This story did not end here though. In the Battle of the Millennium, although Sir Winstin fought the Four Cardinals to a draw, King Harth was still captured. It was a defining moment for the kingdom, and one that marked the fall of Sir Winstin's glory. After all, he had lived, while his king had fallen. It was the greatest shame a knight could bear. His rivals were more than happy to see this and pushed for his retirement. They had claimed he had become too weak to serve as a Protector anymore. Their voices grew momentum as the nobles joined in. This was unsurprising because everyone knew of his common background. These proud knights and nobles would never accept someone of lesser status above them. The thought alone could make them sick. It became such a big deal that the Royal Assembly and Royal Family had to step in and mediate. Ultimately, thanks to the efforts of the previous Leader of the Royal Guards and Lord Korogin who spoke up for him, he could continue being a Royal Guard.
To return their favor, he doubled his training and pushed his skills even further. He refused to fail again! His strength grew until it reached the absolute pinnacle of Perception Realm Master, allowing him to dominate those beneath him. He had thoroughly defined the upper limit of strength in the world! However, there was always another mountain to climb and the more he trained, the more he realized this. There was a limit to his growth. The first sign was Half-Instinct Realm. No matter how hard he tried, he could not take that final step. It was like there was a veil shrouding his path. The path forward was no longer obvious.
Of course, how could he realize that the key was to grasp Martial Energy, and that without it, it was impossible to advance into Half-Instinct Realm? The sad truth was that he failed at the very first step. To properly progress through Fundamental Realm and Perception Realm, Martial Energy was a requirement. What Sir Winstin did was a different, but wrong path. He would need to start over from the beginning, if he wanted any chance of breaking into Instinct Realm, except that was unlikely at his age. That was why the Sword King lost interest in these so-called generational prodigies in the Royal Guard. He knew that their foundations were already ruined, and that it would take too much effort to rebuild from scratch. They were a lost cause. Still, for Sir Winstin to reach Perception Realm Master, and push beyond the veil touching into Half-Instinct Realm, it could be seen how exceptional he truly was. He was probably one of the very few people who could realize the path was wrong! Had he been properly trained in Martial Energy, he could have stood alongside the likes of the Sword King, or even greater. His potential could have been boundless.
'Could' was the keyword here because sadly, that did not happen. He stagnated at the zenith. And despite his incredible performance against the Four Cardinals two years later, to the point where he made them thoroughly rethink how strong a human could be, he allowed Lord Korogin to be captured by Emperor Lianghu. The same tragedy had come to pass. He could not overcome his limits! Fortunately, Elizabeth and General Illion arrived shortly afterwards, slaying Emperor Lianghu, and rescuing everyone. His failure was glossed over because of it. However, he could never forgive himself and neither could Lady Lucia, Lord Korogin's wife. She never said a word, only giving an empty, cold gaze instead, as if condemning him for what he had done. As if to say, why he had survived again? Why him? That was far more painful than any insult could be. He was too ashamed to meet her gaze.
The same occurred when he became Elizabeth's Protector. The Whispering Shadow attacked and captured her in the middle of Castle Reinhard, leading to the Lannisail explosion. Although she did survive for reasons unknown, she had been stuck in a coma for months. There were serious discussions about whether the Royal Family should remove her from the inheritance race, or whether they should put her out of her misery. Surprisingly, Queen Bethnal was the one who advocated most strongly to keep her in line. Had she not spoken up, Elizabeth might not have survived. The Lannisail explosion and the heavenly phenomenon in Firecast signalled a change in the world. The Royal Guards and Perception Realms were no longer seen as invincible pillars of strength anymore. Now, the Sword King, Protector Avin, Lord Wenmord, and the Featherwind Sect made their entrance. Each of them had the power to conquer armies! How could Sir Winstin compete against those monsters?
He had to wonder why he tried at all. His strength was clearly not enough anymore. Just one look at his arm could show that. In this era of Martial Energy and Rank 3 Kings, he was completely outmatched! Moreover, Elizabeth and her friends were growing at a meteoric pace. Their abilities had, in some ways, already surpassed Sir Winstin's own. It was unbelievable. They might really surpass him before long. Therefore, what was his value? A knight's job was to protect, and yet, he failed to even do that. What could he do then? As Sentinel Kong and the bald man prepared their final blows, as the shattered pieces of his glaive flew, as he watched Elizabeth and her friends struggle against their enemies, time slowed to a crawl. He had to wonder… was this how his life would end? By failing to protect anyone and dying miserably… How pathetic was that? His thoughts waned, as his lifeforce wilted. The light in his eyes dimmed. He could feel death's embrace approaching. He had done enough, right? No one could ask for anything more. Maybe, it was finally time to rest…
No! Blood spewed, as he bit through his lip. The sight was shocking, and the intense pain brought him back to his senses. What could he do? The enemy was right in front of him, which meant the answer was obvious. He would drag them to the underworld with him! They say that a person's life would be defined in their final moments. Some would cry. Some would rage. Some would regret. Life was so beautiful, and death was so scary. There was so much left to do in this wide world, and yet… fate could be ever so cruel. When heroes die, they should die without regret. That was what people said. People called Sir Winstin a hero, but he had too many regrets to count. However… what he was doing now, in his final moments, was unmistakably the mark of a true hero! His lifeforce flared to the surface, giving him another chance. Although his glaive was destroyed, the blade was just within reach. His fingers grazed the wooden handle.
Unfortunately, his opponents were a Perception Realm Expert and Master, both at full strength. They could sense his intent even before he moved. A staff and glaive pushed through. They wanted to finish him off! It should have been impossible for Sir Winstin to succeed in these circumstances. The odds were stacked too high against him. Despite that, a beast was most dangerous when cornered, especially when it was Sir Winstin who had nothing left to lose. He could commit everything! Boom! Using his remaining lifeforce, he unleashed a monstrous burst of killing intent, one strong enough to briefly paralyze the two Perception Realms. Although it lasted for a split-second, the oppression of a pseudo-Half-Instinct Realm was still ridiculous. It showed just how close he was to Half-Instinct Realm! That delay was enough to grab his blade and brandish it. Bang! A staff crashed into his chest plate, sending tremors through the metal, and driving his broken ribs into his lungs. The pain was almost unbearable! Blood filled his mouth, though it was already mostly filled anyways. His current appearance was horrifying, akin to an undying corpse. He would not go down!
Sir Winstin roared and charged at Sentinel Kong. Although the bald man was the stronger of the two, being a Perception Realm Master, he was using a blunt staff. Sir Winstin's plate armor could mitigate most of the force, and he could tolerate the rest. The problem was Sentinel Kong with his glaive. He was clearly the more dangerous one. Thankfully, if Sir Winstin could get into close range, then his weapon would be useless. It became a contest of speed! Sentinel Kong was a full-strength Perception Realm Expert, while Sir Winstin was a mortally injured pseudo-Half-Instinct Realm. The former should have the edge, but that split-second delay and the awkwardness of a glaive in close range were pivotal. Sir Winstin broke through the sentinel's guard and struck as quick as lightning! Whoosh! Blood splashed. Sentinel Kong widened his eyes in disbelief, as he reached for his slashed throat. He lost? He could not understand it. Just how strong was Sir Winstin? That was his last thought as he died. Sentinel Kong had perished!