Surviving without God

Middle Layer, Hestia Street. Inside the shelter that Night Raven had prepared for the honored guests, voices overlapped. Among them, one stood out in particular—balanced on the edge between youth and childhood.

— And how exactly are they supposed to help our kingdom? People with no traditions, not a shred of knightly virtue...

— Stop whining already. The elders gave orders—just do as you’re told.

— Servan, stop talking nonsense.

— Hearing you talk about nonsense... makes me want to end this short life right now, Seril.

— ...End?

— ...I mean, put an end to it.

— Ah, I see.

Seril Barkel and Servan Barkel. Twin siblings—similar, yet completely different—glared at each other with open irritation. They were envoys sent by the Kingdom of Valloren to Night Raven, direct descendants of the Round Table family that had long served the King of Knights himself.

Those hailed as the pride of the kingdom and the embodiment of noble blood. ...Naturally, they found no joy in the role of guides escorting Night Raven’s reinforcements back to the kingdom. To travel such a long distance only to act as escorts for commoners.

— They used to live off our donations...

The kingdom’s decline left behind nothing but bitterness.

Shhh—

— Still, the conveniences here aren’t bad, — Seril muttered, turning the magical temperature control device in the bath over in her hands. When she discovered the button that released streams of foam bubbles, a barely audible gasp of delight escaped her lips. The Union of Kingdoms also imported certain magical devices, but this level of comfort existed only within the Border City. Servan shook his head and shut off the water.

— When things like this are everywhere, people inevitably grow weak. Didn’t you see them on the way here? Magic guns, magic swords, carriages... they’ve grown used to relying on external power.

His eyes—black, like all northerners—glinted.

— Living like that, you’ll never reach true strength. Only tempering, and more tempering—

— Can you stop with the lectures?

— It’s not a lecture. It’s discipline.

— Ah, I know.

Servan pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a heavy sigh.

— And what’s that on your belt? A magic sword?

— I-it’s...

— When did you even buy that? At least have some pride as a knight of the Round Table—

His lecture was cut short. His highly developed sense for energy picked up a powerful presence rapidly approaching at tremendous speed.

“...From above?”

No—wasn’t security inside the city supposed to be guaranteed? In the instant of confusion at the enemy’s sudden appearance—

— Servan! Move!

Seril drew her sword. Before her brother could stop her, she rushed out onto the balcony. Her silver-gray hair whipped upward from the sheer speed, revealing a straight nose and a flawless forehead. A face that made the hearts of fellow cadets and junior officers at the knight academy tremble. But Servan, instead of admiring his sister, simply gaped, swallowing a curse.

“An aerial attack, and she runs onto the balcony? What is she, an archer?”

There wasn’t a trace of strategy in that movement... but he had no choice but to follow, teeth clenched. They were one. Their family swordsmanship had been designed from the start for coordinated sequences. Together, they were nearly invincible—but the moment they split apart, their combat power dropped sharply.

— Kyaaa—! Servaaan! Wh-what is that?!

The problem was—they had overlooked something. Until now, in its war against the Union, Luthien had rarely deployed monsters or manifestations summoned from the “World of Light.” They had adhered to traditional warfare, relying on the Holy Army. It was a choice meant to preserve the faith of believers within the Union. Even those who devoutly believed in Luthien’s “goodness” would waver if they saw such horrifying creatures.

But the Border City was an exception. During Albino Lacreta’s coup, monsters had been openly used to seize the city, which meant Luthien had completely abandoned any attempt to maintain faith there. ...And this time, they had no reason to hold back.

— Dear god...

Demonic birds were diving from the sky. People below scattered with screams.

Each time their wings—formed of dark blue-black flaming feathers—beat, the air trembled, producing shockwaves.

These were no ordinary summons. Special specimens created by the Society of Holy Flame to neutralize the Border City’s anti-air defenses. Weapons that had gone unused due to Albino’s defeat. Now they had a single target. ...The Union’s envoys.

— ...There.

Figures in robes, hanging upside down from the birds’ claws, simultaneously pointed at Seril and Servan. Part of the unit sent by Verion Heinz.

— Servan, they’re coming.

— I know.

The hesitation lasted only a moment. They were proud knights of the Round Table. The pressure from their opponents was strong—but not overwhelming.

“I’ve cut down plenty like this!”

Whoosh—

The robed figures dropped from the birds, stabilized midair, and charged.

— Seril, start from the left!

— You don’t have to tell me every time!

The twins swung their swords in unison. First movement—“Cross Form.”

As Seril stepped forward with her left foot and delivered a powerful strike to the central enemy, Servan immediately pivoted in the opposite direction. His blade slid along the spine of Seril’s sword. The instant the pair of blades crossed through the air, the enemy’s upper and lower body separated cleanly.

Three more attacked from different angles. Servan shouted sharply:

— Second Form!

— Got it!

Seril lunged forward, breaking their formation. At that exact moment, Servan spun his entire body, letting his blade pass over the back of her sword. Second Form—“Crescent.”

They didn’t retreat a single step. When Seril held the front, Servan cut into the empty spaces. If his center of gravity shifted right, she pivoted in the opposite direction to maintain balance. Without touching, they exchanged glances continuously. If they were off by even half a beat, their blades would have pierced each other—but they made no mistakes.

At the peak of “Double Moon”—the paired swordsmanship Valloren took pride in—three enemies were split apart at once. Confusion flickered in the eyes of the attackers pressing forward. And rightly so—the skill of these two far exceeded expectations.

But the siblings’ triumph didn’t last long.

Ba-ba-a-am!

The ground vanished beneath their feet. The twins only realized what had happened as they fell. A demonic bird, diving from below, had slammed into the balcony, collapsing it entirely.

— Servaaaan!

— Seril!

Through their fading vision, they saw the birds snatch up the surviving enemies once more. Seril and Servan fell helplessly to the ground.

Boom!

The impact, along with the debris, sent up a storm of dust.

— Kh... kh-ha. Are you alright?

— Ugh...

Seril staggered to her feet. Servan raised his sword as well, though blood streamed down his forehead. Looking around, they couldn’t suppress a groan.

— Damn it. Does this city even have guards? 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

— Seems like they’re coming, but...

The presence was too far away. And even if the guards arrived quickly, ordinary city watchmen wouldn’t be able to handle monsters like these. It was a miscalculation. Accustomed only to duels with humans, they had failed to account for other variables on the battlefield.

Flare—

The sky above turned crimson. The demonic birds circled, gathering flames in their jaws. But even more terrifying—the robed figures had landed directly in front of them under that red sky. Flames raged in their hands, far more dangerous than the monsters’ fire.

Ground. Air. Magic.

— We’re in a dead end...

— Tch.

— ...Tch!

Without another word, they stood back to back and raised their swords. Their chances of victory were slim, but they weren’t accustomed to running. They would fight to the end.

...And at that moment—

Vrrrmmm!

A muffled sound echoed from afar. Unfamiliar with magi-engineered devices, they didn’t understand what it was. They instinctively lowered themselves, wary of the unknown sound. And then—

Ka-baaam!

From the alley—

A mass of metal burst out. At a speed that blurred its outline, that thing—

Screeeech!

Sliding into a brutal drift, it blocked the path precisely between the enemies and the twins. Through the steam rising from its body, the barrel of an enormous rifle emerged.

Bang!

A magic round. A demonic bird’s eye burst, its body twisting violently. Headless, one of the birds dropped straight down.

But that was only the beginning.

Bang! Bang!

The firing didn’t stop. Over the past month, Levain Bernecker, after completing his Deep Communication training, had undergone the Enhancement Plan developed by Sharin Vega and Gunther. His body had been modified to withstand even greater recoil, and the rifle’s caliber had been increased. Like a living anti-air battery, he relentlessly shot down the flying creatures one after another.

Wooooum—

Then, above them, the shadow of a massive shield appeared. Crouched atop it, performing impossible maneuvers, was a girl. Every time her fist—wrapped in compressed wind—struck, the wings of birds that had slipped past Levain were torn apart.

Seril and Servan froze, stunned by the absurd spectacle.

Pshhh!

When more familiar magic came into play, they almost felt relieved. But it still wasn’t over.

— Eliminate the target first! — the enemy shouted. The remnants of the Society of Holy Flame had realized the situation had changed. They knew that once they entered the city, they would not leave alive.

They had only one objective. Seril and Servan. The bridge between the Union and Night Raven. If they died here, the alliance between the two forces would slow. In that time, the Theocracy would take another step forward. For that, they were ready to die.

Boom!

They hurled spheres of flame simultaneously. The entire field of vision filled with fire—heat, pressure, and a deafening roar tearing at the eardrums. And in that instant—

Clack!

The car door swung open, and a man stepped out.

From head to toe, he was clad in matte black steel. Above him rose a massive two-handed sword, engulfed in scarlet flame.

Within the rising heat, his aura was overwhelming.

When he swung the blade toward the rain of fire, the enemy flames were simply absorbed into the trajectory of his strike—and then returned in a wave of fire.

Before primal flame that dominated imperfect fire, their achievements meant nothing.

Even as fire casters, the enemies collapsed screaming. They were reduced to ash in an instant.

— ......

Seril and Servan silently stared at the Night Raven members before them. They had grown up in the heart of Valloren, the kingdom of knights. They had seen countless strong individuals. Of course, there were those stronger than these people. In a one-on-one duel, perhaps they themselves wouldn’t lose.

But what made these people different... was experience.

There was something in their movements that couldn’t be explained by technique, martial discipline, or doctrine. ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) The experience of countless battles against inhuman monsters had been fused into every action.

“...So this is why His Majesty wanted them so badly?”

At that moment, it became clear why the king had insisted, ignoring opposition within the kingdom.

Step.

At that moment, the man who seemed to be their leader walked toward them with steady confidence. The man in matte black armor stopped before them and asked in a low voice:

— Are you alright?

A brief exchange of glances.

— Night Raven, I acknowledge your skill, — Seril stepped forward, smiling casually. — ...That display was pitiful.

.

.

.

Gunther blinked once.

— ...What?