Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Therefore, with such a kind and benevolent nature, this level of personality problem was not enough to cause her any emotional turmoil.

But she was still a "person" with selfish motives after all.

"The one I want to fight is that upright and noble Radiant Knight..."

"Not that frivolous and capricious strange woman..."

"Even if the techniques used—and even the blood flowing through my veins—are the same, it cannot fill the void of 'being unable to fight against the Radiant Knights'..."

Such sentiments echoed in the heart of the Candle Knight.

But she quickly regained her composure when the preparation time ended and the bell rang to announce the official start of the competition.

It's a pity, but it's a pity.

In this special championship, the only goal is to defeat your opponent and become the champion!

"Round One! Let's begin!!!!"

The shouts announcing the start of the match and the jubilation in the stadium reached their peak at that moment.

Three flickering candlelight illuminated half of the arena, concealing the noble figures, while everything else was plunged into deep darkness.

On the other side of the field, Maria's expression seemed to show a moment of surprise.

She seemed surprised by the form of the other party's magic and the "aloof" attitude displayed through their actions—using such a large-scale spell right from the start, it seemed they really didn't want to spend much time communicating with her.

Maria sighed, recalling her training in fusion with Tomat and the others, thinking that she could use "that move" even better now.

She faced the flickering candlelight of darkness, and before it could engulf her like a tidal wave, she raised her hands to her forehead, backs of her hands facing outwards, fingers spread, her center of gravity slightly lowered, and said, word by word:

"Solar Fist!"

[Main Text] Terra Conquest: Chapter Twenty-Five - A Flashback

“I have never been a dazzling sun, just like my title, which is merely a flickering candle flame that can be burned out at any time.”

"And my faint light is far too insignificant; all I do only makes the shadows all around seem even deeper."

"After all, I don't possess the unparalleled strength of you, Knight Radiance. My power and my actions are ultimately only at the level of a mortal."

"Knight Keyao, as someone who rivals the sun, and even commands respect from the Radiant Sun, you are truly a citizen of the Pegasus Gods..."

During that meeting, the Candle Knight exchanged pleasantries with the Radiant Knight, uttering these overly polite words that had become somewhat distorted.

The Candle Knight is kind enough, but she still has her own likes and dislikes.

When I first learned about the Radiant Knight, the "hero" who rebelled against the corrupt knightly arena, and how he returned to Kazimierz with an organization called Rhodes Island, I actually felt some resistance.

Like a mythical knight, she was ultimately exiled as an infected person. Even as the sun, she could not withstand the overwhelming darkness of Kazimierz.

and then?

She was "exiled".

However, this exile was filled with conspiracy theories that were far more convincing than the official announcements—for example, that she was not infected at all, but that the Lightbringer family used this as an excuse to send her away in order to protect her, a member of their clan who loved to show off but was exceptionally talented, from being harmed by the business alliance.

Even without concrete evidence, this became a consensus among the few people who had access to the inner workings of the business alliance, thanks in large part to McKee, the spokesperson who had been flirting with the Candle Knight. As a high-ranking member of the Rose Newspapers, he was able to obtain some unknown inside information.

Instead of continuing to fight, she used her identity as one of the most suffering people on this land as a shield and fled.

For the Nearl family, this operation is perfectly reasonable, since Margaret is indeed powerful enough to be protected as a rare talent.

For Margaret, this behavior was quite rational, because everyone knew that she was not as good as the Black Knight, and even the Black Knight could not withstand the pressure from the Business Alliance, so how could she possibly be qualified to face it?

The Candle Knight could understand.

But she did not accept it.

The Candle Knight did not resent the Black Knight's departure, for she was simply a warrior who pursued combat and power.

The Radiant Knight is different; she carries more than just the concept of "powerful".

She was also a vocal rebel.

Everyone knows that the Radiant Knights fight against the corrupt and decadent knightly competitions.

The ideals she promoted and her fighting spirit became, in a literal sense, the "sun," shining upon those oppressed by the knightly arena system, making them feel that hope had finally arrived.

But she "ran away".

Without any explanation, they left with a flimsy excuse.

Protected by their families, they were forced to experience the supposedly more brutal world of infected people and to confront "the suffering of this land."

A hero who failed to live up to expectations became an infected person forced to leave his home.

A sun that was seen as the greatest hope sank below the horizon and never rose again; from then on, Casimir was never bathed in sunlight again.

Of course, this does not mean that after Lin Guang left, no one continued to resist or shine.

However, they were all swallowed by darkness because of their lack of power, and the extremely disappointed people would say in a cold tone, "If even the Radiant Knights couldn't do it, how could we possibly do it?"

People do not expect the long night to end, and even mock all the candles that try to light a glimmer of light to get through the darkness.

The moment the sunlight disappeared from the Radiant Knight's heart, the hope in the hearts of others was also extinguished.

—And then she came back?

And yet it continues to maintain that name that was once trusted by the masses?

"What makes you think you have the right to return to Kazimierz once again, bearing the name of the Radiant Knight?"

"What gives you the right to claim that 'knights are the noble ones who illuminate the whole earth' as ​​your own belief?"

"Bearing that responsibility, yet leaving without any awareness—not everyone has the power to resist like you!"

The Candle Knight did not say these words aloud to the Radiant Knight during the gathering.

But her feelings had already been conveyed—Viviana was complaining, complaining that she, this inadequate candlelight, had resisted adversity to this day, and even though she had become a thorn in the side of countless people, she had never given up, but the Radiant Knight had left in a hurry.

After all, she knew that if she said such emotional words, she would only be the one in the wrong.

The only reason I've managed to hold on until now is because the business alliances haven't really taken me seriously yet.

The Radiant Knights truly used their immense influence to challenge the Business Alliance, forcing them to take it seriously.

The difference is probably between "you going against the business alliance" and "the business alliance going against you".

Simply voicing these complaints only exposes the truth that one has "over-relyed on others."

They placed their hopes on someone who "could not fulfill their hopes," and the other person did indeed leave because they could not resist. This was an inevitable result. What do they think they are if they criticize the other person for it?

In the past, people placed their hopes on the strong and avoided the fact that they were weak.

Now you want to use your own meager efforts as a basis to condemn the strong for not giving their all?

It's nothing more than being ashamed to admit one's own inadequacy.

The Candle Knight was not unreasonable; she had a certain understanding of cause and effect, so she was able to comfort herself well and not let her emotions overly manifest in her words.

However, what needed to be vented still needed to be vented, and the dissatisfaction with the departure of the Radiant Knight still turned into slightly hurtful words.

But in the end, they became fast friends.

Upon hearing these words, the Radiant Knight immediately approached the Candle Knight and, at an extremely close distance, sincerely said to her:

"...If that's really the case, then a knight like you is the one Kazimierz is most proud of."

These words took the Candle Knight somewhat by surprise. She wondered if they had a hidden meaning, or some kind of sarcasm that was hard to see through.

The Radiant Knight continued:

"What the night needs is not just one sun—and I am not the sun either, and I deeply apologize for my unauthorized departure."

"But I am very honored to see a knight like you, Miss Viviana. You are the thing that people need most in the long night."

The Radiant Knight bent one knee with standard Letanian courtesy and took the Candle Knight's hand.

“A handful of candlelight—a handful of candlelight in your mouth, which everyone can have, is what people in the ‘darkness’ truly need.”

"If everyone lights a candle and a lamp, then even the longest night and the deepest darkness cannot harm anyone."

"The sun does not dispel darkness; it merely 'exists here.' I am not yet capable of becoming such a vast being."

"It is always beings like you who truly 'dispel' the darkness. Although the sun can give people hope in the long night, in terms of value, it is not even a fraction as valuable as candlelight."

She looked at the Candle Knight's increasingly surprised expression, her demeanor serious and earnest.

These words were not just empty pleasantries. Before this, she had used Rhodes Island's intelligence network to investigate the knights attending the gathering and learned about the Candle Knight who had always helped others and was constantly slandered but never discouraged.

All her actions were done sincerely from the bottom of her heart.

"The candlelight in Kazimierz is dim, but I am fortunate to have met you, so please allow me to express my sincerest gratitude."

As the Candle Knight was taken aback by his words, the Radiant Knight's lips kissed the back of her hand.

"Ah...I..."

In that instant, she was certain that she had not encountered just a "runaway" knight, but a friendly knight who was just like the one that would inevitably appear in a chivalric novel.

Honest and understanding of each other.

It's definitely not any other kind of feeling that's developing!

"I also appreciate your sun-like integrity, but I also want to confirm whether you possess the same strength as the sun..."

A flash of light.

"...So, not fighting the Radiant Knight is really disappointing."

The scene—or rather, the Candle Knight's memories—returned to the present.

She sat with her legs apart on the ground, no longer able to stand. Her magnificent clothes were now torn in many places, revealing skin that was no less impressive than Maria's.

The sword blade, with its hilt serving as a candlestick, was broken, and the candle had burned out.

The entire battle, from start to finish, lasted only a few dozen seconds.

In this battle where intense light intertwined, those who witnessed the entire process understood that the unscathed opponent had absolutely not used his true abilities.

"However, although I am not a Radiant Knight, I have witnessed the power of the sun... My candlelight is so powerless..."

Exhausted, the Candle Knight offered words of approval, then, supporting himself on the broken hilt of the Candle Sword, he passed out.

The outcome is decided!!!