As soon as I regained my senses, I explained to Seilon, who was jumping up and down saying that such blasphemy couldn’t be committed, that this was all a disguise to avoid further misunderstandings and to break through the difficulties I would face.
Since it didn’t seem like he was going to listen with just one persuasion, I repeated similar words over and over again.
It wasn’t exactly pleasant, like a girl fawning over a frustrating man, but after persistent persuasion, Seilon finally nodded.
Still, his face showed reluctance, as if he had no choice but to follow my orders.
…I’m not exactly thrilled about it either, you know?
After that, Seilon and I put our heads together to come up with a reason to retreat without causing a big fuss.
After all, thousands of troops who had marched through the snowfields needed a fitting reason to return empty-handed.
Our romantic relationship could be explained later, but it wasn’t something to bring up right now.
For now, retreating under a different pretext and revealing the truth after the troops returned to the Holy City seemed the most natural course of action.
After much deliberation, we concluded that the best approach was to dramatically mix the fact that I had survived a direct hit from the Light of Judgment and the name of Belcus.
—
“A duel, you say…?”
The Judge, who heard our story as we left the barracks, reacted as if it were nonsense.
Seilon stepped forward in my place and laid out the details to him.
The scenario Seilon and I had concocted was simple.
We revealed that Belcus was the mastermind behind the riot, and I argued that the Church Order’s suppression itself was his goal, so we should withdraw. Seilon countered that if it was the work of a demon, we should investigate even more thoroughly.
Normally, Seilon would have ignored me, but the fact that I had taken a direct hit from the Light of Judgment without a scratch was a problem.
He couldn’t be sure that forcing me was in line with Astraea’s will, and if a clash occurred, it was clear that we would suffer massive losses while facing a demon.
“That’s why we agreed to settle it through a duel. Astraea will decide which of us is right.”
“But we’re not the Bølberg Church Order, what kind of… A duel? Against the Empire’s strongest knight?!”
Of course, the high-ranking clergy all opposed it.
Though they didn’t say it outright, their eyes were screaming, “Are you spouting nonsense because you’re bewitched by a woman?”
Judging by their reactions, it seemed the paladins who had entered the barracks had already spread the word about what they’d seen.
And they’d probably relayed their misunderstandings raw.
…Gossipy bastards.
“Are you doubting her fairness now? Astraea is the goddess of justice who blesses the righteous. If our cause is just, she will protect me.”
“If things go wrong, His Eminence the Cardinal will hold you strictly accountable…!”
“If my judgment goes against Astraea’s will, then so be it.”
Seilon, his face stiff, emitted a faint divine light and dismissed their objections.
They weren’t the type to be convinced by such bravado, but since Seilon had been granted overall command of the Holy Legion, the clergy had no choice but to accept it unless they wanted to rebel.
And in the Church Order of Justice, rebellion was an act against that very justice.
As a result, a dueling ground was prepared in the open space between their formation and the city walls.
If I lost, I would submit to the Astraea Church Order’s judgment without resistance. If Seilon lost, he would withdraw the troops and cooperate with me to track down Belcus.
—
I set down the arrows and throwing spears that wouldn’t be much help in a duel and faced Seilon with only Durandal in hand.
“…A divine artifact.”
Seilon left a brief comment upon seeing Durandal’s blade.
Come to think of it, while it was widely known that I was descended from the Twelve Knights, few knew the true nature of my sword.
Well, most sharp-witted people probably guessed it anyway.
There was no reason to hide it.
“It’s an heirloom from my mother. The treasure of the Median family, Durandal.”
“The sword of the Twelve Knights…”
Seilon muttered softly, drew his longsword, and lightly placed his left hand on the flat of the blade, running it from the base to the tip.
As his fingertips moved, a brilliant divine light rose, dyeing the blade of the longsword gold.
…That’s kind of cool.
Turns out, this guy has a flair for the dramatic.
“Astraea, heavenly sword who protects righteous wrath, avenger who destroys sin. Here, your servant prays…”
With the sun-like longsword in hand, Seilon recited a prayer in a low voice.
A prayer praising the goddess and swearing to uphold justice, vowing to forever obey as the instrument of Astraea’s judgment.
“…At last, her will descends, and thus we shall face the Day of Judgment.”
As Seilon finished his prayer with a holy sign,
– Whoosh!
Light pierced through the clouds.
—
A pillar of divine light rose high into the sky.
Squinting at the blindingly bright pillar, I gripped Durandal with both hands and lowered my stance.
‘Judgment Day,’ huh…
I knew it would be more impressive to fight flashily, but I didn’t expect him to use that right from the start.
Seilon seemed intent on going all out, not just putting on a show for the sake of appearances.
Always so thorough, even in unnecessary ways.
Well, for me, it wasn’t a bad thing.
A fight with a hero-level opponent, and one where I wouldn’t lose my life—there’s no more valuable experience than that.
If the dead Valenstein were watching, he’d probably rise from his grave in frustration, but after his death, the world’s strong were gradually reaching new heights.
Especially the paladins, who were growing stronger faster than knights thanks to the miracles and powers granted by the gods.
Seilon was no exception.
Before manifesting his power, Seilon was no match for Valenstein, but the aura I felt from within the pillar of divine light…
He had already reached a level comparable to Ryurik.
A moment later, the pillar of light gradually subsided, revealing Seilon to the world.
His entire body was clad in armor that shone as if forged from the light of Venus.
A translucent veil of divine light draped over his shoulders, swaying, and the hem of his skirt-like armor shimmered with light.
Thorny vines sprouted from the blade, entwining the base and hilt, wrapping around his entire right arm.
A golden scale, like a halo, blazed with light behind him.
A sacred and dazzling form, no less than a divine servant descended to the mortal world.
Honestly, it was so cool that it made me want to switch careers and become a paladin.
…As expected, no other profession can match the paladins when it comes to flashy presentation.
I sharpened my senses and gauged Seilon’s suddenly enhanced combat power.
The blessing Seilon had received as the ‘Golden Seilon,’ Judgment Day.
It was a miracle-like power that pushed all his abilities to their limits, the ultimate ability for a paladin.
“Seilon Cabnacas, Astraea’s foremost Judge.”
As Seilon introduced himself, gripping the thorny sword with both hands, I aimed Durandal at him and responded.
“Ha-shar-leur.”
A brief introduction that needed no further words.
Soon, the two longswords charged at each other.
A roar tore through the earth.
—
A battle between heroes.
It was a spectacle beyond the imagination of ordinary people, a reenactment of myth.
– Kwaaaaang!
The longswords, swung at speeds only high-ranking paladins could perceive, clashed violently, shaking the air.
The frozen ground cracked under the shockwaves, and a reversed blizzard shot into the sky.
Every time the blades met, explosive streaks of light flashed like lightning.
A fight between those who had surpassed human limits.
The clergy watching from afar were left speechless, staring blankly at the duel between Seilon and me.
—
About five minutes into the duel.
I could feel the scales of victory slowly tipping in my favor.
It was only natural. Even among heroes, there had always been a significant gap between him and me.
“Haaaaah!”
Seilon, who had circled behind me, let out a fierce shout and swung his thorny sword.
The longsword, filled with the goddess’s blessing, descended like a guillotine’s blade.
“That’s more like it! Now it’s getting fun!”
The excitement of battle surged through me.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I blocked Seilon’s slash with Durandal, overlapping it with an ice blade.
– Kwaaaang!
With a deafening roar, my body was flung backward.
I stomped my back foot, using it as a pivot to spin around and charge again.
“Kyaaaah!”
A thrust like lightning aimed for Seilon’s solar plexus.
Just as Durandal’s tip was within a step’s reach, the veil of light draped over his shoulders unraveled, forming a Barrier of Divine Light.
– Kwachaaang!
The barrier shattered in an instant, and Seilon’s body was flung backward. Streaks of light followed him, reforming the veil of light.
…Blocked, huh? I wasn’t trying to kill him, but that was a serious thrust. He’s tough.
I chased after him like a wolf chasing the sun, catching up in an instant and swinging Durandal at his shoulder.
“Take this!”
A blue arc slashed diagonally downward.
Seilon, blocking my sword in a collapsed stance, lost his balance and was slammed into the ground.
“Kuh!”
“Your lower body’s weak!”
I relentlessly rained down slashes and punches on the fallen Seilon.
The sound of collisions echoed like a meteor shower.
The ground cracked, and golden fragments scattered in all directions.
Seilon, lying on the ground, swung his sword tirelessly, blocking fatal attacks, but the relentless barrage of strikes he couldn’t block rained down mercilessly.
The blessing covering his armor shattered, and the Judge’s armor began to tear and warp.
“What, is it over already? Hold out a bit longer!”
“Astraea—!”
Seilon roared the goddess’s name in response to my words.
At the same time, the divine scale behind him, glowing like a halo, exploded.
Wait, was that supposed to explode?!
Like a proximity grenade, the fragments of light shot out in dozens of blades toward me.
I hastily covered my face with my arms and the hilt, blocking the incoming blades of light.
– Crackle!
The divine light collided with the ice blade, scattering like dust, while a blade of light pierced through the leather armor on my right arm, digging into my skin and leaving a sharp pain.
Thankfully, it wasn’t that painful.
At most, it felt like a dagger had stabbed my forearm. It was bearable.
– Thud!
Seilon’s boot slammed into my abdomen as I protected my head.
A pushing kick. As I flew backward with a grunt, I caught a glimpse of Seilon staggering to his feet in the corner of my vision.
I flipped mid-air, righted myself, and landed smoothly, scattering a blizzard.
Looking up, I saw Seilon healing himself with miraculous power, wiping the blood from his mouth.
The scattered divine light gathered, reforming the halo of scales behind him.
I really like this guy.
Filled with joy, I grinned widely.
He was a satisfying opponent.
Even without using the Heroic Tale, he was an ally who could match me to some extent, and he was tough enough to take a beating without serious injury.
There’s no better sandbag than him.
“Good, very good! You’re not tired already, are you?!”
“Don’t worry, I can fight all day!”
Seilon, who had naturally switched to informal speech, charged at me.
I let out a ferocious laugh, gripping Durandal tightly with both hands, and ran toward him.
The thorny sword grazed my side, scattering drops of blood, while Durandal tore through Seilon’s armor.
A ten-minute bloody battle that dyed the snowfield with our blood.
After a clash of heroes that turned the surroundings into ruins, the Reversed Heaven sword, which had shattered Seilon’s longsword, pierced his shoulder.
The moment the duel’s winner was decided.
