ch61-ch80 · 068-ch67

Chapter 67: Admiration

I can't make a sound.

It feels like my throat is being squeezed shut, like I can't breathe in or out.

In my line of sight, bright red liquid flows in slow motion.

From his side, to his waist, to his leg, and then to the ground. It was too slow, too beautiful, and I couldn't immediately recognize that it was blood.

"Kyaaaaaahhhhhhh!!"

Sumi's scream breaks the silence.

"You!!"

Shudo-san tried to attack the black-haired woman, but she quickly dodged backward.

At the same time, the knife she held was pulled out... and even more blood gushed from his side.

Pressing on that wound and dropping to both knees on the spot was—Papa.

"Papa!!"

　

　　―　◆　―

"Guh..."

Rokuro, already starting to lose his Unison form and having lost most of his armor, had shielded Chartreuse from Fuchsia's vicious blade, getting stabbed in his left side.

"Papa, Papa!!" "I-I'm oka... ugh..."

He can barely respond properly to Ai, who's clinging to him with tears streaming down her face.

But even so, he squeezes out his words with all his strength.

"Run, Ai... quickly..."

Right now, the danger approaching his daughter is more important than his own body.

At the edge of his blurred vision, he can see Shudo fighting back against Fuchsia.

"Hah!!!" "........."

Shudo was using his martial arts to keep Fuchsia at bay, but even with one broken arm, his opponent was a knight. It was clear he was being overwhelmed.

"Fuchsia, stop!... Fuchsia!?"

Chartreuse desperately calls out to Fuchsia while dragging her severely injured body, but Fuchsia shows no sign of stopping.

It was then that Chartreuse finally noticed something strange about Fuchsia—that her eyes had no light.

'...She's being controlled!? Who in the world...' "Papa!!"

At Ai's cry, he looks over to see Rokuro with one arm on the ground, looking as if he's about to collapse.

There's Ai supporting him, Kiriko kneeling beside him worriedly, and Reiya hurriedly taking out her cell phone.

"I shall call an ambulance right away!" "Forget about me... just hurry and escape with Ai..." "No! Nooo!!"

Rokuro insisting they escape, and Ai shaking her head frantically in refusal.

It was truly the scene of a father thinking of his daughter, and a daughter wanting to help her father.

It hardly seemed like a sight Rokuro would have gained after killing his comrade.

"...Rock-san, why did you protect me..."

Hearing Chartreuse's whisper, Sumi shouts.

"Idiot! That's obviously because Ai's Papa is kind!!" "Kind... you say..."

　　―　◆　―

Chartreuse's memory.

It was from when the Seven Knights were traveling with the rear support unit and were suddenly attacked by the enemy.

Despite the unexpected surprise attack, due to the Seven Knights' overwhelming strength, they had counterattacked the enemies without a single casualty.

However, having witnessed the Seven Knights' battle for the first time, Chartreuse couldn't stop trembling.

"Are you alright, Charru?"

While everyone else was cleaning up, Satchio called out to Chartreuse, who was huddled in a corner hugging her shoulders, worried.

"We startled you. But there are no more scary enemies now..." "I-I'm fine, the enemies aren't scary"

Chartreuse, whose town had been burned, had seen the Demon King Army before, and this wasn't her first time seeing real combat.

What she had been afraid of wasn't the enemies, but...

"...Rock-san, it was like he became a completely different person. Everyone else didn't change that much..."

Because he was usually so gentle, Rock's personality change when he became the Black Knight and his merciless fighting style had shocked her.

"Ahh, I see. You've never seen him perform Unison before. No wonder you were surprised, right?" "...Rock-san is immature, so the Purple Knight-sama said he has his heart stolen by the Color Bird"

She had seen him being lectured near the kitchen, told to train his heart instead of cooking whenever he had time.

"...Was it our fault for easily getting his help?" "Huh? No, no. It's not that. He intentionally lets himself be influenced by the Black Bird."

At Satchio's casual denial of the Purple Knight's lecture, Chartreuse looked up.

"Intentionally? Why would he do that?" "He's kinder than anyone, so with his personality as it is, he couldn't hurt anyone. That's why he intentionally makes himself more aggressive."

"!"

He hates fighting.

Therefore, he entrusts his own heart to the rampaging Black Bird, even changing his personality.

He goes that far because there's something he wants to protect. A knight who continues fighting even at the sacrifice of his own heart.

Learning this fact, Chartreuse's trembling had changed from fear to reverence and admiration.

'That knight was my admiration. Stronger than anyone, kinder than anyone... the Black Knight Rock=Rock'