Fall of the Hero (5)
Peter clenched the holy sword in his hand, trying to calm his ragged breath.
It was an impulsive act.
He had no intention of stepping forward like this, until the moment Eutenia told him to run away.
The man standing in front of him, Arien, was the monster who had knocked down Eutenia.
‘Why, why did I…’
What kind of being was Eutenia?
She was the one who had single-handedly annihilated the village where Peter lived.
She was also the one who had defeated the holy knights and the saintess of the temple by herself.
It was a foolish act to draw his sword and stand up to protect such a being.
And Peter had done just that, such a foolish thing.
Arien’s murderous gaze glared at Peter, who was holding the holy sword.
“Why is the hero of honor here?”
“Ah, no… this is… I was dragged along by this woman…”
Peter’s eyes looked at his own mark, which was emitting light.
The bandage that had been covering his mark was undone, and the hero’s mark was shining brightly.
He had revealed his mark, which he had tried so hard to hide, to someone else.
And that someone else was Arien, a mage who seemed to belong to Eutenia and the temple.
Arien spoke to Peter, who was hesitating, in a cold voice.
“I’ll hear your story after this is over. Get out of the way. I have to deal with the apostle.”
Crackle.
A blue lightning bolt rose from Arien’s hand.
He was about to shoot a spear of lightning, just like before.
Sweat poured out of Peter’s palm, which was holding the sword.
He felt like he was walking on thin ice.
“So, this is…”
“Move if you don’t want to die. If you don’t move by the count of three, you’ll die too.”
“That is…”
“Three.”
The lightning on Arien’s palm became more intense.
The magic that had blown away Eutenia was not as powerful as before, but it was clear that it would be dangerous if it hit him.
Peter’s eyes darted between Arien and Eutenia, who were in a predicament.
“Two.”
Arien’s count continued, even as Peter hesitated.
His mind was tangled with all kinds of thoughts.
He had no confidence to fight and win against Arien.
But he couldn’t just leave Eutenia to die, either.
That would be problematic in its own way.
He bit his lip, unable to make a quick decision.
“One.”
Arien’s magic aimed at Peter and Eutenia, who had been counting.
He had to make a decision now.
Would he swing his sword and struggle in vain?
Or would he escape from here and run for the rest of his life?
Peter lowered the sword he was holding.
“Ha…”
A hollow laugh escaped from Peter’s mouth, who faced Arien.
The thoughts that had filled his mind were erased in an instant.
His mind felt cold in a flash.
He realized that they were all worthless worries.
His will was never important from the beginning.
“Lightning Burst.”
Arien, who was glaring at Peter, shot the magic he had prepared in his palm.
And Peter tilted the white holy sword he was holding.
Flash!
The white holy sword emitted a strong light again.
The magic that Arien had shot faded, and soon only its fragments sparkled as they scattered.
It was the power of the holy sword that Eutenia had given to Peter.
“I warned you.”
“…”
Arien’s face darkened as he watched the magic scatter.
He had crossed the line by defying Arien’s warning.
There was no turning back now.
Even if he surrendered now, it wouldn’t end well.
In the worst case, Arien would try to kill him, even at the cost of losing a hero.
But Peter didn’t regret his choice.
“You don’t listen to me…”
“I won’t let you kill her.”
Peter pointed the white holy sword at Arien.
He declared to Arien, with a firm resolve.
He wouldn’t let Eutenia die.
This was a continuation of his ‘impulsive act’.
The things he had been suppressing all this time were mixed up, and they were spilling out of his chest in a murky way.
He felt like he would go crazy if he didn’t be honest with himself, even a little bit.
Arien asked him in a cold voice, after hearing his declaration.
“Why do you choose that?”
He met Arien’s gaze and gave a bitter smile.
The reason for doing this.
Well, he didn’t have a clear reason that he could express in words.
His body had moved on its own at some point.
“I don’t know.”
“Explain. How can a hero protect an apostle!”
Arien shouted at Peter, aiming his magic at him.
Yeah.
He wouldn’t understand.
It was hard to understand even for himself, who was doing this.
It was a funny story, but it was true.
Even at this moment, when he was pointing his sword, Peter’s mind knew what was more beneficial for him.
Defending the monster who had swallowed his family and villagers was a foolish act, no matter who saw it.
But Peter’s hand couldn’t let go of the holy sword he was holding.
“I don’t know. I’m ignorant and uneducated. I don’t know anything about those things.”
Various memories flashed through Peter’s mind, who was spouting nonsense.
One day, when he was traveling on a carriage.
He had received a promise from Eutenia that she would return the villagers to him.
One day, when he was hiding and crouching in the cult.
He had received a warm meal from Roan, which he didn’t understand.
One day, when the rainstorm was raging in the dark sky.
He had to watch Eutenia’s mood, who was having fun with the thieves of the bandit group.
One day, when he climbed up to the holy land to help Perin.
He had received a fruit of Yggdrasil from Perin as a gift and tasted it.
“I don’t know either…”
Before he knew it, the cult had embedded itself in him like a thorn.
They were not brilliant enough to be beautified as memories.
They were all evil memories stained with blood and tainted by time.
He had followed a twisted justice.
I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help it.
It was as if all those things were chains that bound Peter’s body, forcing him to act irrationally.
“Regardless of one’s status, there are duties that one must fulfill as a hero.”
Arien spoke of heroes, as if he didn’t understand Peter’s words.
Heroes have a mission that they must accomplish, even if it means death.
That’s obvious.
But even that obvious thing was too hard for him.
He had spent too much time with the cult.
Even if he tried to reclaim his true self now, there was nothing left but an empty village.
“Shut up! What does it matter if I’m a hero or not!”
Peter shouted like a scream.
His voice, tainted by evil, echoed loudly.
His white holy sword shone and repelled Arien’s magic.
Kwaang!
With a loud noise, fragments of magic scattered in all directions.
The traces of miracles that reflected and sparkled in the light.
Among them, Peter’s eyes glared at Arien.
“What can I do among these monsters!”
At first, Peter wanted to be saved too.
He wished a hero would come.
Or anyone else, as long as they could rescue him from the apostle of the evil god.
He had such thoughts once.
But there was no salvation for him.
The choice between two options was a cruel fate that demanded no right answer.
“I never wanted any of this! I never wished for anything like heroism, faith, or being a great being!”
For a young man who was farming in a remote village, it was a harsh choice.
He never wanted to be a hero.
He never wanted to follow evil.
He just wanted to live a normal life.
He hoped to grow old peacefully while farming in the flow of time, watching the village change with the seasons.
But even that simple wish was not granted to him.
“I was content with just farming in the countryside! No one… No one came to save me.”
Everything collapsed.
The only path left for him was a steep road full of trials and hardships.
He was swept away by the current of fate to a faraway place.
It was a cruel fate.
It was obvious that the gods in the sky were playing with him.
“That’s what it means to be a hero. You have to overcome all the challenges with your own strength.”
Peter didn’t hear Arien’s words in his ears.
He only saw the sword in his hand.
It was something he thought he would never have anything to do with in his life.
But before he knew it, it was in his hand, and now he was even pretending to be a knight.
“When I come to my senses, I’m just being dragged around by my weak self… And in the meantime, I’m doing this kind of thing with those damned villains as if we’re friends…”
“Come back to the holy land. It’s not too late.”
“It’s too late.”
“Do you think you can keep your hero status after violating the rules?”
Could I still remain a hero after going against the will of the goddess?
I don’t know.
I never thought that far.
Of course, it wouldn’t matter to Peter himself if he lost his hero status.
He never wanted to be a hero in the first place.
“Hero, warrior, whatever… I don’t need any of that.”
A brilliant light spread from the holy sword he was holding.
It was so dazzling that he couldn’t believe it was his own.
It was something that should not have been allowed to a rustic like him from the borderlands.
But at this moment, it shone as if he was its master.
“Do not defy your destiny. You must become a hero.”
“Destiny… What is destiny anyway?”
“The righteous future that the goddess guides you to… That is the destiny given to you.”
“You should have led me to the right path sooner.”
What a joke.
The world does not always go according to providence.
No matter how much time you pour in, there are grains that do not bear proper fruits.
There are seeds that do not sprout leaves even if you bring them helpful things.
He had seen countless scenes like that while farming with his own hands.
He tried to live a righteous life, but he ended up falling into a wrong path.
And the name he called at the end was also the name of an evil god.
“Whether it’s an evil god or a great one… I don’t care about names. You’re probably looking down on us from above anyway.”
“…”
“So, there’s only one thing I want to say.”
Huff.
Peter took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
He felt the pressure of his lungs filled with air.
He raised his voice as loud as he could, making it echo throughout the world.
“Right here, right now! Your apostle is dying! Don’t just watch and do something!”
He might hear a blasphemy from Eutenia, who had recovered.
Maybe he would receive a divine punishment from the evil god in the sky.
But still, Peter vented out everything that had been piled up inside him.
It would be better than staying still, no matter what the outcome was.
“If you brought people here and played with them, take responsibility—-!”
He shouted the name of the god with his throat torn.
He was not a follower of the evil god. Nor was he an apostle chosen by the god.
He was just a mere human.
Even so, he yearned for a miracle from the god.
In a life where there was no definite answer, he gambled everything on a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
“It’s meaningless. Even if he hears you, he won’t listen to your story, hero…”
Bang.
A sword stabbed in front of Peter.
The sword was emitting a terrifying malice.
A demonic sword.
That was the only name that could describe the thing that existed before Peter’s eyes.
“See… He was listening…”
It was a wicked thing, even at a glance. Maybe it was because it was given by the evil god.
Thump. Thump.
Peter walked toward the sword in front of him.
A short word came out of Arein’s mouth with a sneer as he faced the sword.
“An apostle selection, huh.”
An apostle selection.
The evil god’s temptation that gave a world-shaking power to a mere human.
Even Arein couldn’t help but be surprised by the miracle that the evil god bestowed.
Peter stood in front of the sword that was leaking black energy.
It was completely opposite to the white holy sword that he held in his hand.
“Don’t touch it. The moment you do, there’s no turning back.”
Arein tried to persuade Peter as if it wasn’t too late.
But Peter knew that Arein was wrong.
It was too late now.
He had already stepped into the wrong path.
He had no choice but to struggle endlessly toward the ruin that the heavenly god foresaw.
“I’ve gone too far to go back.”
“Hero…”
Peter’s left hand grabbed the handle of the divine weapon.
If the future that the goddess decided was destiny, what should he call the ruin that the evil god decided?
Was this also destiny?
If not———.
“Shut up. It’s Apostle Peter’s era now.”
Peter pulled out the black sword and aimed it at Arein.
In one hand, he had a black sword that spewed out sinister energy.
And in the other hand, he had a white sword that spewed out clear energy.
It was a contradictory sight.
Peter knew that this sight was a path that only he was allowed to take.
“How could a hero fall, how could this happen…”
Arein made a holy circle with his trembling hand as he saw Peter holding the sword.
His hollow eyes looked at Peter with contempt.
He was his enemy.
He was the apostle who had to face Arein Crost in front of him.
“The evil god’s…”
As Peter lifted his sword toward Arein, many memories flashed through his mind.
He had spent a long time.
He had spent countless hours cowering among the monstrous beings.
And in the end, he became the apostle of the evil god.
Peter twisted his lips into a forced smile and tried to make a vile expression as he shouted.
“The evil god’s… The evil god’s apostle is here! The evil god’s apostle who will bring the world to ruin is here!”
Peter’s eyes reddened as he held the sword.
He knew it.
This was his destiny.
He was never allowed to have a normal life from the beginning.
This was a sin and a punishment.
And it was a wicked path that deviated from the human way.
“My name is Peter Enklov! The sixth apostle, Peter Enklov!”
Peter added the name of his lost hometown after his name and declared war on Arein.
From this moment on, he was Peter Enklov.
The sixth apostle.
The agent of evil who descended on the earth.
And also, Arein Crost’s enemy.
Arein, who drew the holy circle, glared at Peter with a fierce light in his eyes.
A prayer to the goddess flowed out of his mouth.
“O goddess, guide me to the right path.”
Peter didn’t intend to just watch either.
He smiled with a wet face and followed Arein’s prayer.
“O evil god. Please guide me too.”
Was it blasphemous?
Some might see it as such.
Well, what did they want him to do?
He was an apostle of evil.
He didn’t want to live like a bumpkin in a corner anymore.
“Apostle of the evil god. From this moment on, the holy land will not tolerate you.”
“So be it.”
The holy sword and the demonic sword.
The hero of the wicked path who held two swords looked at his enemy in front of him.
He was not afraid of Arein anymore.
He was not afraid of Eutenia, who was lying next to him either.
He was now the sixth apostle, Peter Enklov.
“Dainsleif.”
Peter’s eyes sparkled as he uttered the name of the divine weapon.
He was a hero, but he became an apostle.
Two great words were combined, so he was undoubtedly a great being.
At least, Peter believed so.
So he was not afraid of anything now.
Except for the great being who was looking down on him from the high sky.
