The Extra Saved the Terminally Ill Princess and Ran Away - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Reunion (3)

***

"They say the eyes are the windows to the soul."

A misty landscape, where figures blurred and distant mountains shimmered in and out of existence.

The sweet fragrance of flowers, carried by a gentle breeze.

The refreshing scent of the forest.

A small, palace-like teahouse, incongruous in its natural surroundings.

A woman with rainbow-colored hair sat inside, sipping tea, and spoke.

The eyes are the windows to the soul.

"No matter how much you alter your appearance, a mere artifact cannot change the color of your soul."

"Especially since I personally ensured that unstable soul would remain intact."

"So, it's natural that she didn't notice. There's no sense of incongruity. How could she sense anything amiss when the original soul resides in its original body? She simply accepts it as natural."

A faint smile touched the woman's lips. Her gaze rested on a golden sunflower, radiating a brilliant light, like a final burst of flame.

"It was thanks to your presence that he gained that qualification. I wonder if he can manage without you…"

She turned her gaze to a silver lisianthus on the opposite side.

A delicate flower, its petals almost obscuring the soft moonlight it seemed about to unleash.

"Perhaps… it will bloom soon."

The woman waited, anticipating the boy's arrival, his return to fulfill his promise.

***

At least three hundred.

Had I misheard? Or had he gone mad with fear?

Such arrogant, childish words.

Bifrons wanted to scoff, but he couldn't.

"Huff… huff…"

The boy's overwhelming presence forced him to focus on controlling his breathing, his gaze fixed on the boy.

The boy, after a moment of silence, reached out and spoke, or rather, called out,

"Solaris."

"What are you…?"

Crack.

Bifrons's question—what was this unarmed boy doing, pretending to be a mage?—died in his throat.

Before he could finish his sentence, a massive, bloodstained greatsword, larger than the boy himself, appeared in his hand.

And three demons, standing in the sword's path, were decapitated in a single, swift motion.

But unlike Bifrons,

Clang!

Poras, unfazed by the boy's sudden transformation, attacked.

His attack, of course, was futile.

Realizing his attack had failed, Poras leaped back, his hand trembling.

Not from fear or nervousness.

He was a demon, not easily swayed by such emotions.

His hand trembled from the sheer force of the impact, his grip on his sword loosening.

"He's fast, and strong. Don't let your guard down, not even for a second."

""Yes…!!""

"…Understood, Lord Poras."

'He wasn't this strong before… His personality has changed too… A possession-type artifact?'

If that was the case, there was a chance of victory.

Possession-type artifacts granted the user immense power, but only for a short time.

"Don't attack! Wait for the possession to wear off! No preemptive strikes!"

The boy, noticing the demons' cautious retreat, muttered to himself,

"Do you know why your sword hasn't reached its full potential?"

Grip.

As he tightened his grip on Solaris, the crude greatsword began to transform.

The worn, scarred blade gleamed, its imperfections disappearing, replaced by a pristine, mirror-like surface.

The dull, aged metal shone with a brilliant, pure white light.

A divine, radiant light, like the sun, enveloped the sword, from hilt to tip, radiating an intense heat.

Intricate sun emblems appeared on the crossguard, a clear sign of the sword's divine blessing.

A knight who served the sun.

Like a sunflower, yearning for the sun's light, drawing strength from its warmth.

The only knight blessed by the sun's path.

Solaris, infused with its master's will, created a miniature sun in the academy arena.

"Because your sword lacks a singular purpose."

A sword gained power and meaning from its wielder's unwavering resolve.

The boy swung his sword to his right.

A sword infused with his unwavering will, his determination to protect his liege, even at the cost of his own life.

A bright, red light, like a burning fuse, followed the sword's path.

The demons in its path disintegrated, their bodies consumed by flames, even without being directly touched by the blade.

No screams echoed through the arena.

Their pathetic cries weren't worth listening to, as the miniature suns, blooming from their bodies, consumed them in an instant.

"Don't try to use those parlor tricks, drawing power from mere imagery."

As the boy muttered to himself, Poras shouted at his men, including Bifrons,

"R-Retreat!! Retreat…!"

The demons turned to flee, but,

Finn wouldn't let them escape.

"Who dares turn their back on the Imperial family without permission?"

He plunged Solaris into the ground, and a radiant light, like a cage, surrounded the demons.

"Whether you draw pictures with your sword or perform fancy maneuvers, it's all meaningless without conviction. The problem is that you simply hold a sword, without infusing it with your will."

Thud.

The boy, his golden eyes gleaming, walked towards the trapped demons.

"I…"

He swung Solaris to his left, and the demons on his left vanished without a trace.

"My sword…"

"You dare, a mere shade of your former self!!!"

Clang!

Poras, resigned to his fate, charged at the boy, wielding Black Night with all his might.

His escape route blocked by the burning light, he couldn't surrender, couldn't simply kneel and offer his neck to this possessed boy.

Only four demons remained, including himself.

He had to stop this boy, even if it cost him his life.

Clang!

The boy effortlessly parried his desperate attacks, continuing,

"My sword was born from the regret of failing to protect my liege…"

Clang! Slash.

"…and it has lived on, fueled by that regret."

"And…"

He looked at the girl, huddled on the ground, her eyes filled with tears.

Finn, finally facing the death he had longed for, smiled gently at her.

-A noble death for my liege, rather than a dog's death on the battlefield!!-

"My sword… will finally…"

"…find its purpose, protecting my liege!"

He raised Solaris high above his head.

And then, he brought it down, drawing a line from heaven to earth.

A line infused with his unwavering resolve to protect his liege.

The arena ceiling.

The magical barriers.

The walls.

The night sky.

The very ground beneath their feet.

All of it cracked and burned, consumed by a brilliant, golden light.

Poras, caught in the flames, vanished without a trace, like the other demons. He couldn't even scream, his final expression one of shock and disbelief, as he turned to ash.

The boy, after a moment of silence, turned to his liege.

"…Finn?"

She spoke, her voice filled with questions.

But he wasn't the one to answer them. Finn knelt before her, his final words a heartfelt apology.

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness… for this unworthy attendant, who has finally repaid your kindness… my only sun."

"W-What are you…"

She couldn't finish her sentence, her voice choked with emotion, as she saw the tears in his eyes, tears of sorrow and joy.

And then,

His golden eyes turned red, and his left eye, shimmering with gold, began to disintegrate into golden dust.

His body, losing its strength, swayed and fell towards her.

"F-Finn? Finn?! Finn…!!"

Had he exhausted himself with that final attack?

She caught him, shaking him frantically.

"Please… don't do this, Finn… This isn't… this isn't right…"

Drip.

Her tears fell onto his cheek, scattering like broken jewels.

"Damn it…"

It wasn't her voice.

It wasn't the boy's voice either.

Bifrons, the only survivor of the inferno, emerged from the flames, cursing.

"…So the possession has finally ended."

Gulp.

She held the boy close, protectively, her gaze fixed on Bifrons.

She wouldn't abandon him, not even in death.

"I'll erase you too, without a trace."

Bifrons gathered his magic, a dark, ominous energy swirling around him.

The boy's body trembled.

-I won't kill Bifrons. He's someone you'll want to kill yourself, more than I ever did.

Finn's final words echoed in his mind.

He opened his remaining eye, his red eye, and said,

"…I appreciate that."

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