"Cain..."

In the Royal City of Escarnia, Vortigern's expression was grim. Dark magic power shot from his fingertips, transforming into a lance that devoured light and pierced the image-recording array in the distant sky. After all, it was merely an array for projecting images; how could it possibly withstand the wrath of a Legendary figure?

BOOM—

The dreamlike vision of Utopia was pierced by a beam of dark magic power. In an instant, it crumbled, scattering into motes of light that dispersed into the night.

Yet, Vortigern's expression didn't improve in the slightest. This was the first time he had displayed such a dark and fierce demeanor since usurping the throne from his brother, King Uther, over a decade ago. As a Legendary figure, Vortigern knew with chilling clarity that it was already too late.

He had already raised his vigilance against Cain and the Daybreak Organization to its peak, even prioritizing Cain's assassination over Artorigus's. And this operation had indeed achieved its primary goal: killing Cain. But due to Cain's final preparations, everything had lost its meaning. The hopeful vision of Utopia, carried by Cain's words, had reached the ears of every farmer and commoner across Escarnia. It allowed countless eyes, long accustomed to the darkness of the endless night, to yearn for the light for the first time.

Thus, from this night onward, the beacons of rebellion would ignite time and again across the lands of Escarnia, until the long night finally broke and dawn arrived.

"Cain, the Knight of the Sacred Hall who received his title from the Holy See?"

Inside Dawn Great Cathedral, the Cardinal, having also heard of Shiayar's every word and deed, spoke with some astonishment. He was certainly aware of the Daybreak Organization's reputation and of the cooperation between Cain and the Alliance Forces led by the Knight King; such talk was common. After all, in present-day Escarnia, both the Dawn Church and the Knight King's rebel forces were at a disadvantage, often relying on mutual aid.

But in the Cardinal's mind, the Black Knight Cain was clearly of no more than the 5th or 6th Ring. Yet now, he had displayed a power that even ordinary Legendary figures could not achieve.

The dawn that illuminates the world...

The Cardinal extended his spiritual power, gazing towards the Valley of the End. The blazing light was so brilliant, so incredibly dazzling, much like Cain's soul, which shone with a pure, crystal-clear radiance.

The radiance of the falling Sacred Spear illuminated the earth in an instant, piercing the night sky and turning it bright as day. Isadella clutched the letter, her slender, pale fingers gripping it so tightly they were nearly bloodless. The bold, black script on the paper remained starkly clear.

"King,

"By the time you read this letter, I believe everything will have settled.

"Just as I said on the first page... from now on, I probably won't be able to be your knight anymore.

"Despicable King Vortigern's siege this time was waged with the absolute intent to kill.

"If we had confronted the enemy head-on, regardless of victory or defeat, our Alliance Forces would have suffered devastating losses. The morale of the Great Knights and lords would have been shattered, perhaps to the point of complete collapse—a blow we could not afford.

"Therefore, I chose another path, the one with the least cost to us... the optimal choice.

"After this battle, both the Abyss and the Blood Tribe will have lost a Legendary figure. Even Vortigern himself, due to the annihilation of half his being, will suffer severe damage to his spiritual power, greatly reducing his strength for a short period.

"This period will be our greatest opportunity. We need no longer fear being constrained by others. Instead, we can seize this moment, while the enemy is crippled, to reclaim vast swathes of land, expand our army and influence, and usher in a precious chance for development.

"I believe in your abilities, King... and with the aid of Gawain, Lord Tristan, and the others, Escarnia will greet a brighter, more expansive future.

"It's just that, in that prosperous future—

"My figure will no longer be there."

A distant gale swept in, rustling the white letter, making it flutter wildly in the wind. Isadella's silver-white hair streamed behind her. But she merely stood there, silently reading every word. A profound sense of dread and loss enveloped the depths of her heart. Her spiritual sea—which, with her breakthrough to the Legendary realm and the perfection of her mind that it entailed, should have ascended to infinite, untainted heights—was now unmistakably clouded by a shadow of gloom.

Even after witnessing all that had transpired, a sliver of hope still flickered within Isadella.

Perhaps Cain is still alive?

After all, since she first met him, the Black Knight had faced countless life-or-death perils, yet he had always emerged victorious. "The Undefeated Black Knight"—a nightmare for enemy generals, and also a supreme honor.

However, at this moment, the letter, penned by Cain himself, was stating a fact—an icy, inescapable truth that Isadella was unwilling to confront. This was the stage the Black Knight had chosen for himself, the final act he had orchestrated. Even when facing Legendary opponents, he had never known defeat.

She lowered her gaze slightly, continuing to read.

"Regrettably, though this is a final farewell, as we can never meet again, it can only be conveyed through this letter… I cannot even say goodbye to you face-to-face.

"Because I am afraid.

"Perhaps some of the Knights of the Round Table misunderstand me, but I am human too. I too wish to seek benefit and avoid harm; I too possess the instinct to cling to life.

"I am afraid that if I were to say goodbye to you in person, I would lose the resolve to die.

"It's laughable, isn't it? The founder of Daybreak, always speaking with such righteousness.

"But in truth, when it truly comes to this moment, I am still just a coward, desperately clinging to life."

The script on the page seemed to pause. In that instant, Isadella almost saw him—a slender, dark-haired figure in a dimly lit room, writing this letter by the faint glow of a candle.

"No," she whispered, the sound nearly lost to the wind. "You are not a coward. You are Escarnia's greatest brave hero… and the most perfect, most noble knight."

The wind snatched her soft words away, rustling the simple paper and revealing the final page.

"King,

"You once asked when a person truly dies. Is it when their heart is pierced by a blade? When they succumb to an incurable disease? Or when they drink a draught of poisonous mushroom soup?

"I believe it is none of those.

"A person truly dies when they are forgotten by the world.

"So, King, do not grieve for me. Though I may pass, the essence and name of Cain, of Daybreak, will be engraved in the hearts of the people and inscribed in the annals of Escarnia, immortal for all time.

"As I once told you: you are the King, the leaf that basks in the sun, a hero destined to stand upon a radiant throne.

"I am your knight, your soldier, the root buried deep underground, hidden in darkness and shadow, clearing your path.

"A soldier's duty is to pave the way for their hero, even with their life.

"This is my own choice, and I have no regrets.

"So please, carry my unfulfilled dreams, step over my body, and advance with unwavering resolve, my King.

"Defeat the Despicable King, cleanse the land of monsters, and establish a kingdom of order that will endure for a thousand years. This is not my dream alone, but the deepest desire of all people.

"And one last, small, selfish wish:

"When I am gone, please... do not forget my name.

"That way, I can die with a smile."

On the desolate land, Gawain looked up, a blank expression on his face. His intuition, honed as a peak Titled Rank knight, screamed at him of an immense, oppressive presence. It was as if an ancient deity had opened its eyes in the starry sky above. Yet, when he scanned his surroundings alertly, he found no trace of the watchful gaze he expected from the Astral Realm.

Gawain shivered, not from cold. Only then did he realize that the crushing presence, akin to that of a Demigod, did not emanate from the heavens.

It came from... the slender figure atop the Crowned Griffon.

At this moment, the Knight King's silhouette was unlike that of any Legendary figure. Instead, she resembled an enraged deity.

The massive black griffon emitted a piercing shriek and soared towards the distant sky. Moments later, it broke through the cloud layer.

Here, they were suspended between the earth and the stars, in a realm neither terrestrial nor celestial.

Isadella hovered there, silently gazing down from above the clouds towards the Valley of the End.

What was once a vast canyon now bore a colossal scar—a gigantic rift that tore through the land, cleaving the Valley of the End in two. Wherever the rift stretched, no sign of life remained. Only desolate plains, earth scorched pale and crystallized by unimaginable heat, and blankets of black ashes attested to the cataclysm that had occurred.

Isadella stood high in the firmament, staring blankly at the shadowed devastation below. She recalled the day she had drawn the Sword in the Stone, the very day she first met Cain. Together, they had vowed to bring light and order to this Calamity Land.

But now, that vow would never be fulfilled.

Forget you…

Her soft murmur vanished into the evening wind, unheard.

How could I possibly forget?