The Blind Saint

"I… could see…?"

Aria's eyes widened.

Immediately after, her head moved over to the sides.

Almost as if on time…

Click

[Quest: Cure the Blind Saint, Complete!]

[Please report to the Administrator to claim rewards.]

[Second main quest can be unlocked, please report to the Administrator to gain access.]

There they are. The bunch of blue panels which had become her lifeline in this unfamiliar world.

The timer for the amount of time she had left no longer appeared anywhere.

It felt like a heavy weight had been taken off her chest.

She's finally able to relax herself, not having to worry about the possibility of turning blind.

"Fu… Finally…"

It was a very refreshing feeling.

Click

Back in the moving world.

Golden iris, those were the first thing she took notice of.

It was… extremely beautiful.

It was like the perfect missing piece to an incomplete puzzle.

But suddenly, water began piling up inside those pretty eyes.

—

It was immediately after Aria's body turned cold.

"..."

Rachel sat there, lifeless.

In the middle of the Demon King's castle.

She had once fought here, 15 years ago.

This scenario felt very familiar.

As if the world itself wants her to experience it again.

"Cough Cough… Oh? You're still alive and kicking, huh? That's great, that's great…"

"Shut up and accept my blessings! You are not in a condition suitable for excessive talking!

"It's fineeeeee. Besides, I'm practically already dead, aren't I? Then there is not really a problem with the way I want to spend my final moments, yeah?"

The blond girl continuously pressed her palms against the wounds of the older man.

"Shut up already! I will heal you! Stop raising flags already, would you!?"

"Ha ha ha.. So even you picked up some things from the way she spoke, huh? I guess it was inevitable. Even though the two of you rarely interact, she seemed mostly interested in you. I always thought it was weird how two people could resonate so closely without ever having a deep relation– Cough!"

Blood got on top of her hands.

She ignored the sticky substance and continued pouring divine power into her blessings.

"Tsk- this is not enough. I need more energy…!"

The blond girl tried to think of a solution before a thought struck her.

"My [Title]... yes, I could use the authority of my [Title]."

The man simply looked at the girl as she mumbled to herself. He then turned his vision towards the sky.

It was a very clear sky.

Nobody would've thought the deadliest battle of humanity's history would happen on such a nice day.

Would've fit more had the clouds covered even a portion of it.

"Hah… You can stop whatever you're thinking of right now. I have a feeling it's not something anybody here would want you to do."

The blond girl ignored the man's words.

She started praying.

But the man wouldn't just watch this happen. He sat up, the hole on his torso becoming more prominent as blood began dripping from the open wound.

The blond girl, surprised by the sudden movement, frowned.

"What are you doing!? You're making the wound bigger!"

"Nothing. I'm just stopping a certain idiot from sacrificing themselves."

"...Huh? How did you know? No wait. That doesn't matter. Time is running out!"

As she was about to start praying again, she felt an impact on top of her head.

The man had chopped her head.

"Ouch! What was that for!?"

"Stop that. I don't need you to do this. From my perspective, It just looked like the younger generation is trying to kill themselves for the old and scrawny like me. It just doesn't fit the atmosphere, no?"

"But…!"

The amount of blood that had already poured out was concerning. If it was a regular person, no doubt they would've died of anemia.

But the man still spoke as if he was healthy. It seemed to her like all the early coughs were fake.

She might've thought so too if not for the massive hole that made her see through him.

"I told you, it's fine. I'm sure even **** would look at you funny if she was still alive."

The tears that had been collecting inside of her eyes were ready to burst, if she didn't hold it back.

"If so then! Why!? Why am I even here if I can't even do the things I'm supposed to!? Nobody was supposed to die! Yet, because of my incompetence…!"

"...Ha ha ha."

"Why are you still laughing! You're going to die! Do you not understand the weight of your own situation right now!?"

"Heh, It's exactly because I understand that I'm laughing."

It was some incomprehensible words, the young teen wasn't able to understand what the man meant.

"I would much prefer dying rather than taking the life of others. I am sure you could relate, no? In that case, I would like it if you stop whatever plan you have in mind."

She can't understand it.

Doesn't he want to live?

Doesn't he want to meet back with his daughter?

Why would he rather die in this hell hole?

"Rachel, I've lived my life to the best of my abilities. I think I've achieved the highest honor a person could achieve in their life."

"Do you know what that is?"

Rachel tried to hold onto her tears as she answered his question.

She tried to think logically.

"Defeating the demon king…?"

"Beng! Wrong answer! Try again, I'll give you one more try."

"..."

"So? Do you have something in mind?"

She doesn't know. Everyone has their own ideas of 'Highest Honor'. She was certain her own was different when compared to his.

To that, she stayed silent.

The man, noticing this, smiled.

"That's good. You can think for yourself now. Hah… I somewhat missed the time when you would hiss at me from behind her."

Blood had already stopped dripping. There were practically none left to spill. Yet, the man was still alive.

The man was still smiling gently.

"It was to die a human. I am very proud of this achievement of mine. What do you think?"

"..."

"If you were to trade your own life for mine, then I would no longer be human. I would just be the result of outside interference. I live for myself, and I die for myself. Only I can decide."

"So, I hope that you could live the rest of your lives without regrets, just like me. Do not blame yourself for the death of others. It was fate that played with your heart."

"..."

Drip.

Ah, it spilled. The tears, they finally escaped.

The man raised his remaining hand onto her cheek, gently wiping her tears.

He died just like that.

A life lost in the fleeting moments.

Rachel kept on scanning Aria's body, hoping, wishing, begging for a miracle to happen.

It was until a moment passed where something happened.

She quickly raised her head as she placed her ears on Aria's chest, where no sound was expected to escape.

Something… something fluctuated from her body. 

It was a sign of life. Aria's mana had suddenly fluctuated. Despite her heart not beating, her mana showed signs of recovering.

'This… is possible.'

Her expression cracked.

She raised her head, gripping her own hands, and she started her prayer.

"I am here calling for you. Through space and time, I am a believer most loyal to you. As your one and only, I have offered my life to you. Please, accept my prayer. Wash away all other sins, purify her soul and heal her body."

As more and more words escaped her mouth, a magic circle appeared under Aria's body.

Rachel gritted her teeth, feeling like it might be crushed under her own pressure.

Even then, she didn't stop.

"Please, I beg of you. Do not take away the things that are given to me anymore. Was my childhood not enough? When you took away half my life, were you not smiling?"

The many memories of her past, the ones she would rather leave behind reappeared, as if waiting to be dug out by the owner.

Not all hope was lost.

She knew bringing back someone to life wasn't something a mortal like her could even dream of doing.

But she persevere.

Through sheer will and determination.

Through the pain of an unbearable past.

She left behind her old self.

Light engulfs the entire castle.

She was still praying, but instead of an expression of suffering, she smiled.

She finally understood why so many people died smiling.

"..."

The small lift of her lips, she knew her Lord had answered.

She had achieved her goal.

She could feel something, something important being stripped away from within.

But that's not important.

Thump Thump

The heartbeat, whether it was her own or Aria's, she couldn't tell.

But as she carefully placed her ears on Aria's chest, she clenched her fist.

They were beating.

The sounds of nature… they were extremely calming to her ears.

But as she waited, Aria never woke up.

But she didn't get impatient, she simply waited longer. Even if it would take eternity.

—

"Arcbishop! There's been a massive outroar due to the sudden revelation!"

"What? Tell me in 10 words or less. I've still got much work left to be done." As the bearded man clicked his tongue, his focus stayed on the paperworks that had built a tower on his table.

"It's the Saintess! She's dead!"

The sound of a pen dropped.

"Huh?"

—

A brown haired girl looked towards the sky as her back pressed against the tree trunk. She was hiding under the shade on this bright morning.

Elisabeth took notes of the amount of birds that flew over her location.

"There were… 5. That's quite a lot. It seems that my new protagonist is going to suffer quite a bit."

Some incomprehensible words escaped her lips.

In a context that only she would understand, they turned the page of the book on her lap.

There were only a couple of words written at the top of the page.

[The Resolution of the Second Female Lead]

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