/From Maria's perspective/
"Explode."
It was an explosion.
・
・
・
Am I dreaming right now?
A black figure who rushed to the scene of a hopeless situation sneers with confidence.
"I've come to change the ending..."
It was something incomprehensible, but the situation that was desperate began to turn around.
It was overwhelming violence.
The black knight, with a jet-black appearance and a jet-black masquerade mask covering half of their face, blows away the villains in an instant.
Their movements and agility are like those of a superhuman.
The amount of magical power overflowing from their entire body is not something even a student of the academy possesses.
Before anyone knows it, they swing the rapier in their left hand behind their head as if they have eyes on the back of their head and deflect bullets.
And then, they throw the shield in their right hand and hit the man who fired the gun in the abdomen, causing their body to recoil and hit the wall with tremendous force.
They easily knock down more than ten men who have undergone training with weapons.
"What are you? Who are you?" Eleanor asks, visibly shaken as he stands next to me with a long sword in her right hand, ready to fight.
"Are you a Chevalier?" he scoffs, ignoring my words.
The black knight punches the man who had just been shot in the lung, and he falls to the ground with foam coming out of his mouth.
"My name? Hmm..." The black knight hesitates, and I sense a lack of conviction in his voice.
After neutralizing the villains, the black knight stops and places a hand on his chin, lost in thought.
"What is my name?"
Eleanor's gulp echoed in the silence.
"Phantom!"
The black knight declared.
After a moment of silence, Eleanor froze.
The man who punched me first, probably an Arts user, fitted his gauntlets on both hands and assumed a boxing-like stance, staring down the black knight.
"Boss... what should we do?"
He moved his predatory eyes, as if sizing up their target.
"Of course. Kill him, Grache."
Eleanor gave that order to Grache, presumably the leader of these men.
"As you wish."
That man is the one who attacked me from behind and hit me first.
He approaches the black knight with a blue afterimage, just like he did back then.
Run away! -
That man is strong.
He is equipped with a special activation magic weapon, or perhaps he is a skilled arts user.
It is clear at a glance that his combat power exceeds that of the villains who were shooting bullets.
He uses both magic and arts simultaneously and moves quickly, which is impossible for a human body to do.
Above all, that gauntlet contains a wicked magical power.
If it hits directly, it contains a killing intent that can easily take a life with just a hit on the human body.
"Oh, a monk."
The black knight says in one word.
Suddenly,
a thunderous roar echoes.
The fist that flew towards the black knight misses its target."
"Echoes"
It left a mark on the brick wall as if it had been gouged out by a heavy machine.
"Hurry, run!"
I couldn't help but shout.
"Shut up!"
Eleanor's strong slap.
I crouched down and could only watch the situation.
Grache's attack is bad.
It's much more vicious than expected.
If you receive even one blow directly, the human body will scatter.
I want someone to help.
Even so...if it means a stranger dies...
"Huh?"
In the flickering candlelight, I saw no hesitation or urgency in the eyes behind the Black Knight's mask.
Eyes filled with sorrow.
Sad eyes.
With eyes that could be taken as pity, the Black Knight narrowly dodges Gracche's lightning-fast fist. It's a fight to the death, and all he can do is evade. Amidst this back-and-forth battle, the Black Knight speaks to Gracche in a steady voice.
"For what purpose did you gain this strength?"
"What do you mean?"
"I am impressed by the training and techniques you have honed, but there must have been other paths you could have taken."
The Black Knight seems to be trying to get to the heart of the matter.
Yes, Gracche is strong. There must have been other ways to live, though.
"Hah! Are you trying to lecture me? You, who are on the defensive!"
Suddenly, something seems off.
Could it be...?
The Black Knight seems to avoid Gracche's attacks by the narrowest of margins.
Without making any unnecessary movements, he evades as if to say, "I don't waste energy."
And then comes his ultimate technique.
"I see... So that's how it is."
Perhaps even Gratche doesn't understand.
I didn't understand either.
Maybe...
It's actually Gratche who is being played. The Black Knight is intentionally not attacking, testing to confirm their true intentions.
"Why do you fight?"
"For money! Power! Women!"
"I see..."
The Black Knight mutters with a sad expression, devoid of any fighting spirit.
"That's right. That's what it was."
I felt like I understood the true intentions of the Black Knight.
I know. It's not like that.
There was a familiar pattern on that man's gauntlet.
It was the pattern of the Holy Magnolia Kingdom, a country far to the west of the Valkyria Kingdom.
The Holy Magnolia was a deeply religious and peaceful country, but their situation changed one day.
The madness of the Archbishop Andreas.
Now deceased Andreas attempted to summon a god of destruction that could destroy the world.
The reason behind this is still unknown.
This event would later be recorded as the "Magnolia Crisis," a major event in world history.
The various countries collaborated and invaded Magnolia.
Magnolia was a very powerful country that produced many monks.
The fierce battle lasted for three years and ended with the victory of the allied forces.
Many lives were lost, and many refugees were created.
However, the neighboring countries did not have the capacity to accept these refugees. I saw news that many people died of hunger. I also heard that the surviving refugees were subjected to severe discrimination.
Perhaps...Gracche is a survivor of Saint Magnolia.
Gracche had lost all hope. He had lost the means to live and could not walk the life he had hoped for. The world did not allow it.
That's why he went mad. That's why he abandoned his doctrine and had to walk the path of evil.
The Black Knight...Phantom knows.
No one has killed the villains.