Chapter 43 - Judgent for Judgent (4)
Splash, splash.
I was walking through the sewers late at night. Just as I had done twelve tis before.
‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.’
‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.’
My gaze was fixed on the right wall of the sewer. As always, it was to count the pattern of the bricks.
At first, I would forget the brick count or get lost, but now I was getting proficient.
And-.
‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.’
‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…….’
After a little while, I was able to find it.
Judgnt’s hideout.
As always, I drew my pistol and aid it at the wall.
And, I fired.
KABOOM-!
A roar that was unbelievable for a pistol echoed through the sewers. The wall exploded and shattered, sending up clouds of dust and dirt.
And.
“……Ah, foolish ones. So slow, so very slow to notice…….”
A familiar line flowed from the wall. It was a voice that sounded like scratching tal, or perhaps boiling.
And not long after, I could spot Judgnt.
The skin that writhed like maggots, the lizard-like head, and the vaguely remaining human body always induced a sense of disgust.
……Because of that, I might have felt a little sadness.
***
In fact, the boss known as Judgnt, as I ntioned before, was not a boss with a straightforward story. His story only existed in the background; it wasn't delivered to players through scripts.
But Judgnt’s storytelling had a certain poignancy to it. The thod of deducing the past of a boss who could no longer speak human language through a journal from his sane days… that kind of thod.
Judgnt was a boss to whom that storytelling thod was well applied, and so, as I fought him, various thoughts about his past ca to mind.
And through twelve regressions—and through the special situation I was in—I might have co to sympathize with Judgnt a little more.
“Revenge…… Judgnt……”
Judgnt’s first opening pattern, Shared Chains, was cast.
《 Stats 》
[ Strength : D- > B ]
[ Agility : C > B ]
[ Stamina : D- > B ]
[ Intellect : B ]
[ Mana : F > B ]
[ Dexterity : B ]
As I ntioned before, his backstory was that he was frad and unjustly exiled. And that setting sohow resembled my current situation.
Of course, the severity couldn't even be compared. But in terms of the direction of the heart, or sothing like that.
“Judgnt… is my right……”
As Judgnt’s second opening pattern—Judgnt Space—was cast, the surroundings shimred with indigo flas.
I raised 『Spellbinder』 to counter him.
『Spellbinder』
-Grade : Epic (Unique)
-Durability : 500/500
-Attack Power : 75
Unique Ability, [ Spellbinding ] : Consus 3 durability to reflect an enemy’s magic.
: A sword that allowed an old knight to stand against mages, who were called the natural enemies of knights. It is very well-maintained.
“Knights…… die……!”
As he swung his writhing left arm, the mass of mana in his left hand flew towards .
But-.
Fwoosh-!
As I swung my sword, precisely matching the trajectory of the incoming mana mass, the mana mass was deflected and flew back towards Judgnt.
Fwoosh-.
“Kyaaauuuuuggh-!”
An unpleasant scream, as if from sowhere between a human and a monster, echoed.
But I couldn't hesitate here. I quickly approached the struggling Judgnt.
“Knights… Knights, Knights-!!”
Judgnt shouted. He showed an absolute hatred for knights. Even though he was once a noble knight himself.
Slice-!
I swung my sword and cut through Judgnt’s skin. I felt a sensation like cutting through a pile of maggots.
“Aaaaaaaargh!!”
I had landed two effective hits in a row, but I couldn't let my guard down. There was a vicious pattern he used when I got close.
Judgnt flinched from the attack and crouched down, but I didn't press for more attacks. And the reason for that was-.
Swoosh-!
The crouching Judgnt flew at without any warning. There was no preparatory motion whatsoever.
This was Judgnt’s infamous charge pattern. A hellish pattern with no ti to react.
But.
Thud-!
I threw myself to the side a beat faster and extended my sword to where I had been.
Kagagagagak-.
As a result, Judgnt, who had charged to where I was, ended up rushing towards the blade. Having run into the sword at such a high speed, he looked to have taken considerable damage.
“Ahhh, ahh. Ahh, ahh!! By my side, why is there no one-!!”
According to Judgnt’s journal, which could be seen in , when Judgnt was frad and fell from grace, no one defended him.
Even his comrades-in-arms, with whom he had shared life and death and believed to be true friends, were no exception.
‘That’s probably why that noble knight fell so miserably and beca a murderer.’
When I read Judgnt’s journal, there was a passage I still rember.
[Hardship was not frightening. But when I realized that those I believed without a doubt would share that hardship with were the hardship itself, I was so very afraid.]
Thud-!
I leaped once more and plunged my sword into Judgnt, who was embedded in the wall.
The target was the large wound he had sustained from leaping at earlier.
Slice-!
Judgnt’s maggot-like wounds had the characteristic of healing if left alone. Because of this, if a wound was created, I had to focus my attacks on that part to widen the wound so it wouldn't heal.
“Ah, aaaaaah-!! I hate, I will kill, I will judge-!!”
Through the series of events ntioned earlier, Judgnt, who had despaired of humans and knights, encountered so divine being.
He bestowed upon Judgnt a power that was no different from a curse, and it was described as amplifying his malice.
Thus, Judgnt beca a murderer. A murderer infinitely close to a monster.
Woooo-.
Cornered, Judgnt once again created a dark indigo fla in his left hand and threw it as if in a last-ditch effort. But-.
Fwoosh-!
I once again swung my sword to match the trajectory of the incoming fla and-.
Fwoosh-!
The fireball flew into Judgnt’s open wound, inflicting even greater damage.
“Ka… Ah, ahh…….”
His voice was fading. He looked like he was about to die, but his desperation pattern still remained. A pattern he uses when his health drops below 15%.
It might sound like an exaggeration, but I thought of Judgnt as another possibility for myself.
A who chose to kill people out of hatred.
A who didn't have Serene around when I was being criticized for false rumors.
A who didn't have Yuna around when I was being criticized for false rumors.
A who didn't have Khan around when I was being criticized for false rumors.
A who didn't have Arien around when I was being criticized for false rumors.
A who didn't have Regina around when I was being criticized for false rumors.
……Regina’s case was a bit ambiguous, but anyway.
Not all of them actively took my side. Khan and Arien’s stance was that they didn’t care, and Regina’s approach was more business-like.
But just by not believing the rumors were true, they were a comfort to . Of course, what happened with Yuna yesterday was… especially so.
On the other hand, judging by his journal’s descriptions, it seed Judgnt couldn't feel even that little bit of comfort.
Maggot-like things began to squirm inside his body. They glowed with a dark indigo light and began to prepare to release mana.
This was his desperation pattern. Piercing his own skin and exploding the mana inside.
During this pattern, Judgnt, who usually moved frantically, becos fixed in place.
And to break through this pattern, a way to quickly project firepower is required.
What does that an?
I took out 『Outlaw』 from my pocket.
『Outlaw 』
Grade : Epic
Durability : 71/72 (Cannot be repaired)
Attack Power : 450
: A masterpiece firearm that offers top-tier single-shot firepower at the cost of durability, providing an overwhelming advantage in close- to mid-range combat.
I aid at the one who was about to begin his last struggle.
Click.
It was true that through these recent events, I had co to sympathize with Judgnt.
But that didn't an I could let him live. That was that, and this was this.
Judgnt had gone too far. He couldn't return to being human, and he had already killed too many people.
It was certainly sad that he had beco a monster.
He was a monster deserving of judgnt, just as his na—Judgnt—implied.
Therefore, I fired the pistol.
KABOOOOM-!!
Just like the last ti I fired, a deafening shot echoed through the sewer.
And, what was left in its place was-.
“Ah, ahh, ahh…….”
The sight of Judgnt, moaning pitifully with a large hole in his torso.
***
In fact, it's unknown whether the tale of Judgnt's suffering ntioned earlier is true. Since it was only written in his journal, it could have been just a string of self-excuses.
Perhaps he really did commit misdeeds and was just rationalizing his actions through the journal.
But I had no choice but to believe his words.
“……Can you… hear … Judger……”
A lizard head with skin like a swarm of maggots, alive even with half its body blown away.
That head was speaking human language.
I slowly approached Judgnt.
“Yes, I am listening.”
When I answered, Judgnt spoke.
“……Thank you… Jud…ger…….”
“…….”
I could only bow my head at those words.
After a brief mont of silence.
“……Judger…… Please answer ……”
Judgnt began to speak again.
“Are the…… knights of this era…… our descendants…… true……?”
He was asking at the last mont of his life. Whether the darkness he had experienced had been lifted in this era.
“Are they righteous knights…… who have not lost their justice…… and do not turn a blind eye to corruption……?”
I hesitated for a mont. Whether I should deny or affirm this question.
From the perspective of general morality, denial was correct. I didn't know much about knights, but weren't their very seedlings, the academy cadets, rotten to the core?
Conversely, if the approach was whether there were those who upheld the virtues of a knight, then affirmation was correct. There were still heroes like Serene, Yuna, and Khan who shone brightly upon the world.
“They are-.”
But.
“…….”
Judgnt would never hear the answer to that question.
Because he had already passed away.
“……This is also just like the original.”
It was the sa in the original . No matter which answer was chosen, Judgnt would have already died by the ti the player made a choice.
“…….”
I slowly bent my knees. And I closed Judgnt’s still-open eyes.
“Predestined harmony, is that what this is.”
I muttered to myself.
Perhaps, this ending was the judgnt passed down upon Judgnt.
A judgnt upon a knight who had lost himself and fallen into a monster. If you think of it that way, it was an ending befitting his na.
Faint moonlight seeping through a ventilation grate was shining down on Judgnt.
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