Counting.
Specifically, measuring time.
Bercouli possessed the special ability to confirm time through instinct alone, and now he was relying on this power to record it. Even as his thoughts were disturbed by the Emperor’s sword, he continued to count unconsciously.
— Four hundred and eighty seven.
— Four hundred and eighty eight.
Bercouli read the seconds precisely while repeating his foolish attacks, occasionally sputtering taunts from his mouth.
“… Your swordsmanship… doesn’t seem, up to scratch… Your Imperial Majesty.”
— Four hundred and ninety five.
“You can’t beat me, with these sword skills… with this second rate stuff, no, third rate at most.”
— Four hundred and ninety eight.
“Watch this, I’m not done yet!”
With a shout, he slashed down in front of him.
— Five hundred.
His sword blade touched the indigo halo radiating from the Emperor.
Sucked into Incarnation, his thoughts were interrupted.
When he regained consciousness, he was already down on one knee, blood dripping from a new wound on his left cheek.
— Five hundred and eight.
Almost there. Just endure it a little bit more.
Bercouli stood up with difficulty, and looked towards the Emperor behind him.
A hint of slight disgust appeared on Vector’s usually expressionless face. The reason was that, when he had cut Bercouli’s cheek, a drop of blood had flown out and splashed onto Vector’s pale cheek.
Vector wiped away the stain with his fingertip, and mused.
“… I’ve had enough.”
He took one step forward into the red puddle that Bercouli created.
“Your soul is too heavy. Too thick. It sticks to my tongue. And how boring, you merely think of killing me.”
The Emperor said in a flat voice, and took another step closer.
“Die.”
Raised silently, the black sword emanated a viscous gleam.
Bercouli’s expression did not change, but he secretly clenched his teeth.
— Just a bit more. Thirty seconds left.
“Heh… Don’t, say that. I can, still… enjoy, it.”
The Knight Commander hobbled a few steps towards thin air, and feebly raised the longsword in his right hand.
“Where’d you… go. Where the heck did you go. Oh, there…?”
With empty light in his eyes, the Knight Commander swung his sword.
Clank. He hit somewhere completely off with his sword tip, and stumbled exaggeratedly.
“Ah… Was it… here…?”
He swung another attack that lacked even a swishing noise. Then, dragging an already disabled foot, Bercouli shambled cluelessly at random.
Since his vision had failed due to enormous blood loss, his thoughts also became hopelessly jumbled — he certainly looked like that.
However, this was the Knight Commander’s once-in-a-lifetime performance.
Those half-closed blue-gray eyes were only tightly fixated on one single thing.
Footprints.
Through nearly ten minutes of pointless attacking, Bercouli had spilled his blood over the entirety of this rocky summit, which was not wide at all. Hence, the two different footprints tracked out over the whole surface by the Emperor’s boots and the Knight Commander’s leather sandals, were clearly carved and highly distinguishable.
In other words, this was the detailed record of the two men’s movements.
Acting demented, Bercouli was searching for the driest, darkest footprint of the Emperor, created when he cut off Bercouli’s left arm ten minutes ago.
After that, Bercouli had immediately, and unconsciously, begun to count the time.
Which means, that was the place where Emperor Vector had stood ten minutes ago. Then, his bloody footprints precisely recorded the direction he advanced in, and where he moved.
— Five hundred and eighty nine.
— Five hundred, and ninety.
“Oh… I’ve found… you…”
Bercouli mumbled feebly, rocking from side to side as he swung the Time Piercing Sword.
This truly was the last strike.
Whether it was sword, or its owner, both of their dwindling Lives had reached their ends.
And Bercouli expended them both to exhaustion, activating the Release Recollection Art of his Divine Instrument, the Time Piercing Sword.
«Time Piercing Sword, Unseen Slash».
The opposite of the «Empty Slash» that could sever the future, the «Unseen Slash» had the power to sever the past.
Within Underworld’s Main Visualizer, the recent movements of all human Units were recorded for six hundred seconds, or ten minutes.
The Time Piercing Sword could interfere with this record, causing the system to mistake the Unit’s position ten minutes and one second ago for the Unit’s current position.
As for the result, the blade that could normally cut only nothing, could be transmitted to the body of a person who had existed in this area in the past. Unavoidable, unblockable, true to its name, it was a strike that could betray14 all other sword techniques and hard work.
It was for this very reason that Bercouli always shunned activating the «Unseen Slash». When battling Eugeo, even though he had lost to the Release Recollection Art of the Blue Rose Sword, he resolved never to use this technique that could easily earn him victory. He knew that Senate Elder Chudelkin would even recognize that as an act of treason against the Axiom Church.
But, with Emperor Vector as his opponent, who rode above inestimable power far exceeding his own, he had no such hesitations.
The instant that Emperor Vector had stepped down from his dragon, Bercouli had taken advantage of the fact that his enemy flew in a straight line at a constant speed to correctly calculate his location ten minutes before. Yet, in the mix of the close quarters melee that ensued, locking onto his location was insurmountably difficult.
Of course, if he could recall where his enemy was during that instant ten minutes ago, he could activate this technique. But while using this method, if his sword technique activation was disturbed by the enemy, it would be very difficult to accurately count to ten minutes after that.
— Just like this instant right now.
“You look like you’re plotting something.”
Emperor Vector approached as though gliding, and Bercouli was forced to quickly avoid the blue-black Incarnation emanating from the longsword. Just like that, «ten minutes and one second ago» were forever lost to him.
— So I’ve missed my chance.
Bercouli once more readied his Time Piercing Sword about to use Release Recollection, cursing in his chest.
He was truly at his wit’s end.
Since the Emperor already realized that he was concealing a plot, he would activate his own ultimate technique again without hesitation. In reality, the gleam of Incarnation on his longsword was already reaching towards Bercouli.
Opposite it, the Knight Commander began to evade with all his might.
Crawl away.
Crawl away, crawl away, and fall shamelessly to the ground. He had known since very long ago that he would welcome death in this haggard state.
Three times. Four times.
Right until after the fifth attack, Bercouli successfully evaded all of them.
But after that, the blue black light finally grazed his body.
His consciousness broke off with a snap.
When Bercouli opened his eyes again, what he saw was Vector’s longsword, penetrating deeply into his stomach.
With a whoosh, the blade was jerked out, and the last of the Knight Commander’s Life gushed out in the form of crimson liquid.
As he slowly fell backwards, he saw —
The silhouette of a dragon high above, tearing the air as it dove down at lightning speed.
— Hoshigami.
br />
Hey, didn’t I tell you to standby? Why did you disobey me, you’ve never done that before, have you?
The dragon stretched its maw wide, and bluish-white flames shot straight out in jets.
Faced against that attack with the strength to wipe out a hundred soldiers, Emperor Vector merely stretched out his left hand and caught it.
The translucent black armor on his hand effortlessly deflected the flames in all directions. Flying sparks dazzled in the air.
The sword in the Emperor’s hand shot out that dark blue light once more, traveling up against the white flames and piercing directly into Hoshigami’s forehead. Bercouli’s dragon took the full force of the sword skill that could easily control the Dark Knight Order dragon from before — but he did not stop his movements.
On the contrary, Hoshigami converted his entire Life into white rays that shot from his wings, diving straight towards the Emperor.
A sliver of disgust crossed Vector’s pale face; he raised his sword high and thrust an extremely simple stab toward the gargantuan jaws of the dragon wanting to tear him into pieces. Dark light poured in all directions, absorbing the dragon’s life, tearing its body apart.
Hoshigami gave his Life for merely seven seconds of the Emperor’s hesitation —
Bercouli would definitely not let it be in vain.
The Knight Commander felt the last breath of the beloved dragon who had spent its long life with him from behind and swung his Release Recollection-activated Time Piercing Sword high into the air, which began to leave a blue afterimage.
This method of simply recalling “the enemy’s position ten minutes ago” could only allow one attack attempt every ten minutes.
Yet, the movement record etched into the ground in blood suggested that it was possible to continually pursue the enemy ten minutes before.
Seven seconds after Bercouli stared at the spot where he could not snipe from before, the blood-red footprint indicating the Emperor’s position, he launched his ultimate attack.
There was another characteristic of the «Time Piercing Sword, Unseen Slash».
By directly interfering with the system, the strength of this sword was to “completely erase the Life value of the slashed target”. Therefore, this strike could not be blocked even with Incarnation.
Indeed, Emperor Vector’s power to nullify and absorb all Incarnate attacks could not be activated in that instant.
Therefore, the astronomical Life set for Vector in the system, was first changed to zero.
As a result, the Emperor’s large frame was completely split from his left shoulder to his right waist.
Even as his body was split in two along a gigantic cutting surface, Emperor Vector’s face remained devoid of expression. Those light blue eyes merely looked blankly up at the empty sky, like glass beads.
The instant that his upper body was about to land and hit the ground, around his heart, jet black light burst, creating an immense, silent, explosion without heat.
By the time the explosion had settled, there remained nothing on the ground that could prove the Emperor’s existence.
Seconds later, the Time Piercing Sword that depleted its Life in Bercouli’s right hand crumbled into debris with a weak crackling noise.
***
… It’s so warm.
I really want to stay here for a bit longer.
Awakening from her slumber, Integrity Knight Alice smiled lightly, as though still floating in that comfortable state between dream and awakening.
Swaying sunlight.
Wide knees that allowed her body to lay atop of them.
A rough hand that kindly caressed her hair.
……… Father.
How long had it been since she had lay down like this, on his knees? She had long forgotten this peacefulness… This feeling of being completely protected, having nothing to worry about. The feeling that all was well.
Ahh… But, it’s time to get up.
Then, Integrity Knight Alice lifted her eyelashes.
Appearing before her face was the figure of a middle aged swordsman, his eyes squinting in a smile as he looked down upon her.
On his toned face and chest, many old scars crossed over. And covering those, countless new wounds were present, yet to heal.
“……… Oji-sama?”
Alice murmured in a low voice, her consciousness finally rousing in this instant.
— Right, I was grabbed by Emperor Vector’s dragon. Really, how careless do I have to be, I even charged ahead while completely letting my guard down behind me.
But, as expected of Oji-sama. Even as I fell into the hands of the enemy general, he rescued me. As long as this person is here, I can rest easy.
Smiling again, Alice sat up. As she noticed the wounds of Knight Commander were beyond his face and chest, she held her breath.
His left arm was completely severed from the top of his shoulder. His eastern-styled robe was completely dyed red with blood. And below that wide chest, that horribly deep wound was even more terrifying.
“O… Oji-sama… !! Esteemed Bercouli!!”
Alice screamed and reached out, her fingers touching Knight Commander Bercouli’s cheek.
Then she finally understood, that the oldest, greatest Knight in the world, had finally exhausted his Life.
***
… Aw, don’t cry like that, Lil’ Miss.
This moment would’ve come anyway, it just happened to be now, right?
Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One said warmly, as he looked down upon the golden haired girl bawling over his body. Yet his voice did not reach the ground.
… Lil’ Miss, if it’s you, it’ll definitely be okay. Even by yourself, you can definitely live on.
Because, you’re my only apprentice… my daughter.
The scene below gradually departed from Bercouli’s vision. Casting a last smile toward his beloved golden knight maiden, his eyes turned toward the sky to the far north.
His thoughts flew toward another female knight, who should be under that part of the sky..
He did not know whether they would reach or not, but in this moment, his heart was filled only with the deep emotion for the finally-arriving end of his life, which he had originally thought eternal.
… Well, it’s not a bad way to go down, is it?
“Yes, you should feel blessed that this many people are crying for you.”
As he turned towards the suddenly resonating voice, he saw a girl floating there, stark naked save for her flowing silver hair.
“… Hey, so you really were still alive.”
Bercouli shrugged, and the Highest Minister Administrator blinked her silvery eyes and smiled softly.
“But that can’t be true, can it? Appearing before you now, is only your memory of me. This ‘me’ is merely the memory of Administrator saved in your soul.”
“Hmm, I still don’t really get it… But, if it’s the you inside my memory, it’s good that you can smile like this now.”
Bercouli responded with a grin, and suddenly glanced beside him. Unknowingly, his beloved dragon Hoshigami had wrapped its long neck around his body.
The Knight Commander softly caressed the dragon’s transparent silver neck, leapt onto its back with a whoop, reached out, and pulled the Highest Minister up before him.
“Do you not hate me?” The Knight Commander’s only master in his long life asked, tilting her head. “Do you not hate me, the one who imprisoned you within the confines of eternal life , and stripped away your memories again and again?”
After some brief thought, Bercouli replied.
“Although it’s true that it was long enough to get bored at, well, it was still an amusing life. Yeah, that’s right.”
“… Really.”
Looking away after Administrator’s short reply, Bercouli took Hoshigami’s reins.
The dragon expanded its transparent wings, and slowly flew into the boundless yonder.
***
Under the distant northern sky —
On the dry ground, the rubble of the former «Great Eastern Gate» was piled up. To the east and west of these enormous ruins, ten thousand Dark Territory reserve soldiers and four thousand main troops of the Human Empire Defense army were in formation, preparing for confrontation, staring at each other.
Since Emperor Vector had vanished without a trace, the Dark Territory army could not begin the attack on their own. The completely clueless Human Empire Army also made no movements, and that long stalemate continued.
Near the ruins of the great gate where only the dry wind was heard, there was the silhouette of a lone female knight. It was the Integrity Knight left in charge of the main troops of the Defense Army, Fanatio Synthesis Two.
She had ordered the Guardians and Ascetics to rest in preparation for the upcoming battle, but she herself was not in the mood to sleep in her tent, so she had walked alone to the rubble that used to be the Great Eastern Gate.
The black night had long passed, and Solus’s light dyed the sky above the Dark Territory in red, and the side of the Human Empire in blue.
More than half a day had passed since the the decoy troops of the Defense Army, led by Knight Commander Bercouli, had departed to the southern Dark Territory from the Great Eastern Gate. Although she knew that their mission would not be achieved that easily, blindly waiting here for them was hard to endure.
Just as Fanatio was about to close her eyes, praying to the three goddesses for, at least, the safe return of the troops —
Her eyes snapped open.
She felt as if the man she loved was speaking into her ear.
— Sorry, Fanatio. Seems that we can’t meet anymore.
— I’ll leave the rest to you. Let that kid, live on happily…
Not long ago, Fanatio had heard the exact same words. It was the last sentence that Knight Commander Bercouli had left with her when they separated here.
Covered in silver gauntlets, her hands gently caressed her abdomen.
The new life bestowed upon her body was something that had happened three months ago. Bercouli, who had gone more than a hundred years without touching Fanatio, probably already predicted it when the taboos were released.
Predicted his own death.