Hanarak’s body grew numb, the searing pain that had consud him monts ago fading into a dull, distant ache. His breathing beca shallow, each breath a struggle. The wound on his shoulder no longer throbbed, and the broken ribs no longer stabbed with every movent.
He stared blankly at the ceiling of the tunnel, his vision growing hazy.
Look like I’m going to die here...
He let out a weak, bitter chuckle.
"If... if I had another chance at living... I wouldn’t be doing assassinations anymore..."
He paused, his thoughts drifting.
But... can I really do it? I made that promise back then, and I didn’t honor it. I broke my word. I threw away the second chance Garius gave .
He closed his eyes for a mont, feeling the cold creeping into his body.
Ah... perhaps this is what it feels like to die...
He tried to focus, but his vision was blurring, the edges of the tunnel fading into darkness.
I can feel... the throbbing in my wound... but I can no longer feel the pain...
His hand, which had been gripping the stump of his lost arm, slowly loosened, his fingers trembling before falling limp against the ground.
His breathing slowed, then stopped.
"A-ah~ Not so fast~"
A slow footstep of full armor boots echoed through the tunnel, each step deliberate and asured. The golden knight erged from the shadows, his armor gleaming faintly in the dim light.
He crouched down beside Hanarak’s lifeless body, leaning forward and gripping his hair, lifting his head to look into his lifeless eyes.
"Who said you were going to die just like that? Hmm?"
He placed a glowing hand on Hanarak’s chest, smirking.
"Wake up, dumbass~"
The golden armor glowing with a soft, warm light. Healing magic flowed into Hanarak’s body, nding his broken ribs, shattered leg, and sealing the wound where his arm had been. Then, a sudden surge of electrical energy pulsed through the knight’s hand, shocking Hanarak’s heart back into rhythm.
Hanarak’s body jerked violently as his heart restarted. He gasped, his eyes snapping open as he sucked in a desperate breath, coughing and choking as life flooded back into him.
"Ooweee~ Good thing you woke up~"
The golden knight snapped his fingers, and magical cuffs materialized around Hanarak’s wrists and ankles, glowing with restraining energy.
"Good morning, sunshine~" The golden knight leaned forward, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Who said you could die before eting the Punisher? Hmm?"
Hanarak’s eyes widened, still gasping for breath.
"Where am I? Am I in the afterlife?"
"Heh~" Javier chuckled teasingly, wiggling the golden knight’s finger in front of Hanarak’s face. "No~ You’re still in the last place you were. Check around~ Your subordinates are already buried under the rubble."
Hanarak’s eyes darted around, taking in the destroyed tunnel and the bodies of his fallen n. He looked down at his body, his broken leg now fully healed, the wound where his arm had been sealed, and his ribs no longer aching.
"Who... are you?"
"Ah~ ?" The golden knight rubbed the chin of his helt before leaning down, locking eyes with Hanarak. "Just call Goldie~ I’m here on a mission to capture and deliver you to the Sovereign of Armand, King Garius."
Hanarak’s eyes widened in shock. He tried to scramble away, but the magical cuffs held him firmly. He attempted to activate his dark magic, but nothing happened, his power completely sealed.
"Uuuuu~ What’s with the surprise?" Javier’s voice ca through the golden knight, playful and mocking. "You’ve committed the greatest sin, you know? And you should know what happens to sinners like you."
"Wh... what? Are you from the Saints of the Three Gods?!"
"Chi chi chi~" Javier wiggled the golden knight’s finger again. "Don’t talk about those cultists. Armand doesn’t want those cultists or even their priests or believers stepping foot within Armand’s borders. Do you really think Armand would do business with those cultists? Didn’t I say it earlier? My job is to capture and deliver you to the Punisher... hmm?"
Hanarak looked down at the ground, his voice trembling.
"Only the High Priest of the Saints of the Three Gods has this kind of magic... to revive soone who was already dead..."
"Hah? Are you dumb? There’s no magic to revive the dead, asshole." Javier chuckled mockingly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You weren’t fully dead yet. Your heart had stopped, but your soul was still clinging to your body. I just gave you a little push to get it going again. It’s not revival, it’s just advanced healing and resuscitation."
He leaned closer, his voice dripping with amusent.
"What a dumb thing to believe. If those Saints of the Three Gods truly had ’miracles of revival,’ then why hasn’t anyone from the wars or the countless battles been brought back? Hmm? If you’ve seen it once or twice, it’s a fake miracle, a trick to collect tithes, donations from gullible believers and manipulate the desperate."
He let out a soft laugh.
"If that magic truly existed, the previous king, Kliatana’s father, the late King Edmund, would still be ruling the Human Kingdom today. And none of the nobles would dare to start a civil war, you shithead."
Javier chuckled again, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"If you still believe that revival magic exists, then let ask you this: the late King Edmund was the ruler of the entire Human Nation, and at that ti, the majority of the human region, were believers of the Saints of the Three Gods. Churches were everywhere, and as king, he had the power, the wealth, and the influence to request a revival. His children, his queen, his closest advisors, they all had the resources to demand one."
He paused, letting the words sink in before letting out a mocking sneer.
"And yet... he stayed dead. No miracle. No revival. Just a cold grave and a kingdom left to crumble."
He shook his head slowly.
"No wonder after the Celestial War, most nobles and people in the Human Kingdom stopped believing in the Saints of the Three Gods. They saw through the lies. They realized that if such miracles were real, the late king would still be alive, and the civil wars would never have happened."
He let out a soft, sarcastic laugh.
"Well... if you still want to believe in it, that’s up to you. It’s hard to educate the dumb, isn’t it? I guess education really is illegal for idiots like you, huh?"
"Anyway..." Javier chuckled lightly, his tone shifting back to a more casual one. "I believe we should stop talking. Besides, a shithead like you should be brought to Armand to be punished."
( End Of Chapter )
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