『The final trial… Selecting knight…』

“…Yeah, that’s right. This is just the beginning. When it comes to God’s trial.”

I remember the Golden Cube.

The cruel god that always brings despair just when I think I’ve finally made it through.

As if testing my heart, the final trial is brandished before me, who wants to just sleep.

『…Confirmed. The highest aptitude is light… Adjusting status…』

I understand the meaning of the voice, and knowing I can’t escape the battle, I stand up.

I wrap my left hand in a towel from my bag to stop the bleeding and make sure I can grip the sword.

“I’ll do it… I’ll give it my all here… And then!”

I face forward and raise my sword again.

“I’ll have Tanaka-san treat me to some good food.”

I force my trembling body to get up with sheer willpower.

In my line of sight, a knight slowly emerges from the door.

“Lancelot? No, it’s different…”

It was a white knight.

Different from the memory of Lancelot, the white knight was more delicate.

Still, the shining white knight, faintly glowing in gold, looks at me.

I looked at the white knight.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Name: Nameless Knight

Status: Weakened

Job: Novice Knight (Light) 【Beginner】

Skill(s): Mirage

Magic Power: 200

Attack Power: Reflection rate▶50%=100

Defense Power: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Agility: Reflection rate▶25%=50

Intelligence: Reflection rate▶50%=100

Equipment:

・The Emblem of the Knight

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

“It’s not a monster? And… a knight…”

I realize that the status display screen looks just like that of a human.

It should have been more simplistic for monsters.

“The status is also weakened… I don’t know anything anymore, but even so…”

I stare at the knight.

The knight also draws the sword from its waist and stares at me through its armor.

Our gazes meet, and our fighting spirits mix.

“I have to win.”

I kept my eyes on the white knight without letting my guard down.

My fighting spirit is high, and my body seems to be able to move somehow with adrenaline.

There shouldn’t be any problems.

I’m not being careless.

And yet.

“!?”

I lost sight of the knight.

I frantically look around, but the white knight is nowhere to be found.

“Where─!?”

I hear the sound of armor creaking.

I hear the sound of air being crushed.

A sound I shouldn’t be able to hear reaches my ears, and my instinct screams to run away from there.

I feel the sensation of blood draining from my entire body and, following my instincts, I quickly crouch down.

My hair floats in the air due to the law of inertia, and the remaining strands are cut horizontally.

Something passes by at high speed just a few centimeters above my head.

It was a sword.

I look up, and for a moment, I see the white knight flickering in and out of view as if reflecting randomly.

Noticing me, the knight looks at me.

It returns to its original white knight state and appears in my line of sight.

“Invisibility… A skill?”

I retreat at full speed, creating distance.

I check the status again and try to understand what happened.

Then, I focus on the skill 『Mirage』, which is probably the cause.

“Mirage… Is this a cheat?”

I couldn’t help but let out a dry smile at the ridiculous ability of the skill called Mirage as I looked at the details.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Type: Skill

Title: True・Mirage

Attainment Difficulty: 1

Effect: Wraps an invisible armor around the user that is effective against opponents with lower intelligence.

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

It seems that this skill allows one to become invisible to opponents with lower intelligence than oneself. My intelligence is 96, while the knight’s is 100.

There is only a difference of 4, but I’m undoubtedly losing, and the effect seems to be activated.

“Invisible armor and invisible sword… That’s unfair.”

As I try to complain, the white knight refracts light while randomly reflecting, disappearing from my sight. It vanishes as if it’s melting away, like when a glass container is placed in water.

“Damn it!!”

Thanks to the power of the Eye of God, I can barely see the status. I somehow manage to grasp its position and, relying on intuition, I swing my sword.

There is the sound of metal being crushed, but the colliding sword is invisible. By now, I’m almost entirely fighting on luck.

If this knight uses a feint, there would be nothing I could do.

“Damn it! Ugh!”

There’s absolutely no way to break through.

The luck that had been on my side gradually abandons me, and cuts form all over my body.

Without the Eye of God, I would have been sliced to death from behind in an instant.

In terms of status, my attack power is slightly stronger due to the difference in weapons.

Although I’m losing by 4 points in intelligence, I’m winning in all other statuses.

Yet, I can’t compete and continue to be pushed back.

The invisible flashes of light unleashed by the white knight swing like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, whittling away at my life.

“Gah!!”

My left arm, which had been wrapped in a towel, is cut through the towel, reminding me of the pain in my wounded left arm. I feel my disadvantage growing, and anxiety wells up in my heart. The adrenaline wears off, and my vision begins to lose light.

“Ha… ha…”

After several minutes of fighting, I’m left battered and bruised.

My left arm is discolored purple from the blood, and my left leg is swollen and red from burns.

“I can’t win…”

My heart involuntarily utters words of weakness.

Although I had decided not to give up that day, my heart weakens easily due to fatigue, pain, and the lack of a way to break through.

Realizing this, I grimace at how easily my resolve crumbled.

But even so, the white knight does not wait for me.

Our swords clash, and I can no longer think.

The only reason I can still endure is that my body remembers how to fight, and something deep within my heart supports me.

(Haa Haa… I’ve been through something like this before…)

I recall the battle in the Golden Cube.

When I defeated the hobgoblin for the first time, I was also uttering words of weakness.

But I stood up once more. In the end, it wasn’t my own will that supported me, but Nagi.

It’s the same now.

I’m weak, and my determination wavers easily.

People are weak, and their hearts easily disregard reason, no matter how much they’ve made up their minds.

Will I give up again?

Will I leave Nagi behind, waiting in the darkness of her body, lonely and waiting for my return?

She’s waiting for me to find a cure for AMS.

I might be able to save her if I try hard enough.

If I can see the truth with these eyes.

“I’ll save you, Nagi. Just wait a little longer. I’ll definitely save you. Then,”

*

“Nagi might be able to smile again!!”

My heart screams out, and a fire is lit once more.

It’s okay to be broken, isn’t it?

I’m weak, I’ve known that for a long time.

But it’s fine if I can get back up one more time, right?

“…Once more. Just one more time… I’ll do my best.”

So, I take up my sword and face forward.

My fragile heart barely manages to hold on.

As if responding to my feelings.

As if responding to my heart.

My eyes shine a golden hue, unleashing their true power.

“Huh?”

CLANG!!

I clearly see the sword coming down and manage to block it more surely than ever before.

The White Knight, surprised because the something enveloping them seemed to shake violently.

Just like the wavering mirage, the White Knight’s shape was revealed as something took form, materializing the previously invisible figure.

The gray world is dyed gold, reflecting magical power onto the world.

“Could this be… magic?”

What I saw, based on conjecture, was likely magical power.

Golden colored magic, like flames, is visible from my body.

A similar thing is leaking from the White Knight as well.

Perhaps flustered by the fact that I perfectly blocked them, the White Knight hurriedly swings their sword at me again.

However, I unmistakably saw the invisible sword, and I deflected it.

In terms of stats, I have the upper hand; there’s no reason for me to lose.

Swords clash with swords, and power collides with power.

And in the end, if souls clash against each other as well.

“Ahhhhhh!!!”

There’s no reason for me to lose to a silent, nameless knight.

I have a goal to achieve, someone I want to save.

I have a reason I must win!!

With all my strength, I push the White Knight back against the wall.

Desperately resisting, the White Knight’s skill 『Mirage』is dispelled.

I continue to push relentlessly.

“Ahhhhhh!!!!!”

I’ll settle this here; I’m about to lose consciousness anyway.

So, I will definitely settle this here.

I devote all my strength.

A single sword dances through the air with a metallic sound.

It was the enemy’s sword, while mine was still gripped firmly in my hand.

With golden eyes, I gaze straight at the White Knight and point the tip of my sword directly at them.

As if smiling, the White Knight says something.

『…Impressive. Knight of this era. 』

My sword pierces straight through the White Knight’s chest.

I fall to the ground with the White Knight, leaning my weight on them.

Within my fading consciousness, my victory is announced by that emotionless voice.

『Novice Knight Exam, cleared. Individual name: Kai Amachi… Novice Knight (Light) acquired. Teleporting. 』