65
As the divinity shattered, the demon lord’s enormous body began to dissolve. The surrounding, gelatinous constraints eased, and I began to fall. Everything in my vision stretched into blurred lines, with white and red intertwining. I heard the demon lord’s weak voice echoing in my ears—
“Light, this time, you’ve won, but you won’t win every time.”
“No, I will.” the Light God responded calmly. “I will defeat you, every time.”
The red mist completely dispersed, revealing the dark blue night sky. The stars, having fulfilled their mission, hid themselves, and dawn crept over the horizon, casting a faint glow along the canyon’s edge.
It’s morning…
Light seeped from my skin, gathering above me into a semi-transparent form. He extended soft tendrils that wrapped around my limbs, slowing my fall. As He withdrew from this “vessel.” I could feel my body growing cold, and a wave of exhaustion hit me, with every nerve and joint screaming with pain.
But strangely, I remained conscious, and my body didn’t feel stiff.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t use too much power, so you won’t be damaged.” the Light God reassured me in my mind. “You also won’t turn into a statue.”
I blinked.
So I won’t turn into a statue like “Luke”?
I had briefly wondered about that during the fall—if I did turn into a statue, I hoped Cooper would find a place to bury me rather than leaving me somewhere for others to gawk at.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The Light Church has a Hall of Saints with statues of many past heroes who made great contributions. But those were all carved. If it was my actual body turned into a statue, it’d be a bit awkward…
“Vessels that accept my descent do experience some effects. You’ll need to rest for a while.” the Light God explained.
The last of the light withdrew from my body, leaving me even more exhausted, with no strength left to move even a finger.
But this outcome was far better than I had anticipated.
The weariness brought on an irresistible drowsiness. As I drifted into unconsciousness, I suddenly felt someone catch me.
I fought to stay awake, forcing my eyes open for a glance, but the Light God had already disappeared, and all I could see was Cooper’s face. He was kneeling on the ground, carefully cradling my head in his lap. His movements were so gentle that it felt strange. But I had no energy left, so I didn’t struggle. I just lay there, resting.
The sound of approaching hooves reached my ears, and another face appeared at the edge of my vision. Selina, now back in her human form, stumbled slightly before kneeling next to Cooper, grabbing one of my hands with reddened eyes.
Me: “…”
Something really feels off here…
Before my sluggish mind could figure it out, more people gathered around. I saw Daniel, his face covered in sweat and dust, not even bothering to wipe it off. Then Bekken, still looking pale. And finally Todd, who mumbled something under his breath and only managed a dry, “Commander…”
All of them looked unusually solemn, not at all like people who had just won a great victory. It was confusing.
“Didn’t you hear the cheers?” I asked in confusion. “We won.”
—So why aren’t you all happy? Why are you looking so sorrowful?!
“We heard them.” Cooper replied softly.
“Good.” I sighed in relief. “So it wasn’t just my imagination…”
Cooper’s jaw tightened as he spoke, his voice steady, “It wasn’t your imagination. I heard the cheers. The demon lord is dead. We’ve won.”
Me: “…”
Yes, I know. No one knows better than I do, since I was the one who shattered its divinity… So there’s no need to repeat that to me?
And why is Selina gripping my hand so tightly…?
Wait, why is she still holding my hand?!
I wanted to ask, but the drowsiness was overwhelming, turning into dizziness. Every time I blinked, it felt like I was briefly falling asleep. I didn’t have the energy to think about their strange behavior. Honestly, I was more concerned about post-battle organization… clearing the battlefield… the losses…
My mind felt like it was filled with oatmeal, unable to process anything. I tried to fight the sleepiness, but eventually had to give up: “…Sorry, I’m too tired…”
“Then rest well.” Cooper said softly. He looked down at me, his voice calm. “Leave the rest to me. I won’t let you down again.”
“Okay…” I mumbled, drifting off, “…It’s all up to you.”
As darkness claimed my vision, I relaxed and let myself sink into sleep. The last thing I heard was Daniel’s sobbing and Cooper’s quiet promise:
“Alvin, we’re going home.”
66
I don’t know how long I slept, but I was eventually woken by the faint sound of crying. It seemed to be Daniel—he must have been nearby, and though he tried to stifle it, I could still hear his intermittent sobs.
As my awareness returned, I remembered a bit of what had happened before I fell asleep. If I wasn’t mistaken, Daniel had been crying then too…
How long had I been asleep? It felt like at least three days. Why was Daniel still crying?
And who had placed [Dawn Light] on my chest?! Even though it was only half of a greatsword, it was still heavy enough to make it hard for me to breathe…
…Wait.
A strange feeling began to creep into my mind, pointing toward an unsettling realization. Following the faint scent of flowers, I turned my head slightly and saw that there were many white flowers piled beside my cheek.
If I wasn’t mistaken, these flowers were part of the Light Church’s tradition of mourning and remembrance.
In other words, they were offered to the dead.
Me: “…”
I finally realized that I was lying in an open coffin.
“………………”
I was now fully awake, and with my memory restored, I understood why, despite our victory, everyone had looked at me with such sorrowful eyes—they had thought I was dying?!
No, considering the current situation, they must have thought I was already dead.
Should I be grateful that I woke up in time, before they buried me…?
My limbs were stiff from sleeping too long, and I slowly flexed my fingers—at least enough to loosen my grip on [Dawn Light]’s hilt. I was about to push the sword aside when I heard Daniel’s voice, thick with tears, outside the coffin.
“I’m sorry, teacher…”
A hoarse voice responded, “It’s not your fault. This was his choice.”
“If I hadn’t run out of magic, I could have saved Alvin…” Daniel choked out, struggling to form sentences. “It’s my fault. I didn’t do enough…”
“No, Daniel. You saved many people.” Hilier replied gently. “You just couldn’t save everyone. No one can. There are always things beyond our power. You have to learn to accept that, but don’t give up because of it.”
Daniel didn’t respond.
“You can blame yourself, but don’t let the guilt crush you.” Hilier continued in a low voice. “I’ve lost many important people. Every time I lose someone, I regret my decisions. If I had left a day earlier, if I hadn’t agreed to let him go to the Dark Church, if I had gone to the Eastern Rift… But I couldn’t. When I made those choices, I knew what I would lose.”
“Do you have to choose?” Daniel’s voice trembled. “I don’t want to lose anyone else…”
Hilier laughed softly. “Alvin and I went through some hard times. During those days, if we didn’t make sacrifices, more people would have lost everything, so we had to choose… But you’re different. You won’t be forced to make those choices anymore.”
“He promised me that he would bring me hope.” Hilier said with a smile. “And he kept his promise. The light has returned, and from now on, no one else will have to sacrifice themselves.”
“…”
The light has returned, and from now on, no one else will have to sacrifice themselves.
Staring at the small cutout of ceiling above the coffin, I felt a warmth in my eyes—a feeling I had almost forgotten.
For the first time in many years, I didn’t try to suppress it.
Silence lingered outside for a moment before Hilier spoke again, “He’s tired. Let him rest.”
Daniel responded softly.
I heard one set of footsteps retreating.
After a moment, I heard another set of footsteps approaching me. I saw pale fingers grasp the edge of the coffin, slowly tightening their grip, but the owner of those fingers didn’t appear.
The breathing outside the coffin became uneven, then gradually steadied—I didn’t know what I was waiting for, but he still didn’t speak.
I couldn’t wait any longer. Pushing [Dawn Light] off my chest, I sat up.
At that exact moment, Hilier leaned over to look into the coffin, and we accidentally bumped foreheads with a dull thud. I didn’t feel much pain, but he immediately staggered back two steps, clutching his head, his mouth slightly open, and his eyes wide as he stared at me.
“…”
“…”
I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m not actually dead.”
No, that’s not right. I shouldn’t say it like that…
I had never felt so embarrassed. I tried to explain, “I just… I was just too tired, so I fell asleep… I don’t know why… Maybe—no, it must have been because of the [Divine Descent] that they couldn’t see…”
Hilier stared at me blankly, muttering to himself as he echoed me, “Too tired… fell asleep… didn’t know… [Divine Descent]…”
I shut my mouth.
His face was filled with a dazed disbelief. It wasn’t until I climbed out of the coffin that he finally gasped for air, opened his mouth, and asked in a shaky voice, “When did you…?”
“Just now. I woke up while you were talking to Daniel.” I replied, feeling even more embarrassed.
“You… Alvin… asleep…” Hilier muttered a few more words, then finally managed to form a full sentence. “Why didn’t you wake up sooner?!”
“…I don’t know, but I wanted to tell you first.” I was so flustered that I didn’t even know what I was trying to say. “I’m really sorry… umph!”
Hilier rushed forward and hugged me tightly.
I had no idea he was this strong, nearly squeezing the air out of my lungs. His trembling breaths were hot against my neck, and I felt warm tears soaking into my collar. I hugged him back, gently patting his back in comfort, and I heard his choked sobs.
“I’m sorry, Hilier.” I whispered, finishing what I had been trying to say earlier. “There won’t be a next time.”
He responded with a soft, wordless murmur.
“…Is everyone else okay?”
“They’re all fine. They all made it back, except you.” Hilier’s arms shook, but slowly relaxed as he released me. He stepped back, looking up at me with a smile in his lake-green eyes. “And now, you’re back too.”
“Yeah, I’m back.”
I smiled at him, about to speak, when I noticed his gaze shifting upwards, from my face to something above my head. Puzzled, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
Hesitantly, he asked, “Does… [Divine Descent] have any lingering effects on you?”
“Don’t worry. The Light God said there might be some lingering effects, but nothing serious.” I reassured him.
Hilier still looked concerned, his gaze fixed on the top of my head. “Does that include… uh, that thing on your head?”
Me: “?”
I suddenly remembered the Light God’s first action after descending into my body—that strange, fumbling gesture…
A bad feeling drove me to reach up and touch the top of my head—where I felt a small, soft tuft of something sticking up from my otherwise smooth hair, brushing lightly against my palm.
Me: “…”
I was utterly bewildered.
The Light God’s power still filled the cathedral, and the floor gleamed like a mirror. Slowly, I lowered my head and saw, sticking stubbornly out between my fingers… a cowlick.
As I stared at it in a daze, it wobbled left and right in confusion, curling into a small question mark.
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