“I am becoming too attached to Ascalon. How can I not when his nature, his insecurity, is so similar to her? I can’t help but see her face whenever I meet his gaze. It’s soft, warm, and filled with endless uncertainty. I want to embrace him, to whisper in his ear that he needs not struggle any longer, but I…I know what must be done at the end of this path. This relationship of ours cannot last forever. Still, until the time comes, I want to be by his side for just a little bit longer. Please forgive me my beloved, but even I have my moments of selfishness. I want to bask in this fleeting happiness while it still lasts.”

The Knight

———

The Knight

It has been an hour since Ascalon’s last message. Is he still locked in combat with Nokron? The Knight knows that his invulnerability is nigh impenetrable, but it can’t help but feel a little anxious for his safety.

Just when did it start feeling this way? Concern, anxiety…they are but mere hindrances, weaknesses to be exploited, so why is it experiencing these emotions after so, so long? Is it due to its connection with Aegis? Or perhaps it has been moved by Ascalon’s resolve?

No. It has always been there buried deep within. The Knight is simply running away from its own nature. As much as it wants to hollow out its heart, in the end, it is Human.

Nonetheless, it must continue to bury these feelings. It must not hesitate when the time comes.

“Lorelai!” Surasha’s voice suddenly rings in its ears. “Something’s wrong! The fortress is, um, I-I’m not sure-”

“Deep breaths Surasha. What happened?” it says, snapping back to reality.

“I don’t know how else to describe it, but it’s as if the entire fortress has transformed into, well, a forest. Flowers, grass, bushes… they just started to grow all of a sudden in the hallways. We’re trying to get past, but there’s too many obstacles in the way. It’ll take forever before we’re able to reach the center.”

“That’s certainly odd…”

The Knight recalls back to Sarathiel’s recollection of his battle with the Nox commander. ‘The past is the present, and the present is the past’ is what Nokron revealed during their skirmish. Time and purgatory; perhaps this phenomenon is related to his final scheme, but why a forest of all things?

“There’s something else, but I’m not really sure if it’ll be helpful.”

“It’s ok, what is it?”

“Ah, dammit. I-I don’t know why, but something about the greenery feels…nostalgic, in a way. It’s as if I’m being transported back to the days when Ascalon and I were living in the forest back before our village was razed to the ground. Everything from the flowers to the vines just feels so familiar.”

“…I see.” It understands now. Something has happened to Ascalon. “Surasha, stop your advance and make your way towards the exit.”

“What!? But-”

“I’ll deal with it personally.”

“What about Nokron?”

“Ascalon is currently engaged with him. This phenomenon is probably a result of their battle.”

“Huh!? Y-You didn’t tell us anything about this!”

“Sorry, Ascalon wanted me to keep quiet. He didn’t want anyone else to be exposed to the danger, so he went in alone.”

“Of course that idiotic little hero obsessed moron would do something like this…haaah, fine. I’ll listen. Just make sure to give him a good beating once you pull him out of whatever mess he’s gotten into now.”

“Haha, will do.”

“Good, I’m getting out of here then. Make sure to tell the others!”

The Knight relays the message to the other captains and, although they have their grievances, they all eventually agree to leave.

It ends the connection and paces around the war tent. ‘The past is the present, and the present is the past’. Yes, that must be it. Somehow, Nokron is manifesting Ascalon’s memories into reality, altering the surrounding environment along with it.

“Everyone, maintain your positions here,” it says to the surrounding personnel. “A situation has occurred in the fortress. I must be off.”

“Understood commander,” they salute. “May Cosmos guide your wings.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

It should be fine to leave the encampment in the hands of the officers. For now, it must leave and find Ascalon itself.

“Aegis, the surroundings will become much more dangerous from now on,” it says to the toddler on its head. “No matter what happens, you must prioritize your safety above all else.”

“Ok!” Aegis gurgles.

The Knight doesn’t want to expose Aegis to the battlefield just yet, but perhaps it will be fine. The stench of death isn’t as strong in the fortress, and he shall be safe from the Niflheim as long as the barrier is maintained around them. If they encounter any corpses, it can just tell Aegis to close his eyes. Such a sight should not be shown to such infantile eyes just yet.

“Alright, then let us soar.”

Aegis manifests the astral wings onto The Knight’s back and they take off into the air, speeding straight to the top of the fortress.

When they reach the fortress, they’re greeted by a puzzled Joshua, descending down his vantage point to see them.

“Oh? Has something happened, Lorelai?” he asks.

“I think Ascalon’s in danger. I’m going to break through the walls and find him.”

“Ah? Alright then.” His voice is surprisingly carefree despite the information. The Knight finds his demeanor a bit cold, but perhaps he’s just confident that Ascalon will be safe. If it’s something else, then it’ll just deal with it when the time comes. “Would you like me to come along? I’ve been feeling a little blue out here since there’s not much to do.”

“No, I’ll be fine by myself. Tell the other Seraph to begin preparing for departure; the knight captains have already started to leave, so make sure to grab the personnel back at the camp.”

“By your word. I’ll make sure we’re all set to leave by the time you bring Ascalon out. We’ll be waiting!”

Joshua flies off. The Knight is still a bit wary of him, but more pressing matters await. With a swing of The Eclipse, it cleaves through the fortress’s walls and begins its descent into the lower levels.

It’s just as Surasha described it, the Magnus Murus has completely turned into a grand jungle. Mud covers the entirety of the ground while large branches poke out from the walls and reach high into the air. Despite the landscape, nothing around it seems to be dangerous. It’s calm, serene, and filled with all kinds of flora. There are even wild fauna innocently grazing to the side.

But even though they appear to be living creatures, they are not actually alive. Looking closer, The Knight senses a strange aura coming off of their bodies. It feels foreign, fake, as if everything around it is but a mere illusion.

It expects as much. No matter how powerful one may be, no matter their ability or sorcery, no one can create life with aura except for Cosmos. Even Annalay’s power is only the manipulation of nature, not the creation of it.

These things are a mirage. A snapshot of the past given physical form and allowed to run rampant. Nokron wouldn’t have created such a benign illusion, so either the Nox commander has perished, or…

The Knight bursts through the upper floor and lands straight into the control room.

Right in front of it stands Ascalon wrapped in a bouquet of flowers. They shine brilliantly, sparkling glints of red and green on top of his body. Nokron’s corpse is collapsed to the side, but The Knight can sense a faint trace of his consciousness trapped within Ascalon.

“So this is where you’ve been…” The Knight mutters, caressing his helm. “Locked in a dream. Slumbering ever so peacefully.”

Nokron must have given up his physical form and offered himself completely to the lifestream of aura. The Knight has seen similar transformations in the past, but it never does end quite well for those who’ve abandoned their bodies. There’s a reason why Cosmos has to fit the soul into a physical form; it would slowly be pulled away by Creation’s current otherwise.

“Oh, my courageous, and foolish, Ascalon…why must you insist on shouldering every burden alone? Why must you suffer whilst all else thrive? It’s ok to be a little selfish sometimes. Why can’t you just live for yourself?”

It’s terrifying just how similar Ascalon is to her. Although The Knight knows full well that its beloved will never return, it can’t help but be drawn to him as if the two are one and the same. If she is to ever be reborn, it imagines she would be just like the man before it.

“Ok?” Aegis asks while patting its helm.

“…Yes, I’m ok Aegis. I’m just reminiscing about the past.”

The Knight wraps Ascalon in a tender embrace, holding tight onto his body. The feelings it has never been able to tell its beloved, it shamelessly relays to the knight King. It knows full well that it’s just using him as a substitute, preying on the love he has for another, but…it wants to be a bit selfish after an eternity of duty. It wants to be happy, even if the moment is for but a fleeting period, gone as quickly as it begins.

What remains of Nokron’s will senses the touch and desperately transfers itself into the new body. His feelings of disgust and revulsion pass on along with him…it seems like Ascalon’s will is much too powerful for the fleeting specter to handle.

“I-I’ve finally escaped that wretched dream…” Nokron’s voice says within its mind. “Now, now I can finally be free. Yes, this body shall-”

“I’m afraid that will be difficult for you,” The Knight interrupts. “You can try, but the result shall only lead to nothingness.”

Nokron echoes a hollow laugh. “I know not how you managed to survive without The Grand General’s knowledge, Lorelai, but Ascalon’s power is the only reason why I’m unable to invade his mind. You, on the hand, shall be subjected to the full force of my purgatory. Of time’s-”

He stops. “No. N-No. W-What is this…eternity? Endless, dark…I see nothing but an infinite void. That’s impossible. I-I can’t reach the depths of your past. I cannot even see the surface.”

His voice is filled with despair. Well, this is an expected result.

“The past is the present, and the present is the past,” The Knight repeats. “I was curious to see just how far my past you’d be able to delve into, but it seems my expectations were all for naught. A shame. If your ability worked, maybe I would have been able to see her again, illusion or not.”

“You…you are not Lorelai. W-What exactly are you?”

“Human.”

Nokron’s presence is dissipating, consciousness being pulled apart by the sea of eternity within The Knight’s mind. Without even a sound, his life comes to an end. There is no battle, not even a sparse of resistance; he disappears, existence snuffed without so much as a cry.

The siege is over. Polus stands victorious. Now, there is only a single matter left.

It leans in close, lips brushed against his ear, and whispers.

“Ascalon, it’s time to wake up.”