SSS-Knight in a Hero World-Chapter 98: Blessed by light

"...what is he doing."

There was a growing presence of animosity around Ferris and the villain.

Evening had experience with encountering drifting souls that made their way to this world, and this fact had her instincts begin to kick in, starting with her fingers pressing slightly on the trigger.

"Come on, friend..."

She waited nervously for seconds, but there was no change in the aura around them.

In the end, perhaps even the Knight of Prophecy's soul couldn't bear the new life. Even if one looks fine on the outside, they could snap at any moment, and as her role as an executioner, there were no exceptions to whoever she targeted. Even if it was the only person who knew her from the other world.

Click.

Evening aimed her gun carefully at the center point of the two individuals and started counting down mentally. This was to give Ferris even more time.

A dark ball of energy and light began to form on the barrel of her gun. As she counted down, that darkness eventually grew into an even more intense ball of darkness compared to the two's aura.

"One..."

Nothing.

In the end, perhaps she was too optimistic, but regardless, she knew what she needed to do next.

. . .

Evening paused and smiled at herself. "...oh shucks, can't believe I'm hesitating.

As I thought, I really don't wanna kill the little guy—

Flash!

"What in tarnation?" Evening exclaimed at the sudden eruption of light.

The light came from the two, or rather, the villain specifically. It was almost as if the sun itself was manifesting inside a human body. Even Evening's charging shot was affected by the light, snuffing it out instantly, just as a person would pinch a candlelight with their fingers.

Half a second passed after the explosion of light. Kerio's zippers couldn't withstand the pressure and began appearing all over the villain's body, unzipping themselves one by one until they snapped.

Then, the light ended in a powerful blast that knocked even Evening on her back.

Judas' body was also returned during the blast, but he remained motionless afterward.

As for Ferris, he desperately clung onto the villain's skull despite being knocked several meters away.

The villain's body was gravely injured, as dozens of serrations appeared all over. Miraculously, though, Ferris was completely unscathed from the blast despite taking it head-on at point-blank range.

Not questioning that aspect, Ferris didn't hesitate for even a single moment to finish off his prey.

One stab was enough to break through the spine and out the chest.

Then another stab to the side of the neck, completely severing it along with the torso.

This was how Ferris was taught to finish off his enemies.

Ferris recalled what he did to Executor and what happened afterward.

"I doubt even a god would save the likes of you."

The head rolled a few paces away from the body.

But there was something strange—there was no blood, and it definitely wasn't Kerio's zipper blessing that saved them. It was something else. A very dry material that almost felt sharper than flesh.

Ferris quickly pulled his hand out and saw the hole he had created.

I missed the heart, but it's not there?

In place of the heart was now a spherical thing with beehive-like holes all around it. Strikingly similar to the one he saw in Judas' and Kerio's memory.

Didn't this degenerate bleed when I fought him before?

Ferris clicked his tongue and was about to stab his hand inside again. This time he intended to rip that thing out and crush it if possible.

But when he tried to poke his hand in, tiny tendrils of wooden vines suddenly snatched onto his arm, stopping it.

But just like the inside, the vines were thin and brittle.

A lack of moisture makes wood very weak indeed.

Snap!

As the vines snapped, Ferris dug his hand in and grabbed a hold of the spherical core, beginning to tighten his grip to crush it completely.

His eyes were glued to it, but it turned out to be harder than expected.

And with his gaze and thoughts solely fixed on the task in front of him, Ferris failed to notice the needle-like projectiles that came from the decapitated head.

The needles attached themselves to his cheek and neck. In mere moments, the veins around them began to blacken and pulsate.

The villain's head grinned at such an easy sneak attack. However, they failed to account for one thing:

A knight from the Viking Order.

Must be ferocious.

Crush!

Ferris kicked the body away while still latching onto the cracked core.

Ferris sighed a breath filled with anger as he plucked the needles sticking to him.

Simple poisons aren't that great against someone who knows how to control their internal essence.

"You must be the one behind the kidnappings, with all these disgusting fauna you're using."

His gaze landed on the decapitated head, which had lost its wide grin.

Ferris smiled. "It's my victory."

The head scoffed. "Don't be so naive, brat. You don't know what you're dealing with here."

"Tell me who you are exactly if you want me to spare your head."

. . .

The head froze and pulled out a big smile at his statement. Of course, they wouldn't tell him anything.

"It doesn't matter. Losing a battle doesn't lose me the war. I'll admit, you're the victor here."

Ferris listened and no longer wanted to listen any further.

He was about to step forward and crush the head but the head continued to speak nonetheless. "I'm leaving now. Take these as your war trophies." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

As they finished their sentence, their skin suddenly dried out in an instant, leaving only a mummy behind.

But what was more shocking was the shattered core that was previously dry was now suddenly erupting with renewed vitality.

There was enough essence that Ferris wouldn't want to hold it any longer. And so he threw the fragments as far as he could.

So far, the fragments didn't do anything yet as they scattered across the bedrock.

Ferris tried to look for Miss Evening, but she was nowhere to be seen. However, he did notice Judas not too far away.

Since the main threat was already dealt with, Ferris could, for now, ignore the mysterious fragments and rush toward Judas.

He's conscious!

Ferris held his gratefulness back and began carrying him by his shoulder.

"I can't run you out of here. Walk!" he barked.

Hearing that, Judas managed to scrape a few words out. "O-okay..."

The two struggled to walk the opposite distance from the fragments.

After a minute, Ferris felt a wave of putrid essence slamming onto his senses in rapid succession.

Each of those fragments was slowly turning into aberrants.

I've used everything I had left for that bastard, damnit!

Ferris growled in pain as he tried his best to help Judas walk. "There's a patch of rubble over there. We can hide there if we're fast enough."

Even now, Ferris had a difficult time even speaking.

Judas gasped for air. "…Ferris, let's stop here."

Collapsing on the bedrock, Judas struggled to focus his eyes. "I-I can't move, Ferris."

Not even bothering to make a reply, Ferris grabbed his friend's body and wore it over his shoulders.

Unfortunately, he only had enough strength to make a few steps forward.

There's only so much essence he could use and store. He had already burned everything only moments ago—his body, his mind, his essence.

The only thing left was his passion, which still burned brightly alone despite everything around them collapsing.

Ferris pondered a thought. Perhaps his passion burned too much and accelerated his bodily destruction.

Unfortunately, that single brief thought was enough to get him on his knees, and so, he collapsed as well.

The two slept on the bedrock, completely out of life.

"I can't see anything anymore. Everything's so bright."

It's night here… How could it be so bright… Ferris lampooned and looked over Judas.

To his shock, Judas' pupil was empty of color, but Judas kept speaking. "Hey, why did Kerio keep me alive?"

"Kerio… You know?"

Judas nodded slightly. "A minute ago… I think I understand it now."

Ferris no longer had the strength to reply, but he listened.

"Just like he did before… He left a bit of himself within me…"

Judas raised his hand and pinched the area between his collarbone before slowly pulling it down toward his stomach,

he began to unfurl himself.

"Take it. I'm sure it'll help you out."

Ferris knew that Judas was referring to his soul. After all, he watched Kerio himself perform the procedure on Judas in their memories.

He also knew what taking it out would result in, a lifeless husk.

Ferris gritted his teeth. He began to loathe that woman beside Elizabeth once again.

Was Judas simply here to somehow help me out in exchange for their own life?

As Ferris grew deeper in contempt, Judas noticed his emotions.

"This body can't withstand the true nature of my soul. But yours can.

I won't die."

Ferris engraved that phrase deep within him.

The basis of connections always begins with one important aspect of life, trust.

"Choose… damnit…" Judas whispered in near silence. He could've said anything to encourage Ferris, but he chose those two specific words instead.

Just as Ferris placed him in the spotlight inside of the torrential void, Judas placed Ferris in the line between life and death.

And just like Judas, Ferris would pick the same thing.

With what's left of his strength—if there even was any left—Ferris placed his hand on his friend's chest and touched something warm and fuzzy.

Pulling it out, he saw quite a sight.

It was unlike the memory version of it that he remembered.

A burning sun, in the palm of my hands…

That was the only way Ferris could describe its appearance.

"Hehe…"

He couldn't help but begin to laugh. What did a star have to do with a blessing that's related to invading minds and controlling other people?

There was no current answer to that.

Blessings… are just so damn confusing.

As Ferris stared at the light he held upwards, he instinctively began resonating with it.

And with that, another flash of light erupted around them.