Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint-Chapter 397: It Didn’t Fall From the Sky - Conclusion

Phew. My consciousness returned. This time, it took a little longer. Cases where someone forcibly ignores the truth, even when they know it, are always more difficult. If I hadn’t protected him during this time, who knows what might have happened.

No, wait. This too is all my doing. The reason why one must live a virtuous life has been proven today through my own experience. Well then, time to get up...

"...Who are you?"

A chilling voice that seemed to pierce to the bone stopped me as I was trying to rise. I froze in place, lying flat on the ground as Tyrkanzyaka slowly approached me.

"Did you try to harm me, destroy everything I love? Is this another attempt to sever me from this world? Tell me, who dares?"

The reflection of me in Tyrkanzyaka’s eyes was a pitiful sight. My back was covered with torn clothing, and hastily healed wounds peeked out from underneath. Bloodstains were splattered all around. The progenitor’s formidable wrath seemed as though it could shake the very ground beneath us. It felt too daunting to break this atmosphere by standing up. It would be awkward to show a healthy appearance to someone who had come out of concern.

Wait a second. Am I really healthy? I feel a little off.

Tyrkanzyaka's arrival was like that of the night itself. Dark and silent, her presence dyed the Cloud Waterfall black, and the chaotic battlefield fell quiet. The Elders, who had been committing massacres, all stopped simultaneously and turned to her like sunflowers following the sun.

Just as an Elder, overwhelmed with emotion, was about to approach, the regressor’s sharp voice warned:

"Tyrkanzyaka! Be careful! The Eternal Blade stabbed Hughes!"

...?

What? Out of nowhere?

It’s not impossible to think that, I guess. After all, the one currently holding a sword closest to me is Hilde. But still, why that assumption? Why such a sudden misunderstanding?

When someone speaks with absolute certainty, it tends to plant a seed of doubt in everyone’s minds: "Could that be true?" Seeing Tyrkanzyaka approaching briskly, Hilde, panicking, tried to clear her name.

"No, no! That’s impossible! I stabbed Father? No way! It was the Thunder Overseer who stabbed him!"

"What? Why would Elkid stab Hughes?"

"Didn’t I mention it earlier? She’s from the Sacred Sword Order!"

At that moment, Vladimir released the Thunder Overseer. Since the regressor's claim that Tyrkanzyaka was coming proved true, Vladimir refrained from any rash actions. Of course, he only let her go because he was confident he could catch her again at any time if needed.

Thanks to that, the regressor had another chance to see the Thunder Overseer. She steadied herself, flapping her wings of lightning. Her appearance was remarkably similar to that of an angel.

Anyone with devout faith could join the Sacred Sword Order. Those with peculiar abilities and no one to rely on, like the Thunder Overseer, often found solace in faith. Her initial friendliness toward the regressor may have been a natural flow of events. Without realizing it, the regressor likely reminded her of the Holy Maiden.

"That’s still not a reason to stab Hughes. Even if Elkid is from the Sacred Sword Order, why would she stab him?"

But the regressor still didn’t know one crucial detail. It was a piece of information she overlooked because she’d seen the future herself, and one I had deliberately hidden from her.

"Father is the King of Humans. The very remnant of barbarity that the Holy Crown Church and their Holy Maidens so despise and disdain."

"...What?"

Ah, so the truth is out now.

To be fair, it’s impressive I managed to keep it hidden this long. I even avoided thinking about it around the regressor.

Even though the regressor tried to separate the King of Sins and the King of Humans in her mind, they are one and the same. And the regressor’s goal is to stop the King of Sins.

In other words, her target is me.

If she were to find out that I am the King of Humans, I would have a relentless and powerful pursuer who could even defy time itself. That would be... less than ideal for me. I’d been particularly cautious to keep this from the regressor, but...

It’s impossible to keep it hidden any longer now. Ugh, just another reason not to get up. I decided to remain lying down, pretending to be unconscious, ignoring the regressor’s gaze.

"What? Why...? No! Even if that’s true, why did you betray him?!"

"Think for a moment—it’s obvious, isn’t it? Let me explain so even someone as dense as Shei can understand."

Tyrkanzyaka knelt beside me, and Hilde stepped forward, her fingers folding one by one as though explaining to a small child who needed visual aids to grasp the concept.

"What I wanted was similar to what you wanted. There was no need for us to bare our souls to each other or cooperate fully. What was unknown could remain hidden in the shadows while you did your thing and I pursued the benefits of the militaristic nation. I even had a debt to you, so a partnership like that would’ve been fine. But."

It was true that Hilde was the one who betrayed them. She sowed discord between the regressor and Tyrkanzyaka, realized the connection between Claudia and the Sacred Sword Order, and summoned the vampires. Having already abandoned the Holy Crown Church once, Hilde likely saw the vampires as more appealing allies. She attacked the regressor for the sake of herself and her country.

But was it only Hilde who betrayed?

"You could never be a true ally to me. You had no place for the militaristic nation in your heart. In that case, I’d just use you and discard you. Sacrificing an enemy of the nation like you to form an alliance with the Mist Duchy is a profitable deal, don’t you think?"

From the beginning, Hilde was a member of the militaristic nation, and she still was. She followed them even here, gathering information and negotiating for their benefit. While she could play any role, the only things she cared about were her nation and the Holy Maiden Yuel. Everything else was disposable.

"Just for that reason...?"

"‘Just for that reason?’ Shei, we can’t trust each other. Not just me—no one here can be trusted. Faith is... flimsy. It can change with a whim, with emotion. Can you truly trust someone just because they’re a Holy Maiden or because of a prophecy? Those who manipulate faith better than anyone else?"

While Hilde and the regressor faced off, Tyrkanzyaka rested my head on her lap. Her pale fingers gently stroked my face, filled with worry and sorrow.

Sigh, I guess there’s no helping it. I’m not sure if I can clean up this mess, but lying here won’t make things any better. Time to get up and do something about it...

"...Hugh."

If someone saw me, they might think I was dead. I’m just taking a little nap—no need to make such a fuss.

I tried to say that, but no sound came out. I was still lying there, and Tyrkanzyaka was looking down at me. I could see it clearly, but not with my eyes—it was through her gaze.

Huh? Why can’t I speak?

Damn it. Was my body impaled for too long? My consciousness is here, but my body isn’t responding. Could it be that when I was stabbed, it wasn’t just an ordinary wound?

Even so, the fact that I’m conscious at all is strange. If this isn’t some trick of remaining conscious while unconscious, it must be... the power of the demon lord I just obtained. The demon lord’s power is maintaining my awareness, independent of my body.

Whether that’s a good thing or not, I can’t say.

"Runken. Kabilla. Vladimir. I command you."

Tyrkanzyaka’s soft voice carried, barely loud enough to be heard a few steps away. Yet, the Elders reacted intensely.

"Haahhh!!"

"Yes, Sister! Just say the word!"

"Command us, and we shall obey."

The three Elders responded in unison—one striking his chest firmly, another clasping her hands tightly, and the third bowing deeply. Each displayed their utmost reverence as they awaited the progenitor’s orders. They didn’t have to wait long. Tyrkanzyaka spoke coldly, her command cutting through the air like ice.

"They’re remnants of the heavenly god. Remove them. Leave not a single drop of blood behind."

"As you command—!"

"Of course! I’ll slaughter them all!"

"Understood."

The Elders wasted not a single moment. They moved immediately to fulfill their progenitor’s orders. Any trace of enjoyment they might have shown earlier was gone; now, it was a duty, a mission. No matter the cost, they would eradicate all remnants of the heavenly god from this land.

The regressor foresaw this and shouted,

"Tyrkanzyaka! Stop!"

'If the Elders act under Tyrkanzyaka’s darkness, they’ll be able to slaughter without restraint, even in daylight. Claudia will be destroyed! And worse, the most dangerous one right now is...'

The regressor’s tense gaze instinctively turned toward Vladimir.

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Vladimir, the Crimson Duke. Until now, he had been observing the situation, but with the progenitor’s orders issued, he would transform into the most efficient killing machine among the Elders. While Runken’s brute force and Kabilla’s savagery were terrifying, Vladimir was in a league of his own.

Why had humanity become the dominant species on Earth? How had they subdued mighty beasts, overcome plagues, and prospered? Vladimir seemed to embody the answer to those questions. As the progenitor’s first blade, he wielded his immense power with perfect precision, carrying out his purpose flawlessly.

A blade is neither heavy nor evil; it is merely sharp. And Vladimir’s sharpness was what made him so dangerous.

He had to be stopped. Difficult as it was, the regressor knew she was the only one in this space capable of halting Vladimir. She turned to face him as his massive blade began its descent.

'I might die... but there’s no choice! No one else here can stop Vladimir...!'

"Shei. I am speaking, aren’t I? Would you focus on me?"

Suddenly, a blade of light pierced forward. There had been no warning, but the Heavenly Reflection Mirror reacted first. As the regressor bent her body backward to evade the strike and instinctively prepared to counterattack, Hilde pushed forward, closing the distance. Her wrist locked against the regressor’s, and with her reversed grip on the sacred sword, she unleashed a flurry of strikes. The sacred blade became a barrage of light, slashing the regressor’s arms and abdomen dozens of times. Sparks flew as light collided with light.

The regressor’s Heavenly Reflection Mirror and Tianying worked in perfect synergy, deflecting every one of Hilde’s close-range attacks. After briefly catching her breath, the regressor swung Tianying with all her might. Whether she lived or died, she needed to end this quickly and move on to Vladimir.

The invisible blade swept forward with enough force to split a mountain in two. Hilde attempted to deflect it with her dagger, but the shorter the weapon, the greater the disadvantage against overwhelming power. Even martial artists with qi techniques often preferred longer weapons for this reason.

At that moment, the sacred sword transformed. What had been a dagger in Hilde’s hand elongated from hilt to blade. In a fleeting instant of shimmering faith, the sacred sword shifted from a short blade to a longsword, effortlessly parrying Tianying.

"The sacred sword... changed shape?!"

The blade of light twisted, dispersing the force of the strike. It was too seamless and perfect to be improvised. The regressor was stunned—never in all her regressions had she encountered such a phenomenon.

The sacred sword was a blade forged from faith itself. Only those with deep and unyielding belief in the heavenly god could wield it, and this was why its wielders were called the Sacred Sword Order. The sword, imbued with divine power, was meant to cut through evil.

Thus, the sacred sword could always be summoned and would never break as long as the wielder’s faith remained intact. Or so it was believed.

"I told you, didn’t I? Faith can change this easily."

Hilde’s sacred sword was not just a longsword—it was a dagger, a scythe, and a spear. Its form shifted with every role she played. Faith, after all, is not eternal. Being an inherently subjective concept, even the divine power bestowed by the heavenly god could not distinguish extreme performance from true devotion. In that case, could one call the "faith" certified by the heavenly god a falsehood? Perhaps every role Hilde played was entirely genuine.

Or perhaps, from the very beginning, humanity’s "faith" was nothing but an illusion.

The two sacred swords moved fluidly, forcing the regressor onto the defensive. Hilde’s unpredictability turned the regressor’s plan to stall into a grueling fight for survival.