SSS-Knight in a Hero World-Chapter 97: Let there be freedom

He had a sure feeling that bullet would never land on him, but feelings aren't always to be trusted in a life and death situation.

Whizz.

Ferris stood frozen for a split second. It was clear that Miss Evening's agility with a gun was something to be wary of, and her aim was not to be questioned.

Yet, those facts were betrayed as his ears began to bleed slowly.

She shot a bit of my ear off, it was intentional.

She's on my side—

Bang!

That's headed straight for my head!

Dashing to the side, Ferris narrowly avoided her bullet that whizzed by like lightning.

It's not her tracking projectiles... what's her deal?

If she's on my side, she would've shot that villain before even coming here.

She's neither on the villain's side and she's neither on the hero's side.

Prove to me that you're a knight, and I won't shoot ya.

Ferris recalled the words said to him by her.

Prove, how do I even prove to her that I'm a knight?

Does she want me to shout it out?

. . .

No... She has a good sense of people's emotions and thoughts. She's looking for more than words.

A knight should use his mouth only for gratefulness. He shouldn't use it to prove something so important.

Though a knight's voice can carry a kingdom behind it.

A knight's actions can carry the weight of an entire world.

You want to see a knight? So be it.

A knight who has seen the end of everything, and a knight who has brought an end to the end of everything.

A world's worth of justification, into one being.

A billion's worth of memories into one mind.

That includes you, Eos.

From this point on until the end of this play, he will play a perfect role as the Knight of Prophecy.

For the villain, there was a sudden shift in Ferris' demeanor. A very clear shift in their physical body, as if someone else had taken complete control of them.

"Hmph." The degenerate muffled their laugh. Was he any different now than before this change?

. . .

Ferris was.

In under a second, the distance closed between them, their breaths almost reaching each other.

Although the lack of new oxygen took a toll on his energy, none of that mattered to Ferris. The only thing that mattered now was ending the degenerate who dragged him to this hell.

"So what? Would you hurt this body if it means winning?"

"Judas wouldn't mind."

As Ferris addressed the degenerate's concerns, he threw his entire arm into that man's guts and plunged everything he could muster into pure kinetic energy.

If this was the real Judas, he wouldn't be standing there.

That meant that whatever was wearing his friend as a suit, they could feel it as well.

Using that opportunity, Ferris quickly grabbed their head and attempted a forced resonance with Judas by clutching the villain's head.

In a short amount of time, he succeeded in establishing a connection. However, there was only one reply.

Kill me, don't hesitate.

Zzzzzzz.

In that moment of hesitation from Ferris, the villain tried to sneak in a stab to the gut, but ultimately failed.

Despite Ferris having to deal with so many objectives in a single fight, the villain still felt that they were at a disadvantage.

In terms of physical strength, essence output, and control, Ferris was an edge above them. It was as if he was fighting a completely different fighter.

The villain popped a vein, knowing that difference, and looked at the gunslinger in the distance. "Damnit woman, Help me!"

Unfortunately for them, Miss Evening shrugged it off with a lackluster excuse. "Eh~ with you two dancing around, I might shoot you or yall, and a woman can't just physically engage with two other men."

Now that's some great news if I ever heard one. Ferris smiled inside.

"Damnit, you useless bitch

if you don't tell me how you got into that boy's soul, then the boy dies."

"You're lying."

. . .

"Very well then. I may not ever figure out how you do it, but I'm sure this body does know."

The villain pounced on Ferris despite the strength difference. But they bet on one thing. "Despite that change of yours, you're still hesitating!"

Pulling off the same move as Ferris, the villain latched onto Ferris' head.

"!!!" A sudden and overwhelming will appeared within his mind. For a split second, he wasn't himself.

Almost as if the degenerate was beginning to take form inside him.

Judas' blessing?

"I forcefully took a bit of this boy's being out using Kerio's blessing, and what's been emptied has been filled by me. With this, I can use a bit of his blessing.

Now, Ferris.

If you don't cooperate, I wonder what I'll take out next?

His memories? His personality?"

Ferris heard those threats clear and well, but instead of submitting, he answered with rage.

Why did Judas come with him, why did he appear? If the villain didn't take Judas and turn him into a sort of moral armor, this fight would've ended a long time ago.

Why did Asmadeas have to partner him with Judas since the beginning? What role does Judas play in this entire thing?

His death?

Ferris gritted his teeth during the invasion taking place in his mind.

No, no more of these damned prophecies.

I will decide the outcome.

"Go ahead, take his entire blessing," Ferris said as he forcefully dragged his gaze into the villain.

"You're going to need it, you degenerate."

Grab.

"What're you doing?!" the man shouted as his skull was grabbed by Ferris' strong clutch.

"You're trying to connect with that boy again. I have his entire body under control with my blessing.

Do you think your will is strong enough to overpower a blessing?!"

Order essence gaze.

A stream of blood ran down Ferris' nose, and his eyes almost blacked out from the sudden burst of the veins inside. But that grip never faltered, and his gaze never blinked.

"Yes."

***

Inside the depths of consciousness.

The sea of void felt like a wicked storm at night, but inside, Ferris saw a shining orb of light that wasn't disturbed by the chaos.

Ferris swam toward that light, powering through the torrents that could instantly knock him back to reality.

He grabbed ahold and called out to his friend. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

But the orb only quivered, and a will was directly imparted into his thoughts. Finally, he understood.

"I see... Asmadeas talked to you privately.

You traded your life for everyone's safety.

Why are you so important? Why does your existence affect the outcome of the future so much?"

. . .

Ferris smiled, grinned, laughed, then gritted his teeth.

Slap.

He struck the ball away, sending Judas off to the torrents of void which could kill him. But behind that slap, Ferris decided to impart his own will.

His real memories, as a knight, and as a child who had once decided to reject the future.

Ferris shouted at the orb of light.

Rebellion or Death.

"Choose, damnit!"

. . .

The orb of light quivered once more.

And so, Judas answered his friend's call, not with cowardice, but with a brimming light that pushed away the void, bringing clarity to the world around them.