. Both the Princess and Licht, at the hands of the Hero Church.”

 

It was highly likely that he had suffered something from the Hero Church somewhere. He had mentioned having a rough life. Nex considered the possibility of raising further suspicions, but it felt disrespectful to treat their lifesaver that way.

 

“Well, he does seem like a freshman at times like this.”

 

“He’s even snoring…”

 

Nex felt grateful as he looked at Licht, sleeping soundly on his phoenix. If it weren’t for this junior, both he and Chartinese would have been in danger.

 

“Thank you, Licht.”

 

“…I didn’t know Junior was going through so much.”

 

Nex closed his eyes for a moment and muttered.  That future was horrifying just to imagine. He could still see Chartinese blaming herself and dying in his dreams.

 

The three academy students were covered in dirt.  Night had already fallen.

 

Just then, a figure reflecting the moonlight appeared.

 

“…Found you.”

 

“Princess?”

 

A knight in shining glass armor rushed towards them.

 

“Phine! How did you find this place?!”

 

“Chartinese…? Gasp.”

 

It was Phine Grancia, who was using the alias Mardol.  When she saw another person besides Nex and Chartinese and tried to flee, the vampire saintess rushed forward and hugged her.

 

“I missed you! Phine!”

 

“Name, no.”

 

As she embraced Chartinese, Phine anxiously pointed at the sleeping Licht and shook her head vigorously, expressing her unease.

 

“It’s okay. Junior Licht is asleep.”

 

“He probably won’t wake up for half a day. He pushed his body too hard.”

 

“Ah, that’s a relief…. No, it’s okay. Licht?”

 

Seeing her unusually lengthy speech, the phoenix and vampire couple’s eyes widened. Such emotional changes were rare for her.

 

“He’ll be fine.  Aside from falling asleep after saving us?”

 

“Uh… Really? Chartinese…?”

 

“Yes! Phine…! Junior Licht was really strong! He even used sword aura!”

 

“Yeah, strong.”

 

A calm nod. It was a sign of agreement.

 

“Junior found us when Chartinese was captured by the Apostle.”

 

“…Is that so.”

 

Perhaps it was because she finally heard Licht snoring, but the glass knight breathed a sigh of relief.

 

‘Wait, if Junior saved Chartinese and me today, couldn’t he also help with the Princess’s situation?’

 

Nex became lost in thought.  Licht knew the Demon Lords inside and out, and among the current academy students, Phine was the strongest.

 

“He’s really asleep…”

 

The glass knight stared intently at their junior in the black knight helmet.  Seeing this, Nex realized he had missed something.  He wondered how the Princess was even here.

 

“Princess… but how did you get here?”

 

“I searched.”

 

“It hasn’t even been a few hours since Junior and I disappeared…?”

 

“Imperial Guard. I called them.”

 

As she finished speaking, figures of various colors emerged from behind her.  They moved so swiftly, as if they had been there all along.

 

They all had similar wolf ears and tails, and…

 

“Steel Wolf. We greet your esteemed presence!”

 

“Copper Wolf attends to the One of the Empire.”

 

“Silver Wolf, glory to the Ten Swords.”

 

“By your command, Golden Wolf will escort Lady Grancia.”

 

Four swordsmen, divided by colors like the Empire’s currency.  Even Nex was seeing them in person for the first time.

 

“You really called them. Well… no one would have been at the cathedral anyway.”

 

“It’s a bit excessive…”

 

Just then, one of the guards gave a strange look.

 

A silver flash was drawn from his waist.

 

─*Clink*.

 

The figure clad in steel pointed his sword at Licht.  He thought the black knight was an outsider no matter how he looked at it and tried to be prepared before anything happened, but…

 

“…Iron?”

 

“Yes…? Princess?”

 

The Princess suddenly spoke in a chilling tone.  Goosebumps rose on his skin.  As a member of the Imperial Guard, it was his principle to protect the one he served.

 

“You didn’t receive an order, did you?”

 

His hand began to tremble.

 

“A suspicious individual who is neither a Ten Sword nor a member of the Empire meeting the Princess… It’s against regulations…”

 

He barely managed to come up with an excuse.

 

“Put your sword away.”

 

“…”

 

But what came back was a curt order. The golden eyes within the glass helmet narrowed.

 

“I apologize!! Princess!! This one is still a newbie!”

 

“I apologize in his stead. One of the Empire.”

 

“Please forgive him.”

 

Knowing how wrong the situation was, the other members pressed down on the head of the person called Steel Wolf and apologized profusely.

 

“…Are my words not getting through?”

 

It was a disastrous situation, no matter how you looked at it. The figure in golden armor, who appeared to be the leader, sighed deeply.

 

“Lady Phine Grancia.  I apologize.  I will take full responsibility.”

 

“…I’ll punish you. Gold.”

 

Phine, who had made him sheathe his sword, muttered in an annoyed tone.  No matter how one looked at it, Licht had saved Nex and Chartinese.  His body was drenched in sweat.

 

A piercing golden gaze.

 

Her eyesight was better than most, so she could easily notice such a thing.

 

A strong person.

 

Looking at the muscles faintly visible through his clothes, Phine thought. How many swordsmen could reach this level of martial prowess without mana or magic?

 

‘How much stronger can he become from here, Licht?’

 

There probably weren’t any besides this man. Her competitive spirit made her wolf ears twitch inside her helmet.

 

He had mastered the Empire’s sword style, Wolf Fang, in an instant. He was different from others.

 

Just then, a black furball rushed towards her.

 

“Woof!!”

 

“Kkamang…?”

 

Licht’s spirit circled Phine, displaying its affection.

 

Its paws, like black socks, and its characteristic smiling face were covered in dirt, but it didn’t matter to her because it was cute.

 

“…Stop licking me.”

 

“Pant, pant.”

 

The black Pomeranian stuck out its tongue and continued to greet her. Phine seemed used to it as she crouched down and gently stroked its head.

 

“Junior Licht’s spirit really likes Phine. So, the part about not being friends seems like a lie…”

 

“I told you so, Chartinese.”

 

As soon as Phine’s touch reached it, the spirit lay down, exposing its belly to the sky. A gesture of complete trust.

 

“Yes, good boy.”

 

“Woof!”

 

Watching this scene, the Imperial Guard was speechless, while Nex and Chartinese nodded in satisfaction.

 

After some time, as Phine stopped scratching its belly and tried to leave,

 

“Whimper…”

 

The Pomeranian stood up at Phine’s feet, scratching her legs and acting cute.

 

“…Ah, this would be better.”

 

Seeing this, Phine spoke in a voice that suggested she either wanted to spend more time with Licht’s spirit or had a good idea.

 

*Clink, clink*.

 

The sound of metal clasps unfastening rang out.

 

“Uh…? Phine…?”

 

“Wait, Princess?!”

 

Phine took off her helmet and placed it beside her. Then, she put her hand on her chest. The crystal armor partially opened, revealing a young girl from head to toe, clad in white.

 

A white-haired woman with wolf ears, wearing the Grand Hearts Academia uniform.

 

“Even so, taking off the Masterpiece…!”

 

“Shut up.”

 

The Imperial Guard was shocked and cried out, but she paid them no mind.  She made this choice because she was afraid she might scare Kkamang again, as she had done before.

 

She had already pointed a sword at Licht once; there would be no second mistake.

 

“The dwarves are real perverts.  It really hits home that they increased the height and size because the armor proportions didn’t match.”

 

“I agree…”

 

Phine, free from her heavy armor, shrunk in size as she stepped onto the ground. The feel of the grass enveloped her feet.

 

“Woof!”

 

“Heehee… Cute.”

 

The white-haired girl with wolf ears picked up Licht’s spirit, and her icy expression softened slightly for the first time in a while.

 

Seeing this, the Imperial Guard was dumbfounded.  Their icy Princess reacting like this? It was strange no matter how they looked at it.

 

“Uh… Captain.  Did the Princess always act like this?”

 

“No… What is their relationship? With that man…”

 

“If His Majesty finds out…”

 

“Let’s keep today’s events a secret for now…”

 

The four Imperial Guards muttered in voices so low they were almost inaudible.

“Ah, a whisper has already been sent to Dijur-nim about the fact that we drew our swords…”

They were desperately trying to think of a way out of the mistake, but miserably failed. Their superior was already aware that his mood had been disturbed.

 

“…This was the first summons in years, so I thought it was dangerous!!!”

 

With the silent cry of the man in golden armor, the incident of the Hero Church’s first threat to the academy came to a close.

 

—–CROW—–